The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigerian Newspaper

  • Justice for the poor

    We welcome government’s decision to rejuvenate the Legal Aid Council

    The information by the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami, (SAN), that the Federal Government plans to reposition the Legal Aid Council is a welcome development. In a country noted for crushing poverty, it is strange that such an important organ to help the poor have access to justice has been comatose for years. Yet section 46(4)(b) of the 1999 constitution enjoins the National Assembly to make provision “for the rendering of financial assistance to indigent Nigerians” to pursue their fundamental rights.

    By refusing to fund the Legal Aid Council, the Federal Government has over the years been denying the indigent citizens a constitutionally guaranteed fundamental right. So, we welcome the promise by the federal attorney-general to ensure adequate funding of that important organ of state. He made the promise at the two-day retreat for management staff and state heads of Legal Aid Council, held in Lokoja, Kogi State, titled: “Repositioning Legal Aid Council for Better Service Delivery.”

    In his keynote address, the minister said: “I am aware of the challenges being faced by the council, created in 1976 to provide free legal services to poor Nigerians who cannot afford the services of private legal practitioners.” He went on: “Most of the challenges scaled down basically to inadequate funding, and l have approved the establishment of the “Legal Aid Access to Justice Fund.”  He also stated “The approval, for the establishment of the fund, is in line with the provisions of Legal Aid Act, 2011 and it will entail a formal launching by the ministry with federal and state governments, public spirited organisations and individuals donating to the fund.”

    While it may be helpful to create a funding window for the council, the attorney-general must ensure that adequate funds are provided by government for the organisation, as it cannot rely entirely on third party funding to feel the gap. Of course, the constitution clearly enjoins the National Assembly to ensure that such funding is provided for the agency. We hope the council members and other stakeholders referred to share in the vision of the minister, when he said: “I am optimistic that when it becomes operational, most of the challenges will be resolved and this will greatly assist the council in its operations.’’

    The major work to revitalise the council and project it to perform its constitutional responsibility as the protector of the down trodden, would be done by the newly appointed director-general, Aliu Abubakar, and his council members. In choosing him to head the revitalisation of the Legal Aid Council, we hope due diligence was done on his capacity and competence. It will be sad if he is merely appointed because of extraneous considerations, such that he takes over to mark time, like some of his predecessors.

    We note however that the new director-general started well by organising a retreat, and we expect the management and state heads to fashion out a clear vision and mission on how the council will meet its statutory obligations. In recruiting its lawyers, the council should seek the best that it can afford. While the services it renders are not to be paid for by the recipients directly, it is not an excuse not to provide quality service to the indigent beneficiaries. So, those recruited must have the requisite experience and proper orientation to provide quality service.

    The council must also ensure that the lawyers providing service to indigent Nigerians are not treated like indigent lawyers. Their terms of service must be comparable to their colleagues’ in the ministry. If they are well treated, they would also treat their ‘clients’ well and discharge their professional responsibility to the best of their ability. The council should have a working relationship with the federal and state ministries of justice, so that qualified personnel could be seconded to the council, and vice versa.

    Interestingly, section 36(6)(c) of the 1999 constitution provides that, “every person charged with a criminal offence shall be entitled to – defend himself in person or by legal practitioners of his own choice.” While an indigent who wants a legal practitioner will be unable to call the shots as to the legal practitioner of his choice from the Legal Aid Council, the management should fashion out a model to enable a beneficiary change his counsel where the one assigned proves incompatible.

    Of note, sub-section 6(b) provides that a person charged should “be given adequate time and facilities for the preparation of his defence.” For serious criminal charges, perhaps the makers of the constitution envisage such facility to include legal aid for an indigent fellow. There is no doubt that the provision of section 46(4)(b) of the constitution is to further reinforce the defence of a fundamental right. The Legal Aid Council should live up to that provision.

