The Nation Newspaper

Tag: leaders’

  • Rangers hold leaders Wikki

    Rangers hold leaders Wikki

    Enugu Rangers recorded a vital away point when they held Nigeria league leaders, Wikki Tourists to a goalless draw in Bauchi on Sunday.

    Wikki remain two points clear of closest rivals Rangers on 42 points, but they would have been a lot happier had they won in front of their fans to extend their lead at the top to five points.

    League leading scorer, Godwin Obaje as well as Alhassan Ibrahim aka ‘Muazam’ both had chances to win the game for the home team, but Rangers Ghanaian goalkeeper Nana Bonsu was in inspired form.

    Obaje’s goal-bound shot in stoppage time came off the post to the huge relief of Rangers.

  • ‘Blame religious leaders for corruption in Nigeria’

    Professors of Islamic and Arabic Studies, Lanre Badmus and Hamzat Abdulraheem have blamed religious leaders  for not discouraging corrupt public holders by allegedly accepting gifts from them.

    The duo told The Nation in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital at the sideline of a Ramadan lecture organized by Managing Partner of Abdulrauf Jimoh and Co, Alhaji Muideen Obanimomo.

    Prof Badmus, who is the Dean of Post Graduate School, University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), said that “religious leaders have not helped matters. They know the source of corruption. If corrupt people are coming with gifts and our religious leaders can be courageous to reject them, this will minimize corruption among the leaders we have in the society. So we appeal to our religious leaders to demonstrate courage and call a spade by its name and not to parry with the leaders that are devastating the people under them.”

    He went on: “In Nigeria today, there is no doubt that we are facing the twin problems of corruption as well as poverty. Both problems have defied solution. The government has been trying the very best, but the more the government tries the more biting the two problems are. All over the place people are complaining of one thing or the other.

    “The only thing we can do is to try to mobilize ourselves and look at the Islamic provisions on how to eliminate poverty; on how to curb corruption. Every human has corruption tendency in him. But in the spirit of Ramadan, we are being taught to have self-control over our urge, our inordinate ambition and over our desire to appropriate or misappropriate what is supposed to be in our care for public good.

    “What is causing the rising wave corruption is lack of patriotism and lack of God’s consciousness on the part of the Nigerian people. Forget about the differences in religions; that is Christianity and Islam. There is no religion that encourages corruption and injustice, but we perpetrate the two in Nigeria.

    “We are more godly when we are inside the churches and mosques, but when get to the public glare we tend to keep God away from our lives. And we seem to have the feeling, although wrongly, that we are independent and that we can do and undo; as if God is not watching every one of us. As we are not going to die; people are amassing wealth when they die that is the end of it.”

    Prof Abdulraheem who teaches at the Kwara state University (KWASU) said that “I cannot say that they have played serious role; though they preach but some of them don’t really follow what that they say. What is expected from religious leaders is for them to have the courage to tell the truth to whoever is involved in any type of corruption.

    “My advice to government is to let social justice prevail. People should feel well treated and catered for. Poverty should be wiped off, because as long as we have poverty in the society it will be difficult to fight corruption. Poverty is a major source of corruption. If people have fear of the unknown they tend to enrich themselves illegitimately. If there is provision for everybody and everybody gets what is due to him, I think through that way corruption would be eliminated.”

  • Edo Central leaders demand deputy governorship slot

    Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Edo Central senatorial district have urged the leadership of the party to zone the deputy governorship position to the  district.

    The leaders expressed their unalloyed loyalty and support to Governor Adams Oshiomhole and assured that they will support him in ensuring that he gets a worthy successor.

    They made the declaration in a communique signed by the chairman of the party, Anslem Ojezua, Chief Henry Okoror and 76 others.

    Ironically, three foremost governorship aspirants – Prof. Osarhiemein Osunbor, Kenneth Imasuagbon and Comrade Peter Esele – are from this zone. The leaders are apparently asking them to step down for Oshiomhole’s candidate, so that they can slug it out for the deputy governorship.

    The leaders, however, condemned the removal of their son, Victor Edoror, as the Speaker of the state Assembly and urged the lawmakers to reverse it.

