The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigeria News

  • Taming the fangs of terrorism

    Sir: It will be difficult to totally eliminate the act of terrorism once it has been experimented in a society. It may then become a vice just like armed robbery or kidnapping. Terrorism cannot be eliminated by the act of force alone, but also by subtle diplomacy, strategy, mass education and enlightenment. Back in the 70’s, we had religious skirmishes in the north (Kaduna, Kano and Bauchi states) after the 3-7days orgy; the matter was swept under the carpet, no white paper issued, no sponsors apprehended and punished and no compensation paid. We then pretended all was well, but the evil seed had been sown.

    Then in the 80’s, we had the Maitaisine crises. Immediately the head of the organisation was killed, everything was swept under the carpet. The maitaisine has metamorphosed into Boko Haram. Also in the 80’s, we had religious crises in some northern states, but government followed the same pattern.

    The herdsmen are terrorizing citizens; what action has federal government taken? Have the farmers whose crops were destroyed been compensated? Six years ago a female teacher was beheaded in Gombe State. The matter has since been swept under the carpet and culprits freed. Also four years ago, an Igbo lady was killed in Kano. Few years ago, a lady was killed in Abuja for preaching; what has government done? Nothing.

    Early 2003, the CIA allegedly informed the Obasanjo-led federal government that they should watch the activities of some Islamic groups in the north; that they could be dangerous, but government shunned the advice. If the federal government had monitored the sect activities at that time, Boko Haram would never have manifested.

    And what is the foundation of their activities? Religion. Now the same federal government is complaining about Boko Haram. They’ve killed thousands, destroyed businesses and properties worth billions and they’ve even introduced suicide bombing into Nigeria’s terrorism dictionary. What is federal government doing? Using military force. But the root cause of these crises has not been unveiled. Since no sponsor has been apprehended and punished, the cycle will continue.

    There are over 10million almajirici kids; they should be put in schools and catered for by government. There should be free education in the North up to secondary level because the religious tolerance in the north is much lower than that of the south. There should be a befitting rehabilitation college established for ex-Boko Haram members. Exchanging captured Boko Haram members for kidnapped citizens may be a dangerous idea. A cue should be taken from Saudi government about their rehabilitation methods and federal government should consider setting up the anti- terrorism department and religious tolerance department in the presidency. Terrorism insurance scheme should be set up and compensation committee set up to compensate victims of religious crises and terrorism. That way, the Federal government should be getting closer to dealing with the root causes of terrorism.

     

    • David Atta, Abuja.

  • Five die, many injured in Ekiti road crash

    NO fewer than five people have lost their lives in a fatal road accident along Ado-Akure Road Ekiti State on Saturday, while many sustained various degrees of injuries.

    The accident, which involved an 18-seater white Toyota hummer bus with registration number, Ekiti LG 05 MUE, happened around 5pm.

    The bus belonging to Ekiti State Market Women, which was reportedly conveying some guests from a wedding reception, had the accident as a result of brake failure.

    While three of the occupants were said to have died on the spot, two among the injured persons earlier rushed to Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti, for medical attention, died also owing to the severity of the injuries sustained.

    Multiple sources who spoke on condition of anonymity with The Nation said the driver of the bus which was on high speed lost control following which the vehicle somersaulted several times.

    According to the sources, three occupants of the bus died on the spot while others sustained injuries.

    They said: “The injured occupants of the vehicle have been taken to hospital for medical attention while the remains of the three dead persons have also been evacuated to the morgue.

    Read Also: Just in: Ekiti Varsity student kills boyfriend over N2,500

    A source at the EKSUTH alleged that “two of the injured occupants rushed for medical attention had died”.

    The Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti State Police Command, Caleb Ikechukwu, who confirmed the accident, said “It was a lone fatal accident. Three persons were confirmed dead while others sustained various degrees of injuries”.

    According to Ikechukwu, it was alleged by some eyes witnesses that the driver was driving on a high speed, so he lost control of the vehicle and it somersaulted for a number of times”.

    The police spokesperson confirmed that the injured person had been moved to hospital for treatment and the dead to the morgue.