  • Art connects at Four Points hotel

    It is indeed heartwarming to know that more hotels in Nigeria are opening up their spaces to help promote Nigerian contemporary art.  This is what the management of Four Points by Sheraton hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, made known to the public last week.  It was at a time when three Nigerian visual artists were unveiled by the hotel management.  The three artists include Dotun Popoola, Segun Philips, and Akeem Adeleke.  Their outing is simply entitled Art connect.

    The exhibition which opened yesterday at the hotel premises will last till 28th of this month.  In his reckoning, the manager of the hotel Jonathan Patterson told the press that the basic idea behind the gesture is to encourage Nigerian art to grow.  “It is also to allow enough of our lodgers and visitors to come closer to Nigerian visual art.  It is to equally appreciate these works and buy them”.  He however noted that Nigerian contemporary art works are among the very best in the world.  In other words, the more choice spaces that are given to Nigerian artists here locally by some of the five star hotels, the more exposures they get.  it is not just to let the public, especially outsiders, to view these works in their totality, it is also for some of the works to find their ways out of Nigeria.

    This will no doubt help to extend the frontiers of artistic glory of a set of people who have come to use visual art to key into the wider world.  Patterson, a British citizen is also familiar with some of the artists who he confessed often dazzle him with their techniques, forms and styles.  “Therefore, you are welcome to art connect which is an exhibition of synergetic sculptures and paintings from a few Nigeria’s most innovative and artistic talents.  This is why we expected the presence of an international and diverse audience of art lovers”.

    He went on: “my travels in the past three decades as a general manager in the hospitality world has taken me all over the world.  But I am now specially pleased to be here in Nigeria showcasing its very rich and diverse art culture of which I and our owners are great supporters”.

    Patterson noted that the exhibition constitutes part of its corporate social responsibility to the Nigerian public.  “Yes, this is part of our corporate social responsibility and it is our responsibility too to Lagos community.  When we were offered the opportunity to host this exhibition which showcases not only the works of iconic Dotun Popoola, but two other young and brilliant artists: Segun Philips and Akeem Adeleke, we jumped at it.  We were indeed inspired by the array of their past and current works.  We thoroughly and strongly hope it can help to inspire us all”.

    Popoola, an Ife-based artist was a staffer of the National Gallery of Art (NGA) before he ventured full time into private studio practice.  A former student of Araism art technique, he is a sculptor, deeply schooled in metal art work.  He loves exceptional ornamental metals where he takes time to explore contemporary Nigerian issues.  He is tenacious, purposeful and exceptional.  He comes to the exhibition with 3 pieces of works with an additional two sculptures that are commissioned.  He said: “this is the very moment for us to showcase the diverse beauties of not only our works, but the totality of contemporary works in Nigeria.  It is good the Four Points hotel is doing this to encourage us and give us space to showcase our works”.

    As for Phillip’s also a former follower of the Araism experiment, he has since gone into a new technique named woodism.  Even though he is a painter, he indulges more in the use of sharp woods on canvass.  “Araism offered me the opportunity to rummage in colours.  Today I still do acrylic colours.  I use it mainly for the creation of scenes.  In my works I talk about the future a lot.  I am almost like a prophet when I experiment on canvass.  Indeed, my works are often fantastic.  There have been cases I predicted on canvass they came to pass.  So, sometimes I am careful not to be too hard so as not to sound like a prophet of doom.  I painted why killing humanity in us yet not too long after that, it began in South Africa.  See now”, he bemoaned, tinting his face.

    Yet, Philips does not really relent.  “At times too, I am more positive.  I create to solve and resolve problems.  In this outing, I have seven works, some of which dwell on how we treat women.  It is basically from my own perspective.  What is the position of women in Nigeria?”, he asked.  “Yes, our women need attention, special attention, I mean”, he proffered, with broad smiles.

    Adeleke loves landscapes a lot.  As a painter he focuses on how to use this medium to explore the innermost foyers of the society.  “I love landscapes, city landscapes”, he enthused.  “My greatest love comes at night when I see the beauty of the city landscapes.  I like to explore this a great deal.  One of my works is therefore entitled life in my city.  Where there is no electricity but the moon explores the illumination of nature.  The night glows, it flickers in the bright light of the moon.  In fact, I paint night scenes to explore some of these metaphors”, he decided.

