The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Oshiomhole taught us to fight godfathers, serve people with resources – Obaseki

    Edo State governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has vowed that there would be no going back on the crusade against godfathers in the state.

    The governor noted that fight against godfathers in the state was the path that his predecessor and current National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, taught him and others and there would be no going back on it.

    He alleged that the crisis rocking the state House of Assembly was the handiwork of somebody who wanted to use the lawmakers to control him.

    Obaseki who spoke through his deputy, Philip Shaibu, said the 7th Edo Assembly followed due process for the inauguration.

    Speaking in Benin City when the House of Representatives ad hoc committee set up to look into the Edo Assembly crisis visited the state, Obaseki said the other lawmakers-elect decided to remain in Abuja and make themselves unavailable for inauguration.

    The governor said the current crisis was history repeating itself as 15 PDP lawmakers also cried to the National Assembly in 2010 for a possible take over.

    He said he was following the path Comrade Adams Oshiomhole taught them to fight godfathers and use the money to work for the people.

    Obaseki who insisted that there was no going back on the crusade against godfathers said some demands of the lawmakers-elect could only be resolved if they were sworn-in.

    According to him, “What we have here is somebody trying to use the House to control the executive. We feel that we have fought godfather. Oshiomhole led us to a strong fight to rescue the state from the hands of godfathers in 2006.

    Read Also: Edo Speaker appoints ex-lawmaker Chief of Staff

    ”We have joined the crusade Oshiomhole started in 2007. We will not go back on the crusade because it is helping Edo people. We can now galvanise the people because they can see roads, they can see schools and infrastructure. This is because the money that used to go the godfathers now go to the people.

    ”Oshiomhole has taught us to follow the path of the people. He told us to do the needful and make sure we fight the godfathers and take the money back to the people. That is what he taught us and we will not depart from it.

    ”Those ones have not been sworn in and they decided to abscond. I have contacted them and some of them told me certain things. I said we will deal with them. I said they must be members of the Assembly first before the discussion will take place.

    ”Somebody is interested in derailing them and the reality on ground. They are not elected to serve in Abuja. They should come to be sworn in first. I can assure you that I will bridge the gap between the governor and the legislature. We need peace because we want to turn Edo to investment hub.”

    At the House of Assembly where the committee met with the Speaker,  Frank Okiye and other lawmakers, Clerk of the Assembly, Alhaji Yayaha Audu Omogbai, said 11 lawmakers-elect had not presented relevant documents.

    Omogbai said the inauguration took place at 3:30pm and not 9pm as alleged.

    The Assembly clerk  said he decided to carry out the inauguration because of the tension in the state.

    He said it was nine members that presented themselves for swearing in despite the fact that he sent messages to 13 of them that were ready.

    Chairman of the Committee, Abdulrazak Namdas (APC Adamawa) said there was hope that the issues would be resolved.

    ”We have spoken to relevant people involved in this crisis and all of them are willing and have given us their support. They are willing to sit down and say these things should come to an end.”

    Benin Monarch, Oba Ewuare II, informed the committee that he intervened in the feud between Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and Governor Godwin Obaseki but the crisis escalated.

    Oba Ewuare II spoke when he received members of the House of Representatives ad hoc committee set up to look into the Edo Assembly crisis.

  • Ogun bricklayer allegedly caught with human skulls, body parts

    A bricklayer identified simply as Hammed aka Amala has been arrested by the police after alleged  human skulls and body parts were found in his possession at  Ogere Remo, Ogun State.

    His arrest followed the interception of an unnamed member of his gang on June 17, in the community.

    Residents had alerted men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) after perceiving the stench of rotten flesh from the unnamed man’s car which  had broken down opposite a motor park.

    The suspect was able to fix the car close to the Toll Gate on the Lagos- Ibadan highway and continued with his journey.

    But the police trailed the car and caught up with the suspect who initially claimed that the   stench was coming from animal intestines.

    He later confessed that what he had in the boot of the car were human skulls and body parts.

    This enraged a mob that had gathered around the scene, threatening to lynch him.

    The  police however prevented them from taking the law into their hands.

    The suspect named Hammed as the leader of his gang.

    Read Also: Oyo police command parades 56 suspects for various crimes

    The police stormed Hammed’s residence at Ositelu area of the community where several human skulls and body parts were found.

    The alleged gang leader ,according to sources, named one Baba Fasila as his accomplice.

    Baba Fasila himself was subsequently arrested but managed to escape even after he was allegedly  cuffed.

