The Nation Newspaper

Tag: high

  • ‘Why cooking gas price is high in Bonny’

    The price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), also called cooking gas, is high in Bonny, Rivers State, despite hosting the headquarters of the Nigerian Liquefied and Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited.

    The Nation learnt that infrastructural bottlenecks and   geographical terrains of Bonny are affecting the supply of the product to the town.

    It was  further gathered that LPG suppliers could not bring the product to Bonny because of its water-locked nature.

    A member of the Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers (NALPGAM), who pleaded anonymity, said the price of cooking gas in Rivers State was higher than in Lagos, because the cost of transporting it to the area is high.

    The General Manager, External Affairs, NLNG, Dr Kudo Eresia-Eke said: “Bonny is an Island, the community is surrounded by water and this means accessibility to the community is by water and not road. So, the suppliers of cooking gas need to pay more to supply the product. Of course, they would factor the cost of transportation on the product they are selling to the residents. That is why I said that the cost of LPG is likely going to be higher in Bonny than Lagos.”

    According to him, NLNG supplies Lagos with LPG, and not Bonny, adding that smaller suppliers take the product to Bonny. He said there was no terminal in Port Harcourt and, as a result, LPG could not be discharged in Port Harcourt.

    “People buy LPG in Port Harcourt, from there they move it to wherever they are going to sell it. In the case of Bonny, the movement of LPG is done through the coast, a development that adds to the cost of transportation,” he added.

  • Why cooking gas price is high, by NLNG

    Why cooking gas price is high, by NLNG

    Infrastructure bottlenecks and not scarcity are the real reason behind the rising cost of cooking gas or Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) nationwide, the General Manager, External Relations, Dr. Kudo Eresia-Eke has said.

    Eresia-Eke in a telephone interview with The Nation said three factors namely; shortage of terminals for the discharge of LPG in the country, storage facilities at the terminals and delays in getting the product from the terminals, have resulted in increase of price, from N2,700 to between N4,000 and N4,200 for a  12.5 kilogramme (kg) cylinder in Lagos and environs.

    He stated that hitches in areas such as transportation of LPG from the NLNG’s base in Bonny, Rivers State to Lagos and distribution of the product to consumers, is the bane of the sub-sector.

    The issue, he said, made people to conclude that LPG is scarce in the country. “The increase in price of LPG was caused by infrastructure problems, and not scarcity of the product. Only two terminals were dedicated for the supply of LPG in Nigeria. The terminals, which are based in Lagos, are NAFGAS Terminal and the Northern Oil Jetty (NOJ), which is being managed by the Products and Pipeline Marketing Company (PPMC) on behalf of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

    “The terminals are not only limited, but were made to give priority to supply of white products such as petrol, diesel and kerosene. This has made it difficult for LPG vessels to discharge its content promptly enough,” Eresia-Eke said.

    Other problems, according to him, are lack of adequate facilities for storage of LPG at the terminals and delays in accessing the product from the terminals.

    He said the decision by the Federal Government, to give the terminals priority to discharge white products first, is affecting supply of LPG. “The idea made LPG vessels to queue for days or weeks, ditto operators that are waiting to collect the product for onward distribution to the consumers,” he added.

    Eresia-Eke noted that NLNG has increased domestic supply of LPG from 150,000 metric tonnes (mt) annually to 250,000 metric tonnes annually in recent times. The issue, he said, attests to the fact that  NLNG has the  capacity to meet LPG consumption requirement in the country.

    He urged stakeholders including the government, to expedite actions on measures that would enable consumers to get the product regularly.

    The National Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers (NALPGAM), had in May, 2016, raised concerns over what it described as astronomical increase in the price of cooking gas. NALPGAM’s Chairman, Mr. Bassey said the money paid on demurrage and other costs incurred by the operators have increased, thereby making it difficult for them to get the product.

    He said the issue has compelled marketers to increase the price above what they used to sell the product.

  • Equities rally to 8-month high with N242b gain

    The upswing at the Nigerian stock market continued yesterday with a stronger momentum as increased demand for quoted equities drove the stock market to its highest point in eight months. Investors added N242 billion in capital gains, equivalent to average day-on-day gain of 2.4 per cent, while the average year-to-date return improved to 5.19 per cent.

