17th August 2015

NIGERIA’S MOST INFORMATIVE NEWSPAPER NO 16,306

MONDAY, 17 AUGUST, 2015

www.tribuneonlineng.com

Ooni: 6 candidates intensify moves —P6

Nigerian Tribune

How PDP can bounce back —IBB

@nigeriantribune

Nigerian Tribune

N150

Shekau in audio message says, 'I'm still in charge'

—P21

—P6

APC, PDP at each other's throats

•Looting of treasury under Jonathan stalling Buhari's performance —APC •Violation of constitutional provisions under Buhari undermining democracy —PDP •Alleged diversion of $1bn Lagos-Kano rail loan untrue —Okonjo-Iweala —P2,4 •NDDC faults AGF over missing N183bn APC'S ALLEGATIONS PDP'S ALLEGATIONS OKONJO-IWEALA REACTS 3.8 trillion out of the 8.1 trillion earned from crude oil ( 01 to 01 ) withheld by PC .1 billion from Excess Crude Account unaccounted for billion allegedly looted by some ministers of the last administration 1 0 million barrels of crude worth 13.9 billion lost between 009 and 01 1 million from botched arms deal yet to be returned to igeria 30 billion rice waiver 183 billion unaccounted for at the C

Indonesian plane with 54 on board crashes, all feared dead

—P48

uhari deliberately stalling activities at I EC, as 11 states now without RECs. o provision for acting chairmanship of I EC in igeria s constitution. uhari using SS to unduly interfere in activities of election tribunals in Rivers, Akwa Ibom and other P P states.

The uhari-led administration has been running without statutory components of a full cabinet as prescribed by the constitution.

APC has clear agenda to undermine critical institutions of democracy, intimidate igerians and pave way for dictatorship.

What Buhari asked me to do in NNPC —Kachikwu —P13

ano-Lagos rail pro ect not funded by China-Exim ank China-Exim ank keeps and disburses funds for approved pro ects to contractors based on milestones; funds are not domiciled with Finance Ministry These are being funded from facilities obtained from the ChinaExim ank: 00m for the expansion of four International - 00m for the Abu a Light Rail pro ect - 98 m for the ungeru Hydroelectric power pro ect - 100m for the Galaxy ackbone pro ect

NDDC'S DEFENCE o money is missing AGF: Report premature, misleading, untrue Some of the claims do not hold water as at today. e no longer pay mobilisation for contract obs. Our contractorss are now expected to demonstrate their competence and capability before payments are made. e now insist on proper scoping for our obs as well as holding pre-award meetings to tie all loose ends.

Ibadan car dealer's death: Association, customs meet today —P6

The deceased and his wife

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Looting of treasury under Jonathan stalling Buhari’s performance —APC •Stop bandying imaginary figures, PDP tells APC FROM BOLA BADMUS, JACOB SEGUN OLATUNJI AND LEON USIGBE

T

HE All Progressives Congress (APC), on Sunday, described as spinechilling and mind-boggling, the massive looting of the country’s treasury by public officials, saying nothing but total recovery of the funds would be acceptable to all patriotic Nigerians.

This was just as the party gave list of instances of looting to include the N3.8 trillion out of the N8.1 trillion earned from crude oil (2012-2015), which was withheld by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC); the $2.1 billion from Excess Crude Account (ECA) unaccounted for and the Department of Petroleum Resources’ (DPR) unremitted N109.7 billion royalty from oil firms.

The APC said this in Lagos, in a statement issued by its national publicity secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, declaring that anyone who attempted, either by deeds or words, to sabotage the recovery efforts was not a patriot and, therefore, deserved nothing but public opprobrium.

The party, therefore, thanked Nigerians for their overwhelming support for the Muhammadu Buhariled administration, in what it called its tough, but important task of tracing and recovering the loots, while also ensuring that the looters face justice.

“It is absolutely gratifying that Nigerians are vehemently opposed to the few who would rather have the government of the day turn a blind eye to the looted funds and, in their words, carry on with the process of governance.

“Truly, what sort of governance can go on if the billions of naira in a few hands are not recovered? In the first instance, the government needs every kobo of the funds it can muster to bring about the change it has promised Nigerians.

“Secondly, leaving such hair-raising funds in the hands of the few looters is dangerous, because they can use the funds to destabilise any government.

In fact, no one will be surprised if the looters use their dirty funds to sponsor public demonstrations against the government’s determination to recover

the funds.

“Thirdly, allowing those who privatised the commonwealth to get away is offering a thumbs-up for looting. No responsible government will do that,” the APC said.

The party said that already, the looters had embarked on a relentless and an increasingly-bold campaign to discredit the government of the day and sabotage the funds’ recovery process, using newspaper columnists, “talking heads” and otherwise respectable opinion leaders.

“They and their paid hirelings have tried to employ sophistry to muddle the waters, but Nigerians are much wiser and will not succumb to the dirty antics of the looters’ megaphones,” the party said.

The APC contended that it was necessary to remind

Nigerians of the kind of massive looting of the treasury which took place in the past few years, so that they could better appreciate the seriousness of the issue at stake.

According to the party, more instances of looting included the $6 billion allegedly looted by some ministers of the last administration and the 160 billion barrels of crude worth $13.9 billion lost between 2009 and 2012.

Others were the $15 million from botched arms deal yet to be returned to Nigeria; $13 billion in Nigerian Liquefied atural Gas ( L G) dividends mostly unaccounted for; N30 billion rice waiver and N183 billion unaccounted for at the Niger- Delta Development Commission (NNDC).

The party said the listed ‘missing’ funds constituted

just a tip of the iceberg, since they were mostly from a few sectors of the economy, mostly the oil sector and were discovered even before the forensic audit now being undertaken in some key areas.

It said the level of looting that went on in other sectors was better imagined, hence the need for all Nigerians to rally around the Buhari-led administration to recover the loots, bring the looters to justice and put in place measures to prevent such looting in the future.

“The level of looting that went on in other sectors is better imagined, hence the need for all Nigerians to rally around the Buhari-led administration to recover the loots, bring the looters to justice and to put in place measures to prevent such looting in the future,”

it said.

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Sunday, described as “reckless, irresponsible and highly provocative,” the statement credited to the APC spokesperson, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, “on figures against the previous administration to suit a heinous purpose.”

In a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja, on Sunday by its national publicity secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, the party said the APC had again exhibited its emptiness and disgusting desperation for public approval.

According to the PDP, “in trying to escalate their stock-in-trade of lies, wild allegations and falsehood, the APC failed to understand that their baseless fabrications are capable of throwing an unsuspecting

nation into chaos.”

Stating that “the spate of fabrications by Mohammed has become a sickening source of worry to well-meaning Nigerians, including those in his party,” the PDP called on President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC as a party, to call their spokesperson to order before he plunges the country into crisis with wild and unsubstantiated claims.

The PDP said instead of unnecessarily playing to the gallery, the APC-led government should get serious with the fight against corruption by investigating and prosecuting corrupt persons, while moving on with the demands of governance, especially in fulfilling their numerous campaign promises for which they were voted into office at the centre.

Violation of constitutional provisions under Buhari undermining democracy —PDP LEON USIGBE AND JACOB SEGUN OLATUNJI - ABUJA THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that after a thorough review of the political developments in the country since the All Progressives Congress (APC) took office at the centre, it needed to alert all Nigerians and the international community that all is not well with the nation’s democracy.

The former ruling party said in a statement issued by its national publicity secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, in Abuja, on Sunday, that this fear was derived from the facts of some conscious actions and inactions of the Muhammadu Buhari-led APC government that undermined critical institutions of democracy, emasculated the constitution and ostensibly set the stage for a return of dictatorial regime in Nigeria.

It noted that despite claims of being a converted democrat, Buhari had allowed, under his watch, an incessant violation of sections of the nation’s constitution, a development that has become a huge threat to democracy and the stability of the nation.

The PDP stated: “For instance, how can this government explain the fact that a major institution of democracy like the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has

been deliberately debilitated to the extent that it can no longer perform its statutory responsibility for lack of quorum.

“Nigerians are aware that before his tenure expired on June 30, the former INEC chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega wrote to President Buhari, intimating him of the fact that the tenure of majority of the national commissioners will expire before August, yet the president never acted, resulting in the present crisis in the commission, where more than 80 per cent out of the statutory 13 members remain vacant, even as 11 states of the federation are also without Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs).

“We note that this anomaly is in addition to the uncertainty surrounding the controversial appointment of an acting chairman of INEC in the person of a national commissioner, whose tenure had since expired, not minding that there is no provision for an acting chairman of INEC in our constitution.

“This development has completely enervated the commission from carrying out its functions as stipulated in part 1 of third schedule of the 1999 Constitution as amended, thereby putting our electoral system under severe threat.

“We ask, if not for a possibility of an ulterior

motive to inject a constitutional crisis and undermine the nation’s democracy, why should President Buhari wait to be urged before he upholds his responsibility of forwarding replacements to the Senate for confirmation, so as to enable the commission effectively carry out its constitutional responsibilities to the nation.

“Could this be a ploy by the APC-led government to use a decapitated INEC to conduct the forthcoming governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states to pave way for their planned ‘capture’ of the two PDP states?

“Is the weakening of INEC not part of the plot to use the commission to put the PDP in precarious position in various electoral tribunals to the advantage of the APC? “Furthermore, Nigerians are witnesses to the undue interferences of the Department of State Services (DSS) in the activities of election tribunals in Rivers, Akwa-Ibom and other PDP states, where electoral officers are being harassed, intimidated and detained, ostensibly to influence udgments against the PDP. “Akin to these are reported cases of abuse of security agencies by the APC-led government. Of particular note is the July’s reprehensible sealing of Rivers State

local councils by the police, who also barred members of caretaker committees, that were duly appointed by the state government to take charge of the councils following the pronouncement of the court.

“Also, of grave concern is the adamant stance of this administration in running a government without the statutory components of a full cabinet as prescribed by the constitution, even when the negative consequences of this strange and totalitarian tendency are taking serious toll on the economy and the polity in general.

“The intolerance of the APC and the glaring insensitivity of this government, in spite of outcries of wellmeaning Nigerians against their undemocratic leanings, raise fears about the future of our democracy and the general health of our dear nation.

“For example, how can we begin to explain the venom and disparagement with which the APC has been attacking our highly revered national leaders in the National Peace Committee, which has as members, former head of state, General Abdulsalami Abubakar; the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar; respected clerics— Archbishop John Onaiyekan and Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah; retired justices of superior records, as well as other highly respected patriotic

Nigerians, for daring to counsel Buhari’s government on some observed undemocratic tendencies and processes.

“The crass attacks are more astonishing, considering the much appreciated role these great Nigerians played in ensuring a peaceful and violence free 2015 general election.

“This is especially as we have no reason to believe that such weighty attacks from the president’s party can come without his approval, more so as the APC spokesperson, Alhaji Mohammed, who authored the statements was not part of the meeting between the president and the Peace Committee.

“The PDP and, indeed, all discerning Nigerians are, therefore, left with no other option than to conclude that there is a clear agenda to undermine critical institutions of democracy, intimidate Nigerians and pave way for dictatorship in the land.

“In view of the developments, the PDP, as a party that nurtured and sustained democracy in Nigeria for 16 years, beckons on all lovers of democracy within and outside the country, to rise to the occasion and impress it on President Buhari and APC to imbibe, in its totality, the tenets of democracy and the rule of law in the general interest of our dear nation. continues pg4

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Alleged diversion of $1bn Lagos-Kano rail loan untrue —Okonjo-Iweala

F

ORMER Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi OkonjoIweala, on Sunday, educated President Muhammadu Buhari’s government on the alleged diversion of $1 billion rail loan under her watch.

Dr Okonjo-Iweala, in a statement signed by her Media Adviser, Paul C. Nwabuikwu, said KanoLagos rail project was not funded by ChinaEximBank and that the China-EximBank kept and disbursed funds, which were not domiciled with Finance Ministry for approved projects to contractors based on milestones.

The statement read: “It is important to note that even if the alleged project was on the list of ChinaEximBank- funded projects, diversion of any Chinese funds would have been extremely difficult, because the terms of the contract and the processes would simply not have permitted such an action.

“The procedure is that funds for approved loans remain in the China-EximBank and are released directly to the Chinese firm executing the contract only after the presentation of duly certified proof of work by the responsible ministry; in this case, it would have been the Federal Ministry of Transport, based on the agreed milestones.

“For the sake of emphasis, the China-EximBank does not disburse money directly to government and, therefore, the issue of diversion does not arise.”

The statement described the allegation as “yet another example of the kind of whispering campaign of calumny, innuendo, misinformation and outright distortions being perpetrated by certain political elements against Dr Okonjo-Iweala, in a bid to try to damage her reputation.”

She noted that the alleged diversion “has no substance for the simple reason that the Kano-Lagos project was not even among the projects presented for funding by the China-EximBank for several strategic infrastructural projects across the country.

“In fact, it was the LagosIbadan rail project, not Lagos-Kano rail project that was proposed in the original application to the China-EximBank, but in the end, no fund was assigned

for the Lagos-Ibadan rail project by the China-EximBank.

“The fact which can be confirmed is that the following projects, which are at various stages of progress are being funded from facilities obtained from the

China-EximBank: $500 million for the expansion of four International Airport Terminals in Lagos, Kano, Abuja and Port Harcourt; $500 million for the Abuja Light Rail project; $984 million for the Zungeru Hydro-electric

power project and $100 million for the Galaxy Backbone project Dr Okonjo-Iweala said: “I want to state categorically that there is no truth in the reported allegation.

Anyone who is interested can cross-check with the

China-EximBank or the Chinese Embassy.”

She observed that “even though President Buhari, in his reported comments on the allegation, made no reference to Dr Okonjo-Iweala, but rightly stressed the need for due

process and transparency in the execution of public projects, a sponsored media campaign has once again been launched by political elements to make the former minister the culprit in a non-existent scandal.”

NDDC faults AGF over missing N183bn DAPO FALADE - PORT HARCOURT MANAGEMENT of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has denied allegations that N183.7 billion of NDDC funds could not be accounted for between 2008 and 2012.

The Auditor-General of the Federation (AGF), Mr Samuel Ukura, was said to have claimed in a special audit report recently submitted to the National Assembly that the said amount was missing.

However, the NDDC Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Dr Henry Ogiri, in a statement made available, on Sunday, described the allegation as “premature and misleading.”

Ogiri, in the statement signed by the NDDC Head of Corporate Affairs, Mr Toye Abosede, also said the report was not true.

Speaking while inspecting three projects in AbuaOdual Local Government Area of Rivers State, he said: “I find the report very misleading and untrue.

“It tended to portray the current management as being responsible for the missing money, when in fact, the period covered by the report is 2008 till 2012.

“I will say without fear of contradiction that the Auditor-General’s report is premature. I say this because we are already putting together the responses to the queries which were directed to a period we were not in the commission.

“I completely disagree with the Auditor-General on this issue. Some of the claims he made in his report are things that do not hold water as at today.

“However, we are at an advanced stage of writing our own report. But from our preliminary findings, I do not believe that there is any money missing.

“The current management is quite capable of giving a proper account of the commission s finances based on available records.

It does not matter that we

were not there for the period under review.”

Ogiri also picked holes in the claims made by the Auditor-General, describing some of them as things that had been passed on to suspense account at the time of the audit.

The NDDC Finance Director said these accounts had since been reconciled, noting that issues of wrong classification were regarded as monies that were missing.

He also disclosed that the interventionist agency had since introduced some changes meant to checkmate incompetent contractors.

“We no longer pay mobilisation for contract jobs.

Our contractors are now expected to demonstrate their competence and capability before payments

are made.

“In addition, we now insist on proper scoping for our jobs, as well as holding pre-award meetings to tie all loose ends,” he said.

Meanwhile, NDDC has restated its resolve to complete all its ongoing projects spread across the Niger Delta region.

Dr Ogiri made the commitment while inspecting three projects in AbuaOdual Local Government Area of Rivers State.

He said the current management of the commission had recorded notable achievements because of its judicious application of financial resources.

Ogiri, in company of the Executive Director, Projects, Mr Tuoyo Omatsuli, inspected the 23.5-kilometre Otuasega-ObedumEmelego Road project,

linking Bayelsa and Rivers states; e-library and a model primary school in Abua.

He said the commission would remain focused on its mandate to quicken the pace of development in the Niger Delta, in spite of allegations of financial impropriety.

He commended the NDDC Managing Director, Sir Bassey Dan-Abia, for driving the reforms in the commission and especially for his commitment to seeing to the completion of the regional road.

“The people of the nine communities the road is expected to traverse are predominantly farmers, who find it extremely difficult conveying their farm produce like plantain, banana and cassava, to urban areas,” he said.

Violation of constitutional provisions under Buhari undermining democracy —PDP continued from pg2

“In raising this alarm about disturbing national issues, we, however, wish to reiterate our earlier position that the PDP, as a responsible and patriotic political party, is not in any way averse to the fight against corruption,

as long as it is carried out within the ambits of the due process of the law.

“Our nation is a state built on the principles of freedom and social justice; essentials of democracy, where ‘sovereignty belongs to the people, from whom government, through the constitution

derives all its powers and authority’ for the good of all, irrespective of creed, class, political, ethnic or gender considerations; tenets that must be protected and upheld at all times.

“Finally, we call on some well-meaning Nigerians, who have found

themselves in the APC, especially those, who at one time or the other, were pupils of the teachings and visions of the founding fathers of the PDP, to rise above the shallowness of their temporary enclave and join in this major defence of democratic ethos.”

Plateau gas explosion: NWSA calls for adequate safety measures JACOB SEGUN OLATUNJI - ABUJA FOLLOWING the recent explosion of a chlorine gas cylinder at the Flamingo treatment plant of Plateau State Water Board, the Nigerian Water Supply Association (NWSA) has advised the boards and management of water agencies nationwide to adopt and practise adequate safety measures for usage and storage of water treatment chemical.

Administrative Secretary of NWSA, Miss Rosetta Etta, who gave the advice at

a news conference in Abuja, disclosed that this was to prevent future occurrence of the incident which occurred on Saturday, July 25 this year, during which eight persons lost their lives, leaving 101 others hospitalised due to various degrees of injuries sustained.

Etta, who assured that on its part, NWSA’s quality control team would institute a nationwide independent assessment of all water treatment facilities of the states water agencies (water boards), advised the various boards and management of water agencies nationwide

to embark on adequate medical checks for their staff handling water treatment plants. “ Afterwards, NWSA will hold an analytical and solution-proffering consultative workshop with the water boards,” she assured.

The secretary, flanked by Mr Michael Ale, a member of the Board of Trustees, said the workshop would be used to determine the standard of health and safety protocols of treatment facilities, quality of chemicals in use and storage equipment to among others “determine medical protocols to safe-

guard the longterm health condition of staff that work directly with chemicals at water treatment plants; determine environmental impacts with particular regard to residing in close proximity of chemical treatment facilities and protection of public water mains and determine total quality and compliance management scheme for all water treatment facilities.”

She added that NWSA was desirous to assist state agencies through routine inspections and implementation of appropriate health and safety procedures that

would prevent chemical injuries and/or death of staff or the general public.

“NWSA, therefore, seeks the collaboration of state governments, the water agencies and citizens with the association for the achievement of the noble objectives,” she added The association, however, commiserated with the government and the people of Plateau State over the explosion.

NWSA is a registered independent platform and umbrella body for all water practitioners in Nigeria since 1997.

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news Ooni stool: 6 candidates intensify moves 6

OLUWOLE IGE -OSOGBO

B

ARELY 48 hours after the interment of the late Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, the battle for the occupation

Monday, 17 August, 2015

of Ile Oduduwa, where the palace of the Ooni is situated, has begun.

Credible sources informed the Nigerian Tribune that as soon as Oba Sijuwade was reported dead,

royal families entitled to the stool commenced moves aimed at enhancing chances of their candidates.

Investigation indicated that the new Ooni would emerge from one of the four

ruling houses that could be enthroned as the Ooni of Ife. They are Osinkola, Ogboru, Lafogido and Giesi.

The late Ooni, Oba Sijuwade, was produced by the Ogboru ruling family,

NAF sustains air raids on terrorists’ bunkers CHRIS AGBAMBU -ABUJA IN the continued onslaught against terrorism in the North East, pilots of the Nigerian Air Force, at the weekend, smoked out Boko Haram elements from their fortified bunkers, deep inside Sambisa Forest.

Competent security sources told the Nigerian Tribune that the raids were part of efforts aimed at ensuring that the marching orders issued by President

Muhammadu Buhari for the military to annihilate the deadly terrorists and their activities in the next three months was complied with.

In series of videos obtained by the Nigerian Tribune, Alpha jets and attack helicopters were seen raining explosives on some targeted locations hidden under trees and open warehouses.

Unlike the standard bunkers, fortified and built below the ground with re-

inforced concrete, some of the fortifications destroyed

by Nigerian Air Force were not set below the surface of the ground but were mostly covered by logs and tree trunks.

The mission is being accomplished by the recent deployments of fighter ets and attack helicopters in the North-East.

A senior fighter pilot said “the pilots are in high spirit as they even compete to fly the aircrafts to defend their

Shekau in audio message says, 'I'm still in charge' ABUBAKAR Shekau, Boko Haram’s elusive leader, released an audio tape on Sunday, denying claims that he had been killed or replaced as chief of the militant group.

“The infidel media has reported that I'm dead or sick and cannot speak. This is false," Shekau asserted in the short audio message.

The message was addressed to Abu Bakar al-Baghdadi, chief of the Daesh militant group, to whom the Boko Haram leader pledged allegiance last March.

In the message, Shekau insisted he was still at the

helm of the notorious group.

The message was a clear rebuttal of recent claims

by Chadian president, Idriss Deby, that Shekau had been replaced by another militant, Mahamat Daoud.

At a recent news briefing held to mark Chad's 55th Independence anniversary, Deby had told reporters: “There is someone called Mahamat Daoud who is said to have replaced Abubakar Shekau and who wants to negotiate with the Nigerian government.”

Ahmad Salkida, an independent Nigerian journalist who closely follows

Boko Haram, said via Twitter on Saturday night that Shekau was indeed alive.

"Idris Deby is wrong now as before when he deceived former President [Goodluck] Jonathan about phantom negotiations,” Salkida tweeted.

Last October, Nigeria announced a ceasefire in its fight against the oko Haram insurgency, following a peace deal that had allegedly been brokered by Deby.

Shekau, however, subsequently denied that his group had entered into any negotiations with the government.

Ibadan car dealer's death: Association, customs meet today

BY NURUDEEN ALIMI REPRESENTATIVES of the Motor Dealers Association, Ibadan chapter, will meet with management of the Nigerian Customs Service today, at its Ibadan office, following a protest by members of the association over the death of Tunde Abdul, a dealer, whose death they alleged was aided by men of the Nigerian Customs Service on Saturday.

The late Abdul (29) died following complications from injuries he sutained after a truck ran into the vehicle he was travelling in, when officers of the customs stopped him and two of his colleagues for a check on Km 34, Alapako end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

According to an eyewitness, Abdul and his colleagues had presented the particulars of the three unregistered vehicles they were bringing from Tincan, Apapa, to the officers, but they were asked to wait till daybreak, as the head of the team told them he needed to verify the validity of the papers. It was 2.30 a.m. at that time.

While Abdul and one S.K were waiting inside one of the vehicles, a DAF truck with Osun State registration number PRN 123 XA lost control and ran into the vehicle, leaving Abdul injured and S.K with minor injuries.

The deceased was, however, confirmed dead at a private hospital in Ibadan, while S.K is currently re-

ceiving treatment at the same hospital.

The meeting will no doubt discuss how to get justice for the deceased, who the association claimed was unecessarily delayed by the customs officers and to also seek for a way to get compesation for his immediate family and his unborn child, as the wife is pregant, expecting their second child.

A close friend of the deceased, speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, said the late Abdul, upon his return from his trip to Lagos, was planning to increase the number of day old chicks he was raising at a mini poultry in Elebu area of Ibadan, in order for him to have bumper sales during Yuletide.

fatherland in their aggressive and patriotic determinations to end the Boko Haram 'rubbish' as soon as possible.”

It was further gathered that the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, had challenged the pilots to prove their worth by displaying their skills and expertise in combating enemies from the air.

While addressing the pilots recently, Abubakar said the raid would be sustained consistently and aggressively until the insurgency was brought to an end in Nigeria.

The raids commenced after weeks of reconnaissance by surveillance aircraft in the mission area.

The deployed F-7NI, Alpha jets and attack helicopters are intended to degrade the fighting capacity of the terrorists.

while his predecessor, Oba Adesoji Aderemi, was from the Osinkola ruling house.

Nigerian Tribune authoritatively gathered that contenders already jostling for the stool were founder of Oduduwa University, Ipetumodu (OUI), Ile-Ife, Chief (Dr) Rahmon Adegoke Adedoyin; Prince Yomi Ogunsi; Prince M. Eludoyin; a former Commissioner for Special Duties and Integration in Osun, Alhaji Sikiru Ayedun; lawyer and grandson of Oba Aderemi, Prince Adedamola Aderemi and Prince Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, among others.

One of the sources informed the Nigerian Tribune that "we now have up to 12 contenders. They have actually began underground moves to brighten their chances.

"In Ile-Ife, however, our tradition on the selection of Ooni would be strictly followed and Ifa deity would play a decisive and critical role in all these struggles.

"The ruling family whose turn it is to provide a candidate shall be invited in writing to present their

candidate or candidates from among whom the kingmakers shall select the most suitable person.”

However, consultation of Ifa oracle by the Chief Priest of Ife and Obadio Agbaye, Chief Olajide Farotimi Faloba, he said, would determine who would be crowned as the next Ooni of Ife. When contacted on how the new Ooni would emerge, the Chief Priest of Ile Ife, Chief Faloba, said the next Ooni would emerge out of the four ruling houses that could be crowned Ooni, after the chief priest might have consulted the Ifa oracle.

According to him, “I am the Chief priest and the king-maker to the Ooni stool because I am the mouthpiece of the gods.

So, if there should be coronation, I will be the one that will pronounce it."

Chief Faloba continued, "the kingmakers would pick one person from all Ife princes that show interest in the stool and Ifa oracle would be consulted on the choice before the final ratification by the chief priest."

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Nigerian Tribune

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Lagosmetro ‘Okada’ association chairman remanded in prison over murder allegation BIDEMI OLOWOFELA

Sign post at Gani Fawehinmi Park, Ojota has the letters ‘H’ and ‘K’ missing. PHOTO: SYLVESTER OKORUWA

Why manifest of crashed helicopter isn’t out —Investigation SHOLA ADEKOLA

T

HE delay in the release of the manifest of the victims of last week’s helicopter crash has been attributed to the inability of the company that chartered the Bristow Heliopters hopper to finalise agreements with the fami-

lies of the deceased.

According to information gathered, the victims were workers of SEDCO Oil Platform Offshore, the airline’s client.

Contrary to the rumour that it was the airline that was delaying the release of the manifest, the source said the names of the two pilots who were the direct

staff of the airline had already been released.

Until the company got approval from the families of the victims, the issue surrounding the manifest will still be a problem.

The airline management had last week stated why it could not release the manifest, saying: “We cannot release the victims’ names

without the consent of our client, SEDCO Oil, which is still in regular contact with families of the victims.”

Also, the Director-General of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Mukhtar Usman, said that it did not have the passengers’ manifest of the Bristow Helicopter that crashed.

Suspected hackers arraigned over N1.5 million fraud AYOMIDE OWONIBI ODEKANYIN FOUR men were have been arraigned before an Igbosere Magistrate’s Court for illegally withdrawing the sum of N1.5 million from one Ugo Donald’s bank account.

The alleged hackers whose names were given as Oduwole Oluwatobi, Okonofua Harrison, Ikenna Ohaji and Olaide Taiwo are facing a threecount charge bordering on conspiracy and fraud.

The prosecutor, ASP Olakemmi Omisope, said the accused committed the offences sometime in November 2014 in Lagos.

“These four men hacked into the bank account of Donald Ugo and debited the account to the tune of N1.5 million.

“That act amounts to stealing and their offences

are in contravention of Sections 285, 387 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011,” he said.

The men, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.

Counsel to the four accused, Mr Dannel Abbe, urged the court to admit them to bail on liberal terms.

In his ruling, Magistrate Owunmi Martins granted

the accused bail in the sum of N500, 000 each with two sureties each in like sum.

The case was then adjourned to September 17, for mention.

A 39-year-old man, Jonah James alias ‘One blow’ has been arraigned before a Lagos Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Ebute-Metta for allegedly murdering one Taiwo Ogunne.

The suspect is facing two count charges of conspiracy and murder.

It was gathered that the suspect contested for election against an opponent in the motorcycle riders’ association for the seat of the chairman.

Trouble started when the suspect was said to have won and the side that lost started a fight.

When the defendant heard what was happening, he rushed to the DPO of the area to report the case. The DPO sent two patrol vehicles to quell the uprising.

By the time the police got there, the deceased, Taiwo, has already been killed. Some of them were arrested including the opposing side.

The charges read: “That you Jonah James on the 19th day of June 2015 at about 1800hrs at Agbowa main garage, Agbowa-Ikosi, Ketu in the Lagos Magisterial District did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to

wit: murder and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 231 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2011.

“That you, Jonah James, on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned magisterial district did unlawfully kill one Taiwo Ogunne, ‘m’ aged 37, by attacking him with a cutlass on his head and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 221 of the criminal law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2011.”

He pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The presiding magistrate, Mr. N.A Layeni said the power of the court is limited because it is a capital offence, adding that the court lacks jurisdiction to entertain the application of the defence counsel that the deceased’s family wanted to withdraw the case.

He stated that it was impossible for the deceased because the case wass now between the Commissioner of Police and Jonah James.

Layeni thereby ordered that the defendant should be remanded in prison custody pending legal advice from the offi e and the case hereby adjourned the matter till 14th September, 2015.

Jealous wife docked for stabbing hubby’s lover AYOMIDE OWONIBI ODEKANYIN A 22-year-old trader, Kuburat Sanni, who stabbed one Miriam Bala and accused her of having an affair with her husband and also having abortions for him, has been dragged before an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court.

Sanni, who resides at 18, Akindia Street, Agege, Lagos, is being tried for breach of peace, assault and conspiracy.

The prosecutor, Mr Ke-

hinde Olatunde, told the court that the accused and others still at large allegedly committed the offences on July 9 at her residence.

He said that the accused and the others assaulted Miss Bala, 20, by stabbing her with dangerous weapons.

“The accused stabbed the complainant with a broken bottle, scissors and knife.”

Olatunde said that Sanni allegedly accused the complainant of having an affair

with her husband and that she had had series of abortions for him.

“The complainant was sent by her mother to deliver a message to her elder sister who lives in the same house with the accused.

“When she got there, the accused, who claimed that the complainant was having an affair with her husband locked her in a room and called some hoodlums.

“The accused and the hired miscreants tore the

complainant’s clothes and started stabbing her with knives, bottles and scissors all over her body.”

According to the prosecutor, the complainant fainted due to the profuse loss of blood and that if not for the quick intervention of neighbours who rushed her to the hospital, the complainant would have died.

He said that in the process of assaulting the complainant, her phone, valued at N20,000 and

N30,000 cash which was to be delivered to her sister was stolen from her.

The offences, Olatunde said, contravened sections 166, 171 and 410 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the offences and was granted bail in the sum of N50,000 with one surety in like sum.

The Magistrate, Mr Aka Bashorun, adjourned the case till September 1 for mention.

9

Monday, 17 August, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

Edited By Lanre Adewole 0811 695 4647

My sponsors were disappointed I swallowed only 5 wraps of cocaine —Suspect SHOLA ADEKOLA THE Chairman/Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Ahmadu Giade has condemned the involvement of young artisans in drug traffi ing iade who spo e while reacting to the arrest of two artisans at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos said that drug traffi ing limits the capacity to develop and actualize set goals he suspe ts ing Eme a Emehelu, a 39-year-old automobile technician and dua a hu a hristopher year old ba er were both apprehended while returning from Brail Giade urged artisans and members of the public to channel their talents in solving problems in their environment rather than getting involved in drug traffi ing saying oung

artisans are major players in our e onomy today They must learn to generate wealth by identifying and solving problems in their lo ality ost prob-

lems in our society today are actually opportunities in disguise he arrest of these young artisans should serve as a warning to others to avoid drug

traffi ing According to the NDLEA commander at the Lagos airport r am a mar both suspects were found in possession of white

powdery substance that tested positi e for o aine is words ing Eme a Emehelu was caught with two parcels of cocaine weighing g hidden

Crowded Ikoyi Registry, Lagos on Thursday. PHOTO: SYLVESTER OKORUWA

Rape: Lagos trains 190 responders, introduces 112 emergency line CHUKWUMA OKPARAOCHA THE Lagos State Government has concluded training for offi ials of the State Emergency Command and Control Centre on how to receive reports of sexual and gender based violence incidents in the state This is in line with the quest of the government to ensure that victims of sexual and gender based violence have a voice and concerned members of the public who wish to report acts of violence are able to do so with utmost onfidentiality the agos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team his was made nown by the Coordinator of DSVRT, Mrs Titilola Vivour-Adenyi, who told journalists on unday that the offi ials were trained on how to receive reports of sexual and gender based iolen e Vivour-Adeniyi also gave the indication that the state government has

also approved the use of the 112 toll free emergency lines to report cases of rape, defilement, domestic violence, child abuse, neglect maltreatment and other sexual assaults he also ga e the assurance that information provided would be passed across while the concerned agencies would

be notified immediately She said aside the dissemination of the information to the appropriate agencies for appropriate action, callers would be informed of relevant steps to be ta en depending on the nature of the all hey would also be given details; addresses and telephone numbers of

the relevant agencies that would handle their issues, that is, for cases of rape or defilement, they can report such to the Mirabel Centre or the Office of the ubli efender i our deniyi said She said necessary steps had been put in place to help victims of domestic violence get adequate

help and counselling as well as free legal services from the he essen e of this initiative is to encourage victims and members of the publi to ma e use of the 112 toll free emergency lines in order to ensure access to justice irrespecti e of lass and means she said

in his luggage while Adua a hu a hristopher was found to ha e ingested fi e wraps of cocaine weighing grammes he o aine had a combined weight of g hey are being investigated and will be harged to ourt soon Emehelu who hails from Enugu State said that his one year sojourn in Brazil was a serious setba to his career as an automobile te hni ian is words am married with four hildren left Nigeria a year ago to Brail s a result of my poor living condition in Brazil, I spent one year without seeing my family in Nigeria a epted to smuggle o aine for million wanted to use the money to establish a business for my wife who has been struggling to ta e are of my family sin e left igeria or dua a he said that he smuggled cocaine because he needed money saying wor ed as a ba er in Brazil for one year, but the income was not enough to sustain me would ha e made N2 million from this trip he plan was for me to smuggle the drugs to Nigeria and share the proeeds with my sponsor nfortunately ould only swallow five wraps because I was vomiting the drugs hey were disappointed in me for swallowing only fi e wraps regret getting involved in drug traffi ing

Police arrest oil thief in Somolu OLALEKAN OLABULO A suspected pipeline vandal has been arrested in Somolu area of Lagos State by policemen attached to the Rapid Response Squad at the Lagos State Secretariat in lausa The arrest of the suspect, identified as lalowo gboola, was sequel to tip-off from residents of Somolu who were concerned about their safety The policemen also reo ered litre erry cans and another two litre erry ans fully

loaded with premium motor spirit popularly nown as petrol and diesel Lagos Metro gathered that the RRS team, led by Olabode Aroge, a superintendent of police, arrested the suspect at 24 Awoseyin treet omolu It was gathered that the RRS Commander, ACP Olatunji Disu, after receiving a tip off from residents of Awoseyin, gave an immediate order to his men to storm the house which led to the arrest of the suspe ted oil thief The policemen had dis-

guised as potential buyer of the stolen petroleum product when the suspect was arrested lalowo while spea ing on his arrest said was a commercial bus driver before I was initiated into this bun ering o upation I only collect commission of on ea h eg that was able to sell in a day e ontinued that now was doing an illegal job, but because of the unemployment problem in the country, I have no choice than to join them for my li elihood

hen as ed about his accomplice in the job, he said now him as r de e is the one who employed me to be his assistant while he goes out to bring the petroleum product for me to sell for any interested member of publi now for now he will be on the run because someone might have hinted him that ha e been arrested In his reaction, the commander of RRS, ACP, Olatunji Disu, who confirmed the arrest of the suspect, noted that Lagos will not tolerate any act of

riminality The RRS commander said that the action of the police, apart from being a fight against rime was to save the lives of thousands of residents of omolu He further urged members of public to endeavour to report to the police any form of illegal activity in their neighbourhoods his will enhan e the effi ien y of the poli e when adequate information is passed to us e implore public to always give us useful and timely information the ommander noted

10 news Crime: Police arrest 38 suspects in Abuja, recover 12 vehicles Monday, 17 August, 2015

CHRIS AGBAMBU -ABUJA

P

OLICE authority in Abuja have arrested 38 suspects over various offences and recovered 12 stolen vehicles.

