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Tag: challenge

  • Challenge beyond a challenge

    SIR: “Everything changes except the law of change. You cannot step into the same river twice. The river changes every second, so does the man who stepped in it.” – Heraclitus

    The social media has been soaked recently with the ‘10-year challenge’ which requires that people juxtapose pictures dating to a decade to a recent one. It is fun and we enjoyed it. People are really fascinated by the evident changes their lives have witnessed. Too many people are carried away by the facial and physical transformations that have occurred to them. Not many people will look at it from a dialectical angle. There can be movement without progress; there can be growth without development. Let us take the challenge to our political scene and see what has changed. Let us consider the quality our lives. What has changed?

    In the next few weeks, we will take on a greater challenge. It is a challenge that will decide how the society will look like in the next few years. It is a challenge that will either endorse the continued looting of our collective resources or ensure the redistribution of wealth to the PEOPLE who own them.

    If you want to hold a device in the next 10 years, and see a reflection of a transformed society, join the struggle to enthrone a socialist-oriented party that will ensure that ‘every man is a king’ in his own society.

    In the next 10 years, we will still be here, if this space has not been consumed by greed and selfishness of capitalism, to re-evaluate how our last 10 years have been. If we take up the challenge of electing credible leaders, you may not need to go to the fifth house waiting for when they will put on the generator. You may then go to school with the assurance that you will meaningfully contribute to the society’s growth after graduation. You may then be assured of a sound medical attention without leaving the shores of the country. We may then beat our chest that we have a territorial space uncontrolled by imperialist policies.

    Let us take the challenge beyond a challenge. We must always remember that life is a ceaseless change.

     

    • Matthew Alugbin, Oluyole, Ibadan, Oyo State.

  • Winners emerge for Google Impact Challenge Africa

    Winners have emerged for the first Google Impact Challenge in Nigeria with twelve non-profits and social enterprises each awarded a share of $2m in grant funding.

    Four winners Vetsark, The Cece Yara Foundation,  HelpMum,  Project Enable Africa will receive $250 000 each, while the eight runners up will each get $125 000.

    1. Vetsark – Plans to launch Alpha Prime Disease Surveillance Technology to predict, prevent, and control pests and disease outbreaks in Nigeria to protect crops and livestock.
    2. The Cece Yara Foundation – Established the first toll-free child helpline and child advocacy centre in Nigeria and aims to connect victims with professional services through the web, SMS, and mobile apps.
    3. HelpMum – Using mobile technology, HelpMum provides clean birth kits to ensure that pregnant women are given the best possible care during delivery, irrespective of where they live.
    4. Project Enable Africa – The digital inclusion project promotes the access of people with disabilities and their caregivers to ICT skills and opportunities.

     

    The winners were chosen by judges and members of the public at the grand event held in Lagos on Tuesday evening.

    According to a statement by the organisers, funding will be allocated in tranches and assigned to each enterprise as they reach a set of predefined milestones specific to each venture, while winners and runners up will also receive support from Google to reach their goals and meet those milestones.

    Google Impact Challenge Africa, a competition to find the most innovative African non-profits and social enterprises using technology to solve societal problems, opened in May and more than 5,000 (Five thousand)  entries were received in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa.

    In her address at the ceremony, Google Country Director in Nigeria, Juliet Ehimuan-Chiazor, noted that many African innovators are doing great work with real impact and Google is keen to shine a light on their work, and also give a financial boost to their projects and ideas.

    “We believe technology can help local and national organisations to better reach their goals and solve some of the continent’s most pressing challenges, and Google is eager to provide support to individuals and organisations using technology in new ways to make a positive difference,” she stated.

    Judges on the night included Chairman CEO Channels media group, John Momoh, Chairman/CEO;
    Mrs. Parminder Vir, Chief Executive Officer, Tony Elumelu Foundation; Rapper, CEO of Chocolate City Music Group, MI Abaga; Philanthropist and Executive Director of Nigeria Network of
    NGOs Oluseyi Oyebisi; Managing General Partner, EchoVC Partners Eghosa Omoigui and Google Nigeria’s Country Director Juliet Ehimuan-Chiazor.

