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ABUAD signs MoU with Dubai hospital to end overseas medical tourism

Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti ( ABUAD ), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Aster Group of Hospitals in Dubai, United Arab Emirates to halt medical tourism abroad by Nigerians.

ABUAD Founder, Aare Afe Babalola (SAN), said the partnership will make the Afe Babalola University Teaching Hospital ( ABUADTH ) and Aster to sign a pact in the areas of training, consultancy, offering of technical expertise and in medical administration.

The MoU was signed on Tuesday, where it was agreed that Aster will offer short and long terms as well as permanent partnership for smooth take off of ABUADTH .

Speaking after the memorandum was signed, Dr. Navin Pascal, who spoke on behalf of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Aster, said the hospitals has subsidiaries in nine countries and had been receiving over patients from over 90 countries across the world.

He said it was sad that Nigeria loses over 35,000 doctors to advanced countries due to poor remunerations, saying the trend has been affecting healthcare service in the country.

“Aster has become a referral centre in the middle East. Our partnership with ABUAD will be in the areas of training, technical and administration.

“What we will do is to train the doctors here so that ABUAD can be self sufficient in having experts that can perform critical operations that can make the rich and middle class Nigerians to see the hospitals as a better alternative.

“We appreciate the fact that ABUAD is working hard for humanity and Aster partnering with it will bring a paradigm shift in Nigeria’s health sector”, he said.

ABUAD Founder disclosed that a delegation will leave for Dubai in January 26 to perfect the MoU for enforcement .

Babalola said: “In this partnership, ABUADTH and Aster are equal partners. Though, we agreed for long and short terms, but the memorandum may be forever depending on its workability.

“Nigerians can’t afford to be spending so much on medical tourism and I have faith that this partnership will take the country will be a leading nation in healthcare services”.

He said the breaking down of medical equipment in critical areas like dialysis , oncology and cardiology was becoming embarrassing, urging Aster to bring in experts in biomedical engineering to train the experts in ABUADTH to prevent such from occurring in the hospital.

January 16, 2018
Akeredolu begins inspection tour of projects to mark one year in office

Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo state yesterday began an inspection of ongoing projects in the Northern Senatorial District of the state in preparation for his one year anniversary in office.

Some of the projects inspected include 2.3 kilometre roads from Ogbonmo to Hawlett street and Ajegunle road all in Ifon, Ose local government area.

Akeredolu while stressing that non-availability of funds was limiting government from carrying out many meaningful projects maintained that his administration would continue to strive hard to ensure that good governance is spread to all nook and crannies of the state.

The Olufon of Ifon, Oba Israel Adeusi who decried the level of neglect the community had witnessed over the years expressed gratitude to the governor for counting his people worthy to benefit from his administration.

Akeredolu also inspected the construction of a block of six classrooms, renovation of a block of six classrooms as well as two classrooms at St. Andrews Primary School, Elegbeka where he assured that such rehabilitation will be carried out across all primary schools in the state.

The Baale of Elegbeka , Chief Olorunyomi Olaye and the Head Teacher of the School, Mrs Ann Osabiya commended the governor for giving the only school in the community a total face-lift.

With the governor on the tour were the Secretary to the State Government(SSG) Ifedayo Abegunde, the state APC Chairman, Ade Adetimehin, Commissioner for Works, Taofeek Abdulsalam, Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Cooperative Services, Timehin Adelegbe, Special Adviser to Governor Akeredolu on Works and Infrastructure, Rahimi Aminu, his Rural and Community Development counterpart, Victor Adekanye Olabimtan among others.

January 16, 2018
Niger gov’s wife express dismay over poor cancer care

The Wife of the Niger state Governor, Dr. Amina Sani Bello has expressed dismay over poor state of cancer care and the lack of treatment centers in the nation.

She lamented that of the six government treatment centers across the nation, only one is functional.

Bello stated this after the signing of a N400 billion Memorandum of Understanding ( MOU ) between the Niger state government, Raise Foundation and Roche Products Limited in Minna.

