The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Supreme Court verdict: Rep urges Osun PDP to be steadfast

    The House of Representatives member representing (Oriade/Obokun Federal Constituency of Osun State, Oluwole Oke, has urged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members in the state to remain steadfast and prepare for future elections.

    Oke was reacting to the Supreme Court ruling on the state’s governorship election, which upheld the victory of All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola.

    The lawmaker congratulated Oyetola and urged the governor to bring his wealth of experience as a financial engineer to bear on governance.

    He added: “He should see every citizen of Osun as his. I urge every citizen to support him to succeed, while remaining vigilant as well.”

    Oke spoke at the weekend in Abuja, the nation’s capital, following the verdict of the apex court.

    The lawmaker emphasized that though the decision of the highest court in the land came against PDP hopes, desires and expectations, its members should be consoled and remain committed to the tenets and values of the party.

    Read Also: Osun: Jubilation as Supreme Court upholds Oyetola’s election

    He said: “The lessons here is for us as lawmakers to go back to the drawing board, think through our laws, constitution and the Electoral Act to avoid a situation where both the electoral body or the courts will usurp the duty or functions of lawmakers.”

    Oke thanked the party’s leader and businessman, Dr. Deji Adeleke, for his moral, financial and spiritual support since his younger brother, Senator Ademola Adeleke.

    The lawmaker lauded the efforts of Senator Adeleke for his sacrifices, adding that he went through a lot.

    He said: “My thanks and appreciation to our party leaders, particularly our chairman, for his doggedness and hard work and our teeming party members and supporters for their belief in us.

    The lawmaker noted that Governor Oyetola will remain in power in the next three and a half years pursuant to the Supreme Court ruling.

    “I, therefore, wish to urge our members to remain vigilant and watchful and ensure delivery of democratic dividends to our people,” he said.

    According to him, the resources accruing from the Federation Account to the state, the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and from grants belong to the people.

    Oke said the governor must prudently and efficiently manage the state’s resource for the benefit of the all and sundry.

  • The Nation columnists Odunuga, Osuji get appointments

    The Nation duo – Yomi Odunuga and Steve Osuji – have got political appointments.

    Odunuga, the Abuja Bureau Chief and Deputy Editor (Nation’s Capital), is now the Special Adviser (SA) on Media and Publicity to Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege.

    Born on June 2, 1966, Odunuga, a poet, lyricist, reporter and columnist, started his journalism career with The Punch over two decades ago. He was, for several years, the State House Correspondent of the paper where he maintained two columns – Life in Abuja and the popular weekend treat, called Inside Aso Rock.

    His insightful and critical analysis of the intriguing politics of that period earned him accolades and recognition, which later saw him being promoted to the position of Abuja Bureau Chief at The Punch.

    In 2006, he was elevated to the position of Group Political Editor of The Punch.

    He later joined The Nation as an Assistant Editor and Bureau Chief in Abuja. At the newspaper, his rested Punch newspaper column, called Knuckles, transformed into Knucklehead, which offered him the opportunity to continue his weekly interrogation and critique of the socio-political developments in the polity.

    The 1990 best graduating student of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, has attended several journalism courses in Nigeria and outside the country.

    Read Also: Queen Moremi tours the nation

    The widely-travelled journalist is married to Toyosi Odunuga and the couple is blessed with children.

    Osuji, a member of Editorial Board, was appointed by Imo State Governor Emeka Ihedioha as Special Adviser (SA) on Media.

    Osuji, a member of Editorial Board
    Osuji, a member of Editorial Board

    A graduate of Mass Communication from the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Osuji is an experienced and respected senior journalist of over two decades.

    Born in September 1962 in Lagos, he attended Executive course at the Lagos Business School in 1986.

    Osuji was once Deputy Manager at the defunct Liberty Merchant Bank and Manager at Union Merchant Bank.

    The columnist has been editor in many of the major newspapers, including The Guardian, ThisDay, NewAge as well as Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Imo Newspapers Limited.

    He edited the NewAge Newspaper between 2003 and 2007 and became the Chief Press Secretary to former Imo State Governor Ikedi Ohakim between 2007 and 2011.

    He joined The Nation as a member of the Editorial Board in 2011 and kept a Friday column, called Expresso.

  • Reps restate commitment to cordial relationship with Executive

    The House of Representatives has reiterated its commitment to work harmoniously with the Executive as President Muhammadu Buhari confirmed the reappointment of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, and the Chief of Staff (COS) to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari.

