The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Lawmaker inaugurates monthly meeting with constituents

    A member of the House of Representatives representing Oshodi/Isolo Constituency 2,  Ganiyu Johnson, has inaugurated a monthly meeting tagged: “Meet Your Member of Parliament”. He promised to foster effective representation, urging the people to give him periodic feedback.

    The event, which took place at the constituency office of the lawmaker, attracted huge crowd, including artisans and peasant, who came to discuss with the lawmakers.

    The programme was unprecedented, as no lawmaker in recent times had organised such event, except for the occasional town hall meetings. The unique feature of the meeting was that Johnson spoke personally to a large number of constituents, who took turn to talk about some of their challenges.

    Johnson, attended to some of their needs and gave concrete promises on how to empower them.

    The former Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure in Lagos State said the essence of programme was to bond with the constituents in fulfillment of the campaign promises he made to the constituents.

    Read Also: Rep inaugurates seven constituency offices

     

    Johnson said: “During my camping, I promised to make myself accessible to my people and that is why the inauguration and subsequently, we would be having this meeting on a monthly basis. It is a way of having intimacy with my people so that I would know their challenges and how to probably solve some of the problems.

    “During the campaign, some of them said that they hoped that I would not disappear to Abuja after I win the election. I told them that I would be accessible to them and that is why I have decided to keep to the promises and dedicate the last Saturday of every month to meet with them. 

    He added: “This is not a party programme as you can see. Everyone here as a member of the constituency is welcome; People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Action Democratic Party (ADP), All Progressives Congress (APC) and even those that are not partisan,” he said.

    Kayode Salami, a constituent, said the constituency never had it so good, stressing that it was the first time, she would personally discuss with a lawmaker. She said that God had blessed the constituency with a representative that had shown so much empathy to his people.

     

  • How police can function effectively, by Minister

    The Minister of Police Affairs, Alhaji Mohammed Dingyadi spoke with NICHOLAS KALU on national security and the challenges facing the police. Excerpts:

    What are the main challenges to facing the police?

    The main problem of the police all along has been insufficient funding. There is really need for better funding for the police, if it has to perform optimally. I think Mr President has adequately appreciated this. That is why about three months ago, he signed a bill into law that would establish the Police Trust Fund. This fund is going to be managed by this ministry through a board that would particularly take care of the training aspect, the equipping and general welfare, in terms of providing better office accommodation, providing better residential accommodation for the police and to ensure that, by and large, we improve their welfare. We would endeavor to see all these things are improved and then, we would not expect anything less from the police in terms of performance and in terms of ensuring the security and safety of lives and property in this country.

    Talking about the Trust Fund, when are we expecting it to take off?

    About a month ago, we set up a ministerial committee that is charged with the responsibility of ensuring the smooth takeoff of the trust fund. I think they are on course and very soon they will submit their report to us. What we want the committee to do is find office accommodation for the trust fund, determine the structure of the place and assist in scouting for the needed staff that will run the organisation. So, we are expecting a report of this committee anytime this week and by the end of this December and early January, we hope that the trust fund will take off. They will start the real business of ensuring they discharge their functions and a new beginning for the police force in this country. The aim of the establishing the trust fund is to ensure we take care of their training needs, equipment, and infrastructural development, ICT, intelligence gathering, to ensure that we have the kind of crime data available to the police to enable them manage the security situation in the country. These are the kinds of things we would pay special attention to and I think by the time we are able to do this, the other things that are in the normal budget would also be there be and we would continue to ensure the police runs effectively. We are looking at a better, more enhanced police force.

    The recruitment of 10, 000 policemen has generated controversy. The Police Service Commission and the Nigeria Police are at daggers drawn. As the minister in charge of the police, what would be your take on the situation?

    The matter is already in court. I would not want to talk about it, and I should let the law to take its course.

    It appears the police lacks adequate manpower to confront the seeming increasing security situation in the country? How do you intend to deal with this?

    The President has adopted a multi-dimensional approach to the situation. He has given us directives to ensure we recruit 10, 000 policemen annually until 2023. So, before the end of his administration, we would be having an additional 40, 000 policemen. In addition to that, we would also go into this community policing policy to ensure that we get the right hands from the various communities to assist in policing their own communities. They would be working with the policemen. We would be working with community leaders, religious leaders and so on. They would be working along with the conventional policemen in those communities. It would be expanded to ensure that the communities themselves are involved in their own security. It is very important. We are in support of community policing 100 per cent. The administration is bringing up the idea and giving it all the necessary support and encouragement. Our intention is to involve Nigerians. We get the communities to be involved. They are the ones who know the nooks and crannies of their own communities and they would assist the police in ensuring peace in those areas. So, it is a very good development and we are pursuing it by the grace of God. It is coming up very soon and we are going to engage everybody, particularly  traditional rulers, community leaders to ensure the programme is a success.

    There seems to be a perceived negative image of the police by the public? What do you think about this?

    The situation is that people have to learn to live together with the police. People have to cultivate the habit of regarding policemen as their friend. This can only work when they accept one another as their partner to fight crime. The police in this country have been up and doing and very friendly with the community, and we expect a reciprocal kind of relationship from the communities to accept policemen around them and regard them as their own partners in progress. We would continue to strengthen this enlightenment campaign to ensure that Nigerians see policemen as their own friends and the police also see Nigerians as their responsibility; that they are there to serve and protect. I think when we do this, the relationship would improve, the image would also be better.

    Read Also: Between Police Service Commission and Nigeria Police

     

    What is the status of the Police Reform Bill?

    Just last week, it was introduced on the floor of the Senate and we are introducing it to ensure that it scales through. The import of this by the time it gets through is that the general reform of the police is put into consideration to ensure that all these things we are talking about are well taken care of, particularly the infrastructural development of the police force in this country, in terms of office, residential accommodation, logistics and so on. The essence is to have a better police force that can compare favourably all over the world. This would include also other benefits such as their own income to ensure that we give reasonable pay that they can take home and take care of their children. By the grace of God, it would come into effect. The government is committed to it. There is that administrative will. Once these things are put into law, there are going to ensure the police is well taken care of.

    What would you say to people who feel a Ministry of Police Affairs is unnecessary when there is a Ministry of Interior?

    The President, when he was swearing in the newly appointed ministers, indicated why he had to reestablish the Ministry of Police Affairs. Among other reasons were that he wanted to have a new police force that would measure favourably and compete with other policemen across the globe. And even to improve the security in this country and improve the police in general terms to be in tune with the agenda of the president, that is moving to the next level. This he intended to do by improving the equipment, improving the ICT, and improving the welfare of the police generally, to ensure that they perform to the highest expectation. With this kind of political leadership, we believe this is going to be achieved and we are doing what we can to ensure that we improve the standard, performance and efficiency of the police in this country.

    You are quite new at the helm of affairs. How has the journey been so far?

    It has been very challenging, and it is too early to count achievements, because we are just three months old here. Now, we are here as a ministry, we are taking all the stock to ensure we have a smooth take-off and with the new commitment of the Buhari administration, we are going to make it. Most of the challenges had to do with the funding. This is being taken care of. The budget provisions are much better. If you add it to the trust fund, this would go a long way in ensuring that the police force in this country is given a better facelift.