“It is disheartening that cancer care in Nigeria is a bad thing, there are 180 million Nigerians yet, we have less than 10 cancer centers across the country. Out of the six government owned, only one is functional but people still travel abroad for treatment which can be received in the country but sadly, we have trained specialists but no facilities”, she said.

The Governor’s Wife who is also the founder of Raise Foundation expressed optimism that the MOU when implemented will go a long way to reduce the huge financial burden faced by cancer patients and their families.

The Country Head of Roche Products Limited, Dr. Hamid Oladipo said the MOU would provide an end to end solution to cancer patients in the state while commending the Wife of the Governor for her enlightenment programmes which will go a long OK no way in educating the people about the disease.

The State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Mustapha Jibril in his address said Roche Product Limited would take 70 per cent of the cost of the drug component of the project while the state government would take up 30 per cent.

He stated that this is the first cancer care strategy project in the state adding that although it is starting with breast and cervical cancer, in years to come, it would expand into other areas.

January 16, 2018
‎APC: Only court can stop Fayemi

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has described Monday’s White Paper indicting former Governor Kayode Fayemi as “a demonstration of executive recklessness by Governor Ayo Fayose.”

The party stressed that neither Fayose nor his government has any power to bar Fayemi or any other individual from holding public office.

Fayose had set up a judicial commission of enquiry to probe Fayemi’s administration notably to unravel how Fayemi allegedly embezzled N852m SUBEB cash loan obtained from Access Bank.

Fayemi kicked against the composition of the panel in court, sitting partisanship of members who were allegedly PDP members and some civil servants that served under Fayose’s authority, which made their membership suspect to a fair hearing.

The Access Bank appeared before the panel to exonerate Fayemi, explaining that Fayemi never stole that but that it (the bank) took back the loan to its vault when the state government failed to firm up agreement on loan repayment.

Nevertheless, the panel turned in its verdict holding Fayemi culpable and, subsequently, Fayose raised a panel to come up with a White Paper, which yesterday banned Fayemi and his Commissioner of Finance, Dapo Kolawole, from holding public offices for 10 years.

But in a reaction by the Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, the party described both the panel and White Paper as a kangaroo stunt to nail Fayemi, saying the verdict would not stand in the face of illegality that went into the exercise.

Olatunbosun argued that the Supreme Court has since settled it in law that only courts of law can stop any aspirant/candidate from running for any political office and not any administrative or judicial panel.

Olatunbosun said: “All Nigerians know that Fayose is recklessly lawless and cannot survive in societies where the law works.

“His so-called White Paper is not only laughable but also a disgrace to all Ekiti people home and abroad with the way that Fayose has taken ignorance, vendetta and debauchery to a ridiculous level because we knew all along that this is what Fayose wanted to do.

“We had expected his Attorney General, if he knows his onions, to have advised him that only a competent court of law can bar Nigerians from holding public office under the Nigerian Constitution.

“A situation where Fayose assembled PDP members and pliable civil servants as a panel with a strict directive to indict Fayemi at all costs and thereafter issue a White Paper banning him from holding public office cannot hold water in a society where the law works.

“With the way he is conducting himself desperately to stop Fayemi from holding public office, we are convinced that Fayose is seriously going through a political haemorrhage and therefore his resorting to political desperation and unconstitutional means to nail our leader and a serving Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by any means possible.

“Neither Fayose nor Ekiti State Government has the power to bar or prevent Dr Fayemi or any other citizen from holding public office but a competent court of law. Such wishful thinking cannot stand judicial scrutiny and we advert Fayose and his pitiable undertakers to read the Supreme Court judgment and Atiku Abubakar in similar matter.”

APC spokesman said that by his “so-called White Paper that cannot over-rule the Supreme Court judgment as a precedent, Fayose has demonstrated recklessness, lawlessness and display of executive rascality arising from his ignorance of the law, constitution and total disregard for the rule of law”.

He added: “It is now glaring that despite Fayose’s empty boasts daily that Dr. Fayemi is a paperweight politician who is not popular at home , the governor’s latest action has proved that the reverse is the case, as this barbaric action to halt the political career of a shining Ekiti star has shown that Fayemi is in league of nightmare Fayose has to contend with.