    For Adeleke, “I use my works to preach, to explore and expose some of the characters we have in Nigeria.  However, I try to paint them beautifully well in order not to dampen morals and discourage the society.  God has blessed Nigeria with a lot of good things and we have to look at those more often than not.  One day, I believe our problem will be over.  So, it is good to show our positives more than our negatives”, Adeleke said.

    One of the works is on horses.  He uses the work to depict the strength horses exhibit even when it seems they are tired and worn out.  So together all these works made up art connect, a bloom at the Four Points hotel where art is on display at the moment.  Art connect is indeed a way to prosper artists in more glorious ways.  A way also to invite other corporate bodies to engage in corporate social responsibility.

  • Walking in financial dominion!

    Welcome to another impactful week. I hope you were blessed by last week teaching. Today, we shall focus on: Walking in Financial Dominion!

    We discover from scriptures, among others, that every child of God is ordained to walk in financial dominion.  As it is written, For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich (2 Corinthians 8:9; see also Deuteronomy 8:18; 3 John 1:2). It is important to note that the end-time church is ordained for financial dominion. As it is written, And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:2-3). In addition, according to Haggai, God will be unleashing financial fortune upon the end-time church.  It is written, The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts… (Haggai 2:8-9). Furthermore, God swore to Abraham, in response to the attempted sacrifice of his son on mount Moriah, That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice (Genesis 22:17-18). If, according to scriptures, every child of God is a seed of Abraham; then, we are ordained to walk in financial dominion (Galatians 3:29). Finally, prominent among the blessings of the law is financial dominion. As it is written, …and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow. And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath… (Deuteronomy 28:12-13).

    How then can we walk in Financial Dominion?

    • Be Born Again: Every blessing in the Kingdom can only flow to us when we are saved. In other words, the salvation of our souls is the access key to the realm of financial dominion. The Bible says that Christ was slain to receive for us power, riches, wisdom, strength, honour, glory and blessing (Revelation 5:12).
    • Engage the Covenant of Seedtime and Harvest: The covenant of seedtime and harvest is a sure way to our financial dominion. However, it is important to understand that the Kingdom of God is that of order. Thus, in order to enjoy financial blessings, our offerings must be sown in this order:
    • Tithing: This is the giving of 10% of the totality of our earnings to God. This does not belong to us; it is God’s portion which He must not be denied of. It is the capital demand for access to an open heaven and the master key to a world of financial fortune. As it is written, Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it (Malachi 3:10). We must understand that any sacrifice can bring us to any level of blessing, but only our tithes can preserve it. This is because when we don’t tithe, the devourer is guaranteed access.
    • Worship Offering: We are admonished not to come into God’s presence empty-handed. It is written, Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the Lord empty: Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath given thee (Deuteronomy 16:16-17).
    • Kingdom Promotion Giving: This is giving for the furtherance of the Kingdom. The Bible says, Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you (Matthew 6:33; see also Haggai 1:3-14).
    • Giving to Parents: We tap into the blessings in our parents’ hearts when we bring them venison such as they love. We provoke the release of blessings from their hearts like Isaac poured his heart out to bless Jacob. The Word of God instructs us to honour our fathers and mothers in the Lord that it might be well with us; financial blessing inclusive (Genesis 27:3, 25-29; Exodus 20:12).
    • Giving to Spiritual Parents: Our spiritual parents also constitute a platform for the release of covenant blessings. We tap into the patriarchal blessings through giving to our spiritual parents (Ephesians 6:1-2; 1 Corinthians 4:15).
    • Giving to the Poor: Giving to the needy around us is a platform that empowers us for financial dominion (Job 29:4-12; Proverbs 28:27, 19:17).