    With the rally yesterday, quoted equities have recorded net capital gains of more than N1 trillion in the past six trading sessions since the release of the framework for the new flexible foreign exchange (forex) policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Nearly all analysts agreed that the uptrend was induced the new forex policy, in a market where foreign investors control some half of transactions.

    The CBN had last week’s Wednesday released the framework and on Monday started the implementation of its new forex policy that leaves Naira mainly to market forces. In a dexterous move, the apex bank simultaneously launched a one-off intervention to clear the backlog of forex demand on Monday, leaving the forex market on a plain level field.

    “Investors’ sentiment remained stoked by the increasing expectation of an influx of foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) into the market,” Afrinvest Securities, which trades on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), stated after trading yesterday.

    With two gainers to every loser, increased open buy market orders virtually turned the equities market into a seller’s market, thus allowing divesting investors to close their deals at higher prices. The cumulative effect lifted the benchmark index across the 30,000 index points.

    Aggregate market value of all quoted equities at the NSE rose from N10.105 trillion to close at N10.347 trillion, representing a gain of N242 billion. The All Share Index (ASI), the benchmark index for the equities market, also rallied by 2.40 per cent from 29,422.71 points to cross over to 30,127.82 points, its highest point since October

    Turnover also improved considerably as investors increased stakes by 16.8 per cent to N7.93 billion for 541.86 million shares in 5,727 deals. Leading banks were atop the activities chart. Guaranty Trust Bank, the most capitalised banking stock, was the most active stock with a turnover of 96.35 million shares valued at N2.23 billion.

    Nestle Nigeria led the 31-stock gainers’ list with a gain of N16 to close at N832. Dangote Cement followed with a gain of N9.25 to close at N194.25. Guinness Nigeria rose by N2.45 to close at N106.45. Seven-Up Bottling Company rallied N2 to close at N140 while GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Nigeria rose by N1.68 to close at N18.21 per share.

  • NIESV assures of high ethical standards

    The Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) has pledged to uphold high ethical and professional standards.

    The 22nd President of the Institution, Dr. Bolarinde Patunola-Ajayi, stated this at the inauguration of the body’s executive council in Lagos, last week.

    Patunola-Ajayi, who spoke on behalf of other executive members, said the body would, more than before, ensure conformity with ethical standards and best practices of the profession.

    “Good image is very essential in the professional ratings of any profession. The perception of the public and the clients about our services is one of the strong yardsticks to determine the level of patronage to our services. Profession negligence is a breach of duty or care between the professionals and their client. Our advocacy to members on professionalism will be intensive to ensure that we maintain the enviable standards required by the users of our services,” he said.

    He advised prospective property owners to always seek the guidance and services of estate surveyors and valuers to broker property acquisition on their behalf.

    The President, Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN), Mr. Gabriel Fasoto, in his keynote address, condemned the practise of the profession by non-professionals, noting that such act dents the image of the body with disastrous results. He urged the body to collaborate with other bodies on effective structures to checkmate and penalise erring individuals.

    The chairman of the investiture and 11th president of NIESV, Mr. Joe Idudu, advised the institution to seek government’s protection against the invasion of the body.

  • High blood sugar crashes125 points in 5 days

    Congratulation, Mrs. X. she telephoned me on Friday last week to break the news I was eagerly waiting to hear. Her blood sugar had dropped by a whopping 125 points in only five days. I broke into a celebration song and dance. I was in the office of budget travels at Ilupeju in Lagos. Mrs. BukkyAzeez, the chief executive officer, and her staff asked me what was going on. I had just heard from the woman and her brother who came to see me in their office the previous Friday. I met her about five years ago in Lagos when I gave a health lecture courtesy of ColoBright (Ltd), now of blessed memory, to retired military officers. She was thin and diabetic with a blood sugar record which hovered a bone 400mg/dl. She had tried almost everything she could without success. Over the years, I suggested some herbs. But being of meagre means, she could not afford them. By last month her condition worsened to include swelling in both lower limbs that could have been caused by heart or kidney problems. At that time, she was ready to experiment with Orange peel powder.