     

  • ASUU accuses vice chancellors of mismanagement

    THE Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has accused some vice chancellors of universities in the country of mismanaging their universities and asked the federal government of Nigeria to immediately set up visitation panel to each of the institutions.

    President of the union, Prof Biodun Ogunyemi, told The Nation in an interview in Abuja that the government has been paying lip service to the issue of visitation panels to the universities as contained in their terms of agreement.

    The ASUU president said that sending visitation panels to the universities will douse the tension in the universities and prevent further breakdown of industrial relations and promote industrial harmony.

    Ogunyemi disclosed that the union has written to the minister complaining about the activities of the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, in Ekiti State, adding that “when you see crisis coming from the school, for us in ASUU, it is not unexpected.

    “The man has not developed capacity to manage that institution very well. The Vice Chancellor of the Federal University Lokoja has also been working to suppress the union’s activities and that doesn’t augur well for good governance. That is why we continue to prevail on government to look into our petition against the vice chancellors and address the issue we raised.

    “We have many of these cases coming up in some of these campuses, and that is why we are calling on government, anytime we have the opportunity, asking them to send visitation panel to these universities and all other federal universities to douse tension and prevent further decline and breakdown of industrial relations on these campuses.”

    On the implementation of the agreement signed between government and the union, Oguyemi said, “as things stand, we have issues; because the negotiation has been stalled. But we are engaging with government, hoping that the minister will intervene in the matter.

    “We have issues with the government team that is negotiating with us and we have written to the minister, placing our complaints on the table, hoping that in no time, he will intervene in the matter and our renegotiation will come back fully and be completed speedily.

    Read Also: ASUU rejects Committee set up to investigate attack

    “As for the aspect that has to do with payment of our allowances, we are still tracking them. They paid part of the entitlement, but we expect them to have mainstreamed the balance into the 2019 budget. But that did not happen. We are only hoping that the chance will not be missed in 2020. That is why we want to engage the government.’’

    The ASUU president also accused some vice chancellors of trying to suppress activities of the union on their campuses, saying the union will not take it lightly with such vice chancellors as they were prepared to confront them.

    Speaking on the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement, Ogunyemi said there was the need for intervention of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, as the process has been stalled.

    He said the issues for renegotiation are non-implementation of components of the 2017 memorandum of action, non-release of over N1 trillion arrears or revitalisation fund owed public universities from 2014 to 2018.  “As things stand, we have issues; because the negotiation has been stalled, but we are engaging with government, hoping that the minister intervenes in the matter.”

    He called on government to resolve the issue regarding the unpaid arrears of shortfall in salaries in universities that have been verified under the presidential initiative, on continuous auditing.

  • ‘Why Amnesty programme must be sustained’

    Mrs. Enetimi Evah popularly known as the Royal Mother is the CEO of Ezonebu Training Centre Lagos.

    The consultant to Presidential Amnesty Programme speaks on why the scheme must be sustained and dispelled rumour of her arrest by the Economic Financial and crimes commission (EFCC). Excerpts:

    How did you go suddenly from training 50 delegates of the Presidential Amnesty Programme to 137 trainees?

    First of all, I am from Ekogbene under Burutu Local Government area, in Delta State. I have been a consultant to the federal government, under the Presidential Amnesty program for eight years plus. In the last eight years, I have worked with three of the Special Assistants.  My work with ex-militants began during President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

    Best delegate in Fashion 2016/17

    I began with 50 delegates (agitators) and the focus of the training then was on entrepreneurship. The duration of the training was four months. The training helped the delegates develop their entrepreneurial skills and equip them with skills to transform their lives significantly.

    My first training was a huge success and I was so fulfilled to contribute to the lives of ex-militants. The delegates left the training centre with hope and joy and above all skills to better their livelihood.

    Practical work by delegates

    I dropped my report for the previous training and I was awarded another contract with more delegates than the previous training. My delegates became shop owners, employing other youths in the Niger- Delta region. This brought hope to the region as the purpose for the creation of the programme was seen to be achieved in my centre.

