A man on a motorcycle sits near a signboard
campaigning against corruption along a road in Dangi district in
Nigeria's northern city of Kano, January 19, 2016
Confronting Nigeria’s culture of corruption was a primary campaign
theme of Muhammadu Buhari’s successful campaign for the presidency.
Since taking office, he has fired numerous high officials widely
regarded as corrupt, made a reputation for incorruptibility a
prerequisite for high appointments (though there have been exceptions),
and directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to launch
investigations into the allegedly corrupt behavior of numerous
high-ranking military and civilian officials.
Those arrested have included the former national security advisor,
Sambo Dasuki and Delta warlord Tompolo. However, the highest profile
arrest was that of Diezani Allison-Maduekwe,
the minister of petroleum in the Goodluck Jonathan administration, in
London as a result of a British investigation. Nevertheless, President
Buhari’s anticorruption campaign has already gone further than that of
any of his predecessors since the resumption of civilian government in
1999.
The Buhari administration is continuing to raise the corruption ante. It has just negotiated an agreement
with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on mutual legal assistance on
criminal and commercial matters and on extradition and the transfer of
sentenced persons. (The package also included agreements on taxation and
trade promotion.) These new agreements provide a mechanism for the
repatriation to Nigeria of stolen funds from the UAE and the extradition
of Nigerians who have fled there.
The Nigerian media is reporting that “panic” among “corrupt” Nigerian
officials, whom, it has long been thought, have favored the UAE as a
place to park ill-gotten gains. The UAE is a popular destination for
wealthy Nigerians because of its highly developed infrastructure and
luxurious accommodations. The Premium Times cites an
investigator who maintains that at least $200 billion stolen from the
Nigerian treasury has been “stashed in banks and invested in properties
in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.”
Lawyer
and human rights activist Dr. Tunji Abayomi is taking another shot at
the Ondo State governorship election. In this interview with Deputy
Political Editor RAYMOND MORDI, the All Progressives Congress (APC)
chieftain justifies why he should be given a chance to govern the state. Why do you want to be governor of Ondo State?
The first thing is that, why is government constituted among people?
The essence of government is to have a sovereign to which the people
delegate their powers, to realize for them what you might call the
possibilities to make life fulfilling; in terms of their hopes and
aspiration and in terms of development. The whole essence why I’m
running for governorship is because I believe that the above natural
expectations of citizens of Ondo State have not been met. In the case of
Ondo State, since the present government came to power, it is not only
that they have not been met, they have been defeated. Those who are
following developments in the state are embarrassed because Ondo State
happens to be the state that receives the highest allocation from the
federation account in the Southwest. Yet, it is embarrassing that the
state cannot pay salaries. I was looking at the rating of states
recently on the internet; I think as at today, the state is facing a
challenge: its expenditure is about N6 billion per month and the total
income is five-point-something billion naira. So, it is an indebted
state. So, my mission is to see how I can turn the fortunes of the
people around, through discipline, commitment to vital ends, responsible
choices, compassion which would reduce the tendency for corruption and
intelligence, as well as connection worldwide. There are about 18 aspirants gunning for the APC ticket. What gives you the edge?
It is very simple; the first thing is that I have been in this
journey since 2007 and in each instance I’m always the most popular
candidate. As a matter of fact, they call me gomina mecunu
(governor of the masses) in Ondo State. I’m more or less the Buhari of
Ondo State. The second thing is that if you trace the journey of my
right, you will know that by natural disposition, I’m closest to the
ordinary people. Thirdly, out of all the competitors, I do not believe
that there is one person who can claim to have the kind international
connection that I have; as a lawyer, I have represented three presidents
— Olusegun Obasanjo, Jerry Rawlings of Ghana and President Vladimir
Putin of Russia. Apart from that, I have been a member of the board of
the Kennedy Centre; I have brought a member of the British House of
Lords to this country; and I have connections with Canada and other
Western countries. But, also, I have indigenous knowledge to know where
the problems are, because of my constant and regular interactions with
the people. Indeed, most people in Ondo State see me as a man of
principle; a man that is consistent. I have never equivocated in terms
of my standing since 2004 when I joined the defunct Alliance for
Democracy (AD). As a matter of fact, in spite of so much pressure, from
the PDP by virtue of my relationship with Obasanjo or the Labour Party
(LP) because of my friendship with Governor Olusegun Mimiko, I never
changed my position. If we also look at the temperature of this time,
the atmosphere of Buharism, I think I fit into it much more than the
other aspirants.
What is your assessment of the performance of Governor Mimiko?
The performance of the current governor is very poor in my view. For
instance, it is actually embarrassing that it cannot pay salaries as we
speak — two months salaries. Secondly, when you look at the income of
the state — by the last count I understand it is over N900 billion and
place it against what has been achieved, you will realise that it has
not achieved much. What has it achieved? It unnecessarily renovated what
needed not to be renovated; an eight-kilometre road in Akure, the Oba
Adesida Road, as well as the road from Akure Airport to the town. That
is the extent of the road construction that it has done so far. The
government also attempted some work in the health sector: it built what
it called Mother and Child Centre, which is nothing more than a
maternity clinic. But, it made so much noise about it. In any case, it
even makes more sense in my view to expand the maternities attached to
the various general hospitals that were built from deep thinking by the
late Obafemi Awolowo. Those general hospitals are located in different
communities in the state. In education, the government built mega
schools; everything is mega. But, to my mind, it does not show deep
thinking to spend such huge amount to build mega schools. The idea of
community schools during the Awolowo era was to reduce the anxiety of
parents by having schools within walking distances, so that the pupils
can walk to school within their neigbourhood easily. And it is more
manageable because it serves the community. The irony is that there are
no pupils for the mega schools today. In my view, the money should have
been spent to develop and modernize those community schools. In fact,
Mimiko’s government is characterised by waste, lack of vision,
mismanagement of resources and lack of deep thinking in terms of
choices. Ondo State represents the pain and disappointment of Nigerian
citizens. Given your experience in 2012, have your party leaders given
assurances that there would be a level-playing ground this time around?