The suspects were arrested in the last couple of weeks as the police intensified its fight against crime in the territory. ording to information gathered by the Nigerian Tribune from the command on Sunday, the command’s anti-car theft

se tion burst o er eight armed robberies and car thefts.

The syndicate specialised in robbing people of their ars at gun points or stealing the cars from where parked. ording to the information, the syndicates carried out their operations independently and were arrested at different locations. t was gathered that the poli e a ting on information, trailed and arrested Ayodele Sunday, Abdullateef Yusuf and Ibrahim Mohammed

in Nasarawa State in connection with the theft of Honda Accord car stolen from Garki in Abuja. lso last wee a ting on report that hoodlums usually hibernate around the National Hospital

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junction by Sky Lak Pharmacy, the police arrested one Peter Onyebuchi and Bolivia Charles.

The suspects, it was gathered were transferred to Command

riminal ntelligen e and n estigation epartment for dis reet in estigation In another development, a ting on tip off operatives attached to the command burst a notorious robbery syndicate that

spe ialises in in ading people’s houses and cars to remove Plasma Television set and car stereo sets.

The suspects specialised in terrorising residents of aburi unga a e and nagada a is

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Buhari has shown commitment to fairness, justice —MURIC

T

BY OLAWALE AKINSELURE

HE Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has described the recent decision of President Muhammadu Buhari to sack Alhaji Sanusi Ado Bayero and reinstate Alhaji Habib Abdullahi as Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) as evidence that Buhari was committed to fairness and justice.

President Goodluck Jonathan, at the twilight of his administration, had sacked Alhaji Habib Abdullahi and appointed Alhaji Sanusi Ado Bayero as Managing Director, NPA. The group, in a statement signed by its Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, noted that Buhari’s decision to reverse the appointment proved that President Buhari could not be intimidated by “professional blackmailers and executive witch-hunters.”

While MURIC regarded the step taken by President Buhari as a bold one, it warned against undue criticisms of Buhari’s war against corruption. The group therefore charged President Buhari to remain resolute in the fight against corruption.

“By reinstating Habib Abdullahi, Buhari has not only proved that he is in full control, but that he will stand on the side of justice and fair play, any day. The step taken has also proved that the President cannot be intimidated by professional blackmailers and executive witch-hunters, be they prospective exile seekers or self-confessed danfo drivers and touts who accidentally found themselves becoming numero uno citizens at the state level.

“We appeal to critics of Buhari’s war against corruption to employ decorum finesse and parliamentary language in their quest for attention.”

The group further saluted the recent sack of all the service chiefs and their replacement, noting that President Buhari had shown commitment to fair play, credibility and justice in his appointments.

Monday, 17 August, 2015

businessnews NEITI commends Buhari over NNPC restructuring 12

T

HE Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) has commended the steps taken

by President Muhammadu Buhari to reposition the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for greater efficiency.

A statement by its Director of Communications, Dr Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, in Abuja on Sunday, said the measures inspired hope and confidence in the future of the nation.

He said that the measures were consistent with the findings and recommendations of NEITI in its various independent audit reports.

Orji said NEITI was delighted that the muchneeded political will required to implement its recommendations had been summoned by Buhari.

He applauded the appointment of Dr Ibe Kachikwu, `a renowned oil industry expert with the needed global exposure, competence and integrity as Group Managing Director (GMD) of NNPC.’ ``It is our hope that new NNPC GMD and his new team will consider it a priority to carefully study the findings and recommendations outlined in NEITI independent reports of the sector. ``This is with a view to implementing the pending remedial issues under a plan already developed

by NEITI and the Inter Ministerial Task Team (IMTT),`` he said.

According to him, some of the recommendations in the plan included the addressing inadequate metering infrastructure for accurate measurement of crude, the onerous cash call regime.

He said also needed to be addressed included inef-

Monday, 17 August, 2015

ficient cost determination, pricing issues related to expired MoUs, legal agreements with oil companies.

Orji said areas that deserved urgent attention were huge costs of fuel subsidy, crude oil swap and products exchange agreements and repair of the refineries and oil theft, among others.

He said NEITI was ready

and willing to provide further details on the recommendations if required.

Orji said NEITI was encouraged by the recent pronouncement of the NNPC GMD on remittances of all igerian Liquefied atural Gas (NLNG) dividends to the Federation Account as required by law. ``By implementation, a total of 11.6 billion dollars

practices created by multiple revenue accounts by government agencies.

He said EITI identified with the Ad hoc Committee of the National Economic Council to investigate the inflows and outflows of funds from the Federation account by revenue generating government agencies.

Orji said the decision was consistent with NEITI’s

From left, Chief Executive Officer, Oando Gas and Power, Bolaji Osunsanya; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, Rivers State, Dr Dasoba Marcus-Anna and Managing Director, W.W. Onunwor Engineering, Nyema Onunwor, during the official signing ceremony for the commencement of the 8.5km gas pipeline in the Trans-Amadi area, in Port Harcourt, recently.

Glo, CNN reaffirm commitment to promoting African development GBEMI SOLAJA – LAGOS

NIGERIA’S national telecommunication carrier, Globacom and the world’s leading news channel, CNN International have reaffirmed commitment to promoting African growth and development through their strategic collaboration.

Top officials of the two prominent organisations

spoke of the need to promote ideas that can galvanise the continent to realise its full potentials at a cocktail party for stakeholders of the famous television programme, CNN African Voices, sponsored exclusively by Globacom.

Antonio Canto, Vice President, Regional Adsales, Europe, MiddleEast and Africa (EMEA), CNN International, in

PZ Cussons takes product innovations to consumers PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc has commenced a Pan-Nigeria consumer engagement campaign for Morning Fresh, a dish wash liquid tagged, ‘Community Wash-a-thon.’

The initiative is part of efforts aimed at ushering a new era of hygiene and cleanliness into the Nigerian environment. The company is also using the activation to enlighten the consumers of the added values that comes with the three variants of the Morning Fresh brand.

Speaking during the activation in Abuja, Ms Iminabo Georgewill, Brand Man-

as paid by NLNG to NNPC but not remitted by the NNPC to the Federation account could be recovered into government coffers,” he said.

He said NEITI welcomed the Presidential directive on operation of a single treasury account system.

Orji said the single treasury account policy would help eliminate fraudulent

ager, Morning Fresh, PZ Cussons Nigeria, explained that Morning Fresh comes in three exciting variants: Original Fresh - which is the very first variant; esty Lemon for those who love to indulge in the lemon fragrance and Antibacterial for the confidence of a germ free kitchen.

“Morning Fresh comes in a handy pack and is economical to use as it has a rich lather with superior grease-cutting ability that removes oils easily from your dishes, pots and pans.

Morning Fresh takes pride in being the kitchen clean-

ing expert. For every Nigerian woman, there is a Morning Fresh,” she said.

his remarks at the event held at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos on Friday night, said that as a mark of CNN’s renewed commitment to Africa, it has revamped African Voices with the support of its valuable partner, Globacom.

Canto said: “We are incredibly proud of African Voices. It has been one of our flagship shows for and about the African continent since 2009. Earlier this year, we gave the show a new look with Keturah King at the helm to uncover the continent’s most dazzling trendsetters in the

areas of travel, fashion, art, music, technology and architecture.”

He said as other manifestations of CNN’s commitment to Africa, the organization now has five weekly programming strands about Africa, plus news coverage and online, mobile and social media content.

“The way people get their news is changing. Africa is changing. And CNN is here to cover and celebrate that change. We thank Globacom for helping us to fulfill that promise through its continued support for African Voices,” Canto said.

LCCI, power stakeholders hold power conference tomorrow OLATUNDE DODONDAWA-LAGOS

THE Power Sector Group of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), together with other stakeholders in the power sector, will organise a seminar and exhibition with the theme, ‘Embedded Power and the Economy,’ in Lagos.

The conference holds tomorrow at the LCCI Conference and Exhibition Centre, Ikeja, and it is with the objective to accelerate the benefits of an improved electricity generation and distribution to the endusers.

The seminar will feature keynote presentation by the General Manager, Lagos

State Electricity Board, Mr Peter Okonji, entitled ‘Captive Power Generation’.

According to the organizers, the speakers are exceptional personalities in the sector that will discuss policy changes, constrained financing markets, on-going sector reform and the emergence of embedded power.

Nigerian Tribune

principles on efficient fiscal allocation, disbursement and value for money through prudent utilisation of resources.

He said the agency also welcomed Buhari’s decision to set up a Presidential Committee on Anti-Corruption led by Professor Itsay Sagay.

No going back on deadline for insurance firms on outstanding claims —NAICOM THE Commissioner for Insurance, Alhaji Kari Muhammad, has said that NAICOM will not go back on the Sept 30 deadline for insurance companies to clear all outstanding claims of policy holders.

Muhammad said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Sunday that NAICOM would enforce the deadline on effective claims management. “ Other reasons for implementing such deadline and sanctions are effective trade practices and fair treatment of policy holders and intending consumers,” he said.

Muhammad said for Nigeria’s insurance industry to be relevant, the prescribed standard of practice set by the commission should be implemented.

He said the claims Management Guidelines document required each insurer to develop, document and implement claims management and payment policies.

The commissioner expressed dissatisfaction with large numbers of unpaid claims by insurance firms, including those with robust capital bases.

Muhammad said if the situation was allowed to continue, the growth of the industry would be stalled, noting that the current industry level was still below 35 per cent.

“Also, policy buyers and intending ones will easily lose confidence in the sector as it deepens the poor image of insurance practice in Nigeria,” he said.

Muhammad said NAICOM was determined to check bad practices in the industry through effective claims management and ensure adherence to global standards.

He commended his predecessor in office, Mr Fola Daniel, for designing policies that encouraged growth in the industry.

13

businessnews

Monday, 17 August, 2015

NB Plc takes over More Larger in Benue JOHNSON BABAJIDE-MAKURDI

IGERIA Breweries Plc has taken over the ownership of More Larger Beer, a beer industry established

SEC restructures for operational efficiency

by Benue State government in 1982 and later handled by Consolidated Breweries Plc. Speaking at the re-launch of the More Larger beer at the weekend in Makurdi, Benue State, the Corporate Affairs Adviser, Mr urfe Ekanem, said that NB Plc took control of the company in December 2014, af-

ter entering into a merger with Consolidated Breweries Plc. Ekanem explained that NB Plc had injected over N1 billion into the company, which he said had made a world-class standard of Nigerian Breweries Plc, stressing that “this upgrade has led to the enhancement of the brew-

ery’s infrastructure and production process which is evident in the improved quality of Larger Beer.”

As part of its corporate responsibilities to its host community, Ekanem said the company had constructed and commissioned a block of six classrooms and library furnished with tables and

chairs at ST Primary School, Angwar in Gboko and a three classrooms and office at ST Primary School, Agbaikyor, in Makurdi.

He added that another three toilets were being constructed at ST Gaadi Primary School, Gboko Road in Makurdi, as well as planned to con-

GBOLA SUBAIR-ABUJA

THE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is undergoing a major restructuring of its operations aimed at boosting staff morale and improving service delivery to all stakeholders.

The restructuring entails both a review of the organisational structures as well as a voluntary retirement scheme to trim down the previously top-heavy ranking structure.

Under the previous organisational structure, the SEC operated with a head office in Abu a and zonal offices in aduna, ano, Ibadan, Lagos, Maiduguri, Onitsha and Port Harcourt.

However, in the new arrangement, SEC had decided to close down four of its zonal offices in aduna, Ibadan, Maiduguri and Onitsha in order to allocate both human and material resources to strengthen the remaining three in ano, Lagos and Port Harcourt.

This decision, according to SEC, became necessary after a careful review of the operations and performances of all the zonal offices.

From left, Muda Yusuf, Director-General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI); Remi Ogunmefun, Director-General, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN); Kehinde Awoyale, Coordinator, German Vocational Training; Baerbel Freyer, Delegation of German Industry and Commerce; Ingo Herbert, Consul-General, German Embassy in Nigeria; Laolu Oguntuyi, Director, Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board; Jens Gebhardt, German vocational training expert, at graduation ceremony of the German Vocational Training programme, in conjunction with LCCI and MAN, recently.

What Buhari asked me to do in NNPC —Kachikwu CHRISTIAN OKEKE-ABUJA

T

HE Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Ibe achikwu, on Sunday said the mandate given to him

by President Muhammadu Buhari was to turn around

the entire commercial processes and procedures in the corporation in order to impact on its growth trajectory and operations.

He clarified that his mandate in the Corporation was to put in place an efficient, transparent and profit-oriented processes and not to embark on a mass retrench-

ment of the workforce. achikwu, in a night statement issued by Ohi Alegbe who is the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs ivision of the corporation, stated that the reduction in the directorate from eight to four at the top management cadre of the NNPC

NSE to release Nigeria’s infrastructure scorecard Nov GBOLA SUBAIR-ABUJA

AGAI ST the backdrop of poor infrastructural development in key sectors of the Nigerian economy and lack of adequate data, the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) is set to release the national infrastructure scorecard for the country.

To actualise the goal, the society set up a group on the development of the maiden scorecard in October, 2014. ey sectors to be looked into by the committee include power, communications, oil and gas, among others.

Speaking at the third quarterly dinner of the NSE, president of the so-

struct a block of three classrooms and a library at Mbaiyem Community Secondary School, Yakyo, Makurdi.

Ekanem, who was answering questions from newsmen concerning the engagement of indigenes in the top management of the company in the stat, opined that the company policy did not discriminate in recruitment exercise, but emphasised that merit and talent of people were the driving forces of the company.

He, however, added that recruitment of people into the company cut across every part of the country, just as he explained that the rebranded More Larger beer in the state would impact on the economy of the state through job opportunities and increase revenue generation to all the tiers of the government.

He further said that the beer was specifically brewed to give it the special aroma and taste that are uniquely Benue, just as he stated that the label was designed to reflect the culture and tradition of the two major ethnic groups of the state, Idoma and Tiv.

ciety, mr Ademola Isaac Olorunfemi, said that an infrastructure scorecard was a veritable tool for designing any nation’s developmental framework, as well as a tool for comparative assessment of performance of such a nation in infrastructure delivery.

Expressing sadness that the national infrastructure scorecard is non-existent in Nigeria, Olorunfemi disclosed that the NSE was set to deliver the first scorecard for the country on the 1 th ovember 01 , at the opening ceremony of Sunshine 01 .

He said reports of survey on critical infrastructure from crucial sectors of the Nigerian economy such as

power, communications, oil and gas, among others, would form the crux of the scorecard which would be presented to President Muhammadu

Buhari and the public on ovember 1 at the opening ceremony of the National Engineering Conference in Akure.

was to refocus and sharpen the business aspiration of the Corporation, adding that training and retraining of members of staff to align with the new vision would be the next stage of the ongoing reforms.

The NNPC helmsman noted that all Production Sharing Contracts, Joint enture Agreements and all other contracts between the NNPC and its various partners would be reviewed to reflect current day realities in the global oil and gas industry. achikwu reassured that the recent repositioning at the corporation was to put

in place the right set of skills for performance.

According to him, the new arrangement provides a veritable vista for upcoming professionals in the Corporation to have a speedy career path.

He stated that the NNPC under his watch would put in place mechanisms that would plug all revenue leakages in the upstream, midstream and downstream sectors while adding that all crude oil proceeds due for the Federation Account would be remitted accordingly.

Firm seeks NEPC’s assistance in funding, product marketing GBOLA SUBAIR-ABUJA

A cashew nut processing factory, Foodpro Limited, has appealed to the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) to assist in getting foreign buyers for its products and attracting funding from relevant agencies.

Head of the wara State factory of the company, Mrs Adetutu Adebisi, made the appeal at the weekend when the NEPC organised a media facility tour to the factory in

Ilorin.

Mrs Adebisi, who disclosed that one of the problems confronting the company was lack of funds, stated that fund was needed to procure raw materials at the right time and improve other necessary infrastructure in the factory.

She said the factory employed about 0 workers out of which more than 90 per cent of them are women.

“We empower women.

We need more money to buy raw materials; we need more money to expand our business so that we can empower more women,” she stressed.

On marketing, Mrs Adebisi implored the NEPC to assist in getting more buyers for its products by taking along the Foodpro in some of its international trade fairs and thereby exposing the company to the outside world.

Due to the huge amount being paid to the wara State Environmental Protection Board for the disposal of the company’s waste products, Mrs Adebisi urged the wara State government to give concessions to the company on the payment because “we are helping the government to empower more people; imagine if all these women sitting here are not employed, sitting at home without doing anything.”

14

business

Monday, 16 August, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

DAILY SUMMARY (EQUITIES) FOR FRIDAY, 14 AUGUST, 2015

LAST WEEK TOP 5 GAINERS

LAST WEEK TOP 5 LOSERS

news 2015 hajj: Jigawa remits N1bn to NAHCO, Kano saves N1.5bn

15

FROM KOLA OYELERE AND ADAMU AMADU

T

HE Jigawa State Pilgrims Welfare Board has remitted over one billion naira to the National Hajj Commission (NAHCO) as full payment of the 2,370 hajj seats allocated to the state.

This was disclosed by the executive secretary of the commission, Muhammad Sani Ahmed, in an interview with newsmen in his offi e He said the seats had been paid for by the state.

According to him, the state pilgrims’ board had completed all necessary arrangements to ensure hitch free hajj exercise.

Alhaji Sani added that the state had “closed the sensi-

Kachikwu vows to end shady transactions at NNPC CHRISTIAN OKEKE - ABUJA THE Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr Ibe Kachikwu, has vowed to completely stamp out all forms of non-transparent transactions in the corporation.

He vowed that his administration would ensure that all the refineries of the orporation were run efficiently to meet the energy needs of the country.

This came as he stated that the Corporate Service Unit and all the strategic business units of the corporation would henceforth be run as profit entres Kachikwu who held a meeting with top management of the corporation at the NNPC Towers, in Abuja, noted that the days when the corporation was perceived as a civil service organisation were over.

The GMD urged staff to act as change agents and assured that in the next 60 days, some of the strategic targets would be translated into concrete milestones to the appreciation of all Nigerians He urged the management to team up with him to close the skills gap and turn the fortunes of the corporation around.

The NNPC boss said efforts were in top gear to create a conducive environment for members of staff.

Monday, 17 August, 2015

tisation of our pilgrims on the exercise.

“We have also commenced medical check up of our intending pilgrims to ensure their physi al fitness to undergo the exercise.”

He also commended the state government and other stakeholders for the support they have been given the board.

In a related development, the Kano State Pilgrims

Welfares Board has said that the embargo on sponsoring of pilgrims by the state government is still in force.

The board said the measure had assisted the state

government in saving about N1.5billion, considering what was spent by the last administration on free trips to the holy land.

Executive Secretary of the board, Mallam Abba Yaku-

Offensive exam question: SERAP drags Amosun to UN A civil society group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has appealed to two United Nations special rapporteurs to request the Ogun State government to immediately and unconditionally reverse the unlawful sacking and retirement of edu ation offi ials for allegedly setting examination questions considered too critical of the government of Governor Ibikunle Amosun.

The rapporteurs peti-

tioned were Mr David Kaye, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the rights to freedom of opinion and expression and Mr Kishore Singh, Special Rapporteur on the right to education.

In the petition dated August 14, and signed by SERAP executive director Adetokunbo Mumuni, the organisation said “the sacking and retirement of these offi ials is unlawful unfair and a serious violation of

their internationally recognised human right to hold opinion and academic freedom. SERAP believes that citizens including students writing examinations have the right to be informed of the a ti ities of publi officials and to have access to information that will enable them to participate in political affairs.”

According to the organisation, “the right to education can only be enjoyed if accompanied by the academic

Osinbajo, Saraki to attend NURTW delegates conference tomorrow CHRISTIAN OKEKE - ABUJA VICE President Yemi Osinbajo and the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, are among the dignitaries to attend the quadrennial delegates’ conference of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) which will hold in Abuja tomorrow.

Also, expected at the conference are Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and the chairman of the Nigeria’s Governors Forum, Abdulazeez Abubakar.

The highlight of the conference, which would also have about 185 delegates, 130 national executive council members and other foreign and local participants in attendance, is the re-election of Najeem Usman Yasin as the national president of the union.

Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune at the headquarters of the association in Abuja at the weekend, the director in charge of information services, Kefas Dogon-Yaro, noted that the

current leadership of the NURTW had worked to restore peace to states where the union had witnessed crisis.

He said past fracas occurred because of leadership crises.

He said the warring factions were summoned and the lingered issues settled amicably.

Dogon-Yaro stated that the union had di ersified to tourism with successful take-off of its Luxury Hotel in Kaduna and targets to replicate same in other states upon availability of funds.

He said, for now, the union’s leadership focuses on building onal offi es in the six geo-political zones of the country so that its members can have good environment to run their affairs smoothly.

According to him, the NURTW leadership, working in collaboration with security agencies, was trying its best to checkmate the union’s members from indulging in alcoholism

PDP working hard to bounce back in 2019 —Uzor ALPHONSUS AGBORH - ASABA CHAIRMAN of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State, Chief Edwin Uzor, has attributed the relegation of the party to opposition to high level of impunity on the part of its leadership.

Also, the imposition of candidates, he said, did not help the party during the last general election.

Chief Uzor who disclosed

this at the weekend while speaking to newsmen in Asaba said the party would definitely boun e ba in 2019 as the party was trying to ensure that things were done properly toward the next election.

According to him, the claim by the All Progressives Congress (APC) that it would take over Delta come 2019 was a fallacy as the party lacked the wherewithal to capture the state.

and hard drugs.

He noted that no leadership of the union would tolerate use of drugs by members, while stating that the campaign against the use of such drugs was ongoing right from the units.

freedom of edu ation officials and students. Thus, the edu ation offi ials unlawfully sacked and retired are denied the freedom to pursue, develop, and transmit knowledge and ideas including through perceived critical examination questions.”

It will be recalled that the Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, recently ordered the sacking of si offi ials of the state Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, including a secondary school teacher, over alleged offensive examination questions.

Those sacked included two rade e el offi ers rs Folashade Oresegun, who was the Director, Education Support Services and Mr Rotimi Odunsi, who was the Director, Curriculum Development and Evaluation and a rade e el offi er r Majekodunmi Oluwole.

Others are a Grade Level offi er r E segbe a rade e el offi er Taylor Damilola and an English Language teacher in ay ower e ondary

bu who disclosed this while speaking with newsmen in Kano added that the board regretted that the N1.5 billion spent by the last administration on free trips to the holy land could have been used for the provision of infrastructure.

According to him, “unlike the previous practice where families, friends and associates of politicians were sponsored on free hajj trips, courtesy of the state government, the board said except for those on specialised operations, government would no longer support this.”

He noted that spiritual obligations such as hajj was only mandated for Muslims who are finan ially apable and could afford it Abba added that the limited number of professionals including the media, health workers, Islamic clerics, environmentalists, men of Hisbah Board and staff of the pilgrims board have been shortlisted for the 2015 operations.

He, however, disclosed that the state government only approved N240 million to subsidise the accommodation of pilgrims from the state in the holy land.

16

Monday, 17 August, 2015

17

Monday, 17 August, 2015

INSIDE LAGOS

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ALABA IGBAROOLA: 08155975474

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SYLVESTER OKORUWA: 08115708541

From left, Chiagozie Nwizu, MSME Advisory Manager, Diamond Bank PLC; Ogechi Chuma Otteh, Chief Executive Officer, One Centre Limited; Nnamdi Ezeigbo, Chief Executive Officer, SLOT Systems Limited and Nkem Okoro, Regional Manager, Festac Region, Diamond Bank PLC at the Diamond Bank 58th MSME seminar in Lagos, recently.

From left, Chief Executive Officer, Curve Communications, Mr Adeola Odunowo; CEO, Beez Ideaz, Abiodun Adegoke; Mr Kayode Odukoya, Head Coordinator, Women Empowerment and Enlightenment Campaign and CEO, Ocean 27, Lovetta Iwelu, during a press briefing for WEEC Creative Essay Competition 2015, in Lagos.

From left, Minister, Oyinkan Badejo-Okusanya; Ms. Kate Henshaw; Mrs. Helen Prest Ajayi, Pastor Femi Paul, Minister Evelyn Femi-Paul, Mrs. Yemisi Oyewole and Pastor Yomi Badejo-Okusanya at the inaugural service of Grace Assembly - The Island Church recently.

From left, Chief Operating Officer, Seven Energy, Mr. Jeff Corey; former lecturer, Department of Petroleum Economics, Louisiana State University, USA, Professor Wumi Illedare; Chairman/Managing Director, ExxonMobil Nigeria, Mr. Nolan O’Neal and General Manager, Operations, Technical, Surface (OTSS),

5.

6.

ExxonMobil Nigeria, Mr. Cletus Egbuzie, during the 2015 National Annual International Conference and Exhibition organized by the Society of Petroleum Engineers at Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Wednesday.

From left, President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Alhaji Aderemi Bello; Former Ecobank Chair, Chief John Odeyemi; Vice-President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Chief Dr (Mrs) Nike Akande and Director, Finance and Corporate Assets, Unified Payments Services Nigeria Limited, Festus Ikediasor, receiving an award for Unified Payments for winning Best Innovation in the Security of E-payment Platforms at the 2015 Commerce and Industry Awards on Saturday, in Lagos.

From left, member, Nigeria Society for the Blind, Adisa Olushola; Vice Chairman, Nigeria Society for the Blind, Mrs Shade Adefisayo; Head of Public Relations, Dufil Prima Foods Plc, Mr Tope Ashiwaju; Chairman, Nigeria Society for the Blind, Mr Asiwaju Fola-Oshibo; Chairman, 10thWhite Cane Day Celebration, Chief Micheal Olufalomo; and member, NigeriaSociety for the Blind, Ogunshina Deborah at the 10th Edition of the WhiteCane Day, in Lagos.

18 LETTERS TO THE

Monday, 17 August, 2015

editor

Letters to the editor should be sent to letterstribune@yahoo.com or by sms to 08055001747 or 08054005323.

It MUST be accompanied by the full name and address of the writer.

Capitalising on scarce dollar to develop Nigeria

I

recently read the interview of an entrepreneur whose fortune has changed since the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) banned the sale of forex to exporters of certain items that can be produced in the country.

One of the greatest points I picked from the interview is that the entrepreneur said he was about shutting down his business when the announcement came, and after some time, importers could no longer go to China for the product, and the next thing is that demand for his products increased. Prior to this period, the man said the company had laid-off some workers, but the orders started coming in, the company had to recall those who had been retrenched.

Today, the company is producing more than it

had over the last couple of years.

Now, while everybody is complaining about the CBN policy, this entrepreneur is making more profit, while more people have been employed.

Nigeria is such a huge country, and our population can consume everything that we produce; the only problem we have are the importers, who make more money, but render our people unemployed by taking jobs to China, India and other Asian countries.

Going by the testament of this entrepreneur, he was in the process of shutting down his factory before the turn-around came. Do we know how many people would have lost their jobs if this had happened?

The problem this entrepreneur faced was the same problem textile companies in the North faced.

Cheap imports from China and other Asian countries contributed in no small measure to the collapse of our textile companies, and with that, the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs.

The recent enforcement of the ban on the importation of frozen poultry by the Customs has also created employment opportunities for some Nigerian

businessmen. I know a couple of people who have capitalised on this by setting up their broiler farms.

We need to be wise in this country; the solution to our problems is in our hands, and we just need to have strong and committed leaders who will drive this country to economic prosperity.

I am sure that if electricity becomes stable, the

frozen poultry sector alone can employ millions of jobless youths.

I, therefore, hope that the Federal Government can do more towards protecting local businesses.

Any company that wants to service the Nigerian market should come down here and set up business; through this, jobs would also be created.

With the country pro-

jected to be the fourth most populous country in the next 20 years, no other country can overlook our potential. We just need to believe in ourselves, and we will attain our goals.

However, everybody must play its own part for the country to truly develop. r aju een lala e lorin ara tate

Nigeria will defeat Boko Haram, but...

FOR sometime now, the intensity of the attacks by the Boko Haram sect had reduced, and I want to believe this boils down to the professionalism of the military, as well as the acquisition of weapons by the last administration.

Nigerians should know that the attacks would not just end overnight, since the insurgency was the

grievances a people had against government over many issues.

However, the immediate service chiefs did their best, and I’m sure those who are at the helm of affairs of the military today are also working hard to ensure that the battle is won, and Nigerians can live in peace in any part of the country.

Having said this, I want the government to start planning how to reconstruct destroyed towns and rehabilitate the people.

Nigerians in the North East have really suffered a lot; one can only imagine living with the constant fear of being attacked by Boko Haram terrorists.

After this is done, I want all our military and paramilitary agencies to be well-trained, particularly on how to relate with the public. Most of these uniformed offi ials see i ilians as lesser people, and it is not uncommon to find them alling people ‘bloody civilian.’

When a people are treat-

ed without respect, they react. This was the genesis of the Boko Haram insurgency.

I was in a London bar last year and offi ials of the Metropolitan Police came to arrest somebody; the manner in which the man was spoken to still surprises me. he poli e offi ers still gave him respect, and were still calling him ‘sir’ irrespective of what he did.

Nigeria’s military and other para-military agencies, especially the police, should also learn this culture, and with this, we can defeat Boko Haram. liu

a u uja

liu

Between Nigeria and UK APART from the English language, which is Nigeria s offi ial language don’t think we have anything in common with the United Kingdom any longer.

Over the years, I wonder why the UK would overlook our sufferings when it could have done things differently.

If the UK had supported us militarily over the years, this insurgency will not be at the level it is today; it would have been quelled.

The United Kingdom has forgotten it colonised Nigeria.

I cut my teeth in the law chambers of a prominent legal luminary, and today, more than 15 years after, whenever I have a very tough case, I consult my former boss for advise on how to go about this. My

former boss would never say I no longer work for him.

This is the same situation here. The UK ‘birthed’ Nigeria. Our relationship should be like a fatherson, or mother-daughter relationship.

It is so unfortunate that the defines our relationship based on how the United States relates with us; that is, if we are not on good terms with the US, then the same happens between us and the UK. I hope the UK will realise the relationship we shared and do more towards strengthening it. The summary of this is that we need more support from the UK. el o a a e u o a hoo o u

a-

19

editorial

S

Monday, 17 August, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

Children as targets of aggression

itis ertainl e o ingal osti possi le to ontinue ignoring the a alan he of or i e ia reports of onsistent aggression isite on Nigerian infants espe iall fro fa iliar an filial uarters here naturall lo e affe tion an prote tion ought to ensue o e parents pro a l respon ing to the pressures e erte so e e istential pro le s are in an instan es of transferre aggression either ai ing their ulnera le hil ren or in i ting ortal oun s on the thers in the na e of is ipline ha e atta e their hil ren in a grisl e onstration of stri tness lea ing ehin s ars fro in i te injuries on oth their o ies an their ps hes or instan e an eja agistrate ourt re entl re an e one lessing re in iri iri rison for allege l sta ing her se en ear ol son at the a or ing to the prose utor lessing e into this estial rage e ause her neigh our ha o plaine that her son ha earlier ragge the fi e ear ol neigh our’s aughter into a roo an allege l fon le her n a snit at her son’s o ious is eha iour lessing rea he for a nife an sta e hi ursor loo at the e ia reports ill re eal that lessing is in goo o pan of the lu of hil a users ith s elling e ership or an of these un illing parents their hil ren are sa l per ei e as re in ers of an ugl an espi a le past f lessing for instan e is onl ears ol an alrea she has a ear ol son it eans she ha hi hen she as pro a l out of e lo an a not e oha iting ith the o ’s father an fa ilies ha e to ope ith ifferent sfun tions an all sorts of pressure hi h e entuall a a e so e of their e ers u le at their arious threshol s ut this annot e an e use to o it heinous reprehensi le crimes. egions of hil ren are suffering for ifferent reasons ranging on an inter ina le spe tru of s enarios estrange or frustrate parents o er hel e the pressure of un era hie e ent an the onse uent sha e entall hallenge parents in apa le of earing the ur ens of parenthoo not to ention the i po erishe stre n along the ountr ’s so ial lan s ape hose hil ren are ine ora l ulnera le i ti s of arious ph si al an ps hologi al iolations as a result of po ert o e er punishing those ri es a nee oth proa ti e an reati e inter entions fro the state n an of our pre ious o ents on si ilar ir u stan es e ha e ha ause to a e the ase for the strengthening of the elfare epart ent to itigate the sufferings of the ulnera le

e ers of the so iet the hil ren o en fee le in e an the irt poor in the larger interest of the health of the so iet he elfare epart ent in the states ha e generall not een a ing o ensurate returns for their annual u get allo ations part fro ina e uate fun ing it is ou tful that these epart ents are appropriatel staffe ith professionals ho an a e is erni le ifferen e in ser i e eli er in these epart ents e ause its i pa t still has to e felt in ter s of ta ing are of the nee in the Nigerian so iet or a ountr ith a s elling nee se tor in its e ograph a o petent an effi ient elfare epart ent o es oth as a re o en e safet al e for the o ious reper ussions of the ria so ial pro esses an ontra i tions an a fulfil ent of the fun tion of the state to prote t li es an propert hough the fun tion of the elfare epart ent is ertainl not li ite to this onte porar national e perien e of the anifestations of an’s inhu anit to an in the ru est for s has a e its fun tional a ti ation an urgent i perati e t is also a isa le to a e the ser i es of the elfare epart ent seep through to the lo al go ern ents here the offi ers an eplo their fa e to fa e no le ge of the people positi el t ill ta e pro i en e for these hil ren to turn out right e entuall after eing a e to go through this or eal alle hil hoo f the state annot entirel pre ent this sfun tional up ringing it o es itself a ut to re u e the se erit of its i pli ations perts insist that these hil ren a gro up to e o e har ene ri inals e ause e tre e punish ents often rupture their ps hes to the e tent of e o ing irre ee a le so iopaths lthough the e ia reports uote a ire tor of the ffi e of he u li efen er in agos tate as issuing a stern arning to parents that the oul e jaile for punishing their hil ren an ar s iolentl e are of the opinion that a o prehensi e reorientation of su h erring parents oul ser e a etter purpose hile a ing i e an iolent parents to fa e the full rath of the la oul e pa if ing it oul also o pletel estro the filial relationships et een the parents an their hil ren arents ho e onstrate the ina ilit to pla their roles as e pe te shoul in e tre e ases e strippe of their parental rights in or er to prote t the hil ren here are foster fa ilies an philanthropists ho an spare the lo e an affe tion that these hil ren nee to e o e holeso e e ers of the so iet

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20

opinion

Monday, 17 August, 2015

LASISI OLAGUNJU Lasgunju@yahoo.com (08111813053)

S

OMEONE said before uly there were only two institutions in le fe the first is the bafemi Awolowo University while Oba Okunade Sijuwade was the second. I had the opportunity of travelling abroad twi e on the same ight with the monar h he ery first whi h was to oston nited tates onfirmed him as an institution without borders e were on the same ritish irways ight from ondon eathrow to oston with Oba Sijuwade. As the plane taxied to a stop, the pilot’s voice gave an audacious directive to the hundreds of passengers on that oeing that e eryone should remain seated while the Nigerian delegation leaves the plane.” When you remember that oston is home to about olleges and universities, including Harvard and MIT, you would guess the likely calibre of passengers who were being asked to remain seated while the Nigerians exited the plane. They remained seated. We got up and the Ooni was right there in his majesty, by the First Class side of the exit, monitoring us as we exited the plane one by one. Then the governor; and lastly Oba Sijuwade took the rear as the father of the Nigerian (actually Osun State) delegation to a cultural event at the Harvard University.

At the Customs, an initial attempt to start checking our luggage was abandoned by the offi ers when ba i uwade breezed in, in his majesty. It was one moment you would be proud of your Nigerianness and be amazed at the awesomeness of the respect the Ooni commanded, even in the United States. In the days spent in that city, almost every driver of the cab my colleagues and I took wanted to know if we had seen the visiting “king of Nigeria.” The friendliness of a particular one multiplied when he was told we came together with the king. Whao! He wanted to see the king and would want to know if we could help. Not everyone sees the king like that, we told him. He was sad but understood the diplomati and se urity intri a ies in ol ed in su h high profile visits.