  • Lagos: Sanwo-Olu, Hamzat challenge good for democracy, says APC chair

    •Salvador heads Assembly aspirants secrening panel

    THE excitement triggered by the emergence of two challengers to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode for the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship ticket is good for internal democracy, party Chairman Tunde Balogun said yesterday.

    He spoke at the ACME Road, Lagos secretariat of the party during the inauguration of a seven-member panel to screen aspirants into the State House of Assembly ahead of the primary scheduled for October 4.

    Balogun said that the emergence of two former Commissioners – Mr. Jide Sanwo-Olu (Establishment & Training) and Dr. Obafemi Hamzat (Works & Infrastructure) reflected the beauty of democracy.

    Assuring that the governorship candidate would be determined by party members at the primary, Balogun described the APC as a truly democratic party which had redefined governance in the state.

    He named Moshood Salvador as chairman of the panel to screen the aspirants.

    About 230 aspirants jostling for the state’s 40 assembly seats are to be screened by the committee.

    Salvador was, until recently, chairman of the Lagos chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He defected with members of the state executive to the APC.

    Other members of the screening panel are: former Lagos Deputy Governor Femi Pedro; former House of Representatives member Wale Oshun; a member of the Governor’s Advisory Committee (GAC), Dr. Yomi Finih and Commissioner for Health Dr. Jide Idris.

    He told reporters after the closed-door inauguration that the setting up of the committee was in preparation for the state assembly primary.

    The committee, which, according to him, swings into action today, will conclude its job on Friday. It is to ensure that aspirants met the requirements to contest in the primary.

    Each of the members of the committee will chair a sub-committee with members to respond to the high number of aspirants.

    He said: “We have a large number of people who are to be screened to contest in the state House of Assembly primary.

    “We have 40 seats in the state and over 230 aspirants are to be screened.

    “This is a large number, and that is why each member of the committee is chairing a sub-committee to rise up to the challenge.

    “We are prepared for this enormous job, and and we are even expecting members from the national secretariat to do the work,” he said.

    He assured that the committee would carry out its responsibility without let or hindrance.

    On the inclusion of Salvador in the committee, Balogun said it reflected the party’s promise that all defectors would be treated equally like the others.

    The chairman said the APC would not renege on its promise to ensure new members were fully integrated.

    The ranks of APC in Lagos State swelled yesterday as the former Lagos State Commissioner of Commerce and Industry, Mrs. Remi Adiukwu-Bakare was received into its fold from the PDP.

    Other defectors were the National Chairman of the Mega Party of Nigeria (MPN), Mr Dare Falade and the Lagos State Chairman of Democratic People’s Party (DPP), Mr Tajudeen Yinus and their supporters.

    Welcoming the defectors, Balogun said he was excited that progressives who left APC were coming back to the ruling party.

    Adiukwu-Bakare assured the leadership of APC that she would work tirelessly to ensure the party has a good outing during the 2019 general elections.

  • Tambuwal: I have what it takes to challenge Buhari

    Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal yesterday said he has what it takes to contest against President Muhammadu Buhari on the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform if he wanted.

    Tambuwal, reacting to a statement that he defected from the APC to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) because he feared it will be a tall dream for him to get an automatic ticket, insisted that he could have challenged President Buhari under the APC if that was what he wanted.

    He noted that if he did, only the votes of delegates could have produced a winner.

    Tambuwal stated this in his Tweeter handle “@Sokotogovthouse” as his reaction to the widely publicized statement that he hurriedly left the APC for fear of Buhari.

    He said: “If I wanted to and if the Presidency is what Ahmed Tinubu thinks I defected, I could contest with President Buhari under the APC. I have what it takes to have contested with Mr. President.

    “Tinubu tried to rock the boat when he was denied Buhari’s vice presidency. He thinks every other person could behave his way. If I wanted to contest under the APC as president, I could have done so and only the votes could have produced a winner.

    “In any case, Tinubu is confessing that there is no level-playing ground for all members of the APC; that there is no internal democracy in it and that some people were denied their right to internal democracy.”

    Tambuwal stressed that while addressing the people of Sokoto State and by implication, Nigerians, he stated his reasons for leaving the party (APC) none of which was “automatic ticket”.