     

    The main problem of the police all along has been insufficient funding. There is really need for better funding for the police, if it has to perform optimally… people have to learn to live together with the police. People have to cultivate the habit of regarding policemen as their friend. This can only work when they accept one another as their partner to fight crime’

     

  • A rerun that drew curtains on Melaye’s tenure

    Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senator Dino Melaye has lost the Kogi West Senatorial rerun to All Progressives Congress (APC) Senator Smart Adeyemi. Correspondent JAMES AZANIA writes on the lessons of the election.

    What next for Senator Dino Melaye, defeated Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) flagbearer, who lost the Kogi West senatorial rerun to Senator Smart Adeyemi of the All Progressives Congress (APC)?

    He lost the seat by a margin of over 20, 000 votes.

    He was defeated by Adeyemi, a two-term senator, who represented the district in the fourth and fifth Assembly.

    Adeyemi defeated Melaye’s, having polled 88,373 votes while Melaye polled 62,133 votes.

    The Returning Officer, Prof. Olayide Lawal of the Federal University, Oye, Ekiti, noted that the rerun became necessary, in view of the fact that no clear winner emerged in the November 16 rerun.

    He said the margin was less than the cancelled votes, and the exercise was, therefore, inconclusive, according to electoral laws.

    Legal fireworks ensued over who represented the Kogi West in the Senate, with Adeyemi dragging his arch political rival before the Kogi National Assembly and State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, which sat in Abuja.

    Since 1999, no election into the Senate in Kogi West has gone without litigations.

    The district had produced three senators  Tunde Ogbeha (1999 – 2007), Adeyemi (2007-2015) and Melaye (2015 – ).

    Melaye was declared winner on the platform of the APC, defeating Adeyemi of the then ruling PDP, back in 2015.

    Adeyemi contended among others that Melaye did not win the election and was not validly nominated by his party to run. He however, lost at the Appeal Court level.

    During the last National Assembly elections, Melaye and Adeyemi  squard up again, under reverse political parties, as senatorial candidates.

    Adeyemi contested Melaye’s victory and won up to the Appeal Court, which ordered a supplementary election, after the inconclusive poll.

    Melaye had boxed himself into a corner with series of political conflagrations that he got himself entangled in, the least of which was his rift  with Governor Yahaya Bello, who did not hide his desire to consign him into political oblivion.

    Bello had earlier failed to force Melaye, who was formerly his ally, out from the Senate, with the unsuccessful recall exercise.

    Adeyemi’s political trajectory got on the upswing, when he pictched tent with Bello, defecting to the APC, and securing state backing, to achieve his ambition.

    Read Also: Kogi west senatorial seat: Smart Adeyemi defeats Melaye

     

    Adeyemi emerged as the Director -General of the Bello/Onoja Governorship Campaign Council, at the Kogi poll, a position that worked so well for him during his own election, which held simultaneously on the day of the governership election.

    Following his victory, Adeyemi came out blasting from all cylinders, saying among others, that Mekaye had never won any election in Kogi West.

    Melaye has, however, maintained that his defeat is sure to be reversed, describing his opponent’s victory as a fraud. He vowed to appeal the verdict.

    At a press conference in Lokoja, the state capital, the senator-elect described Melaye’s stay at the National Assembly as a total disaster.

    He described Melaye as his political boy, who became so errant, pouring insults on those that ‘made him.’

    His words: “Dino was insulting everyone that made him. Nobody is too big for him to insult; fighting people. So, I am apologising  to Mr. President Muhammadu Buhari on behalf of Dino to forgive him. I am apologising to former President Olusegun Obasanjo on behalf of Dino, to forgive him. I am apologising to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu on behalf of Dino, to forgive him.

    “I am apologising to Governor Yahaya Bello on behalf of Dino, to forgive him. I am apologising to security agencies, who he has dispatched on several occasions, on behalf of Dino, to forgive him.

    “I am apologising to the people of Nigeria, Kogi State and Kogi West on behalf of Dino to forgive him. He was a disaster when he was at the National Assembly.

    “I will bring development to my state and my constituency by the grace of God. My victory shows that the people of Kogi West want progress and development. Dino never won any election in this state.”

    He thanked the APC for its support and Bello for making the party very strong in the state.

    Melaye said he will challenge the “temporal and evaporative victory” of Adeyemi at the tribunal.

    In a press statement in Lokoja, Melaye said, the vctory attained by violence and fraud is tantamount to defeat, for it is momentary.”

    He added: “It is not about Dino Melaye; it is about Nigeria and our electoral system. I stay the course… not over yet.

    “I want to specially thank God almighty that he preserved my life after five attempted assassination, combined forces of security agencies, INEC, federal, state and LG powers.

    “I was fought on land, in the air and spiritually. It was not about election but my life. God I thank you. The reaction of men and women of goodwill all over Nigeria, especially the wonderful people of Kogi West, who truly voted for me, is a testimony that God is with me and with us all. I won the election and Adeyemi remain my political wife.

    “The forces against me are not beyound God. People should not worry about me. I am fine and will always be. I just thank God that the plan to kill me did not succeed. A living dog is better than a dead lion. I thank God for life. My name is Daniel; I cannot fall or fail.”

    With the situation on ground, it would appear that the last is yet to be heard about the battle of political supremacy between Adeyemi and Melaye.

  • ‘Energy sector’s future belongs to women’

    The female Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) brought together 180 female undergraduates from nine tertiary institutions across the country, with  the aim of giving women a future in the energy sector. CHINAKA OKORO reports.

     

    Students of Bayero University Kano (BUK) are still basking in the euphoria of winning N1 million for coming tops in the first ever Female Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) which held in Lagos on November 27 and 28. They emerged victorious at the keenly contested competition where 180 female undergraduates from nine tertiary institutions across the country gathered. Their efforts earned them N1 million cash prize.

    It would be recalled that when the first inauguration of solar hybrid power plant at Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike Ikwo (FUNAI), in Ebonyi State, which featured the graduation of 20 all-female STEM participants who received certificates of completion for renewable energy training, held last August, a guest remarked: “You may literally say that the future of the energy sector belongs to women.”

    The FUNAI power was one of the Energising Education Programmes (EEP) phase one university projects meant to deliver clean and sustainable energy to nine federal universities and one University Teaching Hospital, using solar hybrid and/or gas-fired captive power plants.

    •Students from Bayero University displaying the prize they won during the first Shark Tank Project at the event

    Commending the Federal Government’s effort to promote and encourage women, Vice-President  Oluyemi Osinbajo  praised the Damilola Ogunbiyi-led administration at Rural Electrification Agency (REA) for initiating the female STEM internship under the EEP.

    “We hope that this experience will inspire them to undertake STEM-related careers, including careers as engineers and project managers. I congratulate all of them on this great achievement,” the Vice-President said.

    He continued: Today, the programme has impacted lives as over 180 students from nine universities have been trained under the programme. The REA STEM impact is real under the leadership of its current Managing Director, Damilola Ogunbiyi.

