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  • Jaha and his false compass on Boko Haram

    Interesting times have refused to go in Nigeria so much that I wondered how and why some individuals that rose to prominence through the goodwill of the people have now constituted themselves as a nuisance to the same people that voted them into office.  I must state that those that are elected as representatives of the people are most culpable in this regard.

     

    The case of Hon. Ahmadu Usman Jaha, a member representing Chibok, Damboa and Gwoza federal constituency in the House of Representatives is indeed a pathetic one and a vivid example of how politicians play to the gallery and at the detriment of the people.

     

    I say this after stumbling on a video during plenary where he stated that some wards in his federal constituency are still under the control of Boko Haram terrorists. I was a bit confused and wondered the areas he was indeed referring to given the fact that I am also conversant with  the happenings in Chibok, Dambao and Gwoza federal constituency.

     

    As the first line of action, I quickly made frantic calls to contacts in Borno state to verify the information that Hon Ahmadu Usman Jaha has just availed the country. But surprisingly my contacts in those areas wondered what I was trying to confirm because there was no such scenario in place. I was not satisfied.

     

    I also reached out to more and more people, and in one instance I had to mobilize a friend who was resident in Maiduguri to visit these areas to get the first-hand information for me, and guess what? He returned with the same response as those I earlier contacted and this time around told me not to dissipate energy on issues that concern Hon. Ahmadu Usman Jaha, as he is a known hypocrite and one of those that have benefitted from the system and also one of those that does not want an end to the insurgency so that he  can continue to smile to the bank.

     

    It was then that it dawned on me that I was indeed confronted with a mediocre individual that had thrived on exploiting the people for his selfish gains right from when he was a member of the State House of Assembly. To put in succinct terms, Hon Ahmadu Usman Jaha is such a cantankerous individual that is far from intelligence and one that is given to political and emotional blackmail when he wants his bread to be buttered.

     

    I recall in 2014 when he failed to clinch the APC ticket for the House of Representatives elections, he went to town badmouthing his political mentor, Senator Ali Ndume and threatening to work against the APC during the elections. An account stated that the disrespect so piqued senator Ali Ndume that he gave him some slaps for his despicable behaviour and utterances that did not contain an iota of truth.  That is the Ahmadu Usman Jaha for you.

     

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    So in a way, I wasn’t surprised when he went to town spreading half-truths about the occupation of some wards in his constituency by Boko Haram terrorists. I only suspected he was up to something in his usual cantankerous manner of raising false alarms, especially when his interest is not met. I can bet that if we dig further, we would realize that there is more to why Hon. Ahmadu Usman Jaha indeed raised this false alarm.

    As stated earlier, as one conversant with  how politicians have been exploiting the insurgency situation in North-East Nigeria, I know for a fact that the likes of Ahmadu Usman Jaha would do anything and everything possible to throw clogs in the wheels of progress as far as the insurgency in Borno state is concerned. For them, the status quo must remain.

     

    So in a way, some of us were not surprised when some months back, he gathered over 5,000 youths in Gwoza constituency and handed them shoe shining kits which came fully equipped with polish and brushes as a way of empowering the people.

     

    Wait for this? The situation is so pathetic that in Government Secondary School Ngoshe, in Chibok constituency, students learn under terrible conditions. When it is raining, the classrooms are flooded. When the sun shines, students take cover. Yes, this is the situation of things in the constituency of the self-acclaimed and self-righteous member of the federal house of representatives.

     

    The questions that require honest answers are: How many people in Jaha’s constituency have received scholarships in his name? How many schools in his constituency has Jaha renovated? How many books has Jaha bought for school kids? How many have learned trades like tailoring, mechanics, carpentry, or other better paying artisanal jobs? Your guess is as good as mine.

     

    This is more worrisome when it is realized that the same Hon Ahmadu Usman Jaha is  a former commissioner of Higher Education in Borno State until his recent political sojourn in the Federal House of Representatives to represent a people that he is part and parcel of their present predicament.