You never appreciate what you have until you lose it. What Yorubaland lost in the transition of Oba Sijuwade was more than a gem. For Ile Ife to continue to have it big and be deeply respected, it will need to move away from petty politics, unnecessary bickering over small things. The bigger picture should be the focus at this moment. I am sure they know that harmattan will soon be around. When it descends in its chilly crudity they will realise they need the kind of duet they ha e onsistently had o er them from to

Oba Okunade Sijuwade Olubuse II

when Oba Adesoji Aderemi and Oba Sijuwade gave them quality leadership.

Now that the Oba is gone, shall we copy the English who, in a similar situation, would cry: The king is dead; long live the king!? Or should we just paraphrase Shakespeare: Here goes a king; when cometh another!

Buhari and Abdulsalami’s people

Did you read or hear what General Abdulsalami Abubakar’s National Peace Committee said it discussed with President uhammadu uhari on uesday last wee nd did you read too uhari s supposed defiant spee h at the o asion and the social media discourse that followed it? How about the rebuke that followed that visit the following day when the committee paid Speaker Yakubu Dogara a visit?

The presidency was talking too much on probes and proposed trials, the committee bellowed. These are interesting times. And should these guys really deny us the enjoyment of the drama which is about to unfold?

The promised probe of Jonathan and his men/women is good news to some people. I have also read the consistent voice of those who want a canvass of probes and trials to cover the land from the beginning of time when no one had been born. There are also those who would insist that a probe of only the Goodluck Jonathan regime is persecu-

Politicians and respect for laid-down rules

BY ANTHONY KILA

WHAT do you think is the main problem facing Nigeria?

Yes, you are not the only one who thinks so.

Go to any part of Nigeria or meet any group of Nigerians even outside the country and ask them what they think are the main problems facing their country. I have done it and I can assure you that for an overwhelming majority of Nigerians and indeed non-Nigerians studying or dealing with Nigeria, “corruption” is at the very top of their list.

Alas, I do not belong to the group of this overwhelming majority; in my splendid isolation I am convinced that our main problem is not corruption but competence.

That is, however, a topic for another day.

The idea of corruption being the biggest problem of the country is so accepted that people don’t even examine it anymore. We sort of just know it is there and we just understand it and think about it only when it directly affects us like when we are asked for or about to be asked for a bribe or when we see someone get an unmerited privilege. A bit like the clouds in the sky we all talk about before and after the rain.

Let’s face it, by virtue of the privileges they enjoy, holders of publi offi es may be immune to the reality of the average citizens; after all they rarely pay for the petrol in their cars or the diesel in their generators and they rarely endure the traffi most igerians fa e hey don t e en really painstakingly save for their house rents or deposit for a mortgage. Nor do they feel the pain of decline in our educational system since most of them send their children to pri ate s hools e en abroad hese same offi e holders were howe er not born in publi offi es hey

were politicians and even ordinary citizens before they be ame publi offi e holders and as su h they should have a memory and a taste of the evil of corruption and other tribulations in the country.

Let me assure you that they have the taste and memory of everything bad with Nigeria. The question then is why are they not passing laws and regulations aimed at solving these problems? The simple short answer is that they cannot solve these problems. They cannot do so because without these problems they will not exist the way they do today.

In every democratic country in the world, it is strictly prohibited for anyone running for offi e to gi e out gift money or promise any kind of favour to voters, be they citizens or delegates. The ideas behind such prohibition are mainly that voters should be convinced, not bought and that if buying is allowed then only the rich will be able to buy. To that list add the fear of the ambitious poor politician resorting to steal in order to buy or pay for bought votes.

A simple law that says anybody caught attempting to buy votes either through gift, money or promise of any kind of favour will be jailed, will solve a lot of problems but which of these politicians will propose such law and worse still how many fellow legislators or governors will support him or her?

Voters and even politicians themselves live with the tangible fear of elections being rigged against their side.

A simple law that states that anyone caught rigging in any kind of election will be sent to jail and barred from holding publi offi e for say years will rid us of many intruders. Yet, which of these politicians do you think will propose such law? When it comes to elections the clean-

tion if this does not go down to other levels of government.

Are the thieves to be found only in Jonathan’s PDP?, they have been asking. A commentator (actually a senior journalist) wrote on Facebook: “There is no time bar in criminal jurisprudence. Theft by whatever name called is a crime...

Ole lole nje (a thief is a thief). Let the handcuffs go round.”

I read the stuff and I said, really, if the handcuffs should go round, won’t they really go round to friends, foes, even to those who do not remember that they too belong among sinners? I read all that the encounters produced and they got me thinking on what is right and what is expedient. And where should a leader go when a moral crossroads shows up like this?

I think, seriously, that in this business of probes and trials, the person that will ultimately be on trial is resident uhari himself. He is the person who campaigned and promised to fight orruption without borders ill uhari s own credentials and name not be put on the platter of (in)justice if he is caught acting partisan in choosing which thief to catch, shame and jail and which to pamper and let go? Will a usti e system that first he s the party identity ards of its objects be a system decked in justness? Will it?

There was this dialogue between the Duke of Sheh and Confucius on the time-worn collision between natural duty and uprightness. The duke informed Confucius: “Among us here there are those who may be styled upright in their conduct. If their father stole a sheep, they will bear witness to the fact.”

And Confucius replied: “Among us, in our part of the country, those who are upright are different from this. The father conceals the misconduct of the son, and the son conceals the misconduct of the father. Uprightness is to be found in this.” It will be interesting to now where uhari belongs in this di ide s he of the Duke or of Confucius’ part where uprightness means covering up the misdeeds of one’s neighbour?

That question is particularly urgent and pertinent because the president, last week, appointed an advisory committee on anti-corruption and not a few screamed that many on that committee are career-friends of politicians who are political friends of the president. Now, how did the president arrive at those names? What attribute(s) recommended each of them to the president? Is the president comfortable with friends each of them keeps? What advice will that committee or council give on their politician-friends if the president conscientiously wants to take the handcuffs round all who deserve to be fettered?

est elected politician in Nigeria of today is a leper.

In their sober moments, a lot of politicians have lamented about the pressures of party demands and godfatherism; and ha e ustified their nimbleness in swit hing parties or joining and running on platforms of parties on which they have more than a few reservations by saying there is lack of internal democracy in their former party and that there is no real ideological differences between the parties. In their very sober moment they also justify their communion with strange bedfellows by saying they need a structure to run on. Voters in turn just tend to vote for the lesser evil. Things do not need to be this way. All we need is a law that allows and even enable independent candidacy. Which legislator or governor will promote such law without incurring the wrath of his or her own party?

In this list as you might have noticed I have not included a law against looting of public funds and abuse of publi powers o our publi offi e holders really need to block public roads when travelling? Do they really need to make those that voted them into power and on whose behalf they claim to act wait whilst they pass with their convoy? I have heard a lot of rubbish about security, their security; alas, we hear too little about citizens’ security.

If politicians do not feel safe amongst their own people then let them privately and quietly protect themselves.

These are very simple things that can easily be done if we have the right people where it matters. To progress, this country needs statesmen (and women) with principles and ideas; we need people that can live for politics but not on politi s ho an you see on the s ene that fits the bill?

•Dr Kila lives in Cambridge, England.

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Monday, 17 August, 2015 TAIWO ADISA - 08072000046 GROUP POLITICS EDITOR tai_adis@yahoo.com

How PDP can bounce back —IBB Former Military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, who turns 74th today, August 17, at his residence in Minna, Niger State, bares his mind on some national issues to some journalists. ADELOWO OLADIPO brings excerpts of the interview:

A lot of us were trained in the US and in short, quite a si able number of offi ers of the igerian rmy were trained in America. It is nothing new to talk about training because they knew they had trained quite a number of us in the past .I was in a place called Port Norks in Kentu y where did a senior offi er s ourse in an s was also in the Naval Post- Graduate School in the US, where did a enior ffi er s anagement ourse was a brigadier at that time. So, a lot of us were trained in America. Yes, they are right but there is an old saying in the army it is not how sophisticated the weapons that is the matter but the man behind the weapon. In other words, I do appreciate what they are trying to do for us.

We have had a lot of experience over the years, and after the Second World War. The US has been involved in stability operations and other operations in support of either the United Nations or countries with which they went into bilateral agreements. o o ou see the rene e offensi e against the insurgents in the North-eastern part of the country by the Federal government?

The insurgents have to be fought. I think the renewed efforts of the Nigerian Armed Forces and what the Federal government is doing is very commendable.

Babangida

O

N a lighter mood, Nigerians claim your town of origin is Ogbomosho in Oyo State and that your second name, Badamasi is derived from the Yoruba version, Gbadamosi. We will like you to seize the opportunity of your 74th birthday to clarify the issue.

I have had to an answer that question way back, though some of you were not born then in 1962; sometime in November of that year, I was before an interview panel comprising a minister and some very prominent people. During my last year in secondary school, somebody asked me that question. First of all, I corrected the way it is spelt.

It is not new, unless people did not get to understand it better than Gbadamosi. So, it is some 53 years now, and I am glad I’m answering the same question again. But the truth is that I hail from here (Minna), Niger State.

My parents were all between Wushishi and this town. My grandparents travelled to settle down there. So, I think that says it all. But come to think of it, there is nothing wrong in being from any part of this country. The truth is that I hail from Niger State, so are my parents. My grandparents and my great grand parents moved from somewhere to settle in Minna. However, there are some people who still call us settlers in Niger State and that we are not indigenous because our grandparents came from somewhere. But having lived all my 54 years in Niger tate thin am more than ualified to be alled an

indigenous Niger State citizen.

About two weeks ago, the United States of eri a spe ifi all sai hat Nigerian ilitar nee s in the fight against o o ara is ore of training than hardware equipment. Do you agree with them about to this?

Nigerians should realise that we are not fighting a regular army where you can confront the enemies by share use of force and weapons to overwhelm them.

What did former President Jonathan did that the in u ent resi ent uha a u uhari seems not be doing or that he is doing wrongly such that unlike the last days of Jonathan in offi e there is resurgen e of insurgen in the country?

I think it is a general misunderstanding. Nigerians should realise that we are not fighting a regular army where you can confront the enemies by share use of force and weapons to overwhelm them. No, you have got a small trained army the psy he of whi h was to in i t ma imum asualty on so alled enemy or in i ts asualty on him where or when he least expects it. In fact, we are not fighting a on entional war that ma es it e eptionally diffi ult hey will blow up bridges they will blow up barracks, ammunition and so on. So, this is an unconventional war; we should know that. And I think the soonest they are trained for it, the better and they know this is the shortest way out. They will retreat or even reduce. I think the public should be educated about this unconventional war.

About 25 years ago, to be precise in 1990, some i le le el offi ers in the Nigerian r al ost terminated your life via coup. Since the coup apparently you unaware, did you immediately scamper for safety at the then seat of power at Dodan Barracks in Obalende, Lagos?

I continue to remain grateful to God as He strengthens my belief that no matter what happens, if He does not will it, nothing will happen to you. So, it is a matter of belief. I remain grateful to Him for sparing my life up to this time, despite what we went through. And to those of us who participated in military combat, it is still the same thingeither during the civil war in 1967, not even in 1990 but in 1969, about 21 years after God kept me.

Given the level of corruption and insecurity in the country, what is your view on the proposition by some individuals for a forum of elder statesman with constitutional powers to play a leading Continues on pg22

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politics&policy

Monday, 17 August, 2015

‘How I escaped Orkar’s coup’ Continued from pg21

role in tackling national problems?

I think one of the most unique things about this country is its immense potential. I see Nigeria as a country that is specially blessed. There are about eight or seven of us alive today and every one of us has his experiences in one way or the other. The other good thing is that there is a forum, where we all meet with the current president, chat with him; talk about the situation in the country. We discuss and offer possible solution to national problems.

Number two, those of us who had been there (Presidency) are always very accessible to the government so that we can always put things across either in writing or talking to him. Those things are there.

But, I have not seen any precarious situation confronting us as a country although the challenges are there, and these are the challenges that every government faces.

However, the people and the government must come together. The people should support the government to come up with solutions to the myriad of problems that every government faces whenever it omes into offi e In your candid opinion, what are the key areas that you think the current leadership should pay attention to so that the country can move forward?

I must commend the current leadership of the country for identifying, even before, during and after the elections some of the problems facing this country. The number one has to do with security and the President talked extensively about the need to ensure the security of lives and property; security of the states, and indeed the security of this environment called Nigeria.

The second one of course has to do with the way we live; the way we work and the way we behave and the issue of corruption. The third problem has to do with the economic development of the country. We should support him towards achieving his set goals as he consolidates his administration, especially in the area of stemming the tide of corruption.

One of the modes the Presidency has employed to curb corruption is the ongoing attempt to recover stolen funds. What is your take on this?

My boss, former President Olusegun Obasanjo had a similar strategy. To be fair to him, like this government, they were able to recover a lot of stolen funds when he was in offi e o we should support what the present government is trying to do and to achieve the same objective. If it is pursued presently, I believe it will achieve some degree of success. Look at the issue of crude oil theft, the government I am sure, will be resolute in trying to eliminate all loopholes and bring to book all those that may be found culpable.

Do you subscribe to the idea that the Federal Government should accept the off for dialogue by leadership of the insurgent group, Boko Haram?

The President got it right on the issues and he said yes, he would talk to people who are credible; people who can be identified as some of the leaders of the insurgents. But so far, apart from one or two names, we don’t hear of any other leader

Babangida of the insurgen y o don t thin the government will like to talk to just two people as far as this issue is concerned.

Therefore, the government is right on the need to be careful to identify the genuine leadership of the insurgents, and if there is anything to talk about with the credible leaders of the insurgents to put an end to the senseless killings of innocent citizens and destruction of both public and private properties in the affected areas of the country.

As a leader and member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), how do you align yourself with the reality that a party that was in power for about 16 years is now playing the role of opposition?

I think one of the good things is that for 16 years, there has been a democratic practice in the country. However, a lot of things must have gone wrong somewhere, and the right persons to judge are the people and they have spoken. I think it is natural; they needed a change after 16 years and they did what is right. They did not go wild they did not fight anybody They used the ballot to change the govern-

I hope they will learn from their mistakes; what they did wrong; what they did right and what they can do now to re-launch the party for better performance at the polls in the future.

ment. This is the beauty of democracy and I look forward to such practice in the next 50 years in this country.

But on the issue of whether the PDP is capable of springing a surprise in the 2019 polls, don’t forget that there is politics in what is happening now. I hope they will learn from their mistakes; what they did wrong; what they did right and what they can do now to re-launch the party for better performance at the polls in the future.

Cast your mind back to the botched Major Gideon–led coup against your administration in 1990. How did you escape because there was a rumour then that there was a tunnel ent fro our offi ial resi en e at Dodan Barracks in Lagos went somewhere in the city?

That I can remember very well. I had some loyal offi ers who were prote ting me and my family members at my offi ial residence. Initially they said I should leave, but I told them no, I was not leaving an inch. But, they remained very supportive and very steady. Later, I ferried my family outside the Dodan Barracks. I joined my guards. We went out of the Dodan Barracks to a safe house, where we got access to the loyal group. May God bless General ani ba ha e was the hief of rmy taff e onta ted ea h other sat down and talked on what we were going to do. I left for the tate ouse and oined ba ha in his house and rallied round the loyal troops nd that was what happened How do you feel that one of the corporations established by your administration, the Nigeria Liquefie Natural as N N as hat saved Nigeria from embarrassment when the Federal Government and states al ost foun it iffi ult to pa workers ‘salaries?

I feel good that at least somebody somewhere recognised that we did something towards the development of our country. nd thin the redit goes to all those that worked with us during our time, peo-

ple li e rofessor am a id est lhaji Rilwan Lukman and Professor Jubril minu ll the redit goes to them and to me for taking the decision.

What is your advice to the Federal Government in its quest at reviving the economy, and your assessment of the performance of the leadership at both federal and state levels so far?

That will not be fair for me to assess them ut so far am onfident that they are doing well hey ha e identified the problems and they look resolute in confronting the problems headlong nd there are lot of people in the society offering very sound advice on what to do about the current situation in the country. s it true that ou are the first lea er in the world in military uniform to address the United Nations General Assembly? o was not the first one ather thin my boss was the first one e was the first person be ause he was the president (head of state then) before me.

I went in a civilian dress in 1991 or 1992.

But, General Obasanjo was fully dressed up in military uniform when he addressed the eneral ssembly Your political god son and former Abia State Governor, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu is being dragged into FIFA Presidency race. Don’t you think Nigeria has not developed to the level of producing the president of the world football governing body?

If I have a vote, I will vote for him. I wish him a very good outing in talking about his interest in sports, especially football. The Enyimba ootball lub you an still recall, he virtually brought them up and if that feat is recognised outside this country, I think there is nothing wrong in him trying his hands to be recognised in the world . That was why I said that if I have a vote, I will cast my lot for him.

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politics&policy

Monday, 17 August, 2015

Why 8th Senate will surpass others —Wamakko

A former governor of Sokoto State, Senator Magatakarda Wamakko says two issues are germane in the current dispensation: entrenching democracy and promoting cherished values in Nigeria. In this encounter with some reporters, he speaks on the emerging interface among senators in the eighth Senate regardless of party affiliations, the Buhari presidency, among other issues. KUNLE ODEREMI brings some excerpts:

H

OW has been your new experience so far in the Senate, having served as governor for eight consecutive years?

It has been an interesting and wonderful experience. For someone who has been at the local level of politics to now come to Abuja on a national scale and to relate, share experience and wisdom with others from across the country is very rewarding.

At this age, what we require is to come together and take decisions in the best interest of the country. In the current Senate, we have eight former governors, eight former ministers and some former House of Representatives members, among others.

These are the people who have served this nation in different capacities in the past.

They know the art of governance and they know what is good for the country, and they know what to promote for the growth and progress of the country. I don’t think their motive is to come and create controversies, which is not good for the country and the electorate. My coming to the Senate has shown me that the entire National Assembly has resolved to come together to work with the executive arm of government to ensure that we deliver on our promises to Nigerians.

You are in essence, saying the current National Assembly will surpass the achievements of the Seventh Assembly?

Yes of course! I say this because of the calibre of people we now have there. They are the people who know the pains of governance; who know the pains of Nigerians; who know what it means to keep the country together, and who know what it means to make a pledge and redeem it for a change. In the Senate, we have been speaking against insecurity. We speak against corruption. We speak for good go ernan e di ersifi ation of the e onomy, good foreign relations, health care delivery system, good transpiration for Nigeria and so many other things. These are the basic things that Nigeria needs and are

Wamakko

waiting patiently for the National Assembly to deliver. So, we feel that we know we must come together, work as a team to see how these promises can be made a reality.

It is only when we come together as a team,

based on mutual respect that these goals can be achieved. There is no time to waste on argument over unnecessary issues. It is time to face the reality. It is time for us to note what the country expects from gover-

I learnt a great deal when some years back, I met some members of National Assembly and even ministers who had never visited the North, and I know many from the North, who did not know anything about the Southern part of the country.

nance and those things that we need to put in pla e to fulfill the general e pe tations of Nigerians. The good thing is that we have the government of President Muhammadu Buhari in place. We all have to join hands to make his government to succeed.

For President Buhari to succeed, we have to give him the support he requires and ensure that we are not here to reate on i t but to work in the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians.

We have to sincerely appreciate the fact that even the international community are welcoming and commending the new regime for putting in place good initiatives.

So, I repeat, there is no time for unnecessary digression; there is no time for unnecessary bickering. What we need to do is work hard to save this country in particular for the downtrodden.

Continues on pg24

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Monday, 17 August, 2015

‘What most people do not know about Buhari’ Continued from pg23

I know him to be a person of 100 per cent transparency. He is committed and has passion to change the situation in Nigeria.

He does not condone corruption, no matter where it comes from. He has the fear of God. I don’t know of any past leaders having this passion for Nigeria like Buhari. So, I believe he is doing the right thing. He is the right person to be the president of Nigeria at this point in time.

The National Assembly has always been viewed by majority of Nigerians as a place for intrigues. What is your experience in this regard so far?

When you have a group of people of diverse upbringing, culture and interests, it is normal for them to try and develop a mode of communicating and how to understand one another. It is not just easy for people from different backgrounds to come together and then understand themselves immediately. That is the reason for such intrigue you talk about. But to overcome it, there must be mutual trust and respect. That is how it works and that is how I see it. I am happy at the way things are and I have not seen anyone behaving abnormally. Some correspondents came to me and asked me to comment on what happened in the last Senate. I told them I could not do so because I was not there and should not speak on what I don’t know.

How have you been able to manage the initial bickering among yourselves that Nigerians are seeing the Senate in a new light with the hitherto aggrieved members relating peacefully now?

The magic lies on honesty, transparency and fear of God. Once you remove selfishness it ma es intera tions easier Once you act transparently with maturity and respect, it makes the rest manageable. When we came, there was this mistrust, misunderstanding and suspicion.

They were all normal in the gathering of that magnitude. I learnt a great deal when some years back, I met some members of National Assembly and even ministers who had never visited the North, and I know many from the North, who did not know anything about the Southern part of the country. Once such individuals met, they ended up arguing on sentiments and emotion and the challenges of their communities. But today, the kind of people we have there are those that know so much about this country. Before coming to the Senate, they had met at different times and so, they understand each other hat is the reason it is not diffi ult for them to work together as a team. And it is good that we are the ruling party and at the same time we have a vibrant opposition to always keep the ruling party on its toes.

What I have realised is that even opposition in the National Assembly are not prepared to oppose anything from the Federal Government. Their desire is to collectively make this country greater and better. I have not seen one person, who has expressed anti government sentiments because he is from APGA, PDP or other parties. Once anything comes from the Federal Government, everybody comes together to give it immediate attention. Take for example the screening of the Service chiefs. We went to the Committee of the whole House and did the screening while we accorded everyone his due respect. We cleared the Service Chiefs within some few minutes.

This was based on the importance of their assignments. We have insecurity in this country and we cannot play with that. Let me say that anything, being appointment and others that come from the

Buhari will soon be counting 100 a s in offi e hat has he one so far that you have since noted?

As I said, one of such is the nature of the appointments he has made. All of them are based on merit. The President put aside sentiment or political patronage by putting the ountry first his caught my interest. Again, President Buhari has succeeded in raising hope on the survival of Nigeria. I think he is able to achieve this by the high level of goodwill that he currently enjoys from all parts of Nigeria. He is taking his time to study the ground and he listens to advice and suggestions a lot. You can see the manner and approach he has brought to the fight against inse urity e is a hie ing results. Look, the President means well for this country and he is determined to change the old ways of doing things. I see Nigeria progressing with his government.

What would you say on the growing call on the President to constitute his cabinet?

People have the right to their opinions.

The President said he would make his cabinet by September after people asked for when. And he was trying to get the best. If he rushes and the appointees begin to mess up, people will ask why the rush.

With human nature, you can only be too slow or too fast.

Wamakko

Presidency, we will not delay it and we will not play with it. If there are any other issue that bothers our mind, we will address it by saying what we feel about it. But so far so good! All the appointments made by the President and the names sent to the Senate for screening were made purely on merit and they are of national outlook.

What I have realised is that even opposition in the National Assembly are not prepared to oppose anything from the Federal Government. Their desire is to collectively make this country greater and better.

A kind of constructive engagement existed between the executive arm of government and the legislature in which case they quarreled when necessary and agreed in other cases.

Will the current Senate sustain such engagement?

I don’t want us to use the word quarrel or fight hese are strong languages to use We don’t need that at this age. The issue is that where it is necessary for use to raise eyebrow in some cases, we will not hesitate to do so. We will always rise to the occasion in our bid to save this country. We will do all we can in the interest of Nigeria.

How would you access the regime of President Buhari so far on the direction it is facing?

As far as I am concerned, President Buhari is on course and is doing the right thing. He has a vision and mission for this country. He was once there though as a military head of state. But, I am sure that having tried three times and going across the country during the campaigns, hearing, knowing and getting familiar with the state of things, he is better equipped to deliver.

Let’s talk about the politics of Sokoto State. There seems to be no acrimony between you and your successor, Governor Aminu Tambuwal, unlike a number of other states, where issues like treasury is causing problem. What do you say on this?

In Sokoto State, the seat of the Caliphate, I wish to be remembered for doing the best for the state. Tambuwal, being a former Number 4 citizen of the country will not have any challenge leading Sokoto. He listens to advice, works with people. He is accessible and listens to the yearnings of the people.

Many states are said to be battling with the problem of empty treasuries. What did you do differently in Sokoto that there is no complaint against you so far?

Our magic was that we were not over ambitious to engage in massive burrowing. But it is better that it is the governor that should do the talking of what is there and what is not there. However, I was careful to manage the resources of the state such that when I left, I did not leave a single ISPO. This is how to help the incoming administration to have a stable start and governance. But by the time you leave several ISPOs, then you are not being fair to the person coming to take over. The magic is honesty, transparency and fairness.

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Monday, 17 August, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

Group Business Editor

tribune

business

President Muhammadu Buhari

Sulaimon Olanrewaju

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

Restructuring NNPC for optimal benefit

As part of the fulfillment of his promise of giving the country a reformed oil and gas sector, President Muhammadu Buhari recently appointed a new group managing director for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. SULAMON OLANREWAJU, in this report, looks at what it takes to have a national oil company that will meet the yearnings of the public.

T

O many Nigerians, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is synonymous with fraud, corruption and incompetence. This is because the narrative that emanates from the corporation is usually odious, replete with underhand dealings that leave the country shortchanged and the people worse off.

NNPC was established in 1977 as a stateowned company meant to play major role in both the upstream and downstream sectors by making petroleum products available locally and generating revenue for the country through the exportation of crude.

Although the corporation started well by playing both roles excellently, it later went off course. Now, about 80 per cent of petroleum products are imported while there has been a decline in revenue from crude exportation principally due to the corporation’s disregard for corporate governance.

This deviation from its mandate which has led to much hemorrhaging of the country’s resources and the deprivation of the people from the benefit of the state s investments in the corporation has been of concern not just to Nigerians but the global community as well.

Former British Prime Minster, Mr. Tony

Blair, while speaking at a two-day All Progressives Congress (APC) Policy Dialogue in Abuja shortly before the inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari, advised the new government to effect a complete overhaul of the orporation within its first days in offi e Blair, who was represented by Peter Benjamin Mandelson, a former Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, said, “You have more goodwill to do ery diffi ult things at the beginning of your administration than later ou an ra the with the first 100 days.”

Similarly, World Bank’s Chief Economist for Africa, Mr. Francisco Ferreira, said the new go ernment should loo into the financial records of the country, especially into allegation of corruption at the NNPC, adding that this would check impunity and build public institutions.

According to him, “The current stand of the government to look into what happened in the past hopefully will have consequences for the future. And those consequences will be that institutions will be stronger; norms will be cleaner and people will not have to steal millions of dollars from Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.

“People have alleged in the past that there had been major corruption scandals there.

If that stops, then that will have very high re-

The first step to restructuring NNPC is to limit government interference in its operation so it can run its affairs as a profit-making enterprise. This is a tall order and it will be the test of President Buhari’s resolve to do what is right in the sector.

turns in terms of the money staying around to be spent on education, health, roads and power that the poor people in Nigeria across the country need.”

Kaduna State gaovernor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, also said, “The corruption and nonchalance that have hobbled the NNPC

are symptoms that its best days are over.

We should give it a deserved funeral so that a new institution, active and nimble, can promptly replace it; NNPC’s subsidiaries and associated companies can be reviewed, restructured and privatized or commercialized as appropriate and consistent with national interest and objectives. No one is better ualified to do this than the person that birthed the NNPC through the merger of the NNOC (Nigeria National Oil Company) and the Ministry of Petroleum in 1977—President Buhari himself.”

The President has not hidden his intention to reform the NNPC. During an interview with journalists in Washington DC during a four-day visit to the United States of America, President Buhari said as part of the reform he had in mind, the corporation would be divided into two successor companies.

He had said, “I am reforming the oil and gas sector, breaking up the NNPC into two parts the first will be ome an independent regulator for the sector, while the second will act as an investment vehicle for the country.”

Probably as part of the unbundling process, President Buhari recently appointed Dr. Ibe Kachikwu as the NNPC Group Managing Director. This was followed by the reduction of directorates from eight to four, Continues pg 26

tribunebusiness NNPC: From opaqueness to transparency 26

Monday, 17 August, 2015

Dr Ibe Kachikwu, GMD, NNPC Continued from pg 25

the disengagement of top management staff and appointment of new ones, among others.

The new GMD has promised that he will ensure that the corporation is appropriately staffed to reposition it.

But personnel is not the only problem with the organization. According to industry analysts, the corporation is bedeviled with a myriad of problems.

Problems with NNPC Government interference One of the major problems with the corporation is meddlesomeness from government offi ials s e plained by a former roup Managing Director of the corporation, Dr. Chambers Oyibo, many people in government see NNPC as the essence of their occupying publi offi e According to him, “Why is it that everybody wants to be president? They want to control the government and the NNPC. Their eyes are on NNPC. With that, NNPC cannot progress. Government is not there for business. How many government companies are there in advanced countries?

Even BP that was a British company was privatized. Total was a French company.

What they did was to merge Total and Elf and privatize. They let French organizations buy shares so that Total would not go into the hands of foreigners. Most institutions in France are shareholders in Total but it is a private company. The president of France has no input into who becomes the chairman or Managing Director of Total. Unless NNPC is privatized, we will not get better results than we are getting now.”

As a result of interference of government offi ials has been redu ed to an e tension of government business. Unconfirmed sour es ha e it that ministers and other go ernment offi ials ma e regular unheard of demands on the corporation

and this leads to the corruption of the system and opens a window for the staff to help themselves to the corporation’s funds.

Opaqueness According to a forensic audit report by PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC), the accounting and reconciliation systems for crude oil revenues used by all government agencies appears to be ina urate and wea with discrepancies in data from different sources in the course of carrying out the audit.

According to the report, “The NNPC model of operation must be urgently reviewed and restructured, as the current model which has been in operation since the creation of the corporation cannot be sustained.”

Similarly, the Natural Resource Governan e nstitute an international independent body that monitors the oil and gas sector globally, in a report on the corporation, stated that “NNPC’s management has a history of resisting outside scrutiny. The corporation dis loses ery little about its finan es and operations, even though more than half of publi re enues ow through it ffi ials from other government bodies say they cannot independently verify or challenge the oil sale figures pro ided by ast re iews described NNPC’s internal oil sale data

Nigerian Tribune

management practices as disorganized, sereti e and ina urate or e ample one go ernment tas for e found two separate sets of oil sale boo s that di erged at times by more than $100 million per year. Corporation offi ials ha e fa ed few onse uen es for mismanagement—at most, they tend to be retired or transferred to other posts.” art of the issues that reate opa ueness in the corporation is that the Petroleum Minister is the chairman of its board. With that the minister who is supposed to urb the e cesses of the corporation is enmeshed in its operation.

ply of fuel o asioned by the refineries not wor ing up to installed apa ity nstead of wor ing to fi the problem of the refineries the subsidy regime was turned to a means of settling political debts and ‘empowering’ party supporters and cronies.

The crude oil swap system was not meant to be a permanent feature of the sector but was also intended to be used to augment the output of the refineries but it has been turned to a major source of getting fuel supply in the country and in the process, so much underhand dealings have been perpetrated.

Lack of strategic planning The way NNPC is, it runs on autopilot. This is because it generates revenue by default rather than through any entrepreneurial effort. For instance to generate revenue, the corporation does not have to do anything spectacular as it sells oil through three main sour es oint enture e uity rude produ tion sharing contracts (PSC) and NPDCowned oil blo s JVs own and operate oil licences allocated by the government, which enables them to engage in oil e ploration holds between and per ent e uity interest in each JV. This entitles it to a production share e ual to its ownership sta e PSCs are awarded licences by the government to operate oil blo s he operators bear the ris and osts asso iated with e ploration and production, and retain a share of the resulting oil to cover these costs. They pay ta and royalty obligations to the ountry in oil rather than in ash mar ets this oil on behalf of the government.

The Nigerian Petroleum Development ompany manages s e uity in onshore and offshore blo s in partnership with JVs and PSCs. The crude oil generated from these activities is sold by the NNPC. As a result of these streams of revenue which the corporation has, it does little about strategic planning and investment.

This accounts for its inability to ensure that its four refineries are put to optimal use through regular maintenance and conscious capacity upgrade.

Going forward he first step to restru turing is to limit government interference in its operation so it an run its affairs as a profit ma ing enterprise. This is a tall order and it will be the test of President Buhari’s resolve to do what is right in the sector. Over the years, the orporation has been treated as an e tension of the purse of some powerful indiiduals hat is why it has been diffi ult for it to engage in best practices. This has also limited its ability to ma e ma imum returns to the country. But without stopping government interference and commercializing NNPC, the Nigerian state will continue to be shortchanged by its managers and a few individuals.

According to Dr. Oyibo, “Nigeria has not loo ed at how etrobras of ra il etronas of Malaysia and Statoil of Norway are structured. They are structured as commercial ompanies e now all we ha e done in the past 25 years or 30 years for the NNPC to be commercialized. Until we do that, no government would want to let NNPC go.”

Once the corporation is commercialized, the Petroleum Minister will cease to sit on its board and that will give room for transparency in its operation. Absence of transparen y ma es the orporation to shield information about its activities from the public. This has resulted in the bleeding of the country by a few because rather than rely on facts, those with oversight functions over the organisation only have speculations to wor with s obser ed by dis loses ery little about its finan es and operations. Even though more than half of publi re enues ow through the orporation no strong legal or poli y framewor for es NNPC to share information with other sta eholders and its orporate ulture may encourage secrecy.”

Then there should be strong oversight on the corporation. Those with oversight responsibility over the corporation should be empowered to discharge their duties so that the corporation will be properly run. hey should be able to as the right uestions from the managers of the corporation so that the Nigerian nation can have the full benefit of its in estment in it should be barred from ma ing disretionary spending ording to the corporation’s discretionary spending from domesti rude sale re enues e ceeded $6 billion a year between 2011 and he report added that s e planations for how it spent the revenues it retained were incomplete and contradictory, and the spending (such as on the fuel subsidy and downstream operations) delivered poor value for money.

Finally, the corporation should avoid ui fi es t should go all out to ta le any challenge that may arise in the course of its operations instead of opting for temporary measures which end up creating more problems than they solve.

Resort to ad-hoc system NNPC has a penchant for going for interim measures. Whenever it runs into a problem, instead of wor ing to get to the root of the problem with a view to uprooting it and doing what is right, the corporation will go for an interim measure to correct the problem. n e the measure wor s those who benefit from that arrangement will never want the corporation to go for a permanent solution.

Eventually the ad-hoc solution becomes a permanent problem.

Fuel subsidy regime was introduced by President Olusegun Obasanjo as a stop gap measure to ounter insuffi ient lo al sup-

NNPC has a penchant for going for interim measures. Whenever it runs into a problem, instead of working to get to the root of the problem with a view to uprooting it and doing what is right, the corporation will go for an interim measure to correct the problem.

27

Nigerian Tribune

Monday, 17 August, 2015

+ entrepreneurship

anchor Ruth Olurounbi

m:0811 695 4637 e:ruth.olurounbi@tribuneonlineng.com t:@Olurounbi

INSIDE

Unilever offers $50,000 to startups in Next Big Thing competition

Jessica Alba’s company valued at $1.7bn –Page 29

ITU introduces Telecom World Entrepreneurship Awards o

bi

startium-scale Enterprises (SMEs) and REALISING that Small and Med stry, indu th and development of the ICT up successes are vital to the grow inno ICT tes lera al platform that acce the ITU Telecom World 2015, a glob erepr Ent the cing odu elopment, is intr vations for social and economic dev al event happening in Budapest from glob ng omi upc its to neurship Awards October 12 to 15, 2015. ed repreneurship Awards 2015 is aim According to the ITU’s website, Ent d -size ium med and ll startups and sma at the most innovative ICT-based soreal ide prov to king wor l wth potentia enterprises (SMEs) with high-gro goals. ting the sustainable development mee to ute trib con and act cial imp mem193 with s, ialised agency for ICT As the United Nations (UN) spec e, ertis exp or sect of s year entities and 150 ber states, over 700 private sector s SME and rs neu epre entr ICT of ial role the ITU says it understands the cruc that es ativ hubs and government initi – and the incubators, technology ent industry, the creation of employm the of support them – in the growth and g rgin eme ss acro t mic developmen and the acceleration of socio-econo e. alik kets developed mar

Continues on pg28

Houlin Zhao, Secretary-General, ITU

28

+ entrepreneurship

Jessica Alba’s company valued at $1.7bn ACTRESS-TURNED mogul now richer than Beyoncé Knowles The Honest Company, a babyproducts retailer co-founded by movie star Jessica Alba, has raised $100 million in a new round of funding, valuing it at about $1.7 billion, according to a

Jessica Alba

Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report last week.