    In five days, the blood sugar crashed 125 full points to her amazement and her brothers. We were all celebrating at budget travels, because the staff, too, knew her and had taken to her. This column will follow up the case of Mrs. X. meanwhile, I would like to suggest that orange peel be a part of the daily diet. As already explained in this column over the months, it cuts high cholesterol levels, raised the quantum of the good cholesterol, reduces level of the bad cholesterol, improves breathing and long function, especially in asthmatics, and does lots more to give us radiant health. Lest I forget, when it is added to hair creams, orange peel powder makes the hair grows beautifully, long and sturdy. In body creams, it clears skin blemishes and soften the skin, exfoliates dead cells and leaves behind a youthful appearance.

     

    Black ant and red ant

    The reference last week to the African black Ant as a possible solution to erectile dysfunction and many other challenges of male sexual vitality aroused the interest of many readers of this column. May be I should add that the small African Black Ant can be a tip of the iceberg in these matters. In the ant family, the black ant compares with the run of the mill of society. The red ant are the soldiers of the colouring and are more fiery and potent in the medicinal extracts they yield to man. For now, I will only add that, for men who take the extract of the African Black Ant or those of the red and penile enlargement, erectile force and staying power, they may not take more than one tablet or capsule a week, and may need to take lots of warm water if the penile shaft would not take a bow after the curtain falls.

     

    Berry oil

    If you are searching the health store shelf for a multipurpose oil, I would suggest that you watch out for long rich Berry oil. It stocks vitamin A, carotenoids, 18 Amino acids of which 10 are essentials amino acids and vitamin E, among many others. I had it on my mind last week when someone asked me about which alternative medicine products could help his eye floaters. These floaters are cellular debris that the body did not dissolve and keep circulating in the eye. Sometimes, those strands of debris may join together and become bigger materials. When they come between the lens and the retina, the result is black-out vision.

    They have often been helped with enzyme therapy. In this therapy, systemic enzymes are taken to dissolve them. The immune system uses these enzymes to do its works. In some people, digestive enzymes are not sufficient for digestion and, so, the body has to borrow from the stock of immune enzymes if digestion is to be efficient.

    here this is not enough, digestion and immunity may suffer. So, in this therapy, digestive enzymes may be added to the diet during meals while enzymes may also be taken in between meals for immune function. It will help a lot if the quantum of raw food in the diet is increased, as raw food provides plenty of enzymes. There was a food proprietary systemic enzymes product in the market a few years ago. It was called Neprinol. It provided such enzymes as Serrapeptase, Papain, Bromelain etc. the enzymes are available in their individual forms. To support this therapy, I often suggest a supplement such as Eyemaxplus which contains about 18 nutrients required for eye health.

    Last week, I mentioned Sure best eye solution which provides bilberry and eyebright among others. Kale, an antioxidant vegetable, is also well recommended because of its high amounts of the carotenoids Lutein and Zeazantein which have now caught the fancy of ophthalmologists and well recommended by them for eye health care. And berry oil? According to its literature report, “it boosts immunity, protects liver from chemical damage and is suitable for the eye. It contains powerful antioxidant that can help prevent some forms of cancer, heart diseases and its helps to enhance your body’s immune response to infection. It helps the body reduce the inflammatory action and singlet or free radical oxygen atoms like to combine into pairs. Singlet oxygen atoms are unable to interact with lipid found in cell walls causing inflammation and damage. It is a valuable preventive medicine; in addition to its role in cancer prevention, the berry oil offers us protection from heart disease, again it is their antioxidant behaviour that protect the lining of the arteries and the fat in the blood from free radical oxidative damage.

    It improves the communication between cells which can result in fewer cells imitation, white blood cells attacks bacterial, viruses, cancer cells. It is among the top five anti-aging vitamins. Carotenoids as its ingredient contains vitamin A and protein. It contains 18 amino acids of 10 essential amino acids necessary for human health. It is also suitable for people with hypotension.”