    A witness said: “The odour coming from the man’s car was so much that people had to confront him  after he was trailed to the Toll Gate area where  he was arrested by SARS operatives.”

    It was learnt that there was tension in the community following raids carried out by the police during which several residents were arrested.

    Some residents alleged attempts by some influential people to sweep the matter under the carpet.

    A resident who gave his name simply as Adebanjo said: “We gathered that some influential people have been making overtures to secure freedom for Hammed and members of his syndicate.

    “We want to appeal to the police not to allow the alleged culprits go scot free.”

    Contacted, police spokesman in Ogun State, Mr Abimbola Oyeyemi  promised to revert to our correspondent, but was yet to do so at press time.

  • ‘Don’t pay for bail’

    The Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of the Zone 2 Command, AIG Lawal Shehu, has warned people to desist from paying money to obtain bail.

    He insisted that “bail is free and any police officer caught taking bribe will be dealt with”.

    Describing corruption as a disease, AIG Shehu said “demanding or obtaining money is corruption and a serious offence that will not go unpunished”.

    Read Also: Kidnapping: Police adopt new strategy along East-West road

    On Eid ul-Adha, a Muslim festival  coming up soon, he said his command had done everything necessary to see that miscreants would not hijack the celebration.

    He pointed out that everybody is a stakeholder when it comes to matter of security and said that any information given by anybody would be treated with utmost confidentiality.

    He commended the Inspect General of Police,  IGP Mohammed  Abubakar Adamu, for handling police affairs with wisdom and foresight.

  • NESG’s dialogue to focus on job creation, others

    The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) has confirmed that dialogue in national transformation at this year’s economic summit will focus on job creation, youth empowerment and entrepreneurship.

    10 youths with outstanding business ideas with benefit of national interest will have the opportunity to get start-up grants at the 25th national economic summit slated for October 7 and 8 in Abuja.

    NESG Chief Executive Officer, Laoye Jaiyeola, confirmed further that resource speakers from United Kingdom and China have been confirmed for the two-day summit.

    Speaking at the official launch of NESG New Brand Identity in Lagos, Jaiyeola said this year’s annual summit with the theme:  ‘Nigeria 2050: Shifting Gears’ will focus on 2050 population prediction and the place of youths in the economy.

    Read Also: Oyo lawmakers advise Governor on security summit resolutions

    Jaiyeola said: “The theme for this year’s summit became imperative to set a new agenda for Nigeria as we usher in the next industrial revolution and mark a critical strategic shift to a competitive private sector economy by 2050.

    “Nigeria has the largest population in Africa, and it is growing at 3.2% a year. The U.S. Census Bureau says that at that rate, there will be an estimated 402 million people in Nigeria in 2050. If at this stage we have not economically benchmarked standard of living and economic prosperity as a nation what will happen when the population doubles?”

    According to Chairman, NESG, Asue Ighodalo, the new brand identity is significant and a pathway to exciting new course that reflects renowned growth of economic prosperity for Nigeria at the global space with both public and private sector focus.

    He said: “This new brand identity is an exciting change for the NESG. It represents our evolution from being the ad-hoc platform founded by top private sector players in the early 1990s.

  • How to salvage judiciary — Acting CJN, Magu, others

    Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Ibrahim Muhammad, former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Thomson Okpoko (SAN), Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC),  Ibrahim Magu, and others have suggested ways of addressing the waning public confidence in the judiciary.

    Justice Muhammad advocated a concerted effort by all stakeholders to aid the judiciary in the effective discharge of its responsibilities.

    Okpoko, who regretted the sorry state of affairs in the judiciary, argued that there was need for more transparency in the operations of the court, including the process of  appointing and promoting judges.

    Magu advocated the need for commitment among lawyers and judges to rid the society of corruption and unethical conduct.

    They spoke in Abuja yesterday at a forum, with the theme: ‘Public Discourse on Justice Delivery in Nigeria:  A Framework for Reform’ put together by Justice Reform Project (JRP).

    Represented by Justice Ejembi Eko (also of the Supreme Court), the Acting CJN noted that “no society develops without justice. A society decays from injustice.

    “Help us to build a nation where no one is oppressed.”

    He hailed the organiser of the event for their commitment to judicial reform in the country.

    Read Also: Judge: Why Oyo needs more lawyers

    Okpoko, who said he was worried about the future of the legal profession in the country in view of the current unenviable state of affairs in the judiciary, warned about the consequences if things were left unattended to.