    Our training centre in Lagos is well equipped with the best resources in fashion designing, leather works (shoes and bag manufacturing) and ICT equipment and well trained facilitators, with a capacity of 250 delegates.

    Professor Charles Dokubo inspecting the delegates class work during the flag up

    At the time professor Charles Dokubo resumed office, we had already achieved more than 60 percent success rate in our delegates trained, meaning 60 percent of the delegates that attended our Training Institution are already self-made and  employers in their various communities.

    Presentation of cash awards to best delegates during the Graduation Ceremony at Eko hotel Lagos

    I don’t want to brag but we are one of the best training contractors this Programme has.  To this end, our success stories and capacity and passion in changing lives have contributed to the number of delegates we receive each year, so it is normal for the Office of the Presidential Amnesty Programme to increase the number of delegates given to us due to our excellent records and our capacity to train the ex-agitators.

    Representative of the Vice president presenting the Empowerment park’s

    How impactful has the training been?

    First of all, without this amnesty programme, I am sure a lot of tension would have been going on in the Niger Delta now.

    And that is why one must appreciate and thank the President Buhari administration for retaining the programme. This programme has really helped in shaping lives. It has helped to bring out the best in some of these delegates. Some of them have become employers of labour. The dignity of labour is already inculcated in them.

    Presentation of certificate

    They are all scattered in and around in Lagos, Ondo, Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta States doing wonderfully well. But for this programme, the peace the region is enjoying would have become bloody.

    137 of the delegates trained in my centre in June, 2019 graduated. Out of them, over 115 have already been empowered by the Presidential Amnesty Office, which is the instant empowerment after the graduation ceremony.

    Distribution of Empowerment items to delegates in various states

    Among the delegate is a lady, Miebi Foko, who graduated in fashion designing in the last batch. She is in Bayelsa State. She called to say she has employed four apprentices and didn’t know she could make the kind of sales she’s making. There are others, Otuma, in Ekeremo, Prince, Emelapor, Tony, so many, they’re all doing well.

    So, why were you arrested by the EFCC?

    Arrested by EFCC? That is the most ridiculous story I have heard this year.  How can I be arrested when I have not committed any offence? I render services to the government with a duly registered Training Institution company. I have never been arrested, invited or called by any law enforcement agencies before and now.

    You can only be arrested when you have been convicted of a crime. We are into Human Capacity Development, which is not a crime. Those stories were made up by people who don’t like the fact that we impact lives positively through the Presidential Amnesty Programme. It’s just beer parlor story, all tissue of lies.

  • Negotiation with bandits yielding results — Masari

    GOVERNOR Aminu Masari of Katsina State on Saturday replied critics who objected to his recent negotiation with bandits troubling the state, and said it was in the overall best interest of Katsina and other neighbouring states in the Northwest.

    He said the negotiation has now brought relative peace to the State with over 80% of people in captivity released.

    According to him, the next stage of peace restoration is the disarming of bandits and their commanders in the forests which border Katsina, Kaduna, Zamfara, Kebbi and Niger states.

    The governor also shed light on the controversial RUGA scheme.

    He claimed that RUGA is not a Hausa-Fulani or Arabic word but the abbreviation of Rural Grazing Area used by the colonial masters.

    He said there is no alternative to RUGA if there must be an end to farmer-herder clashes.

    Masari spoke exclusively to The Nation.

    “The negotiation is yielding results,” he said of talks between him and the bandits.

    “Now I can say over 80% of people under captivity in Katsina State have been released. So, in terms of group kidnapping I can only remember that right now only 13 people that we are searching for.  We have only 13 people,

    “But in terms of massive attacks since we started, there was no single massive attack on any village or any community. By my account, about 57 people have been released by them, most of them women and young children. Among them even are nationals of Niger Republic.

    “So, for us it has brought relative peace. The next step is the issue of disarming the bandits and commanders in the forest that command 200, 300, 400 fighters, fully armed on motorbikes.