    In summary, Christ, our perfect example was and is the Master Giver. He gave and gave until He gave His life; a living sacrifice indeed! This must be why He commanded such a dimension of financial dominion while he walked the planet earth (Matthew 17:26-27; Mark 4:39-41, 14:13-16; John 13:27-29). However, as mentioned earlier, new birth is the only access we have to walking in financial dominion. Are you born again? If you are not, this is an opportunity to do so. Simply say the following prayer: Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me of my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious Blood. Today, I accept You as my Lord and personal Saviour. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me! Now, I know I am born again! For further reading, please get my books: Understanding Financial Prosperity, Breaking Financial Hardship, Winning the War against Poverty, Hidden Covenants of Blessing and Covenant Wealth. I invite you to fellowship with us at the Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, the covenant home of Winners. We have four services on Sundays, holding at 6:00 a.m., 7:50 a.m., 9:40 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. respectively. I know this teaching has blessed you. Write and share your testimony with me through: Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, P.M.B. 21688, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria, or call 01-4548070, 01-4548280, or E-mail: feedback@lfcww.org, Facebook: David Oyedepo Ministries International, Twitter: @DavidOyedepoMin.

  • A look at heads of revenue agencies

    The Nigerian Federation comprises of Federal Government, 36 State Governments and 774 Local Governments. Each tier of Government has functions specified in the 1999 Constitution, which also grants taxing powers to the various tiers of government through which needed revenue can be raised to meet the assigned responsibilities.

    Executives at various tier of government are expected to put in place appropriate Legal and Institutional framework to collect revenue in line with provision of 1999 Constitution as a result, at the Federal Level we have Federal Inland Revenue Service, Nigeria Custom Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Port Authority etc., the States have Boards of Internal Revenue and various Ministries, Departments and Agencies assigned with the responsibility of collecting revenue due to the State. Likewise, Local Governments collect rates and levies through suitable administrative structure.

    Revenue Authority refers to agency of government at any of the tier of government responsibility for assessing, collecting and accounting for revenue accruing to that tier of government. However, greater emphasis will be on Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and States Board of Internal Revenue. (SBIR)

    In the face of fluctuating and dwindling Statutory Allocation, most States cannot pay salaries, meet other recurrent expenditure, had to rely on borrowings at prohibit cost, and put capital projects on hold.  There is therefore the pressing need to increase Internally Generated Revenue. To increase IGR, governments embarked on various form of reform of the RA believing that such reforms will automatically result in exponential and sustainable increase in IGR.

    It is disheartening to note that most of the reform efforts do not meet the desired objective of increased and sustainable IGR. Accepted that in some instances, the effort might result in increase in IGR, but usually these increases are one off/spikes which are not sustainable. For instance, revenue from back duty and tax investigation is not sustainable. The principal reason for failure of most reform initiatives is usually over concentration on the quantum of revenue that could be raked in within the shortest period possible, instead of holistic evaluation of the RA’s external environment and administrative structure.

    The performance, complexity, resource requirements and strategy of the RA depends, to a considerable extent, on the economic environment in which it operates. In other words, most of the reform efforts take care of the cart (institutional framework) and ignore the Horse pulling the cart (the external environment). Domestic Revenue that could be mobilised depends on the economy i.e. IGR is derivate.  Therefore, in order to understand the reasons for poor performance of the RA, we might first look ‘outside the box’, beyond the organizational boundaries of the RA, and analyse the impact of important environmental influences on its performance.

    The amount of domestic revenue that could be mobilised in an economy, varies according to changes in GDP, interest rates, exchange rates, consumer confidence and business cycles. A high degree of openness of the economy raises knotty issues of international taxation, such as transfer pricing, tax arbitrage and origin or completion of taxable transactions in foreign jurisdictions. High levels of inflation increase the propensity of taxpayers to delay payment of taxes. The lack of formality in economic transactions, unreliability of business records and low levels of literacy make enforcement of tax laws difficult. Assuming all other factors are constant, an economy with a GDP of $500 million will generate higher revenue than same economy with GDP of $400 million. Also, in situation of drop in GDP, the amount of revenue that could be mobilised will also drop. Furthermore, the degree of informality in an Economy will determine the amount of domestic revenue that can be mobilise within the economy.

