The Nation Newspaper

Tag: aid

  • ‘How SANs can aid justice administration’

    The Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN) has tasked senior lawyers on the need to play a greater role in justice administration and nation building.

    BOSAN, which gave the charge on Thursday at its maiden annual lecture in Lagos, noted that by virtue of their status, Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) had a duty to provide leadership in and out of court.

    Participants at the event included Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Walter Onnoghen; Supreme Court and Court of Appeal Justices; state Chief Judges, judges, Attorneys-General and Commissioner of Justices, among others.

    Guest speaker, Professor Fidelis Oditah, Queen’s Counsel (QC), SAN, spoke and chaired a panel on ‘The evolving role of senior advocates in the administration of justice and nation building’.

    Panelists included Justice Emmanuel Ayoola, JSC (retd), Chief Folake Solanke, SAN, former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Chief Bayo Ojo, SAN and Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President Mr. A.B Mahmoud SAN, who was represented by Chief Anthony Idigbe SAN.

    Others at the event included former NBA President Chief Wole Olanipekun, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, Dr. Muiz Banire, SAN, Mr. Olanrewaju Onadeko, SAN, Professor Ernest M. Ojukwu, SAN, among others.

    Justice Onnoghen, who praised BOSAN for organising the event, said the judiciary looks up to SANs “because of the position of trust you occupy”.

    He spoke on ‘How members of the Inner Bar can support the dispensation of justice and justice sector reform.’

    Onnoghen added: “The public have confidence not only in the Courts, but in the members of the Bar, who are the bridge between the Courts and the public. Therefore, it is of necessity to come together to address the challenges you encounter and to incorporate your contributions towards the justice sector reforms, thereby expediting speedy dispensation of justice.”

    Oditah noted that the legal system is bedevilled with challenges around administration of justice at all levels of decision making, weak case management, inefficient court registry and inability to bring criminals to book.

    Nevertheless, he tasked SANs to be the voice of reason and moderation, role models to and groom young lawyers, uphold integrity in and out of court and ensure the prestige of their ranks as senior advocates.

    He noted in particular that, like it happens with QCs in England, the role of a SAN should go beyond advocacy.

    Oditah said: The senior advocates should provide a pool from which judges of superior courts in Nigeria can and should be appointed. In the United Kingdom, over 99 per cent of judges of superior courts are appointed from the ranks of QC.

    Solanke, first female SAN, urged lawyers to offer informed commentary on issues of national importance, such as the abduction of Leah Sharibu and the remaining Chibok girls.

    She reasoned that such comments can help to provide direction for public policy and keep government on its toes.

    In his closing remarks, Prof Fabian Ajogwu SAN, thanked the Chairman, BOSAN Committee on Leadership Fund, Chief Felix Fagbouhungbe, SAN, “for his leadership and wonderful insights,” as well as other members of the BOSAN Subcommittee on Continuing Legal Education “for their tremendous contributions and administrative role in planning this event.”

  • Come to our aid, Iba LCDA residents appeal to Ambode

    Come to our aid, Iba LCDA residents appeal to Ambode

    Residents of Harmony Estate in Iba LCDA are currently in the throes of environmental deterioration and call on Gov Ambode to come to their aid. By Gboyega Alaka

    It”s the season of the rains yet again and the landlords and residents of Harmony Estate, Isashi, Iba LCDA are already living in anxiety. This is on account of their bad access road, which they claim hampers movement and has cost them millions of naira.

    The road, which branches off the Iyana-Isashi road, passes through the estate right through to Bayoof Estate along Badagry Expressway. According to the chairman of the community, Orji Eze, the road, aside serving residents of Harmony Estate and environs, should also serve ordinarily as a connectivity route for motorists coming from as far as Ikeja, Igando, Ikotun and going to Ijanikin, Agbara, and as far as Badagry. He however cited bad spots, swamp and general impassibility of the road as its greatest bane.

    In order not to fold their hands and watch things deteriorate, Eze said they have over the years filled the very bad portions of the road with tippers of sand and stones, just so their vehicles do not sink and are able to pass through and link the nearby Badagry Expressway.

    He also said the road, which is about 3km, when repaired, will take a lot of pressure off the Iyana-Isashi-Badagry bus stop/junction, which normally causes serious traffic logjam and consume numerous man-hour.