Yes, I had confrontations with the leaders of my party the last time
(Rotimi) Akeredolu was picked. Then, Akeredolu never said anything about
me because he knew that my disagreement was based on principle. It is
like this; if you are studying for an exam and before the exam the
authorities declared that somebody has come first; it is wrong and
unfair. Immediately I left Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, I called Akeredolu to
brief him on my discussion with Tinubu. I concluded my discussion this
way: I’m of the view that it wrong politically; if I were you, I will
reject it and insist that a free and fair primary is conducted. That was
why Akeredolu never said anything negative about me. In fact, I notice
that he has been standing on the same principle in recent times.
Besides, if you look at the recent primaries in the APC, most of the
candidates that emerged were not the ones favoured by the party. But,
the people chose the candidates they preferred. It is like (Kwame)
Nkrumah said, the people have the right to govern themselves by their
choice. The people are sovereign; they are the ones that will choose the
person that will govern them. As human beings, it is normal for leaders
to have preferences and perhaps do something to push it. What is wrong
and unacceptable is to simply take over the process and have your own
way, to the detriment of the populace. But, things are different now and
we hope that it will continue that way. I think the press should help
us in this regard, to discourage the tendency for money politics;
because you cannot be asking for men of integrity and at the same time
be asking for abnormal money during primary: do you want them to steal
the money? If they spend a huge amount of money during the primaries,
when they get into government what will happen? So, we have our people
to appreciate that the end we are advocating for is good governance in
the overall interest of the generality of the people. What Buhari is
doing now is to turn the tide, to see whether something good can still
come out of Nigeria. I belong to that camp, the community of Buhari
advocates. What would be your priorities, if you are given the chance?
The first thing is to tap the mind of the people, to develop their
possibilities. I will tell the people to develop their mind; every
revolution is a product of the mind, not a product of the hand. The
first thing is, how do I now tap the mind? I will start with the youths;
I will challenge them. I will create centres for invention, design,
development and innovation and I will challenge them to come up with
ideas; what they can do to transform the society in every area and I
will back it with resources. If that happens, I can tell you that our
society will be transformed. I saw a typical example in a friend’s
house, when I went to Abuja. There were 35 products made of wood; that
means that if I encourage the carpenters, they can create products even
for exports. I tried something a while ago; I took local artisans to
NICON Hotel, in Abuja, many years ago. I said, this is where the
wealthiest Nigerians live; look around and picture what you can do, if
given the resources. After that, I took them back to Okeagbe. If you get
to my house today, you will never believe those things were not made in
Italy. This means that the mind is a powerful object and that is why it
is often said that it is a terrible thing to waste. Given the state of the economy, how would you source funds for your developmental projects?
First and foremost when government is disciplined in terms of choices
and avoidance of waste, it can manage within its means. Look at what
the head of the international Monetary fund (IMF) said the other day;
she said in spite of the dwindling revenue from crude oil that Nigeria
does not need an IMF loan, if she manages her resources very well. So,
if the leadership is disciplined, the state can survive. One of the
biggest tragedies is the consumption of government; the amount if the
wealth of the people that is consumed in government house is abnormal.
They order for a set of cars this year and the following year they will
order for more. What is wrong with the ones in their garage? Buhari is
teaching us; he is still using the same car. Why must the leadership
spend so much when the people are starving? It is the turn of Ondo North Senatorial District to produce
the governor, but people say there is an Akure agenda to install another
governor from the Central District …
I think it is due to lack of understanding. If we even take a
governor from Akure, what would be the advantage to the people of Akure?
As a capital city, most development is centred in Akure since the time
of Adekunle Ajasin. So, Akure dies not gain any advantage; that’s number
one. Secondly, I was speaking with one of the prominent political
leaders in Akure recently; he said our people are not realistic. Is it
possible for a governor from Ondo town to spend eight years and in the
next dispensation another governor is picked from within 30 kilometres
from the town? I agree with him; it cannot work.
Things are organised in Ondo State. The next zone that would produce
the governor is always allocated the deputy governorship position. When
Ajasin was governor, he took his deputy from Ekiti, but eventually Ekiti
was excised from Ondo State. When Adebayo Adefarati (Ondo North) became
governor, the deputy came from Ondo South, which eventually produced
the next governor in the person of Olusegun Agagu. When Agagu became
governor, he picked his deputy from the Ondo Central and afterwards the
zone produced the next governor in the person of Mimiko. When Mimiko
became governor, he took his deputy from Ondo North. So, it is the turn
of the North to produce the next governor.
The
national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (Apc) has taken
the bull by the horns by reconciling the factions in Ekiti State in a
bid to reposition the crisis-ridden chapter as a formidable platform.
Odunayo Ogunmola examines the impact of the peace move.
Ekiti State All Progressives Congress (APC) was hit by a crisis,
following its outster from power by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
two years ago.
The chieftains started to trade blames. Since 2014, a lot of water has passed under the bridge.
APC is the ruling party at the federal level, former Governor Kayode
Fayemi is a minister and the last local government election was
boycotted by the party and majority of voters.
Before the appointment of minister, various interest groups in the
party were locked in intrigues, lobbying and horse trading with the
party’s national secretariat and the Presidency was flooded with
petitions against “ministerial aspirants”.
It was widely believed that any group that got the ministerial slot would gain the upper hand in the “battles” that lay ahead.
The suspense over who becomes minister dragged on for about four
months before it was resolved with the appointment of Fayemi by
President Muhammadu Buhari.
Following the angst created by the loss of the governorship poll, not
less than four factions emerged in the party, although their promoters
always maintain that they are not factions but “interest groups” or
“caucuses” raised to revive the party.
The groups include the APC state executive, which is believed to be
loyal to Fayemi and other party members, who served in his
administration referred to as the Isan Group. the Action Group is led by
a Special Adviser on Political Matters in the Presidency, Senator
Babafemi Ojudu; the Bibiiire Coalition is led by former House of
Representatives member Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele; the Restoration Group
initiated by four former House of Representatives members- Hon. Bamidele
Faparusi, Hon. Ife Arowosoge, Hon. Robinson Ajiboye and Hon. Bimbo
Daramola-and the Justice Group led by Chief Sesan Fatoba, former
commissioner during the Adebayo administration.
Although the APC is not in power, the various groups are positioning
themselves to get appointments and patronage in the emerging APC Federal
Government and ahead of the next governorship primary and election
anytime the opportunity beckons.