    Deputy Speaker Idris Wase made the promise at the weekend while congratulating the two for their re-appointment.

    In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Umar Puma, the lawmaker said the reappointment was timely, appropriate and deserving.

    Read Also: Setting the agenda for Abba Kyari’s second coming

    According to him, the duo contributed significantly to the Change Agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    “He (Wase) enjoined them to build on the policies that have defined them as good administrators while sustaining the programmes and developmental agenda of President Buhari’s administration.

    “Wase also commended the President for the re-appointment and expressed National Assembly’s redness to continue to work with the them in order to turn around the fortunes of our beloved nation Nigeria,” the statement added.

  • JAMB to prosecute exam cheats, impersonators

    The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) on Sunday said it had received requests for change of names, dates of birth and others since it announced that it would probe the results of Nigerians and shame those who cheated the system in the last 10 years.

    The board said some of the complaints it had received were from prominent persons in the society over request to either change their states of origin, local government areas, dates of birth, gender or email addresses and subject combination of candidates.

    JAMB’s Head of Information, Dr Fabian Benjamin, stated this in a bulletin issued yesterday in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

    The spokesman said the board decided to crosscheck and revalidate the biometrics of past candidates owing to the number of complaints it had received.

    He said the board believed that the complaints were means through which some candidates cheated the board and the system in the past.

    According to him, the board has vowed to publish the names of the imposters to serve as deterrent to others as well as stem the antics of professional examination takers.

    Read Also: There is a sponsored campaign against JAMB – Oloyede

    “This step was taken as a result of the huge applications received by the board aimed at perfecting fraudulent acts that had aided impersonation in the first instance.

    “It is to be noted that the board has in recent times been inundated with series of complaints bordering on change of name, state of origin, local government, gender, date of birth, phone number, email address and subject combination of candidates.

    “The board, in the course of its attempts to block all forms of examination malpractices, discovered that one of the ways candidates employ for impersonation is to engage professional examination takers, who register and use the candidates’ names and afterwards apply for correction of such details along the lines listed above.

    “To address this, the board has resolved to revalidate all biometrics of candidates that have taken the board’s examinations, fish out these impersonators and prosecute them along with their sponsors,” he said.

    Benjamin also said the board discovered “series of pathetic situations that some elite schools put their candidates through”.

    The spokesman noted that such schools engage in group registration in order to make money, adding that this act distorts the data of such candidates.

    “The public should be mindful of elite schools which exploit parents by collecting huge sums of money to register their students in groups, more often at unauthorised centres,” he said.

  • NNPC promises more support for good cause

    In line with its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has promised to continue its support for good causes across the country.

    The corporation said it would especially lend its support for children to become responsible citizens.

    NNPC’s Group Managing Director, Dr. Maikanti Baru, made the promised at the weekend during a visit to the Learning Centre of the North East Children’s Trust (NECT) in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

    He was accompanied by his successor, Mallam Mele Kolo Kyari.

    A statement by NNPC’s spokesman Ndu Ughamadu quoted Baru as saying the corporation thought it fit to support the project the moment it was approached by the trustees three years ago to lend a hand.

    “We undertook to support the project with everything related to modern education. These include equipping the laboratories, providing an e-library and a hybrid solar power supply system, vocational training equipment and even constructing e-library and block of classrooms,” Baru said.

    He said it was fulfilling for the NNPC management to physically inspect what the Corporation’s over N500 million support for the project had provided.

    “What I have seen today is even worth much more than that. There are more equipment that will be installed. We are happy with what we met on ground and it would spur us to do more,” Baru said.

    He hailed Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo for conceiving the project to provide an all-in-one home and school facility for children orphaned by the Boko Haram insurgency in order for them to become useful members of the society.

    The NNPC chief urged the Vice-President to extend the project to other cities affected by insurgency so that the over 40,000 orphans registered in Borno and other neighbouring states would also be accommodated.

    Read Also: Issues before NNPC boss Kyari

    Built in 2016, the NECT is an initiative of Vice-President Osinbajo and it is aimed at providing comprehensive support to the orphans in the Northeast.

    He thanked other donors for their gracious support for the construction of the edifice, even as he called on the corporate world to come out and offer more support towards the project.

    Earlier in his interaction with the children, Baru said all he saw in their young faces was hope and determination to become successful members of the society in the future.

    “If you work hard, you could grow and be like me in the future. It is my belief that each and every one of you here will be a future leader,” Baru told the students.