     

    I am afraid that the likes of Hon Ahmadu Usman Jaha are nothing but misfits and merchants of fortunes. They can go any length to protect their evil interest. They don’t care whose ox is gored. They speak from both sides of the mouth. Also, they feast on the commonwealth of the people with recklessness.

     

    I am not sure Hon Ahmadu Usman Jaha is such that should be taken seriously on the floor of the House of Representatives and by the generality of Nigerians given his antecedents. Mind you they have been in this business of spreading half-truths, and it has worked for them in Borno state. But whether it would work at the federal level remains to be seen given the level of political awareness and enlightenment at the centre.

     

    This first shot by Hon Ahamdu Usman Jaha, in my opinion, is more like testing the waters to see if it would be business as usual. However, I dare say this is the wrong environment for him and his travellers. The politics of Borno should remain in Borno.

     

    Ainoko is a public affairs commentator and wrote this piece from Kaduna.

     

  • Ondo judges get SUVs 10 years after

    Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, on Wednesday presented 20 brand new 2019 model Toyota Land Cruiser Prado SUVs to the judges and the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Oluwatoyin Akeredolu.

    This is in fulfillment of his administration’s promise to create conducive atmosphere for the state’s work force.

    The vehicles were received by the chief judge of the state on behalf of the other judges at the Government House, Alagbaka, Akure, the state capital

    The chief judge, who thanked the governor for the gesture, said judges in the state, including herself, had been using 10-year-old official vehicles, which had become rickety, before the governor’s intervention.

    According to her, she and her colleagues have various experiences of disappointments arising from their use of the rickety vehicles for their official duties.

    She said: “My colleagues and I have been riding 10-year-old vehicles, hitherto. We have had various experiences of disappointments in the use of our vehicles.

    “I recall once I was on the way to Abuja, my vehicle broke down around Obajana. And you know the security situation in that axis. Before long, the boys were gathering. Fortunately for me, I had the pilot vehicle with me. I had to enter the pilot vehicle to get away from that environment.

    “If you bring my colleagues here, they will tell you the various experiences they have had with their vehicles. I want to thank God for Mr. Governor. I want to appreciate this good gesture. We don’t have feelings of entitlement, though the regulation says give judges new vehicles every four years. By this regulation, it’s an entitlement. But at the same time, we want to appreciate Mr. Governor for not taking us for granted.”

    Read Also: Ondo expect your best, Akeredolu tells new judges 

    Before the Permanent Secretary, General Administration in the Governor’s Office presented the vehicles to the judges, the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Donald Ojogo, had said that the procurement of the vehicles further demonstrated the respect Governor Akeredolu had for the sacred institution.

    Ojogo stressed that Akeredolu believed that nothing would be too much to invest in welfare of the Judiciary.

    He said: “My Lords, I don’t need to inform you further that Mr. Governor holds the Judiciary in a very high esteem. He believes that no effort will be too much to be invested as far as the welfare of our sacred institution is concerned.

    “And our judges, he believes strongly that you deserve not just a conducive environment, but that you must be secure in whatever form. It’s on this note that Mr. Governor decides that as part of the efforts towards enhancing a cordial relationship between the Executive and the Judiciary, these vehicles should be procured.”

  • LAUTECH ASUU threatens to disrupt lectures over unpaid salaries

    The crisis at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) is far from been over  as the institution’s branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has threatened to frustrate academic activities if the Osun State Government refuses to pay their two months’ outstanding salaries by the end of September.

    The current Oyo and Osun state governments inherited unpaid salary arrears of eight months owed LAUTECH academic staff.

    ASUU claimed that the Osun State Government, which had planned to pay subvention between July and December 2019, only paid in July and refused to pay for August and September, making payment of salaries impossible.

    Rising from a Congress held on Wednesday, ASUU resolved to put the public on notice that it should not be blamed if academic activities at LAUTECH were disrupted again.

    In a release captioned: “LAUTECH: Trouble Looming Again,” and jointly signed by the ASUU LAUTECH Chairman and Secretary, respectively, Dr. Biodun Olaniran and Dr. Toyin Abegunrin, the union accused the Osun State Government of failing to release subventions since August to pay salaries of workers and making life unbearable for them.