“It is an irony that Fayose who is supposed to be banned from holding public office because of the plethora of criminal and financial misappropriation cases hanging on his neck is the one unilaterally banning somebody who held public office as governor without any blemish and is currently holding that of a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and has performed excellently well as shown by the ‘Award of Public Excellence’ trophy bestowed on him by credible corporate organisations.

“We expect someone occupying such an exalted position of a governor like Fayose to be properly briefed and educated on the limitations of his powers as the head of the executive arm of government primarily to formulate policy and implement laws rather than interpreting the law and worst still, assuming the position of a judge in a matter involving him as a party.

“We are not going to lose any sleep over a biased political report by a panel of PDP members set up by a PDP governor for the purpose of framing up our leader as a way of settling political scores.

“This is executive recklessness and political rascality taken too far by Fayose and his kangaroo panel. We wonder where he got the power to bar a leading member of the opposition in a democracy.

“We wish to assure our party members and the good people of Ekiti State that the so-called White Paper recommendation by Fayose’s kangaroo panel is not worth more than the paper on which it is written and this shall be challenged in a court of law and we are confident that this shall be quashed because there is no legal precedent or basis for it in the history of our country.

“We also plead with Nigerians to bear with Ekiti people in this moment of our governor’s lawlessness that has negative implication for the integrity of Ekiti people in choosing their leader.

“We also wish to remind Fayose that his immunity will expire in October and must be prepared to resume trials on his many criminal cases, including those pending in various courts.”

January 16, 2018
2019: Don’t abandon governance for politicking, Saraki warns

Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, yesterday kicked against the heightening frenzy trailing the 2019 general elections.

Saraki warned that it is too early for 2019 politicking to override the legislative agenda and larger work of governance.

The Senate President gave the warning in his welcome address to Senators on their return from the Christmas and New Year recess.

He described the lingering fuel scarcity in parts of the country as man made a situation the chamber was determined to get its root.

Saraki said, “Distinguished colleagues, it is my appeal to each and every one of us, that our legislative duty to Nigeria and her people, must be uppermost in our minds. We must not allow the upcoming 2019 elections to overshadow our work for the people that elected us – or distract us from that which we are mandated to do by the constitution and the trust reposed in us by the people.

“This is my appeal: it is too early for 2019 politicking to override the legislative agenda and the larger work of governance. We have begun a good thing with the economic core of our agenda; let us see it to its proper conclusion. It would be most insensitive to the needs of the people of this country if we were to do otherwise. I am directing this appeal not only to us in the chamber but to the National Assembly as a whole, as well as to the Executive and indeed all political actors.”

“Many were on the queue for petrol; many households are grief-stricken. This mood of reflection is also one from which no lawmaker is immune; what affects one, affects all. When one part of the body is hurting, the whole body hurts, and this holds true for the entire nation.

“We have all been witnesses to the hardships with which many Nigerians saw in the new year, stuck on fuel queues tailing from petrol stations in many of our cities. It has been disheartening to see, especially during the festive period when Nigerians should have been enjoying carefree time with their loved ones, with enough petrol in their tanks to make that cherished journey to their various hometowns.

“We, as representatives of the people, feel the pain of the people. Things being the way they were, we could not but respond to the crisis. I therefore had to direct members of the Senate Investigative Panel on Fuel Scarcity to cut short their recess to commence hearings into the lingering problem; and that work is ongoing. I commend the committee for their prompt response and the work carried out.

“We seek the cooperation and understanding of Nigerians as we try to get to the bottom of this issue. My own estimation of the fuel scarcity phenomenon is that it is man-made. We thought we had left the problem of fuel queues firmly in the past in this country, but sadly, that appears not to be the case. In any event, there is a problem, and it must be solved. We await the findings of the Investigative Panel on Fuel Scarcity, firm in our resolve that whoever is responsible must pay the price for visiting this needless hardship upon our people.

“You will agree with me that even more sober reflection attends the killings in some parts of the country, particularly recent tragic events in Benue State. We condemn these killings in the strongest terms, and we declare that mindless bloodletting has no place in our society. I offer our sincerest condolences to the people of Benue, and indeed to all who have suffered the loss of their loved ones as a result of these wanton acts.