    The Head of Strategy for the NECT, Dupe Killa-Kafidipe, said the aim of the projects was to give hope to the vulnerable children affected by the insurgency in the North-East.

    She said the plan of the Vice President was to build 10 similar centres across the North East, stressing that NNPC and other corporate organisations were very crucial to that

    Killa-Kafidipe, who called on other organisations to emulate NNPC, said with the Corporation’s intervention at the centre, many of the students would be better educated than children who went to private schools.

    “The NNPC is doing a lot here and we appreciate their efforts to sustain this project,” she concluded.

    Other highlights of the visit include cultural displays and presentation of local caps and perfume made by the students as well as smoked fish (harvested from the school farm) to Baru and the GMD-designate Mele Kyari.

    Built in 2016, the NECT is an initiative of Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and it is aimed at providing comprehensive support to the orphans in the North East of Nigeria.

  • COZA: CAN calls for calm over Fatoyinbo’s rape allegation

    The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has urged the public to allow the investigating team of its elders to make public its findings on the rape allegation against the Senior Pastor of Commonwealth of Zion Assembly (COZA), Biodun Fatoyinbo.

    In a statement yesterday by its Acting General Secretary, Joseph Daramola, CAN said it resisted the temptation of jumping into any conclusion since the truth will soon be uncovered.

    It said: “Since both Pastor Fatoyinbo and Mrs. Timi Dakolo are Christians, the leadership of CAN is already seeking ways to address the issues in order to heal every wound already inflicted on the parties concerned and the body of Christ in general. It is our hope that steps which will exacerbate the current damages already done will be avoided. As we seek the help of CAN Elders and the Holy Spirit in resolving the current problem, it is our prayer that both parties will sheathe their swords and stop the media war in the interest of the Church and for the greater glory of God.”

    Read Also: Fatoyinbo’s rape scandal, Senator Elisha Abbo’s assault, RUGA suspension, others top this week News

    The statement reads: “The leadership of CAN is seriously concerned about the disturbing situation concerning Pastor Fatoyinbo, the General Overseer of COZA, one of our leading pastors in the country, on whom allegations of rape has been levelled by one of our daughters, Mrs Timi Dakolo.

    “It is disheartening how some commentators and columnists have been insulting the Body of Christ in Nigeria as a result of this incident. Like we have earlier stated, it doesn’t matter who is involved, rape is ungodly and reprehensible. But we have resisted the temptation to jump into any conclusion since a body like ours will be expected to have uncovered the truth about any matter before making public statements and not base its position merely upon media reports. Although we have disclosed that Pastor Fatoyinbo’s church has not been an active member of CAN, that does not put the church outside the spiritual watch-care of CAN.

    “CAN is the umbrella body for every Christian and Church in Nigeria. Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church, does not turn back anyone that comes to Him and CAN also does not. The Ministry of the Church, according to Jesus Christ, is the Ministry of Reconciliation, which is centred on true love and forgiveness of those who repent.”

    “The Bible states it clearly that ‘God demonstrates His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Romans 5:8, 11). Having reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, God has committed to us the ministry of reconciling the world unto Himself and to one another (2 Corinthians 5:19-21).”

  • Mustapha: I take my re-appointment as call to greater service

    The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, has said his reappointment is a call for him to render greater service to the nation.

    The SGF said he would do the job with seriousness.

    “I’m overwhelmed by the level of confidence reposed in me by the President and the nation to handle the affairs of state from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF),” Mustapha said while addressing reporters yesterday at the Yola International Airport, Jimeta, Adamawa State.

    The SGF, who was returning to Abuja after a weekend visit to Adamawa State, said he found his reappointment thrilling and challenging.

    “In the last couple of days, I have been weighed down by the enormity of the responsibility of my office and the trust placed on me,” he said.

    Mustapha promised to take his responsibilities seriously because the destinies of Nigerians hang in the balance, subjected to his actions or inactions.

    He said: “I must do everything to honour God and justify the trust reposed in me by Mr President.”

    Mustapha urged Nigerians to believe in President Muhammadu Buhari’s promise to take 100 million Nigerians out of poverty.

    Read Also: Breaking: Buhari re-appoints Boss Mustapha, Abba Kyari as SGF, COS

    The SGF assured the nation that the promise was significant, adding that the President remained committed to it.

    “Talking about taking 100 million people out of poverty in the next 10 years is the boldest statement that has ever been made, considering the situation in which we are. The President has already set the agenda going,” he said.