    “Again, the Buhari administration is committed to female empowerment and under the Energising Education Programme (EEP) where 180 Female STEM students have been trained to acquire skills to design power systems to meet desired economic, environmental, social, ethical and sustainability needs; gain knowledge of contemporary issues and the ability to work with multi-disciplinary teams; apply knowledge of mathematics, science and engineering techniques. “

    The female STEM Internship Programme under the EEP was aimed at promoting the participation of young women in STEM-related courses and careers.

    Over the past  months, REA had developed a Female STEM Internship Programme, under the Energising Education Programme (EEP), which begun with 180 female students across the nine universities getting training and on-site experience in designing and constructing power systems by world-class contractors.

    The goal of the initiative is not only to help young female students academically, but to expose and encourage more women to take interest and participate in the power sector, especially renewable energy.

    The two-day gathering in Lagos was the first STEM workshop that brought professionals under the same roof. The workshop was organised by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) in partnership with leading private sector developers and was attended by stakeholders in the power sector and business professionals. The gathering aimed at bringing together young women with top power sector and business professionals to share knowledge and discuss the opportunities for women in the industry.

    Enumerating the benefits accruable from the energy sector, the organisers of the workshop believed that development of the renewable energy sector, advocating for energy efficiency and productivity may lead to numerous job and business opportunities throughout Nigeria. Women, who are often under-represented within this sector, have great roles to play in the development of sustainable projects that add value to the socio-economic development of the country.

    While encouraging women to see themselves beyond the flowers around the table, they noted that the workshop became imperative because it is important to continue to show young women the realities ahead of them, while also creating a platform to facilitate the increase in leadership and development of young women involved in the Nigerian energy sector and beyond.

    The conference featured panel discussions and keynote speeches from respected professionals in the energy sector. The conference also provided a platform for students and professionals to network, share knowledge, discuss achievements and encourage the advancement of women across all facets of the industry.

    The two-day workshop helped  STEM students to understand the African energy sector and the career potential for women, created an awareness of senior roles in the marketplace acquired by women, brought an approach towards assimilating a new generation of female leaders into energy and related companies, to understand the major challenges women face in business and politics and network for potential mentoring and job opportunities.

    The discussions focused on reality of the challenges, overcoming diversity and seizing opportunities threw light on what to expect as they embrace the larger society in the pursuit of their careers and the diverse challenges women face in the workspace, ability to be able to notice opportunities before them and  having the confidence and ability to seize them.

    Minister of State for Power Goddy Jedy-Agba said: “I feel honoured to be at the transformative milestone event that celebrates and motivates our young women.”

    Continuing, he said: “The Energising Education Programme (EEP), which was approved by President Buhari in 2016, has so far produced a total of 9.9MW of electricity through independent power plants across three university project sites (Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike Ikwo, Ebonyi and Bayero University, Kano respectively).

    “The achievements were possible through development and execution of strategic policies initiated by the Ministry of Power in coordination with REA. These policies have supported and enabled federal universities to host off-grid power plants.

    Read Also: Expert identifies solution to energy crisis

     

    “A core part of the Energising Education Programme is the practical and technical training of 20 female STEM students at each beneficiary university. This is where policy meets gender mainstreaming in the power sector and specifically on electrification projects.

    “To the young women, who have participated in the STEM Internship Programme, I want you to know that gender and social exclusion will soon be a thing of the past. As a government, we are working to ensure that we mitigate the plight of women and promote equality and inclusiveness across all sectors.

    “We cannot hope to reform the power sector without the skills, innovation and expertise of our women. That is why the importance of events such as the one we are having today cannot be overemphasised. I, therefore, urge you to take charge of your future and make good use of the platform that has been established for you.”

    Jedy-Agba commended Ogunbiyi and her team for their zeal in executing the EEP and the enthusiasm in empowering Nigerian youth especially, talented young women.

    Ogunbiyi expressed her delight at the first edition of the Energising Education Programme STEM workshop.

    He said: “This workshop was designed to facilitate the increase in leadership and development of professional women. It is also a platform for the 180 female students and professionals present to network, share their knowledge, discuss achievements and encourage the advancement of women across the energy sector.

    “The Female STEM Students’ Internship Programme is very dear to my heart. What seemed like a dream is being actualised today – young women receiving the necessary skills needed to transform the Nigerian power sector. I hope this will be a catalyst for many more gender-based events in the Nigerian energy sector.

    “There is no gainsaying that gender inclusiveness forms the core of what we do at the Rural Electrification Agency. This is evident in the increased number of women in Senior Management roles under my leadership, from just one to six.”

    He added: “Currently, there are 25 female Project Managers working across different REA initiatives. In addition, tendering companies under the REA Nigeria Electrification Project are expected to have at least 30 per cent female employment rate to qualify.

    “As part of the drive to foster female participation in the power sector, REA flagged off a gender-focused workshop in collaboration with the United State Agency for International Development (USAID) Nigeria Power Sector Programme, aimed at bringing together women in the power sector to drive the conversation and initiatives on gender inclusiveness.

    “To further push REA’s gender agenda, the Energising Education Female STEM Internship Programme was initiated as part of the Energising Education Programme (EEP); an initiative of the Federal Government which was aimed at providing clean, safe and reliable electricity to 37 federal universities and affiliated university teaching hospitals.

    “The focus of the internship programme is to provide hands-on training to 20 female students offering STEM-related courses in each of the EEP universities, beginning with 180 female students across nine universities under Phase 1 of the programme. These hardworking female students are here with us today.”

    He thanked the Buhari-led Federal Government for continuing to facilitate environments that empower Nigerian woman with all she needs to become a world changer.  She also thanked the Federal Ministries, especially the Ministry of Power, for their efforts in integrating gender into their policy formation and governance of the sector.

    She encouraged the STEM female participants to make the best use of the opportunity the workshop presented as they embrace their careers. The final activity of the workshop was the Project Shark Tank competition between the participating universities where  students of Bayero University, Kano emerged first and won a cash prize of N1 million.

     

  • Policing in a tight corner

    Most often, people blame the police for ineptitude. However, PRECIOUS IGBONWELUNDU and OSAGIE OTABOR examine the hurdles before police personnel, which include underfunding.

    In Benin City, Edo State, a Divisional Police Officer (DPO) at this year’s leadership summit organised by the Leading Rights Ambassador Initiative (LRAI) dropped a bombshell when he revealed that he and his colleagues received N66, 000 annually as imprest to work.

    With the N66, 000 per year, he is expected to fuel the division’s patrol vehicles, service and repair, buy stationeries and toiletries, give IPOs money for investigations, including money for transportation, pay for the typing and printing of charge sheets and transport suspects to court for arraignment, among other recurring expenses.

    The DPO asked the gathering whether the police were expected to perform magic with such paltry fund at their disposal. He stated clearly that for effective policing, the country must be willing to give the agency what was needed to perform the herculean task assigned to them.

    “How much is N66, 000 for DPOs to be spending annually? How do I run a full police division with N66, 000? How do I buy fuel to pursue criminals? They don’t supply us uniforms. No money for the case file. Why will such a system work? We must change our attitude.