     

    Vintage liquer

    While still talking about What is new on the shelf, I stumbled into long rich’s vintage liquer which I would like to suggest to an acquaintance of mine resident at Oko Oba GRA scheme 1 in Lagos. He has an enlarged heart, coughs profusely, he is taking pharmaceutical medications and improving gradually but has refused to give up alcohol which he says helps him to knock off easily and soundly for the night. I always tell him he can sleep well without alcohol, that alcohol only sedates his brain, but he would not agree. It wasn’t until his condition became life threatening that he tried to shift from lager and stout to red wine. Even then, is choice of red wine is loaded with Sulfite a health hazard wine drinker should watch out for on the wine label.

    About eight benefit are ascribed to this longrich vintage liquer. It may gladden the heart of women who wish to increase the size of their bust-line that “it can accelerate the development of main Mammary glands” for people of slow metabolism who, on account of this, easily add weight, this wine is offered for weight loss because it contains Safflower, said to improve the metabolic rate. Improvement of metabolism prevent accumulation of fats. Besides, it prevent damage of fatty acids. Many people on a slimming therapy hate dietary adjustment and exercise. This wine is put up as able to help them without diet or exercise sufferance. Muscle mass may grow and the body may become learner.

    It is anti-inflammatory, helps digestion of all sorts of food, perhaps because of the presence of pawpaw (papaya) enzymes. But it is contraindicated in liver and kidney conditions because of its alcohol.

     

    Stubborn ulcers    

    Many ulcers are simple walk-overs for the medicine-man or the sufferer. Some people claim cures from the use of Cayeme pepper, yes Cayeme, red hot pepper. Who hasn’t heard that a chemical substance in Cayeme blocks pain transmission? I have read, too, that Cayeme stopped bleeding from gunshot injuries! I believe that it was from Stanford University that we heard of the first research of how Cabbage Juice taken for 14 days not only eliminate the Helicobacter pylori bacterium found in ulcer sites but also healed the peptic ulcer it is believed to cause. This experiment has been done in many reputable institutions world-wide with the same or similar results. But there are isolated cases in which the patient does not tolerate Cabbage juice which tends to cause them more pain than the ulcer presents.

    Some people mill corn, remove the fiber, which are offered to goats or other animals, and they say that does it. For some other people, it doesn’t work.

    I have known joy on seeing some ulcer sufferers smile when they add Bell’s Acidic Stomach and Alkaline Balance to their regimen. In other cases where insufficiency of stomach acid was what led to over-acidity of the stomach when food stayed longer than necessary in the stomach and decomposed into acidic free radicals, Apple Cider Vinegar has been all that was required to end the patient’s nightmare. In many cases, the physician merely routinely assumes that, since the stomach is acidic, alkalizers and acid absorbers would do the trick. This has been the thinking behind the prescription of antacids and consumption of cow’s milk. But milk, being acidic on the pH scale, causes more problem than it is expected to resolve, and, so, many doctors and patients have dispensed with its services.

    Potato juice, like Calcium, Magnesium and Zinc, have helped or resolve many cases suitable for them to overcome. Sodium bicarbonate is a good addition to the list of helpful remedies.

    For this reason, the pharmaceutical Sodamintis popular among ulcer patients. It is a tablet which is licked morning and evening. I tasted it once, and found the taste to be awful.  We cannot forget the Iranian Dr. F Batmanghligd who urged his patient to slowly sip water at the onset of any pain. His hypothesis was that if the body was dehydrated and the Pancreas did not receive enough water supply to make Pancreatic juice, the duodenum, that connection between the stomach and the small intestine, would not open its gate for acidic content from the stomach to move to the intestine. Thus, a prolonged stay of food in the stomach would irritate it with acid and cause an ulcer.

    If he expels the irritant through the throat and the month, acid reflux may occur in which the patient complains of chest pain when, actually, it is the lower end of the throat, the esophagus, that is being damaged by acid. In some cases, this has resulted in throat cancer that may warrant removal of the damaged tissue and its replacement with a portion of the intestine.