The WSJ reported that the funding boosted the e-commerce startup’s value by more than 50 per cent since it last raised funds a year ago.

The new round of funding also places the 34-year-old among the 40 wealthiest women in the United States of America to “make their cash from scratch, tied with bestselling novelist Nora Roberts and Texas oil mogul Kathy Lehne,” Forbes reported.

Alba’s 20 per cent stake in the company guarantees that her net worth rises to approximately $340 million, making her one of Forbes’ list of America’s richest self-made women.

“Alba’s stake in Honest makes her richer than Beyoncé Knowles ($250 million) and YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki ($300 million), and just $40 million shy of Yahoo YHOO +2.78% CEO Marissa Mayer, Forbes reported.”

The Honest Company was co-founded

by Jessica Alba, ShoeDazzle founder Brian Lee, and friends Christopher Gavigan and Sean Kane in 2011 and focuses on creating baby and household goods that use only nontoxic, environmentally friendly ingredients.

...How Jessica Alba built a $1.7bn company a eo o

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Monday, 17 August, 2015

o

IT’S Kombucha Thursday at the Santa Monica headquarters of The Honest Company, which means that groups of young, stylish workers gather at communal tables in a converted toy factory to slurp fashionable fermented tea. Jessica Alba, Hollywood star and company cofounder, sits in the adjacent room. She’ll join her troops shortly, but for now she s transfi ed by a bo of tampons that looks more like it holds an expensive candle than Kotex. “Dope!” she declares, approvingly.

“We’re using all-organic cotton and plant-based polymer and a bio-plastic applicator,” says the 34-year-old actress earnestly, contrasting that with the plastic content of drugstore tampons and their effect on hormones.

Honest’s new feminine care line launches in July.

Alba can go similarly deep on almost all of The Honest Company’s 120 products, whether the ingredients in a new organic beeswax sunscreen or the clever insulation pocket

hidden inside a chic $170 vegan-leather diaper bag.

Yes, she has a pretty face — it seems as if every men’s magazine has named her the most beautiful woman in the world at some point — but it’s the details from which great fortunes stem.

Details and hard work.

Alba laughs about how she once worked an 86-hour week as the star of James ameron s s i fi series Dark Angel — the series that launched her career.

Now, she says, she spends those 86 hours at a vintage teal blue desk, overseeing marketing and brand development for a company that feeds a growing demand for safe, nontoxic products, particularly among young helicopter parents who treat children — and what goes near or inside them — like porcelain.

Safety sells. The Honest Company has experienced an absurd level of growth. n its first year selling products, it hit $10 million in revenue. By last year it was $150 million, and industry insiders are predicting over $250 million this year. The company is

focused on growth over profits boasting a urrent valuation to match: $1 billion. hat figure means lba who owns between 15% and 20% of the company, according to a source with knowledge of her investment, is sitting on a fortune of $200 million. She’s on her way to earning a spot on FORBES’ new ranking of America’s Richest SelfMade Women, just $50 million shy of Beyoncé and Judge Judy, who are tied at number 49. The only other two celebrities to make the inaugural list are Oprah and Madonna. The difference is that foursome made their money in their ore field media and music. Alba, at a young age, has done it in a completely unrelated industry. But ask Alba and she’ll tell you she and Honest are just getting started. “If we really want to make a difference in the world and people’s health, it’s billions and billions of dollars, not just one,” she says, surveying the openplan ompany oor from a conference room above its wooden rafters.

Culled from forbes.co

Keith Weed

Top Nigerians who quit their careers to become entrepreneurs

Leaving one’s career to become entrepreneurs can be pretty scary. That is why we have brought you a few Nigerians who have toed the path and haven’t looked back since.

ITU introduces Telecom World Entrepreneurship Awards Continued from pg27

Unilever offers $50,000 to startups in Next Big Thing competition Application closes September 6.

UNILEVER is partnering with about 15 startups, with the hopes that one of them will win the $50,000 pilot with Unilever Foundry. The winner will emerge from the 15 startups that will pitch to brands and agencies in October this year.

Unilever, hunting for fresh innovations, offers the star prize of $50,000 to new startups willing team up on its “Next Big Thing” competition.

Chief Marketing and Communications ffi er nile er eith eed speaking on the project, said the partnership was an important “winwin scenario” for the company, as “unprecedented evolutions in marketing and technology require global brands to embrace innovation. We are determined to stay ahead of the game by experimenting with tech through initiatives such as The Next Big Thing.”

It will be recalled that last year’s Next Big Thing was won by the content crowdsourcing platform Seenit, which has since run over 10 global campaigns with Unilever.

Ibukun Awosika

I

Ibukun Awosika BUKUN Awosika wanted to become a medical doctor when she was in a secondary school, later on, an architect but she eventually ended up graduating with her first degree in Chemistry from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife). She also took many free electives in accounting as she had keen interest in banking.

Since a bank job didn’t materialise, she took a sales job at a furniture company.

Three and a half months later, she resigned her position to set up her own furniture manufacturing company, Quebees Ltd, from which The Chair Centre Ltd later evolved. She started in January 1989 with two carpenters, two sprayers and two upholsterers from the back of her father’s house. Today she has grown her business to a net worth of more than N3 billion ($18.6 million).

Jason Njoku Born in Britain, after graduating with a second class, upper division in Chemistry from University of Manchester in 2005, Jason Njoku threw himself into launching a magazine for students called Brash – fueled by loans from a bank and friends, and youthful enthusiasm; a business, he admits, was his most epic failure. In an interview with Forbes Africa, he said, “I spend good three years making every mistake there was to make about how to run a business.”

He took a break in formal employment as a recruitment consultant. But his entrepreneurial drive got him back on

Jason Njoku

Adenike Ogunlesi

another round. He co-founded ‘Roll On Friday’ – a blog network and news site for young professionals in banking, law and consultancy – another failed venture that lasted for two years. He turned to other business to pay the bills; a T-shirt company, a web design venture.

But defeat led to a revelation; a huge opportunity in the Nigerian Movie industry, Nollywood. The idea of Iroko Partners was born. Today, he is the cofounder of IrokoTV, a web platform that pro ides igerian films on demand and one of fri a s first mainstream online movie steaming websites, giving free and instant access to over 5,000 Nollywood film titles Linda Ikeji Linda Ikeji was admitted to study English at University of Lagos contrary to her course choice, Mass Communication. Her lifelong dream was always to become a journalist. After university, she worked hard to break into journalism, launching her media company, Blackdove Communications, a modelling agency and events management outfit he began her modelling areer in 1998 and gave up in 2005.

She started her magazine in 2006 that didn’t get passed two editions. In the same year, Linda started her Blog, lindaikeji.blogspot.com. 7 years later, Linda Ikeji’s blog has become the most popular entertainment online platform in Nigeria; 13th most visited websites in Nigeria and 2218th in the world. In August 2012, she was listed on Forbes Africa as one of the highest paid blog-

gers in Nigeria.

Adenike Ogunlesi In her second year as an undergraduate law student at the Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Mrs Adenike Ogunlesi opted out of school unsure of what to do with her life. She then reluctantly accepted her mother’s invitation to work in her women’s tailor shop. That experience helped her to discover who she was and what she wanted to do.

From a tiny shop with her and her mother as the main staff, Mrs Adenike turned Ruff ‘n’ Tumble to become one of the best manufacturers of children’s clothing in Nigeria. Today Ruff ‘N’ Tumble is a thriving business with over 50 employees and distribution along the West African coasts.

Frank Nneji Frank Nneji graduated from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 1982 with his first degree in iologi al ien es He gave an early foretaste of what to expect of his life trajectory when he successfully ran for the position of ransport ffi er in the students union election. He never failed to take an opportunity to make some pocket money by conveying fellow students to venues of sporting events for a fee in his personal rugged car.

Today, he is the founder/CEO of Associated Bus Company Plc – operator of ABC Transport, a clear front-runner in luxury bus operation in West African sub-region.

Culled from afterschoolafrica.

Therefore, the awards programme, it says, aims to recognize the most impactful and promising high-growth SMEs using ICTs innovatively for social good, highlight best practices and the cross-fertilisation of ideas for innovative socio-economic development, as well as promote ICT entrepreneurship and innovative ICT solutions for social impact.

The Telecom World 2015, focused on enabling and accelerating “this success by bringing together new ideas, solutions, technology hubs, incubators and important stakeholders from public and private sectors on our uniquely inclusive international platform,” the event planners said, is targeted at all ICT start-ups, entrepreneurs and SMEs exhibiting at the event, whether with individual stands or pods, or within

national pavilions.

Awards categories expected to showcase at the event is the ITU Telecom World Entrepreneurship Awards aimed at the “most promising solution, start-up or SME at ITU Telecom World 2015, selected by a jury of experts;” ITU Telecom World Entrepreneurship People’s Choice Award – “for the best solution, start-up or SME at ITU Telecom World 2015, as voted for by the event attendees;” the ITU Telecom World Entrepreneurship National Award designed for the “best solution, start-up or SME from Hungary, the host country of ITU Telecom World 2015” and the ITU Telecom World Innovation Champion Award designed for the best or most effective government scheme supporting and fostering innovation, entrepreneurship and SMEs in the ICT sector at national or regional level.

Konga launches logistics management system for SMEs this week SIM Shagaya, founder and CEO, konga.com, has said that his company will launch a “powerful” logistics management system this week.

Named ‘mercury,’ the soon-to-be-released logistics management system will be “usable regardless of if you are doing deliveries for Konga, other e-commerce co or an of ine fulfillment Shagaya said last week on

his Twitter feed.

Mercury, he said, would be hosted, full stack (including dispatcher android app) and would be free for any SME that wanted to do logistics business in Nigeria.

“Konga will be releasing a powerful hosted track and trace logistics management system next week. Mercury will be free to SMEs that wish to do logistics,” he wrote.

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tribunebusiness

Monday, 17 August, 2014

Nigerian Tribune

Digitisation holds the key to Africa’s development —Ogunlade, Cisco boss Mr Dare Ogunlade is the General Manager, Cisco Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone. And in this interview BODE ADEWUMI, he speaks on a recent study which indicates that 75 per cent of businesses worldwide will be digitised by 2020, but that only 30 per cent of such businesses will ultimately be successful, among other ICT issues. Excerpts:

I

T was recently stated that cyber-crime activities is now estimated at about $1 trillion. How much of that is traceable to fri a an ore spe ifically, to Nigeria?

We may not have the exact figures allo ated to fri a speifi ally but global yber rime industry ra es in more than trillion dollars he yber se urity mar et whi h spe ialises in defending organisations from yber riminals falls far short of the true opportunity hat is why se urity is now one of the topmost priorities for is o The public sector is of course the largest employer of labour in most African countries. How can governments across the continent deploy the process of Internet of Ever thing o in effi ientl running their affairs? he publi se tor is one of the ey erti al industries where we see a high alue of sta e for oE n e ample of what we ha e seen in other parts of the world and we are in the pro ess of ha ing dialogue with some go ernments a ross fri a about the same in the onte t of a smart ity smart traffi management solutions and smart lighting solutions hese solutions help to integrate obs e en though they are less manually intensi e obs but more around o there is a lot we need to do in partnership in both publi and pri ate se tors to reate the s ills be ause there would be more s ills needed most spe ifi ally in the publi se tor n one hand there is the opportunity for ob reation with a different type of s ills and on the other are the problems themsel es or instan e ha e not been to any ma or ity a ross fri a where there is no ma or problem with traffi that leads to loss of produ ti ity o whether it is agos airobi airo or ohannesburg they all ha e horrendous traffi problems that are not going to be sol ed any time soon e belie e te hnology is probably the only thing that will go some way in addressing the issue leading to a i id impro ement on produ ti ity be ause people will spend less time in ars where they are unable to be produ ti e e belie e there is a produ ti ity benefit safety benefit and power usage benefit in terms of smart lighting round ob reation go ernments will ha e to loo for help from ompanies li e is o in how they re s ill and up s ill a

to the ban days a year hours a day and being able to a ess produ ts or insuran e laims is a ne essity t is a tually being able to do e erything in a irtual world n the health are se tor there is learly an element of telemediine today but how far is that ultimately going to go and in whi h life time ut it is about the ore pro esses and how people intera t suppliers ustomers and you internally here are two opportunities really one is the re in ention whi h is finding new opportunities that an e ist without te hnology and the se ond is digitising your business and streamlining that ne is about effi ien y and the other is about growth opportunities

Dare Ogunlade lot of people who may ha e some sort of s ills but do not ha e the apabilities yet around and the is o etwor ing ademy is one of the ma or things we are doing to assist in that regard Recent Cisco reports stated that 75 per cent of businesses will be digitised by 2020. Does that include African businesses or countries, and if so, what is the percentage? es t was a global statisti s although ha e not seen that broen down figure regionally but there definitely ould be an interesting dis ussion on whether it ould be more in fri a or less be ause arguably there is a great deal of potential for upside a ross many fri an ountries if they do digitise whether it s a small business or in the publi se tor e do not ha e the data point here at the moment but there is e ery reason to belie e that the statisti s does apply to fri a nother statisti s that we should not lose sight of is that about per ent

of those businesses will fail and only per ent will su eed Is it worth it to digitise if at least 30 per cent of those who digitalise will fail? ou either do nothing and go out of business or you try to rein ent yourself find out new re enue streams try to disrupt yourself and maybe mo e into other marets and up your han es of su eeding and growing t is pretty sure in our opinion that if ompanies do not do anything then the future will not loo bright What does it actually mean when a business is fully digitised? efining digitisation all depends on the erti al an industry is in hen a ban is fully digitised it means that ustomers an a ess the ban and its produ ts anywhere through any hannel whether it is through a smartphone or home broadband or whether it is a tually ha ing the ustomers go into the ban or a retail ban ha ing a ess

Could it be that the uncertainty of disruption underneath innovation across the board is now part of why customers are now seeking business alliances? usiness leaders understand that without our strategy they are going to be disrupted o the good news is that there is an opportunity for us to go and ha e those different types of on ersations lot of the ustomers do re ognise is o as industry leaders and thought leaders in that area o there is no shortage of opportunity to ha e the on ersation e annot begin to ha e that on ersation without being prepared we need to understand what the opportunities are and what we are seeing in different parts of the world in the same industry f you thin about it from the priate and publi se tors they are ultimately not different in what we are trying to a hie e he E on the board of the pri ate ompany is loo ing for new produ ts and new ser i es he is aware of the possible digital disruption that there is sur i ability but it is ultimately about profit and growth produ ts and ser i es he publi se tor is about s ope and growth be ause of the urbanisation that is happening with regard to people mo ing to ities hat the person on the board or the person in go ernment really ares about is deli ering ser i es deli ering the E s agenda and strategy around that growth There was a report recently that Nigeria dropped in the network readiness ranking.

With the position of Nigeria in Africa being one of the fastest growing econo-

mies, how do you think we can ever conveniently adjust to the era of IoE if we keep dropping in the ranking? an we ust eep in mind that when we tal about the ran ing of a ountry it s basi ally tal ing about relati e ran ing to other ountries igeria has made progress under the pre ious go ernment but there are other ountries progressing faster whi h is the ey point of the networ ing inde he statisti s is at least months but we remember the statisti s had per ent growth in whi h at the time was fi e per ent to si per ent of the growing at per ent a year here is a huge amount of growth going on in igeria most of it is around the basi mobile subs riptions mainly oi e some data and there is still so mu h wor to do and we are an iously waiting to see what the new go ernment has in store What are services Cisco is rendering to the Nigerian government? e do not do business dire tly in igeria per ent of our businesses in igeria are through partners and we ha e solutions that ut a ross ollaborations in the publi se tor and loud in publi se tor e ha e solutions we are rendering to both the publi and pri ate se tors but again that is wor ing through our partners Is Cisco working with institutions and schools trying to bridge the skills gap currently being experienced in Africa? he networ ing a ademy is a global programme we introdu ed ba in to address the global s ills gap fri a does not stand alone in terms of ha ing a shortage of s ills gap around it is a global hallenge e brought the a ademy into fri a about years ago and sin e then we ha e built a ademies a ross ountries and we ha e had o er students ome through the a ademies of whi h per ent are females he students study anything from the basi s ills training up to is o ertified industry re ognised training whi h ta e wee s to months to on lude ne of the new urri ulums we will be bringing in the oming months is the oE urri ulum although it may not be rolled out in all a ademies immediately be ause a lot of it is going to be based on demand here is no other organisation that has this type of apabilities a ross fri a

31

Monday, 17 August, 2015

moneymarket

Nigerian Tribune

anchor Chima Nwokoji

m:08032637535 e:chimatitus@yahoo.com

TSA: N4.2tn industry deposits quarantined from banking system To check round tripping of govt deposits CHIMA NWOKOJI-LAGOS

F

RESH facts emerged at the weekend that implementation of the Treasury Single (TSA) by Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) in the country took away N4.2 trillion of total industry deposits from banks to the tills of the Central Bank of

NITTY August 14, 2015 Tenor Rate (%) 1M 14.3271 2M 14.8764 3M 15.0825 6M 15.1647 9M 15.5790 12M 16.6349

Change (%) 0.50 ▲ 0.30 ▲ 0.40 ▲ 0.43 ▲ 0.30 ▲ 0.39 ▲

Treasury Bills Maturity Date 12-Nov-15 14.82 11-Feb-16 14.61 04-Aug-16 14.25

Discount 15.38 15.75 16.55

n ation ates

Nigeria (CBN).

The Presidency, this week, issued a directive to all Federal Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to begin retirement of revenues into a unified account, Treasury Single Account (TSA), maintained by the CBN. he as defined by the is a unified stru ture of go ernment NIBOR August 14, 2015 Tenor Rate (%) Change (%) O/N 28.1250 0.17 ▲ 1M 18.6676 2.14 ▲ 3M 20.7169 2.66 ▲ 6M 21.8245 2.84 ▲

Bid Yield Change % 0.74 ▲ 14.57 0.83 ▲ 14.36 0.24 ▲ 14.00

Discount Offer 15.11 15.46 16.21

counts to relevant laws on accounting, allocation and disbursement.

Data from the CBN as of June 2015 put total deposits (demand, time and sa ings in the finan ial system at N13.5 trillion.

Analysts at an investment research company, Afrinvest estimated that this amount indicates that the private sector accounts for a signifi ant per ent

trillion) of total deposits, while public sector funds accounts for 9.3 per cent (N1.3 trillion).

Breakdown of the total deposits shows that the Federal Government deposits make up 5.3 per cemt (N712.6 billion), while State and Local Governments accounts for 3.1 per cent (N424.3 billion) and 0.9 per cent (N121.0 billion) respectively.

Yield Change % 0.74 ▲ 0.83 ▲ 0.24 ▲

er ent

Month All Items (Year on Change) All Items (12 Months Avg. Change) Food (Year on Change)/1 Food (12 Months Avg. Change)/1 All Items Less Farm Produce (Year on Change)/2 All Items Less Farm Produce (12 Months Avg. Change)/2 All Items Less Farm Produce and Energy (Year on Change)/3

2015 January February March 8.20 8.40 8.50 8.10 8.1 8.20 9.20 9.40 9.40 9.50 9.50 9.50 6.80 7.00 7.50 6.90 6.90 6.90 7.10 7.10 7.50

All Items Less Farm Produce and Energy (12 Months Avg. Change)/3 7.10 CBN Bills Date of Auction Security Type

bank accounts through which the government transacts all its receipts and payments.

According to the directive from the Presidency, the implementation of the TSA by all MDAs was to enable compliance of MDAs with provisions of the constitution. This is also in line with the promise to the National Economic Council (NEC) to ensure full compliance of MDAs ac-

5/15/2003 CBN ertifi ate Tenor 91 Maturing On 11/13/2003 Amount Offered (N mn) 82227 Subscriptions (N mn) 37767 Tot. Successful (N mn) Net Sales (N mn) 17019 Range of Bid Rates Successful Bid Rates Marginal Rate 0 True Yield

2/25/2002 CBN ertifi ate 180 2/20/2003 15000 4161 4161

20.5

From left, Area Manager, Festac, Skye Bank Plc, Mr Henry Owie; Head, Retail Banking Group, Mrs Nkolika Okoli; winner of N1 million Reach for theSkye Millionaire promo, Mr Donatus Okoro and Head, Customer Engagement, Skye Bank Plc, Mrs Yewande Soyannwo, at the presentation of prizes, in Lagos, on Friday. PHOTO: SYLVESTER OKORUWA

CBN Rates as at 10/16/2014

7.10

11/26/2001 CBN ertifi ate 180 11/21/2002 5000 2740

9/24/2001 CBN ertifi ate 180 9/19/2002 1155 1155

2740

20.5

19.5

Currency US DOLLAR POUNDS STERLING SWISS FRANC YEN CFA WAUA YUAN/RENMINBI RIYAL

Buying (NGN) 196 306.348 200.6757 1.5754 0.3142 274.036 30.6265 52.236

DANISH KRONA 29.194 SDR 274.5372

Central (NGN) 196.5 307.1295 201.1877 1.5795 0.3242 274.735 30.7051 25.3543 29.2685 275.2376

Government Securities Selling (NGN) 197 207.911 198.5005 1.5835 0.3342 275.4341 30.7837 52.5025 29.343 275.9379

Primary Market Auction Date

8/5/2015

Security Type

NTB

Tenor

91

Auction No

05-08-2015- 91 Day

Auction

Primary Market

Maturity Date

11/5/2015

Total Subscription

45217.68

Total Successful

45177.87

Range Bid

9.0000 - 12.8000

Successful Bid Rates

9.0000 - 10.0000

Description

Issue

Rate

10

True Yield

10.2557

Amtoffered

(mn)

weeklyreview LIQUIDITY opening balance was in the money market was N178.5 billion, just as rates,Open Buy Back (OBB) and Overnight (O/N), closed on Monday at lower levels than they did in the previous week.

OBB declined from 48.3 per cent to 28.3 per cent and O/N settled at 31.2 per cent from 52.9 on Monday, relative to last Friday’s close.

Nonetheless, money market rates remained high as DMBs scrambled to meet up with their liquidity obligations to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Dealers from Afrinvest West Africa Limited said liquidity opening balance declined to N86.3 billion on Tuesday, adding that the money market rates differed marginally as OBB and O/N rates closed at 27.5 per cent and 32.1 per cent respectively. DMBs continued to seek means to boost liquidity levels as it closed at N42.5 billion on Tuesday and opened at N65.9 billion on Wednesday. On Wednesday, the key money market rates took a leap with OBB closing at 50.0 per cent and O/N berthing at 54.3 per cent by the close of market as liquidity levels bit harder while it closed at N71.7 billion. On Thursday, liquidity opening balance went as low as N28.1 billion as DMBs scrambled to get enough naira to shore up their dollar purchases with CBN, however OBB and O/N rates

closed at 15.8 per cent and 16.1 per cent respectively.

On Friday, OBB and O/N rates closed 15.0 per cent and 28.1 per cent respectively bringing week to date (WTD) decline to 33.3 per cent (OBB) and 21.2 per cent (O/N).

In the T-Bills market, average yields declined moderately to 14.5 per cent on Monday, from 14.7 per cent last week Friday and increased marginally across board on Tuesday as the average settled at 14.7 per cent.

The T-bills market was relatively bullish on Wednesday as average yield decline bringing nine months and 12 months instruments down 20 basis points (bps). Although average T-Bills rate remained 14.7 per cent.

On Thursday, average T-Bills rates rose marginally to 14.9 per cent, while average T-Bills rose 60bps to 15.3 per cent W-o-W. Foreign exchange market review The naira traded flat at N199.10/US$1.00 W-o-W at the interbank foreign exchange market while the CBN continues to intervene at N197.00/US$1.00.

Hence, W-o-W performance was flat in the official market. Earlier in the week, the CBN had released a circular affirming that forex demand for eligible invisible transactions shall be fully met at the interbank

exchange rate. Such transactions include school fees, student maintenance allowances, Business Travel Allowance (BTA), Personal Travel Allowance (PTA), medical bills and other eligible transactions.

The local unit experienced moderate changes in the parallel market last week, closing at N222/US$1.00 on Monday and depreciated to N224/US$1.00 on Tuesday. The naira rebounded 1.4 per cent to N221.00/US$1.00 on Wednesday on account of the US$80.0 million dollar sale made by CBN to Bureau de Change operators. This boosted liquidity in the foreign exchange market and eased the pressure. The naira therefore appreciated 45bps WTD to N221.00/US$1.00.

The benchmark Crude Oil price (Brent) rose 2.1 per cent WTD to US$49.21 while Nigeria’s external reserves further improved 0.5 per cent MTD and 0.3 per cent WTD to US$31.6 billion amid CBN’s increased efforts to check speculative attacks on the local currency.

Dealers said that in the absence of further pronouncement on Foreign Exchange (FX) rate by the CBN in the week ahead, there are expectations that FX rate may continue to trade at the current level.

moneymarket Cost of funds to remain flat despite N62.4bn maturities 32

T

HOUGH treasury bills worth N62.4 billion are expected to mature on Thursday, money market rates may ontinue to trend at at urrent bands given that no major credit is expected to hit the finan ial system dealers said “The full enforcement of the Treasury Sin-

Monday, 17 August, 2015

gle Account (TSA) has also strained liquidity in the banking sector. We opine that money market rates may continue to trend at current bands given that no major credit is expe ted to hit the finan ial system dealers at an in estment ban ing and ad isory firm Afrinvest stated.

Nigeria issues treasury bills twice a month to borrow funds from the banking system to fund the go ernment s budget defi it and help manage liquidity in the economy.

Traders said about N183 billion ($920 million) in matured treasury bills was injected into the money market on Thurs-

Sterling Bank launches MSME Academy STERLING Bank Plc has introduced the Sterling MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise) Academy as part of its value-added offering for its SUPA Business Account holders.

A statement from the bank said the academy, which would commence with a pilot session in Lagos, was a result of the bank’s partnership with BusinessDay. This is in furtherance of the it’s commitment to enriching lives by focusing on the unique needs of its entrepreneurial customers, and giving teeth to private sector involvement in the development of small businesses and the Nigerian economy at large.

According to the bank’s Group Head, Strategy & Communications, Shina Atilola, “The Sterling MSME Academy is aimed at capacity building for existing and emerging micro, small and mediumsized enterprises to enable them build viable businesses and position them to access funds for expansion. MSMEs would also enjoy access to relevant and reliable business intelligence and information that would help them to navigate the challenging operating en ironment The Academy is to be facilitated by IFC/ EDC (International Finance Corporation and Enterprise Development Centre) certified and seasoned E trainers and will run from September 23 to October 14.

Its registration, however, commences on Monday, August 17, 2015 and is to last for three weeks.

The bank, therefore, urged business owners/MSME operators interested in parti ipation to fill in their details and get the necessary information on the registration portal: www.sterlingbankng.com/msme It will be recalled that the bank had, last June, partnered with LEAP Africa on the 10th edition of the Annual Africa CEO Forum. The forum with the theme, ‘Staying head a imising rofit nd itigating Risk’, was an avenue for the CEOs to understand how to ensure proper risk identifi ation assessment and analysis hese fa tors were identified as ey to minimising revenue loss and ensuring continued business survival.

eiterating the benefits parti ipants stand to enjoy from the insightful and interactive training sessions at the Academy, Mr Atilola explained that it was expected that

day by the Central Bank causing rates to fall.

Also, more funds from interest payment on bonds and refunds to banks from the central bank for their forex cash provision also raised liquidity.

The secured Open Buy Back (OBB) and overnight placement closed at 14 per cent from 40 per cent apiece for OBB and overnight placement week before last.

Nigeria, Africa’s top crude exporter, distributes revenue from oil among its three tiers of government every month, injecting liquidity into the money markets.

CBN confirms Somefun as Unity Bank MD THE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has onfirmed the appointment of rs omi Somefun as the Managing Director/Chief E e uti e ffi er of nity an l his is coming on the heels of the resignation of Henry Semenitari, who resigned his appointment with the bank last month. he onfirmation of rs omi omefun was contained in a letter to the bank dated August 10, 2015, signed by its Director of Banking Supervision.

An experienced professional with a depth of experience and knowledge of the finan e industry omi has o er three decades of cognate experience of which 26 years were in the banking sector.

She started her career in accounting and financial consulting with Peat Marwick & Co, and subsequently Arthur Andersen & Co (now KPMG). She has worked in several areas across the industry, spanning Treasury & Institutional Banking, Investment Banking, Retail and Commercial Banking. Prior to joining Unity Bank, she had a distinguished career with United Bank for Africa where she managed and sat on the board of several subsidiaries, including being the maiden CEO of UBA Pensions Custodian, which she managed for eight years, as well supervising the South-West Region of the Bank.

She possesses special skills, which include leading and developing highly effective teams, implementing strong strategy definition and execution skills which she has enhanced through a combination of top class local and international training.

Prior to her appointment, Tomi was the Executive Director responsible for Lagos

Skye Bank splashes over N5m on civil servant, others A civil servant with the Lagos State government, Kazeem Adewale, and two others have won N1 million each in the August draw of Skye Bank’s ‘Reach for the Skye Millionaire promo’ which took place in Lagos at the weekend.

The other winners, Uche Onuegbu, an Aba based businessman and Adewale Abiodun Adeyemo of Offa, Kwara State, also became N1 million richer after the event.

Four other customers went home with N250,000 each. The lucky customers were Mrs Aina Fabode of Jos branch; Kalu Okeke Ogbonnaya of Aba branch; Lawal Basheer; and Gazal Fatimat.

The electronic draw conducted in the presen e of offi ials of the ational ottery Commission also produced 10 lucky individuals who won N100,000 each, bringing the total prize money to N5 million.

Speaking on the occasion, Head, Retail Banking Group, Skye Bank Plc, Nkolika

these small businesses would experience improved asset quality as they are better equipped to manage their funds and maximise business profit

Nigerian Tribune

Okoli, said the bank would continue to encourage the adoption of the savings culture by the members of the public.

According to her, a customer would qualify for the draw after opening a Skye Save Plus account with a minimum of N2,000, while each additional N2,000 increases the customer’s chance to win the N1 million prize.

Okoli said the draws would hold every month, with a total of N60 million up for grabs during the 12 month duration of the reward promo.

She, therefore, enjoined members of the public to open a Skye Save Plus account with a minimum balance of N2,000 in order to benefit from the ongoing promotion Okoli further advised members of the public to take advantage of the bank’s promotion to transform their businesses by opening accounts with it so as to be able to take part in future draws

and South West Regional Operations, and oversight on Treasury and Financial Institutions Division.

She holds a B.A. (Hons) in English Language (Second Class Upper Division) from the Obafemi Awolowo University.

She is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and has benefitted from numerous E e uti e Edu ation Programmes from INSEAD, Harvard Business School, University of Columbia, and Wharton Business School.

Mrs Tomi Somefun, new Unity Bank MD/CEO

Global Awards names GTBank MD CEO of the Year MANAGING Director/CEO, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, Segun Agbaje, has been recognised as the CEO of the Year during the 2015 Finance Monthly Global Awards.

Now in its seventh year, the Finance Monthly Awards is one of the most sought after industry awards and compiled by a dedicated team of researchers who draw on the views of thousands of stakeholders including investors, analysts, executives, employees, and media professionals worldwide.

The research results are used to inform and identify best management practices and critical success factors, and ultimately recognise achievement in business. Every year inan e onthly maga ine identifies and honors the most respected companies and their leaders, by recognising extraordinary individuals who have shown the strategic foresight and leadership to deliver superior performance over the past 12 months, effectively managed all key stakeholders and prepared the organization for the next phase of growth.

A statement from the bank quoted Mr Mark Palmer, Finance Monthly Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief, as having said, “The success of every business starts

with a strategic, resourceful and engaging leader. It is these qualities that help foster team spirit and employee motivation, which in turn create a successful company. The CEOs listed within Finance Monthly’s 2015 CEO Awards publication are corporate leaders who deliver results and have achieved considerable success in their se tors In winning this award, Segun Agbaje, Managing Director/CEO of Guaranty Trust Bank Plc stands out as one of Africa’s most successful, innovative and forward thinking CEOs whose inspiring leadership has helped create an enduring organi ation with deep benefi ial impa t on the wider community and society at large.

Commenting on the award, Segun Agbaje, Managing Director/CEO of GTBank said “We operate in challenging business environments, but we believe that our stakeholders should be better off for partnering with us thus, we set high goals and benchmark ourselves against global standards whi h in uen e our ser i e ulture and product offerings, thereby enabling us to remain relevant to our customers while adding value to all stakeholders.

33

Monday, 25 May, 2015

capitalmarket

anchor Tunde Dodondawa

m:08029370304 e:mrdodondawa@yahoo.com

Market capitalisation drops to N10.524trn S o ie b

T

a

e o o

a a - ago

HE Market Capitalization and All-Share Index depreciated by 2.34 per cent to close on Friday at 30,705.62 and N10.524 trillion respectively. imilarly all the indi es finished lower during the wee with the e eption of the E ndustrial Goods index that appreciated by 0.11 per cent. turno er of billion shares worth billion in deals were traded during the wee by in estors on the oor of the E hange in ontrast to a total of billion shares alued at billion that e hanged hands pre ious wee in deals fter trading on riday e uities appre iated in pri e during the wee lower than e uities of the pre eding wee e uities depre iated in pri e higher than twenty nine e uities of the pre eding wee while e uities remained un hanged lower than e uities re orded in the pre eding wee he inan ial er i es ndustry measured by olume led the a ti ity hart with billion shares alued at billion traded in deals thus ontributing per ent and per ent to the total e uity turno er olume and alue respe ti ely he onglomerates ndustry followed with a turno er of million shares worth million in deals he third pla e was o upied by the onsumer oods ndustry with million shares worth billion in deals rading in the top three e uities were tandard llian e nsuran e l ess an l and enith nternational an l measured by olume a ounted for million shares worth billion in deals ontributing per ent and per ent to

Sokoto Cement records N1.9bn profit, pays 35k dividend bo a S bai - b ja SOKOTO

ement has re orded a profit after ta of and paid a di idend per share of in its 2014 operating year. pea ing at the nnual eneral eeting of the ompany on hursday in bu a the hairman of the ompany r bdulsamad abiu said the firm re orded a turno er of ompared to N15,311,003,677 in 2013.