    “We are still doing analogue policing. We manage to make do with what we have to fight criminals,” he said.

    In many instances, Nigerians have condemned police personnel for not responding timely to distress calls, especially during robbery attacks at dusk. Also, tales of police harassment and extortion of citizens daily flood media spaces with its attendant public outrage and call for a complete overhaul of the Nigeria Police Force.

    Interestingly, not many have bothered to find out how these police officers are able to perform their duties despite being grossly underfunded. Checks by our Correspondent revealed that virtually all the police divisions in Lagos State have not received the N40, 000 quarterly imprests since Police Commissioner Fatai Owoseni (rtd) was transferred out of Lagos Command.

    While some of the divisions had 30 litres of fuel weekly from the fuel dumb, a quantity barely enough to do their job for a day, others have solely relied on goodwill from rich individuals, including gas station owners in their domain to power their operational vehicles.

    “It is funny how Nigerians keep shouting police are corrupt, police stations are dirty and smelling and that we are incompetent. It is hypocritical because as a DPO, I know the stress I go through. We are not funded. The last time I received imprest of N40, 000 per quarter was under CP Owoseni. Imagine being given N40, 000 to run a police division with about 200 personnel? What can that amount do?

     

    “Can N40, 000 fuel our patrol vehicles and motorcycles for one week? Can it finance the maintenance of these vehicles? Will it be able to cater for investigation and transportation within the state? What of transportation cost for arrest or investigation outside the state? Have you asked how we get money to buy stationeries, toiletries and other basic things? What of money to take suspects to a court which is a daily routine?

     

    “Most times, Investigating Police Officers and DPOs, especially those in rural areas, have to pay certain bills from their pockets. Have you seen why corruption is far from over from the police? Some other divisions are fortunate to have good Nigerians in their domains and these people usually help finance some of these needs. The sad thing here is that the police cannot even investigate these people or entertain complaints against them when they go wrong because these are their financiers,” said a Lagos DPO.

    Read Also: Empower nigeria police, govt told

    In Edo North, a top police officer said they don’t get the needed support to checkmate criminals which made them resort to seeking help from hunters and local vigilance groups. The officer stated that most police outposts do not have vehicles to patrol difficult terrains in the area.

    Another DPO confirmed what his colleague said about getting little money as imprest annually.

    “It is our love for the job that is helping us. Can you imagine getting 15 calls for help at a time and only one vehicle is available and no personnel on ground? Nigerians should understand our difficult situation. We cannot speak out but we expect the citizens to know these things and fight our cause.

    “Those human rights people are supposed to investigate these things and then pressure the government to fund the police adequately. Look at the obsolete guns we are using to fight robbers and kidnappers. Do you know how many policemen are killed weekly? What is the salary of an average policeman and what will his family get when he dies in active duty?” he lamented.

     

    Funding challenge

    The piteous funding of the police was brought to light by former Inspector-General of Police (IG) Ibrahim Idris (rtd) when he advocated for the passage of the Police Trust Fund Bill, as it then was. Idris had made similar remarks during the 2018 Budget defence at the National Assembly when he asked for at least N200 billion yearly for investigation alone. He bore all on the funding inadequacies of the police which have made it almost impossible for the service to carry out its daily routine of securing lives and properties in the country.

    As of today, Investigating Police Officers (IPOs) buy statement forms, bail bonds, feed suspects and pay all running costs as pertaining to their cases from their pockets despite the signing into law of the Police Reform/Trust Fund Law by President Muhammadu Buhari in April.

    This, no doubt, has fuelled the practice of collecting money from complainants for investigation or charging suspects for bail. It is also common knowledge that most furniture, electronic devices, including fans and Air Conditioners at Divisional Police Stations are exhibits gotten from suspects which explains why they usually have numbers written on them. The funding issue has also grossly affected the welfare, equipping and training of policemen.

    A recent visit to the Police College Ikeja showed a facility in urgent need of rehabilitation. Findings revealed that cops in training, especially those in the music school, were being made to pay a certain amount of money for the repair of a borehole and other maintenance costs. Most of the buildings in the school were begging for renovation just like their friends at other police barracks were a handful of personnel sleep inside kitchens. Some others sleep in patrol vehicles at police station due to lack of accommodation for 28 days money in lieu of inter-state transfers. All these degrading treatments have forced policemen to resort to taking bribes, a practice that would sadly continue unless urgent steps were taken to address the funding shortfalls.

     

    Training shortfalls

    Former Lagos State Commissioner of Police Zubairu Muazu told The Nation that there was the need for adequate training and retraining of policemen as a way of getting desired reforms.

    This need has become urgent giving that the current training curriculum of the police seems outdated.

    With the realities of guerilla warfare and ethnoreligious tensions that have the propensity of consuming the country, policemen believe it was time-wasting to assemble them at a training institution for refresher courses only to teach them theories.

    Findings reveal that the cops loath going for training because they are made to spend money they do not have at the institutions.

    “The training system is archaic. The lecturers are not motivated because their posting to the institutions is considered as punishment. Practicals are not thought and most of the lecturers see those coming for courses as avenues to make money for themselves.

    “Trainees have to contribute money for lecturers, buy souvenirs, repair borehole or other facilities despite that training allowances which should ordinarily be paid aren’t paid. So, when policemen are asked to go for training, they rather decline and seek juicy postings where they can make money for themselves.

    “If a policeman is sick, there is no money for medical treatment. They have to do voluntary donations and most hospitals once they see it is police personnel, they do not like taking them because they see them as liabilities. All these need to change and it is only adequate funding that can solve it,” a policeman said.

    Officers who spoke to our correspondent in confidence said the only solution to corruption in the police was the implementation of the new salary structure and the Police Trust Fund Law.

    The law addresses issues of Information Communication Technology (ICT), patrol/operational vehicles, crafts and other facilities, provision of a full complement of arms/ammunition, riot control equipment, protective gears, armoury and firing/shooting range. Others include forensic technology/scientific aids for investigation; operational/administrative logistics; community policing project/public relations; construction, rehabilitation and modernisation of infrastructure/facilities for capacity building (training), as well as rehabilitation/construction of stations, barracks and personnel welfare.

  • ‘Why APC state chairmen are backing Oshiomhole’

    The chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, Tunde Balogun, spoke with Deputy Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU on the Sanwo-Olu administration, defections from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC and the challenge of reconciliation in the ruling party.

    What is your assessment of the Sanwo-Olu administration, six months after?

    In the last six months, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has been implementing his laid down programmes.He has a plan, which he titled: ‘Themes. ‘T stands for transportation and traffic management. H stands for health and comprehensive health insurance. E stands for education and technology. M stands for making Lagos a 21st century state. E stands fir entertainment, and making Lagos the centrepiece of African tourism. S stands for security. The administration is centred on these.

    In the area of transportation, he has prepared ground, not only for the use of our roads, he has made efforts to ensure that Lagos makes use of the inland waterways. He has made arrangements for the procurement of some ferries. Some of the jetties in Lagos are being developed. The available ones have been enlarged, extended and  consolidated upon for effective use.