    “That’s how they operate and attack the villages. In most cases they go three to one on a motorcycle. They’ve reinforced their motorcycles and they are using tubeless tyres. They put something inside so that their tyres do not get punctured or breakdown.”

    Masari said the government will soon start reconciling released bandits with their neighbours for sustainable peace.

    Read Also: Dialogue: Masari frees six arrested bandits

    “They are ready to disarm but the first stage is about  the release of some of them that were not even convicted or even charged to court and by the time they release  all those people under their captivity, we will start reconciliation between them and their neighbours.

    “And then those in the forest. We’ll start talking about because if they keep the guns and other ammunition with them, they’ll eventually fight among themselves,” he added.

    Asked what accounted for banditry in the North-West, the governor quipped: “Lack of education. Failure of leadership for a very long time.”

    He said: “The first generation of Nigerian leaders, together with the colonialists created what we now call RUGA. RUGA is not a Fulani word, it is not a Hausa word, it is not an Arabic word, and it’s the English abbreviation for Rural Grazing Area.

    “So they had foresight, they knew that this roaming about by cattle would  not last so they created these rural grazing areas and brought Fulani,  provided windmill farms  and dams for water. All over the places, if you go to our area you’ll see the remnant of all these.

    “For us in Katsina, they created the dairy, and they were planting grass to feed cows even 40-50 years ago because they knew.

    “But subsequently after the discovery of oil, our leaders abandoned all these initiatives.

    “Then heavy encroachment due to population surge. Now,  we have climate change, which is  also adding its own weight”.

    Masari gave insights into why he negotiated with the bandits with peace in Katsina and other states as his ultimate goal.

    He said: “In 2016, we started amnesty programme for the bandits. That programme was officially launched in 2017. As a result of that, over 400 AK 47 and other assorted arms and ammunition were surrendered by then cattle rustlers and over 36,000 were returned to the owners apart from ruminants, donkeys, camels and horses.

    “It was a very successful programme and it lasted for about two years but because there was no similar programme in Zamfara, Kaduna, and Niger states (that share borders with Kastina), our people became vulnerable. The forest area is contiguous to Kaduna, Zamfara, Kebbi and Niger. In fact, Katsina has the least of the forest areas when you compare all these four states.

    “So gradually all our leaders were killed by bandits from Zamfara and nothing of a similar nature was going on in Zamfara. The banditry escalated and affected Katsina. It diluted and destroyed what we had built.

    “Part of the arrangement we had with the herders was the construction of schools and clinics and immediately we moved in, we constructed 10 primary schools and 10 clinics. We have spent over N100 million to demarcate the cattle routes across the state. We established a permanent committee headed by a former director from the Ministry of Agriculture, who was a livestock specialist to demarcate the cattle routes, those for grazing and those for traveling.

    “All these things that we have done were severely affected by the spate of violence and this time it came with kidnapping, banditry, rape and so many forms of criminality that were not there in 2017.

    “We also realized that these are same people, neighbours killing neighbours, stealing from neighbours. Even the herder communities in the forest were not left out they were stealing among themselves, killing among themselves. And then in the towns, we have what we call volunteers who are not even vigilantes. These volunteers went about killing any Fulani man or Fulani woman they saw.

    When the new governor of Zamfara State came, he disbanded the 500 vigilantes in all the local governments, and declared that he’s willing to talk.

    “We said now we have a partner in Zamfara. When they started the amnesty in Zamfara, we also joined and engaged.

    “The bandits in Zamfara are the ones in Katsina, because from Kastina and Zamfara, you cannot even tell the difference.

    “All the camps except one, the bases of the bandits, are in Zamfara forest. So you can see the need. They said okay since they are the same people, instead of killing, let us engage them.

    “The Inspector-General of Police was in Katsina, all the Northwest governors were there, even the governor of Niger state was there, the governor of Taraba State was also there, the governor of Plateau State was there. We talked peace, and the bandits were also there except some few of their leaders who were afraid of what we were going to do.

    “From there, we agreed that every state will go and hold a similar meeting with the bandits, Fulani leadership, the farmers, the Ardos, the village heads and the mallams or imams. And this is what we did in Katsina.