  • College elects union leaders

    For the third time, the Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology (OYSCATECH) in Igboora, has conducted the Students’ Union Government (SUG) election electronically.

    Dean, Students’ Affairs Mr Akinsola Olapagba hailed the Provost, Prof Gbemiga Adewale, for keeping the peace and for supporting the election. He praised the management for the success of the process, saying the staff of the college’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) unit displayed professionalism, which made the process hitch-free.

    The Students Electoral Committee (SELECO) chairman, Saheed Adeniran, described the election as free and fair, saying the e-voting made the process free of irregularities.

    The innovation, Students’ Advisory Committee chairman, Olagoke Olusola noted, showed the commitment of the management to improving ICT knowledge among students and staff. He urged the ICT to sustain the innovation in future elections, while advising the losers to accept defeat in the spirit of sportsmanship.

    The ICT director, Mrs Oluwatoyin Adeagbo, urged students to embrace ICT for their advantage, saying the e-voting reduced the controversies that usually attend elections. She said the e-voting was transparent and less cumbersome. She added that the ICT facilities in the college are up-to-date, accessible and available at all times for members of the college community.

    Mrs. Adeagbo said the ICT centre had been used for e-examination, e-marking process and provides diverse technology solutions.

    Students hailed the process, commending the management for creating level playing ground for all candidates. The outgoing SUG Speaker, Babatunde Odetunde, described the e-voting as perfect.

    When the results were announced, Lateef Yusuf, polled 425 votes to defeat three other contestants to become the president-elect.

    Prof Adewale congratulated the union leaders, urging them to pursue the students’ welfare. He advised the president to work together with his counterparts, who lost to him in the election to move the union government forward.

  • UNICAL inaugurates union leaders

    UNICAL inaugurates union leaders

    Members of the University of Calabar (UNICAL) Students’ Union Government (SUG) have been sworn in. The event was held at the New Senate Chamber and it attended by top management officials of the school led by the Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof Zana Akpagu.
    Chairman of the Calabar University Electoral Commission (CUECO), Dr Patrick Egaga, applauded the students for their maturity, saying the election that produced the incoming SUG leaders was rancor-free.
    Prof Akpagu commended the outgoing executive members for their resilience in promoting the students’ welfare. He advised the new union leaders to emulate their predecessors.
    The VC said: “I have a privilege to work with the Tete Ekpo-led SUG leadership. I am impressed by what they achieved and I enjoyed every meeting with them. I believe the students’ welfare should be the aim of Students’ Union, and this must be pursued with sense of responsibility.”
    The VC said the programmes of his administration were centered on students’ development, stressing that the management would continue to create conducive environment for learning. He urged the incoming union leaders to embrace dialogue if there is disagreement with the management.
    The outgoing president, Tete, urged his successor to continue with his programmes, promising to give support and contributions when needed.
    The highpoint was the oath-taking, which was administered by the school Legal Adviser, Mr Mannix Nyiam.
    After taking the oath as the union president, Joseph Daniel promised a rancour-free administration. He said: “Aluta spirit is not a spirit of violence but a spirit to do things in right way.”
    Dean, Students Affairs, Prof Felix Akpan, advised the union leaders to be good ambassadors of the institution, saying they needed to work harmoniously to have smooth tenure.
    Other members of the union executives include Vice President, Nkpoikana Abasi, General Secretary, Eugene Isong, Assistant General Secretary, Precious Ikunisi, Financial Secretary, Peace Ezenwa, Director of Welfare, Emmanuel Akpan, Director of Sports, Sunday David, Director of Social, Victor Iheanacho, and Director of Information, Michael Ikyar.

  • Police arrest militant leaders in Ogun

    The Police have arrested four leaders of a militant group behind attacks and damaging of facilities belonging to Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC) / Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in Arepo,  Ogun State.

    The suspects –  Pere Ugbozuwa, Audu Tony, Ifeanyi Eze and Ojogo Ezekiel – were apprehended during a special operation coordinated by Commissioner of Police Abdulmajid Ali.

    Police spokesman Olumuyiwa Adejobi, who said this in statement yesterday, stated that Ugbozuwa(40), who is the secretary of the militants and three others, were already being interrogated at the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Abeokuta.