    He has made appointments to ensure that the tight and innovative people manage these key areas. He has brought on board people who can think for the state and do things in a modern way. Of course, I give credence and commendation to him for the fact that, not only has he been able to tackle traffic gridlock, he identified at a point that we have 60 traffic gridlock points in Lagos and he has been making sure that the gridlock disappears. Of course,  he has mended some roads. He has fixed roads where necessary to ensure smooth transportation and ease of movement on the roads. A lot of works has gone to mending roads, fixing roads, filling potholes where necessary. The interconnectivity of various areas in Lagos is being enhanced now.

    On the issue of health, he has done a lot in the various hospitals and the teaching hospital. Now, the effort in education is considerable. He had gone round to see schools that are in bad shape and he has commissioned committees to embark on renovation of schools across the three senatorial districts. That has been going on in the last six months. Kudos to him for the fact that a lot of things are coming on  board.

    Yesterday, he said Lagos will have the Fourth Mainland Bridge within the period of his administration. That will be fantastic for Lagos, in terms of transportation of goods, in terms of commuting. A lot of things will still come on board. Lagosians will be better for it.

    It is gratifying that the governor will be paying the N35,000 minimum wage for workers in Lagos. This underscores his commitment to the welfare of workers. The workers will be motivated by this to increase effectiveness and productivity at work.

    Should Lagosians take the governor for his words that after the raining season, the state will be turned into a huge construction site?

    Yes, of course. Go to some of the areas where you notice bad roads, you will see work going on there.

    A lot of equipment which recused mainly in the night are there. The work is done in the night to avoid causing untold hardship to motorists and other people. Those areas and points where roads are to be mended, they are being mended on daily basis.  Sometimes,  in the day, a lot if works is going on in the state. I think that is just the beginning. A lot more will come as time goes on.

    There are vacant positions in the Lagos State executive Committee of the APC under your leadership. How and ehen are they likely to be filled?

    Yes, there are three vacant positions brought about by the appointment of three members of the committee as members of the State Executive Council by Governor Sanwo-Olu. Commissioner and special advisers are among the three. Those positions will be filled. We have procedures. That procedure must be our guide. It is not being delayed. We want to ensure that things are done properly and appropriately so as not to run foul of the procedure and the law. They would soon be filled.

    Some local governments and constituencies are complaining that they are not adequately represented in the Lagos State Executive Council. How are the party and the government mitigating their feelings?

    APC is a strong family in Lagos. The members see themselves as one family. We don’t discriminate between one local government and the other. All local governments in Lagos State are having a sense of belonging. They will be represented as much as there are vacancies. We make all efforts to ensure that they are equally represented. Expediency comes in. Geographical location comes in. Some appointments are mainly and most of the times based on merit in Lagos State. Of course, the educational backgrounds of candidates are looked into. Their contributions to our elections and victories are put into consideration. I mentioned expediency. In past years, some local governments were not represented in the exco. Some of them may come in now while those who have been there in the past would have to wait. That is what is happening. Not all the local governments will be in the exco. It may not be possible. We have about 40 thereabout to represent about 20 million people. You have to consider a lot of things. The criteria are many. There are many factors to be considered. There is merit. There is also the need to consider the contributions of people to the party to ensure that nobody is short changed.

     

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    How is the state government, which is the product of the party, carrying along the party in its activities?

    This is very apt. Only about 24 hours ago, we held a ‘Community Day’ that brought together the communities in Lagos; rural as well as urban communities, were together with the governor and myself at the Ikeja Police College. We interacted in various ways. That is the kind of interaction you are talking about. There are interactive sessions between the governor and the people again. This is done regularly. Also, every month, he organises meetings so that people can bring to fore whatever they feel should be done, their needs, schools, infrastructure.

    Lagosians are complaining about service delivery by local governments. How can their capacities by strengthed to foster effective service delivery?

    I know the local governments have the capacity to work along the line of programmes laid down by the state government. The local governments need to complement the efforts of the state. They should work with the state to achieve the development of their areas; clearing drainages, making roads, doing all necessary things that are important to the people in their various local governments. We expect them to be working to complement the state government.

    How is reconciliation in the Lagos APC?

    It is going on fine. It is going on well. The party is also expanding. In few weeks time, we will invite you to come and see what is happening here. People are coming to the APC, not only the aggrieved members. A lot of PDP members are defecting to the APC. We are inviting you to come and see the positive growth of APC and the likelihood of the disintegration of the APC in Lagos. In few weeks time, you will see the formal reception for leaders and prominent members of the PDP who are coming to the APC.

    That means Lagos State will become a one party state?

    It doesn’t follow. It depends on your programmes and how you are implementing it. See what is happening at the federal level. APC is implementing a lot of programmes. They are unprecedented in this country. I will mention some of it. Only five days ago, the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, told the world that in about five months, the end of April, there will be the commissioning of railway lines from Lagos to Ibadan. It is the first time that kind of thing will be coming up. It is a special railway connection. It has never happened since independence. With that kind of railway line; it is not going to stop there. There will be Ibadan to Kano. This thing will cut across the whole country. There will be massive construction under the Buhari administration for the next three and half years. It has never happened. It shows you what a progressive government can do and is capable of doing.

    This brings me also to what the APC government is doing about the closure of borders. It is unfortunate that the small countries around us were conducting international trade with us in a bad manner. It has been very awkward,  unusual and it has not been real. Their names brings smuggling connotations. Go to these border towns, smuggling is a way of life for some of them. Their activities have led to the proliferation of arms. Their activities have fuelled the insurgency. It has affected our local producers. With the closure of borders now, you are able to see the gains. Not only have we been subsidising the oil to these countries  through smuggling, their activities have been affecting our local producers. With the closure of borders, we discovered that we have people who can produce local items that we consume here. Poultry farmers are enjoying the closure now. We should encourage our local producers, instead of exposing them to smuggled rice. The poultry farmers should be encouraged to produce under favourable conditions for local demands. Our rice producers have been showing greater capacity for producing for local consumption. There should be an atmosphere where their trade will not be brought down by smuggled rice from China and Indonesia. For a long time, there have been smuggling through the borders. We support the closure of the borders. Our local producers should be given the opportunity to produce to feed the nation and thrive.

    How is the national APC faring?

    This brings me to the issue of wanting the leader of our party, the national chairman of our party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, to resign. The call is not only selfish; those people calling for his resignation are not only selfish, they are driven by the fact that they are elements of destabilisation. The call for his resignation was untimely as it was illogical. What do I mean by it was untimely? Oshiomhole was elected by the unanimous vote of APC members across the nation a year and few months ago. He was elected for four years. Why don’t you give him a chance? Unless he has a gross misconduct, there is no reason for removing a leader who has been able to lead his party, not only to win a presidential election that returned APC to government, but also won in many states.  Why don’t you give him a chance to complete his term for which he was given mandate? He was given a mandate for four years. He should complete his mandate. It was illogical that these calls were made by some who saw that the  NEC meeting was approaching. They felt it was an opportunity to throw a spanner in the wheel of progress of APC. It was illogical because it was after the party won two state elections in Kogi and Bayelsa. Somebody who has been able to lead us to such victories should be given a chance, if they are not driven by selfish tendencies. Oshiomhole is supported by many APC state chairmen for the reasons of survival of our party and stability of our party. Those people want to create confusion, who want to see our party stabilised were calling for his resignation. He will spend the four years for which he was elected because he is doing well. We support him. He is enjoying the support of majority of us who are in the Forum of APC State Chairmen.

