The Nation Newspaper

Tag: danger

  • Power supply in more danger as Ikeja Electric exits talks with Labour

    The epileptic power supply will be further threatened as Ikeja Electric (IE), which distributes power to the bulk of Lagos Mainland, at the weekend discontinued talks with Labour.

    The company and workers agreed to the talks as a way forward after last month’s strike following disengagement of workers. The strike completely crippled power supply in the country’s economic capital.

    Yesterday, the company said it had discontinued the talks because “the negotiation was tending towards a proposition that would jeopardise transparency, employee performance and service excellence to customers.”

    Last month, Labour picketed the electricity distribution company for three days over the disengagement of workers who failed to meet the company’s performance objectives and were deemed to be performing below standard. However, the picketing was suspended after Ikeja Electric reached an agreement with the National Union of Electricity Workers (NUEE) and the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) to set up a committee to review the performance appraisal and competency assessment process.

    Ikeja Electric’s Head of Corporate Communications, Felix Ofulue, said the company discontinued the talks “due to a clear determination by representatives of Labour to stick to a pre-conceived and irreversible position that the process was flawed. Therefore, the review process was an exercise in futility.

    “Rather than engage in an objective and constructive review of the whole appraisal process which is tailored in line with global best practices, Labour preferred an arbitrary review in which reduced criteria would be applied to certain selected employees who are members of the union”.

    He added: “The performance review process was classified into four stages, clearly detailing steps to be taken at each stage. However, Labour, without taking any of these steps into consideration and any justifiable rationale, insisted the process was flawed and demanded that Ikeja Electric must recall all disengaged staff.

    “While we remain committed to upholding best human capital processes and stakeholder engagement in fostering excellence in the workplace, there are indications that the propositions of certain actors in the negotiation process are against our resolve to provide improved services to our customers and are fixated on jeopardizing our overall interest to move the industry forward so we had no choice but to withdraw in the interest of our consumers”.

    Ofulue said since the electricity sector had suffered great setback for many decades because of mismanagement, it is time to focus on applying quality human capital to salvage the situation.

    The Ikeja Electric called for restraint to avoid the crippling electricity shutdown that accompanied last month’s strike

    He said Ikeja Electric would resist “any attempt to allow its customers go through another harrowing outage ordeal,” saying that the company will not hesitate to seek redress at the Industrial Court should Labour’s action “worsen the power situation which over the few weeks have been dismal due to grid challenges and gas shortage.”

  • Edo 2016 and danger of godfatherism

    Nigeria’s long years of military rule brought about militarized leadership in the country. It was an era better imagined than experienced. With the return of democratic governance in 1999, Nigeria returned to the path of freedom, equity, fairness, rule of law, period elections and constitutionalism.

    But quite disappointedly and unexpectedly, a cabal crept in and hijacked the democratic and election processes in the country. That was the commencement of godfatherism syndrome in the country’s politics. A syndrome which perverts democratic processes through undemocratic means for the benefit of the members of the cabal at the detriment of the people. At a time, the syndrome became a democratic tradition and norm in the country.

    The godfathers who usually enjoy the backings of the powers-that-be then dictated the dynamic of political power both at states and national levels. They were worshipped by power seekers, and their homes became a Mecca of sort. Their words were laws and oftentimes above the law. Prominent among them were Chief Chris Uba, Sir Emeka Offor, Late Lamidi Adedibu, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Chief Tony Anenih alias “Fix It” and others.

    It was Anenih who announced in 2002 while serving as Minister of Works during Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration that there was no vacancy in Aso Rock in 2003. Anenih stated further that the then 21 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors would be given automatic ticket in 2003, thereby foreclosing any transparent primaries in the party.

    Just as dictated by Anenih, President Obasanjo and the PDP governors with the exception of Chinwoke Mbadinuju of Anambra State were issued automatic return tickets in 2003 to the disappointment of many Nigerians and party faithful especially party aspirants. It was the height of political impunity in the PDP and the beginning of the party’s disastrous end.