    Adejobi said the suspects, who had given out vital information, were responsible for killings, damaging of PPMC/NNPC pipelines and criminal acts at Arepo for years.

    According to him, Ogun State Police Command had deployed operatives from the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Police Mobile Force, Safer Highway and other anti-crime units to tackle hoodlums in the creek of Arepo with two Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC).

    He said the operatives were deployed last Friday.

    Other vandals arrested included Olamilekan Akinyemi and Ramon Mudashiru.

    They were apprehended near the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministry, on Lagos – Ibadan Expressway on Saturday with a Ford bus, marked LAGOS MUS 887 XF, loaded with 14 pieces of 200 litre drums and several jerry cans of petrol.

  • Leaders, siege democracy, and insurgency

    To  say  that global  democracy  is under siege given events  in the leading democracies of  our time  and even our own  Nigeria is  an  understatement   and  I  am  not  exaggerating or  being alarmist  in any way. If  anything I confess  to being quite  irritated  by it all  because  the situation is quite  avoidable  if some  world  leaders and powerful  politicians  have  done their duty as expected and as they  were elected  to do in their  various  callings and  nations. Let  me start  by  showing the bare  facts of  my vexation because I go  flat  out to  hold  the leaders  in question  responsible.

    I  start  with  Nigeria my country where leaders are behaving like  the  proverbial  ostrich  with its head buried  in the  sand but whose  body  is there  for  all  to  see.  Nigeria’s  democracy  is the vintage siege  democracy  of this era. It  is under siege from corruption, Boko  Haram, the  Avengers  of the oil  rich  Niger Delta  blowing up oil  pipelines, Biafran rebels, trade  unions, and even its own  elected legislators.   Similarly  Britain is under a self  created  and avoidable siege on its   old  and  tested  democracy  given  the Brexit   or  Remain  debate  on whether it should stay  in the EU  in the referendum slated  for  later  this  month. The  US  the world’s  leading   democracy is reeling from  the siege on its two  party system  and political stability and balance  from  the emergence of the presumptive candidate of the  Republican  Party Donald  Trump  and  his unique manner of campaign which grips   all  against him in a suicide verbal  hold on his opponents  jugular  and simply  does  not take prisoners. These  three  will  suffice  for now as we look  away  today  from events in the  Middle especially  Iraq, Syria and  Afghanistan  from where their  citizens are fleeing for  their  lives and are ready to die on the high seas  with their families. Rather  than wait  to die in these turbulent  nations  whose  leaders at least on  paper,  decorum  and protocol  were elected  by their citizens in so  called  democratic  elections.

    Starting with Nigeria  it is apparent that this is a  nation  at  war  with itself  but using and wearing   the    toga  and  smug    look  of a nation at  peace with itself which  is a blatant  lie.  Just  read the newspapers  and you will  recoil in horror. First  is the horrible  daily news of stolen  loot  which  rises by the  day  and you  wonder  how the present government is still  having funds  to administer  the nation. The  governor of Niger  state has  said it all when he  boldly told the world  that  he just  cannot  pay workers  salaries  given  the structure  of the state  finances.  Boko  Haram  is still  alive and killing in the vast  North  East even  though  government says it has no territory or  local  government  it controls.  But  ISIS,  the big  brother of  Boko  Haram never claimed it wanted any territory. Their  goal  has  always been  a borderless  caliphate  created  out of murder and  mayhem  as they have done so  brutally in  Syria  which  they have destroyed  and in Iraq  and  Yemen  which  they  have dismembered.

    It  is with  this  in mind  that the Nigerian  nation, government and  people  must  deal squarely  with those  advocating the dismemberment  of  Nigeria  as it is today. Anybody advocating  that in any part of the nation is involved  in treason and  should  be charged and prosecuted as such. That is the law of the state of  Nigeria. More  importantly  those   who take up  arms against  the  Nigerian  nation  and blow up its major  sources of revenue  and livelihood  should  be dealt  with  by the Nigerian  government  and  people. Nigerians expect  their leaders and   government of the day to guarantee the safety of their  lives and property. That  is the essence and meaning of government  and the cornerstone  of  governance  in any democracy. The armed forces  should  be used to protect  the  main  assets  of the Nigerian  government  any where in  Nigeria.