    Why are these people fighting? In any democratic setting,  if you want your party to stand the test of time or survive, you must uphold the tenets of party supremacy. Some feel that they are too big for the party, to accept the supremacy of the party. They will not have their way by the grace of God.

     

    The party is supreme. Any party that does not uphold the supremacy of the party stands to have elements of indiscipline. Elements of impunity will happen where there is no party supremacy and party discipline. To avoid all these, we stand by Oshiomhole. He should be given a chance to spend his four years.

     

  • ‘How ASUU can reinvent itself, return to political past’

    A multilateral diplomat and former University of Lagos (UNILAG) teacher Dr Babafemi Badejo relives his union leadership days during the military regime and writes on how the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) can re-invent itself.

    November 26, 2019, was an important day for me. The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) University of Lagos (UNILAG) Branch organised a day to appreciate the services of mainly past chairmen of the branch.

    Mrs Folashade Sikirat Akingbade, the surviving wife of my late comrade in the struggle against military dictatorships (Major-General Muhammadu Buhari and General Ibrahim Babangida), Prof. J. Funsho Akingbade, had invited me and Professors Akere, Kukoyi and Okusanya (Akingbade’s friends till the end), to join her in receiving a posthumous award in his name.

    My invitation did not come from ASUU UNILAG Branch. I believe it should have, for I was in the trenches with Prof. Akingbade in the period 1987-1993.

    I started as Assistant Secretary and almost immediately became Acting Secretary with Dr Olu Fadeyebi, who was the Secretary, departing for the United States. He felt hounded by the Buhari/Idiagbon dictatorship. Akingbade and I felt the same way.

    I remember my writing a press release against dictator Buhari’s policies for Akingbade to sign. He told me he would sign if I agreed that we would go to jail together. I had no problem in reminding him of my dedication to the struggle for a better Nigeria which started from my student days.

    Mrs Akingbade knew of my involvement with her husband as we avoided arrest and collaborated with the vibrant Nigeria Labour Congress that Hassan Sunmonu left for Ali Chiroma and then Pascal Bafyau and co.

    Adams Oshiomole, who recently said thieves would be forgiven if they joined the ruling party, was also part of this strong counter-weight to military rule.

    We provided intellectual support and they gave strength in numbers for strikes to change society and not just increase in wages. Late Mahmud Modibbo Tukur who was, if my memory is correct, very asthmatic but provided effective leadership at the national level for ASUU in struggles against policies by fiat like: IMF loan, Structural Adjustment Programme etc, as well as the democratisation of the polity.

    I don’t remember details now, but he died in strange circumstances. No autopsy was carried out in respect for the Islamic injunction.

    I hasten to state that I penciled most of the caustic and fearless ASUU UNILAG branch press releases of that period. I remember one in which we warned the nation that Babangida overthrowing Buhari did not and could not bode well for Nigeria. Prof. Mustapha Danesi was then the Vice-Chairman of ASUU UNILAG branch and succeeded Akingbade.

    Read Also: ASUU, IPPIS and awkward governing culture

    We were more agile on a better and genuinely democratic Nigeria than focus on the restricted better emoluments for our members. We were criticised by our members for that posture on the betterment of the whole than parts of it. The succeeding leadership of Mustapha Danesi was better on realising some increments in negotiations for ASUU.

    The highlights of the award event were the title of the Symposium: Funding Public Education in a Neo-Colony: Imperatives for Nigeria’s Development and the choice of the two main speakers. Veteran ASUU leader, Prof. Omotoye Olorode and Femi Falana (SAN) did justice to the topic.

    Falana started by noting that one has to be free to challenge a neo-colony of the West. He noted that the West, using the World Bank and IMF, never left control of Nigeria.

    He pointed out that Pro-Chancellors Dr Wale Babalakin (SAN) and Dr Yemi Ogunbiyi are wrong in seeking the commercialisation of education at this stage of Nigeria’s development and recommended that ASUU researches where the funds to manage higher education in Nigeria could be found beyond the TETFUND cash cow.

    And on TETFUND, he stressed that ASUU needs to audit which companies are paying and how much.

    Falana argued that ASUU itself is in delusion when it suggests that 10 or 11 per cent goes into education. He claimed that what the President puts forth as national government budget is a microcosm of the reality because this budget does not capture the main revenue earner NNPC, the Central Bank with a trillion naira budget etc.

    He found it unconscionable that Nigerians allow this fraud to continue year-in-year-out. If the Central Bank has 10 per cent of what’s meant for the entire nation and unaccounted for, how can ASUU agree that 10 per cent is going into Education?

    He stated that what the Nigerian policymakers are putting into education is less than .01per cent of the national budget which is a far cry from the UNESCO recommended 25per cent. It is best to read his entire paper.

    In effect, Falana is calling to question the relevance of ASUU in the major struggle against corruption and anti-democratic tendencies in today’s Nigeria. To document and challenge the looting is to provide funds for the betterment of society to be led by at least 25 per cent allocation to education.

    I learnt many new words from Prof. Oloyede who largely agreed with Falana. For instance, he identified the Supranational Clergy – a group of individuals who had worked for the IMF and World Bank and well-socialised into undermining Nigeria’s development upon their resurfacing in national governance.

    In my days at the UN, in a private meeting, I listened to a British minister recalling how they foisted one such person on Nigeria and how it was paying off with the negotiations on Nigeria’s debt repayment.

    He suggested that these Supranational Clergy are now the ones pressuring their people to become slaves of the West. He also contributed the noun Donatus: people who steal our money and regularly donate pittance as corporate social responsibility.

    He traced how schools like Havard invested a long while ago in places like Africa and reaping returns and wondered where Nigerian Universities are expected to invest today, whether in India or China to gain returns for internally generated revenue. He asked about the percentage of Nigerians who can afford private universities that are operational today, including faith-based ones. He went back into history and pointed out how the earlier experiments at the commercialisation of agriculture at the University of Ife and how these efforts were “choped” by Nigeria’s past rogue leaders.

    Rounding up a rich going down the memory lane, Prof. Olorode called for organised political movements to resist the present rapacious stealing that’s making it difficult to have qualitative higher education in Nigeria.

    I hastily surmise that ASUU needs to rebuild with other stakeholders for change. ASUU must return to its political past. It cannot afford to go to sleep and leave Nigeria in the hands of the alliance of thieves we call political parties.

    Finally, I am glad a patriot like Funsho Akingbade was remembered. He expressed regrets at the end of life. Analysing current Nigeria in one of our many dialogues, he asked me about what we struggled for? Of course, my situation became different as I opted, for 24 years of my life, to be a distant cousin of the Supranational Clergy by seeking peace in many parts of war-torn Africa under the auspices of the United Nations.