    Anenih also extended his godfatherism activities to his home State Edo where he operated like a political colossus, dictating who gets what, how and when in the party and the governments at will. He and his party had a field day for a while in the state until 2007 when the people of Edo State revolted with protest votes against Anenih and his party, PDP during the governorship election. It would be recalled that before the election, Anenih had preference for Senator Odion Ugbesia as governorship candidate of the party, but Obasanjo opposed him and imposed Prof. Oserehimin Osunbor on the party as its governorship candidate.

    Not even the PDP’s manipulations in the election could save the party’s candidate in the court of law as the court declared Comrade Adams Oshiomhole of the defunct Action Congress (AC) winner of the election. That was how Anenih’s godfatherism activities and PDP inglorious days ended in Edo State through the people’ votes. PDP godfathers paid dearly for their sins and it was end of dark era in the politics of the state.

    The greatest beneficiary of the demystification of political godfatherism in the state was Comrade Adams Oshiohmole who overwhelmingly enjoyed the support of the people. That was why the voters voted massively for Oshiomhole during his second term bid against the PDP candidate, Major General Charles Airhiavbere (rtd) that was imposed on the PDP by Anenih and his cohorts against a popular and acceptable aspirant. Since then till date, PDP in the state has never known peace and may not know peace in the nearest future, especially now that the party is not in control of power at the centre. Having murdered sleep by political godfatherism and imposition of candidates during elections, PDP lost not only followership but leadership in the state. It is hard lesson the ruling APC in the state must learnt from, and a trap the party must avoid like a plague.

    But it seems obvious that ahead of the forthcoming governorship election in the state, if the APC fails to manage the primaries well, the party will go the way of the PDP in the election. There is already growing apprehensions and concerns among the people over the growing political godfather activities of Governor Oshiomhole. The situation deserves quick intervention of the Presidency and the party’s national leadership.

    It is public knowledge in the state today that Oshiomhole who was severely critical of Anenih’s godfatherism posture is doing everything possible to muscle the party hierarchy and impose his godson, Godwin Obaseki as his successor. Oshiomhole has told everyone who cares to listen that he will dictate who succeeds him. He has been going round the state picking political fights with the people, while trying to sell the candidacy of his preferred successor.

    The governor and his foot-soldiers have in a recent meeting tried to cow some of the party governorship aspirants to drop their ambitions and support that of his godson. But they have vehemently opposed him, asking him and the party leadership to create a level playing ground for transparent primaries. There are enough signs of what will befall the party in the election if Oshiomhole and his allies are allowed to impose unpopular candidate on the party. From the governor’s actions and inactions ahead of his exit from office, it seems he is working for the success of the opposition PDP in the election.

    It was recently alleged that passport photographs and signatures of some delegates are being obtained by the state government under the guise of emergency employment to cow and hoodwink them into a compulsory endorsement of governor’s preferred aspirant. Delegates to the primaries have been allegedly placed on a monthly salary of N20,000 effective December 2015 including a fertilizer scheme for Edo North delegates. There is urgent need to call Governor Oshiomhole to order before power drives him out of the way to detriment of the people of Edo State and the APC.

    A party that won election on platform of change mantra cannot afford to support political godfatherism and other undemocratic tendencies that destroyed the PDP and the political space in the last 16 years. President Muhammadu Buhari and other elected APC members in the last general elections were not products of political godfatherism and Edo State should not be different. If Oshiomhole feels that his preferred aspirant is popular and acceptable, he should not be afraid of presenting him for a free and fair party’s primaries.

    Nobody is or will be against Oshiomhole having an interest on who succeeds him because it is his personal and legitimate right. But such interest should not override the general interest of the party faithful and general public. It is not out of place that the governor’s choice of possible successor may be at variance with that of the majority members of the party faithful and the people, but such is not unusual in a democratic practice. After all the beauty of democracy is that the minority will have their say, while the majority will have their way.

    • Adiga, a public affairs analyst and human right activist wrote from Benin City, Edo State. 
  • OUR LIVES IN DANGER

    OUR LIVES IN DANGER

    Rivers doctors abandon duty posts as kidnappers go on the rampage

    Lucky doctors recall close shave with abductors

    For medical doctors in Rivers State, the fear of kidnappers has become the beginning of wisdom. The medical practitioners have lately become the targets of kidnappers who insist that heavy ransoms must be paid before their victims are released. Last year, no fewer than 21 doctors were abducted, and that has been followed up with the abduction of two others in the New Year.