    In ulcer therapy knowledge of the stomach structure and function is important. The stomach has three layers of muscles. The outermost is longitudinal. It is reinforced by a middle layer of circular muscles. The inner layer is oblique. Above the inner layer of muscles there is a lining of four layers.  It is on top of the fourth inner layer of this lining that digestion takes place. This involves enzymes, acid and gastric juice. When this lining is eroded, food, acids, enzymes e.t.c drop to the muscle tissue, causing irritation, inflammation pain, injury and damage. In extreme cases, perforation of the muscles layers may cause stomach content to drop into the cavity, leading to a serious health trouble, even death.

    rosion of the lining may arise from stress of all sorts, chemical poisons, bacteria, drugs e.t.c in the sort of condition, the ulcer may become stubborn, irresponsive to medication which appear to help other people.  For this condition and others, I would like to propose that Slippery elm, like is cousin marshmalow, be added to the therapy. Of slippery elm, healthwisdom.com says:

    “Slippery elm has a substance called mucilage which is polysaccharide that becomes a gel when mixed with water. The mucilagedoes a good job of soothing and coating the mouth, throat, stomach and intestine causing much relief from things like gastrophageal reflux disease (GERD), Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, diarrhea, diverticulosis, and irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).”

    In www.webmd.com we learn that: “Slippery elm is a tree which is used as medicine. People take it for cough, sore throat, colic, diarrhea, constipation, hemorrhoids, irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBM), bladder, urinary tract infection, myphissis, herpes and for expelling tape worm.”

    Add to these the suggestions by DraktijicSuzioi:

    “The inner bark of slippery elm contains various nutrients such as beta sitosterol, can pestros, tannins calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, Selenium, zinc, beta carotene, Vitamins B1, B2, B3 and C. Its mentioned earlier, slippery elm is tough and flexible of a fine fibrous texture. It has an odour like fenugreek and is very mucilaginous with an inspired taste. Ten grammes of the powder bark will make a thick jelly with an ounce of water. Slippery elm is effective remedy for duodenal ulcer, gastritis, diarrhea, colitis, irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) hemorrhoids and heart burn.

    It is used for wounds, boils, ulcers, burns and all inflamed surface, soothing, healing and reducing pain and inflammation. It is a simple food as part of a normal diet. It can be eaten as porridge. It is very nutritious, and paced with antioxidants with a similar taste like oat meal. It makes a whole food for infants and invalids. It is also good for heart remedy, for treating cancer. It heals diseases of the female organs. It is used as an antioxidant to prevent fat rancid.A pinch of it stops tooth from decaying. It has been used in North American for centuries in healing ulcer, burn and inflammation.

    It can be taken orally to relief cough, sore throat, diarrhea, and stomach problems. It is also good for excess acidity.

    While we congratulate Mrs. X, look forward to shared experiences on Red or Black African Ant and of course, Slippery elm, I wonder if the woman who required for a cleaning healing natural agent for breast cancer sore may profit from slippery elm or Marshmallow dressing.

  • ‘Surveyors not responsible for high rent’

    Surveyors and valuers are not responsible for the huge housing deficit and high rent, Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), Lagos Branch Chairman, Mr. Offiong Ukpong, has said.

    He was reacting to the claim of Works, Power and Housing Minister Mr. Babatunde Fashola that surveyors and valuers should be blamed for those problems.

    Ukpong, who led a delegation to visit Oba Rilwan Akiolu of Lagos, said surveyors and valuers were often accused of being responsible for several anti-tenancy activities, high cost of renting properties; tenants’ inability to pay rent; fixing of high rent and charging high fees.

    According to him, NIESV, which ought to have been a development partner to the government, is not treated as such by the authorities, considering that when major decisions are taken, the body, according to him, is not represented.

    “The cost of land, its preparation, taxes and levies paid are not under our control nor advice. We do not determine accommodation density nor are we involved in the design of the building, yet we shall be managing it when all others exit. We are not involved at the construction stages, neither is our advice sought on areas of cost savings or elimination of dead spaces or unnecessary facilities. Our opinion is not sought on whether the housing provision is for social housing or investment considerations,” Ukpong said.

    He said often estate valuers were called at the completion of a project to do the marketing and management, sometimes, at a predetermined rent. Besides, property owners, most times, shun the advice of valuers, who are easily relieved of the job if they advise anything to the contrary.