    Undoubtedly  the morale of our armed  forces could  be low because  of the humiliation by Boko  Haram over the years. But  Nigerians sympathise  and  empathisee   with  our men  in uniform  after the revelations on the diverted  arms funds which  showed  past military  leaders diverted funds into their private  pockets while court martialling soldiers and officers who refused to fight because of  lack  of modern military  hard ware  and equipment .Since  this is a democracy,  government  must  give  the military  a free hand and total  support  to guarantee the territorial  integrity  of  the  Nigerian  nation. A situation  where a group of Nigerians in the name of religion ambushed the convoy of our army  chief  should never occur again as it sent   the  wrong signal to  insurgents, terrorists and  unrepentant  rebels in our midst  that   the  nation has no  heart  for the use of force  to secure its democracy  as  well  as our  collective safety  and well  being.  That  notion  should  be nipped  in the bud by totally  silencing those who  aim  to test  governments resolve  in asserting its rule and authority over the entire  territory  presently called  Nigeria.

    With  regard  to the Brexit  and  Remain  debate  in Britain I  see a  self  inflicted  national  malaise  borne  out of hubris  and arrogance  in the decision  to put the issue  to  a debate  and  a referendum. Now  it  is difficult  to  put any order in the entire  episode  because that would be like bolting the stable  doors  after  the horses  have  bolted. I  see  no  sense  in a situation  where  members of the cabinet  are on both sides of the debate  which  has  become  hostile and  rancorous  and seem  to taking after  a Donald  Trump style  and  manner of  campaign when after  this   referendum the cabinet  will still  meet as a government to  run the  British nation.  Obviously  the leaders  in  British  politics  and  democracy   have underestimated  the  cost  of  sour grapes in this EU  debate  and its  aftermath. It  is assumed   quite  wrongly  in my view,  that political  maturity will  mend  fences no  matter the result of the referendum. But  that is where they  will  see that they have shot  British democracy  in   the leg,  fatally    perhaps,   at  a time  when  it should live up to the well  known  tenet of its political  stability.  Which  famously  is that – with  the Queen  in  Buckingham Palace  every  Briton sleeps well  in his  bed. Well,  I wonder  how this can  endure after  the results of the EU  referendum  this  June   either for  Brexit  or  Remain.

    Thirdly  I  want  to say categorically that  while  I see  nothing  wrong in the  emergence of  Donald  Trump  candidacy for  the  Republican  Party,  I  find two  incidents which came  to light in the last week  quite  worrisome.  The  first  was the way  he attacked  a judge  who  released  some documents on a case before him  involving Trump in the public  interest  because Donald  Trump has  become  a major  presidential  candidate. Donald  Trump  called  the judge  a ’Trump  hater‘ and  a   Mexican as if Mexicans  are  not  human  beings –  while  those  who  know the judge said  he was from  the state of  Indiana  and  not a foreigner. The  second  was  the way  he ran the Trump  University  and drove  teachers  and students  alike to siphon  funds  off  needy  and  poor parents in the university  now said  to  be defunct . The  two  cases  portray  Trump as  first  someone  who  lacks respect for  the rule of  law  and as a  past  con man  or what has  made   Nigeria  notorious in global  fraud  which  is 419. Which  shows  that like  Shakespeare  once wrote in Julius   Caesar – Ambition should  be made  of sterner  stuff. Especially  if that ambition is to be President  of the leading democracy  in the world which  is the USA.

    Nevertheless  I insist  that no  one can  stop  an idea whose  time has come as no  one has  the mandate or the authority to take up such  a daunting responsibility. In  addition  a people  deserve  the leaders that they get. Especially  when  they elect  them  in  broad  daylight  with  their eyes  wide open  as they have done  so  massively  and openly  in the  US in  making Donald  Trump  the presumptive presidential  candidate of  the  Republican  Party in that  nation .If  that is not a clear  case  of democracy  under siege  from  both  leaders and  followers  alike, I  wonder  what  else  can  be.  Once  again Long  live  the   Federal  Republic  of  Nigeria.