With the key appointments in the Presidency and the FEC already
settled, eyes are now on the commissions, boards and agencies of the
Federal Government.
Realising that the party needed unity to realise its dream of
bouncing back to power, the national leadership held a meeting with the
caucuses last December, with a view to bringing them together to chart a
new course.
Shortly before the meeting, they had earlier met the APC National
Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; National Chairman Chief John
Odigie-Oyegun; National Secretary Mai Mala Buni; National Vice Chairman
(Southwest), Chief Pius Akinyelure and the Secretary to the Government
of the Federation, Babachir David Lawal.
Those at the meeting included former governor of old Ondo State,
Evangelist Bamidele Olumilua, former Senator, Chief James Kolawole,
former Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Ronke Okusanya and Prof.
Joseph Oluwasanmi.
The meeting, according to a source, was centred on the issue of
appointments which was settled with the submission of names, from the
caucuses into the federal commissions, boards and agencies.
Another issue at the root of the crisis of confidence in the party
was the matter of the dissolution of the state party executive led by
Chief Olajide Awe, which some groups in the party believe is loyal to
Fayemi.
The aggrieved groups are calling for an Executive Council (EXCO)
which, according to them, will represent all shades of opinions in the
party. They insist that the Awe-led EXCO, which they accused of leading
the party to defeat in several elections, must go to allow a new set
that will represent all shades of opinions.
The clamour for the dissolution of the state EXCO led the
stakeholders to Ila Orangun, Osun State to hold a meeting with the
former APC National Interim Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande.
Akande is believed to be in charge of the organisation of state
congresses, hence the recourse to him to find a way of dissolving the
Ekiti EXCO to pave way for a fresh congress where a new set of party
executives will emerge.
A very reliable source said the last meeting held in Abuja on
December 16, 2015, was at the instance of the former governor and Deputy
National Chairman (South) of the party, Chief Segun Oni.
The meeting was said to have commenced at 12 noon and lasted till 6.00 pm.
The December 16 meeting was attended by former Governor, Chief Niyi
Adebayo, former Deputy Governor, Prof. Modupe Adelabu, state Chairman,
Awe; his deputy, Mrs. Kemi Olaleye; members of the Seventh Senate,
except Sen. Olubunmi Adetunmbi; members of the Seventh House of
Representatives, excluding Bamidele.
Also in attendance were former Chief of Staff to Fayemi Hon. Yemi
Adaramodu; former Special Adviser on Parliamentary Affairs Hon. Dapo
Karonwi; former Assembly Majority Leader Hon. Churchill Adedipe; former
Assembly member, Hon. Bunmi Oriniowo; state Publicity Secretary, Hon.
Taiwo Olatunbosun.
The list also includes: Former Secretary to the government Dr. Gani
Owolabi; former Special Adviser (Governor’s Office), Chief Biodun
Akin-Fasae; Elders Forum Publicity Secretary, Dr. Adebayo Orire; former
Commissioner and Afenifere leader Hon. Funminiyi Afuye; former
governorship aspirant Chief Babatunde Odetola; and Mr. Kayode Afolabi.
The source revealed that Oni, who set the ball of discussion rolling,
appealed to the interest groups to sink their differences and come
together as a formidable and united front.
The source said: “Oni opened the discussion that we should become one
and united, so that we will be focused to fight a common enemy. He said
the party needs a unity of purpose because Ekiti people are not happy
with the Ayodele Fayose-led PDP government at the moment.
“Oni said Ekiti needs the APC now to salvage them from bad governance
and rudderless leadership going on in the state, hence the need for all
interest groups in Ekiti APC to close ranks and work towards returning
the party to the Government House to give quality leadership to the
people.
“Former Governor Adebayo in his own contribution said he is not
against any caucus in the party, as there are no political parties
without caucuses but infighting should not be allowed to kill the party
and affect its electoral fortunes.
“Former Deputy Governor, Prof. Adelabu appealed to members to bury
the hatchet, saying the APC is the natural habitat of all members
irrespective of groups to which they belong.
“Chairman Awe who spoke thereafter toed the line of Oni; he expressed
his delight that we came to the meeting because that was the fourth
attempt to invite us.
“But, we members of the Action Group insisted that we are not against
anybody, but that the party must be reconstituted and must be open to
allow others interested in joining to do so without let or hindrance.
“We told the national body that we don’t like the way the three
former governors have been treating Olumilua; that he should be carried
along in the scheme of things.
“We have been holding meetings in Olumilua’s house on the need to
restore unity to the party, be it Action Group, Restoration Group,
Bibiire Coalition and Justice Group. It is only the Isan Group that has
not been holding meetings with us.”
“From the body language of the (state) party leaders, the party is
now open to all members. In fairness to her, the Deputy Chairman, Mrs.
Olaleye, who is the most senior EXCO member on ground, adopted
friendlier approach to members of other caucuses.
“The executives no longer antagonise members of other caucuses and
this is a good development and a direct result of the Abuja parley and
we believe they would build more on it.”
Another major breakthrough resulting from the Abuja peace parley was
the visit to Olumilua at his Ikere Ekiti country home, by Adebayo, Oni
and Fayemi.
The visit, which delighted many party members, was seen as the implementation of the Abuja parley.
Fayemi said he is interested in pursuing unity and ensuring that the
party waxes stronger, adding that there are no factions but interest
groups working assiduously to restore the party back to power.
According to him, a party is formed by members who come from various
backgrounds with the intent of capturing power for the benefit of the
people and in party politics, disagreement is normal.
He said the Ekiti APC is on the right track as its teeming members
are still intact and are working hard to keep the party stronger, virile
and more united.
Fayemi explained that the unity within the party was brought to the
fore by the agreement of leaders and members not to participate in the
last council election and to challenge the composition of the state
electoral agency in the court of law.
The former governor described the election of the new local
government administrators as “an illegality which will not be allowed to
stand.“
Consequent upon the Abuja parley, the Action Group caucus held a
meeting where 12 resolutions were made. The resolutions which were
conveyed in a communique made available to our reporter reads:
“We agreed that we are all members of the party (APC), with a resolve
to make the party stronger, vibrant and viable; we agreed that the
party is our veritable jar from which all of us have drank and will
continue drink; we agreed that the party is sick today and requires the
right treatment, which may include surgical operation; we all agreed
that no sacrifice is too small from any quarter within the party to
ensure that the party regains the lost glory; and it was a shock that
some elements in the party have taken unilateral actions to suspend
some members within our party.