  • Group faults NJC, CJN on Supreme Court nominations

    By Joseph Jibueze

    A group, the Access to Justice (A2Justice), has sued President Muhammadu Buhari and Chief Justice Ibrahim Muhammad at the Federal High Court in Abuja over the nomination of four justices for elevation to the Supreme Court.

    It is praying the court to stop the process for violating applicable judicial guidelines.

    The Senate, the National Judicial Council (NJC) and the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC) are the other respondents.

    The NJC, on October 23, recommended the appointment of Adamu Jauro, Emmanuel Agim, C. Oseji and Helen Ogunwumiju as Supreme Court justices.

    A2Justice, through its lawyers Jude Ogodi and Joseph Otteh, contend that the FJSC and the NJC failed to comply with the established judicial appointment procedures.

    It said they circumvented aspects of the rules designed to make the recruitment process transparent, fair, merit-based and competitive.

    According to the group, the NJC and FJSC also failed to disclose information that would enable interested persons to monitor how the recruitment exercise was done.

    A2Justice said the suit was part of advocacy to reform judicial appointment processes and ensure compliance with the Revised NJC Guidelines and Procedural Rules for the Appointment of Judicial Officers of All Superior Courts of Record in Nigeria, and the National Judicial Policy 2016.

    It said the instruments were made and adopted by the NJC to address the opacity, influence-peddling and nepotism that characterise judicial appointments.

    “Both instruments intend to provide a level-playing field for all eligible persons interested in serving in judicial offices, whether they are currently serving as judges/justices, or are in private practice or in academic institutions.”

    Read Also: NJC tips Agim, Oseji, others as Supreme Court Justices

     

    The plaintiff seeks a declaration that the FJSC did not fully comply with Guidelines, particularly with respect to calling for expression of interest in the vacant positions.

    It alleged that the FJSC also did not notify the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) of the vacancies nor call for nominations before it drew up the list.

    The plaintiff seeks an order quashing the list of candidates submitted by the FJSC to the NJC for consideration as Supreme Court Justices.

    “Several attempts by Access to Justice to ascertain the extent of compliance…using the Freedom of Information Act drew blank.

    “The respondents failed to respond to its enquiries relating to the process adopted for the selection of potential appointees.

    “The FJSC chose to conduct its recruitment in an opaque and unaccountable manner, in outright violation of the 2014 Appointment Guidelines,” the group said.

  • Fake foreign degrees in circulation

    National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Director-General Brig.-Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim dropped the bombshell with concern all over his face: 95 Nigerians found with fake academic credentials are on trial. Gen. Shuaibu added a clincher: 16,580 foreign graduates of the 20,000 who uploaded their certificates online, failed to turn up for verification. FRANK IKPEFAN examines the menace of mushroom higher institutions in the West African sub-region.

    Nigeria is under attack. Not only by Boko Haram, Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) or any militant groups but by supposed higher institutions in Africa, mostly West African countries. The country’s already troubled education system is further threatened by this development.

    The trouble is with the proliferation of mushroom degree-awarding institutions in most West African states, which now serve as ready options for some Nigerians who could not make it into Nigerian universities and related higher institutions. They are earning ‘degrees’, which are on programmes not accredited or recognised by the National Universities Commission (NUC), the agency regulating university education in the country.

    Despite this drawback, some of these holders of these questionable degrees find their way into public institutions as employees and are even allowed to participate in the National Youth Service Corps NYSC) scheme. The trend is growing every day with little or no strict measures in place to arrest the development.

    Unknown to many, degrees obtained by Nigerians from foreign countries ought to be screened by officials of the Federal Ministry of Education for validation and certification. The validation process is meant to interrogate and ascertain that people brandishing such foreign certificates actually participated in the programmes and obtained the degrees. Sadly, these “smart” individuals have devised a way of sidestepping this arrangement, intended as a quality control measure.

    A report by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) revealed that global academic mobility is on the increase, with more than four million students studying outside their home countries. UNESCO said this figure could increase to eight million in the next two years.

     

    Mushroom universities

    Former NUC Executive Secretary Prof. Julius Okojie noted that most of the institutions attended by Nigerians outside were not up to the standard expected back home.

    Okojie’s observation was, some years later, repeated by the incumbent Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Is-haq Oloyede.

    Only recently, the current Executive Secretary of the NUC, Prof. Abubakar Rasheed, accused some of these African countries of establishing mushroom universities to swindle Nigerian students.

    Rasheed noted that these mushroom institutions were established to target Nigerian students, who leave their country in droves to study in some neighbouring countries on account of inadequate space in local institutions, coupled with their desire to study abroad.

    Speaking at the 11th International Conference and Workshop on Quality Assurance in Higher Education in Africa, held in Abuja, Rasheed said a lot of institutions from Africa come into this country to source for intakes by placing advertisements in national dailies, asking people to apply for Ph.D programmes that could be awarded them in one year or one-and-a-half years.

    He said: “We are pained when we are confronted by employers of labour in this country trying to get us to interpret qualification. In Africa, many countries allow their universities to graduate their students with degrees in less than two years.”

    Rasheed warned that anybody who goes outside to acquire a degree in less than three years would not be recognised in Nigeria. He added that NUC will also be more aggressive against those coming into Nigeria to promote illegal universities.

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    Nigerians pay N500, 000 to buy fake degrees

    While many had thought the only problem was with the standard of the universities, the Director-General, NYSC, Brig.-Gen. Ibrahim revealed that some African institutions sell degree and Higher National Diploma (HND) certificates and transcripts to some Nigerian students at a cost of between N300, 000 and N500, 000.

    Ibrahim, during a meeting with representatives of 159 African institutions presenting corps members to Nigeria, said there had been an upsurge in the number of graduates from foreign countries who cannot defend the degrees and HND certificates in their possession.

    Officials from institutions from Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Chad, Niger, Liberia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Uganda and Togo, attended the two-day meeting in Abuja.

    The NYSC D-G said the scheme would henceforth prosecute any person who presents fake credentials to serve as a deterrent to others. He threatened to blacklist all institutions found culpable in the sale of degree and HND certificates to Nigerians.

    He said: “In order to check this ugly trend of certificate racketeering, we strongly recommend that the Federal Ministry of Education liaise with the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ensure that all degrees and HND certificates obtained outside the shores of Nigeria are authenticated at the Nigerian consulate in the country of study.

    “Therefore, with effect from the 2019 Batch C service year, only academic certificates authenticated by the Nigerian Consulates in these countries of study will be accepted for national service.”

     

    95 face prosecution, risk jail term

    Already, 95 of such individuals with fictitious credentials are now awaiting trial. They were arrested in orientation camps across the country by NYSC officials during the Batch B streams one and two services in August this year. A statement by the NYSC said those arrested have since been handed over to security agencies for prosecution.

    The NYSC boss said: “Regarding fraudulent certificates, we have arrested 65 fake students from universities in Nigeria and from other West African universities. We have arrested about 30. We have handed them over to the police for prosecution.”

    The D-G warned that if not checked, the practice has the potential to taint the credibility of the NYSC mobilisation process, adding that the action had grave implications for the socio-economic development of the country.