    “I adduced reasons my defection to the PDP. The reasons are still on record. Automatic ticket by the APC is certainly not part of that,” Tambuwal said.

  • Kudos to the dead, challenge to the living

    Akinwunmi Isola, professor of Linguistics, actor, playwright, immense man of culture and icon in the deeper realm of Yoruba contemporary film industry, perhaps did as much as anyone to mainstream the Yoruba cosmos, in a hostile contemporary world of cultural imperialism and actual capture.

    His collabo with ace film maker, Tunde Kelani of Main Frame (Opomulero) in films like “O Le Ku”, “Thunderbolt”, “Saworo Ide”, “Agogo Ewo”, all classics in themselves, is abundant proof of his passion for the Yoruba universe.  He shared that passion with the late Ayo Faleti, seasoned broadcaster, public administrator and fervent soul mate in that endevour of high culture propagation.

    Prof. Isola died on February 17 in his Akobo, Ibadan, Oyo State, home in the loving hands of his wife, Adebola.

    Akinwunmi Ambode, governor of Lagos State, chartered accountant and public administrator, is a man of numbers, hardly of letters.  Yet, he just pulled off perhaps the most decisive punch for Yoruba, as an active medium of the future, in the life of Lagos, a Yoruba city which is nevertheless Nigeria’s prime cosmos of business, culture and opportunities, into which other Nigerians pour in numbers.

    By that law, a candidate must have a credit in Yoruba language before qualifying for admission into any of the state-owned tertiary institutions.  It’s as audacious a push as any, to mainstream Yoruba in Nigeria’s prime economic hub.

    Could another Akinwunmi be challenging the present and the future, on the Yoruba cause, continuing where the old Akinwunmi stopped, in a stellar campaign for a Yoruba cultural renaissance, in the context of a federal Nigeria?

    That somewhat reinforces the wisdom in Prof. Isola’s life-long activism, that one’s culture is one’s life; and how dead you are without it.  Ironically, Prof. Isola’s first degree was in French, before embarking on his life-long Yoruba campaign, so much so that his widow recalled that a few days after their wedding in 1969, he gave out his wedding suit.

    He said he wore it to please his bride!  Left to him, he would have had both of them wear “aso ofi” — a Yoruba native garb — in all of its traditional flourish and majesty, despite that the couple numbered among the modern elite.

    There are different sides to Ambode’s new language policy.  It would further boost Yoruba consciousness among the native speakers, so much so that it could curb the empty conceit of many looking down on their own mother tongue, as it is common among not a few families.  That would be very good, for it is a strong blow for ethnic federalism.

    But it could also limit the cosmopolitan outlook in Lagos State-owned schools.  If non-speakers cannot gain admission into these schools without a credit pass in Yoruba at the O’Level, it could well mean that less and less non-Yoruba would gain admission into them.

    That might not be too good, although many have raised the point that when Nigerians travel to non-English countries to study, they first study the local language of instruction.  That could well be.

    Still, Prof. Isola’s cultural activism clearly showed you could be proud of your essence without becoming a bigot or irredentist.  That is the prime essence of his legacy — showing off the best of yours without being offensive.

    That is the challenge to the living, as Lagos State starts implementing this new language policy.

    Adieu, foremost ambassador of Yoruba culture.  The living will drink deep from your rich — and ever living — well.

     

     

  • Tackling the challenge of pig waste

    Pig farming is one of the most profitable livestock businesses with huge challenges. A team from Cooperl, a France based international organisation, visited the biggest pig settlement in Oke Aro, a Lagos suburb, to discuss how to empower the farmers to address the challenges and do profitable business,Daniel Essiet reports.

    Oke-Aro, a bustling settlement on the border of lagos and Ogun states offers  calm weather and miles of  warm terrain,  that is conducive to pig farming.

    As  a result not less that 3000 farmers have   set up  pens  and are making money.

    One of them is Mrs Olumide Jibodu ,who is now  well established  have  undergoing different kind of training . She  has grown her  herd size by careful management and adapting to the challenges that pig farming presents. She  and other farmers in Oke-Are  have  pens which provide  accommodation for breeding, weaning and farrowing. Some sheds are  subdivided into two to hold a sleeping and a dunging area as pigs should not sleep on a dirty environment, despite the perception that they love dirt.   There , pig slurry are  produced in massive quantities.