    “On our own” Eze said, “we have been maintaining the road by pouring stones and tippers of sand. Just last month, we poured 23 tippers of sand. This month, we have poured about thirteen and the cost is affecting us. Our members are also complaining. It is for this reason that we’re calling on the Lagos State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, to come to our rescue and fix the road for us. It will also be of great economic importance to the state, as workers and businesses will move freely.”

    They appeal to the governor to come to their aid now that the rainy season is yet to fully set in, insisting that during rainy season, even jeeps find it hard to navigate through the road, let alone cars. The Vice chairman, Akin Oluwatosin, a senior civil servant with the Lagos State government, said the road was opened up through self-help and their effort can no longer sustain its maintenance. He also spoke of the canal in the area, which he said gets taken over by weed and overflows its bank, flooding houses from time to time.

    Said Oluwatosin, “To clear the canal the last time, we spent N350,000 each day to bring Slumberger here to clear the carnal, and for the two days they came, we spent N700,000 and you’d agree with me that that is huge. As you can see, we still have to clear the other side of the bridge, but we have run out of cash.”

    No response from Alausa

    The chairman also said the community has written to the Lagos State government three times, without any response. They appeal to governor Ambode to impress it on his Ministry of Works and Ministry of Environment, to come to their aid and save them from yearly headache and anxiety.

  • 10,000 youths, others to get Ogun, CBN aid

    No fewer than 10,000 youths and other small-scale farmers are to benefit from the Ogun State/Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Anchor Borrowers Programme aimed at creating employment for youths and boosting agricultural production and food security in the state.

    The state Coordinator and Special Assistant to the Governor on Agriculture, Mr. Tosin Ademuyiwa, disclosed this in Abeokuta at the flag-off of the programme to empower the youths and others in the 20 Local Government Areas of the state.

    He explained that the programme was to give financial support to them to boost production of cassava, rice and maize, adding that attention would also be given to fisheries and poultry farming.

    Admonishing youths to key into the opportunities offered by the programme to earn a living, he said everything would be done to ensure that they benefited maximally from the programme.

    The coordinator, Ogun State Youth in Agric Business, Comrade Olugbenga Ige, thanked the state government and the CBN for the opportunity to be self-employed and help in diversifying the economy.

  • Come to our aid, pensioners plead with Buhari

    Pensioners in Ondo State have urged the federal and state governors to priortise their welfare in order to alleviate their suffering after serving the country meritoriously in various capacities.

    They urged the relevant bodies to allow them live decent life before their death, especially during the current economic recession.

    The National President of Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) Dr Abel Afolayan, the Ondo State Chairman of the Union, Chief Raphael Adetuwo, Chairman, Ondo State chapter of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Mrs. Bosede Daramola and other stakeholders spoke during the inauguration of the N250 million modern complex of the union in Akure, the Ondo State capital.

    “The structure we are inaugurating was initiated sometime in 2014. That it took such a relatively short time to reach this level is highly commendable. Therefore, we praise the state chairman, Chief R.A Adetuwo and all members of the executive and all pensioners in the state.

    “We salute Governor Olusegun Mimiko, because the laudable achievements by pensioners were recorded during his administration.

    However, they urged Governor Mimiko to pay entitlements of all pensioners before his exit on February 24, next year.

    Afolayan listed some challenges facing the members throughout the federation which include lack non-review of pension contrary to the provision of Section 173 (3) and Section 210 (3) of the 1999 Constitution.

    He also said the problem of e-payment made it difficult for some of the members to access payment from 2009 till date. He added that some pensioners’ names have been deliberately deleted from the payroll on the false premise that they are ghost pensioners.

    He said: “There are many pensioners who were bio-metrically verified, captured and enrolled between June and July 2010 and were issued dud cheques which they could not cash. There are thousands of pensioners who are owed several months pension, with many of them still having their gratuities unpaid.

    “We are in constant dialogue with the National Assembly, especially through the House Committee on Pension. This is with a view to ensuring compliance with the constitutional provisions on review of pension, on harmonisation and speedy payment of the balance of 18 months of the arrears of 33 per cent pension increase.

    The NUP President said the union is currently in the process of compiling the total amount owed all pensioners, the total indebtedness to all pensioners in each of the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, adding that as soon as they have the figures, the union would publicise them.