    A case in point is VAT. One may ask to what extent will FIRS be able to raise appropriate revenue from VAT on Electronics Products giving the high level of informality within the Electronics market in Nigeria.  How does FIRS trace the transactions of operators in Alaba International Market and Computer Village in Lagos for imposition of appropriate taxes?

    Considering the degree of informality, can the Chairmen of Lagos State and Oyo State Internal Revenue Service collect appropriate Personal Income Tax from market women in Apongbon and New Gbagi Markets respectively?

    Despite having higher GDP than South Africa, our tax to GDP ratio is lower than that of South Africa; one of the principal reasons is the size of informal sector in our economy. One way to enthrone sustainable IGR is to formalise the informal sector, which certainly is outside the purview of FIRS.

    A properly articulated revenue forecast which mirrors the key external factors provides needed platform for reform and evaluation of the Institution Responsible for revenue collection. Revenue forecasting is perhaps the weakest link in the chain between tax structure and revenue collected.

    In some cases, the forecasting exercise is done by a few individuals in the Ministry of Finance or Budget and Economic planning, who simply increase last year’s forecast or actual tax collections by next year’s assume growth rate. In other instances, next year’s budget expenditures are estimated through call circulars to all the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies. Expected borrowing and deficit financing are subtracted from total estimated budgetary expenditures, and the remaining amount is assigned to the Revenue Agency as next year’s revenue targets.

    • By Bicci Alli,

    Lagos

     

  • GatesAir, firm sign pact on digital TV switchover

    GatesAir has signed an agreement with a Nigerian company to continue the digital TV build-out in the West African nation.

    The firm, which produces wireless, over-the-air content delivery solutions for radio and TV broadcasters and Pinnacle Communications’ agreement, will allow the expansion of new digital TV services and the digital switchover initiative.

    The expansion is expected to reach more than 50 million homes and 170 million residents.

    The licensed signal distributor for Nigeria, Pinnacle Communications, brought a delegation to the GatesAir’s Quincy’s manufacturing facility recently to see the next-generation product designs and readiness to complete Greenfield build-outs.

    Sir Lucky Omoluwa, chairman and CEO of Pinnacle Communications, highlighted his company’s long relationship with GatesAir, especially the quality.

    “Sometime in 2016, we had 12 weeks to deliver a station,” Omoluwa said. “All the transmitters were from here. We didn’t do any site testing. We just plugged them in, and they’re still on.”

    GatesAir CEO Bruce Swail said half of the products GatesAir produces are for international customers, “The broadcasting technology created and built here in Quincy has a huge transformative impact across the globe, and as a result, a lot of people around the world are grateful to Quincy.”

    Andy McClelland, GatesAir’s Managing Director for the Europe/Middle East/Africa Region, said GatesAir has been on the digital path with Pinnacle for a short time, but will be on it for years to come.

  • NECA rewards Mouka

    Nigeria’s mattress and other bedding products manufacturer, Mouka, was recently recognised by Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) for safe work environment.

    NECA rewarded the branded mattress manufacturer with a Peugeot Ambulance based on the outcome of its 2018 Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) audit exercise following what the association described as an exceptional performance by the indigenous manufacturer.

    The award is the result of NECA’s partnership with the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) geared towards executing the Safe Workplace Intervention Project (SWIP). This is designed to ensure the effective implementation of the Employees’ Compensation Act 2010 being implemented by the NSITF   through intervention programmes that would make the workplace safer for employees and reduce the risk exposure of the NSITF.

    Conducted in March 2018 and its results made available in 2019, the NECA-NSITF Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) audit is an initiative under the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment which saw the Kaduna Plant of Mouka emerge winner for its exceptional performance in the OSH management systems.

    The Chief Operating Officer Mouka, Mr Femi Fapohunda, while congratulating Mouka’s Kaduna Plant team, reiterated the company’s safety slogan “safety first, safety always”. He emphasised that this should remain the watchword and practise of all Mouka staff nationwide.

    Mouka’s ability to clinch this award, watchers of the industry say, is hinged on the organisation’s values which it clearly communicates to its wider market audience.