According to him, the company, in 2014, had a longer maintenan e stop for a planned repla ement of a new iln shell segment. he produ tion stop together with a somewhat wea er demand for ement in the se ond half of the year aused a small redu tion in the sales olume ompared to the pre ious year n the other hand the pri e le el inreased ompared to ogether with a stri t ost ontrol this ensured the impro ement in the finan ial result he said On the dividend, the chairman said the board resolved to re ommend the payment of a gross di idend of obo per share ompared to last year s obo per share be ause of the ash ow situation tressing that the plan to phase out paper based di idend warrants was still on ourse abiu alled on shareholders who were yet to fill the e di idend mandate and submit to the registrars to do so n pre ious reports the benefits of e di idend are prompt rediting of shareholders ban a ounts with their di idends and their a ount with bonus shares he omplian e an therefore not be o er emphasised he said he hallenges he obser ed in lude the use of biomass as a supplementary iln fuel saying this type of energy sour e was at the pra ti al apa ity limit and it ontributes to better ontrol of energy

the total e uity turno er olume and alue respe ti ely total amount of billion year fi ed rate per ent subordinated unse ured bonds due issued by idelity an l was admitted to trade at the E hange on th of ugust lso traded were a total of units of E hange raded rodu ts E s alued at million e -

Mounir Gwarzo, SEC DG

e uted in deals ompared with a total of units alued at transa ted last wee in deals total of units of ederal o ernment onds alued at million were also traded in four deals ompared with a total of units alued at million transa ted last wee in si deals enith an l posted billion in its released half year results for whi h showed in reases in the ban s earnings and profits he results showed that the ban grew its gross earnings by per ent from billion to billion while its profit before ta rose by per ent from billion to N72.201 billion. he ban s profit after ta appre iated by per ent from billion to billion esides the results showed that the ban s non performing loan ratio fell from per ent to per ent in the period under re iew n the period under re iew ustomers deposits rose from trillion to trillion, the total assets stood at N3.8 trillion as against the trillion reported in the orresponding period of ollowing the release of the results the ban s oard of ire tors proposed an interim di idend of obo per share he ualifying date for the di idend a ording to the ban is ugust while the register will lose on ugust he payment date for the di idend is ugust nalysts at apital esear h said relati e to their fore ast enith an s surprised positi ely hey added onsensus fore ast for full year and stand at billion and billion hile we e pe t the fore ast to be in reased we also assume that the fore ast will see a ut gi en the s ale of the ta charge in Q2 and the loss on the other comprehensive inome line e suspe t that management will limit its ommentary to the and ta lines gi en the diffi ulties that the other omprehensi e in ome line an present when pro iding guidan e

Diamond Bank tasks MSME operators on prudent management DIAMOND an l has urged entrepreneurs of iro mall and edium Enterprises Es to internalise the alues of finan ial dis ipline and stri t orporate finan ial management in the running of their ompanies in order to sustain the rapid growth and de elopment of the se tor he ban stated this at the th edition of the iamond BusinessXpress Series held in agos noting that the only way Es ould s ale the urrent e onomi headwinds and gain the onfiden e and a ti e support of the finan ial ser i es sub se tor is to manage and grow their finan es by adhering strictly to high corporate standards. According to the ead etail ire torate iamond an isha hmad finan ial stability and sustainable growth for entrepreneurs in E in the ountry is not a hie able if standards of finan ial management are lowered he pointed out that most Es are li ely to ha e hroni finan ial problems when personal finan ial discipline is relegated. “The BusinessXpress eminar is an initiati e of iamond an l whi h aims to ater for the business and finan ial well being of our ustomers and indeed interested players in the E se tor of the e onomy ustainable growth and de elopment of the se tor largely depends on finan ial dis ipline and proper business management pra ti es hen standards are not followed problems are bound to ome up and stifle the growth of the business she said rawing from their personal e perien es resour e persons too turns to shed light on the benefits of adhering to finan ial management prin iples and maintaining high standard of finan ial dis ipline he E of lot ystems imited namdi E eigbo stated that

building trust with target ustomers and business partners was a ey fa tor in growing any business ording to him adapting to the hanging business enironment and ensuring that the taste and demand of the ustomer is met were ery fundamental to sustainable business growth ne of the fa tors that we too ery seriously while growing the lot brand was the adaptability fa tor or us this simply means understanding our maret our operating en ironment and what e a tly the onsumers want at any parti ular time ou need to identify when onsumers tastes hange so as to address the attendant hallenges he said ge hi huma tteh E ne entre ro iden e stressed the importan e of eeping a good wor ing relationship with ban ing offi ers to enable easy a ess to useful information and finan ial produ ts that will help to grow one s business iamond an is an E friendly ban y ban ing offi er is in ol ed in my business and plays an ad isory role when it omes to managing my finan es o if your ban is not doing anything to help grow your business please ad ise you dump them degboyega deba o E est tlanti esour es and E uity ouse E ouse td too parti ipants through igeria s business en ironment identifying rude oil sales power se tor reforms stability of the new go ernment and infrastru tural de elopment among others as the ey dri ers of igeria s ross omesti rodu t ther spea ers at the e ent in luded le ander be we E egment anager and lusegun osimi ssistant ire tor ederal nland e enue er i e

1

34

Monday, 17 August, 2015

insurance&pension Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers emerges best in 2015

S

TANBIC IBTC Pension Managers Limited, Nigeria’s biggest pension fund administrator (PFA), has been named the Best Pension Fund Manager in Nigeria 2015 in the Global Banking & Finance Review Awards.

The award, which was instituted in 2011, recognises achievements and innovations by companies in the global finan ial ommunity, cutting across banking slami finan e hedge funds, asset and wealth management, real estate, and corporate social responsibility, among others.

Responding to the award in a release obtained by Nigerian Tribune, Chief Executi e ffi er tanbi Pension Managers Limited, Dr Demola Sogunle said “We are quite honoured to receive such a distinguished award show asing our agship role in nurturing the growth of Nigeria’s pension industry. Since we opened our doors nine years ago, our aim has always been to set higher standards of service delivery and ensure that our retirement savings account holders have peace of mind as well as derive maximum value from their investments,” he added.

Sogunle further said that the PFA would continuously innovate and help to enhance industry best practices, part of which includes creating awareness about the benefits of retirement savings and helping workers plan for that eventuality.

However, among innovations introduced by the PFA to enable clients experience excellent and convenient service delivery is the Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers

mobile offi e According to the company the mobile offi e is the first hour multilingual call centre manned by personnel who speak the

three major Nigerian languages - Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa, as well as Pidgin English, a footprint of over 200 branches of Stanbic IBTC Bank where RSA cli-

anchor Chukwuma Okparaocha

m:08038984495 e:chukscop2005@yahoo.co.uk

ents can access pension services, Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers’ regional offi es as well as sele ted branches of Zenith Bank PLC. Other access points

include Stanbic IBTC Bank ATMs, online service for RSA holders, email, SMS and the Pension Notes, which accompany hardcopy RSA statements sent to customers quarterly.

It also stated that the company boasts of over one million retirement savings account (RSA) holders and assets under management in excess of N1 trillion, paying approximately N1.8 billion to almost 30,000 retirees monthly. Over N180 billion has been paid to retirees seamlessly since the PFA commenced operations in 2006.

CIIN to hold picnic for insurance operators

LASACO Assurance improves earnings, to hold AGM in Abeokuta LASACO Assurance Plc has said it has increased its re enue base affirming its leading role in the insurance sector of the economy.

The Group Managing Director, Lasaco Assurance Plc, Mr Olusola Ladipo-Ajayi, explained that the company’s performance was a product of team work and strategic deployment of

resources, pointing out that the company’s restructuring was paying up.

The company’s performance increased considerably from the previous year which shows it’s a forward-looking strategic approach in shoring up its bottom line.

Ladipo-Ajayi stated that the company had deployed

both human and physical resources to chart a new direction for the organisation to remain the toast of investors. He said the company was living up to its mission to enhan e profitability and deliver dividends to its stakeholders.

The company, according to him, had embarked on several restructuring pro-

New commissioner seeks underwriters’ support in deepening insurance THE New Commissioner for Insurance, Alhaji Muhammed Kari has urged underwriters and operators in the insurance industry to support him in his aim to enhance discipline and professionalism in the industry, saying that he needed their support to enable him lift the industry to desired state Speaking at the investiture of the president , Char-

Nigerian Tribune

tered Insurance institute of Nigeria, Kari said “I want to seize this opportunity being my first offi ial publi engagement as commissioner for Insurance to say thank you to all those who sent me messages of congratulations and prayers on my appointment. I join you all in praying that God grants us the strength and wisdom to lift the industry another notch from where it is to-

day.”

He added that, “Permit me to also use this medium to seek your continuing support and cooperation in piloting the affairs of my new responsibilities. I thank you in advance for your additional prayers.

Current developments in the country obviously call for our collaborative effort to reposition the profession and the industry. We

should not be unmindful of the perception of the insurance profession by the public.”

He called on operators to join forces in tackling the poor public perception on insurance, stressing that the apathy towards insurance and the way and manner the profession was being addressed needed a rethink from all stakeholders.

grammes aimed at focusing on its core competence areas to deliver positive results that engender corporate growth.

Olusola-Ladipo-Ajayi also underscored the commitment of the company to sustaining its customer centric posture in order to remain a dynamic and vibrant player in the nation’s finan ial ser i es se tor his has manifested in several strategies being deployed to develop innovative products and services to align with the aspirations of the customers.

In a statement by the management of the company, Lasaco Assurance witnessed a profit before ta of against made in ts profit after ta was against re orded in 2013.

Lasaco Assurance also grew its earnings per share from in to N00.6 in the year under review.

THE Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) has said it will hold its 2015 picnic on Saturday, August 22, 2015 in Lagos.

In a statement from the institute and made available to the Nigerian Tribune, the company noted that the event, which promises to be a huge success, would be declared open by the President/Chairman of Council, Lady Isioma Chukwuma, who was reently in ested as the th president of the institute.

The event, which will take place at Eleko Beach, Lagos, is expected to start from 9.00am to 5.00pm and will be attended by all members of insurance and reinsurance companies as well as brokers and loss adjusters.

The statement added that this year’s picnic would feature varieties of activities much like the Brazilian Fantastico as picnickers will display costumes and dance to blare of music from hundreds of loudspeakers in the beach sheds. ea h games li e the fi e a-side football and volley ball competition will be played at the event.

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Nigerian Tribune

labour ‘How social insurance empowers employees’ The Managing Director of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Alhaji Munir Abubakar, speaks with SOJIEZE FAGBEMI on his appoinment and tenure of service, the new look of NSITF and the implementation of the Employees’ Compensation Act. Excerpts: APPOINMENT and tenure of service I was appointed according to the Act setting up the Fund. The Act says you can be appointed in the first instan e for four years and thereafter renewable for another tenure of three or four years hat was what e a tly happened was appointed for the first term of four years and was reappointed again for another term of four years a ted for se eral years was appointed on e ember for a period of four years he appointment was onfirmed in anuary for a tenure of four years from to was re reappointed in e ember for another period of four years am still within the offi ial tenure Allegation of giving contract to board chairman to extend tenure hoe er is saying that is being mis hieous s a matter of fa t a month before the e piration of my first term had already finished pa ing my things from the offi e but it was the board who re ommended me again ind you it is the entire board and not just one person. It was not only the hairman but the entire members of the board whi h ma e up of organisations li e E and the other.

Achievements during the period irst of all let me say this don t now if you now this organisation in but if you did and you see where we are today that alone will be able to on in e you that we ha e done a lot n we were irtually down and out e were ust staff all o er the federation t the head uarters here we were about or ut today we are o er ou also now that during the ension eform t we were in a sort of omatose state e were irtually doing nothing e were ust preparing statements and do uments for transfer to rustfund fter that we remained for eight years without any ob or anything doing uring that time we had to downsi e we had to lose down so many offi es ut by the time we started e erything had gone rotten many things had ollapsed ut today you an see for yourself e erything we do is omputerised nother a hie ements is if you new the head offi e in there is a world of differen e with what you see today e ha e also opened what we all our agos orporate offi e hese are my ma or a hie ements nother a hie ement is the omputerisation of our operations ue to that we were able to get the ertifiation nd during my tenure igeria was

ele ted to be a member of n est fri a there are only two of us here are se eral a hie ements annot list all Implementation of Employees’ Compensation Act he Employees ompensation t E was signed in e ember but it too off in lmost for the whole of we weren t getting a lot of ooperation from employers ut than s to E and we were able to o er ome this oday we ha e o er employers o ered n terms of numbers of employees thin about to million employees f ourse we ha e not finished we are on it e ha e reated an inspe torate unit that will monitor omplian e of employers nother issue we are handling is the pro ision of artifi ial part for employees who are in ured e are in ollaborating with some indigenous ompanies so that we an pro ide artifi ial arms and limbs to those employees who are in ured Problem of compliance under ECA by employers i e said on se eral ases when this a t ame on stream we wouldn t want to wield the big sti from day one hat we did was to go through rele ant bodies li e E and to ma e sure that we wor with them hand in hand nd we are glad that the partnership is wor ing hey ha e helped us to ma e sure that employers implement it be ause they now that it is for the benefit of igerian wor ers n our part what we are doing is to identify arious groups and asso iations et me gi e you an e ample f you are tal ing about tea hers we ha e been tal ing to the ational sso iation of ri ate hools we ha e been tal ing to people in the health se tor and so on his year alone we ha e been to as many as organisations e ha e been to ational nsuran e ommission igerian ar sso iation igeria ea hers

Munir Abubakar

nstitute and so many others e are trying to enlighten them want to tell igerians that the benefits they are paying ha e started yielding results e ently we paid a widow about million nd that widow

Nobody wants to die but at least you will have peace of mind that even if you go, there is a scheme that will take care of your siblings or wife.

will be getting per month until she dies his is what people need to now ight now we ha e se eral widows we are pay salaries on monthly basis Ea h of these widows earn per ent of her husband s earnings nd that will be for li e unless she remarries remember a group of employees wrote from one ompany that their employer is not paying and that we should ome and ta e him to ourt be ause they are seeing the benefits obody wants to die but at least you will ha e pea e of mind that e en if you go there is a s heme that will ta e are of your siblings or wife s spea to you now another ery large area we are trying to go into is the igerian oli e or e e ha e gone ery far with them will say that although it is a new s heme we started stabilising the for e in e re ently issued a warning that the honeymoon is o er and we will start wielding the big sti

labour NMA advises Buhari on immediate introduction of PPP in health sector

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Soji-Eze Fagbemi

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HE Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to introduce, without further delay, the Public Private Partnership (PPP) policy in the health sector if Nigeria’s health system is to perform better.

In its position paper entitled ‘Response of the Nigerian Medical Association to the false alarm circulated by JOHESU,’ the NMA said the PPP in health policy in Nigeria remained one of the tools the present government should introduce for the health system to work effectively and perform better.

“PPP in health policy, as described above and as operated and practiced in other countries and some states in Nigeria, with better health care outcome remains one of the tools the President Buhari’s government and all state governments should introduce without any further delay, if Nigeria’s health system is to perform better,” the NMA said.

In the paper signed by the NMA Chairman, Committee on Clinical Governance, Dr Joseph Ana, the association described the claim by JOHESU that the government plans to sell the whole hospitals as a false alarm and wicked distortion of facts.

The paper said: “The false alarm and nefarious claim is capable of generating public breach of peace and disaffection against the government, and is capable of causing distress amongst the population and discord against a popularly elected government.

It added that the claim that “the government plans to sell all the hospitals is not only a wicked distortion of the facts but it is also a dangerous and unpatriotic perfidy t is the sto in trade of E to disseminate falsehood at every effort made to revamp and strengthen Nigeria health system by government.”

The NMA alleged that JOHESU was only blackmailing President Buhari’s government by its false alarm, saying the policy of PPP had started in the health sector since the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, which was sustained under President Jonathan’s administration.

The paper read in part: “In Nigeria, before now, before the Buhari’s Government that JOHESU is blackmailing by its false alarm, targeted Public Private Partnership in Health (PPP in Health) has been considered in-depth and approved, such as in 2006 by the National Council On Health (NCH) during President Obasanjo’s administration and last year under the President Jonathan’s Administration.

“There is multi-partisan approval of the policy, whether PDP, APC or any other party in the government. That is because the benefits ha e been noti ed by e en state governments, including Cross River, Bauchi, Kwara, Delta, Lagos, Anambra, Kano states and many more.

“Targeted PPP in Health is aimed at impro ing a ess effi ien y effe ti eness and control of escalating health care delivery costs. The policy assures quality and safety for patient care by bringing in priate se tor orporate effi ien y and dis ipline to a most essential sector in Nigeria.

Ultimately PPP in Health assures patient satisfaction and reduction in morbidity and mortality.

“The NMA is glad to know that what the

Monday, 17 August, 2015

Federal and State governments have been discussing and have previously approved is to bring in PPP in Health to some aspects of hospital operations in Nigeria: drugs and commodities services; radiology and laboratory services; catering services for staff and patients; sanitation and environmental services; security; and mortuary services.

“No government in the world has enough resources to deliver its health objectives to

its citizens because as developments in research and technology makes health care more expensive, it has become the only reasonable option that governments should partner with the private sector to be able to fund the health needs of the population.

“The advanced and improved care that take millions of Nigerians abroad on socalled Medical Tourism every year cannot be provided by the Federal government or State and Local Governments alone. PPP

in Health brings in additional needed resources and practices that ensures that every Nigerian can receive quality health care at the time and place of need.

“Nigerians should ask JOHESU how else it expects government to fund and equip health facilities in Nigeria with the latest in health technologies and products that can guarantee that the Medical Tourism is reversed and Nigerians receive the best possible health care.

ILO charges employers, govt to engage young people to solve youth employment

NLC President, Comrade Wabba

NUPENG, PENGASSAN express reservation over ongoing reform in oil and gas sector THE Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) have expressed reservations over the ongoing reform in the oil and gas industry.

NUPENG and PENGASSAN said they were angered by the approach of the government to the reform programme which did not carry the two unions in the sector along in the process.

In a statement signed by Mr Francis Johnson, President, PENGASSAN; Mr Igwe Achese, President, NUPENG; Mr Bayo Olowoshile, General Secretary, PENGASSAN and Mr Joseph Ogbebor, the acting General Secretary, NUPENG, the unions said the ongoing reform portends a great danger in the oil and gas sector.

The statement said: “While we are fully in support of the fight against orruption the fight itself should not be turned against workers whom the government swore to protect. The ongoing exercise portends a great danger in the oil and gas sector, if workers are meant to bear the brunt of the government’s current action where the fight of orruption is now used as an a t of vindictiveness against workers.

“The ongoing exercise does not show any a t of fighting orruption and blo ing any leakages. We dare the new GMD of NNPC, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, to recover the stolen trillions of naira in the sector than retiring

and sacking innocent workers. We see the action as an act of cover up. We are quite sure that the ongoing action is not the idea of our dear President Muhammadu Buhari.”

The unions argued that further to their social partner’s status, there were strategic players in all spheres and areas of the industry’s operations.

In that regard, “we have been making persistent effort to reach out to President Muhammadu Buhari on the issue but are being kept in the dark by those in charge of protocol.

“However, our commitments to protect and defend job security and welfare is paramount and annot be sa rifi ed e shall approa h as it becomes expedient whatever the government’s steps and actions that are viewed as dialectical or capable of suppressing our missions and objectives as a labour movement.

“We are being put on the spot as representatives of organised workers in the oil and gas industry to react to the manner that the government is now treading and introducing to carry out change, while none of the critical challenges of the review of industry poli y and fis al framewor ash all and counterpart funding obligations, stability of the downstream oil and gas sector, pipeline sabotage, oil theft, that we have presented for immediate attention are being given secondary attention.

THE Director-General, International Labour Organisation (ILO), Guy Ryder has called on actors in the world of work to foster the inclusion of young people; in order to solve the problem of youth unemployment.

In his speech on the occasion of International Youth Day, the ILO DG said employers, workers’ organisations and governments should make space for young people in their organisations and activities.

Ryder said: “Today, as we celebrate the civic engagement of youth, we call on all actors in the world of work, employers and their organisations, workers’ organisations and governments, to actively foster the inclusion of youth making space for young people in their organisations and activities and listening to the voice of youth.”

He pointed out that by encouraging the participation of youth in their organisational activities, in social dialogue processes and labour market institutions, and by upholding the rights of young people in the labour market, world of work actors can lend powerful support to the inclusion of young people.

This, according to him, would be particularly important in realising the vision of the 2030 Development Agenda that no one should be left behind.

He said: “Tackling the global youth employment challenge calls for action on many fronts but one thing is certain, policy makers needs to heed the voice of young people if it is to respond effectively to their needs and aspirations. Young people in their diverse contexts and realities know well the often simple measures that could best help them on to the ladder of opportunity and onto the road to realising their ambitions and dreams.

“Today we recognise and commend the civic engagement of young people who, time and again, are showing themselves globally to be forces for positive change.

Often the changes they are seeking are connected to the world of work: they are mobilizing and speaking out for a better future with decent work. Their success matters to us all.

“It is now eight years since the start of the global finan ial risis and it is en ouraging that global youth unemployment rates ha e finally stabilised owe er this rate remains well above its pre-crisis level, and the labour market transition for young women and men, particularly the most disadvantaged, is still an uphill battle.”

He stated that many young people were trapped in jobs where their rights are not respected and where they work in conditions of great insecurity.

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features

Power outage:

Editor: BAYO ALADE featuresdesk@yahoo.com 0805 500 1747

A barricade mounted by protesters.

When traditional rulers took to the streets in Ekiti SAM NWAOKO reports the protests in Aramoko-Ekiti and Erio-Ekiti, led by the respective town’s traditional rulers over electricity outage in their domains for upwards of six months.

C

OMMUTERS travelling out of Ekiti State and those from Oyo and Osun States got more than they bargained for last Wednesday when their journeys were temporarily halted either at Aramoko-Ekiti or at Erio-Ekiti. As they journeyed into Aramoko, mostly from Ado Ekiti, they met a barricade at the outskirts of the town because the entire community was one in a protest over electricity supply to their community.

For those travelling from the Erio end, they also found that the road through the community had been blocked by residents, who were also out in protest for the same reason. They had also made barricades of planks, trunks, tyres and sundry junk, with the community’s youths on hand to ensure that nobody passed through the road block.

The police and other security agencies were also at alert to maintain the peace and make sure that things did not degenerate while the people carried on with what they referred to as “a peaceful protest.”

For the stranded commuters and drivers of the commercial buses they had boarded, it was a frustrating experience as they kept asking themselves what the problem could have been.

At the Aramoko end, newsmen who had

also meandered with their vehicles to the point nearest as possible to the roadblock were told pointedly by the protesting community members that “there is no road. We are protesting From left, the Regent of Erio-Ekiti, Princess Adejoke Adetoyinbo Ojo; the Alara of Aramoko, Oba Olu Adeyemi; against the Benin Electricity DistriDeputy Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kolapo Olushola and others during the protest. bution Company (BEDC) and even if you pass here, you cannot be allowed entered the town and was seeking a way to However, because the Alara himself, Oba through the town.” lu deyemi the first lass traditional This sort of response literally killed the calm down the angry community people. morale of some of the travellers. Some driv- His actions had given some of the travellers ruler of Aramoko-Ekiti, headquarters of ers, at this point began to make a U-turn hope for an early solution to the problem. It Ekiti West Local Government Area of Ekiti so as to find some other routes to ontinue was gathered that Dr. Olushola, as early as State, led his subjects in the protest, it 9:30am, had already began meetings with made the matter a little complicated. their journey.

His presence at the vanguard of the proBut the deputy governor of Ekiti State, Dr the people, led by their oba, with a view to test, in an all-white regal attire, seems to Kolapo Olubunmi Olushola, had already finding a solution to the impasse have given the people of the town the courage to go all the way in the protest.

A protester, who gave her name as Mrs. Aina Adewole, said: “Our oba is here with us. That is to tell you the extent of the problem and the extent of our anger. We are solidly behind him in this.”

Mrs. Adewole seemed to have spoken the mind of all the people gathered. They were all in agreement with her and echoed their agreement with her view in a loud voice.

Oba Adeyemi, had told Dr. Olushola that

BEDC is cheating us. When they give us electricity for five minutes, they would have five hours in their record. We found that they have not got measuring rods in this area but they said they have a pool where they take the records from where they distribute the bills.

Continues on pg38

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Monday, 17 August, 2015

‘How can we pay for services not rendered?’

Another barricade.

Continued from pg37

he and his people were particularly angered by the fact that the BEDC took them for granted in their actions and in their dealings with them as a community. The traditional ruler said his people were also angered by the BEDC because they were among the communities that paid their bills “but the BEDC has not done well by disconnecting us without our knowledge,” saying “this unjust treatment is part of the insult and injury we are suffering in the hands of BEDC.” Oba Adeyemi said: “Our request is direct: The Fayose administration did it before; he connected us to Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), and we were enjoying it. We want him to return us to IBEDC. In terms of payment, we are among the communities that pay our bills.”

He alleged that “BEDC is cheating us. When they give us electricity for fi e minutes they would ha e fi e hours in their re ord We found that they have not got measuring rods in this area but they said they have a pool where they take the records from where they distribute the bills. How can we pay for services not rendered?

That is one of the problems we have with them.”

He lamented that businesses in Aramoko had folded up due to lack of electricity, saying “they have all moved to communities where there is stable power supply.”

Also in Erio, the Regent of the community, known more for religious tourism where people from all over the world besiege the Mountain of Mercy of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) for annual prayer retreat, was on hand to brief the Ekiti deputy governor.

The Erio regent, Princess Adejoke Adetoyinbo Ojo, explained that the peoples of both Aramoko and her community were in the same boat, saying “We have been meeting and discussing this prob-

Some youths playing football at the Aramoko intersection, where vehicular movement from Ijero, Ado and Erio had been stopped with barricades at various angles of the intersection. lem for upwards of three months because our people are agitated.”

She said Erio and Aramoko were not under BEDC and that when this was the case, they had no problem. While explaining that “Erio, Aramoko and Ido were linked together but to our surprise, we found that they had solved the Ido problem,” she reiterated that “we want to be removed from BEDC.” While the deputy governor made his way round the towns, appealing to the people to allow for a free ow of traffi the people used the opportunity to express their anger and frustration at the lack of electricity. Some of them said the development was “inexplicable and intractable” and asked the state government not to handle the matter with kid’s gloves.

As the traditional rulers and the go ernment offi ials were doing their thing, drivers caught up in the confusion were also seeking ways to escape.

Circulation vehicles conveying the day’s newspapers to Ado Ekiti, which had already made their ways into Aramoko, were stuck there and jostled for any little space to wriggle out of the logjam.

But when the electricity companies and the consumers refuse to shift ground, there would be problems. The two parties must shift grounds to be able to reach an amicable solution to the problem.

The newspapers were trans-loaded into a bus belonging to NUJ Correspondents’ Chapel that had managed to get to where the newspaper vehicles were stuck.

While at Erio, the deputy governor, again addressed the protesters and urged them to remain peaceful. He told them that the problem was a common phenomenon in parts of the state, recalling that there had been similar protests in Ifaki in Ido/Osi Local Government Area; Iworoko in Irepodun/ Ifelodun Local Government Area, Ikere in Ikere Local Government Area, among others.

He said the state government had

been working to bring a permanent solution to the problem with BEDC, saying “Governor Fayose, as part of the ways to find a lasting solution to the problems had sent a delegation I led to the headquarters of BEDC to discuss the problem, and we are on course.”

While announcing that a meeting had already been convened to be held in his offi e in do E iti he also said a committee of various stakeholders from Erio and Aramoko would be set up, which would be meeting with government representatives and representatives of BEDC on the problem.

He said Governor Fayose had sent him and had also been calling on the telephone to monitor the situation, pointing out, albeit philosophically, to the protesters that “we must handle the problem with tact because it is very easy to destroy but ery diffi ult to build While commending the protesters who he said were “peaceful,” Dr. Olushola explained that electricity had “become a private affair and the government is only a kind of mediator between the electricity companies and the consumers.”

He said: “But when the electricity companies and the consumers refuse to shift ground, there would be problems. The two parties must shift grounds to be able to reach an amicable solution to the problem.

When the community insists that without electricity, they would not pay and the electricity company says if they don’t pay, they won’t give them electricity, then the problem will persist.”

The protesters wanted a kind if magic that would restore power to their communities, the travellers wanted the roads to be cleared so that they could continue with their journeys while the government and security agencies wanted to ensure peace while it looks into the problems.

But what does BEDC want? A representative of the company, Mr. Kayode Ilori Brown, said there were lots of debts owed the BEDC. According to him, before the emergence of BEDC, Aramoko had a N132 million debt to pay to the defunct NEPA. He said the amount due from Erio was not readily available.

However, he also hinted that after the emergence of BEDC, a debt of N74 million was owed the company.

That appears to be the bone of contention on the part of BEDC. But when will there be electricity in Aramoko and Erio? That seems to be the only question all the people want to get an answer.

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Y

OU must have been watching events in Nigeria’s political space for some time now. Would you say things are getting better?

Well, we have to wait for six months.

There is a small setback in the way in which the leadership of the Senate was produced – which is a big disappointment; the cabinet has not been chosen, but we have to give the new president his own time as he said he wants to rethink the governance principles and reduce the level of corruption.

So, I think we should wait six, nine months before we begin to criticise him; and at that point, we’ll see whether the possibilities of enduring change are there.

In several lectures, you’ve been quoted to have canvassed the use of literature for national development.

What exactly does that mean? How can this be done?

Yes, and also the use of languages – Yoruba ausa gbo Effi all of them for purposes of learning, especially at the elementary level. People learn faster and better if the language of communication is in their own mother tongue. That has been established. All research has been established and UNESCO has endorsed it. Literature is part of imagination, creativity, training your body, critical thinking – that’s also critical, and it’s important, to emphasise its integration into the school system.

As a historian, you must be worried that History is no longer being taught in our secondary schools. What is the implication of this on us as a nation?

It has many implications; but I will tell you what we have done. We sent a delegation to (former president) Obasanjo, and he promised to do something about it. Nothing happened. The Historical Society of Nigeria sent a delegation to former President Goodluck Jonathan, and he promised to do something; nothing happened. And last week, we were talking about sending another delegation to President Buhari. I’ve started with these to let you know that we’ve done something, but nothing has happened t has many onse uen es first for the nation; second, for students population and universities, and third for the future of the country. For the nation, you cannot build a successful nation without a sense of the people’s history; without a sense of their past. That’s a very big mistake; because in other places, it’s mandatory – I teach in the state of Texas (United States of America), where you can never get any degree whether in Medicine, Agriculture or Engineering without passing classes in History. And the reason they do that is to use discipline to build nationalism; to protect capitalism and to build patriotism. So they understand its relevance.

The second (implication) for the students is that by not teaching them at high school and lower schools, not only are they undermining their knowledge, there is no pool to feed the university. What we now have is a situation in which those who do degrees in History at the university level have no prior background in it. And that’s a major damage. The third one is about the future of the entire country itself, in which you are going to have a large number of people who know very little about their country’s history.

Perhaps you’ve also observed that there is a dearth of world class historians like yourself in Nigeria. What could be responsible for this? ell bear in mind the first generation retired, and some have also died. In the last one year alone, (Professor Tekena) Tamuno died; Adeleye died, (Professor Ade) Ajayi

Monday, 17 August, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

I once dropped out of school to join Agbekoya —Falola Professor Toyin Falola, a leading Nigerian historian and professor of African Studies, is currently the Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities at the University of Texas, Austin, United States of America. He is also a Fellow of the Historical Society of Nigeria and of the Nigerian Academy of Letters. He speaks with LAOLU HAROLDS on the implications of non-teaching of history as a subject in Nigerian schools, among other issues. to school, so we don’t have a lack of interest. The private spaces have taken over in some areas from elementary to universities; so the school system is actually expanding; only that infrastructure and facilities do not meet at the level in which we need them.

And sometimes the quality of teaching is degraded; and the quality of interest by students is also degraded. All those are there, but these can be corrected through funding: the management of that funding, the expansion of infrastructure, the idea of a university as a centre of knowledge and training of the human mind and spirit.

Your passion for African history and culture; when did it really start?

At the age of 17

Prof. Toyin Falola died and Ayandele died. And this created its own damage. Add that to the issue of minimal interest (in history), and also the migration of people like me outside the country…

What is drawing them? Why can’t we retain them?

The migration has stopped, really. Bear in mind that the Structural Adjustment Programme devastated the Nigerian economy in the 90s. That’s what started the brain drain; it’s not just the historians. People in Literature, Medicine, Engineering, Pharmacy… a large number of people left. But the other danger is now that when we produce new ones, they are not coming to Nigeria to teach; they just stay in the US.

It’s not as if we are not producing (historians); I alone produce like four (PhD holders in history) every year. Some of them are Nigerians but they don’t come back to teach in Nigeria.

Why? Better opportunities outside.

Several people have expressed their displeasure at the current state of education in Nigeria. How do you see this and how can we turn things around?

Well, parents want to send their children to school, so we don’t have a lack of interest among parents; and youths want to go

But the other danger is now that when we produce new ones, they are not coming to Nigeria to teach; they just stay in the US.

What was the motivation?

At the age of 17, I made up my mind to either be a teacher or a minister (chuckles).

I actually applied to the church, and I was admitted to go into training; but I started as a teacher very early. After my GCE O’Level, I went to Ilaro to teach. And since then, I’ve been a teacher, only the level has been changing. So, I’ve taught at elementary school, high school and university level. So my passion has been there. But as to its origin, it owes to a development when I was 16 and 17 (years old). I joined the Peasant Rebellion (known as the Agbekoya Movement); I dropped out of high school to join them. I’ve actually written a memo around that called Counting the Tiger’s Teeth. And that incident of being part of a peasant rebellion – rebellion by farmers – has shaped my interest about the role of knowledge.

And by the time that rebellion was over, I made up my mind that I just want to be a teacher. I did not even want to have anything to do with politics.

Give us ‘a view from abroad’. How would you capture the mood of Nigerians abroad about what is happening now in their homeland?

Nigerians abroad are divided just as Nigerians inside Nigeria. The South-East are hesitant about endorsing Buhari; and you’ll see that among Diaspora communities as well. The South-West and northern Nigeria were upset about the level of mismanagement under Jonathan, and they wanted him to go. So, that division is still there; but there is a cautious expectation that things will hange in e ame here four fi e days ago, electricity has been stable and people are surprised about that stability, and they are reading it as if, well, maybe this is a positive development. An there are gossips here and there an t onfirm them but I’ve heard many people saying so – that some people are returning stolen money. I don’t know whether that is true or not. If it is true, that’s a good development. If it is not true, I think people should stop that kind of gossip.

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Monday, 17 August, 2015

Buhari can change Nigeria to a corruption-free society —Tetede

Femi Tetede, an ex-staffer of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), worked with President Muhammadu Buhari when he was the Minister for Petroleum Resources. In this interview, the former Technical Assistant to Buhari speaks on topical issues regarding the president, the nation’s petroleum industry, among others.

Y

OU were once with the NNPC; how would you rate the company’s performance in comparison to what it is today?

I worked with the NNPC for 23 years, precisely from 1973 to 1996. I worked at both the Upstream and Downstream sectors of the oil and gas industry. However, at that time, I must say that the NNPC was better managed than it is now.

representing Nigeria in IAEA. Pricing of Petroleum Product in Nigeria is done by PPPRA which is a specialised agency on pricing of that product. Therefore, they must have priced our petroleum product after due diligence.

Some have argued that there is nothing like petroleum subsidy in the country saying everything about it is a fraud. Do you think there is anything like subsidy?

Yes, there is subsidy. In fact huge subsidy is being paid by the Federal Government.

In 2013, government paid billions of naira as subsidy to the subsidy cartel as reported by the media.

What do you think is responsible for the downturn in the functioning of the nation’s refineries? hile was with the our refineries were performing very well and we did not have to import petroleum products.

The poor performance today must be due to the failure of sustainable maintenance of our refineries whi h is largely due to technical/management issues as well as e ternal in uen e of arious artels in the industry.

How would you describe Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure in the NNPC? As a top military officer, Buhari came into NNPC as Minister for Petroleum Resources. He brought integrity and confronted bureaucracy with military precision. Buhari had zero tolerance for corruption. This attribute of his was demonstrated on two occasions while I was working with him as Technical Assistant.

One day he called me to arrange for a meeting with Mr. Tolbert (son of the then President Tolbert of Liberia). At the meeting Mr. Tolbert told us that Liberia imported a shipload of petroleum products and Liberia could not take delivery of the products due to inadequate availability of storage capacity in Liberia.

Mr. Tolbert had come to request for Nigeria’s assistance to accept the product as the ship was off-shore the Nigerian coast. The minister directed me to meet with relevant NNPC departments and report back to him before the close of the day.

I met with the then Head of Pipeline and Product Marketing Division of NNPC, Engr. Oladele. At our meeting we arranged to visit the ship and take some samples of the product on board the vessel. However, the laboratory test results showed that the product on board the vessel was badly contaminated. We decided not to take it. Our report to the minister stated that the product would not be accepted into our shores because it will contaminate the entire petroleum products in our system.

The following morning, Mr. Tolbert came and the minister and I met him.

The minister informed him that due to the level of contamination of the product, NNPC could not accept it.

Mr. Tolbert, however, came to the meeting with a medium-sized box. At that juncture, he moved closer to the minister, showing him the content of

Tetede

Mr. Tolbert, however, came to the meeting with a medium-sized box. At that juncture, he moved closer to the minister, Buhari, showing him the content of the box but the minister refused to accept the it. the box but the minister refused to accept the it; Mr. Tolbert left with his box.

Another occurrence was when the minister informed me that the government was not happy with the increased level of pipeline vandalism in the country, so he set up a committee on Pipeline Security. The committee was to visit two advanced countries and two other third

world OPEC countries to access their security systems for oil pipeline and give recommendations to government based on their findings.

The committee visited the USA, France Venezuela and Indonesia. I submitted the report to the minister on our return and immediately, he sent it to the Group Managing Director of NNPC. He directed that, the act of embezzlement of corporations fund be investigated by the dispensary committee of NNPC and appropriate punishment be applied immediately.

Do you think Buhari can really make Nigeria a corruption-free society ?