    He called for attitudinal change among players in the sector to avert a breakdown of law and order.

    Okkpoko, who noted that the quality of the output of the judiciary was increasingly dwindling, advocated a review of  the process of appointment and promotion of judges.

    “The problem is not corruption alone, intellectual incompetence has a major part to play in the matter,” he said.

    Okpoko also. expressed discomfort about the growing influence of those outside the judiciary on the operations of the sector.

    “Politicians do not only want to control politics, they now also want to control the judiciary.

    Magu said: “Irrespective of what the challenges are in the judiciary, senior lawyers and particularly judicial officers must be of high rectitude and must be seen to be so.”

    He argued that the contrary will “spells hopelessness and doom for the society.”

    He added: “The increasing successes we are achieving as a commission in the areas of convictions, asset forfeiture and recovery and in all aspects of our anti-corruption fight would not have been possible without judicial officers and legal practitioners doing their own bit.

    “Your decision to make me part of today’s event has been rewarding for me, especially your expert perspectives on the common issues that confront us all in our legal system and the judiciary,” Magu said.

    The convener of JRP, Yemi Candide-Johnson (SAN),  blamed the dwindling fortune of the nation’s judiciary on inconsistency, incompetence and corruption.

    Candide-Johnson stressed the need for all stakeholders, particularly the elite, to be concerned with the need to urgently reform the judicial system to make it function for the benefit of all.

    Candide-Johnson called for the reform of the appointment process in the judiciary to ensure that the most qualified get the job.

    Other speakers at the event included Yusuf Ali (SAN), Professor Yemi Akinseye-George (SAN), Funke Adekoya (SAN) and former Lagos State’s Attorney General, Olasupo Shasore (SAN).

  • N-Power’s stipends hit N279bn 

    The Federal Government on Friday disclosed that a total sum of N279 billion has been spent on Nigerian youths under the N-Power programme since December 2016.

    The N-Power programme is one of the National Social Investment Programmes (NSIP) introduced by the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration towards creating jobs and ameliorating poverty in the land.

    Briefing journalists in Abuja, the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on Job Creation and Youth Employment, Office of the Vice President,  Afolabi Imoukhuede, said that the money was spent on the N30,000 monthly stipend paid to the 500,000 youths engaged under the N-Power programme.

    Read Also: N-Power trains 2600 in hospitality sector

    He said that the youths were not owed a kobo under the N-Power programme.

    According to him, the first batch of 200,000 youths have earned a total of N180 billion for 30 months from December 2016 to June 2019 with a monthly bill of N6 billion.

    He further disclosed that additional N9 billion monthly bill was paid from August 2018 to June 2019, totalling N99 billion for the second batch of 300,000 youths engaged under the N-Power programme.

  • Buhari greets Soyinka at 85

    President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, as he turns  85 today..

    Buhari described the literary icon as one of the country’s greatest prides and a universal brand.

    He joined family and friends of the cerebral academic in celebrating the many years of laudable achievements, recognitions, awards  and consistency, all which have cumulated in pride to Nigerians, Africans and the black race.

    Read Also: Insecurity: Buhari urges migrants to submit themselves to e-registration 

    Buhari saluted Prof Soyinka for his intellectual momentum, interventions on state issues and polity through articles and comments, penchant for justice and persistence in holding leaders to account.

    The president affirmed that Prof Soyinka’s lifestyle sends a message to all Nigerians and Africans, especially the younger generation, that real success is measured by the intangibles of courage and impact brought to the life of others, rather than pursuit of personal interests.

    He congratulated the literary giant for projecting Nigerian and African values to the world.

    He wished him more years of health, wisdom and service to the nation and humanity.

  • Nigeria losing over N1tn to piracy – DG

    Speaking to newsmen on the sideline at the commission’s Governing Board meeting, NCC Director General, Mr. John Asein, said that effect of piracy is not only in monetary terms but also the colossal damage it does to practitioners.

    Asein noted that the over $3b is just an estimation as its actual value is almost immeasurable.

    He added: “Unfortunately, like most aspects of our national life, we don’t have exact figures, but you can only imagine when you have the size of Nigerian creative industry, you know that more than half of what should have come in goes into either piracy or other forms of abuse.

    Read Also: NCC alerts telecom consumers on rising wave of Cybercrimes

    “The losses are better imagined. This again is the reason why we must get back to the story the commission had embarked upon a few years ago which is to actually measure the contribution of the creative sector to our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) that will help us in planning. It will help government to better appreciate the exact value of the creative sector .