    As would be expected, the situation has resulted in panic and anxiety among medical doctors in the state. They are now living in fear over kidnappers’ shift of attention to medical doctors. According to the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), so many others who managed to escape abduction were either seriously wounded or had their vehicles damaged with bullets from kidnappers’ guns.

    The recent abduction of two medical doctors and an attempt by gunmen to abduct a doctor from the theatre few weeks ago did not only give doctors the impression that some people were after their lives, it has also forced them to either walk in disguise or go into hiding all together. The situation has also made many of them located in rural communities to flee from their duty posts to the detriment of thousands of rural dwellers in need of urgent medical attention.

    The continued attempt by abductors to capture more medical doctors for ransom had led to a three-day warning strike embarked upon by doctors in the state from January 14 to January 16. It was also a solidarity protest for two of their colleagues who were kidnapped. The warning strike was also meant to draw the attention of security agents in the state to the need to be more proactive in securing the release of the victims and protect those who are yet to be kidnapped.

    However, the two doctors have regained freedom, though their family members refused to speak to the press on how they were released. But Doctor Green, the state chairman of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), said the families of the two victims who regained freedom could not speak because of security reason.

    He noted that kidnappers have continued to follow his members around. “As  I am talking to you now, few days after the two doctors regained their freedom, two other doctors escaped being kidnapped; one of them sustained serious injury and they are now hiding.  I don’t know what kidnappers are benefiting from kidnapping doctors”, he lamented.

     

    Abandoned health centres

    A visit to some health centres in rural and urban areas of the state showed that many of the doctors residing in rural communities had all relocated to major towns and cities for safety. And those who live in towns and cities also have to disguise when attending to patients. They must be doubly sure of the identity of the person at the other end now before responding to “call duty”, particularly at odd hours.

    Doctor Fred Nwabueze, who had to flee from his duty post in Emohua community, said he had no choice but to run for dear life.

    He said: “My brother, we are no longer safe to render service to humanity. I don’t know why kidnappers are after us. We are not money-bag politicians or businessmen. Ours is to save lives.

    “Many of us even struggle to pay our children’s school fees. There are times they send our children out of the classroom. If you see where some of us live, you will know that we don’t have money. The kidnappers should ask about our living condition before they take us as easy prey.

    “We pay house rents like any other person. We also receive quit notice from landlords. As I am talking to you, every doctor in Rivers State is in hiding. And where doctors must see patients, they disguise. Our stethoscope and mask which give our identity away as doctors are now folded inside our bags. That is the condition we have found ourselves in.”

    Another doctor, Abuah Temple, who was working in one of the Ikwerre

    communities before he ran away after an attempt to kidnap him failed, said: “I had parked my car at the roadside and was coming out from a house where I had gone to check a patient. As I was coming out and trying to enter my car, some gunmen forced their way into the car and ordered me to join their vehicle.

    “As soon as they pushed me inside their car, they blindfolded me and zoomed off. After about 10 minutes of painful ride, I heard gunshots and there was anxiety among them inside the vehicle. I didn’t know that it was naval officers who were escorting their boss that had engaged them in a shoot out.

    “Although I was blindfolded, I sensed that the vehicle had stopped and my abductors were jumping out of it. One of the naval officers then opened the car and brought me out. That was when I realised that I was being rescued by the naval officers.

    “But it didn’t end there. One of the abductors who escaped later called me. He said I should pay the ransom or I would be abducted again. When I made plans with the police to arrest him through the line he was calling me, one of the politicians in the state showed up to release him. We are in danger and I am sorry that if this continues, the public will suffer the pain more than us.”

     

    Govt assures doctors of safety

    The Commissioner of Health, Dr. Theophilus Odegme, who was a special guest at an NMA meeting on the ceaseless incidents of kidnapping in Rivers State, told his professional colleagues that there was no need to panic or embark on long strike because of what was happening to them.

    Calling on members of the public to help the police in the war against kidnapping in the state, Odegme said: “The government is on top of the situation. It is not everything I will tell you here because it is a security issue. I have interacted with the Commissioner of Police but what they are asking for is public cooperation to do their job.