    Also, Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson has hailed President Muhammadu Buhari for reappointing Mustapha as the SGF.

    In a statement by his Special Adviser (SA) on Media Relations, Mr. Fidelis Soriwei, the governor said: “I hereby congratulate Mr. Boss Mustapha on his reappointment as the SGF.

    “This particular appointment did not come to me as a surprise as the SGF carried out the vast responsibilities of his office efficiently with respect and dignity deserving of such a high office.

    “I also commend the President for this appointment, which shows the recognition of the exemplary efforts of the SGF.

    “I wish Boss Mustapha success in this particular position and in his future dealings.”

  • Senators decry poor state of primary health centres

    Senators have decried the poor state of primary health centres across the country.

    Worried by the prevailing condition in primary health centres, the lawmakers unanimously resolved to prevail on the Federal Government to increase budgetary allocation for the management of primary health care.

    They also urged the Ministry of Health to create awareness on the benefits of Health and Life insurance as well as directed the Ministry of Employment to put in place policies that will ensure that every employer of labour has health insurance package for employees.

    The resolutions followed a motion by Senator Oluremi Tinubu and 108 others on the “Need for increased funding to primary health care centres”.

    In her lead debate on the matter, the Lagos Central senator noted that primary health care is a grassroots, community-based initiative that provides health care services to communities.

    She added that it is universally accepted that access to health care for all is only possible through prevalence and accessibility of primary health care.

    Senator Tinubu recalled that primary health care in the country was adopted in 1988 by the National Health Policy to provide promotive, preventive, curative and rehabilitative services.

    The distinguished senator expressed concern that a lot of the problems in the nation’s health sector could be traced to low performance of primary health care facilities.

    She quoted the World Health Organisation (WHO), which said that primary health care would meet 80 to 90 per cent of a person’s health needs over the course of their life.

    Senator Tinubu expressed concern that the World Bank’s service delivery indicators survey showed that though available, performance of the primary health care is hampered by lack of financial resources, infrastructure deficit, insufficiency, lack of drugs, equipment and vaccines.

    Read Also: Osun to deliver 100 ‘revitalised health centres’ in July

    The senator noted that primary health care has improved population health in low and middle income countries.

    She also expressed sadness that according to a journal published by Frontiers in Public Health, only about 20 per cent of the 30,000 primary health care centres in the country were working, with most of them lacking capacity to provide essential health services.

    Mrs Tinubu said the Senate should be worried that failure of primary health care and the belief that it is for low income earners had led to an influx of patients to secondary and tertiary health care facilities.

    The senator expressed worries that “our secondary and tertiary health care facilities are burdened with treating common ailments that could have been handled at a primary health care centre.

    According to her, the Senate should be concerned that “the average Nigerian is one illness/tragedy away from poverty”.

    The Upper Chamber, she said, should be “distressed to see an upsurge in pleas for crowd funding via social media to enable access to healthcare facilities” and “further distressed that Nigeria was only recently, rated as one of the poorest in the world”.

    Senator Tinubu stressed the need for comprehensive government backed health insurance and insisted that “until accessible and affordable health cover is provided, emergency and non-emergency situations will remain a burden”.

    She reminded her colleagues that health care accessibility is a fundamental right and must be treated as such.

    Most senators who contributed to the motion agreed that urgent step should be taken to revive moribund primary health centres in the country.

    Senate President Ahmad Lawan hailed his colleagues for supporting the motion.

    He recalled that in the Eighth Senate, a bill for additional funding of primary health centres in the country was passed.

    The Senate President said it was through the bill that additional N60 billion was attracted to fund primary health centres across the country.

    Lawan said they would continue to mount pressure to ensure that the country’s health sector improved.

  • Court orders release of detailed payments on electricity contracts since 1999

    Justice Chuka Obiozor of a Federal High Court, Lagos, has ordered the Federal Government to release details of payments to all defaulting and allegedly corrupt electricity contractors and companies under the governments of former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Goodluck Jonathan and President Muhammadu Buhari.

    The judge gave the order while delivering judgment last Friday in a suit filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) against the Federal Government and the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing.

    Justice Obiozor also called for the “full disclosure and publication of the names of companies and the whereabouts of the contractors paid by successive governments since the return of democracy in 1999 to carry out electricity projects across the country but disappeared with the money without executing any project”.