  • Cashless policy: Businesses express worry

    Business owners and operators in the informal sector of the economy have expressed concern over the fate of small businesses, saying the implementation of the cashless policy as announced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), which has imposed charges on deposits and withdrawals on banks’ customers.

    Speaking with a cross-section of some entrepreneurs over the weekend, they said the new policy regime by the apex bank was tantamount to extortion.

    Nelson Ejiofor, who owns a chain of stores that deals on paints and building materials in Lagos, said, the policy was not well thought out.

    According to him, the whole ideal of cashless policy, however, noble, was now being eroded with the stringent measures being introduced by the CBN.

    “Initially, when they introduced the policy, I was all for it. But with the additional cost it will now impose on businesses, especially SMEs, I don’t think it is in order.”

    Ejiofor, who said, he has since put a point of sales (POS) payment in place in some of his stores, however, noted that due to poor technology interface there are times customers are unable to make payment through POS, and have to resort to paying in cash.

    Echoing similar sentiments, Miss. Asabe Mikail, who is a major distributor with some of telecommunication accessories’ companies, said the policy didn’t have consideration for traders.

    “The most annoying thing is that even in the so-called cashless transactions, these transactions attract charges too, even the Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) transactions attract charges, so is it not extortion?” she queried.

    It would be recalled that the apex bank had through a circular on Sept. 17 stated that from Sept. 18 transactions will attract three per cent processing fees for withdrawal and two per cent processing fees for lodgement of amounts above N500, 000 for individual and N3million for corporate accounts with six pilot states including the FCT, namely: Lagos, Ogun, Kano, Abia, Anambra and Rivers states, while the nationwide implementation of the cashless policy will begin by March 2020.

    It is however instructive to note that the lower chamber of the National Assembly had on Thursday, urged the CBN to halt the implementation of the charges on deposit and withdrawals.

  • Attention: Interior Minister

    A recent investigative report titled Agony, despair: Many tales of Nigerian child prisoners by a journalist, Ameh Elekwonyilo, should be of interest to the Minister of Interior, Alhaji Rauf Aregbesola, and other concerned organisations.

    The report, which was supported by the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) Abuja, is a harrowing account of why the recent name change by the Nigerian Prisons Service to the Nigerian Correctional Service should be matched with concrete action to ensure that prisons in the country don’t remain overcrowded with long list of awaiting trial inmates, particularly child prisoners languishing in detention.

    Following the visits to prisons/remand homes in Minna, Kaduna, Markurdi and Port Harcourt, the reporter gave a heart rending account of children in chains and all manner of deprivations contrary to the child rights act.

    What the 2003 Child’s Rights Act of Nigeria provides for children offenders in Part Two Section 11 of the law is that “Every child is entitled to respect for the dignity of his person and accordingly, no child shall be subjected to torture, inhuman or degrading treating or punishment, held in slavery or servitude, while in care of a parent, legal guardian or school authority or any other person or authority having the care of the child.”

    What the reporter found was a total disregard for the above provision.

    “Since I came to this prison in February 2018, my education came to an end. You can see that my mother and little sibling who is just twelve months old are also being held here for the same alleged offences. Our condition here is unbearable. The most painful part of our situation at the Suleja prison is the fact that I cannot go to school. Does that mean our lives are over?” Happiness, one of the children interviewed, wondered.

    As much as the prison officials, the courts and others would want to abide by the provisions of the act, the report confirmed that they are overwhelmed by lack of necessary resources and personnel.

    “We are overwhelmed by the challenges of difficulty of conveying the children to court during the hearing of their suits. Most of these inmates have not been to court for trial for the past two years. Also, the approved school which is supposed to provide education and skills for the children has since closed down due to lack of resources to run the school.

    “Our mandate is hampered by the lack of resources like mobility to convey the inmates to court for trial. We lack water and electricity here as you can see. Our school lacks teachers, and therefore, it’s not functioning. So, how do we cater for the needs of transforming these inmates into better citizens?” two officials asked.