    “You will realize that every state has something to contribute in the creative sphere and they are not able to realize the full potential of their output that gives you an idea of the huge losses going on .

    “I don’t want to try throwing figures around, if they are not scientifically derived. So, it is better imagined when you look at the size of Nigerian creative industry .

    “We have to be more creative in all we do. What we have begun to do now is to partner stakeholders . There is a lot we can do if we work together. “

    He said the commission would be deploying technology to fight piracy as “a lot of the piracy is going online”.

    “So the commission must  be able to go online and find ways of trapping them. If we need to be one step ahead, we must be. We have to understand technology, business and then apply the law. “

    On curbing piracy in the book industry, Asein said the commission is discussing with school proprietors and would be deploring technology in addressing copyright.

    He said: “We think that we can use some verification methods to make it easy for consumers to know between pirated and genuine works. That can be done using technology. We have looked at different solutions outside Nigeria that work and we are talking with the Nigerian Proprietors Association (NPA). at this point to have in place.

    “Our plan is to have in place a crack team that will be able to monitor what goes on online”

     

  • Linklegal to bridge investment gap in Nigeria

    Lack of investors’ confidence in Nigeria is the major bane of investment growth in the country, said the Chief Executive Officer of Linklegal Consulting, Professor Ademola Abass.

    Abass said the narrative must be changed in the interest of the country at large.

    “Security of investment is needed to address identified investment gaps in Nigeria. The company is poised to offer professional and advisory services that would guide potential business investors in the country,” he said.

    Abass, a former Special Adviser on Overseas Affairs and Investment to the immediate past Governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode, stated that investors should know who to talk to in government when it comes to business and that considering the wide scope of business and investment in the country, it is imperative for experienced private organizations to also get involved in rendering such services.

    Read Also: Ekiti to take advantage of African investment windows

    In his own remark, the Consul-General of Germany in Lagos, Stefan Trumann, described the platform as magnificent and futuristic which would pilot the investment faculty of the country by bridging the gap between investors and the community.

    Also speaking at the event, a Nigerian professor of political economy and management expert, Pat Utomi, described the services being rendered by Linklegal as such ones desperately needed in the country, considering the enormous possibilities of investment in Nigeria.

    A retired Managing Director/Chief Executive of UACN Property Development Company Plc, Hakeem Ogunniran, in a goodwill message expressed the belief that Linklegal, with the track record of its CEO, will allay all fears associated with investment, including environmental security and legal protection on every investment in the country.

    Linklegal Consulting, an investment support services provider, was unveiled on Monday, July 1, at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. The event was graced by top officials in the private and public sectors, including ambassadors and investors.

  • ‘Lions Club committed to Nigeria’s development’

    The new District Governor of Lions Club District 404B-2 Nigeria, Lion Wesley Kafidiya, has reiterated the commitment of Lions Club to the development of Nigeria.

    During a press conference to announce the new Lion year, commencing on July 1, Kafidiya said that the theme of the new Lion year is “we serve with love”.

    The new District Governor said: “It is not the essence of service that matters, but the love put into that service, according to the late Mother Theresa. That is why in whatever service we do this year; we want to do it with extra love, strengthening our communities through diversity. Diversity is more than a defining characteristic for Lions. It is also the key to success. So, this year, we are going to serve with love by intentionally putting the needs of others before our own with care and compassion.”

    Read Also: Nasarawa Govt partners ALGON on rural development

    Kafidiya further said:  “As a club, we have supported the IDPs and just last year, the club raised $10,000 through grants to supply food, other items to flood victims. We will still focus on our core five areas of concern: vision, hunger, the environment, paediatric cancer and diabetes, but that does not mean that we would not attend to other areas of concern in our immediate environment.

    “The district’s major focus this year will be on the Lions Ophthalmology Centre at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex, Ile-Ife. And while the completion of the physical structure is receiving appropriate attention, we have commenced ground work towards the furnishing and equipping the facility as a tertiary/reference centre for all forms of ophthalmology services under Lions Clubs International (LCI) Sight First Programme”.

    Kafidiya, who has just returned from Milan where the new international President was sworn in and who later had the privilege of equally swearing in Kafidiya and other District Governors in all districts of Lions Club, said the Milan experience was a great one.

    “We will follow three main service programmes for the year, that is, District Core Project, Global Service Framework and Lions New Service Framework. These three will give Lions and Leos new ways to meet emerging humanitarian needs in their communities and around the world,” he added.