    The details the court ordered to be disclosed and published on a dedicated website and widely include information on “specific names and details about contractors and companies paid by each government, the total amounts paid by each government and the objects for the payments, the level of implementation of electricity projects, as well as details and specific locations of projects executed across the country by each government since 1999”.

    The court also held that “the failure by the government of President Muhammadu to provide SERAP with the details of payments made to contractors by each government since 1999 is a breach of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011”.

    It ordered the Buhari administration to urgently disclose if there is an ongoing investigation or prosecution of contractors and companies paid by successive governments since 1999 to hanlde electricity projects but failed to execute the projects for which public funds were collected.

    Read Also: Ondo community, electricity provider agree on tariff

    Justice Obiozor granted SERAP the following reliefs:

    “A declaration that the failure and/or refusal of the respondent (Federal Government/Ministry of Power) to provide SERAP with documents and information containing the specific names and details of contractors and companies that have been engaged in the Power sector by successive governments since 1999, details of specific projects and the amounts that have been paid to the contractors and companies, details on the level of implementation of electricity projects and their specific locations across the country, and failure to widely publish it on a dedicated website, any of such information, amounts to a breach of the obligations under the Freedom of Information Act 2011.

    The court held that the failure and/or refusal of the respondents to provide SERAP with specific documents and information containing the specific names and details of contractors and companies that allegedly collected money for electricity projects from successive governments since 1999 but failed to execute any of such projects, and failure to widely publish it on a dedicated website, any of such information, amounts to a breach of the Respondent’s responsibility/obligation under the Freedom of Information Act 2011.

    In a statement yesterday, SERAP’s Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare said: “We welcome the ground-breaking judgment by Justice Obiozor as a victory for transparency and accountability of public officials, electricity contractors and companies and their shareholders.

    “It is an extremely important step towards tackling the impunity in Electricity sector, which has for many years forced ordinary Nigerians to stay in darkness but still made to pay crazy electricity bills.

    “This judgment is good news for ordinary Nigerians who have continued to pay the price for corruption in the Electricity sector, as they would finally get an explanation on why the country has remained in darkness, despite huge investment in the Power sector by the governments of former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, President Goodluck Jonathan, and the government of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    “The enforcement of the judgment could potentially reveal individuals, contractors and companies allegedly responsible for squandering over N11 trillion meant to provide regular electricity supply under successive governments, lead to the prosecution of suspected perpetrators, and recovery of stolen public funds.”

    “SERAP calls upon the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to demonstrate his oft-repeated commitment to the rule of law by immediately obeying and respecting the judgment of the Court.”

  • ‘No plan to demolish Gorodom Market’

    The Chairman of Lagos Island Local Government Area (LGA), Tijani Olutoyose Olushi, on Sunday assured protesting traders at Gorodom Market, Ebute-Ero, that their shops would not be demolished.

    Olushi said any information that it was planning to redevelop stores and shops at Mogbonjubola Plaza, Gorodom was false.

    The council, he explained, has no deal with any contractor or developer to demolish and rebuild any structure in the market.

    Olushi spoke through his Chief of Staff, Mr. Yusuf Olatunji Olayigbade, following a rumour that Block MP/BC section of the market would be demolished yesterday, and reconstructed.

    The traders and a rights group, Human Rights Monitoring Agenda (HURMA), protested alleged claims by a contractor who claimed to have received the LGA’s approval to demolish and reconstruct the market.

    Led by HURMA Coordinator, Comrade Isiak Olaitan Buna, the traders petitioned the council to prevent any such exercise.

    Read Also: LAWMA shuts Sangotedo market for illegal dumping of refuse

    The petition claimed that a similar event occurred in 2005, “when some contractors stormed the market and demolished the entire structure without prior quit notice, to destroy a means of livelihood of many Lagosians.

    “It is therefore our request to your honourable office to rise to the plight of the people of Ebute-Ero Market to protect their market from being attacked, except through a normal process of eviction as legally permissible via proper service m the occupiers.”

    But Olatunji, who is also the Council’s Officer-In-Charge of Works and Housing, said: “Mogbonjubola Plaza was given to a contractor in 2004 and the contractor has a duration of 20 years. The contractor came down to the local government that he wanted to renew. We asked him on what basis? We needed to hear from the traders.

    “It was in view of that, that the executive chairman directed me, that I should alert all the traders that they should all remain in their shops, that’s the position of the local government now.

    “I’m telling you now that at the local government level, the particular building was given to the traders in Mogbonjubola, they should remain in their shops as there is no plan to demolish and rebuild it now”.