September 10, 2015 by The Nation

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2015

NEWS

Rivers: Army says election didn’t hold in Tai local govt

HE Army yesterday said election did not hold in one of the local government in Rivers State – Tai – because of the activities of hoodlums who allegedly caused violence and prevented intending voters from participating in the last governorship election in the state. A Captain of the Army, Garba Sani, who said he was instructed by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Maj-Gen. Tukur Buratai to testify before the Rivers State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja, said he did not witness election in Tai Local Government where they were deployed to maintain peace and order during the election. Sani, who said he is from the Bori Camp, Army Barracks in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, explained that he received the directive of the army authorities through the Directorate, Legal, of the Nigerian Army after his unit received “a signal” about the subpoena served on the Chief of Army Staff, Maj.-Gen.

From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

Tukur Buratai. Efforts by lawyers to Governor Nyesome Wike and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to prevent Sani from testifying failed as the tribunal Chairman, Mohammed Ambrosa, overruled their objection to the soldier giving oral evidence. Sani, who said he led 37 other soldiers on a patrol of Tai, one of the state’s 23 local government areas, stated that he was before the tribunal on the directive of army authorities. Led in evidence by Akin Olujinmi (SAN), lawyer to the petitioners – All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate for the election, Dakuku Peterside, Sani said his team patrolled the local government from about 6pm on April 10 to April 11. During cross-examination by the respondents’ lawyers – Okey Wali (SAN), representing Wike, Ifedayo Adeipe (SAN) representing the PDP and Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN) for the Independent National

Electoral Commission (INEC) – Sani insisted that he never saw where election took place in the entire Tai on the day of the poll. ”In some places where they attempted to conduct election and we saw people on queues, after we passed by, we would receive calls that thugs have disrupted the electoral process and before we ?got to such places, the election process would have been disrupted, everything would have scattered. “That was how these things started and went on up till when election was supposed to have ended. We could not gain access easily because there were roadblocks. My soldiers would come down and remove the roadblocks.

“That was what we encountered till the following morning. Bunu was the place we met the highest number of roadblocks and as we were removing the roadblocks they would block the roads again,” the witness said. Sani stated that as they left Bunu for Korokoro, they heard gunshots from unseen persons. He added that at Korokoro, they encountered “hundreds of thugs” who also blocked the roads and were wielding machetes. I was able to arrest some of the thugs carrying machetes and handed them over to the police.” He added that on the election day in Nonwa town, some election officers of the INEC were wounded by thugs

and that his men had to take them to INEC office at the local government headquarters. “In Nonwa, we got report that some thugs came there to disrupt the electoral process and a corper (a member of the National Youth Service Corps) named Jelil, was wounded and was rushed to the hospital. We had to rescue INEC staff from the spot to INEC office in the local government area?,” Sani said. Another of the petitioners’ witnesses, Abie John-Jerry, who was the APC agent in Ward 3 of Tai Local Government, also confirmed that election did not hold on April 11 in his area. “There was no election, no

election material and no election personnel. Anybody who said election held is a joker,” John Jerry said during cross-examination. Before the commencement of trial yesterday, the tribunal in line with the order of the Court of Appeal delivered rulings on the pending motions filed by the respondents. It dismissed two out of the three motions. It granted part of the one in which the respondents sought deletion of some portions of the petitioners’ statements on oath which were said to have leveled criminal allegation against some persons who were not parties to the petition. Further hearing resumes today.

Navy redeploys 61 senior officers

HE Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-EteIbas, has approved the redeployment of 61 senior officers of flag ranks. The appointments affected 28 Rear Admirals and 33 Commodores. A statement by the Director Naval Information, Commodore Kabir Aliyu, said the redeployed senior officers would resume in their new units in the third week of September 2015 The statement said: “Rear Admiral SU Chinweuba, formerly Admiral Superintendent Naval Dockyard Lagos, resumes as Chief of Naval Engineering, Naval Headquarters while Rear Admiral PA Agba, formerly Chief of Logistics has been appointed Chief of Naval Transformation. Read Admiral JA Ajani has been moved from Defence Headquarters to Naval Doctrine and Assessment Centre as Admiral Superintendent while Rear Admiral SI Alade, formerly Chief of Naval Transformation, moves to the National Defence College as Commandant. “Furthermore, Rear Admiral AA Dacosta moves from Defence Headquarters to Naval Headquarters as Chief of Naval Safety and Standards, Rear Admiral KB Ati-John is now Director of Plans, Naval Headquarters. Rear Admiral BA Egbedina moves to Defence Headquarters as Chief of Administration from Naval Training Command where he was Flag Officer Commanding, while Rear Admiral MM Salami resumes as Director of Policy Naval Headquarters. Rear Admiral OC Medani, formerly Chief of Training and Operations is now Director, Project Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate. Rear Admiral GA Anyankpele, formerly Chief of Administration is now Chief of Logistics Naval Headquarters. Rear Admiral HH Babalola, former Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Naval Command is now Chief of Training and Operations at the Naval Headquarters, while Rear Admiral EG Ofik resumes as Flag Officer Commanding, Logistics Command. “The redeployment also affected Rear Admiral AL Akintola, who is now the Admiral Superintendent Naval Dockyard Ltd, Lagos. Rear Admiral JKZ Ango, formerly Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command resumes as Chief of Administration, Naval Headquarters, while Rear Admiral JD Michika resumes at Defence Headquarters as Director of Logistics. Rear Admiral JO Okojie formerly Admiral Superintendent Naval Ordinance Depot moves to Defence Headquarters as Director of Plans. Similarly, Rear Admiral JO Oluwole resumes as Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Navy Holdings Limited and Rear Admiral AA Osinowo moves from the Defence Headquarters to Naval Training Command as Flag Officer Commanding. Rear Admiral AS Abdulkadir is now the Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Naval Command. “Additionally, Rear Admiral RO Osondu, formerly Admiral Superintendent Naval Doctrine and Assessment Centre is now the Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command, while Rear Admiral AO Odeh, formerly Managing Director, Naval Engineering Services Limited, resumes at the Naval Shipyard Limited as Admiral Superintendent. Rear Admiral UE Essien resumes at the Naval Headquarters as Director of Operations from the Defence Headquarters, while Rear Admiral SO Paul resumes as Admiral Superintendent Naval Ordinance Depot. Rear Admiral AO Suleiman, formerly Chief Staff Officer at Naval Training Command is now the Flag Officer Commanding, Central Naval Command, Yenagoa. Other senior officers affected include Rear Admiral BEE IbeEnwo, Deputy Commandant, AFCSC Jaji, Rear Admiral SAG Abbah, Director of Logistics,Defence Intelligence Agency, Rear Admiral T Dick, Director of Training, Defence Headquarters and Rear Admiral DO Ajatoye, Commandant, Nigerian Navy Engineering College, Sapele.”

•Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (middle) launching the African Global Commission Report on Governance, Security and Development, organised by Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development, in Abuja...yesterday. With him are Amb. Babagana Kingibe (left) and Chairman/Founder, Savannah Centre For Diplomacy, Democracy and Development, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari. PHOTO: NAN

Manufacturers brace for competition after Dangote’s price cut

ANUFACTURERS of cement are set to take the competition tussle a notch higher, following the slash in the price of the essential commodity by the nation’s largest producer, Dangote Group. Dangote Cement, which is also Africa’s largest producer, is said to have cut prices in an attempt to boost cement consumption. The price cut to its 3X cement brand by N6 000 ($30.23) per metric tonne, translating to N300 reduction per 50kg bag, still allows Dangote to achieve strong returns, CEO Dangote Cement, Onne van der Weijde, said in a Lagos. Meanwhile, a survey across the country showed that dis-

tributors and retailers were beginning to implement the new price regime, resulting in gradual decline in its price across the country. A retailer in Benin City, Edo State, Sebastian Iwemgiwe, noted that cement which was sold at N1,850 per 50kg bag has, since last week, reduced to N1,650 per bag and is likely to decline further. The claim of price reduction was corroborated by other retailers, including Opeloyeru Eniola in Ojodu area of Lagos State, who said: Although I am still selling his old stock, I am aware that the price for the next supply has been reduced.

While observers are of the opinion that the ongoing African operation expansion must have given Dangote cement a leeway to bring down domestic price of the product, the cement giant is also reportedly hoping the lower prices will help increase export sales to neighboring nations where it has no presence yet. Team head, Chapel Denham, Tajudeen Ibrahim, had in reaction to the reports of price reduction by Dangote Cement said: “We expect the other cement producers such as WAPCO, UNICEM and AshakaCem in the Lafarge Africa Group and Cement Company of Northern

Nigeria, to cut cement prices, being price-takers in the industry,” “The sales volumes of the cement industry may however not rise on the back of the price cut, as the relationship between price and consumption is weak,” said Ibrahim. According to the analyst, the drag in infrastructure developments due to government’s weakening fiscal strength and pressured consumer wallets will slow down the demand for building materials, industry watchers say. Gross domestic product expanded 2.35 per cent on an annual basis, compared with 3.96 percent a quarter earlier, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, (NBS).

Saraki: my experience as Senate President challenging

ENATE President Bukola Saraki yesterday described his experience since assumption of office three months ago as both interesting and challenging. Saraki spoke while answering questions from reporters after his official tour of the National Assembly Complex in Abuja. Saraki assumed office on June 9 under controversial circumstances. The tour was the first by any Senate president since 1992 when the National Assembly moved to its present location. Saraki noted that the reward-

From Onyedi Ojiabor, Assistant Editor

ing aspect of the job was the support he received from his colleagues, the management and staff of the National Assembly, Nigerians and the international community. Asked about his experience since assumption of office he said: “Well, it is interesting, challenging but I think what is rewarding about it is the support from one’s colleagues, the management and the enthusiasm that you see going round with some of the staff of the National Assembly. Also, sim-

ilar support from Nigerians from all walks of life and the international community” He said the familiarisation tour was meant to allow him and the principal officers of the Senate to have on-the-spot assessment of the environment for good understanding of issues and challenges being faced by staff and management of the National Assembly. Saraki said: “The Assembly complex represents the image of the National Assembly, So, it is important for us to see what the issues are and have an understanding of the environment. Unless you go round

and have a firsthand understanding, sometimes, it is difficult for you to understand what are the issues and challenges for all the staff, their conditions, productivity and all that. By the time I go round, I will have a better understanding and I will know what the issues are and we will be able to tackle them one by one.” On his impression of the situation in the complex after the tour, Saraki said: “By and large I think for an institution like this and over the many years of its existence as well as the number of staff, I think the maintenance is generally acceptable.”