“We all agreed that such negative steps already taken by some leaders
in some local governments and wards should be reversed, particularly
those wards and unit excos allegedly suspended from the party in Efon
should refrain from doing so.”
It was also agreed that the state EXCO should set up a fact-finding
committee to visit Efon and meet with Chief Mrs. Ronke Okusanya, Hon.
Dapo Karounwi and other leaders, as well as the local government EXCO,
with a view to resolving the crisis. This should be replicated in other
local governments as a way to foster unity within the party.
Other resolutions, according to the comminuque, are: “We agreed that
members of the Action Group and other groups are bonafide members of APC
in Ekiti and nobody should pronounce otherwise or threaten to suspend
them from the party.
“We all agreed that there is the need to forge a new understanding within the party in Ekiti State.”
The question was asked as to how Olumilua, who hitherto was excluded
from the ex-governors caucus, was classified. It was agreed that he
should be one of them and we mandated Oni and Otunba Adebayo and the
State Chairman to meet with Olumilua with a view to giving him the
deserved recognition.
The communique also reads: “We agree that after the Evang. Olumilua
meeting, another should be convened with all the other groups within the
party including the Bibiire/Labour Party group in attendance, to
further unify the party.
“We agreed that there should be cessation of hostilities, especially in the newspapers and on the social media.
“We agreed that the fine point of restructuring and reforming the
party for better effect has not been addressed at the last meeting, as
it was simply exploratory and that there is the need for further
meetings in various strata of the party.”
The interest groups also celebrated the appointment of Ojudu as
senior political aide in the Presidency which they described as well
deserved and an indication that the state chapter is blessed with
personalities who can prove their mettle in the country.
The state chapter praised President Muhammadu Buhari for the
appointment of Ojudu as Special Adviser on Political Matters. Publicity
Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, said in a statement that the appointment
reinforced the importance of Ekiti State in the nurturing of the party
for the challenges ahead.
Lagos—NOTABLE scholars were yesterday unanimous in
their call for meritocracy to be entrenched in the manner Nigeria is
governed in order to have strong institutions needed for growth. They
also noted that the prevailing malfunctioning of the various
institutions of the state, makes it imperative for the Federal Character
Principle to be abolished.
The scholars, who took this position in Lagos at the 79-year
anniversary colloquium in honour of Prof Anya O. Anya, said the practice
of quota system in Nigeria is inimical to growth. At the forum which
was entitled: ‘’Creating an Enabling Environment for Private Sector- Led Growth: Education, Institutions and Creative Destruction,’’
it was agreed that what Nigeria needs in the face of the current
economic crisis is to regig it’s institutions in order to inspire
growth.
Those at the event include Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Prof George Obiozor,
Prof Pat Utomi, Prof Oye Ibidapo Obe, Mr. Fred Agbeyegbe, Chief Lawson
Omokhodion and Mr. Laoye Jaiyeola among others. In his remarks, Utomi,
who was the moderator of the event, said: ‘’Most agree that things would
have been much worse without the work of the Nigeria Economic Summit
Group. Yet it is often noted that government has not drawn from the
conclusions of annual economic summits or implemented even those things
it has committed to with the kind of discipline that will earn it an
execution premium. If institutions that support private sector
investments and reduce the drag of corruption and toll gates that delay
permits, licenses and harassment by tax agencies are reduced, new growth
can herald the Nigeria renewal. Political will is key to making that
happen.
‘’People are upset about the collapse of the price of crude oil but I
am extremely happy because it may bring the madness in Nigeria to an
end. We can not afford this madness until the entire citizenry is alive
and awake because what Nigeria needs is growth.’’
Also speaking, Obe said: ‘’We need to have total commitment to merit.
The quota system and federal character are not helpful. They are
retrogressive even to those who it is meant to help. There should be
competition based on merit. That is the only way to avoid the wrath of
the youths. Let us put aside primordial sentiments and think because we
need to face facts and say things the way they are so that we can move
on.’’
Anya said: ‘’The panelists found a way of injecting the Nigerian
realism into the discussion. That is good. Change will happen but it may
not be the change we are clamouring for but the one God wants. I want
young people to chose their role models wisely. In doing that they
should be conscious of the values that are important.’’On his part,
Omokhodion said: Trust has left the society. The tangible measures of
trust are not there. Institutions don’t work because people don’t get
appointments on merit. By practising quota system, we have consistently
denied ourselves the ability to help push Nigeria forward.’’
ABUJA—President Muhammadu Buhari,
yesterday, in Nairobi, Kenya, said that non-clean up of oil spillages in
the Niger Delta especially in Ogoniland, was responsible for the
militancy the region witnessed in times past.
The president consequently vowed to clean up the land by implementing
the United Nations Environmental Programme, UNEP’s recommendations to
save the land.
President Buhari made the promise during a visit to the United Nations Office in the Kenyan capital. Ogoni land and President Buhari
He also appealed for more support from the United Nations in the clean up of the region.
He said: “When I came into office on May 29, 2015, one of the first
tasks I carried out was to authorise the implementation of the
recommendations of the UNEP report for the clean-up of Ogoniland.
“The devastation caused by oil spillage has destroyed many lives and
livelihoods and is clearly one of the reasons many people in that region
lost faith in government and resorted to the many criminal activities
we are seeing in the region today.
“The action our government took to implement UNEP’s recommendations
has given the indigenes of the region hope that there are better days
ahead. Let me, therefore, express appreciation on behalf of the
Government of Nigeria to UNEP and other development partners for their
cooperation and support on this very delicate matter and also request
for their continued support as we implement the recommendations and
transform the fortunes of the region.”
President Buhari also applauded the outcome of the 21st session of
the Conference of the Parties (COP 21) to the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change, UNFCCC, held in Paris, France, in
December last year.
He called for rapid urbanization as the world population increases
English Premiership giants Manchester United have joined the race to sign CSKA Moscow striker Ahmed Musa.
The Super Eagles skipper is on the wishlist of
table-toppers Leicester City who have already made of bid in the region
of £15 million but it was rejected by the Muscovites.