    According to the trial magistrate at the Rivers State Juvenile Court, Mrs. Ibiere Foby, an ideal family court should have a magistrate and two assessors to hear and determine suits concerning children who come in conflict with the law, but that is not the case.

    Instead of allowing the present deplorable situation to persist, there is an urgent need to heed the call of the Executive Director of PRAWA, Dr. Uju Agomoh, for sustainable intervention by both the government and private individuals to reposition these homes for better service delivery.

    Adequate facilities must be provided while the child rights act is applied for child offenders. The cases of those being currently held should be urgently reviewed and not allowed to suffer unnecessarily.

    We cannot afford to allow our reform and correctional services centres become places for raising hardened criminals, some of whom are innocent of the offences for which they are held.

  • Iwobi plays for 35 minutes in Everton’s 2-0 home defeat

    Super Eagles forward Alex Iwobi was in action for 35 minutes as Everton suffered home defeat in the hands of Sheffield United on Saturday in front of their disappointed fans.

    Iwobi who joined the Toffees in a five year deal early August came in as late substitute for Frenchman Morgan Schneiderlin in the 55th minute. It was a day that appeared to have Chosen to be nightmarish for the Goodison Park landlords following an own goal by Everton Defender Yina Mina in the 40th minute.

    The early goal no doubt hit Everton below the belt and was a rather a shocker to the homers who controlled lion share possession in the ratio of 72 to 28% unfortunately all the efforts made to translate the effort into an equaliser failed to materialise.

    The Situation was further compounded for the homers when Lys Mousset scored the second goal for Sheffield United who from that point ensured they never blinked in the defence guarding their lead jealously to the end.

    Sheffield United duo celebrate Everton defeat

    Saturday’s defeat marks the third in Everton’s four premier league outings this season.

    Toffee fans did not find the defeat funny as many of them walked out before the end of the match while those who stayed behind voiced their displeasure at full time.

    Everton went into Saturday’s match fresh from a 3-1 defeat by AFC Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.

    Interestingly the Nigerian international was in action for full 90 minutes in that encounter.

    The Marco Silva tutored side have a Tuesday date with Sheffield Wednesday in the League Cup and  Sheffield Wednesday may be hoping   to continue where Sheffield United stopped.

     

  • Fire guts WHO vaccination storage facility

    World Health Organisation (WHO) vaccination storage facility at the Ayegbaju Market in Osogbo, was on Saturday razed by fire, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

    According to a Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) official, Ajinase Alade, attached to the facility, the fire started from a working power generator close to the WHO storage facility.

    “The fire started at about 12:13p.m from one of the power generator that was on to power the building where vaccines were stored.

    ” We quickly move to remove the cars packed close to the fire and mobilised to put out the fire.

    “But unfortunately, my motorcycle packed closed to the storage facility was, however, burnt by the fire while helping to remove the cars,” he said.

    Mrs Adeosun Adebola, the Osun WHO Immunisation Officer and State Cold Vaccine Coordinator told NAN that the cold vaccine storage office was not affected by the fire but the dry vaccine outlet was razed by fire.

    She said a 60KVA generator, one 12KVA generator and two 18 KVA generators were also affected.

    Adebola also said two photocopier machines and two motorcycles were also destroyed by the fire.

    “I61,795 pieces of 0.05ml needles and syringe , 633,871 pieces of 0.5ml needles and syringe, 10,575 pieces of 5ml needles and syringe, 3,976 pieces of 2ml needles and syringe were destroyed by the fire.

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    ” 8,654 pieces of immunisation safety boxes were also destroyed by the fire,” she said.

    Adebola told NAN the officials of the state government and WHO officials had been to the incident site to assess the level of damage done by the fire.

    A maintenance official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they applied self effort to put out the fire from affecting and spreading to other buildings and stores within the market.

    He said the state fire service were contacted when the fire started but they had to quickly fetched water from the storex water tank around, some other people also helped to put out the fire before the fire service came.

    “But unfortunately the storage facility was completely razed, ” he said.

    Men of the state fire service could, however, be seen going through the remains of the fire to ensure the fire was completely put out.