    He said in other countries, real estate development attracted 2 to 4 per cent interest rate per annum at a tenor of between 15 to 25 years.

    “Is government giving mortgage? For what duration and at what rate? If rent is high what of Land Use Charge? What is the return to land as a factor of production, and should it not be competitive? Instead of any blame game, we should be thinking of synergies and partnerships rather than the neglect our profession has suffered these past years,” he said.

    Meanwhile, the NIESV delegation also sought the monarch’s influence in swinging patronage for the body. Specifically, they canvassed the partnership of all stakeholders in the drive for urban renewal of Lagos Island and other areas.

    “It is a fact that Lagos Island is the cradle of civilisation in Nigeria. Lagos was and is still the London of most other states in Nigeria. But if you look carefully at Lagos, perhaps with the eye of an estate surveyor and valuer, you will see that those buildings that were outstanding and impressive then have lost their steam and prestige,” he observed.

    Ukpong said there were many areas due for redevelopment, including most parts of Lagos Island, Shitta, Iddo, amongst others. He expressed concern that despite that Lagos is a major town in the world, it is, however, a shame that 30 metres from its major highways, rural characteristics were still prevalent. He admonished that the multiple interests subsisting in tiny units of development or buildings can be identified, harmonised or aggregated and developed into multi-storey buildings with modern conveniences and facilities without losing the original ownership rights or interest.

    On building collapse, the NIESV team noted that the multiple-storey buildings dotting the skyline of Marina and Broad Street had been in existence for many years, while several new developments across the state had collapsed. Most of the old projects were managed by estate surveyors and valuers, and none have collapsed.

    “You will recall the works of Knight Frank and Rutley as he then was called, Fox and Co. and many other indigenous firms that operated then. They were involved in project conception, project management and property management, and we had more organised cities and society. But, suddenly, every other professionals in the built environment thought that what the estate surveyors and valuers know and could do can be done by them and we became known, called and addressed as estate agents and today, the buildings are collapsing, the cities are decaying and the environment is blighted,” he said.

    Ukpong urged the state government to adopt the old method of construction and management, which stipulated that no building above four floors should be approved without the inclusion of a consultant estate surveyor and valuer, who knows what to do and the enormous responsibility of his profession in every project.

    Besides, Ukpong said, the government should consider the establishment of the office of the Valuer-General of the Federation, and by extension, in all the states; appoint an estate surveyor and valuer as a minister and commissioner in Lagos State, and partner the professionals on urban renewal of Lagos Island and other areas of the state requiring regeneration.

    He charged the government to engage members more in policy formulation and positions of responsibility as their competencies were daily getting destroyed and eroded, with the society and the people being the worst for it.

    Said he: “In the Federal Executive Council today, there is no estate surveyor and valuer there. But the estate surveyor and valuer is also a land economist. Who advises the government on land matters?”

  • HIGH & LOW TREND

    HIGH & LOW TREND

    These days, high and low outfit is a must have for women of style, who need to look classy and different. This well-tailored, trendy dress for women is another women’s fashion that have come to stay. The length and style of the outfit may vary but the style remained the same. They are everywhere and vibrant in different colours: from striking and vital black, cream, and white to alluring blue.

    It is so interesting the various ways you could wear your high and low. High and low have come a long way, and they seem to have come to stay too.  It can be worn for any occasion.

  • The high costs of reruns

    The high costs of reruns

    Election tribunals across the nation have been upturning the elections of some office holders and ordering reruns. Sunday Oguntola reports on how the reruns will come at great, collateral costs to the nation  

    Laitan Abegunde, a resident of Ipokia in Ogun State, thought he was done with his civic responsibility on April 11 for another four years. “I left the voting centre around 11pm exhausted but glad that I had elected a governor of my choice and someone to represent me at the House of Assembly,” he recalled.

    Few weeks back, all his sacrifices and efforts were thrown to the waste bin. The Election Tribunal, headed by Justice Ebiowei Tobi, sacked Ojo Adebowale, winner of the House of Assembly’s slot from the constituency. The tribunal also nullified the election of Oduntan Atanda (Egbado North); Alausa Olawale (Ijebu ode); Oyenuga Adejuwon (Ijebu East) and Bowale Solaja (Ijebu North).