    Some   farmers disposed of the  mix of urine, faeces and waste water by simply spreading it on the ground as fertiliser. But an increase has left Mrs Olumide Jibodu  and other farmers with more manure than they can handle. The primary hazard present in pig manure is parasites such as roundworms and tapeworms that can be passed on to man. Some resistant bacteria such as listeria and staphylococcus found in pig may also survive the composting process and have been responsible for disease outbreaks in agricultural and livestock workers.

    This has given her and thousands of other farmers concern as the waste keep increasing as there are no place to dispose them without causing hazard to human health.

    A  meeting with  a team from Cooperal, an international  France based organisation provided an opportunity for her  and others  to talk about  their challenges.

    Addressing the meeting , Director, Cooperl, Cote d’ Ivore, Francois   Teillet  said waste from  pig  can also be used for biogas production.

    According to him, the organisation is  ready to help farmers tackle the  economic and environmental challenges associated with the storage and handling of pig slurry.

    Teillet said the project is meant to create income from pig manure, as well as address the problems associated with it. These opportunities come in two forms – biogas and nutrients.

    According to him, pig waste is  big business and his  confident that pig farmers can benefit as pig manure is an ideal feedstock for biogas plants.

    To this end, he   said the organisation  will help Oke Aro pig  farmers  establish an energy  project that will convert   waste into power using  biogas systems.

    He explained that  the company’s  factory in  France deploys  a  system that reduces pathogens, odour, and offers an example  for  pig pens  managers of all types of organic by-products – from animal manure to food waste to sewage.

    If farmers can overcome these hurdles, Francois   said they can set an example for, renewable gas developers, and others nationwide.

    He said in the last 50 years, the organisation  has taken steps to  continuously improved technical performance to stay competitive.

    Specifically, he  said  the organisation has  continually improved every link in the pork chain, from genetics-driven selective breeding to pig barn design and back to diet and hygiene control.

    As  a result, he  said the company has been able to guarantee a better health—hygiene record, as each time the animals leave the pen, there is a sharp drop in germ load and a break in the infection vector dynamics.

    He said the company  has been  involved  in the  process of manufacturing composite feeds, which is characterised by quality monitoring that kicks in right from raw material ordering, including identifying source, nutritive value,  and health—hygiene profile.

    A  veterinary pig specialist, Dr Carlos Villamanos reiterated the preparedness of the organisation to work with Nigerians to address odours, emitted mainly from manure and decaying feed and carcasses, which are a major concern of the pork industry.

    He  explained that overall odour production from the operation could increase if the  waste  is not properly handled, stored, and treated.

    According to him, their company  has taken measure to reduce odors from swine facilities,  and to improve   pig health .

    The veterinary doctor added that when the sow’s udder comes into contact with the dirty and wet floors, there is a high mortality rate among piglets because the female pigs contract infections on their nipples, leading to death of their young ones.

    One of the project partners, Mr Oluwafemi Malomo said the organisation has  produced organic products in many  areas  to  help keep piglets healthy,  warm and alive, saving farmers the high cost normally incurred by water borne infections.

  • Tackle skilled manpower challenge, NCS urges Fed Govt

    Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) President, Prof. Adesola Aderounmu, has urged the Federal Government to raise modern manpower that could  drive the economy.

    He lamented that nearly 90 per cent of technologies used in the country is imported despite the huge knowledge infrastructure of 162 legally recognised universities, 125 polytechnics and over 500 agencies.

    “It is sad that after 58 years of independence, Nigeria has failed to come up with neither a globally recognised company nor product originating from Nigerian indigenous technology because the national economy had not been technology-driven,” he said.

    Giving a keynote address at the first International Conference on ICT for National Development and its sustainability organised by the Faculty of Communication and Information Sciences, University of Ilorin, to mark its 10th anniversary, Aderounmu urged the Federal Government to develop the ICT sector through the establishment of research centres, technology parks and incubation centres across the country.