Buhari can change the country from her present stinking state to a corruption free society. As I said earlier, he has zerotolerance for corruption. The principle of zero-tolerance should be encouraged by personal examples. If the head is not corrupt, he should make sure the followers follow his lead.

Do you think the current price of a litre of petrol in Nigeria is justifiable?

As former Technical Assistant to Buhari, I attended OPEC meetings with my boss.

I also attended International Atomic Energy Agency meetings in Vienna (IAEA)

What do you think the government can do to put an end to the perennial cases of fuel scarcity in the country?

Fuel scarcity is simply due to the fact that our refineries are not wor ing ur refineries ha e a apa ity of produ ing 450,000 barrels per day if in good working condition and our consumption rate as a nation is less than 400,000 barrels per day; so there should be no scarcity under normal circumstances, but the situation has defied the norm Government should therefore ensure a rehabilitation of all our refineries and put them back on-stream. Nigeria can be a petroleum product exporter since we are the largest producing country in Africa. This can be fast-tracked by the removal of subsidy and control price which will greatly encourage private refinery investors.

As an indigene of Ogun State, what is your assessment of Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s performance in the last four years?

A candid assessment of Governor Ibiunle s first four years in offi e is simply that he has a personal hatred for the Yewa people and his slogan of “mission to rebuild” is to rebuild Abeokuta alone. Some people will say that he worked in the Ota township, but Ota is traditionally a part of the Egba kingdom. Yewa Awori section of the Ado-Odo-Ota Local Government belongs to the Yewa people but the governor did nothing in those areas. I believe however, that God’s time for the development of Yewa will surely come.

Do you think that a Yewa person can become governor of Ogun state?

Ogun State stands on a tripod consisting of Ogun West, East and Central but only two senatorial districts have been ruling the state since creation which is over 35 years now. We must be fair to the people of Ogun West and give them the chance they deserve in the next election. My honest admonishment to the younger generation is this: they must learn to allow the interest of Yewa take priority over their personal interests and if that is achieved, we will assume our rightful place.

41 news

Monday, 17 August, 2015

Fayose to Buhari: Tread cautiously SAM NWAOKO - ADO EKITI

E

KITI State governor, Mr Ayo Fayose, has alleged that some people are hatching “sinister plots” to destabilise his government.

In a statement made available to newsmen on Sunday, Governor Fayose said he was “not unaware of the sinister plot to destabilise” his government because of his “strong and

truthful stands on national issues.”

In the statement signed

by Lere Olayinka, his assistant on Public Communication and New Media, Fayose said he would “not be cowed by threat from any quarter.”

He urged President Mohammadu Buhari to “tread cautiously and be mindful of the body language of those hailing him.”

According to him, “the president should be cau-

tious enough to know that the former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar led National Peace Committee tactically told him to tread cautiously and be mindful of the fact that he is not heading a military government.”

The governor said “opposition is one of the roots on which democracy stands and any president or governor that does not want opposition will eventually become a dictator.

“I want to state without fear or favour that I will continue to speak the truth no matter whose ox is gored.

“Nigeria belongs to all of us and no one can intimidate me or the good people of Ekiti State who freely and overwhelmingly gave me their mandate.

“Democracy as a form of government thrives on our ability to ask questions and get answers from leaders,” he said.

Men of the Oyo State fire services trying to flush water on a trailer-loaded with fuel that fell at Boluwaji area of Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, on Sunday.

Trailer-loaded with fuel falls in Ibadan, causes gridlock

BY TUNDE OGUNESAN

A fuel tanker with registration number DBT 375 XA on Sunday veered off Boluwaji area of Lagos/Ibadan Expressway and fell inbetween the median while suspected hoodlums swoop on it to scoop fuel few minutes after the incident.

An eyewitness report informed the Nigerian Tribune that the driver of the tanker slept off, thus losing control of the vehicle.

Speaking under condition of anonymity, the man said “we just have to thank God because the vehicle fell on top of a heap of refuse where on a good day is always on fire with tyres “The driver slept off and was unable to control the vehicle when it veered off the road and fell in the median.”

As soon as the incident happened around am poli e offi ers from Boluwaji station, led by their DPO and Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) offi ials mo ed to the s ene to ontrol traffi and a ert danger that may occur as a result of the fuel theft from the tanker by hoodlums.

The hoodlums, it was gathered were dispersed

by the police who were on stand bye while the police and the offi ials dierted traffi to manage the situation.

Eyewitness account further informed that calls put through to the state fire services were not responded to promptly till around 3.00p.m. It was gathered that until the men of the state police command, Bo-

luwaji station, provided diesel for the fire fighter truck that they arrived to ush water on the tan er The area, before then was already choked with smell from the fuel that had been gushing from one of the taps on the tanker. s at the time of filing this report, colleagues of the driver’s transport company were already making

arrangement to transfer fuel from the fallen tanker to a new one. he poli e and fire fighters were howe er on standby till the situation is brought under control.

Meanwhile, there was a resultant hea y traffi from Soka area of the Lagos/ Ibadan Expressway to Olomi Academy under bridge area.

We’re not behind Fashola’s travail —Lagos PDP BOLA BADMUS - LAGOS

LAGOS State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has denied the rumour doing the round that the party is behind the recent demand for the probe of the immediate past governor of the state, Mr Raji Fashola.

The party has enjoined the All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders to face the numerous allegations rather than making attempt to blackmail PDP or drag it into their burdens.

The PDP made the denial on Sunday in a statement issued by its publicity se retary r aofi ani even as it reiterated that it

would remain resolute and not shy away from being a vibrant opposition party in the state.

The party promised to remain a whistle-blower as long as it noticed any misgovernance.

“As long as we notice any misgovernance, we will blow the whistle. We shall not relent in doing this constructive opposition. It does not matter whether it coincides with efforts of other groups or interests in the state.

“We shall commend when appropriate and condemn when inevitable in good faith for good governance and expected growth in Lagos State,” the PDP said.

The party has conse-

quently charged Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to cause the probe of his predecessor, saying “this incumbent governor must speak out now! Anything short of a categorical statement as to whether former Governor Fashola was clean or not disservice to the state.”

“Lagosians want to know what the new occupier of the offi e met espe ially the actual amount of loan collected, how much balance owed and the actual number of Lagos State government property that is still intact. Governor Ambode has this burden to discharge and indeed timely,” the party concluded.

He urged the president to listen to wise counsel from the General Abdulsalami Abubakar-led National Peace Committee, saying “the Peace Committee has reminded the president that he is not heading a military government and with the calibre of Nigerians in the committee, their wise counsel should not be ignored.

“These are Nigerians who don’t need personal favours from the president and he should get the message very clearly that he is being told not to act as a dictator.”

Governor Fayose said the president should also know that Nigerians are not interested in any honeymoon, but their well-being.

His said “rather than concentrate and make a difference within his 100 days in offi e the president s greatest achievement so far is harassment of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders, appointment of his in-law and kinsmen into sensitive positions, selecti e fight against orruption and arrest and detention of E offi ials who wor ed in states won by the PDP.”

Osinbajo to attend South Sudan mediation summit VICE President Yemi Osinbajo will today represent President Muhammadu Buhari at a peace mediation summit on the situation in the South Sudan in Addis Ababa.

The summit will be on the platform of the InterGovernmental Authority (IGAD) Plus.

IGAD is the regional trade group of eight African countries from the Horn of Africa, Nile Valley and the Great Lakes.

Joining IGAD for this important peace effort were a number of leading African nations including Nigeria, and others like the United States, China, United Nations, European Union, among others in the international community.

According to a statement signed by Mr Laolu Akande, Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media & Publicity, the vice president who will join other leaders from the continent and outside, including the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Mr Hailemariam Dessalegn, will return to Abuja later today.

Be guided by Lagosians’ interests Police to build not political 6,000 houses for vendetta, group officers tells CSNAC M S -K UHAMMAD ABIU

BY MONICA TAIWO

A group of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have urged the Civil Society Network Against Corruption (CSNAC), which is alleging that former Lagos State governor, Mr Raji Fashola, was corrupt after spending N73.3 million on his personal website, to be guided by the interest of the people of the state, and not political vendetta.

In a statement made available to the Nigerian Tribune and signed by Samuel Adeola-Ilori, Steve Aborishade and Olumide Alasoadura, the group said while it is not against calls by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to step up its game by prosecuting anyone found wanting of abusing the trust that the people placed in their care, “may we also charge civil society groups desiring a wholesale eradication of corruption from our land to match their actions with the responsibility, impartiality and credibility deserving of all efforts which questions the integrity of others.

ADUNA

THE Nigeria Police has said it would construct about 6,000 houses as part of the present effort by the police leadership to ensure that every inspector and other low ran ing offi er of the force acquire a house based on owner occupier basis at retirement.

This was made known by the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Logistics and Supply, Mamman Tsafe, when he visited Zamfara State Command as part of his NorthWest states’ familiarisation tour.

Tsafe lamented that most of the offi ers and men of the force end their career without a house, saying “a new blueprint has been prepared by the Force Headquarters under the Inspector General of Police to ensure that houses are provided for Inspectors and other low ran ing offi ers in the country at subsidised rates.”

He said the construction of the houses would soon commence at all the six geo- political zones.

The DIG also cautioned policemen to eschew colle ting gratifi ation

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Monday, 17 August, 2015

il he reduced ro — hie o a al aff DAPO FALADE-PORT HARCOURT

C

HIEF of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, has disclosed that the Nigerian Navy reduced crude oil theft from 1.2 million barrel a day to 250,000 barrels in 2014.

Ibas made the disclosure in an interactive session with newsmen during his maiden visit to the officers and men of the Eastern Naval Command, Port Harcourt, at the weekend.

“I think you may have the records of the efforts

put in by the Navy last year by reducing crude oil theft drastically from about 1.2 million barrels a day, to something close to 250, 000 barrels. That was achieved last year,” he said.

He added that, “For this year, the trend was reversed. Not necessarily because (the) Navy is not doing that much but because more of the crude oil cannot be accounted for,” he said.

Ibas said the Federal Government had put in a lot for the Navy, recalling

illion o that it took delivery of four ships purchased by the former President Goodluck Jonathan administration, six months ago.

“We are also building capacities by way of getting our docks, yards and shipyards to be operational, so that they can support the efforts towards recapitalising the Navy.

“If we have all of these; if we have the fleet recapitalised, it means we will be in a position to perform better,” he added.

He therefore charged his officers and men to be loyal

to the country by defending democracy, saying that anything contrary to this would not be acceptable.

He urged them to ensure that the maritime was safe and secured in order to enable the country to reap from its abundant resources.

“The insecurity in our environment has denied the nation the needed revenue. If we continue like that, even the Navy will find it difficult to survive, he said.

The Chief of Naval Staff also urged the officers to

Rivers State governor, Mr Nyesom Wike (left) with the General Overseer of the Lord’s Chosen Renewal Charismatic Ministry, Pastor Lazarus Mouka at the special crusade of the church, in Port Harcourt, on Sunday

Man rapes man in Nasarawa ADEMOLA ADEGBITE-LAFIA A 19-year old man, Jibril Sule, has been arrested by the Nasarawa State Police command for allegedly raping a 22-year old man, Awalu Zakari, behind City Hall in Lafia East eveloment Area of the state.

Investigations by the Nigerian Tribune revealed that the incident happened, on Saturday night, when the victim was lured by the suspect with a bottle of plastic Coke, not knowing that the soft-drink had been concocted with several alcoholic substances.

It was learnt further that the victim was fast asleep few minutes after taking the drink, in which he was unconscious, thereby, giving the suspect upper hand to have a carnal knowledge of the victim through the anus.

One of the victim’s family sources confided in the Nigerian Tribune that his parents have been looking for him for almost three hours before one of the passers-by called their

attention to where he was lying down, writhing in pains.

According to him, “he was found unconscious and his father, Zakari reported the incident to C Division Police station and the victim was rushed to the hospital for treatment.

“After inquiry, it was revealed that one Jibril Sule,

19 years old, had a carnal knowledge of the victim around 9.00 p:m after the latter was drugged. The police swung into action and arrested the suspect, the following day.”

When contacted on phone, on Sunday in Lafia, the state capital, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ismaila u-

the statement said the affected students registered for 2013/2014 academic session.

According to the statement, the results were discovered during the verification exercise of Senior Secondary School Certificates (SSCE) and National Diploma results.

She stated further that 46 students for National Diploma and 27 students for Higher National Diploma were affected.

“All affected students are advised to hand the property of the college in their possession, including student

adhere to the regulations of the service by not involving themselves in any illegality, when they are appointed to any base.

“The Navy will not condone any illegal act like crude oil theft. When you are appointed to any base, disassociate and disconnect yourself from illegality.

“Fraudulent practices should be put off. Otherwise, when you are caught, you will be treated as a saboteur and sanctioned adequately,” he warned.

Meanwhile, Commander of the S Pathfinder, Port Harcourt, Commodore Shuwa Mohammed, has disclosed that 78 illegal crude oil refineries had so far been destroyed in the creeks in Rivers State.

Muhammed, in a press briefing held on his behalf by the Base Operation Officer, Commander Chidi Ejiofor, said the operations were carried out from June 15 till date.

“NNS PATHFINDER has carried out several similar operations aimed at eradicating crude oil theft, illegal bunkering and operations of illegal refineries in our areas of operations,” he said.

FAAN gives debtors one-week ultimatum SHOLA ADEKOLA-LAGOS

man, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), confirmed the incident, saying the suspect was currently cooling his heels at C Division Police station, while the case would be transferred to the State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID) today, Monday, for further investigations.

YABATECH expels 73 students THE Academic Board of Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Yaba, Lagos, has expelled 73 students of the college for presenting suspected forged results.

A statement issued by the college made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Sunday, said that the affected students were those pursuing part-time programmes for National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND).

Signed by the Deputy Registrar of the college, Mrs Titilayo Obadimu,

in

identity cards, to their various heads of department, the librarian and the dean of students’ affairs with immediate effect,” it said.

Mr Charles Oni, Head, Public Relations Unit of the college, told NAN that the college had zero tolerance for all forms of malpractices and social vices.

He said that all documents presented for admission into the college were always subjected to rigorous screening.

He, therefore, urged prospective students to steer clear of malpractices, including results’ forgery.

THE Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has issued a seven-day ultimatum of final demand notice to all its debtors, to settle all debts owed the authority.

According to the general manager, Corporate Affairs in FAAN, Yakubu Dati, the ultimatum notice is expected to expire next week Monday, August 24.

All affected debtors had earlier been communicated with details of their respective indebtedness to the authority.

The affected debtors have been advised to liaise with the FAAN’s Credit Control Department at its headquarters for reconciliation of their accounts within the period of the notice.

“At the expiration of this notice, the authority would, in pursuant to a presidential directive, be compelled to take necessary measures to recover these debts.

“FAAN is self sustaining and cannot meet its responsibilities within the burden of these huge debts,” Dati declared.

Robbers attack journalist in Osun A journalist working with New Telegraph newspapers in Osun State, Prince Adeolu Adeyemo was last week Thursday attacked by gunmen, along OsogboIfe road.

Adeyemo was attacked in the afternoon while on an assignment to Ife. According to him, he was beaten blue-black by the armed bandits who frisked him from head to toe. He added that the attackers who were armed with guns and cutlasses, made away with his belongings including an Ipad, a Blackberry phone and other communication devices.

According to him, the perpetrators, who also made away with some amount of money forcefully, ordered him to lie face down on the major road while they robbed him of his belonging.

I’ll not spare erring contractors —Wike DAPO FALADE-PORT HARCOURT RIVERS State governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has declared that no erring contractor working with the state government will escape the wrath of the law.

According to a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Opunabo Inko-Taria, the governor said this during an unscheduled inspection visit to project sites at Iwofe/Wimpy Road in Port Harcourt.

“I want to tell you that if I find any contractor wanting, the law will take its course. We are not going to spare anybody. For now, no contractor has shown that tendency,” he said.

The governor also expressed satisfaction with the progress and quality of work done on some of the road projects in Obio/ Akpor Local Government Area of the state.

“We are quite impressed.

We will give the contractors additional funds to enable them complete the roads on schedule,” he said.

The governor noted that the heavy rains notwithstanding, the projects were progressing at an impressive pace.

43 news

Monday, 17 August, 2015

UBEC tasks govs on UBE counterpart funding CLEMENT IDOKO - ABUJA

T

HE Executive Secretary, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr Suleiman Dikko, has lamented that over 40 per cent of the Federal Government’s matching grant allocated to state governments for implementation of Universal Basic Education programme have not been accessed.

He, however, noted that

WFM 91.7 to unveil voices, faces of the station AS the unique, women and family-focused radio station WFM 91.7, formally commences operations in preparation for its test transmission, the station management has been going through a painstaking process of talent discovery and outstanding personality to deliver on the unique operations target at a niche segment of the society, women and the men in their lives. The selection and talent discovery process which has reached an advanced stage, will lead to formal unveiling within the next couple of weeks.

A source quoting one of the brains behind the organisation revealed that the rigorous selection process has produced some “unbelievable talents and brilliant individuals” that would make the station, the delight of the listening public.

The exercise, which is part of the build up to the gender-sensitive and family-oriented radio station’s launch, featured rigorous interview session with over 1,500 applicants jostling for positions at the organisation as on-air-personalities, presenters, reporters, editors, producers, and other support staff among others.

most of the state governments were unable to access their allocations during the last administration of President Goodluck Jonathan because of failure of their governors to pay the requisite counterpart fund.

Dikko spoke at the weekend, in Abuja, where he was conferred with a gold medal award for his excellent performance as well as presentation of ational ertifi ate of Credence to UBEC in recognition of hard work and commitment to work ethics by the staff of the commission.

He disclosed that the commission had held several meetings with the new governors of some of the affected

states and that many of them have expressed willingness to access their allocations.

It will be recalled that as part of the Federal Government’s contributions to the development of basic education in Nigeria, two per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) is dedicated to supporting states through UBEC to improve quality outcome of the sub-sector. Since 2010, over N126 billion has been disbursed to states through this intervention.

But over N39 billion of the grants have not been accessed by some of the state governments leading to the observed dilapidated infra-

structure and lack of effective teaching and learning facilities in schools of many of the affected states.

The UBEC boss, however, said following intensive advocacy by the commission, about 60 per cent of the allocations have now been accessed, leaving about 40 per cent yet to be accessed.

He said, “We still have to excuse some of the state governors because they have just come in and are willing to access the funds.”

He described the award conferred on him and UBEC by the Centre for Ethics and Self Value Orientation (CESVO) for ethical leadership as recognition of the com-

NO fewer than 65,000 candidates are expected to take part in the week-long post-UTME screening for the 2015/2016 admission exercise of the University of Ilorin that will commence in Ilorin, Kwara State and Lagos states today.

A statement by the Deputy Director, Corporate Affairs of the institution, Mr Kunle Akogun, which was made available to journal-

A United States of America (USA) based assistant professor; Dr Ayotunde Dokun, will be delivering this year annual lecture of the Osun State University (UNIOSUN), College of Health Sciences, Faculty of Clinical Sciences.

According to a statement released by the Dean, Professor Olayinka Akinwusi, the annual event is expected to take place at the university’s main campus in Osogbo, tomorrow, August 18.

Besides, Akinwusi disclosed that UNIOSUN’s acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Jelili Oguntola, will chair the occasion while staff of other Colleges of Medicine and Teaching Hospitals in the SouthWest and members of the public are expected at the programme.

She added that the guest lecturer will be speaking on “The strength and weaknesses of current type 2 diabetes diagnostic tools.”

Ambode approves treasury single account for all govt transactions CHUKWUMA OKPARAOCHA - LAGOS

Vice Chancellor, University of Maiduguri, Professor Ibraheem Abubakar Njodi (left), presenting letter of credence as new Chancellor of the university to the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, during a visit to the palace, on Friday.

Economic challenges won’t affect community projects speed —Fayose EKITI State Governor, Mr Ayo Fayose, has said despite the finan ial hallenges facing the state government, his administration will not slow down the pace of the execution of its ongoing projects.

Just as former Dean, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Ekiti State University, Professor Fashina Abayomi Sunday, commended the governor for having the foresight to meet the yearnings and aspirations of the

people.

The governor gave the assurance on Saturday, while inspecting work on the 11-kilometre BawaIrewumi-Olorunsogo-Police Headquarters Road in Ado-Ekiti.

65,000 admission seekers for Unilorin post-UTME screening BIOLA AZEEZ - ILORIN

mitment and dedication to service by the entire staff and management of UBEC. Executive Director of CESVO, Prince Musa Yakubu, explained that they decided to confer the award on UBEC and its executive secretary after monitoring the commission’s projects across the country and adjudged them to be of international standard and would stand the test of time.

He said: “We are very happy with the executive secretary and his staff for their hard work and diligence.

Dr Dikko is truly a manager working through people to achieve results; he is a man of conscience.

US-based professor to deliver UNIOSUN annual faculty lecture

ists in Ilorin, on Sunday, said that candidates who scored a minimum of 180 mar s in the nified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and made the University of Ilorin their first hoi e would take part in the screening, which he said would be by computer-based test (CBT).

The university spokesperson also said that in all, 73, 250 of the over 107,000 candidates that applied for admission into the univer-

sity this year scored 180 marks and above at the UTME. “Registration for the preadmission screening exercise commenced on August 4, 2015 and ended on Sunday, August 16, 2015.

Quoting the university Registrar, Mr Emmanuel Obafemi, the university spokesman advised candidates to bring with them to their respective centres, printed copies of their examination schedules, which

indicate that they are slated to write the examination at a particular date and time since within a day, there are several batches.

“Also, payment receipts generated from the students’ portal section of the university website should be made available as the accreditation team will insist on identity erifi ation through possession of pictures that tally with the face of each candidate,” he said.

In a statement on Sunday, by his Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi, the governor said the determination to impact positively on the lives of the people of the state was keeping him going in the face of enormous challenges, and also appealed to the people to be alive to their responsibilities to the government and support it.

He stressed that the opening up of Ado-Ekiti metropolis with access roads would help in decongesting the city centre.

“One good thing is that we are trying our best and improving the quality of life of the people. The people of this area did not lobby me to construct this road, but we are always ready to do the needful and we won’t allow the current economic challenges to deter us.”

THE Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, has approved the operation of a single account in the state, as part of efforts to effi iently improve on the processes of revenue generation and collection in the state.

The development, which takes effect from September, 2015, according to the state government, will also ensure proper accountability and transparency in all government accrued revenues.

According to a statement issued, Sunday, by the Permanent Secretary/Accountant General of the State, Mrs Abimbola Umar, the state government took the decision to address the challenges previously faced with the operation of the multiple account system.

Governor Ambode said the operation of a Treasury Single Account (TSA) aside providing transparency and accountability would also encourage tax payers to request for a single account before making their payments.

44 news

Mother, Child Hospital for 2 Ondo senatorial districts

S

TILL savouring the feat of its mother and child hospitals chosen by the World Health Organisation (WHO), as research centres for maternal health delivery, the Ondo State government, has concluded plans to build two additional Mother and Child hospitals in the Southern and Northern senatorial districts of the state with one already earmarked for Okitipupa.

The state Commissioner for Information, Honourable Kayode Akinmade, while speaking in Akure, on Sunday, said government is determined to consolidate on what he described as the unprecedented success, so far recorded by the government’s Safe Motherhood programme which runs basically on the operations of the Mother and Child hospitals.

The commissioner said

that the decision of WHO to choose the hospitals in Akure and Ondo as research centres among other local and global recognitions of senatorial districts in the state are exposed to the facility.

He said government has, therefore, concluded plans to build additional two of such hospital in the Southern and Northern senatorial districts with one already earmarked for Okitipupa.

He mentioned that government will do everything to actualise its vow to ensure pregnancy no longer translate to death sentence in the state, adding that Governor Olusgun Mimiko, dissatisfied with the increasing level of maternal mortality in the state when his administration came on board in 2009, introduced the Safe Motherhood programme otherwise known as Abiye, which necessitated the

building of the Mother and Child Hospitals, exclusively for the treatment of pregnant women and children below the age of five, free of charge. This he said, attracted patrons from neighbouring states, adding that the influx is however, being controlled by the introduction of Residency Card introduced recently introduced in the state.

The remarkable achievements recorded five years af-

Monday, 17 August, 2015

ter its introduction, he said, included successful delivery of 50,000 babies. “Consequently, the state has won several awards while some global agencies have partnered the state government which has enabled it to scale up Abiye programme and effected the promulgation and passage of a law which makes provision for the confidential enquiry into maternal deaths in any part of the state compulsory.”

Shun individualism, Akinosun tells CAC members

PRESIDENT of Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), worldwide, Pastor Abraham Akinosun, at the weekend, charged members of the church to abstain from the principle of individualism which is inimical to the growth of the church.

Pastor Akinosun said this during a thanksgiving service to mark his 70th birthday anniversary at All Saints Chapel, CAC General Secretariat, Basorun, Ibadan.

He said that the advent of flambouyant evangelism had eroded the moral value in society in recent years and urged members to shun indiscriminate planting of churches without authorities of the CAC. The CAC president used the occasion to tbank God for upholding him for the past seven decades, adding being alife today, is by God’s grace as many of his contemporaries had gone.

“My colleagues should be preparing for death because what has a beginning must have an end. We should be thinking of heaven. Many that have not reached my age had gone.”

He, however, said that the break away CAC members are more interested in leadership position rather than embracing unity and reconciliation which the authorities of the church had been working on for a long time, adding the leadershiop of the church had been working assiduously to bring them back to the main stream.

Presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelial Mission (TREM) worldwide, Bishop Mike Okonkwo (second right); Bishop, South West Region, Bishop Reuben Oke (right); South West 1 Zonal Pastor, Reverend Sola Kehinde and his wife, Pastor Caroline, cutting cake during the Higher Ground Conference 2015 of TREM South West Zone 1, at TREM, Felele, Ibadan, on Sunday. PHOTO:YEMI FUNSO-OKE.

We should not be surprised at homosexuality —Bishop Okonkwo

BY WALE AKINSELURE PRESIDING Bishop, The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM) Worldwide, Dr Mike Okonkwo, has remarked that the trend of homosexuality around the world should not be regarded as a surprise, but as one of the signs that the world was in its last days.

He, however, bemoaned Homosexuality as an abomination.

Okonkwo, made this remarks while delivering a sermon, entitled, “If you don’t bless yourself, someone else will curse you”, at the concluding service of the 7th Higher Ground Conference of South West Zone 1, held at TREM Felele, Ibadan, on Sunday.

Okonkwo, who recognised the changing nature of today’s world, particularly the development of new technology, almost on a daily basis, charged the church to understand the vicissitudes of the changing world and salvage the degradation of moral values around the world.

He identified the challenge facing the church as permitting itself to be swayed by the excitement of new

technologies. According to Okonkwo, it behoved the church to discern the dynamism of the world and ensure that believers were put on God’s track.

He further urged Christians to hold firm to God s word so as to avoid being unnecessarily panicky.

“Homosexuality is an abomination. We should not be surprised because this is an indication that

the last days are here.

Therefore, the church must deploy the necessary arsenal to understand the vicissitudes. The devil should not frighten us. God does not panic. There is no reason to panic.”

“Everything is talking, the Internet is talking; technology is talking; the billboards, newspaper and radio are all talking.

Whether you like it or not,

you must see or hear it. We are in an age where words matter. But we must not dance to the devil’s music but play our own music. If you don’t curse yourself, no one will curse you, you must bless yourself.”

The event also featured the cutting of the birthday cake of Bishop Okonkwo, in advance of his 70th birthday coming up next month.

Police investigating PDP crisis in Lagos —Shelle BOLA BADMUS - LAGOS CHAIRMAN, Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Captain Tunji Selle, has said that the police is already investigating the party’s vice- chairman, Honourable Kamaldeen Olorunoje, who declared himself as the PDP acting chairman by forcing his way to the party’s secretariat at Shogunle, Ikeja, last Wednesday.

Olorunoje, who some members of State Executive Committee (SEC) of the party, a few weeks ago, shortly after the last

general elections, appointed as acting chairman, following alleged suspension of Shelle, had last Wednesday national chairman of PDP, Chief Olabode George, of causing the party’s defeat in the last poll exercise.

Speaking at the official opening of the state constituency office belonging to a member of Lagos State House of Assembly, representing AmuwoOdofin under the platform of PDP, Honourable Dipo Olorunrinu, which took place at Festac Town, Shelle, who expressed shock at how Olorunoje

gained entrance into his office, said the matter had since been reported to the police, which he disclosed were now investigating it.

Shelle, who maintained that he still remained PDP chairman in the state, told whoever was interested in taking over from him to exercise patience till November when a congress would be coming up to elect a new set of leaders.

The PDP chairman, however, advised members of the party to shun violence and brigandage, even as he reminded them that politics was a game of number and for serious- minded people.

Engage stakeholders for effective performance, NIMASA told COLLINS NNABUIFE - ABUJA CENTRE for Social Justice, Equity and Trasnsparency( CESJET), Director of Mass Media and Mobilisation, Felix Adadu, has urged the acting Director- General of the Nigerian Maritime and Safety Agency ((NIMASA), Mr Haruna Baba Jauro, to as a matter of urgency engage stakeholders in the sector to drive the ongoing reforms in the sector.

Adadu, who spoke with newsmen in Abuja, on Sunday, said the restructuring and reorganisation currently ongoing in NIMASA, is in line with the new direction being charted for the country.

While describing Jauro’s appointment as based on best standard practice of civil service seniority and basic international conventions, he described the changes he has brought to NIMASA as a welcome development.

“The fresh direction initiated at NIMASA by Jauro is in line with the change agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari and should, therefore, remain courageous, resolute and confident in discharging his duty.

‘No contract yet to renovate Plateau Govt House’ MR Emmanuel Nanle, the Director of Press and Public Affairs to Plateau State governor, Simon Lalong, has said that the governor is yet to award a contract for the renovation of Old Government House, Jos. anle made the clarification in Jos on Sunday following speculations that the governor had awarded a renovation contract of N2 billion for the complex to his brother.

The facility currently houses the office of the deputy governor and General Administration Department.

Nanle told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that although, the structure needed renovation, no contract had been awarded but that an assessment of the facility was on.

“It is a blatant lie, the handiwork of mischief makers and rumour mongers because there is nothing far from the truth than this.

“The contract for the renovation of the Presidential Lodge, a part of the Old Government House, was awarded towards the exit of the former administration at the cost of N64 million.”

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Monday, 17 August, 2015

Abdulfatah, Atiku, others mourn Borno deputy gov BIOLA AZEEZ, ADEMOLA ADEGBITE LAFIA AND ADAMU AMADU - DUTSE

F

ORMER Vice President and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku Abubakar, has said the sudden death of Borno State deputy governor, Alhaji Zanna Umar Mustapha, was not only a loss to his people and family, but also to the entire generation of Nigeria’s young politicians.

In a condolence message released by his media office in Abuja, on Sunday, the former vice president expressed deep grief at the death of such a vibrant politician, whom he said, represented the hopes and aspirations of Nigeria’s generation of new breed politicians.

According to Atiku, the fact that the late Mustapha was able to prove himself in office in a crisis-ridden state like Borno, has reinforced his faith and confidence in the abilities of young Nigerian politicians.

Also, the Nasarawa State governor, Umaru Tanko AlMakura, on Sunday, commiserated with the people of Borno State, over the demise of Alhaji Mustapha.

This was contained in a press statement issued and signed by his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Alhaji Ahmed Tukur, a copy of which was made available to the Nigerian Tribune, in Lafia.

While describing the deceased as a committed democrat, who worked relentlessly to ensure that peace reigned supreme in his state, Al-Makura said the people of the state had lost a trusted ally and a refined human being.

Also, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, in a condolence message, signed by the Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Abdulwahaab Oba, which was made available to journalists in Ilorin, on Sunday, described the death of Borno State deputy governor, as shocking and painful loss to the progressive force and Nigeria at large.

The governor prayed Allah to give the family of the deceased the fortitude to bear the loss and the deceased eternal rest.

In another development, Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, has described as shocking, the death of Alhaji Mustapha, saying the late deputy governor, was a vibrant man, who contributed to the de-

velopment of his state and the nation, at large.

In a condolence message signed by his Chief Press Secretary(CPS), Mr Peter Okhiria, Comrade Oshiomhole said: “the death of Alhaji Mustapha, came to us as a rude shock, as he was a vibrant man, who was committed to rendering selfless service to his people.

THE new provost of the Federal College of education (special) Oyo, Professor Usman Olayiwola, has expressed his determination to turn the institution around at all levels of development He said this during an interview with the Nigerian tribune, after a meeting with the principal officers of the college, last week According to him, his administration will look inward to generate more

has condoled with the government and people of Borno State over the death of Alhaji Mustapha.

The governor expressed sadness on the death of the deputy governor in a press statement issue, signed and made available to newsmen in Dutse, through his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Muhammed Bello Zaki.

From left, the immediate past Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI), Rear Admiral Gabriel Okoi (retd); the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ibas and his wife, at a thanksgiving service, at First Baptist Church, Area II, Abuja.

3,400 dump PDP for APC in Ondo HAKEEM GBADAMOSI - AKURE THE camp of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ondo State, on Saturday, suffered a setback as about 3, 400 members of the party from the oil rich Ilaje Local Government Area of the state dumped the party for the rival All Progressives Congress (APC).

Some of the defectors, who dumped PDP for APC, include former political office holders led by Prince Glory Okuntade, with others including Messrs Timi Olowofoyeku, Dele Asogbon, Ademibo Okuntade and Festus Ademuwagun, Chief Ebini Idowu and Oronla Adebanjo.

Speaking on behalf of the defectors, Glory Okuntade, said they were leaving PDP

because of the situation the leaders of the party plunged the country to in the last 16 years they have been in the saddle, saying they have been liberated from political wilderness.

Okuntade said there was nothing to show their supporters in the coastal community for their support for PDP, despite being the only oil produc-

funds to compliment Federal Government financial support towards the development of the institution.

His word: “I want to thank President Muhammadu Buhari, for giving me the opportunity to serve the nation in this capacity for which I had a vision and mission in the transformation process of teachers education.”

“In view of this, I am prepared to use my 26 years of research and teaching experiences in

ing community in the state.

Receiving the defectors, a leader of the party had earlier dumped the party, who at the wake of the March 28 presidential election, who was also the PDP governorship candidate in the last election in the state, Chief Olusola Oke, said the time has come for all Ilaje sons and daughters

to dump PDP which had brought untold hardship to the people of the country.

“I am ashamed of being a member of a party that has plunged the country into calamity. With the revelation coming out now, I have to apologise to my supporters and Nigerians that my former party brought Nigeria to its knees,” he said.

I joined military by luck —Ibok Ibas THE Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ibas, on Sunday, said he joined the military by providence.

He also pleaded for support from Nigerians for the military to be able to address the security challenges

Provost promises massive transformation of FCE, Oyo

BY KEHINDE ADIO

“The late deputy governor made profound contributions at several fora where he represented the governor and the state and he gave the impression of a man, who had a deep passion for his state and a great insight on how to move the state forward.

Meanwhile, Governor Muhammadu Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa State,

the university to bring into play in the college, the president’s change agenda campaign as it applies to education at teacher training level.

“As part of my development programme agenda for the institution, new courses would be introduced into the college academic programme with the aim of linking the institution with world to generate an improved learning process and capacity building under conducive team work environment.”

facing the country.

Ibas, who explained how he joined the Nigerian Navy at a thanksgiving service at the First Baptist Church in Area 11, Abuja, said the nation will overcome insurgency in the North-East and the security problems at the sea.

He said: “My journey so far has been the one I give glory to God. I did not know I will join the military. But in 1979, God changed my story. I was seated at home when a cousin of mine came with an NDA form he obtained.

“He said having got the form; he was not interested in military service.

He asked if I was interested. I did not know what it was all about, but I collected the form and I filled it. Today, here I am thanking God for His mercies all through my career.

“It is God that has taken charge of my life, I remain

grateful to the Almighty God for His divine touch on me.”

On the security problems confronting the nation, Vice Admiral Ibas assured the congregation that it will soon be over.

He said: “As a nation, we are undergoing security challenges both at sea and in the North-East. While the military is doing its best to address these challenges, Nigerians need to support us with prayers to bring insurgency to an end.

“We will not let this nation down until these challenges are curtailed. We all have to pray to God to assist us to bring up young men and women, who will be productive.”

Supported by members of the 26th Regular Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Ibas admitted that he joined the Nigerian Navy by divine intervention.