  • One dead, seven arrested in Lagos cult war

    A suspected cultist Aliu Lamidi, 29, was on Saturday night stabbed to death after rival groups clashed at Chukwuma Hotel in Babashola Street, Itire, Lagos.

    The hotel and some vehicles parked around it were also set ablaze in the fight that commenced around 10:50pm.

    It was gathered that violence erupted after an altercation between rival cult groups in the hotel which led to the owner’s son stabbing Lamidi on the neck.

    Lamidi, a resident of Aboredhade Street, was said to have died at the hospital he was rushed to, a development that provoked his colleagues.

    Although the immediate cause of the altercation was unknown, The Nation reports that the Aiye and Eiye cult groups have been embroiled in age-long rivalry that has claimed many lives across the state.

    Angered by the killing of Lamidi, his members were said to have torched the hotel, vehicles and moved in droves to the home of the owner in a bid to kill anyone found.

    Wielding cutlasses and other dangerous weapons, the hoodlums were said to have threatened firefighters and policemen from Itire who got to the scene to put out the inferno.

    READ ALSO: Seven ‘killed’ in Ajah cult war

    It was gathered that the violence continued Sunday morning and extended to Oseni street which prompted the deployment of reinforcement from the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) and the Area Command led by Deputy Commission of Police (DCP) Tunji Disu.

    The police were said to have prevented the cultists from wreaking further havoc as they chased the hoodlums and eventually arrested eight of the culprits.

    Confirming the incident spokesman Bala Elkana, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) said security has been beefed up.

    He said the hotel’s owner’s son was currently at large, adding that investigation was ongoing and all suspects would be charged to court.

  • Tribunals dismiss election petitions against Ihedioha, Sule, Masari

    THE Imo, Nasarawa and Katsina Election Petitions Tribunals on Saturday dismissed all the petitions filed against the emergence of Governors Emeka Ihedioha (Imo), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa) and Aminu Masari (Katsina) as winners of the March polls in their states.

    The tribunals, in separate verdicts, said the petitions lacked merit and the complainants failed to prove their cases.

    All three petitions filed by the governorship candidates of the Action Alliance (Uche Nwosu); All Progressives Congress  (APC) (Hope Uzodinma ) and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) (Ifeanyi Ararume),  against Ihedioha did not succeed.

    It was a unanimous decision by the tribunal.

    It was also a unanimous decision by the Nasarawa State Election Petitions Tribunal in throwing out the petition filed by Mr. David Ombugadu  of the  Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) challenging the election of Gov. Sule in the March 9 Governorship polls.

    Delivering judgment Justice Abba Mohammed, Chairman of the Tribunal held that the PDP petition lacked merit.

    The tribunal said that the petitioner failed to prove the allegation of over voting, nonvoting and noncompliance with the electoral act.

    The tribunal also held that the petitioner failed to prove how collation of results was disrupted.

    “The burden of prove lay with the petitioner and he has failed to prove the allegations.

    Read Also: Tribunals uphold Delta, Abia, Taraba governors’ elections

    “The petitioner has failed to produce two sets of results (original and fake) to prove that the outcome was falsified in favour of APC candidate.

    “Hence he failed to prove that, we therefore, uphold the result declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),” the tribunal held.

    Ombugadu, a two term House of Representative member challenged the election over alleged unlawful declaration of Sule as winner of the poll.

    The PDP candidate had also claimed that the polls did not comply with provisions of the Electoral Act 2010.

    He had also alleged intimidation of voters, unlawful cancellation of votes and malpractice during the election.

    Sule polled 327, 229 votes to defeat Ombugadu of PDP who scored 184, 281 votes in the election.

    Tribunal declines request to sack Masari

    The Katsina State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in a two-to one split decision yesterday declined the request by the petitioners to void the return of Aminu Masari of the All Progressive Party (APC) as the winner of the last governorship election in Katsina State.