    “I am worried that the kidnappers have shifted their focus to doctors. But what we are telling them is that these people are not rich. They are public servants and directing attention to them is wrong.”

    The President, Association of Residents Doctors, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), Dr. Mike Achor, told our correspondent in an interview that he was yet to know the reason why kidnappers were after medical doctors. He said in the past one year, doctors in the state have been living in anxiety and have had to disguise themselves to carry out their essential duties.

    He said the effect is that doctors who were always seen among the people are beginning to hide. He pleaded with kidnappers to know that doctors have no money to pay ransom.

    Achor added: “The issue of kidnapping has become consistent for the past one year, and the reason for kidnapping doctors is something one cannot tell.

    “Doctors do not have money. How many of us are driving new cars? The present situation will end up destroying the health system, especially primary health care.

    “Each doctor has his or her patients, and as a doctor, you are responsible to them. The effect of this is that doctors are beginning to hide. People can’t knock on your door that their sons are vomiting or having one problem or the other and expect you to come immediately. You will not follow them, especially at night. That is the situation now in Rivers State.”

     

    Worrisome trend

    Recalling what doctors in the state had passed through since last year, the chairman of Rivers State branch of the NMA, Dr. Furo, said the situation was worrisome. He regretted that for all the 21 doctors abducted last year, no suspect was arrested or prosecuted. He accused the Rivers State Police Command of not doing enough to arrest the perpetrators of this heinous crime.

    Green said government, security agencies and the general public must come to doctors’ rescue before the health system in Rivers State collapsed. He said most of the doctors in the rural areas had started moving out of their duty posts, adding that doctors in the state no longer identify themselves as doctors except where it is absolutely necessary, for fear of being kidnapped.

    Narrating further some of the experiences of his colleagues and the position of the NMA over the development, Green said: “It appears that doctors have been targeted for kidnapping. It became more apparent last years when about 21 doctors were kidnapped. There were also those who escaped attempts to kidnap them and many of our colleagues got injured while battling to escape from kidnappers. Some had their cars sprayed with bullets, others escaped with bullet wounds. Now we are beginning to see what happened last year repeat itself.

    “Recently, one of our colleagues was abducted. Her car was riddled with bullets and her children were all toddlers. You can imagine the trauma they would be passing through knowing that their mother is in kidnappers’ den. While we were still shouting over her abduction, another doctor, a physician, was kidnapped. Because we don’t want what happened last year to repeat itself, our members decided to call an emergency meeting where we agreed to go on a three-day warning strike, which is over now.

    “Because of the outbreak of Lassa fever, however, we decided to create a window for people to be given attention, especially the indigent members of the public. However, after the expiration of the warning strike, our members went back to work.

    “On Monday last week, we had a meeting to review the whole situation. We discovered that apart from the two doctors,  another one was attacked at the theatre room. They wanted to kidnap him and they shot him in the abdomen.

    “We are now taking our protest to the public. It is the public that would protect us. We are saying this not because we are peculiar or special people but because of the kind of service we render to the public. If you kidnap one doctor, you have kidnapped 3,500 patients. The ratio today is 3,500 patients to one doctor.

    “So, when a doctor is kidnapped, you have deprived 3,500 patients of access to health service. It means that a pregnant woman in a village who needs the services of the kidnapped doctor, will not have access to the doctor and she may die. That means a man who has a gunshot wound will die because he may not have access to his doctor.”

    He said that doctors were not shouting for help and police protection because they think that other victims of kidnapping did not go to school but because of the kind of service they render to the public. He said doctors had agreed to carry out serious advocacy to inform those who see their abduction as an easy way of make cheap money that doctors have no such money. He reasoned that any kidnapper who accepts ransom from a doctor accepts blood-stained money because some souls might have died in the course of kidnapping a doctor”.

    Asked whether the attention on doctors could be because some doctors earlier kidnapped paid huge sums as ransom, Green said among the 21 doctors kidnapped last year, only two paid ransoms, which were borrowed from friends and sympathisers.