  • ‘Labour leaders’ feud not in workers’ interest’

    ‘Labour leaders’ feud not in workers’ interest’

    Feuding labour leaders have been asked to sheathe their swords and be united to fight a common cause.

    Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN) Secretary-General Isa Aremu said the labour leaders’ squabble was doing unionism no good.

    Unless they close ranks and work together, the oppressors of workers would continue to have their way, Aremu said.

    Speaking with The Nation, he called for a truce among industrial unions affiliated to Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).

    Lamenting the failure of unions to take a unanimous decision on the fuel price hike, Aremu urged them to work together as comrades and not as enemies in the interest of workers.

    “We regret that as we point two  fingers at bad governance and bad employers, the remaining three fingers point at us too, who are unacceptably divided against ourselves rather than united against a common class enemy.

    “It’s time we closed ranks to ensure we have a labour movement that commands the confidence of workers; trusted by the public, respected by the government and employers,” he said.

    Aremu urged unions to learn from the fall out of the fuel price hike and unite for a vibrant labour movement.

    He said: “If we operate separately, we will be defeated separately. But if we operate in unity, we will triumph as one. The recent 70 per cent fuel increase is indiscriminate in its price impact on transport cost and cost of living in general. The response of organised labour must, therefore, be inclusive and uniform, not disjointed as we recently witnessed.

    “The worsening poverty, rising inflation, job losses and bad governance must task our imaginations as labour leaders to work as one, instead of seeking positions for recognitions from governments and employers that do not deliver tangible results for the working men and women.”

  • MSSN Ogun gets new leaders

    The Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria, Ogun State Area Unit has appointed Ustadh Yahya Abiodun Hassan as the new Amir (President) to manage the affairs of the organisation in Ogun State for the next three years.

    The appointment of Ustadh Hassan was announced after the dissolution of the former executive headed by Mallam Saheed Hamisu at a state congress held in Sagamu.

    Other members of the executive are: Ustadh Miftaudeen Rufai, Vice-President Training, Ustadh Sadeeq Uthman, General Secretary, Mr Tijani  Misbahudeen Public Relations Officer (Media Affairs), Dr Yinusa Ganiyu, Public Relations Officer, (Inter-organisational Affairs) and Hajiya Hafsah Ibrahim, Coordinator, Female Affairs, among others.

    Speaking at the conference, Dr Yinusa AbdulGaniyy, a lecturer in the Department of Business Administration, Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) Ago-Iwoye, enjoined the new leaders to pursue a developmental agenda.

    AbdulGaniyy said MSSN impact has not been significantly felt in the state, urging the executive to run an inclusive administration.

    In his inaugural speech, Ustadh Hassan said he accepted the mandate as a divine call to national service, adding that he will discharge his responsibilities within the framework of Quranic and prophetic guidance.

    Youth development, he said, will be the utmost focus of his administration as it is key in achieving good governance, societal transformation and national development.

    He extended the hands of cooperation to the dissolved cabinet, saying “I appeal to all members of the dissolved Executive Members to come and let us work together to take this great society to a greater height.”

     

  • ‘Church leaders can reverse national woes’ 

    Convener of Builders with God Ministry Pastor Dele Oyeleru has appealed to church leaders to shun all forms of materialism and provide the needed direction and focus for the nation at this critical time.

    Pastor Oyeleru stated this at in an interview with our correspondent at the Labour Day Ministers Conference in Lagos.

    He said that the nation went into socio-economic quagmire when the church lost focus and started pursuing material wealth at the expense of righteousness.

    He lamented that many church leaders have disappointed God and the nation by their unrighteous behaviour leading to greater moral degradation across the country.

    He asserted that there are many hireling and mercenaries servants of God who only embarrass God by using the name of Jesus as a password for selfish reasons.

    According to Oyeleru: “We will be stumbling blocks to millions of people from coming to Christ if we do not live in the light of the gospel within our immediate environment.

    “True passion that would stand the test of time in the believer comes from a deliberate commitment to genuine love for God and serve without any reservation.

    “Unfortunately, many of us are pursuing money as against God. This is why Nigeria is where it is.”

    He argued many ministers are running in vain without eternity in mind, stating “when we don’t have eternity in mind in our ministration in the churches, what appears good in the sight of men will be a waste before God.”