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the election, Senator Yakubu Lado, had, by their petition,  challenged Masari’s victory on the grounds that he falsified his age and academic qualifications in his credentials and affidavit submitted in the nomination form he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    They also argued that the governor was not qualified to stand for election and prayed the tribunal to, among others, void the declaration of Masari as the winner.

    The tribunal, in its majority judgment held that the petitioners failed to prove the allegation of substantial noncompliance to the electoral act in the conduct of the election.

    It also said Masari was qualified to contest the election for the office of governor and that the name “Aminu Bello Masari” is the same as “Aminu Masari.”

    It was further held, in the majority decision, that no law exists in the country that stipulates the number of names to be used in the filling of the INEC form for an election.

    But in her dissenting decision, tribunal chairman, Justice Hadiza Alijos, held in favour of the petitioners, allowed the petition and ordered that a fresh election be conducted in the state within 90 days.

    Justice Alijos, who was absent, had her dissenting judgment read by Justice A. B Omotoso, a member of three-man panel of the tribunal.

    She held that Masari was not qualified to contest the election because the name, “Aminu Masari” is different from “Aminu Bello Masari.

    The matter was highly contentious, forcing a change in the sitting venue of the state governorship election petition Tribunal from Katsina State to Abuja.

    On petitioners’ claim that Masari was not qualified, the tribunal held, in the majority decision, that the petitioners did not prove their case, adding that allegation made without proof can be denied.

    It also held that evidence of witnesses called by the petitioners from one to 50 is of no probative value since they confirmed that they gave their statements in Hausa language and the Hausa versions are not before the tribunal.

    The majority decision also held that the petitioners failed to prove the allegations as required by law and consequently dismissed their petition and affirmed the election of Governor Masari.

    The petitioners had claimed that Masari’s documentation with INEC which was tendered as exhibit to the tribunal showed that Masari and his father are 69 years old respectively.

    They also claimed that an affidavit, allegedly deposed to by Governor Masari’s father, Umaru Bello showed that while his son was given birth to on 29th May, 1950 which translates to 69 years in 2019, he (the father) was 51 years as at the time of the declaration on 9th August, 2001 which suggests that he is exactly 69 years in 2019, same age with his son.

    The petitioners also claimed that Masari provided conflicting dates of birth as shown on the primary school leaving certificate of Governor Masari which differs with that of the sworn declaration of age.

    He said, while the declaration of age showed that Masari was born in 1950, the primary certificate showed that he was born in 1951.

    Similarly, Senator Lado claimed that the same primary certificate in question belongs to one Aminu Bello; a Fulani by tribe while the respondent is known and addressed as Aminu Bello Masari, Hausa by tribe.

    In the same vein, Lado questioned a post graduate diploma presented to INEC by Governor Masari, noting that the certificate bears no logo or stamp of the institution, hence questionable.

  • Flood: 150 communities submerged in Kogi

    OVER 150 communities are said to have been ravaged by flood across nine local government areas of Kogi State.

    The Kogi State Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Sanusi Yahaya, made this known in Lokoja, on Saturday at the state Emergency Operation Centre (EOC).

    He noted that the EOC had been activated as the state was already experiencing flood emergency as a result of river flooding.

    Yahaya, who doubles as the state coordinator, EOC, said out of nine local government areas along the banks of the rivers Niger and Benue, seven are severely affected.

    He listed the severely affected LGAs as: Ibaji, Kogi/Koton-Karfe, Lokoja, Ofu, Ajaokuta, Omala and Idah, saying over 90 percent of Ibaji communities have been submerged.

    “Particularly, majority of communities at Ibaji are under water, and many households have been affected and displaced.

    “As we speak, the water level has risen very high to about 10.60m today in Lokoja, from the report of the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA).

    “In the last few days, many communities, settlements have been displaced as a result of flooding,’’ he stated.

    Read Also: Kogi Govt. set to inaugurate N4 billion Rice Mill

    He said that over 20 camps had been opened to accommodate flood victims.

    He advised residents of flood-prone and affected communities to relocate to safer places or move to the nearest camps opened by the state and local governments, to avoid loss of lives and properties.

    “With the activation of the state emergency centre, the state is collaborating with all the relevant stakeholders to make timely appropriate responses.