     

    NYSC steps up measures to curtail trend

    Ibrahim said his agency was working on ways to improve on its screening process.

    The D-G said the NYSC would soon commence the inclusion of qualification and course of study on the Certificate of National Service as a measure to address the unacceptable practice.

    About 16,580 foreign graduates shun certificates defence exercise.

    The NYSC began a policy of physical verification of foreign-trained graduates with its Batch C orientation programme this year in order to prevent individuals with fake credentials from being mobilised for the service.

    The NYSC said only 3,420 foreign graduates out of the 20,000 who uploaded their certificates online, came to defend them.

    Another measure being deployed by the NYSC is to direct foreign-trained graduates, with questionable degrees from institutions in the Benin Republic and some other African countries, who were not issued Certificates of National Service to visit its headquarters for further scrutiny. This initiative was introduced on October 4, this year.

     

    Trend not good for Nigeria’s image, economy – ASUU

    The President, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi expressed displeasure about the trend. He said the trend was not good for the image of the country as well as its economy.

    Ogunyemi said: “We missed it along the line when we do not validate the credentials people bring back to the country. There was a time in this country when degrees from some universities, even from India were not recognised. If we could do that to countries that are outside Africa, what stops us from doing it to some of these mushroom universities around us in West Africa and some other parts of Africa?

    “We are aware that NUC has done some work. There was a time they published some universities that were not recognised but is there a synergy between what NUC is doing and what NYSC is doing?

    “To further validate the process, I think there is a unit in the Ministry of Education that is supposed to double-check some of these certificates. If those who are expected to undertake these processes of validating credentials and certificates brought from outside Nigeria can just be up and doing, I am sure we will see the end of this process and people will be ducked.”

     

    Federal Govt sets up committee

    The Federal Government expressed concerns over the growing trend. The government noted that a national committee has been set up to look into it.

    Permanent  Secretary Federal Ministry of Education,  Sonny Echono said: “We have activated a National Committee on Standard and Curriculum. It will accredit not just approved programmes or even those coming from other countries because one of the trends we discovered was that some of those courses are not being offered in those countries.

    “We hear that some of the so-called universities operate in business centres in those countries. You go to a shopping mall you will see two campuses there all for Nigerian degrees. It is very sad.

    “We are going to blacklist the schools that we know have issued fake degrees.

    “We are going to make it public so that Nigerians do not waste resources sending their children to such schools. That is what we decided in our last meeting.”

  • World Soil Day: Addressing erosion to ensure food security

    By Onyedi Ojiabor

    Soils are essential to achieve food security and eradicate hunger, food security and nutrition rely on healthy soils which are the foundation of our food systems. JULIANA AGBO in this piece examines stakeholders opinions on the best way to ensure healthy soils and food safety.

    Every year, stakeholders converge globally to celebrate World Soil Day on December 5, a day established by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to raise awareness about the importance of soil quality for food security, healthy ecosystems and human well-being.

    Soil is the main resource base and the most productive natural capital for many people in Sub-Saharan Africa, especially for the rural population.

    According to report by Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), about two million people still suffer from lack of nutritional deficiencies.

    It said soils are deteriorating worldwide are becoming less fertile, as they provide less nutrients to plants, leading to serious nutrient deficiencies in crops, with direct consequences on human being.

    It further explained that nearly all plant nutrients are taken up from the soil and need to be present in sufficient quantity and availability in the soil, adding that the nutrient supply to crops and food relies in the first place on the nutrients present in soils.

    While soil is the most productive natural capital for many people, erosion is recognised as one of the world’s most serious environmental problems.

    Soil erosion by definition,  is a systematic removal of soil, including plant nutrients, from the land surface by the various agents of denudation which occurs in several parts of Nigeria under different geological, climatic and soil conditions.

    It can also be regarded as merely a geomorphological process, whereby the surface layer of weathering rock is loosened and carried away by wind or running water and a lower horizon in the soil is exposed.

    It is pertinent to note that soil erosion is happening faster than ever recorded. The declining issues of land availability and increasing population density has intensified rapid urbanization, conversion of arable land to non-agrarian uses and intensive cropping/shorter fallow periods thereby exacerbating soil erosion”

    This alarming fact reaffirms the need to raise awareness through World Soil Day of this growing problem, as the earth’s population continues to expand.

    Globally, it is believed that about 80 per cent of the current degradation of agricultural land is caused by soil erosion.

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    Responsible factors

    The major causes of soil erosion across Nigeria are majorly human interference, climatic factors (rainfall), poor geology, undulating topography and soil nature.

     

    Menace of soil erosion in Nigeria

    The menace of soil erosion represents a major ecological challenge facing most states in Nigeria especially Anambra, Imo, Ebonyi, Abia and other states in the humid tropical region, this is as a result of soils in those areas having high soil erodibility which are are said to be structurally unstable.

    In Northern Nigeria, desertification is one of the major environmental problems while the high torrential rainfall of the southern Nigeria creates enabling environment for catastrophic soil erosion in the region.

    Erosion is particularly pronounced and ecologically vulnerable in areas of southeastern Nigeria where population densities and least land per capita ranks among the highest in rural Africa. Agricultural productivity, sustainability and management for food security/sustenance has been undermined by the menace posed by soil erosion.

    Researches previously conducted in Imo, Abia and Anambra States show that gully incidences generate between 4.2 and 10 m 3/ha/year of sediments, which constitute about 45–90 percent of total sediment production on agricultural lands.

    Soil erosion has continued to be a concept that is ever present as one of the major problems affecting agriculture in Nigeria where resource poor farmers follow extractive farming practices, according to Barry-Chukwu and Princess Kelechi in an article titled, “Are Our Actions Eroding the Earth?”

    It stated that high rate of erosion in Nigeria is of great concern because soil formation and degradation naturally take place in a balanced process whereby new soil forms at about the same rate at which it erodes.

    The article also cited a work Scherr and Yadav, which said soil erosion will pose a major threat to food production which is a major livelihood to poor rural dwellers in Nigeria.

    “Evidence of this is already being seen in various parts of Nigeria for instance, it has been reported that in Calabar South, productivity of some lands have declined by 60 per cent due to erosion and nutrient loss”, it added.

    However, the Agricultural officer, Nigeria Institute of Soil Science, Mr Ezeugo Obasi  noted that land degradation is threat to food security.

    According to him, ” everyday we lose arable land, we lose food production. We go into food insecurity because we cannot produce food in large mass when we don’t have the land.

     

    Control measures

    Speaking on best practices to curb the erosion, Mr Obasi reiterated the need for all actors to collaborate and train farmers on best management practices.

    However, the President, Soil Science Society of Nigeria, Prof. Bashir Raji while recommending control measures such as cultivation of vegetative cover, proper soil and water conservation practices, called for appropriate crop management techniques and intensive community based campaigns.

    Raji who is a professor of soil science at the University of Illorin identified strategies to tackle the issues through increased knowledge of the regional and national needs and priorities, and the subsequent implementation of projects and programs that address the issues.

    “It is imperative that action is taken to ensure the world has a more food secure future. The importance of maintaining healthy soil needs to remain significant every day”, he added.