    He added that the provision of reliable and affordable infrastructure and provision of fiscal incentives for indigenous software developers would also spur the development of the sector.

    Speaking on: “Leveraging ICT for National development and its sustainability”, Aderoumu, a Professor of Computer Science at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), IIe-Ife, lamented that the  economy has not fully embraced technology as its driving force.

    He suggested that the government could develop the sector through the creation of a special fund to assist start-ups as well as grow developers, enactment of a law that mandates MDAs to patronise indigenous software while mandating the immediate implementation of the approved scheme of service for IT professionals.

    While recommending that priority should be given to registered IT professional in the award of IT contracts, Aderounmu urged the academia to promote productive collaborations both internal and external and create learning opportunities for the students.

    He don said: “The system of mentoring, apprenticeship and tutelage, which existed in the past should be re-introduced and strengthened. Split-site arrangements should be encouraged to enable young researchers to be acquainted with new trends, globally. Spend a considerable portion of its yearly budget on global promotion activities.”

  • ‘Digital technology major challenge for banks’

    Leading global professional services firm that provides a  range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations, Accenture, has identified keeping up with the changes in digital technology as a major challenge for the banking industry.

    It added that consumer expectations and government regulations are other challenges facing the sector.

    Accenture Nigeria’s Managing Director, Financial Services, Toluleke Adenmosun, who spoke in Lagos about the opening of entries for Accenture Innovation Index 2018, said Accenture has received a significant number of requests from banks asking for greater insight and assistance on innovation in the first few months of 2016.

    She said with a rapidly evolving ecosystem, banks must make innovation a part of their culture and rotate to the new.

    She said: “The banking industry is evolving right now requiring banks to navigate through significant challenges to not only maintain their profitability but to also increase their revenue and meet the customers’ dynamic demands.

    ‘’The topic of “Innovation” is a critical discussion among the Banking C-Suites now, as banks are being pushed to think about innovation in new ways that were unimaginable just a decade ago.

    “We believe the biggest challenge banking in Nigeria is facing is keeping up with the changes in digital technology, consumer expectations and government regulations. Accenture has received a significant number of requests from banks asking for greater insight and assistance on innovation in the first few months of 2016. And with a rapidly evolving ecosystem, banks must make innovation a part of their culture and rotate to the new.”

    Accenture said the rapid changes in the world are increasingly rewarding those who are innovating. Adoption of new ways of doing things is driving growth in companies, expanding opportunities in economies and increasing the quality of life in nations that embrace it. The outliers in innovation and those who are improving their position have some things common – they bolster their innovation capacities through positive-sum policies such as investments in Research & Development, education, tax incentives for innovation that contribute positively to the global body of knowledge and stock of innovation.

    In partnership with The Lagos Business School and select C-Suites from tier one companies who are judges in the process, Accenture applies best practice research approaches to provide a confidential customised innovation diagnostic report that identifies each participant’s innovation strengths and weaknesses; benchmarks their innovation within their industries; and presents strategies that may help them gain competitive advantage.

    The Accenture Innovation Index 2018 will survey nearly 100 companies in banking and Fintech space – this will include interactions with these executives. This year’s index will focus on banking and the Fintech industry that is driving an increasing number of solutions to customers in the financial services space. As companies in this space are pressured to innovative and create new products and services, their impact is shaping people’s lives and contributing to the improvement of living standards in the country. In subsequent editions other industries and their impact will be indexed to give an even broader view of the various industries strengths and the nation’s most advantageous attributes.

    “We look forward to sharing the report and its findings with you once the process is completed; we are excited to see how our industry leaders compare with peers in other countries where we have conducted the survey,” Accenture added

  • Challenge of reconciliation in Ondo APC

    Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and Senator Ajayi Boroffice are battling for the soul of the Sunshine state. The two All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftains are at loggerheads over the 2016 governorship primary and the management of the party. Who will reconcile them? Asks Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU.

    There is no end in sight to the acrimony between Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) and Senator Ajayi Boroffice, who is representing Ondo North District in the Senate. The question is: when will the two All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftains sheathe their swords?