    He said: ”I can tell you that out of the 21 doctors kidnapped, not more two paid ransom. Even the men who tried to pay gathered some money through friends. When they kidnap a doctor, they believed that the doctor has money, so they go on torturing the doctor. Needlessly, they shoot them and some were hit with rod.

    “The doctor that died last year when they tortured him, it was because the kidnappers thought he had money. So they hit his head with a rod and that was how he died.

    “He has a hospital but the hospital was dying because he borrowed money to run it. They didn’t know that he had no money. A similar thing happened to a doctor that was kidnapped last year. They tortured him and when the maltreatment became unbearable, he agreed to look for some cash. The family negotiated with some people to save him, and what he would earn for three years was what they arrived at. The family got the money and paid.

    “When he came back, the family told him how the money was borrowed and that they took that decision because they didn’t want him to die. So he has to prepare to pay back, and that is what he is suffering today, struggling to pay back. Even his children’s school fees, he cannot afford to pay. He even came to the NMA to borrow money and we could not assist him because we have no money in our account.

    “But we regret that for the 21 doctors kidnapped last year, nobody has been arrested or jailed. That means that the security authorities have not done enough. They should please help to secure us because if these criminals push us out of service, to be sincere, the society would suffer the most.

    “We are also appealing to the local government chairmen to assist us. While we know that security is outside their control, they should look for ways to protect the doctors at the grassroots.

    “The politicians have surrounded themselves with security personnel and the bank manager has a lot of security gadgets in his or her office. The doctor is the man who lives among the people.”

  • Ex-Rangers defender’s move to Morocco in danger

    Ex-Rangers defender’s move to Morocco in danger

    Former Rangers Senegalese defender Pierre Coly’s move to Moroccan club Chababe Atlas Khenifra is hanging in a balance, AfricanFootball.com can report authoritatively.

    The no-nonsense defender, who has featured for Rangers and Sharks in the Nigerian top flight, cannot feature for his new club because they are yet to receive his International Transfer Certificate.

    The defender in an exclusive chat from his base in Morocco decried the actions of the football house in releasing him even after his last club Rangers had set him free to join the Moroccan top division side.

    “It is quite disturbing that I have not started playing since I came here. Officials of the club have been very good to me but I don’t know why NFF is still holding back my ITC,” said Coly.

    “Rangers, my last club, have given me the all-clear to join my new club but my ITC is yet to be sent by NFF. I hope and pray that those in charge of my ITC will release it for me to continue my career.”

  • Whitney Houston’s daughter in danger

    Whitney Houston’s daughter in danger

    Less than two weeks to the death anniversary of American singer, Whitney Houston, her daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, was found unconscious in a bathtub in her home, on Saturday, and has remained in critical condition ever since.

    It was exactly the same circumstance that led to her mother’s death on February 11, 2012.

    It is still unclear why she fell unconscious, but the police was reportedly prompt with life-saving measures, after her husband, Nick Gordon and a friend made a call to 911 from Bobbi’s house.

    Bobbi, 21, also daughter of RnB singer, Bobby Brown, was immediately taken by ambulance to a hospital, where doctors stabilised her breathing, and put her in the ICU.

    Latest report from sources close to the family said she is in a medically-induced coma for swelling of the brain.

    Bobby Brown was said to have arrived the hospital same day, after he put off his trip with Tyler Perry, who was flying from LA to Atlanta for business. Perry had offered to take Bobby with him when the news broke.

    Bobbi was said to be found faced down in the tub, with water enough for a bath. Knowing her mother, Whitney, died with drugs in her system while taking a bath, police searched the home, but no drugs were found.

  • Danger as PDP gets desperate

    SIR: Nigerians should gird their loins for the danger ahead as PDP leaders get desperate over next month’s Presidential elections. There is total disquiet and confusion in the House of PDP as events of February draw near. A party that says it will rule Nigeria for 60years is now gasping for breath and fighting for survival. How are the mighty fallen? The House called PDP is giving way gradually, it is going down gradually, it is collapsing systematically and it is sinking slowly.

    In Port-Harcourt during the flag off candidate Buhari’s campaigns, one person was feared dead and many others seriously injured when armed youths shot at vehicles moving supporters of APC to the venue. In Lagos PDP has been training thugs and arming them for the task ahead. Across the country stories of arm build up and training of thugs are filtering into the ears.