“Human life is sacred. We state without equivocation that Nigerian life must become sacred. When we fail in our duty to protect Nigerian lives, it is a tragedy and an indictment on us all. We as the 8th Senate stand ready to help find solutions to assuage the hurt to affected parts, to bring the perpetrators to justice and to enthrone peace in all four corners of this country.

“Let me state that the 8th Senate is disturbed by these unfortunate incidents, and we have been for some time. We were concerned enough to have inaugurated the Ad-Hoc Committee on Security in November of last year. And so it was that, with the shocking reports from Benue, Rivers and other places, the Security Committee members also cut short their recess to resume sitting, with a view to fast-tracking their investigations, in order to present an interim report for the Senate’s consideration immediately on resumption.

“We are a people-oriented Senate, and I believe I speak for us all when I pledge that we shall continue to demonstrate similar dedication to our duties this year, as worthy representatives of the people who voted us into office.

“The 8th Senate has continued its historic run, because by the end of 2017, we had passed 140 Bills over a period of 30 months. The landmark Economic Bills we passed, helped to propel the country’s emergence from recession, powering us upwards in the Ease of Doing Business Report. While the legislative feats of the year gone by shall go down in the annals of lawmaking in this country, what is also true is that we cannot lose momentum, nor can we afford to rest on our oars.

“Going into the New Year, I can only wish each and every one of us the best as we prepare for the task ahead. It is a crucial year. As you all know, this, in all probability, will be the last productive year before we go into the 2019 electioneering period. Not only is there a need to up the ante in terms of productivity, it is important we keep our eyes on the big picture. Let us not be caught in the political fray before due season.

“To each and every thing under the sun, its own time. This is Nigeria’s time. Let us devote ourselves to her service. It is therefore imperative that we speed up consideration on the various bills on which legislative work remains outstanding – particularly economic bills. Calling for similar attention are the other parts of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) related bills still to be passed, namely: the Petroleum Industry Fiscal Bill and the Petroleum Host Community Bill.

“Let me opine that 2018 will be defined by the collaboration between the two chambers of the 8th National Assembly as regards the number of items due for concurrence. We must work to build on the very cordial relationship between the two chambers as witnessed so far, and elevate the level of cooperation, for the benefit of the people.

“To this end, I urge you all to reach out to our counterparts in the House, so that we can fulfill the lawmaking function in the most expeditious manner. This will help streamline the process – and clear the way for the passing of various legislations – making for improved synergy and joined-up working between the two chambers.

“Currently, distinguished colleagues, there are two major ongoing issues before us – namely the Constitutional Amendment process and the 2018 Appropriation Bill. It is encouraging to see that the Assemblies in the States have already started work on the Constitutional Amendment; I urge us all to keep a keen eye on developments on that front. With regard to the 2018 Budget, let me take this opportunity to give a word of encouragement to the Committee as they work to ensure the proper conduct of the process.

“Once more, my distinguished colleagues, we are a people-oriented Senate. Nigerians already have a measure of who we are, particularly through our interventions and engagement in areas such as Job Creation and Youth Empowerment, the Welfare of Nigerian Students Overseas, and the Drug Abuse Epidemic ravaging through Nigerian Communities. We will not relent in our efforts in these arrears.

“It bears reiterating that we cannot waste a moment of this year that rolls its boundless opportunities out for us. As the legislative arm of government, we must do everything we can to transform the developmental firmament of this country, to bring succour to the masses, and to leave our prints in the sands of time. There is really no other choice. The work is upon us. We can get it done.”

January 16, 2018
Two friends in court for raping minor

Two friends, Kehinde Ishau and Emmanuel Olamilekan, who allegedly gang raped a 14-year-old girl, were on Tuesday charged before an Ikeja Chief Magistrates Court, Lagos.

The accused, both cobblers residing at 2, Ayanyinka St., Isolo, Lagos, are facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and rape.

Police Prosecutor Clifford Ogu told the court that the accused committed the offences on January 1 at Isolo market, Lagos.