    The rivalry played itself out at the recent 10th Bola Tinubu Colloquium in Lagos. As Akeredolu entered the Eko Hotel Convention Centre, the venue of the historic event, dignitaries on the front row, including Prof. Boroffice, rose up as a mark of honour. Beaming with smiles, the governor responded to the gestures by greeting, embracing and shaking hands with them. The guests included Senator Abu Ibrahim from Katsina, former Secretary to Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal, former Chairman of the defunct All Peoples Party (APP) Yusuf Ali, Hon. Tunde Braimoh, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, Senator Barnabas Gemade, Hon. Raphael Igbokwe, Senator Babajide Omoworare and Senator Solomon Adeola. Boroffice sat between Gemade and Igbokwe, the leader of Southeast Caucus in the House of Representatives.

    Akeredolu, who greeted Gemade warmly, shunned Boroffice, who had already stretched his hand for a handshake. Later, the governor shook hands with Igbokwe. Gemade and Igbokwe were shocked. An embarrassed Boroffice told Gemade: “That is how he behaves to me.”

    Since 2012, the legal luminary and former university don have been rivals. Both wanted to rule Ondo State. But, the personality clashes got to a peak during the 2016 governorship primary. The shadow election, which polarised the party, led by Hon. Isaacs Kekemeke, was perceived as a war of sorts by supporters of various aspirants. Only the moles stepped down, ahead of the exercise.

    Although Akeredolu emerged as the flag bearer, the animosity continued in the post-primary period. One of the contenders, Chief Olusola Oke, left the APC for the Alliance for Democracy (AD), where he lost his deposit. He recently retraced his steps to the party. Kekemeke was suspended as chairman. His deputy, Ade Adetimehin, has been acting as chairman. Another aspirant, Dr. Segun Abraham, is still in court protesting the outcome of the primary.

    However, while the two lawyers-Akeredolu and Oke-have reconciled, the gulf between the governor and the senator has widened. The frosty relationship is a concern to many APC stalwarts.

    Few months ago, Akeredolu said he had embarked on reconciliation with some aggrieved members in the chapter. Thus, when President Muhammadu Buhari mandated Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to reconcile aggrieved chieftains nationwide, the governor said there was no need for any national reconciliation train to roll into Ondo State, adding that the chapter was peaceful. At the party’s unification rally in Akure, the state capital, where Oke returned to the fold, the former AD candidate praised the magnanimity of the governor.

    But, the governor inadvertently disputed the claim of harmony when he said he only recognised two APC senators from the state-Tayo Alasoadura from the Central District and Yele Omoguwa from the South, and not Boroffice, who the governor’s camp accused of anti-party-activities.

    Boroffice objected to Akeredolu’s claim, saying that Ondo APC is disunited.

    According to a source, there is a bone of contention between the governor and the senator. “The Asiwaju of Akokoland and the state party leader, Arakunrin Akeredolu, are not in good terms. The governor has reconciled with Oke, who left for the AD, but has now returned. But, he is not happy that the senator stayed in the APC during the election, but working for the AD. There was the speculation that Oke’s running mate, Ganiyu Dauda, a former member of the House of Representatives, had the backing of Boroffice. The governor believed that was anti-party activity,’ he said.

    Collaborating the source, the APC Director of Media and Publicity, Steve Otaloro, said: “It is incontrovertible that Boroffice, who came a distant fourth in the party primary, immediately ordered his supporters to move en mass to the opposition party. But, being a sitting senator on the platform of our party, APC, he couldn’t openly canvass for the opposition. He however, engaged in anti-party activities behind closed doors.”

    Besides, Otaloro said Boroffice has been docile in his legislative duties, adding that he has trifled away six good years playing mere politics and pursuing personal ambitions. He predicted that the senator will not get the ticket for re-election at the senatorial primary, owing to what he described as his “depleting popularity” among the people of his district.

    Ahead of next year’s poll, senatorial aspirants are already warming up in the North District, based on the calculation that the governor will not back a senator he has not recognised for re-election. The aspirants include Hon. Olemoga, who is representing Akoko Noertheast/Northwest in the House of Representatives, human rights lawyer Dr. Tunji Abayomi, former House of Assembly Speaker Hon. Victor Olabimtan, and Prince Solagbade Amudeni.