    The Ondo State Chairman of NUP, Chief Raphael Adetuwo praised the Ondo NLC Chairperson, Mrs Daramola who stood by them during their hard times.

    Adetuwo lamented that the Federal Government’s pensioners have been wallowing in poverty since 2010 as a result of erroneous Federal Government’s verification exercise that short paid some pensioners and considered as ghost those whose names were consequently expunged from the pay roll.

    He noted that the Federal Government has not conducted fresh verification exercise to correct the anomalies.

  • Mr. President, please come to our aid

    Dear President Muhammadu Buhari,

    We are Corps members serving in Southwestern part of the country and we hereby humbly address this letter to you on behalf of the entire participant in 2015 Batch “B” Stream II of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in reaction to a circular issued by the NYSC management, which extends our passing to November 4, 2016, instead of October 6.

    On September 14, 2016, we received a circular purported to have emanated from the NYSC Director-General and signed by one A.C Ani on behalf of the DG. Copies of the letter were sent to our respective Community Development Service (CDS) groups’ social media platforms by our Corpe’s’ Liaison Officer (CLO).

    The new development goes against what the information provided in our posting letters and our identification cards, which stipulated that the entire 2015 batch B Corps members shall pass out on October 6.

    At the initial stage when this circular was released, we thought the whole story was speculation until Batch B Stream II Corps members were prevented from taking part in the final clearance and the passing-out related activities NYSC staff at the Local Government levels.

    The NYSC management has not given cogent reason as to the cause of the sudden change in scheduled passing out, neither did anyone consider our plans before extending the passing out date. To us, this is disrespect on the part of the NYSC management.

    The NYSC leadership is aware that our contract with our employers in our respective places of primary assignment stands terminated on September 28, as boldly written in our posting letters and also, that our identification cards issued to us by the NYSC will become invalid after October 7. After October 6, all 2015 Batch B Stream II Corps members become impostors as far as National Youth Service is concerned.

    We could recall that a scenario when we negotiated the bail of two of our colleagues at a police station. The first thing the policemen asked the victims was to show was their ID cards. Immediately the victims showed their ID cards, they were released.  Assuming they had no valid identification cards, what could have been their fate?

    What baffles us, is that, it was the management of the NYSC that issued us our posting letters and our identification cards where it was conspicuously written that both the Stream 1 and II are to pass out on October 6. Why the sudden change of plan and are they going to issue us with a fresh identification cards and posting letters?

    The NYSC bye laws provided for terminal leave. The managements of the NYSC in their own wisdom decided to issue us a posting letters which provided that our terminal leave is inclusive of the date of our passing out ( that is, October 6). To make the 2015 Batch “B” Stream II Corps members to serve till November 4, will amount to the denial of our right to leave.

    The Stream 1 Corps members underwent their orientation course in October 2015 and left camp in November 2015, but they were made to return to their places of primary assignments on January 4 2016, the same date Stream two II started and left in December. We all were mobilised in October 2015 but were divided into streams as a matter of convenience and designed to pass out on the same date as we were firmly told by the NYSC management.

    If this extension is allowed, it would expose most of us to a grave danger and difficulties. The NYSC management is fully aware that 90 per cent of Corps members were not provided with accommodation by their employers and that most of us rented apartment for the duration of our service year as contain in our posting letters. The fortunate few that were given accommodation by their employers were so given for the duration of the service year.

    The question now is: what becomes of our fate as regards our personal plans and finances that may be incurred during the extension? What is more, NYSC stands to lose nothing if the two streams pass out the same day.

    We gathered from reliable sources that the certificates of all Corps members in Batch B have been prepared and are ready. What will it cost the management to pass out all. What will we be doing in the extended weeks?

    It is quite unfair to tell the entire Batch B Stream II Corps members to stay behind a few weeks more, considering the economic situation in the country. The negative effects of this unilateral decision of the NYSC management will be incalculable. Apart from the challenge which the invalid ID cards will bring after October 6, some of us have been offered jobs.

    Some are preparing to travel out for their Master’s degrees; some have scheduled their job interviews, while some have made both long term and short term plans including marriage plans just to mention but a few.