Ogu said the victim was intercepted by the accused while on an errand to the market.

“The accused dragged her to an uncompleted building behind the market and gang raped her.

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“She went home and told her mother what transpired, the accused were later arrested by the police,’’ he said.

Ogu said the offences contravened Sections 259 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

In her ruling, the Chief Magistrate, Mrs Taiwo Akanni, granted the accused N150, 000 bail each with two sureties in like sum.

She said the sureties should show evidence of tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

Akanni adjourned the case until Febuary 7 for mention.

NAN

January 16, 2018
NEMSA boss advises Nigerians to conserve energy

Mr Peter Ewesor, Managing Director, Nigerian Electricity Service Agency ( NEMSA ), has advised Nigerians to learn how to conserve energy in their homes to minimise their electricity bills.

Ewesor, the Chief Electrical Inspector of the Federation, gave this advice on Tuesday in an interview in Lagos.

He said some electricity consumers who blamed their meters when they overused electricity should stop doing that.

According to him, meters being installed by Distribution Companies (DISCOs) passed accuracy and compatibility tests administered by NEMSA before installation.

The managing director said that the agency had facilities to carry out required tests to declare that a meter was fit and proper for use in Nigeria.

“When there are complains of meter overrunning by consumers, the agency sends its officials out to verify such complaints.

“After installation, we deploy our men to go out there and check if the installations are properly done. When it is wrongly connected, the meters will read wrongly.

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“We do follow up check to make sure that meters installed in the country are certified,” he said

Ewesor said some consumers who had been on five hours electricity supply before now,have had their supply increased to 10 to 18 hours daily due to increase in power generation.

“Since power supply has increased, consumers have to pay more for the supply.

“Maybe a consumer who was paying N3,000 monthly before now, has to triple the payment.

“But Nigeria consumers will still want to pay the same amount he used to pay when the power generation was low; this is wrong calculation.

“This is why every consumer has to do energy management or conservation in his house when electricity supply has improved so that he or she can pay less,” he said.

He said the test stations in NEMSA in Lagos, Kaduna and Port Harcourt ensured that meters deployed to homes and companies by DISCOs met requirements.

The managing director said however that any installer found wanting in the discharge of his duty would forfeit his certificate.

NAN

January 16, 2018
Buhari, Gambian President meet in Aso Rock

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday met behind closed-doors with the Gambian President, Adama Barrow at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The Gambian President after the meeting told State House correspondents that he was in Abuja to thank Nigeria for the support given to his country during and after the impasse.

He said “My visit is very important to us. We have always wanted to say thank you when Nigeria gave us all the support during and after the impasse. Nigeria has been supporting

“The Gambia for a long time in different areas like technical assistance in the area of education, judiciary. We are really happy to come.

“When we met in Mali, he (Buhari) took a decision as a leader in a closed door meeting, he made one statement that changed everything, that if The Gambian President wants to challenge the subregion, he is welcome.

“This was his words and that make a big difference as a leader. And that leadership role was very important not just for The Gambia but for Africa because the problem was an Africa problem with an Africa solution.

“So we are very grateful and that was why we wanted to come and say thank you. There is a saying in my country that if you want to thank a farmer for a good job, you have to visit him at his farm and that is why we are here.” he said

Asked what was the deal he struck with the former president that led to the smooth transition, he said “Basically, the deal was ECOWAS was involved, UNDP and the international community was involved to mediate and this mediation, Nigeria was involved and Liberia as the chair was involved, the Guinean President and the Mauritanian President were also involved. the Guinean President and the Mauritanian President were physically on the ground, for him to accept the will of the people, exit to allow us assume office.

“This was the deal, he accepted to go on exile which we couldn’t guarantee his security. This was the deal.” he said

On what role Nigeria will continue to play to help The Gambia overcome its challenges including security, President Buhari said “Well, your President has virtually answered the question. We did our best in the most critical time, hopefully now the president will raise his team and we will raise a corresponding team and we will seat together and see how we can draw a political programme that will complements each other’s effort on development. So this is the next time we are going.”