    General Buhari of 2003, 2007 and 2011 is no longer the same Buhari in 2015. Buhari in 2015 has become dynamite, an explosive, a game changer, a fortress, a smoking gun, an avatar, the numero uno, the political bulldozer, the caterpillar. Machine gun, a hurricane and a colossus. To ignore the GMB massive movement now is to play to the gallery, to dismiss his build up now is to tell a lie to yourself, and to set aside his potentials now is to be economical with the truth. Calculations, equations, permutations have changed and they are turning almost 360 degrees. It is a complete turn around. The momentum is there. The speed is there, the dynamism is there and the force is there also.

    As things stand APC needs to wake up to device ways to protect its members and teeming supporters. The potentially dangerous elements in PDP and their agents have nothing to give Nigeria now except agonies, tears and blood. Having decimated and desecrated a promising country, PDP is now ready to give Nigerians serpents instead of fishes, stones instead of bread and urine instead of water. 

    Now, what do you do a cook who cannot cook well? You sack him. What do you do to a teacher who cannot teach well? You sack the teacher. What do you do to a President who cannot lead his country very well? You vote him out!

    APC is not PDP and it can never be. Unless you vote in APC and try them for at least four years, you cannot do an objective comparison between APC and PDP. APC stands for good governance, national security, economic development, human capital development, land and resources development, active foreign policy. APC will fight impunity and abuse of power. APC will fight political irresponsibility of wealth without work and politics without principles.

    We have shed enough blood in this country and God forbid that we should travel that road again. Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State is relying on the Military and the Police to remain in power. PDP and its drivers are relying also on the powers of the Army and Police to remain in power at all cost. Can these vital and strategic institutions afford to fail Nigerians again in this election?

    • Joe Igbokwe

    Lagos

  • Away from danger

    •Govt must fulfill its promises to the 2,400 students moved to Unity Schools from the north east

    As part of its response to the attacks on educational institutions in the north eastern part of the country, the Federal Government has moved 2,400 students from their various schools to Federal Unity Schools of their choice. The Students’ parents – 800 each from the three states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe that are currently under emergency rule as a result of the Boko Haram insurgency – have consented to the idea and had indeed signed that their wards be transferred to the Unity Schools in places they consider more secure.

    Unity Schools were established partly to bring Nigerians from all parts of the country together at tender ages and inculcate in them the importance of togetherness and unity. So, in a sense, the transfer of the students from the volatile region to these schools fulfills one of the criteria for the setting up of the schools. The snag however is that it was not a choice they willingly made; rather, it was imposed by circumstances beyond their control.

    At a glance therefore, the ‘forced’ transfer of the students signposts the failure of government in its core responsibility of guaranteeing the security of lives and property, which is the raison d’être of any government properly so-called.

    But it would appear the most pragmatic thing to do, given the realities on ground. Young boys and girls who crave western education, especially in a region where some misguided elements are now painting education as ‘sinful’ ought to be given the necessary encouragement and support that they need to realise their potential. Most of the foot soldiers of the Boko Haram insurgents were recruited largely from the army of illiterates that roam the streets of the region and other parts of the north. They have no hope of any better life today, even as their tomorrow appears forlorn. So, they are susceptible to being brainwashed and naturally get excited by any assignments that would fetch them some money, no matter how heinous such jobs may be.

    It is against this background that we commend the government for acceding to the requests of the parents who asked that their children be transferred to the Unity Schools, instead of keep assuring them, as usual, of their safety which it obviously cannot guarantee. We have lost too many of our innocent young ones to the senseless killings by Boko Haram and we need not gamble any longer with the lives of the country’s future leaders.

    However, having agreed to move the students to the Unity Schools, the government must honour its obligations to them and their parents as it promised. They should not be abandoned midway as is usual with many government initiatives.

    In this light, the government should realise that the Safe Schools Initiative, under which arrangement it has moved the students is funded not only locally, but also with assistance from outside the country. So, the ‘Nigerian factor’ should not come into play in its implementation. We cannot be doing things in a wrong way and expect others to come down to our own standards only to turn round to accuse them of not supporting us.  While we commend all those that are financing the initiative, we urge the Federal Government to implement it in a way that would make further assistance possible and not in a way to shut the door against such.