The Foxes now face competition from Manchester United,
with the Old Trafford side opening a line of communication with Musa’s
United Kingdom – based agency.
South
African defender Eric Mathoho (L) tries to stop Nigerian attacker Ahmed
Musa during the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying football match
between Nigeria and South Africa at Akwa Ibom stadium in Uyo, Nigeria,
on November 19, 2014. AFP PHOTO
Having said that, Leicester City remain in the driving
seat to capture the signature of the former VVV Venlo and Kano Pillars
star and they are expected to make another bid to CSKA Moscow on or
before the next 40 hours.
Ahmed Musa has contractual obligations with the Russian
Premier League side until the summer of 2019, having prolonged his
contract last summer.
Head coach of Ikorodu United
Football Club of Lagos, Edema Benson has declared that his wards are
battle ready for the new Globacom Premier League season due to kick off
next month. Speaking to Sports Vanguard at the club’s launch in Ikorodu
yesterday, the former Nigeria international who guided the team to
promotion within a season said, “we are aware of the challenge ahead of
us and I will say without equivocation that we are ready. This is our
first season in the top flight but we are not scared of any team as big
names don’t play football.”
Drawing inspiration from what is happening in the Barclays Premier
League, where a relatively ‘small’ club, Leicester City is topping the
table at the moment, Benson said, “we want to replicate what Leicester
City is doing in England here in Nigeria. We played Enyimba in Otta a
few days back, it was tough for them as we drew the game 2-2. We are not
going into the league as second rate. We will justify our place in the
Premier League as worthy representatives of the good people of Lagos
state, and Ikorodu in particular.”
Benson showered encomiums on his players as he recalled their
struggle for promotion: “The beginning was not easy. We lost the opening
game and from then on we never looked back again.”
Chief
Saliu Adetunji, the Balogun Olubadan of Ibadanland, next in line as the
Olubadan, yesterday expressed appreciation to God, saying he is ready
for the throne.
Hundreds of indigenes converged on his residence of Popoyemoja in the heart of the city to rejoice with him.
Amidst the felicitation, High Chief
Adetunji, 87, after meeting with members of his family, said: “God is
wonderful to me. The utmost ambition of any traditional Chief in
Ibadanland is to ascend the throne of Olubadan, God has made that
possible for me this year.I don’t have anything than to thank Him for
making me the first Olubadan in my lineage.”
High Chief Adetunji was on January 1
promoted alongside others following the death of High Chiefs Sulaiman
Adetunji and Omowale Kuye.
People struggled for space inside the two-storey building.
Canopies were erected in the compound, which was filled with people.
Two big cows were tied to the side of the building. Two had been slaughtered to prepare food for the guests.
Drummers were busy welcoming guests.
Among the guests were chiefs, religious
leaders, musicians, businessmen, traders, members of the National Union
of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and politicians. Also there were Aare
Musulumi of Yorubaland,
Alhaji Dauda Makanjuola, Chief Imam of
Ibadan, Alhaji Abdul-Ganiyu Agbotomokekere, former Oyo State Governor
Victor Olunloyo , Baale Ekotedo, Chief Taiye Ayorinde and Mr. Lowo
Obisesan.
Two of the 23 children of the Olubadan-
designate, Miss Suliat Adetunji and Adijat Adetunji, said: “We are very
happy that he has been able to get to this level of becoming the
Olubadan-in-waiting. We thank God for His special grace .
Suliat (30), who is the last child described their father as “amiable” and “kind”.
The eldest child, Prince Mukail
Adetunji, said when their father was promoted to Balogun, they never
thought it would be so soon.
The Olubadan-designate is the proprietor
Of Babalaje Records. He started his journey to the throne in 1972 when
he was made Mogaji of his family compound.
He was a tailor for many years, making both native and English dresses.
High Chief Adetunji is a music marketer
with three marketing companies -Omo Aje Sound Studio, Adetunji Label
and Babalaje Records, which he founded 55 years ago.
More than 2000 people have benefitted from free health programme organized by Mike Egbayelo Foundation.
The programme, which took place in Apapa Local Government Area,
Lagos, was part of the independent mobilization programme for the All
Progressives Congress (APC), Apapa.
The one week event afforded residents of Apapa to benefit from the
free BP and blood sugar test, free cancer screening, free eye test and
glasses, free drugs and treatment.
The chairman of the occasion, Pa Sarumi Adebayo, was full of praises
for Egbayelo, whom he described as worthy of emulation.. “I wish we have
people who are thinking about the welfare of our people. If we have
people who want to come and help, please they should not hesitate, “ the
party leader advised.
The convener of the Foundation, Mike Egbayelo said the event was a
significant milestone in the life of the foundation, which aims to
provide supports for the All Progressives Congress (APC) .
According to him, one does not need to seek political appointment to
render assistance. He assured the exercise would be a continuous one.
“Today’s event is a confirmation of the progressive and
people-oriented programmes of our party and a way or saying thank you to
Apapa people for making APC their number one party in the local
government. Free and qualitative healthcare is one of the cardinal
programmes of our party, and thus we are aligning with this philosophy
to prove that APC is the party to beat.”
It will be recalled that the foundation began its intervention last
year by the provision of cash support of N10, 000 each to children of 10
widows in secondary schools and N100, 000 (one hundred thousand naira)
grant to a deserving student who secured admission to a private
university to support the tuition fees.
The foundation equally facilitated gainful employment to 12 Apapa youth from our 5 wards in Apapa Local Government.
For
the first time since 2003, the price of Brent crude, the world’s
benchmark oil yesterday sold below $28 a barrel, America’s crude grade –
West Texas Intermediate (WTI) $26.62 and OPEC basket grade $23.85 a
barrel on Tuesday.
Despite over 25 per cent slump in oil
price so far this year with the attendant pains and fears, oil drillers
and producing nations have continued to pump more oil into an
oversupplied market. Oil traders are concerned that the crude oil supply
glut could last longer.
The world stock markets are declining. Nigerian stock market last week lost over N455 billion as stock prices failed to rally.
The extent of challenge before the
government and the citizens can be explained in the concerns over the
implementation of this year’s budget. Currently the government has
proposed to borrow $1.8 trillion to fund the budget based on a benchmark
of $38 a barrel. Today the price has dropped below $27 a barrel
creating a shortfall of over $10 a barrel in the budget benchmark.