January 16, 2018
Kalu ‘s N3.2b case: Star witness on the run, says EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has told a Federal High Court in Lagos that its star witness in the trial of former Abia State Governor, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, is evading appearance.

Kalu, Udeh Jones Udeogu and Slok Nigeria Limited were arraigned October 31, 2016 by the EFCC before Justice Mohammed Idris on a 34-count charge of N3.2billion fraud.

They pleaded not guilty.

At the commencement of proceedings yesterday, EFCC counsel Mr Rotimi Jacob informed the court that the matter was due for continuation of trial but that he could not proceed because he could not find his star witness.

Jacob told Justice Idris that the witness, Mr Mike Udoh, had repeatedly made himself unavailable whenever he was due to appear in court to give his testimony.

He accused some unknown persons of being behind Udoh’s absence and vowed that they would be prosecuted.

He said: “Our main witness that we intended to call, we have approached him for more than six months. We have noticed that each time the matter is coming up, he will just travel to Umuahia or Calabar or Cameroun.

“He always has the dates of the matter and I was forced to apply for a subpoena. Your Lordship signed one, which we took to the Abia State Government because we found out that he was a civil servant. But he has since left the service.

“He was supposed to come today but switched off his phone. EFCC went to his house in Umuahia yesterday and this morning but met his wife who said he travelled to Calabar. Despite all our efforts, we have not been able to bring him.”

He prayed for a short adjournment of about a week to enable the agency round up its case.

Jacob added: “We have information that some people are behind his not showing up. We are investigating and will charge the persons. As we speak, our operatives are in Abia, but they can’t pick up the wife in place of the husband.”

Kalu’s counsel, Mr Awa Kalu SAN, accused the EFCC of a ploy to foist an adjournment on the court.

The former Abia State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice said: “The defendants have been dilligent in presenting themselves for trial, but the prosecution has been engaging in push and starts. The second defendant is a retired civil servant.

The first defendant (Kalu) is a politically exposed person. There are four senior counsel with at least one junior all at the defendants’ cost. Yet we are here only to be told of circumstances beyond the prosecution’s control? There are many witnesses listed by the prosecution. The non-appearance of one of them cannot foist an appearance on this case.”

Second defendant (Udeogu)’s counsel, Solo Akuma SAN, adopted Kalu’s submissions, describing the EFCC’s claim as application as “a frivolous one.”

He said: “We abandoned everything else to come to court. My client is complaining he cannot afford my bill. The defence has never made any application for adjournment. All adjournments have been at the prosecution’s instance. They must be compelled to close their case, otherwise Your Lordship should award costs to cover our transport and hotel bills.”

Counsel to thrird defendant Slok nigeria Ltd, C.C. Nwofo lamented the economic damages the firm has suffered because of the trial and adjournments.

He said: “The third defendant is a company which has suffered and lost contracts of about $500million from China Exim Bank for ship acquisition. About $350million has been lost from African Bank in Egypt. 3,000 workers have lost their jobs because of this case. 250 expatriate workers have lost their jobs because of this case.

“We have not been paid our fees in this case, but I’m doing it because I believe this case will end one day and I’ll be paid. If they are not able to proceed, I propose a cost of N10million.”

But Jacob, who urged the court to uphold his prayer, said it was not frivolous.

“If I have that man (Udoh) today, I am comfortable to close my case. I am entitled to five adjournments. We want to use this week to get this witness. We now know his house. We must get him. I believe we will. No amount of shielding will protect him.”

In a bench ruling Justice Idris upheld Jacob’s application for adjournment and declined the defendants’ application for cost. He noted that this was the final adjournment it would allow.

Justice Idris said: “Where a witness that ought to attend court, fails to attend court and summons has been issued and served on the same witness, then the prosecution would pursue the appropriate provisions of the ACJA to compel the attendance of the witness in court…This trial will no longer be adjourned on account of unavailability of witness to attend court… It is unfortunate that a trial, which has been adjourned for hearing from day to day could not proceed due to witness unavailability,” the judge said.

The case continues on January 22 and 23.