    Segun Adekoya of the Ijebu-North, Ijebu-East and Ogun Waterside Federal Constituency was also affected in the nullification gale that swept through the state. Senator Buruji Kashamu (Ogun East) was also said to have been elected with several irregularities.

    Abegunde is afraid of returning to the polling centre less than eight months after his last harrowing experiences. “What I saw that day terrified me. There was mass shooting and snatching of ballot boxes. I don’t want to go through the experience again. I will just stay back at home, after all, it is just the House of Assembly that is to be decided this time,” he shared.

    There are millions of wearied voters like in Abegunde’s shoes across the nation. The recent nullifications of elections by tribunals across the federation are forcing many back to the polling centres too soon after many nerve-wracking encounters the last time.

    Not less than 50 elections have been nullified so far by tribunals sitting in different parts of the country. They cited electoral irregularities, manipulations and non-compliance with procedures as well as violence as factors responsible for the cancellations.

    Some of the affected elected officials include: Governor Nyesom Wike (Rivers); Taraba Speaker Abel Diah; Senator Abdulrahman Abubakar (Kogi); Senator Gilbert Nnaji (Enugu East); Baba Madugu (Bauchi); Rivers Speaker, Owaji Ibani and 19 lawmakers from the state.

     

    High costs of nullifications

    The tribunals ordered re-runs in the affected cases within 90 days. While some will argue the development will sanitise the electoral space, stakeholders and experts have however contended that the reversal is coming at huge, collateral costs to the polity and voters as well as electoral workers. It means voters have to return to polling centres against their wish too soon again. “When you have such situation, many of them never vote again because they are afraid and do not want to wait for a long time again. That is what we can describe as induced apathy, which is not good for the nation and our electoral system,” Leke Amos, the coordinator of Voters Rights Initiative (VRI), a non-governmental organisation, pointed out.

    This apathy, he argued, will affect turnout and the quality of candidates voted for. “It means with a few votes, a popular candidate can win elections because the majority would have been induced to stay away. That is dangerous for democracy and does not guarantee quality representation,” he added.

     

    Overstretching security agencies

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has to also deploy ad hoc staff and electoral materials to violence-prone areas, a development that will put the lives of electoral workers at risk. Hundreds of them died across the nation in March and April during the last general elections.

    The implication of the reruns predisposes that security agencies have to return to the ‘battle fields’ again to protect lives and properties at the affected areas. For zones where elections are issues of warfare, the situation will certainly stretch the capacity of the agencies.

    Many law enforcement officers will be distracted from their primary assignments to douse tension and protect lives at the affected area during the rerun exercise. Abel Kolade, a security consultant, said the implication could be dire for a volatile nation like Nigeria.

    In Rivers, for example, there are fears that the governorship rerun will unleash another round of violence on the state. Many residents have vowed to either stay indoors or relocate during the period of the election.

    The fact that the state also has to conduct fresh elections in 20 constituencies further invokes serious concerns in the affected communities considering the orgy of violence recorded at the last general elections across the state.

     

    Where are the funds?   

    Such deployment will mean fresh mobilization and training, which will further eat deep into the resources of the electoral body. The commission ran a budget of N75billion for the last elections. Re-runs are naturally smaller elections with smaller costs. But at a time the nation is grappling with cash squeeze and economic hardship, the few millions or billions that will go into the exercise would have served better purposes.

    “We are just a wasteful nation. How can we spend millions again on reruns? If we had done the right things, there wouldn’t have been need for the wasteful exercise. Now, we have to dig into our coffers at a time we should have saved money and create employment for people,” Innocent Chukwuemeka, Director of Election Monitoring Organisation (EMO), lamented.

     

    Open invitation to looting

    For office holders with access to public funds, a rerun election is an open invitation to treasury looting. “They need money more than anything now. They have to oil their machineries and impress many godfathers. They will loot as much as they can because money is an important tool in electioneering activities in our democracy,” Chris Eze, a political scientist, stated.

    Eze explained that stock-piling of funds for rerun will not only drain the treasuries but also affect governance. “Many of them are not thinking about what project to implement now or how to deliver dividends to the masses. They have to return to office at all costs. Governance is at the back-foot now. Survival is the ultimate,” he stressed.