    It is equally important for the government to know that the remaining students who have opted to remain in their respective schools in the region deserve protection. We can begin to consider basic safety measures such as perimeter fencing, gates and electronic surveillance, starting with schools in the hottest trouble spots. If we fail to help the youths achieve their hearts’ desires today, they would be the ones to torment us tomorrow, exactly the same way Boko Haram insurgents are doing today.

  • Lack of storage facilities puts fruit growers in danger

    Lack of storage facilities puts fruit growers in danger

    Lack of storage, marketing and infrastructure development facilities are the major obstacles to ensuring fair prices of seasonal fruits, a  don, Dr   Ademola  Adeyemo   has  said .

    Farmers have been producing tonnes of various kinds of fruits, harvesting   huge quantities of fruits, but they could not get fair prices due to absence of storage and transport facilities, Adeyemo, Deputy Director, Department  of  General Administration, Agricultural and Rural Management Institute (ARMTI)  Ilorin said.

    He  said   farmers  have  counted heavy losses  following  absence  of  storage  facilities, which made them   sell their fruits at throwaway prices.

    Every year tonnes of different kinds of rotten seasonal fruits l such   mangoes,  pineapples, watermelons, oranges, tomatoes, bananas, papaya and guavas worth over millions of Naira   are being perished due to lack of cold storages, fruit processing plants, marketing and transport facilities.

    He  called  on  the  government  to  support   farmers  set up cold storages, fruits processing plants, modern road and marketing facilities.

    This, he  explained,  would  have  farmers  that   could not carry their fruits to other markets for lack of adequate transport facilities. He  noted  that  transportation  is  key  to rural  farmers  ferrying   their produce  to the  towns, adding  that  they  cannot  achieve   success if  they   fail to transport their  fruits to  consumers.

    He said  farmers   are  facing  serious infrastructure and logistic problems, includinglack of cold storage and transport facilities.

    He  said  there is   no way  the  fruit industry will  grow  without  much improved infrastructure in the supply chain, mostly an effective cold chain from harvesting products to sale to the end consumer.

    According  to him  ,the  most effective way of preserving and keeping food items fresh after harvest is to store those in suitable temperatures, and  freezing produce straight after harvest is also a common method used around the world mostly for highly perishable produce.

    This, he  explained,  provides a very long shelf life, but it requires an effective cold chain infrastructure.

  • Green: My life is in danger

    Green: My life is in danger

    The crises rocking  the leadership of Nigerian football has taken another twist as former NFF executive committee member, Chris Green has alleged that there is a threat to his life.

    Green, as well as former NFF President, Aminu Maigari and General Secretary, Musa Amadu were all arrested by operatives of the department of state security (DSS) last Tuesday just before the NFF congress was to hold.

    While revealing his ordeal to the House of Representatives committee on sports, Green claimed that he and Maigari barely escaped being assassinated.

    “What we went through is not something anybody can be happy about, as we were detained for hours without any charges brought against us.

    “When we were released at past 2am the following day, we were handed over to a group of unknown and heavily armed men but we refused to get on board.

    “Now I’m scared for my life because I know some people are out to kill me because we could have been assasinated that day,” he said.

    Meanwhile, in a statement released on Saturday, sports minister Tammy Danagogo explained why Green and his colleagues were arrested.

    “The arrest of Maigari and some other officials of the NFF by the DSS is part of its routine to investigate the fire incident and interrogate some suspects based on the report of officials of the NFF and therefore had nothing to do with the NSC as is being erroneously insinuated.

    “It is however, on record that the former Acting President of the NFF, Chief Mike Umeh had, immediately after the fire outbreak which raised part of the NFF secretariat in Abuja, said he suspected sabotage by ‘some people who are desperate to perpetuate themselves in power’ and called on the police to investigate the incident,” the statement read in part.

    Green also accused the sports minister of being the brain behind the NFF crises.

    “The problem of Nigerian football right now is my brother, the sports minister and it is quite unfortunate that he’s not here today,” he told the House of Representatives committee on sports.