The International Energy Agency (IEA)
said in a report that the world may soon drown in oversupply. Senior
market analyst at Price Futures Group, Phil Flynn said there is also “a
record short position in hedge funds and we have the promise of more
Iranian oil on the world market. Add it all up and it’s causing the
crude-oil market to crater around the globe.”
Iran’s production is expected to ramp up
fairly significantly this year. The country projects that its
production will increase by 500,000 barrels per day (bpd ) in the coming
weeks, along with a further 500,000 bpd in the next few months. The IEA
in its monthly oil market report projected it will rise by 0.3 million
bpd by the end of the current quarter, and by 0.6 million bpd by
mid-year. The EIA expects it to average 3.1 bpd in 2016, an average
increase of 300,000 bpd across the entire year.
A university don at the Pan Atlantic
University, Dr Austin Nweze confirmed it would be a challenging year for
the country. He said the price of oil will get worse before getting
better, adding that the return of Iran into the mainstream will worsen
the situation.
Minister
of State for Labour and Employment, James Ocholi, said yesterday that
government has no data of the unemployed persons and those who are
employed.
The Minister said the government plans
to bring all skill acquisition centres in several ministries under one
roof for maximum utilisation.
Speaking at the APC secretariat, Ocholi
said the government plans to employ many untrained graduates and train
them to teach in secondary schools
He explained that the Teacher
Conversation Programme is aimed at mopping up unemployed graduates, but
have degrees in relevant areas and can teach Secondary School Students.
The Minister decried the lack of
statistical data of the unemployed, saying: “Before we got to where we
are, there was no data anywhere. There is no data of the unemployed. In
fact there is no data of the employed. It is a bad situation”.
He said the ministry has started the
process of gathering data of both the unemployed and the employed
Nigerians saying: “As l talk with you, there are experts working on the
software on how to capture the details of the unemployed and the
employed.
“And for those who are employed, there
are many who are in the wrong places. There are many who are in working
and they are not enjoying the job and want to have jobs better than what
they are doing.
“There is a firm that we have sourced
for, working with the National Directorate of Employment, (NDE) right
now. The NDE has done a pilot scheme in Bwari and they have an office in
Lobito crescent right now working in preparation for a mega scale.
“What it takes to get that data ready is
part of our work. Our work does not begin when the data comes out
because the data itself does not employ people.
“So we have decided to identify how many
skill acquisition centres we have in this nation and the capacities of
each one. There are more than 76 of them. We have also discovered that
the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs has a lot of skill centres in the
Niger Delta region which were built but do not have capable hands with
resources, with skills to be able to train. The Ministry of Agriculture
has several as well as the Ministry of Finance.
“So we have decided to do a memo to the
Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) for Mr. President to
galvanize all such centres and bring them into one fold. Then we can do
a planning on how many people each centre can take for the next three
months.
“We will look at what is the nature of
the skill that can be acquired within that period of time, what do we do
to sustain those people that will acquire the skill and when you
acquire those skills, what stipends can be paid to them to keep them in
the training so that while being trained you earn something. That will
bridge the gap between now and when they open their shop and begin to
employ labour”.
•Lana (left) with some high chiefs at the palace in Ibadan ...yesterday.
PHOTO: FEMI ILESANMI
Another
chieftaincy line in Ibadan, the Seriki, has headed for the court to
stop the Oyo State Government and the Olubadan-In-Council from
installing the Balogun of Ibadan, High Chief Saliu Adetunji, as the
Olubadan of Ibadan land.
The Head of the acclaimed line, Chief
Adebayo Oyediji, and five others yesterday filed a motion seeking an
order compelling the government and the Olubadan-In-Council to instal
Oyediji as the Olubadan.
Oyediji, 89, and others based their
prayer on a 1989 Supreme Court judgment, which ordered the recognition
of the Seriki as the third line to produce the Olubadan.
According to him and the motion filed by
his lawyer, A.G. Adeniran, before the Oyo state Chief Judge, Justice
Mukthar Abimbola, the Olubadan -in-Council had since 1989 when the
Seriki line obtained a Supreme Court judgment in their favour, denied
them the opportunity of being admitted into the Olubadan line.
The businessman alleged disregard for
rule of law on the part of the Olubadan -in-Council. He said he was the
next to be installed Olubadan based on the said judgment.
The motion will be heard next Wednesday.
According to him, the alleged
marginalisation of the Seriki line began since the last Otun Seriki,
Chief Adisa Akinloye, was denied the opportunity before he died in 2007.
He said that Seriki was the third line in the chieftaincy of Olubadan,
adding upon the denial, the Supreme Court in 1989 ordered that Seriki
line be included as the third line to the appointment of Olubadan.
Oyediji claimed that the problem with
the Seriki line started with the making of the 1959 Ekerin Balogun of
Ibadan Chieftaincy Declaration which put Seriki under the Ekerin Balogun
of Ibadan and provided for the first time that Seriki can only be
promoted to Ekerin Balogun only if there are two simultaneous vacancies
occurring in the Ashipa and Ekerin Balogun titles.
He explained that upon winning against
the then Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Oloyede Asanke, and all the Chiefs in
Balogun and Olubadan line, after challenging the said chieftaincy
declaration, the Olubadan then prevailed on the Seriki chiefs not to
insist on three lines for the Olubadan chieftaincy, but that rather
chiefs in the Seriki line should cross to Ekerin Balogun and Ekerin
Olubadan on the two lines whenever there is a vacancy in any of the two
lines.
According to him, the out-of-court
agreement was that the Balogun and Olubadan lines would each have two
steps of promotion from Ekarun to Ekerin in their lines before the
Seriki line shall have its own promotion to Ekerin in any of the two
lines.
Having been denied the opportunity for
long and following the consecutive deaths of high chiefs Sulaimon
Omiyale and Omowale Kuye from both sides in November and December last
year, Chief Oyediji said that it was the time of Seriki to have a shot
at the Olubadan, stressing: “When the agreement was reached, the late
Oba Odulana was the only senior ranking high chief in the Olubadan line
and we were in the same rank. If that agreement was followed, I am the
next person to succeed him.”