    Boroffice denied allegations of anti-party activities against him, saying that he is a loyal stalwart. He said the attack on him by the governor was unwarranted, urging him to separate facts from frictions.

    Boroffice said in a statement by his media aide, Kayode Fakuyi, that he has always supported Akeredolu in the best interest of Ondo State, “despite the underlying differences,” recalling that he rallied his colleagues in the Senate to support the governor when he sent two private communications to the Upper Chamber.

    He complained that he had been sidelined in Ondo APC, stressing that Akeredolu has never carried him along on any party matter since he assumed the reins last year.

    Boroffice said: “The governor has not extended any invitation to me, let alone turning down any of such invitation to attend any meeting or an APC’ s events since Arakunrin Akeredolu became Governor of Ondo State.”

    The senator also said he has added value to his district through his legislative activities and the infrastructural facilities he has attracted to the zone.

    Boroffice said it was not true that he worked against the party during the last governorship election. He said despite the “controversial” emergence of Akeredolu as the party’s candidate in 2016, he worked tirelessly for the victory of the APC in the November poll.

    The senator chided the governor for intolerance, saying that his attitude to other party leaders in the state who did not see things from his perspective has polarised the chapter and alienated critical mass of the party leadership and supporters.

    Boroffice added: “All is not well with the APC chapter in the Sunshine state and rather than for Governor Akeredolu to embrace the challenges of leadership and reach out to every leader of this party in Ondo State, he prefers to run the party and government of Ondo State with his trifling followership and continue to assert that he alone owns this party and others can go to hell. He continues to threaten others with expulsion from the party.”

    He urged the APC national leadership to intervene in the Ondo APC crisis, stressing that issues that polarise the chapter should not be swept under the carpet.

    Boroffice stressed: “It is for this reason that His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari has called for reconciliation of leaders and resolutions of disputed issues. This is the wise road to travel and we cannot dissent and we fully support our National Leader, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu on this course.”

    In Otaloro’s view, it is appalling that Boroffice has accused the governor of polarising the party and concocted a non-existing feud. He said the senator was only engaging in a blame game.

    He said: “We want to make it clear that the governor does not in any way intervene in the affairs of the party. The party affair is solely run by the leadership of the party in the state, led by Ade Adetimehin.” According to observers. the submission is disputable because the governor is the party leader.

    Otaloro said it is the senator that is fighting the governor. “It beats our imagination if Senator Boroffice could be referring to the governor as a controversial candidate after one year in office and still claim to have worked tirelessly and voted for him. It also remains irreconcilable why Boroffice, who sent a congratulatory message to the governor through his media after his victory at the poll, did not attend the inauguration ceremony of the governor,” he added.

    Akeredolu is consolidating his hold on the Ondo APC as the party leader. He still faces a challenge from Abraham, who is in court.  The governor and other party chieftains, including Boroffice, may still flex muscles as the political family warms up for next year’s federal and state parliamentary elections.

    The question is: who will reconcile Akeredolu and Boroffice in Ondo?

     

  • Senator Sani’s challenge

    The challenge by Senator Shehu Sani has only been answered partially and that is not good enough. The senator who in my view can now legitimately claim to be distinguished from the rest of his colleagues after squealing on their unconstitutional and unconscionable pilfering also challenged Nigerians to find out how much members of the federal and state executives, the judiciary and state legislators take home monthly in the guise of allowances.

    In revealing the unlawful conduct of the Senate, Sani said he also hoped Nigerians would put pressure on the National Assembly to reduce the illegal allowances they share every month. This challenge has been taken up by Nigerians, particularly the well regarded Socio-Economic Reports and Accountability Project (SERAP), which is reported to be taking steps to compel the National Assembly to account for their illegal earnings.

    The Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has also risen up to its responsibility by publicly declaring the lawful entitlement of members of the Senate. According to RMAFC, each senator is entitled to N1.063 million every month as salary and allowances. The difference between the hefty N13.5 million and N1.063 million lawfully due to each senator is the sum due to the national treasury as money had and received for no consideration or money unlawfully obtained under false pretence or by whatever name.