360 students benefit from agric summer school scheme IN its bid to further broaden the mind of students and stimulate their interest through intensive agricultural programmes, over 360 students across the six educational districts in the state have benefitted from the Lagos State government Agric – Yes Summer School Programme for secondary school students, the permanent secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture, Dr Olajide Basorun, has said.

Basorun, who said this at the weekend, during the closing ceremony of 2015 Lagos Agric-Yes Summer School Programme, said that today’s agricultural students are theoretically versed, but still needed required practical skills and knowledge on agriculture, especially, on cohesive thought and critical problem solving.

He noted that this is why the state government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, initiated the Agric-Yes Summer School Programme, to provide secondary school students with the technical skills that will be administered through on-farm practical teaching and field demonstrations.

Programme COME Up Ministries International (a.k.a Garden Of Solution), Aba-Alamu, Apata, Ibadan, Oyo State, will hold a day programme tagged “Victory all over 2015 with the theme “Pool of Bethesd” on Wednesday, from 6.00am till 3.00pm, at Come Up Living Church Garden Of Solution, AbaAlamu, Apata, Ibadan.

The programme will feature salvation, deliverance, healing, songs ministrations, among others. Guest speakers expected at the programme are Prophet Sunday Babatunde, Prophet Ben Akande and Prophet S.O Alimi (Asepe Ogo). Ministering in songs are CUPSAC, Cumint Youth Choir, Evangelist Mary Popoola and Evangelist Femi Success. Reverend Isaac Adeyemi Adegboyega, is the General Overseer of the church and the chief host.

Rev Isaac Adegboyega

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oba okunade sijuwade (1930 - 2015)

17 August, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

Annulment of the June 12 elections in 1993 immoral —Chief Olorunnisola Continues from yesterday

ON my part, I believe that there was no reason in the world to have gone that far in spite of the situation. From the bitter experience of the war, I believe that it was better to Jaw-Jaw than to War-War. The horrible loss of people and property could best be imagined. From my estimation many would ne er re o er from the trauma in i ted on their li es by the war. The wound will be three forever but the spirit of forgiveness; the spirit of give and take must endure and prevail.

THE JUNE 12 CRISIS June 12 1993 somehow became a watershed in the political history of Nigeria. Not only did the day produce a turning point in the history of political agitation in the country, it served as the yardsticks with which elections in the country are measured. For me, it also brought a fresh dimension to the extent people could go in driving home their agitation regardless of the propriety or otherwise of their agitation.

That was when the people really carried the proverbial Pull Him Down (PhD) syndrome to the most ridiculous level. I discovered that it was as if the detractors of the Ooni were simply waiting for the annulment of the June 12 election to get an opportunity to get at the Ooni for one reason or the other. I realised that many people believed that the Ooni was larger than life and they were not comfortable with the Ooni’s enviable position. The gist of it all was that in the wake of the crisis, people believed that the Ooni had a hand in the annulment. That was further compounded by the fact that at the head of the crisis, in his quest for lasting peace, the Ooni led a group of traditional rulers from the southwest to the Presidential Villa in Abuja to demand an explanation for the annulment of an election considered by many as the freest ever held in Nigeria chequered electoral history. It was even made more pertinent that the victim of the annulment was from the southwest, a Yorubaland one of the Traditional sons of the Ooni.

Much as the meeting was a closed door one, the reports of the meeting were surely not going to be made public. So at the end of the meeting when he was confronted as usual by the State House Press Corps, he rather diplomatically replied that they had met the President and that the position and mandate of the Yoruba had been presented that is the Yoruba needed an acceptable cogent reason why the election was annulled, otherwise the Yoruba were ready to pull out of the Nigerian union. Prompted to speak further, the Ooni said, “Well, the President seemed to have talked sense, but the fact remains that we have brought a mandate, we presented our mandate and we shall go back home to relate to our people what had transpired.”

I want to say with every sense of responsibility and in the holy name of the Almighty God that at this particular meeting in so o where a press briefing was arranged with Chukwumerije the then Minister of Information was in attendance. The Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade did not say MORE than what I presented above. I WAS PRESENT. It is the limitless height of treachery for a Traditional Ruler to now about 20 years later, after thinking that events would have blurred in people’s memory at attempt introducing another measure of rascality into his usual grandstanding. He didn’t have to call the Ooni names. Neither did he have to use gutter language before he would realise his life ambition of wanting to demystify Oba Okunade Sijuwade, in what to me amounts to a muddling of issues, state in Ibadan where senior Traditional Rulers were present with General Oladipo Diya who addressed on a pending election which the people were threatening to boycott. It was here Kabiyesi, the Ooni was trying to talk about people going out to try their best in the elections. The world can see how in detractors own confessions, Conspiratorial tendencies have turned the House of Oduduwa into an institution envied by people who don’t even know their own historical origin but daily revel in the use of unbridled grandstanding, treachery, braggadocio and double-speak.

Much as some people were not comfortable with the Ooni’s seemingly larger than life image and his home in uen e at home worldwide, they pounded on the Ooni’s statement as being inimical to the interest of the Yoruba race which in their opinion was the victim of the annulment. hat was baf ing to me was the irrationality of the outbursts. I couldn’t believe that anyone would expect a man of the Ooni’s stature to go on public television and begin to rain abuses on the President and Commander in Chief.

Even if the Ooni disagreed with the President on the action,

The late Ooni with Chief Olorunnisola there were laid down diplomatic channels and this was what the Ooni explored. He would not have gone to the public to make incendiary statements when, as a statesman, he knew whatever someone like him said was capable of generating powerful emotions among his subjects. But those who were already sounding the drumbeats of war and secession would have none of the Ooni’s statesman like approach. A campaign of calumny was so much orchestrated against the old man such that it affected the psyche of everyone close to His Majesty.

Among the staff, I was particularly worst hit as the royal spokesman who had to go the extra mile to rebut as much as possible all the lies and innuendoes being bandied in the national press. The situation was particularly discomforting because of the diverse interests and objectives involved including those of the journalists, politicians, government and the folks in town.

It was really tough. There were a whole lot of misunderstanding and sheer fabrications on the issues as positions on the episode. Of course, ONE WOULD ASK, WHAT WAS THE FACT? the terrible and ugly reportage quoted the Ooni out of context. But once issues and reported in the Nigerian press in such negative manner, it is consumed hook, line and sinker by the populace. But we cannot continue to promote strife in the dangerous for national unity. This is a major challenge to the journalists themselves and the regulating bodies, the Nigerians Union of Journalist and the Nigeria Press Council.

Even when I am one of them, I have come to believe, as facts of our national history, that among journalists are the most culpable set of character assassins in this country. Of Course they know this as a statement of fact but because of the narrow minds and selfish interests of the ulprits they hardly care. This is unfortunate for the profession which ideally thrives on truth and objectivity. Agreed that they ha e enormous powers to in uen e the ourse of opinion it is ungodly, immoral and unethical when such powers are abused for no ustifiable reasons other than personal parochial interests. It is against this background of mali-

I realised that many people believed that the Ooni was larger than life and they were not comfortable with the Ooni’s enviable position.

cious and unprofessional characterization of the position of the Kabiyesi on the June 12 imbroglio by the media, particularly the print media that we can better understand what actually happened Without doubt, the annulment of the June 12 elections in 1993 was immoral. It was so bad that the Yoruba, whose son, the late Chief Moshod Kashimawo Abiola, was perceived to ha e won the residential ele tion fier ely hallenged the annulment. The intense crisis generated by the annulment, as history had now recorded, led to the constitution of the Interim National Government headed by Chief Ernest Shonekan, regime later regarded as unconstitutional by the court and which in a short period was sacked by the Sani Abacha junta. Yet, the agitation for the revalidation of the June 12 Elections persisted.

I wanted to bring this back for emphasis. As the leader of the Yoruba race, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, and other eminent Yoruba Obas rose to the occasion, championing the cause of the Yoruba people, to ensure that their own son, in the person of Abiola, got his mandate actualised. Several meetings were held on the issue at the instance of the Ooni and he got a lot of support from the traditional rulers from the South Western geo-political zone. At a meeting preceding the one held with the Former Head of State, general Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida and Sani Abacha on the issue, he stood up and told the meeting categorically that the position of the Yoruba Obas was that if there was no convincing reason for the annulment, which at that time the Yoruba have not really had, then the Yoruba nation might secede from Nigeria.

As a matter of fact, his categorical comments here were not just his own unilateral pronouncement because the night before the meeting, all the top Yoruba Obas have also had a meeting where the position as proclaimed by the Ooni was taken. The meeting actually took place at Kabiyesi’s Presidential suite at the NICON-NOGA (now Transcorp Hilton Hotel) in Abuja. It was a unanimous decision and I remember that at this meeting the Awujale, Oba Sikiru Adetona, was emphatic that the Ooni should make their common position known on behalf of the other Yoruba Obas. Later, there was another meeting held with some strategic Yoruba traditional rulers which also had in attendance Generals Babangida and Abacha. Late Comrade Uche Chukwumerije, was also there as the Information Minister.

Though I was not exactly at this meeting, I was aware that the position of the Yoruba did not change. For a strategic purpose which was clearly to propagate the position of the Federal Government on the annulment, Late Chukwumerije had le erly assembled the ress to o er a spe ifi aspe t of the meeting which was just to get favourable quotes out of contexts from the reactions of the Yoruba rulers led by the Ooni. Understanding, the press had been well briefed Continues on page 47

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oba okunade sijuwade (1930 - 2015)

17 August, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

‘Ooni’s equanimity really boosted our morale’

The late Ooni with former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo Continued from pg 46

before hand on the nature of their role there, more so for a government that was battling for legitimacy. Hence all sorts of tele-guiding, manoeuvring and misrepresentation of the issues to serve government interest before the general public. Therefore, propaganda became inevitable.

So, immediately the traditional rulers came out of the Presidents presence, the press asked Kabiyesi about the outcome of their meeting and to this Kabiyesi replied that “it was alright”, a diplomatic expression to sway the press in a way that whatever he said in such a mood will not iname the situation ta ing into a ount his position in the South West in particular and the nation in general. Being a statesman himself and a powerful voice, he had to be careful about whatever he would have to say. Granted that the agitation of the Yoruba was the revalidation of June 12, it stood to reason too, that we were dealing with a military regime which would necessitate a high level of diplomacy and tact to wriggle out of the logjam and possibly convince the military on what we, the Yoruba, wanted without any rash and provocative comments or attitudes.

Beyond the above comment to the press by Kabiyesi, I recall that he further told the press that whatever they might ha e said at the meeting ould ne er be a final position that they would still have to go home and meet with their people whose mandate brought them to the meeting in the first instan e ore so it was re ealed what they were told at the meeting was fresh information necessitating such return to the people for further discussions, adding though that there was some sense in some of the presentations by the military junta. This expression of “sense in some of the presentations” became the most important and dominant interest to the press.

Curiously all the media present at the meeting venue reported on the “sense” story the next day in both the print and electronic media, giving the impression that this story angle was probably dictated to them. Regrettably, every other position by the Ooni as related to the interest of the Yoruba and indeed the need for further consultations were ignored or deliberately omitted.

Even from the evening of that day, I had heard this slant of the outcome of the meeting on the radio. I was worried that the establishment, in collusion with the press, was up to a dubious game. Obviously, I knew there was trouble, largely due to the situation at home. Yes, the mood in the SouthWest was too hot for anyone to now be reported as saying that “Babangida talked sense” on the annulment, even if there was nothing immoral in that simple truth a dubious agenda of manipulation by the government and as propagated by the willing press. It was a low point for me because the Kabiyesi had been quoted out of context he was being portrayed as a supporter of an illegality thereby creating a bad image for him before his people. I was shocked at the way today s ournalists ould easily be used to ser e a selfish interest and perpetrate outright character assassination.

I swung into action immediately to make rebuttals by writing release to state the obvious that the Ooni had been

quoted out of context and I followed this up with some interviews on personal visits to media Houses. Regrettably, the Federal Government offensive overwhelmed by responses, since they were now deliberately promoting Ooni’s innocent comments without a mere mention of the presentation of the people’s mandate that the Ooni had talked about earlier on. It was really a trying experience and before we returned home, the media propaganda had been widespread. Of course, anger was everywhere. There was carnage and heavy violence in the South-West with the Lagos metropolis being particularly volatile. In the process, so many innocent lives were lost and property lost to fire irate mobs t was at this time that a house purportedly owned by the Kabiyesi was burnt in the Agege Area of Lagos. Unfortunately the house was not that of the Ooni of Ife. The characterization of the June 12 incident was so bad that the press in particular lost some sense of professionalism and good judgement as expected of true purveyor of news, even at such a testing period in our national life.

Indeed, the reportage began to turn silly and ridiculous at a point. I was astonished when a prominent national newspaper, the Guardian published an absurd story insinuating that the Kabiyesi was sight in Lagos but suddenly turned to a goat and as it was being pursued it entered a hotel and disappeared thereafter. This was really unthinkable because at the time the Kabiyesi was actually in England!

It was that terrible! The story mischievously credited to Kabiyesi had such misconceptions and effect, because of the weight of the institution be represented. On the house burnt in Agege, it has to be stated on record that it was not Kabiyesi’s property that was burnt in Agege. The building actually belonged to the Ooni’s former chief accountant. But certainly, they must have seen Kabiyesi’s cat at one time or the other in that premises, hence the erroneous view that the house was probably that of Kabiyesi. It turned out to be a disaster for the man. His house was burnt completely and untold valuable lost to such a heartless and misguided action. It was devastating.

The most satisfying aspect of the whole saga, however, was the fa t that throughout the oni was uite unruf ed by the entire experience. He was tranquil. And this was be ause he belie ed in his ons ien e e ne er lost onfidence in spite of the shenanigans and the hyping of mischief

The most satisfying aspect of the whole saga, however, was the fact that, throughout, the Ooni was quite unruffled by the entire experience. He was tranquil.

in all its ramifi ations ith that ind of omposure from our prin ipal the onfiden e of us aides ould not but be boosted. The Ooni’s equanimity really boosted our morale and we went all out to defend the position of our principal where necessary.

Coming to the election itself and the eventual annulment, my opinion could not but be a revealing one indeed. As far as I am concerned, as a close observer of the June 12, 1993 elections events that formed the build up to the election could not be said to have been free and fair. Although this may sound at variance with the generally held opinion, I have cogent reasons. I never believed the elections were free and affair as it has been shamelessly bandied for decades.

I must state that this is my personal opinion. It was not the position of the Ooni but rather my personal view of the pre-election events and injustices that culminated in the appearan e of hief biola and lha i ashir ofa as the two contenders for the presidency. I don’t think there was anything fair in the process that led to their emergence.

Imagine! How fair was an election where about 23 presidential andidates were barred ab initio for no ustifiable cause? As far as am concerned even today, it was a ploy to clear the way for the candidates of the military, those who they believed would be easy to manipulate. Imaging the fact that such seasoned politicians like Bola Ige, Falae, Sheu Yar Adua, Rimi, Adamu Ciroma, Sola Saraki, Kingibe and many more with great pedigree were all banned from partaking in the election! Was that fair? Was that situation free?

Prior to the ban, those seasoned politicians and statesmen had traversed the length and breadth of the land campaigning spending personal money only to be denied at last without any discernible reason! A situation where you now allow only two presidential candidates and barred 23 fellow igerians who were of ourse first ele en materials Was that free and fair? Even the two men who were eventually favoured by the military to contest were never in the picture really from the beginning. It was an election that was bound to fail ab initio. Sentiments apart, that election on the above stated grounds could not have been said to be free and affair. It was a case of tying up the hands of the tiger and handing same over to the dog. Could it have been fair on Ciroma and co who were barred from exercising their right to vote and be voted for, their civic rights? In spite of this defi ien y the fa t remains that biola was per ei ed to ha e won the election and I am not disputing that, it was grossly irresponsible for anyone to have played God by annulling such an exercise generally known to have been freely done.

But the whole process was bad from the scratch.

THE BOLA IGE SAGA This would be another watershed in the course of my career as a royal spokesman. For so many reasons. The late chief Bola Ige was an icon of not only Southwest politics but a titan in national politics. Whatever happened to man of such stature a former o ernor and ser ing ederal inister for that matter, could not but generate serious interest. And so when as a fall-out of the prevailing crisis in the politics of Osun State between 2000 and 2001, in which the seasoned politician and others were the dramatic personae, Chief Ige was assaulted by some disgruntled elements during a visit by the politician to the palace of the Ooni, a great furore followed. All evidence pointed to the fact that the perpetrators of the assault were not in any way related to the palace but were part of a huge crowd that had come to witness the occasion, the unique conferment of the chieftaincy title of Yeye Oranmiyan on the wife of the then President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Stella Obasanjo. That was the reason Chief Bola Ige graced the palace function. After all, he was also a chief of the Royal Court of Ife and a long standing personal friend of Oba Okunade Sijuwade. Considering a number of factors and particularly that Chief Ige’s main political opponent in Osun State came from Ile-Ife people could be forgiven, even if erroneous, for linking the opposing camp to the assault. But what was really traumatising for the disturbing way the outrageous way in which the whole event was blown out of proportion and a using fingers were oming even from those who should have known better at the exalted throne of Oduduwa. I felt scandalised. I could not fathom the fact that anyone could even contemplate linking the Ooni to the unfortunate event. Yes, granted that one of the son of the soil, Otunba Iyiola Omisore and a perceived opponent of Bola Ige in the same political party and a known acolyte of the Ooni was having the searchlight beamed on him, it was grossly inconceivable for me that anyone could ever descend so low as so point a using finger at the oni To be continued

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Monday, 17 August, 2015

foreig naffairs WITH SEYI GESINDE

08116954632 foreignnewseditor@gmail.com

Indonesian plane with 54 on board crashes, all feared dead

A

N aircraft with 54 people on board crashed in Indonesia’s remote and mountainous region of Papua on Sunday a go ernment offi ial said, the latest in a string of aviation disasters in the Southeast Asian nation, Reuters reported.

“The latest information is that the Trigana aircraft that lost contact has been found at Camp 3, Ok Bape district in the Bintang Mountains regency,” Air Transportation Director General Suprasetyo told reporters. “Residents provided information that the aircraft crashed into Tangok mountain.”

There was no immediate word on whether anyone survived.

The Trigana Air Service plane is at least the third aircraft to go missing in Asia in the the past 18 months, CNN said.

On March 8, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 vanished from radar while en route from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Beijing. A chunk of the plane recently washed up on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean, but authorities are still looking for the bulk of the plane. MH370 had 239 people on board.

And on December 28, 2014, AirAsia Flight QZ8501 disappeared while headed from Surabaya, Indonesia, to Singapore.

That plane, which had 162

1 1. Trigana passenger plane (similar to the one pictured) crashed after it went missing over the remote eastern Papua region, with 54 people on board.

2. Map showing the Sentani airport area, where the plane took off, on Sunday.

PHOTOS: EPA.

2

people on board, was later found in the Java Sea. Trigana Air Service is one of a large number of airlines banned from operating in European airspace “because they are found to be unsafe and/or they are not sufficiently overseen by their authorities,” according to the European Commission. It has been on the list since 2007.

Earlier, the National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) said a twin-turboprop plane had lost contact with air traffi ontrol as it ew over the forested area of eastern Indonesia but efforts to tra e it were diffi ult be ause of failing light.

Trigana Air Operations Director Beni Sumaryanto said that within 30 minutes of hearing that the aircraft was missing, the airline sent another

British Prime Minister David Cameron.

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES.

plane to scour the same flight path but it had found nothing because of bad weather, local media reported.

According to the official BASARNAS Twitter account, the aircraft, a short-haul ATR 42-300 airliner belonging to Trigana Air Service and built in France and Italy, was carrying 44 adult passengers, five crew and five children and infants.

he plane was ying between Jayapura’s Sentani Airport and Oksibil, due south of Jayapura, the capital of Papua province.

Air transport is commonly used in Papua, Indonesia’s easternmost province, where land travel is often impossible.

According to the Aviation Safety Network, an online database, the ATR 42-300 that

went missing made its first ight years ago is a joint venture between Airbus and Alenia Aermacchi, a subsidiary of Italian aerospace firm inme ani a The airline has been on the EU’s list of banned carriers since 2007.

Airlines on the list are barred from operating in European airspace due to either

concerns about safety standards or the regulatory environment in their country of registration. he airline has a eet of aircraft, according to the aireets om database hese include 10 ATR aircraft and four Boeing 737 Classics.

These have an average age of 26.6 years, according to the database.

Trigana has had 14 serious incidents since it began operations in 1991, according to the Aviation Safety Network. Excluding this latest incident, it has written off 10 aircraft. irline offi ials were not immediately available to respond to enquiries from Reuters.

Indonesia has a patchy aviation safety record and has seen two major plane crashes in the past year, in luding an ir sia ight that went down in the Java Sea, killing all on board.

The AirAsia crash prompted the Indonesian government to introduce regulations aimed at improving safety.

US civil rights activist, Bond, dies at 75 JULIAN Bond, a civil rights activist and longtime board chairman of the NAACP, died Saturday night, according to the Southern Poverty Law Centre. He was 75.

The Associated Press reported that Bond died in Fort Walton Beach, Florida after a brief illness, the SPLC said in

a statement released Sunday morning.

The Nashville, Tenn. native was considered a symbol and icon of the 1960s civil rights movement. As a Morehouse College student, Bond helped found the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee and as its communications

director, he was on the front lines of protests that led to the nation’s landmark civil rights laws.

Julian Bond later served Bondas board chairman of the 500,000-member NAACP for 10 years but declined to run again for another oneyear term in 2010.

Julian Bond

otherNEWS Cameron insists he will quit before next election

BRITISH Prime Minister David Cameron has rejected Tory pleas to reconsider his pledge to quit Downing Street before the 2020 General Election.

The Prime Minister, who entered owning treet fi e years ago, said a decade was ‘a good long time’ to be in No 10.

His comments follow speculation that some Conservatives want him to reconsider his surprise vow, made shortly before the Election in May, that he would not serve a third term.

During an interview to mark the first days of his se ond term in offi e r ameron was as ed

if he had had second thoughts.

But he told the BBC: “I absolutely stand by what I said. Ten years is a good long time to be Prime Minister and I stand by that.”

Mr Cameron added that his Government was going to be busy. “I’ve got plenty to get on

with,” he said.

“It’s a full manifesto, a strong mandate for it and… 100 days in, I think people can see we are delivering the things we said we would – a tax-free minimum wage, more apprenticeships, capping welfare, making work pay. I think it’s been a strong start.”

Trump wants money from Mideast countries supported by US REPUBLICAN presidential candidate Donald Trump is outlining a foreign policy in which the United States would put ground troops in the fight against slami State militants and demand money from Middle East countries supported by the U.S., The Associated Press reported.

In a wide-ranging interview that aired Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the

Press,” the billionaire businessman and former reality TV star says he would consider shutting down the federal government over funding for Planned Parenthood. He says he isn’t sure whether he has donated money to the organization in the past but adds that he would oppose providing federal funds if it continues providing abortion services.

Trump says he would ask nominees to the Supreme Court about their views on abortion and would take their views into consideration as he made a decision on whom to nominate. He says he opposes abortion except in case of rape, incest and to save the life of the mother.

Calling the nuclear agreement forged between Iran and world

powers including the U.S. “a bad deal,” Trump says that Iran will have nuclear weapons and take over parts of the world. “And I think it’s going to lead to nuclear holocaust,” he said. Instead of tearing up the deal, he said he would “police” it, and he called Secretary of State John Kerry “incompetent” for negotiating the agreement.

Donald Trump, with a fan, during his campaign in Iowa, on Saturday.

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES.

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foreig naffairs

Monday, 17 August, 2015

Zimbabwe presses for repatriation of skulls from Britain

Z

IMBABWE is “frantically working” to repatriate from Britain skulls of indigenous people killed in an 1890s anti-colonialism war, said a Cabinet minister.

The state-run Herald newspaper quoted Home Affairs Minister Ignatius Chombo, saying Zimbabwe will talk to its former colonial ruler over the skulls reportedly held by Britain’s Natural History Museum.

“A team of experts to engage the British on the repatriation process

is being constituted and will shortly leave for London to get the ball rolling,” Chombo said. “The British government ... is now eager to ha e the remains identified for subsequent repatriation to Zimbabwe.”

VOA reported that President Robert Mugabe last week described the museum display of the skulls as being “among the highest forms of racist moral decadence.”

Mugabe said the skulls are of veterans of an uprising against British colonizers. Known as the

First Chimurenga, or First Liberation War, the 1893-1896 war pitted locals using spears and bows and arrows against white settlers with guns.

“We will repatriate them, but with bitterness, questioning the rationale behind decapitating them,” said Mugabe in a speech on Heroes’ ay whi h honors fighters against white minority rule.

Grace Mugabe on Thursday said the display of human skulls is more objectionable than the recent trophy killing of Cecil the lion.

“They were beheaded and their

South Sudan president reverses decision on peace talks

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe.

PHOTO: AP.

Swaziland group vows to demand democracy

President Salva Kiir (left) was convinced by regional leaders, and especially Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni (c.) to attend peace talks in Addis Ababa.

PHOTO: VOA.

SOUTH Sudanese President Salva Kiir has reversed his decision not to attend peace talks in Addis Ababa and left for the Ethiopian capital on Sunday, Cabinet Affairs Minister Martin Elia Lomoro told reporters at a hastily convened news conference.

President Kiir was convinced by regional leaders, “and especially President Yoweri Museveni, who we consider a wise leader and who we have great linkages with” to attend the talks, Lomoro said.

The negotiations are are supposed to culminate in a peace deal today (Monday), VOA said.

Lomoro did not indicate if President Kiir will sign the deal by the deadline imposed by the international mediation team, known as IGAD-Plus.

“He is going to explain to his colleagues the challenges that are now confronting the signing of the compromise agreement tomorrow (Monday) and to check and ensure that ... the proposals

heads are displayed in Britain as war trophies. These people who displayed trophies are mourning Cecil. They are hypocrites. Who are they to come and tell us about our animals said the first lady on state television.

Britain’s Natural History Museum, in a statement Friday, said it has 20,000 human remains and has arried out signifi ant repatriations” adding “it is not yet clear whether any remains in the museum collection are related to the events, places or people referred to in President Mugabe’s speech.”

of the heads of state in Kampala are included, and that all other points of contention are agreed upon,” Lomoro said.

Mr. Kiir will also raise with other leaders at the talks the issue of a split in the opposition camp.

Several generals announced early this week that they have broken away from rebel leader Riek Machar’s SPLM-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO) and set up their own politi al mo ement and fighting force.

“Dr. Machar has already been ousted and disowned by his army and politicians and if we sign peace we have to sign peace with all the factions and groups that are fighting in outh udan omoro said. ast wee go ernment officials said they only wanted to negotiate with Machar’s SPLMin-Opposition (SPLM-IO), and not with a third party of former detainees who were also at the negotiating table.

A leader of the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA) has said that an international human rights award his group received will spur it to intensify demands for democratic reforms in the southern African kingdom.

TUCOSWA received the George Meany-Lane Kirkland Human Rights Award in 2015, after the group was recognized for advocating for the rights of workers despite strong opposition from the government.

General Secretary Vincent Ncongwane says TUCOSWA has been offi ially registered after the government used “technicalities” to ban the workers’ group for collaborating with civil and opposition groups to call for democracy.

King of Swaziland Mswati III (front) and one of his 13 wives disembark from a plane after arriving at Katunayake International airport in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

PHOTO: REUTERS.

ongwane says the offi ial registration of TUCOSWA forces the government to observe international labor laws.

“The police who threaten to (prevent) our meetings for instance have themselves got to

very circumspect, because now they’ve got no excuse. And now, we want to be able to talk about all issues whether it relates to workers rights, issues of democracy and human rights,” said Ncongwane.

Mali separatists accuse pro-government militia of breaching ceasefire SEPARATISTS in Mali accused pro-government militia on Sunday of brea hing a easefire signed with the government in une after the two sides brie y e hanged fire and they appealed to the United Nations Security Council over the incident.

Reuters reported that an exchange of light and heavy weapons fire too pla e on aturday south of Kidal in northern Mali between the Coordination of

Azawad Movements, or CMA, and the main pro-government militia within an alliance of groups called Platform.

The CMA is a coalition led by secular Tuareg rebels who count Kidal as a stronghold, while Gatia is the main Platform militia. offi ials went on aturday afternoon to a rendezvous point to meet interlocutors from Platform. While they were waiting at the agreed point our men

otherNEWS

were attacked by a column of Platform militia,” the separatists said in a statement.

“Their escort defended themselves and there was an intense e hange of fire that lasted until nightfall,” they said, urging the Security Council as well as mediators to take note of the incident.

There was no immediate word from Platform and it was unclear whether there were casualties from the fighting

‘Obama can do Iran nuclear deal even if Congress disapproves’ United States President Barack Obama

THE September vote on the Iran nuclear deal is billed as a titanic standoff between President Barack Obama and Congress. Yet even if lawmakers reject the agreement, it’s not game-over for the White House, The Associated Press said.

A congressional vote of disapproval would not prevent Obama from acting on his own to start putting the accord in place. While he probably

would take some heavy criticism, this course would let him add the foreign policy breakthrough to his secondterm list of accomplishments.

Obama doesn’t need a congressional OK to give Iran most of the billions of dollars in relief from economic sanctions that it would get under the agreement, as long as Tehran honours its commitments to curb its nuclear programme, at least for now.

“A resolution to disapprove the Iran agreement may have substantial political reverberations, but limited practical impact,” says Robert Satloff, executive director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “It would not override President Obama’s authority to enter into the agreement.”

With Republicans controlling both chambers of Congress, the House and Senate are expected to turn down the

deal.

Obama has pledged to veto such a resolution of disapproval, so the question has turned to whether Congress could muster the votes to override him, in what would be a stinging, bipartisan vote of no-confidence against the president. And Obama would forfeit the authority he now enjoys to waive sanctions that Congress has imposed.

Verdict date yet to be set in US reporter spy trial JAILED Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian’s trial in Iran on spying charges has yet to end, Tehran’s justice department chief said on Sunday, although his lawyer had said a verdict was imminent.

Lawyer Leila Ahsan said last Monday that the secretive trial had had its final session and a verdict would follow “within a

week”, in line with legal procedure in Iran.

But the head of Tehran’s justice department, Gholamhossein Esmaili, said on Sunday that the court had yet to reach a decision.

“The end of the proceedings in the file of ason e aian has yet to be announced. The verdict has yet to be reached,” Esmaili was

uoted as saying by the offi ial ISNA news agency.

“The judge sets the date of the verdict.”

“I think that the verdict will be announced by the end of this week or the next,” ISNA reported Iranian judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejeie told a later press conference.

In Iran, the week starts on Saturday. “Jason Rezaian is not being tried as a journalist,” he said, but declined to go into details of the case.

Rezaian, a 39-year-old IranianAmerican, has been in custody more than a year and is being tried behind closed doors, drawing condemnation from his family, employer and press freedom groups.

Washington Post correspondent on trial in Iran, Jason Rezaian.

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communitynews

Monday, 17 August, 2015

Aboru roads hindering our efficiency —LAWMA officials AKIN ADEWAKUN - LAGOS

O

perators of the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), in Aboru Community of Agbado/Oke Odo Local Council Development Area of Lagos, have de-

scribed the deplorable state of most of the link roads in the community as a major impediment to the efficient disposal of waste in the area.

Giving reasons for their inability to pick up wastes at the doorsteps of residents of the area, some drivers of the au-

thority’s waste disposal trucks, who spoke with Community News, stated that the state of roads makes manoeuvring difficult for them while driving the waste disposal trucks in the area.

“Besides the difficult terrain and poor state of

roads, some of the roads are simply too narrow for our trucks. They can hardly take a car, not to talk of a truck such as ours,” one of the drivers, who spoke with Community News, under condition of anonymity, stated.

While expressing re-

grets that the agency had not been able to discharge its duties efficiently in the area, an official of the agency counselled residents of the community, especially the leadership of the various community development associations, to intimate the relevant authorities of some of the challenges the people in the area are passing through.

“There is the need for the people to let government know that these roads are becoming impassable. On our part, we are trying our best to sensitise the government to the fact that the deplorable state of the roads does not allowed us to perform efficiently.

“For most of the roads

in the area, we dare not go into their interiors, otherwise our vehicles will get stuck. Unfortunately, most people will not understand this, they believe once they have paid, they should get value for their money. While we would have loved to do more, for now there is little or nothing we can do,” argued the official, in a chat with Community News at the agency’s office located on Raji Razak Road, in the community.

For sometime now, residents of the community have complaining of the epileptic services rendered by the agency in the community, despite paying their monthly refuse bills.

We are not ritual killers —ATR practitioners From left, Bishop of Lagos West, African Church, Bishop Akinola Ajayi; Bishop O. P. Odejayi; Honourable Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the Ayangburen of Ikorodu, Oba Kabiru Adewale Shotobi; his wife, Olori Kudirat and Superintendent Evangelist Emmanuel Adegoke; Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Ikorodu, Bishop Dawodu and Bishop S.O. Ayodele, during a thanksgiving service for the new Ayangburen, at the oba’s palace in Ikorodu, recently.

PHOTO: SYLVESTER OKORUWA.

Agbamu wants development —Alagbamu BIOLA AZEEZ-ILORIN

THE Alagbamu of Agbamu in Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, Oba Olusola Olaniyi Dare, Ilufemiloye Fabiyi I, has called on wealthy individuals and groups in the area to contribute to the development of the community.

Speaking during the installation of a community leader in Ofa, Chief Rabiu Adepoju and his wife as the Aare Basorun and Yeye Aare Basorun of Agbamu land at the weekend, the traditional ruler said the appeal became necessary because no government can provide all communities with their needs.

The monarch, who urged the traditional title holders in the community to continue with their philanthropic gestures, prayed for their sound health, long life and prosperity.

The traditional ruler also called on the people of Kwara State to be lawabiding and avoid acts that could retard progress of the state.

Also speaking, Chief Adepoju thanked the royal father and people of Agbamu for the honour and pledged their contin-

ued support for the development of the area.

While advising the people of the area to live in peace and harmony and cooperate with the traditional ruler, Chief Adepoju urged them to participate in self-help development projects in order to move the ancient

town forward.

Highlight of the occasion was the presentation of ertifi ate of reden e by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) to Chief Adepoju in recognition of his contribution to humanity and in support for youth development.

THE Association of African Traditional Religion, Nigeria and Overseas, on Thursday, said contrary to public perceptions, its members don’t indulge in ritual killings.

The President of the association, Mr Ifasegun Elegushi, told newsmen in Lagos that the public should, therefore, not always attribute ritual killings to his members.

“We are not responsible for ritual killings, we are traditionalists ,’’ he said.

Elegushi said that those who indulged in ritual killings were ungodly people but tradi-

Nasarawa monarch wants youths to embrace farming THE Abaga Toni of Toni Chiefdom in Nasarawa State, Dr Slyvester Ayih, has urged youths in the country to embrace farming in order to fight po erty and unemployment.

Ayih told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Garaku, Kokona Local Government Area of the state that youth involvement in farming would also boost the socioeconomic development of the country.

He said government at all levels and Nigerians must give priority to agriculture if the country must live be-

yond oil and improve on the standard of living of the people.

“As traditional rulers, we are the custodians of the people’s culture. We also promote peace and unity.

“It is also our duty and that of everybody else to offer advice that will make the country grow faster irrespective of our backgrounds.

“As we are all aware, government is doing its best to provide job opportunities for youths, but government alone cannot provide employment and other ba-

sic needs.

“That is why there is need for all, especially youths, to embrace farming or skill acquisition programmes to become self-reliant because the era of depending on government white collar jobs is gone,’’ he said.

According to the monarch, no society can live comfortably or survive without agriculture.

“Agriculture is the major source of livelihood of every family and nation and its importance to the development of the society cannot be overemphasised.

“If youths and other Nigerians go back to farming, it will not only reduce overdependence on oil, but will fminimise poverty, unemployment, youth restiveness and other social vices,’’ he maintained.

He commended the people in his domain for living in peace and urged them to sustain it in the interest of development of the area.

Ayi appealed to the people of the state and Nigerians to be law-abiding and tolerate one another irrespective of ethnic, religious and politi al affiliation

tionalists were people who believed in propagating the African Traditional Religion (ATR).

Also, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the association, Mr Lekan Ajirotutu, condemned the assertion that its members used to engage in ritual killings.

“Herbalists could be anybody, irrespective of religious belief,’’ he said Ajirotutu said that the Nigerian constitution allows every Nigerian to hold different religious beliefs and practice same.