    It is upon these facts, Mr. President, that we address this letter to you and humbly plead that you to use your good office to intervene on our behalf and prevail on the NYSC management to rescind its decisions on passing out date for Stream II of the 2015 Batch B Corps members. We will be eternally grateful if these facts are considered and action is taken.

    Thanks you sir.

     

    • Kelvin Ezema and Ngwoke are Corps members serving in Southwest
  • Vitaform launches breast feeding aid

    Vitaform launches breast feeding aid

    In line with this year’s Breastfeeding week with the theme- “Breast feeding: A key to sustainable development”, Vitaform Nigeria Plc has introduced its set of products to aid lactating mothers breast feed their babies comfortably, especially in public places. They include pregnancy support pillows, baby cots, breast feeding support packs and baby play mates, Vitafoam breast feeding cover, sleeping aids, Multi-flip pillow among others.

    Group Managing Director, Mr Taiwo Adeniyi said “Breast feeding is one of the most effective, cost effective ways to save and improve the lives of children everywhere, yielding long life health benefits for infants and their mothers. Breast Feeding keeps the child away from infections which may lead to death, improves maternal and child health, as a mother breast feeds certain hormones are secreted that helps fight infections in the body, It also helps build the child’s brain, thereby improving the child’s productivity.

    “As much as some women want to breast feed but experience discomfort, Vitafoam is helping out with The pregnancy support pillows which are soft pillows that support the back and hips of mothers and help prevent back pains, Sleeping aids are for expectant mothers who have challenges getting rest. The Multi-flip Pillow props up the body and helps to keep acids down in the stomach.”

    Mr Adeniyi said “According to recent studies linking investments in breast feeding with Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), that were adopted in 2015 by world leaders with a view to ending inequality, poverty and climate change by 2030, however research has shown that many mothers abandoned breast feeding early in babies’ lives, some mothers stop breast feeding after six weeks old, despite campaigns that ‘breastmilk is best’ for their baby. We have identified discomfort with nursing in public, physical discomfort such as back pain, lack of societal acceptance as some reasons for early discontinuance of breastfeeding by mothers. Nigerian women cannot be left behind hence Vitafoam is offering assistive sofas.”

    “We at Vitafoam count it as social responsibility to use innovative designs to develop products to provide appropriate support to nursing mothers, we have produced mother and baby friendly affordable products to help mother and baby during pregnancy, birth and lactation. The Vitafoam breastfeeding cover will help eliminate mothers’ discomfort with nursing in public and nursing mothers can breastfeed babies comfortably anytime, anywhere,” added Adeniyi.

  • Niger Delta rulers aid vandals, says commander

    The Commander of the 2 Brigade in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, Brig.-Gen. Steve Olabanji, has said most monarchs and chiefs in the Niger Delta sponsor pipeline vandalism and crude oil theft in the region.

    The commander noted that if most people knew about the level of illegal activities in  communities in the Niger Delta, they would weep for Nigeria.

    Olabanji, who addressed reporters yesterday in Port Harcourt, said soldiers never invaded Bile-Kalabari in Degema Local Government Area, as the community’s leaders claimed.

    The commander described kidnapping as the Army’s biggest challenge in Rivers State.

    He expressed worry that National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members were the most vulnerable to kidnappings.

    According to him, there should be a concerted effort to stop kidnapping before the NYSC stopped posting corps members to the state.

    Three men were reportedly arrested at Bile with arms and suspected crude oil pipelines were allegedly laid to siphon the commodity.

    Olabanji said the community elders failed to call youths and others involved in the illegal trade to order.

    He said: “We have men (soldiers) at Bile. It is a normal routine: deployment of troops in one of our areas of responsibility. We have a mandate to protect pipelines and other critical national infrastructure within Rivers, Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom states.

    “Since I came on board, in the last three months, we have been analysing the areas that are prone to pipeline vandalism or where most illegal activities are predominant. Bile is one of such communities. If you know the level of illegal activities at Bile, you will weep for this country. The same thing happens in Okrika.

    “It is unfortunate that most of the chiefs, who are supposed to be respected in the society, sponsor these illegal activities. We cannot have a mandate to protect the facilities and we will fold our arms.

    “Maybe the people of Bile found it strange to have soldiers in their community. We have a prerogative not to tell them we were coming. If they knew that we were coming, apparently most of the criminals would have disappeared.