In the new motion filed by his lawyer,
Adeniran, dated 19/01/2016 marked I/421/07 seeking an amendment to
reflect the earlier order of the court, he sought a declaration that “by
the provision of the consent judgment delivered by the high court in
suit No. I/313/88, it is the turn of the claimants to produce the next
Olubadan of Ibadan on both the Olubadan line and the Balogun line”.
He also sought the order of the court
“setting aside the purported appointments made by the 1st defendant (Oba
Odulana) to fill vacancies existing in the chieftaincy titles of Ekerin
Olubadan, Ashipa Olubadan, Osi Olubadan, Otun Olubadan and Balogun
Olubadan of Ibadan since the 21st of November, 2008 up till the last
appointment he made on the 1st of January, 2016”.
Oyediji also called for an order
“setting aside the purported approval granted by the Governor of a Oyo
state on the 5th of January, 2016 or thereabout to the appointments made
by the 1st defendant on the 1st of January, 2016 to fill vacancies
existing in the chieftaincy titles”.
EFCC chief Magu: more looters will go to prison
Magu at The Nation...yesterday PHOTO: ABIODUN WILLIAMS
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Acting Chairman Ibrahim Mustafa Magu spoke yesterday on the fight against corruption, saying it will be unsparing.
Besides, the EFCC boss agreed that the rate of convictions in corruption cases may be low, but he is sure that more looters will go to jail this year.
The anti-graft czar, fondly called The General, said every stakeholder seems to be more serious about fighting corruption. “From all indications, the judges are more serious, everybody is cooperating and this year, we will see more politically-exposed persons convicted. We will flush out corrupt people.”
He assured all that the process will be transparent. He also promised to discharge his responsibility “with the fear of God, in the national interest, and strictly observing the rule of law.”
Magu, who spoke during a visit to The Nation’s headquarters in Lagos, said he had been trying to mobilise Nigerians as stakeholders in the fight against corruption.
The EFCC boss praised the management and editorial team of The Nation, saying the paper has come to stay among the builders and molders’ of the nation. “Within a space of nine years, your brand has joined the league of shapers of our society by your incisive and, sometimes, explosive reporting. I must say that as an agency which believes in vigorous expression of its mandate, the EFCC is at home with your style of reporting and the candour of your esteemed columnists,” he said.
Magu said he was mobilising support, opinions, ideas and strategies that are necessary to strengthen the anti-graft battle.
“We need more support; it is about Nigeria, not an individual, the fight is for everybody, from the media we have to go to the grassroots, we will take it to children in the schools; we have to tell the children that corruption is bad, tell them why there is no chair in the classroom.
“We will sensitise everybody to the evil of corruption. We need to let people know that corruption is bad because some people don’t seem to know,” Magu said.
In his view, corruption is an attack on Nigeria and a “deliberate and calculated wickedness” against the nation’s existence. He decried the impunity with which public servants helped themselves to the commonwealth of Nigerians.
“The impunity is too much. Sometimes I shed tears in the morning before I go to the office. It is just unbelievable; the rot is terrible. What I am saying is that people who know they have stolen our commonwealth should bring it back,” the EFCC chief said, adding:
“People arrogate things to themselves. They have taken our money and are bold enough to say they are not going to return it. The money belongs to the people; they should return the money quietly; let there be voluntary compliance. Let them voluntarily come out to say ‘this is what I have stolen’ and the government will take it. I think that is the best thing to do.”
Magu commented on the handcuffing of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) spokesperson Olisa Metuh when he appeared in court, saying, there is nothing wrong in handcuffing an accused. “It is not coming from us(Nigerian Prisons Service —NPS— brought Metuh to court), but there is nothing wrong with that actually. They have a right to use their discretion; you are not there, there must be reason. There are instances when you handcuff a suspect, but let them explain themselves.”
He said the Commission was receiving renewed interest and cooperation from foreign agencies and there will be no hiding place for treasury looters.
He said the EFCC was building a strong institution with enhanced capacity for the staff but will require more funding. “The people need their capacity to be enhanced; they need funding. We are still renting offices all over the country. There is one massive building of the EFCC that has not advanced because of funding. If we go into that place, we are going to have security of documents, evidences and witnesses. The staff will be better protected. This is the kind of intervention that we are asking the Nigerian people.”
Magu said there will be need for new laws tailored for fighting corruption. “It is important for the lawmakers to be put on the hot seat. If you make one law for the person who steals a goat to go to jail for 11 years and somebody who with pen and paper commits money laundering of over N5 billion for minor years, it is not proper.”
To him, what is seen as the low rate of conviction in corruption-related cases is not the EFCC’s problem.
Magu said: “It is not the job of the EFCC to convict people. The EFCC hands of after taking them to court with evidence and witnesses. But, they know how to drag this thing. After six, seven or 10 years’ witnesses die, you can no longer call for evidence and Nigerians are saying EFCC has not convicted this or that. So, we need to refocus and make new laws that will channel our activities properly.”
Economic slowdown in Europe and China, dropping prices of oil, mean shrinking of budgets in Nigeria. This coincides with a year that will be the decisive test of Buhari’s administration. A much needed reform of the bureaucracy is required if he is to deliver on campaign promises to reduce corruption and diversify the economy.
While many nationalists support his refusal to devalue the naira, few are happy with the alternatives: stringent controls on foreign exchange and economic slowdown.
Buhari is also oil minister, and has expressed his determination to complete the first phase of reforms of the State-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation by March. However, there are a number of political figures who could create problems for the President in the passage of these reforms.
The administration is facing a revival of the political unrest over oil revenues in the Niger Delta. With the extension of the Amnesty Program, an opportunity presents itself for the meaningful reintegration of Delta militants and the ending of stipend payments. However, in the past week, militants in Delta State attacked oil and gas pipelines of Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) costing the economy billions of Naira, a sign of the difficulties ahead.
Despite 2016 looking to be dominated by economic and security issues, the impetus of COP 21 has focused attention on global carbon emissions, and will be looking to Africa’s largest oil producer to contribute to these efforts. Nigeria is the world’s second largest flarer of natural gas, coming second only to Russia. In other countries this gas is collected and used to generate power. Harnessing this gas to fuel a domestic power supply would be an important step for Nigeria, both reducing emissions and improving access to energy.