     

    Zero punishment for riggers

    Dr Kukoyi Ige, a political scientist, is bothered that reruns are not enough deterrents for electoral robbers. He said many deliberately get elected through violent and illegal means to have access to public treasuries. “Their thinking is if they are governors for just a month, they would have made enough to last them for a lifetime. So, for me, electoral manipulation is a deliberate offence that should carry serious implications,” he argued.

    He said being told to face election again is never enough to deter others from following suit. “If we really want to stop rigging and electoral frauds, we should prosecute offenders. If you benefit from a flawed election, you should face the music. It is childish to just say, ‘you were wrongly elected. Go back and face a rerun’. You need to face the law because you could have instigated people to manipulate the process for you,” Ige stated.

     

    Emboldened electoral robbers 

    Eze is incensed that many of the sacked candidates are still occupying stolen seats and wasting time through appeals. “The tribunals already proved they stole the mandate. Why are they still hanging on to them? It is annoying that they are even appealing. Electoral robbers have become emboldened and it is a shame they are resorting to the law to protect their stolen mandates.”

  • Benue High Court halts probe

    Justice Iorhemen Hwande of the Benue State High Court in Makurdi has halted the probe panel set up by Governor Samuel Ortom to investigate the financial dealings of his predecessor, Dr. Gabriel Suswam

    A statement by Gov. Ortom’s Special Adviser on Media and ITC, Mr. Tahav Agerzua, said the governor has accepted the court’s ruling. The court had ordered stay of proceedings on the probe.

    Governor Ortom said the suspension was a temporarily judicial process and that the state government’s lawyers would follow due process to vacate it.

    He expressed confidence in the judiciary, due process and the rule of law.

    “The governor explained that he set up the judicial panel to avail all concerned the opportunity to defend themselves in accordance with the core values of his administration, which include transparency,  fairness,  accountability and justice,” the statement said.

    Reacting to the calls that he should have extended the probe panels to the George Akume’s administration, the governor said he did not take over from the senator.

    He also said those, who voted for him specifically demanded that he should probe the immediate past administration.

    The probe, he said, is to know  why the state had been brought to its knees, so that his administration would avoid such pitfalls and learn lessons.

    The Governor stated that the people have expressed their wish that those who diverted public funds for personal use should be held accountable.

    “If possible, such funds or property should be recovered,” the statement added.

     

     

     

  • Prices of staple food remain high

    During  Sallah, sharing and felicitating with one another is not the only trend as the celebration is usually  accompanied with an increase in food items three days to the celebration. Items like groundnut oil, rice, palmoil, pepper, tomato and ram fall in the category.

    At Mushin market, the increase is evident in the prices as a basket of tomato which formerly sells for N6,500, N6,000, now goes for N7000, N8,000 and N9,000. Small sized basket cost N4,500. 25litres groundnut oil cost N6,500 as againt the former N6000. 5kg of rice cost N1,200 .

    Ordinarily, the explanation for this increase has always been because of the season that is out as the producers would have taken rest for these few days and in the process causing a little scarcity in these goods especially the tomato and pepper, but there is a twist in the story for this year as most of these buyers blame the deteriorating state of the economy as a main causative agent, The Nation Shopping gathered.

    For groundnut oil sellers, they do not belief that it is because of the festive season that there is an increase in price of goods. Speaking with Mrs. Shade Mustapha, a rice and groundnut oil trader in Mushin market, she said “the hike in price does not have anything to do with Sallah because there was no money in Nigeria before now so until the government, push the money out and allow it flow round, that is when the price will come down.”

    Another groundnut oil trader, Mrs. Etoro Akpan attested to this fact as she explained that the prices would not reduce even after the Sallah period till next year when there would be a reduction.

    For the tomato sellers, they still stand that sallah is the main reason for the increase in price but explained that the bad economy still played a part in the increase of these goods.

    Mrs. Bimpe Olowu, a pepper seller explained that immediately after sallah, there would be a drastic reduction in the price and that the price of tomato for this year’s sallah is lower than that of last year.