January 16, 2018
Pensioners to shut down Calabar over N9b debt

The Association of Cross River State Local Government Pensioners has given the state government a one-month ultimatum to defray their entitlements else their entire 5, 600 members would occupy and shut down Calabar, the capital city.

Chairman of the Association, Comrade Bassey Okosin, addressing reporters in Calabar yesterday stated that the pension board if properly managed, could properly manage itself without assistance from Paris Club Refunds, bailouts or any other such funds.

Okosin said over N9billion is being owed pensions and gratuity is being owned them since 2007.

“We would mobilize all our 5,600 members from the 18 local government of the state. We would sleep in the governor’s office, in the house of assembly. We would live with the Governor, the Speaker, the ministries, departments and all the relevant agencies until the give us our money so we can go. We have taken a decision to pack our loads to live in all the offices that responsible for the payment of these entitlements until further notice. This is not threat but likely going to happen in the next one month. We use this medium to appeal to government and all our relations based in Calabar to make adequate arrangements for our needs. It is our belief that all will prefer to take care of us this way than pay for us to take care of ourselves,” Okosin said.

A statement by the chairman made available to reporters, read in parts, “In a press release credited to the Commissioner for Finance, it was stated clearly that the bailout funds and the Paris Club Refund was used among others in the payment of arrears of pension and gratuity in favour of pensioners in the state.

“My response to this will be restricted to local government pensioners and I speak on good authority that up till today not even a dime has been paid to any local government pensioner in the state in the name of pension arrears nor gratuity from the bailout nor Paris Club Refund. All efforts made in this direction have been ignored by the relevant agencies of government.

“About 600 names of local government pensioners that were omitted by the consultant during the 2016 personnel audit exercise is still outstanding. This was deliberate to enable the consultant collect their percentages, which was supposed to be based on savings made from the exercise.

“The elderly men and women were deprived their pension for a period ranging from two to six months as a result of that exercise. Every documentation/verification of those names have been done for over a year now but nobody appeared to bother about it. This is different from arrears of pension generated by administrative bottleneck, where a person is retired and the process of computing entitlement will linger for between 6 months to two years. When eventually it is ready for payment. Only the current month is paid, while the rest is classified as outstanding arrears.

“As at today, over 9 billion is outstanding in respect of arrears of pension and gratuity covering the period 2007 to 2018 in favour of local government pensioners. They have been denied these entitlement on account of lack of funds, the bailout fund and Paris Club Refund we are told those not include local government pensioners and no reason has been advanced for this, but we still expect that the right thing will be done alleviate the suffering of our members.

“Where does the local government pensioners belong? Which fund is expected to clear these outstanding arrears? Is local government pensioners not part of this state? If so why disparities when it comes to their welfare, whereas welfare of other services is given without stress. That of local government pensioners must always have one excuse or the other.

“We however appreciate Governor Ben Ayade in ensuring pensioners are paid regularly and up to date and pray that it should be sustained. We use this medium to also observe that while employment had stopped for over five years now, retirement rather increases at the average of 35 retirees per month.

“The nominal roll has increased to 5, 600 pensioners with a corresponding pension bill of over N342 million. Given the steady increase in number of retirees subvention to the pension board should have monthly increase to take care of the increases. Gratuity fund similar to that proposed for the state should be set up from where monthly remittances should be made to cater for this aspect of entitlement for local government pensioners.

“The operational guidelines on the management of local government pension board provided for local government pensions funds to be created from where the following remittances should be made; 15 per cent of local government annual budgets or monthly allocation; 2.5 per cent of local government personnel emoluments to be remitted by the state; reimbursement by the state for their retirees that are drawing pension from the local government pension board; subsidy to the board by the state from time to time; and reimbursement from the Federal Government for their retirees that are enjoying pension from local government pension board.

“From the provision, local government pensions board does not require a bailout or Paris Club Refund to manage the board, if all agencies ensure that actual percentages prescribed by this provision are remitted to the letter, but there is apathy on the part of all those whose responsibility it is to implement this directive, thereby subjecting the board to artificial shortage of fund, which renders local government pensioners helpless.”

January 16, 2018