With growing global commitment to the advancement of women’s rights, there are also hopes that Nigeria will move closer to gender equality in 2016. However, last year’s elections highlighted that Nigeria remains a patriarchal state, despite its National Gender Policy that commits the country to an Affirmative Action quota of 35% for women in public office. After the National Assembly elections, just 8 women out of 109 made it to the Senate (7.3%), while 14 won seats in the 360-member House of Representatives, accounting for just 4%. Partnership between civil society, the private and public sectors are needed to reinforce the role of women in society in order for them to penetrate the men’s world.
So with a year of uncertainty ahead, a longer term challenge will be the PDP’s ability to claw back some of its support outside of its heartland in the Niger Delta.
Nigeria international Victor Obinna Nsofor is on the road to recovery after missing the last two months due to knee injury.
The attacker had an individual session with the MSV Duisburg
physiotherapists on Tuesday and there are indications he will be fully
fit before the resumption of Bundesliga 2 in the first week of February,
allnigeriasoccer.com reports.
The 28 – year – old was one of the standout players at MSV Duisburg before his injury.
The former Inter Milan and West Ham star made six appearances in the
second – tier and scored once against Union Berlin on September 26.
How
can Nigerians enjoy good health in 2016? It is by adopting the World
Health Organisation (WHO) template, report OYEYEMI GBENGA-MUSTAPHA and
WALE ADEPOJU.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) is the global policeman for
health matters. It has a template for member-countries in healthcare
delivery.
According to the WHO, the right to the highest attainable standard of
health requires a set of social criteria that are conducive to the
health of all people.
In addition, the availability of health services, safe working
conditions, adequate housing and nutritious foods is non-negotiable.
This is because achieving the right to health is closely related to that
of other human rights- the right to food, housing, work, education,
non-discrimination, access to information, and participation.
Nigerians do not enjoy optimum healthcare. Some do not even have access to.
To WHO, the right to health includes both freedoms and entitlements: Freedoms include the right to control one’s health
and body (e.g. sexual and reproductive rights) and to be free from
interference (e.g. freedom from torture and from non-consensual medical
treatment and experimentation). Entitlements include the right to a system of health
protection that gives everyone an equal opportunity to enjoy the
highest attainable level of health.
Health policies and programmes have the ability to either promote or
violate human rights, including the right to health, depending on the
way they are designed or implemented. Taking steps to respect and
protect human rights upholds the health sector’s responsibility to
address everyone’s health. Disadvantaged populations and the right to health
According to WHO, vulnerable and marginalised groups in societies are
often less likely to enjoy the right to health. Three of the world’s
most fatal communicable diseases – malaria, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis –
disproportionately affect the world’s poorest populations, placing a
tremendous burden on the economies of developing countries. Conversely
the burden of non-communicable disease – most often perceived as
affecting high-income countries is now increasing disproportionately
among lower income countries and populations.
Within countries, some populations, such as indigenous communities
are exposed to greater rates of ill-health and face significant
obstacles to accessing quality and affordable healthcare. This
population has substantially higher mortality and morbidity rates, due
to non communicable diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular and chronic
respiratory diseases, than the general public. People who are
particularly vulnerable to HIV infection, including young women, men who
have sex with men, and injecting drug users, are often characterised by
social and economic disadvantage and discrimination. These vulnerable
populations may be the subject of laws and policies that further
compound this marginalisation and make it harder to access prevention
and care services. Nigeria can do well by looking into this. Violations of human rights in the health sphere
Violations or lack of attention to human rights can have serious
health consequences. Overt or implicit discrimination in the delivery of
health services violates fundamental human rights.Many people with
mental disorders are kept in mental institutions against their will,
despite having the capacity to make decisions regarding their future. On
the other hand, when there are shortages of hospital beds, it is often
members of this population that are discharged prematurely, which can
lead to high readmission rates and sometimes even death, and also
constitutes a violation of their right to receive treatment.
Similarly, women are frequently denied access to sexual and
reproductive healthcare and services in developing and developed
countries. This is a human rights violation that is deeply engrained in
societal values about women’s sexuality. In addition to denial of care,
women in certain societies are sometimes forced into procedures, such as
sterilisation, abortions or virginity examinations. Human rights-based approaches
A human rights-based approach to health provides strategies and
solutions to address and rectify inequalities, discriminatory practices
and unjust power relations, which are often at the heart of inequitable
health outcomes.
The goal of a human rights-based approach is that all health
policies, strategies and programmes are designed with the objective of
progressively improving the enjoyment of all people to the right to
health. Interventions to reach this objective adhere to rigorous
principles and standards, including: Non-discrimination: The principle of
non-discrimination seeks to guarantee that human rights are exercised
without discrimination of any kind based on race, colour, sex, language,
religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin,
property, birth or other status such as disability, age, marital and
family status, sexual orientation and gender identity, health status,
place of residence, economic and social situation’. Availability: A sufficient quantity of functioning public health and healthcare facilities, goods and services, as well as programmes. Accessibility: Health facilities, goods and services
accessible to everyone. Accessibility has four overlapping dimensions:
Non-discrimination; physical accessibility; economical accessibility
(affordability); and information accessibility. Acceptability: All health facilities, goods and
services must be respectful of medical ethics and culturally appropriate
as well as sensitive to gender and life-cycle requirements. Quality: Health facilities, goods and services must be scientifically and medically appropriate and of good quality. Accountability: States and other duty-bearers are answerable for the observance of human rights. Universality: Human rights are universal and inalienable. All people everywhere in the world are entitled to them.
Policies and programmes must be designed to be responsive to the
needs of the population as a result of established accountability. A
human rights based-approach identifies relationships in order to empower
people to claim their rights and encourage policy makers and service
providers to meet their obligations in creating more responsive health
systems. Federal and state ministries of health expected response
WHO has made a commitment to mainstream human rights into healthcare
programmes and policies on both national and regional levels, by looking
at underlying determinants of health as part of a comprehensive
approach to health and human rights. In addition, WHO has been actively
strengthening its role in providing technical, intellectual and
political leadership on the right to health including the following,
which Federal and state ministries of health can adapt:
Strengthening the capacity of WHO and its Member-states to integrate a human rights-based approach to health;
Advancing the right to health in international law and international development processes; and
Advocating health-related human rights, including the right to health.