    But Danagogo has denied being a part of the problem, and insisted that ‘We must ensure that peace is brought back to Nigerian football’.

     

  • Osun poll: Democracy in danger, says Aregbesola

    Osun poll: Democracy in danger, says Aregbesola

    Jubilation in Osogbo

    Jonathan, governors hail election 

    Victory parties continued yesterday in major towns of Osun State.

    Osogbo, the state capital, was throbbing with crowds of revellers as Governor Rauf Aregbesola led a victory parade.

    He was declared re-elected by the Independent national Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday morning with 394,684 votes to his opponent Iyiola Omisore’s 292,747 votes.

    Aregbesola said in spite of his victory, the process was faulty and “gravely endangered democracy.”

    The governor took a hard look at what he and his party – the All Progressives Congress (APC) – faced in the run-down to the election and declared that had it not been because of the People’s commitment, something untoward could have happened.

    President Goodluck Jonathan, governors and other eminent Nigerians congratulated Aregbesola.

    National leader of the APC Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu said Aregbesola “bruised the head of tyranny with his victory.

    Tinubu, Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola and other APC leader kept vigil at the Aswiwaju residence in Lagos monitoring the situation. There was anxiety as the results were not announced by INEC Returning Officer Prof. Bamitale Oluwole, Vice Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife until 7:30am yesterday.

    Addressing a huge crowd of supporters at the Nelson Mandela Freedom Park in Osogbo, the governor noted the traumatic challenges he faced before he winning the poll.

    “It was so sad and unfortunate that the contest that should be a normal, routine process was allowed to snowball into a needless virtual war by the Federal Government and the Peoples’ Democratic Party.

    “Ordinarily, this should be a moment of joy and celebration consequent upon the hard-earned triumph of the people’s will. However, this election shows that democracy is still gravely endangered in Nigeria. We witnessed gross abuse of power and of due process before, during, and even after the actual voting process.”

    Aregbesola lamented the unduly militarisation of the election saying the people’s courage had triumphed over an unprecedented criminal intimidation and psychological assault on the state.

    He said that the election witnessed an abuse of security agencies which he described as corruption of their professional ethics and integrity.

    Aregbesola added that the security agencies were unprofessionally utilised to harass, intimidate and oppress the people whose taxes were used to pay their salaries.

    He said: “Hundreds of leaders, supporters, sympathisers and agents of our party were arrested and detained. Also, hundreds of other innocent citizens, including women and the aged were harassed, brutalised and traumatised. In spite of this condemnable repression and abuse of human rights, the unflagging spirit of our people triumphed.

    “Our victory is due to the steadfastness and resolute determination of our people to assert and defend their rights. The PDP obviously did all it could in a most desperate manner to steal the people’s mandate.

    “Despite our victory, it is pertinent to condemn and also point out the fact that the number of accredited voters in most local governments was less than half of registered voters. Against this trend, it is curious that the bulk of the PDP candidate’s votes came from only four Local governments –  Ife Central, Ife East, Ife North and Ife South.”

    Aregbesola said the outcome of the election reflected the unwavering determination of Osun people to ensure that democracy triumphs in Nigeria.

    “With this election, the people of Osun have sent a strong signal to all and sundry that no might is powerful enough to thwart the will of the people. This should always strengthen our resolve to ensure that as from now on, every vote must not only count in Osun but must count in this country as a whole.

    “Nobody or party must ever exercise power unreasonably at any level except in accordance with the will of the people to whom sovereignty belong.”

    He added: Let me assure the good people of Osun state that I appreciate that this victory is a reward for our hard work and commitment to the welfare of our people.

    “I promise that we shall not rest on our oars but shall be spurred to work even harder with all well meaning people of the State of Osun and the generality of Nigerians to continue to enjoy your trust and support. You can be assured that we will leave no stone unturned in our continued effort to transform Osun into a land of progress, prosperity and peace for all with renewed fervour.

    “I realize that this victory and the challenges we went through is a call to greater service and sustained commitment to our people.

    “I pledge a rededication of myself to the service of our people and the strengthening of democratic values in Osun and Nigeria generally. Our country remains in political bondage and we must set her free.”