    “The state needs help. While we are working within the resources available to us, we need temporary shelter provision, food, non-food items and water, which the affected victims will need.”

    According to him, the number of households as at yesterday, around the Gadumo axis is 215, Ganaja 176, Galili 272 and Adankolo 246, all under Lokoja and Ajaokuta LGAs.

    He, however, noted that no human fatality had been recorded.

    He urged the federal government, through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), to come to the aid of the state.

    He also appealed to individuals, organisations and other relevant stakeholders to assist the state.

     

     

     

     

  • Look inwards, Obi advises Nigerian universities

    The Vice-Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr Peter Obi, has advised Nigerian universities to look inwards for the development of their various schools. Obi said this during a visit to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.

    Sharing managerial experiences with some principal officers of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, led by the Vice Chancellor, Prof Charles Igwe, and that of Awka, led by Prof Charles Esimone, Obi emphasised the need to work with dedicated men who understand that leadership is about service and embracing values that would encourage scholarship.

    Speaking further, Obi, by way of advice, challenged the leadership of institutions like the universities to study other successful universities worldwide, such as Harvard in the USA and Oxford in the UK, for factors that made for their successes and apply the same to their various institutions.

    Read Also: No nation can grow with election rigging – Peter Obi

    He said universities in Nigeria should seek alternative means of increasing their finances. “Alumni support and research are examples,” Obi said while quoting statistics to show that some universities in America and Europe, through effective alumni networking have billions in investment. “Frontline schools like Nsukka and Lagos can actually pioneer such efforts by diligently studying how the West does it”, Obi submitted.

    Obi contended that such effective use of alumni associations would stem what he called the “uninspiring dependence on moneybags to build structures and be given honorary degrees as if it has cash value.”

    Responding both vice chancellors thanked Obi for the visit and for his priceless advice which stemmed from his practical experiential pedigree.

  • Why 100% fruit juice is important in your diet

    The first step on the journey of wellness is a balance in our diet which is achievable by evaluating and taking advantage of readily available and affordable nutrient fillers. Experts have recommended the regular consumption of fruits as a key ingredient to providing important nutrients for overall health and wellness. Achieving the recommended goals of five fruit portion per day can be challenging and become hindered by availability, convenience, and affordability.

    This is what makes fruit juice a smart choice since it is a delicious and nutritious way to consume a range of exciting variants of whole fruits every day. 100% fruit juice has no added sugar, but contains only the naturally occurring sugars found in the fruit from which the juice is squeezed. When included as part of your healthy diet, 100% fruit juice can help meet recommended daily goals for fruit intake because it is a nutrient-dense drink that provides vitamins, minerals (folic acid, thiamine and magnesium) and beneficial plant nutrients like polyphenols. It is also vital to educate yourself on facts that will help you select a healthy product made from real fruit and not some concocted chemicals mixture.

    The first place to start is to go with time tested and trusted brands and whilst also paying attention to the nutrition facts on the label. Be careful to check that ‘100% fruit juice’ is clearly written on the packaging. In the Nigeria market, one well-known 100% fruit juice time tested and trusted brand is Chivita 100%. It is recommended for its supreme quality, purity and taste. In order to get real value for your money, always ensure that your fruit juice contains no preservatives or artificial colours.

    According to a nutritionist with Healthyliving International, Folakemi Adeyemi, consuming 100% fruit juices with no added sugar can reduce calories associated with added sugar without compromising quality nutrition. “Globally, products with added sugars have come under severe scrutiny because they are believed to provide what is mostly referred to as empty calories without adding nutritional benefits. The natural sugar in fruit juices come with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant. They are a convenient way to reach your daily fruit intake recommendations,” she stated.

    Fruit is a must-have for an everyday balanced diet, and 100% fruit juice is a convenient way to enjoy a portion of fruit when one fails to eat enough whole fruit and vegetables for healthy living. So, whether your favourite fruit is out of season or not readily available, you can reach out for convenience and healthy choice of your favourite fruit in 100% fruit juice.