    This column in its contribution penultimate week titled: ‘Assembly of Jeopardy’, had emphasised that if the national will exists, that humongous difference between the legitimate earning of the national legislators and the allowances they appropriate unlawfully to themselves could be recovered back, upon appropriate action being taken by the executive against the members of the National Assembly.

    This column commends SERAP for taking up the challenge to ensure that members of the National Assembly return the monies they are not entitled to. Should they approach the courts, I hope the courts will give such application accelerated hearing while exercising its powers judicially and judiciously in the overall interest of our haemorrhaging country. I also hope the courts will shoot down any attempt by the culprits to have recourse to technicality to defeat the nationalistic effort of SERAP.

    Should the issue of locus standi arise in such an action, the courts I wish will be guided by the decision of the Supreme Court in Adediran v Interland Transport Ltd (1991) 9 NWLR Pt. 214; per Karibi-Whyte JSC, when he said: “The high constitutional policy involved in section 6(6)(b) is the removal of the obstacles erected by common law requirements against individuals bringing actions before the court against the government and its institutions, and the precondition of the consent of the Attorney General”.

    But there is the other challenge put forward by the distinguished senator which Nigerians should also grapple with the same enthusiasm as the unlawful aggrandizement by members of the National Assembly. Sani revealed that every public official in Nigeria takes one form of allowance or the other, and Nigerians deserve to know the amount taken as allowance by every public official. This column agrees totally with the senator and I urge every public institution to come clean about the allowances their officials receive every month or annually.

    In throwing the challenge, the distinguished senator was inferring that other public officials are also pilfering from the public till, and while we are worrying as we should about the over N13.5 million monthly heft of the senators, we should demand to know what their colleagues in the executive arm are taking. Luckily RMAFC has provided a guide in its reaction following the revelation by distinguished Senator Shehu Sani.

    In its public reaction to the heist by members of the National Assembly, the agency said: “RMAFC also wishes to use this opportunity to state that any other payments enjoyed by any political or public office holder outside those provided in the Remuneration Act of 2008 is not known to the commission and the Chief Accounting Officer of the agencies concerned should explain it.”

    The commission in that release was referring to public officials across board. Yet the Third Schedule, Part 1C, paragraph 32(d) the 1999 constitution provides: “The Commission shall have power to (b) determine the remuneration appropriate for political office holders, including the President, Vice President, Governors, Deputy Governors, Ministers, Commissioners, Special Advisers, Legislators and the holders of the offices mentioned in sections 84 and 124 of this constitution….”

    The constitution in section 84 included the presidency, judicial officials as well as specialized federal agencies. In section 124, the constitution refers to the state executive and certain named state agencies. In section 70, the constitution expressly stated that senators and House of Representative members shall receive salary and allowances determined by RMAFC. There is a similar provision in section 111 of the constitution with respect to the House of Assembly across the states.

    So I urge Nigerians to take up the challenge posed by Senator Sani with the seriousness it deserves. While every effort should be made to ensure the National Assembly resort to constitutional earnings, the other public officials should not be spared scrutiny. One of the unlawful money creamed from the national and state treasuries by the federal and state chief executives is the so-called security vote. Such a vote is unknown to the constitution, and what is not approved by law is unlawful.

    As I argued here the penultimate week, it is the primary responsibility of the executive, especially the president to ensure general obedience of the ultimate law of the country, the constitution. The war against graft should include ensuring that every public official earns only what the law allows. The reason why public office attracts more of hooligans than patriots is because of the opportunity to steal from the common wealth. That point was made by Senator Sani when he said that a reduction in the unlawful allowances the senators take will ensure that only those ready to contribute to law-making will get to the Senate.

    To deal with graft in our country, which is a cardinal campaign promise of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the president has to summon the will to stop any public official from getting unlawful entitlements by whatever name it is called. As Lee Kuan Yew wrote in his book: From Third World to First: “It is easy to start off with high moral standards, strong convictions, and determination to beat down corruption. But it is difficult to live up to these good intentions unless the leaders are strong and determined enough to deal with all transgressors, and without exceptions.”

    Our nation will continue to dodder if those who have access to public funds are entitled to abuse it without any consequence. As we celebrate Easter, perhaps this is a good time for our public officials to eat the humble pie, and stop the pillaging of our common treasury.