According to him, the Nigerian constitution recognises: Islam, Christianity and the African Traditional Religion.

“African Traditional Religion is the way of life of our predecessors, before the advent of the two other religions.

“Therefore, no religion should be condemned at the expense of the other.

Everybody should be allowed to practise his or her own religious beliefs in a free atmosphere’’, Ajirotutu said.

Similarly, the Vice-President of the association, Mrs Folusho AdeogunOga, urged believers of the three religions to continue practising their faiths for the development of all, instead of condemning one another.

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Ogun: Security beefed up in Ijoko over cultists’ clash TOLA ADENUBI-LAGOS

T

HERE is heightened security in and around Ijoko town in Sango, Ogun State following the clash by cultists that claimed two lives at a popular motor park in the town last week. ording to findings two young men were reportedly gunned down at the motor park by a suspected cultist.

It was further learnt that the Sango Divisional Police Station swiftly deployed its men on the major roads in the town to forestall reprisal attacks by the cult group whose members were killed.

Uniformed policemen were seen carrying out routine check on vehicles, while privately dressed

security operatives were spotted in public places in the town.

Many young men were allegedly picked up at various locations in the town

and taken to the Sango police station for interrogation.

Community News later gathered that many of the young men that were

arrested across the town were Picked up because they had tattoo on their bodies.

“The police have been picking up young men

across the town in a bid to forestall reprisal attack by the aggrieved cult group which lost two of its members. The stop and search roadblocks mounted on

KRPC trains 675 youths in Kaduna MUHAMMAD SABIU-KADUNA

THE aduna efining and Petrochemical Company (KRPC) has trained no fewer than 675 youths as part of its support programmes for youths in Kaduna and neighbouring communities.

This was disclosed by the managing director of the company, Saidu Aliyu Mohammed, while declaring open the third edition of the annual Energy Correspondents Workshop in Kano.

He said the training of the youths started since 2008 and it is expected to end in December, 2015.

Represented by the Executive Director Services (EDS), Alhaji Idi Muktar, he disclosed that the company was involved in many community projects.

“We have been involved in so many projects to support the people in the communities. Such projects include construction of boreholes, provision of transformers, renovation of schools, and provision of classroom furniture.

“Our youth support programme (Youth Empowerment and Skills Acquisition Programme (YESAP), is still ongoing.

“The 2015 batch is currently in session and it is expected to complete the training in December, 2015. We have so far trained and empowered 675 youths from various communities since inception in 2008,” he said.

Ekiti State governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, buying palm oil at Elegberun Market in Ikere-Ekiti, during his visit to the community to inspect an ongoing project, recently.

Ijoko road has led to the arrest of many young men with tattoo on their bodies.

“The reason those with tattoo were picked up is because the cult groups inol ed in the fighting ha e a way of placing tattoo on their members’ bodies as a means of identifi ation “But as the saying goes, when the guilty is being punished, the innocent would partake in the punishment; the raids on yoing men with tattoo marks has led to very few innocent ones being arrested by the police.

“It is left to the police to do proper interrogation to identify the culprits.

“These artists move around town as if they are demi-gods, taking whatever they want without minding whose ox is gored. They recruit young boys into their folds even when the initiates are not students of any universities. They have even gone a step further by targeting secondary school students,” an impeccable source who preferred anonymity said.

Akure Unity Forum laments marginalisation, seeks monarch’s support

BY YINKA OLADOYINBO

THE Akure Division Unity Forum (ADUF) has solicited the support of the Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi, in its efforts to contact relevant authorities within and outside the country to contribute towards the development of Akure Division.

The chairman of the forum, High Chief Agboola Akintan, stated this in Akure, when members of the group visited the monarch in his palace.

Akintan expressed optimism that the choice of the monarch as the traditional ruler of Akure would balance sensitivity with responsibility that would earn the onfiden e of the people of the town through integrity and honesty.

He explained that the forum was put in place to foster unity among the four local government areas of the Division which include, Akure South, Akure North, Idanre and Ifedore.

He noted that the division had been marginalised in

the scheme of things in the state, adding that the need to rectify the situation also informed the coming together of the people of the division.

Akintan called on the monarch to use his position to ensure that the division is well represented in the appointment of offi ials for key positions in the state.

He said: “The forum needs the support of our royal father in its efforts to contact the relevant authorities within and outside the state towards the development

of Akure Division and for ensuring that the next Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) and the Federal College of Agriculture, Akure come from the division.

“We also crave your support in the provision of infrastructure, the reticulation of Owena dam and to ensure that the division is well represented in the appointment of permanent secretaries, Principals, head teachers and teachers.”

The forum also called on

Landowners receive N300m compensation from Ogun govt OLAYINKA OLUKOYA-AKURE

LANDOWNERS in Areke Village, Sagamu Local Government Area of Ogun State, whose land were acquired for developmental purposes has been paid N300million as compensation.

Cheques were presented to benefi iaries at e lewo, Abeokuta by the Head of Acqusition and Compensation Department of the Bureau of Lands and Survey, Mr.Michael dewale to the benefi ia-

ries at Oke-Ilewo, Abeokuta.

Adewale explained that the lands were given to investors who were ready to establish companies that would create more job opportunities for people of the host communities and the state as a whole.

He said the proximity of Areke communities to the Flowergate Industrial project would attract more investors to the area thereby boosting the industrialisation drive of

the state.

Adewale urged the host communities to be lawabiding and partner with the state government and the investors in bringing dividends of democracy to the generality of the people of the state.

Speaking on behalf of the investors, Mr. Satar Omolola of Export Trading Group (ETG) and Agro-Company Nigeria Limited, commended the state government for bringing development

to the people, promising their continued partnership with the government in advancing the economic status of the State.

The representative of the beneficiaries, Mr. Disu Olalekan, thanked Governor Ibikunle Amosun for the gesture, which, he said, had brought succour to affected communities, stating that the group was in support of the efforts of the government to move the State forward through industrialisation.

the monarch to ensure the upgrade of the state specialist hospital, Akure, to a teaching hospital and the completion of Idanre Hill tourist entre and golf field Also speaking, Professor Aboluwoye called for the intervention of the monarch in the appointment of officers in the civil service, noting that Akure North had been without a permanent secretary in the last seven years while Akure South produced one.

Responding, Oba Aladelusi assured the forum of his support in ensuring the development of the division.

He noted that someone from Akure Division deserved to be elected as the governor of the state, saying that they deserve more than the positions of vice chancellor of provost.

He said part of the solution to the challenges facing the people of the division had been addressed with the coming together of the four divisions, maintaining that the voting strength of the area always defined who becomes the governor.

The monarch said part of his struggle since he ascended the throne was to see that Akure is not shortchanged in the scheme of things in the state.

52

communitynews

Monday, 17 August, 2015

‘Communities in Abia shielding drug barons’

T

HE Abia State C o m m a n d of the Natinal Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), recenty, accused communities in the state of shielding drug barons.

The state NDLEA Commander, Mr Bamidele Akingbade, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Aba that the attitude was hindering the agency’s efforts at arresting and prosecuting drug traffickers.

“One of the biggest problems we face with fighting drug barons in Abia State is that these criminals are condoned and shielded by the communities.

“They are allowed to live freely within the communities and in most cases, they have persons shielding them from security agencies.

“These barons pay huge sums to members of the communities to shield them by refusing to volunteer information to security agencies.

“For instance, a bag of cannabis in Aba now sells for between N50, 000 and N55, 000 because there is high demand for it,” Akingbade said.

The commander said he had forwarded suggestions to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu on mea-

sures to rid the state of drug dealers.

The commander said one of the measures

is the setting up of a joint task force on hard drugs.

He urged the gover-

nor to implement the proposal, assuring that it would eradicate illicit drug business in the

AS part of its efforts to promote sustainable development in rural areas through agriculture, the British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF) has distributed cassava farm input to some farmers in Ojutaye Village, Ote, in Asa Local Government Area of Kwara State.

The distribution of the input, according to the foundation, marked the commencement of the second cycle of the BATNF-Ote Community Cassava Enterprise Value-chain Development Project, in the area.

Commending the foundation for providing support for small scale farmers in the locality, the Managing Director of Kwara State Agricultural Development Programme (ADP), Dr. Sunday Atan-

sanitise the society.

The commander also identified inadequate logistics among factors limiting the effective discharge of the agency’s operations in the state.

“For us to do our work effectively, we need enough manpower and more vehicles as we presently have just one in the command.”

Tiv community urges Benue, Taraba govs to end border killings

Chairman, Planning Committee, Ilese Day 2015, Chief Kunle Kalejaye (left) and the chairman on the occasion, Mr Oluwanbe Sogaolu, at the 2015 Ilese Day celebration held at Moslem Primary School, Ilese, on Saturday. PHOTO: TOMMY ADEGBITE

Abakaliki market traders decry demolition of stalls TRADERS in Abakpa Main Market, Abakaliki have decried the demolition of their stalls by the state government.

Some of the traders told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) during the demolition that they were not formally asked to relocate from the market before the

exercise started.

Mr Ifeanyi Abara, one of the respondents, said:”It is proper for government to put in place facilities that will improve the market.

“On the other hand, it is good for government to equally notify us to relocate,” Abara said.

Another respondent, Ja-

cob Nwaofoke, frowned on the sudden demolition of their attachment to stalls explaining that the market association did not at anytime notify them about the the exercise.

“We were called by 3 p.m. and on getting to my shop, I discovered that my goods had been destroyed.

“We were not given any no-

BATNF distributes cassava farm input to Ote farmers “The package include AKIN ADEWAKUN-LAGOS

state.

Akingbade said the eradication of hard drug business would help to

da, noted that the project, a collaborative effort between the foundation and the Kwara State Agricultural Development Project, would go a long way in bringing the muchneeded assistance to the 30 selected smallholder cassava farmers in the community through land preparation, training, input distribution and market linkages which are critical to the sustainability of the project.

He enjoined the farmers to be committed to the project so as to achieve the desired results at the end of the season, while also assuring them of the foundation’s readiness to find market for their produce.

“Work hard and produce the expected tonnage per hectare, with the support of BATNF, we will identify markets to sell your produce to,” he stated.

The foundation’s General Manager, Ms Abimbola Okoya, described the quality attendance at the event, which included dignitaries from within and outside the community and the benefiting farmers, as an attestation to the premium value of the project.

Okoya, who was represented by the foundation’s Project Manager, Remi Adewole, commended the smallholder farmers for their unwavering commitment in ensuring that the set goals of the Foundation, such as poverty alleviation and wealth creation, were met.

“What we are witnessing today is the kick-off of Cycle 2 of the project with the distribution of cassava farm input to benefiting 30 smallholder farmers for the cultivation of cassava on one hectare farmland per farmer.

farm input such as improved cassava stems, pesticides, herbicides and fertiliser. There will also be pre, on and off season trainings on best agronomic practices, post-harvest handling and marketing,” he added.

The chairman of BATNF-Ote Community Cassava Farmers Group, Alhaji Baba Seriki, thanked the foundation for the support given to the farmers through the intervention, while describing the occasion as the first time farmers in the locality and the entire community would be witnessing such an unprecedented assistance from a corporate organisation.

He assured that the input and trainings would be put into good use with the hope of delivering positive results at the end of the planting season.

tice to relocate and now my goods have been destroyed; this is my source of income and it is from here that I feed my family.’’ he said.

According to Mr James Madu, the traders are not against the development of the market, adding however, that it would have been better to inform the traders.

“We are not against government’s decision to develop the market, becuase it will make it better for all of us. But, it would have been better if they had informed the traders before taking this kind of action.

“Imagine the way our women and old mothers were running up and down to protect their goods, Madu noted.

Meanwhile, Mr Ogodoali Nomie, the Commissioner for Environment, who monitored the demolition, told newsmen that the action was aimed at improving the market and paving way for the provision of street lights, trees and other facilities to make the environment beautiful and conducive.

According to him, the repositioning of the market was to upgrade its standard and make it comparable to other markets in the country.

“The state government wants a standard market with modern facilities that would benefit Ebonyi people and I can assure you that government gave the traders adequate notice before beginning this exercise,” he said.

THE Tiv Community in Taraba State has urged Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State to liaise with Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State to bring permanent peace to warring border communities in the two states.

The President, Taraba Tiv Cultural and Social Association, Mr James Nungwa, made the appeal at a news conference in Jalingo.

Nungwa was reacting to recent killings and abduction of some people in Takum Local Government Area of Taraba State.

He expressed shock that in spite of steps taken by Ishaku to restore peace, some elements were making it to appear as if the Tivs and Jukuns do not want to embrace peace.

Nungwa alleged that there were recent killings and abduction involving Tivs and their Jukun brothers in border communities.

He described the abduction as the handiwork of some miscreants who were bent on causing crisis to enable them loot property.

“No right thinking Tiv man of Taraba or Jukun man would want to take up arms against anybody at this critical time that government is doing its best to resettle internally displaced persons.

“We condemn the killings and abductions in Takum and want to assure our Jukun brothers, the government and the entire state that we shall get to the root of the matter,’’ he said.

Nungwa said this would be done to assist government find lasting solution to the problem and urged the people to remain calm as efforts were on to ensure peace in the area.

53

Monday, 17 August, 2015 Editor: Ganiyu Salman tribunesporteditor@yahoo.com 08053789060

Rwandan club fires Nigerian coach 3 days after appointment

R Oshonaike

Toriola

Toriola, Oshonaike lead Team Nigeria to 2015 All Africa Games TWO of igeria s most respected table tennis stars, Segun Toriola and Olufunke Oshonaike will lead igeria s nine-man team to the 01 African Games holding in Congo razzaville.

Toriola, who is Africa s most decorated player, and Oshonaike will both be making their seventh appearance at the game since their debut at Cairo 1991 in Egypt.

According to the igeria Table Tennis Federation ( TTF) the nine-man team was selected based on their ranking coupled with the series of trials organized in Lagos in the last three weeks.

Toriola is the most successful player in the history of African Games having won the men s singles title four consecutive times in 199 , 1999, 003 and 00 .

Like Toriola, Oshonaike is also the most successful female player in the history of the games having claimed the women s singles title twice in 1999 and 003 while she was runner s up in 1991 and 011 will be making her seventh appearance at the multi-

sports championships.

Toriola, a six-time Olympian will be oined in the men s team by 01 ITTF Star Player, Aruna uadri, ode Abiodun, Seun A etunmobi and O o Onaolapo. esides uadri and A etunmobi who had featured at the previous African Games, Abiodun and Onaolapo will be making their debut at

the games.

Oshonaike will spearhead the female team which include African Games women s singles defending champion, Edem Offiong, Cecilia Otu-Akpan and Rasheedat Ogundele.

Also, Offiong and OtuAkpan will be making their fourth appearance at the games having debuted at Abu a 003 in igeria.

The duo is also the women s doubles defending champions having retained the title they won in Algiers 00 at the 011 edition in Mozambique.

Ogundele, who is only debutant in the female team returned to the national team having had a stint with the team to various continental and international tournaments.

WANDAN club, SC iyovu has fired igerian coach, Samuel Amamba, after three days because he could not produce the original copy of his credentials. iyovu s secretary general, Elie Manirarora, revealed that the club had terminated Amamba s contract after he failed to submit the original copy of the CAF coaching license which he claimed to have obtained from igeria.

“He gave us a photocopy of his documents and we asked him to bring the original copies but he failed which proved he might have forged the papers, so we terminated the contract, Manirarora confirmed.

The Mumena-based club announced on ednesday that they appointed Amamba as the team s head coach on a year s contract until the end of the season, which is scheduled to get underway on September 18.

Manirarora noted that the club were in no hurry to replace Amamba heading into the Agaciro pre-season tournament without a head

...As NTTF hires German coach ahead of Games To strengthen the technical crew for the 01 African Games, the igeria Table Tennis Federation ( TTF) has engaged the services of former German national coach, Martin Adomeit as its technical adviser.

However, the hiring of the coach was made possible through the financial support of the ational Sports Commission ( SC).

The German tactician guided igeria s Aruna uadri to the quarterfinal stage of the 01 ITTF orld Cup in usseldorf, Germany and he is expectedto arrive igeria this week to start working with the team in readiness for the games.

From 19 8 to 1980 Mar-

tin Adomeit worked at youth level of clubs with Germanybased Soest T and TuS Ampen. In 1981 he oined the TuS Jahn Soest and was part of the technical crew of the team s female team in the undesliga League and in 198 , he took over as coach of the women s team of the club. He also served from 1988 to 199 as honourary coach of the est German Table Tennis Association ( TTA).

In 199 , he was appointed as an assistant coach by the German Table Tennis Association TT and in 199 he ended all previous activities at club levels and took over the post of national coach of the

German female team. nder his tutelage, the German women s team won three consecutive times the European League as well as winner of the 1998 and 1999 European Ladies Team Championship while in 000, the team won silver.

For this feat, the Association of German Table Tennis Coaches named Adomeit as the coach of the year in 1999.

After the poor outing of the German team at the 000 ITTF orld Cup, Adomeit stepped down and was replaced by Richard Prause as women s coach.

Adomeit now assumed responsibility for the female unior team.

From August 00 to April 00 , Adomeit worked as coach and sporting director in Luxembourg while he also handled the elgium national team from 008 to 010.

From 010, he has been working as independent coach in camps for players and coaches for the European Table Tennis nion (ETT ) and ITTF, German Organising Committee (OC), coach education in Germany as well as personal coach to top players across the globe.

The 1 year-old ortmund-born tactician is a licensed coach, who studied at the German Sport niversity in Cologne.

coach, although he revealed they are in talks with four other candidates but without giving too much away in terms of their identities.

IAAF denies Sunday Times claim over blocking of doping study ATHLETICS governing body has denied blocking publication of a study which reportedly says a third of top athletes admitted violating anti-doping rules.

The Sunday Times said the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) suppressed the survey, conducted at the 011 aegu orld Championships. ut the IAAF said it had “never vetoed publication of this article.

It added in a statement: “This is not a new story, having first been raised on German T in 013.

The IAAF played no role in the study but said it was a “social science-based survey conducted by the orld Anti- oping Agency (WADA) and a team of researchers at the athletes village in aegu, South orea.

A leaked copy of the full study has been seen by The Sunday Times and the German broadcaster AR / R. The newspaper reports the survey concluded that 9 3 of the 1,800 competitors at the championships had violated anti-doping rules in the previous 1 months.

The IAAF had “serious reservations about the “interpretation of the results made by the research group and submitted their concerns, but got no response.

54 tribunesport

Monday, 17 August, 2015

I will score many more goals —Emenike

E

Emenike

‘Seyi Akinwunmi Charity football tourney not a money-making venture’

BY NIYI ALEBIOSU AS the preparations for the second editions of the Seyi Akinwunmi Charity Football Tournament draw nearer,the initiator, Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi who also doubles as 1st vice president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) says he is not doing it as money making venture.

Also, he said, the idea behind the charity tournament was not for him to be a football agent or to sell players but to empower the talented youths who are less privileged The Lagos State Football Association (LSFA) boss while speaking with Tribunesport at a parley in Lagos disclosed that this year’s edition of the tournament will be well and better organised and at the same

time bigger with many more discovered talents to be empowered .

“We hope to support discovered talents through his or her educational or football career so that at the end of the day such youth will be useful to the society and himself.”

He added,”I am not doing all of these because I want to sell players or make money as some people may want to believe but to give the needy opportunity to express themselves and become somebody in the society.

Tribunesport was however informed that f u n d s realised through the charity tournament will be given to some

charity organisations while part of it will be used to support the education of any of the discovered players at Greespring Internatiinal School.

MMANUEL Emenike has told AfricanFootball.com he hope to score many more goals and win trophies after he scored twice to give Al Ain the UAE Super Cup. “I’m delighted to start winning trophies, it was something I wanted to do immediately I arrived here,” he declared.

“I am in better shape to score goals and the two goals in the Super Cup is a big boost and it will definitely open the way for a lot of goals, but the fans should always give the support as they have been doing.

“I am here to score a lot of goals for Al Ain and I am still reinstating my commitment to lead the team

Lucky Omeruo joins brother, Kenneth at Turkish club

Omeruo

NIGERIA U20 and U23 invitee Lucky Omeruo is training with Turkish club Kasimpasa, who recently took his brother Kenneth on loan from Chelsea, and he could well be offered a contract.

Kenneth Omeruo’s adviser Chika Conleth Akujobi told AfricanFootball. com the younger Omeruo

How Junior Ajayi’s Esperance move hit the rocks NEGOTIATIONS were stormy in respect of Nigeria U23 striker Junior Ajayi’s transfer to Esperance of Tunisia and in the end the move hit the rocks as widely expected.

AfricanFootball.com gathered that Junior Ajayi’s party were far from impressed with the attitude and sincerity

into a successful season.

“It’s actually not about me, but the entire team because we have been working hard to ensure victories and success. My team mates are wonderful, with them and everyone involved in the club, more goals will come.”

The AFCON 2013 top scorer said he is happy at Al Ain because he is wanted and feels at home that the high expectations do not weigh him down.

“The fact is that I am wanted here, I feel at home, there are great expectations from everybody, but it does not put me under pressure, rather it has made me to work harder and be ready to do something different for real,” he said.

“I excited with the progress so far, I am getting used to the system but I still need more time to be at my best.”

of the Esperance leadership leading to them calling off the deal.

“They became too cocky and were not straight forward,” AfricanFootball.com was told by a source.

Esperance had made an audacious bid for Junior Ajayi understood to be worth

around $2.5 million.

This is on the back of blatant contract breaches b y Esperance in the transfer of Nigeria stars Emem Eduok, Bernard Bulbwa and Kingsley Sokari.

has begun training with Kasimpasa in Turkey after he impressed at a recent pre-season tournament in Malta.

“Lucky is with Kasimpasa,” Akujobi told AfricanFootball.com “I invited the head scout of the Turkish club to watch him in a pre-season tournament in Malta and they liked what they saw, so we flew to Turkey ednesday and he started training the following day with the first team.

“The initial idea of the team was he will do trials with the reserves, but after watching him against Valeta, where he was man of the match, the Kasimpasa scouts told their club he should train along with his brother in the first team.

House of Praise wins RCCG Delta 5 Football League ABIODUN JIMOH- BENIN HOUSE of Praise Area Football Team has emerged winner at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Delta Province Five Football League concluded over the weekend at the sports complex, College of Education, Warri, Delta State.

The football league organized by the Delta Province 5 Directorate of Sports played across three centres in Warri had a total of fourteen teams taken part at the event that started weeks ago. They are House of Praise Area, Daystar Area, Solid Rock Area, Hosanna Area, Calvary Area, and Redemption Hall. Others are Rhema Area, Governor’s Assembly, Jesus Embassy Area, Youth Church Area, Open Doors Area, Tender Mercy Area, and Divine Favour Area.

While giving the breakdown, the Provincial Sports Minister, Assistant Pastor Moses Philip stated that at the end of the league, House of Praise team was adjudged winner of the league with a total of twenty six points but with goals difference ahead of Daystar Area team who had similar points to finish second. Also, Solid Rock Area team placed third with twenty one points while Amazing Grace Area team placed fourth with nineteenth points.

In his remarked, Pastor Moses noted that the soccer event was played on round robin whereby teams exhibited their God given talents throughout the event. He added that it was a gainfully experienced event whereby souls were won into the God’s kingdom.

He said “Now that the league has ended, the winner will go home with a whopping sum of forty thousand naira, a set of instrument and gift of appreciation to all the players and officials while the second placed team will receive thirty thousand naira, and gift of appreciation to all the players and officials just as the third place team will also cart home twenty thousand naira and gift of appreciation to all the players and officials.

“It was an astonishing soccer event as youths who participated at the matches were able to exhibit their talents, it was a fruitful matches despite the rain and some other challenges that occurred during the league. The joy of it all is that souls were won into God’s kingdom as many of these players gave their lives to Christ after every match, we received reports from our Area pastors about these testimonies, all to the glory of Almighty God.”

55 tribunesport

Monday, 17 August, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

Rogers Cup:

Novak Djokovic complains over ‘cannabis smell’

David Silva (left) shows his agility as he looks to bring down the bouncing ball under the attention of Ivanovic on Sunday. PHOTO:DAILYMAIL

E

UROPEAN football’s governing body UEFA has complained to FIFA about an “alleged smear campaign” against its president Michel Platini.

UEFA has asked world football’s governing body to explain the apparent distribution from their headquarters of a document entitled ‘Platini: Skeletons in the closet’.

It was sent anonymously to several newspapers, reports Welt am Sonntag.

Platini is running to succeed Sepp Blatter as FIFA president.

The election is due to take place in February, with former FIFA vice-president Chung Mong-joon of South Korea, ex-Brazil player Zico and Liberian FA chairman Musa Bility having also said they will stand.

“The document, seen by BBC Sport, is entitled ‘Platini: Skeletons in the Closet’ and paints an unflattering picture of Michel Platini, asking whether he

UEFA complains to FIFA over ‘smear campaign’ against Platini is suitable to replace Sepp Blatter as Fifa’s president.

“The 1400-word article asks: ‘He [Platini] was one of Europe’s most skilful players of all time. But is he great enough to be FIFA president? Anyone taking one look in the direction of Qatar can have only one answer: no.’

“Platini is the only member of FIFA’s executive committee to admit voting for Qatar’s controversial 2022 World Cup bid.”

“I can confirm that UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino sent a letter of complaint to FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke,” a Uefa

spokesman said.

“We have asked FIFA to investigate the origin of this article because we are concerned by the reports of an alleged smear campaign against the UEFA

France forward Giroud which opened the scoring in the first half.

Also heartening for Wenger was the way Arsenal refused to be shaken

by Joel Ward’s excellent equaliser, keeping their equilibrium to regain the lead through a Damien Delaney own goal and holding firm in the closing stages to secure their first win of the season.

The Gunners hadn’t lost at Palace since 1979 and extending that run was essential as Wenger’s team try to avoid a repeat of the slow start that shattered their title challenge last season.

Key to Arsenal’s hopes

ance committee] Domenico Scala for ethics and transparency reasons.”

FIFA did not respond to a request for comment on the report in the German newspaper.

Djokovic

Mourinho, a better replacement for Guardiola at Bayern Munich —Matthaus BAYERN Munich legend Lothar Matthaus believes his former side should make an attempt to entice Jose Mourinho away from Chelsea should Pep Guardiola leave the club next summer.

Guardiola’s long-term future at the undesliga outfit

Giroud’s strike puts Arsenal back on track ARSENAL got back on track after their opening day meltdown as Olivier Giroud’s superb volley inspired a 2-1 Premier League win against Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Arsene Wenger’s side were embarrassed by a woeful 2-0 home defeat against West Ham United last weekend, but they went some way to restoring their confidence with a gritty display at Selhurst Park.

While it was still far from a vintage Arsenal performance, there were reasons for Wenger to be encouraged none more significant than the memorable strike from much-criticised

president.

“Copies of this letter were also sent to [Fifa’s independent chief ethics investigator] Cornel Borbely and [chairman of FIFA’s audit and compli-

WORLD number one Novak Djokovic complained to the umpire that he could smell cannabis on court during his Rogers Cup win over Jeremy Chardy.

After winning the first set, the Serb approached the chair, saying: “Someone is smoking weed, I can smell it, I’m getting dizzy.”

Djokovic later told reporters: “You can’t believe how bad it was.

“Whoever it is, I hope he doesn’t come back tomorrow. He’s probably on the seventh sky somewhere.”

Djokovic said he had also noticed the issue during a doubles match with partner Janko Tipsarevic on Friday.

“Yesterday in the doubles match, today again.

Somebody’s really enjoying his life around the tennis court,” he joked.

Djokovic went on to close out a 6-4 6-4 victory against the Frenchman in the semifinal.

of a first title since 00 is the form of Alexis Sanchez and the Chile winger, making a belated maiden start of the season after his country’s victorious Copa America campaign, was quickly back in the thick of the action.

After Yohan Cabaye’s shot from a Palace corner had been blocked, Arsenal broke at speed and Mesut Ozil sent Sanchez through on goal.

However, Sanchez’s ponderous touch allowed ard to block his first shot before his effort from the rebound was cleared off the line by James McArthur.

is up in the air as the Spanish tactician is yet to sign a new contract.

The former Barcelona boss could walk away from the club at the end of the season and Matthaus, who played for Bayern Munich from 1984 to 1988 and 1992 to 2000, believes Mourinho would be the ideal replacement.

‘Mourinho would be the right boss for Bayern,’ said Matthaus. ‘Mourinho is more

Guardiola

straight, more clean.

‘Mourinho tells players things straight to their faces, whether they are in the first 11 or on the bench.

‘I only hear good things about Mourinho and I have that information directly from his players.

‘Pep’s contract expires in 2016. But if he was sure about what he wants, he would sign now. My feeling is that he will leave.’

Mourinho

Despite suggesting Mourinho should be Bayern Munich’s No 1 managerial target, Matthaus has admitted it would be difficult to tempt the Chelsea boss away from Stamford Bridge despite the recent unrest after his bust-up with Eva Carneiro and Jon Fearn.

He added: ‘I know Mourinho has just agreed a new contract with Chelsea and that he feels that the club is his living room.

SIDELINES

NO 16,306

MONDAY, 17 AUGUST, 2015

I

T was not my intention today to do a discourse on the present subject.

As a matter of fact, I was going to commit myself to an eloquent prattle to counter and - more than counter – the tedious prattling going on in our political landscape stretching from Port Harcourt to Osogbo and beyond up to Abuja where Dr. Bukola Saraki and his gladiators and musketeers are still calling the shots in the upper chamber against the firm position of the chief strategists of the ruling party.

Who offers himself/herself as the contrary disputer and debater, who has the wight of mind to rifle my contention and re-work it to suit his/her conceits?

As I was giving thought to the subject, at a time I was wading through the sheets of the many, many printed discourses of the many, many newspapers yours sincerely must consume daily in order to satisfy the honey-flowing one, Eloquence, hidden and apparelled in my memory of a dictionary, I beheld a marvellous discourse entitled “The mindset of the enemy” by Femi Fani-Kayode. It appeared in the Sunday Vanguard (page 36) of August 09, 2015. The chief campaigner of the then ruling party in the past presidential election against our current president really touched me – for once in a beautiful sort of way with his subject, which he handled prettily and beautifully.

Should I enforce his argument with a similitude? As I was about to figure out an appropriate answer, my keen eyes caught three lavish advertorials, three delightful advertorials, announcing and at the same time celebrating the 65th birthday of Professor Osayuki Godwin Oshodin, JP, the immediate past Vice-Chancellor of the excellent and more than excellent University of Benin.

Clearly, quickly, with alacrity, I told myself that I must lavish out some words to add to those of the forerunners of “Happy Birthday to a Consummate Achiever!”, “65 Lofty Cheers to our Great Friend and Role Model!”, and “Behold an Outstanding Hero!” The three highly laudatory advertorials appeared respectively on pages 2, 3, and 4 of the Sunday Vanguard aforesaid. I read and read these printed celebratory discourses to see if there were far-fetched words

N150

A state government’s initiative to reduce maternal mortality is really bearing fruit as incidence of maternal mortality has greatly reduced but with interesting statistics. In just two hospitals in the state, 50,000 children had been born in five years giving an average of 10,000 child per annum. Truly the harsh socio-economic situation in the country might have hindered recreation, but it has not stopped the option of procreation.

in&out WITH TONY AFEJUKU

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Ex-UNIBEN’s VC at 65 conveying what they should not convey.

I could see none. Every word employed on the former Vice- Chancellor of Uniben was a flower extremely well-watered in a season of graceful circumstances.

Being a season, a rich season of birthday discourses, in our newspapers (and elsewhere) I attempted a comparison of Professor Oshodin’s adulations with other ones on other personages by their sincere adulators. I read birthday discourses on Dr. Alex Duduyemi, the business tycoon; His Royal Majesty, Asagba of Asaba (Prof. Joseph Chike Edozien); Chief Tony Anenih, the Mr. Fix-it of Nigerian politics; Mr. Sam Amuka, the famed journalist and owner of the Vanguard newspapers; Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, Chairman of the current ruling party – all great and iconic personages our mighty country is blessed with. I was sufficiently more than satisfied that those who celebrated Prof. Oshodin with remarkable affection even when he was not in the country on his birthday, exceedingly, in comparison with adulators of other personages, deserve to be truly praised as the subject, the personage, they celebrated without any prompting other than the “numerous exploits” and “insurmountable” success and achievements of the “remarkable statesman, intellectual, sportsman, administrator” under whose “stewardship” the institution called University of Benin moved “away from the path of strife and peril.”

All the peculiar words of praise for and on the former Vice- Chancellor may be better

The former vice chancellor is no more sitting on the chair of power, yet his celebrators still did what they did. understood especially if one understood (and still understands) that the passions they exhibit are in truth truthfully plausible and sincere. The former vice chancellor is no more sitting on the chair of power, yet his celebrators still did what they did! How many political power wielders of yesterday are still remembered today on their birthdays celebrated with pomp and pomp by flatterers who flattered them ad infinitum only yesterday? How many chief executives of this or that institution or establishment are sung today? In office each one was flattered out of his/her senses, and out of office his/her memory is consigned to a waste-basket. If Professor Oshodin is remembered today and

Man City thrashes Chelsea 3-0 SERGIO Aguero, Vincent Kompany and Fernandinho scored as Manchester City crushed Chelsea 3-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday to establish a fivepoint advantage over the champions in the fledgling Premier League table.

After going close several times, Aguero celebrated his return to the starting XI by wriggling through Chelsea’s defence to score a 31st-minute opener before Kompany and Fernandinho made the game safe late on.

The well-earned victory continued City’s impressive start to the season following

their 3-0 win at West Bromwich Albion and gave Manuel Pellegrini a first win over his nemesis Jose Mourinho since the Portuguese returned to Chelsea in 2013.

Defeat completed a miserable week for Mourinho, widely criticised for demoting his medics Eva Carneiro and Jon Fearn after last weekend’s 2-2 draw with Swansea City, and means Chelsea have failed to win one of their first two league games for the first time since 1998.

It was also a day to forget for visiting captain John Terry, who watched the second half from the bench after being substituted

at half-time -- the first time Mourinho had taken him off in 177 league games.

After a flurry of near-misses, Aguero broke the deadlock by exchanging passes with Yaya Toure, darting into the box and placing a low shot beyond the reach of Asmir Begovic, deputising for the suspended Thibaut Courtois.

Hazard forced Joe Hart into a save in the second half, but City looked more likely to add to their lead and so it proved as Kompany headed home from David Silva’s 79th-minute corner before Fernandinho drilled home from the edge of the box.

evermore, it is primarily because while he was in office he “ensured that everyone in the university community and beyond was a partaker of the common patrimony.”

Oshodin was good to the people who are his people and to the people who are not his people.

Is the former Uniben Vice-Chancellor a perfect human being? Was he a perfect administrator”? My eloquent answer to the two-questions-in-one is this: Who is a perfect one in our universe and in creation? Who is the perfect controller of our affairs anywhere in the world?

But Oshodin’s pluses far outnumber his minuses.

I should put this writing to its shore with two further adulatory advertorials which appeared in the Vanguard of Tuesday, August 11, 2015 on pages 40 and 41 respectively. The first one celebrated him as a humanist, “a self-less one” whose selflessness has made him write his name “in gold in the hearts of many who will not forget you in this life and beyond.”

The other advertorial celebrated him “as a living legend and as one who has placed service above self.”

Professor Oshodin is a lucky man, I mean a lucky man who is a lucky man.

There is no better time to die than now.

But I must will my heart to reject and perish this thought. I join all those who piously, sincerely, religiously affirmed/ affirm thus: “It is our earnest prayer that God will enlarge your coast and grant you more fruitful years” to further luck’s shore.

RESULTS

Globacom Premier League Nasarawa Utd

2

Heartland 0

Pillars

4

3SC

1

Warri Wolves

1

Dolphins

0

Akwa United

3

Sharks

1

Rangers

2

FC IfeanyiUbah 3

Sunshine Stars

4

Giwa FC

0

Lobi Stars

2

FC Taraba

1

Kwara Utd

0

Wikki

1

English Premier League Crystal Palace

1

Arsenal

2

Man city

3

Chelsea

0

Printed and Published by the African Newspapers of Nigeria PLC, Imalefalafia Street, Oke-Ado, Ibadan. E mail: editornigeriantribune@yahoo.com Website: www.tribuneonlineng.com MANAGING DIRECTOR / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: EDWARD DICKSON. EDITOR: DEBO ABDULAI. All Correspondence to P.O. Box 78, Ibadan. ISSN 2712. ABC Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation. 17/8/2015.