    “We have made some arrests (at Bile). They (suspects) are undergoing interrogation. We will hand them over to the appropriate authorities for further investigation and prosecution.”

    The commander said most of Niger Delta youths involved in kidnapping were members of various cult groups.

    He said they had begun to collect ransom as low as N10,000 or recharge cards.

     

  • Govt officials aid oil theft, says Tambuwal

    Govt officials aid oil theft, says Tambuwal

    The Speaker of the House or Representatives, Hon.. Aminu Tambuwal yesterday alleged that government officials and experts are responsible for oil theft.

    Tambuwal, who spoke at the inauguration of the House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee on Crude Oil Theft, said the theft of between 100,000 to 400,000 barrels of crude oil daily, which leads to the loss of an estimated $5 billion annually in oil revenue, is made possible by the collaboration of government officials and other accomplices.

    “We must realise that without the protection of highly placed people, without the connivance of officials and experts in the sector, the activity of illegal bunkering would have been curtailed long ago,” the Speaker said.

    He said there is need to investigate the entire process of operation, from pipeline rupture through to refinery end-users, and put forward sanctions that can be brought against those involved, however highly placed.

    Tambuwal said the EFCC and other anti- graft agencies should act in conjunction with other international law enforcement agencies to prosecute those behind the transportation and purchase of stolen oil under the procedure of Mutual Legal Assistance.

    “No country can endure such blatant rape of its resources by a few criminals who seem to grow bolder by the day. And no self respecting parliament can watch this kind of gross sabotage and not intervene,” he added.

  • U.S. must suspend aid after Egypt’s coup

    U.S. must suspend aid after Egypt’s coup

    THERE IS no ambiguity about what happened in Egypt on Wednesday: a military coup against a democratically elected government and the wrong response to the country’s problems. The armed forces forcibly removed and arrested President Mohamad Morsi, who won 51 percent of the vote in a free and fair election little more than a year ago. A constitution ratified by a two-thirds majority in another popular vote last December was suspended; dozens of leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood have been arrested and a number of media outlets shut down. A little-known judge appointed as president and granted the power to rule by decree will be entirely dependent on the armed forces for his authority.

    Having not spoken up against the excesses of Mr. Morsi’s government, the Obama administration has, with equal fecklessness, failed to forthrightly oppose the military intervention. But there should be no question that under a law passed by Congress, U.S. aid to Egypt — including the $1.3 billion annual grant to the military — must be suspended.

    Some in the administration and Congress will try to avoid this step, because of the armed forces’ history as a U.S. ally and guarantor of peace with Israel. But the suspension of aid is the necessary first step in a U.S. policy that advances the aim Mr. Obama laid out in a Wednesday night statement: “to ensure the lasting restoration of Egypt’s democracy.”

    Following the removal from office of Hosni Mubarak in February 2011, military leaders promised — as they did again Wednesday — to ensure democratic rights and quickly move toward elections. They did neither. Liberal democratic leaders who had opposed Mr. Mubarak’s autocracy were singled out for repression; critical journalists and activists were prosecuted and jailed in military-run trials; and while elections were repeatedly postponed, a campaign was launched against civil society groups dedicated to promoting free elections and human rights, culminating in the arrest and prosecution of the staff of several U.S. nongovernmental organizations. The generals, meanwhile, insisted on constitutional provisions exempting the armed forces and its budget from civilian authority.

    The Obama administration should now make clear to the new military-backed regime that aid will be restored only if a genuinely democratic transition is pursued in the coming months. That means tolerance for all peaceful political forces, including the Muslim Brotherhood — whose leaders, including Mr. Morsi, should be immediately released. It means acceptance of free assembly and free media, including the Islamist broadcasters that have been shut down. Any changes to the constitution should be the result of a consensus among all political forces, without diktats by the military. And there must be a firm — and short — timetable for new parliamentary and presidential elections.

    Had the armed forces not intervened, democracy probably would have led to the defeat within months of the Muslim Brotherhood in legislative elections. If it does not provoke the eruption of violent conflict, this coup may well ensure that Islamist forces, including more radical groups, grow stronger. The United States must focus on preventing the worst outcomes in a vital Arab ally, including civil war or a new dictatorship. That means dropping its passivity and using the leverage of aid to insist on a democratic transition.

    – Washington Post