    Read Also: Osun, Oyo trade blames over LAUTECH’s funding

    According to the union, all entreaties to ensure that Osun State Government pays outstanding salaries have not yielded any result.

    The union said that members were being owed six years of unpaid Earned Academic Allowances, cooperative deductions and promotions arrears.

    ASUU stated: “The problem of poor funding that brought LAUTECH to its knees in 2016/2017 is far from being over. The University, since it came out of that crisis, has been managing to survive with the new administrations in Oyo and Osun states struggling to release the substantial part of monthly subventions for the payment of salaries.

    “This brought some relief as the management struggles to attend to backlog of arrears through internally generated revenue. As a consequence, the University’s calendar started witnessing some stability. However, the whole story started changing when, in August 2019, the government refused to send the subvention for the payment of our salaries. All entreaties to the government to pay our salaries have not yielded any result. As we speak, the University is already in arrears of two months, that is, August and September, 2019 with no hope in sight as to when the salaries will be paid.

    “This is in addition to the existing eight months salaries previously owed our members! The public must also be aware of other forms of indebtedness to our members. These include years of promotion arrears, Earned Academic Allowances claims for 2013-2018, Cooperatives’ deductions, etc. These are in addition to other statutory obligations to the University, which have been left unattended to by the governments.

    “At a special congress held today, 25th September, 2019, the situation was reviewed with members expressing hardship in transporting themselves to work, among other myriads of hardships occasioned by the non-payment of salary. It was, therefore, resolved to put the government, the public and our students on notice that the Union should not be blamed if the on-going examinations and other academic activities are affected when by end of the month, that is, 30th September, 2019, the congress meets again to review the situation.”

  • Kogi Guber: No Plan to Step Down – Bamaiyi

    Ahead of the November Governorship election in Kogi, Mr Umar Bamaiyi of the All Blending Party (ABP) says he has no plan to step down for any candidates contesting the election.

    Bamaiyi stated this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos State on Thursday.

    According to Bamaiyi, he will not be intimidated by moneybag politicians to jettison his governorship ambition or support the PDP candidate as reported by some sections of the media.

    Bamaiyi said the mandate he was pursuing was sacrosanct to the development of the state, as such reports of his adoption of a consensus candidate was untrue.

    He said there was no plan or any arrangement for him to step down for any candidate, advising that such report should be disregarded.

    “I have a passion to fix Kogi, which has been there since I was younger. I am working on how this state can achieve the desired greatness.

    “I am propelled by the appalling situation of this state that in spite of its abundance, we are yet to achieve anything; the older generation has failed the state.

    “I am aware of some governorship candidates stepping down or the coalition of political parties having a consensus candidate. I won’t step down for anybody, because we don’t have anything in common.

    “We are in the injury time before the election, so no stepping down. I am not scared, my desire to fix Kogi was the driving point of my governorship ambition,’’ Bamaiyi stressed. (NAN)

  • ‘Police promotions suspended until further notice’

    In the wake of the lingering face-off between the Police Service Commission (PSC) and the Nigeria Police over the on-going recruitment of 10, 000 constables, the Commission has agreed that all police promotions will be suspended forthwith until further notice, The Nation gathered on Wednesday.

    A source in the Commission told The Nation that the decision came from a meeting of the Management with the Joint Trade Union Congress of the Commission on Tuesday over the recruitment imbroglio.

    According to the source, the Union had also demanded that the Commission should withdraw all delegated powers extended to the Inspector General of Police since it has been abused.

    It was learnt the meeting rose with a Management decision to endorse the demand and stand of the Union that the Commission must seek judicial interpretation of its constitutional mandate for Appointment, which has been at the centre of the dispute.

    Read Also: Police arraign Sowore’s ally Jalingo in court

    ”The offices of the Commission under lock and key in the wake of the warning strike by the Staff Union have been opened for normal official duties today Wednesday, 25thSeptember 2019, as the Management assured that it would leave nothing to chance in protecting the constitutional mandate of the Commission to appoint, promote and exercise disciplinary control over all personnel of the Nigeria Police Force except the Inspector General.

    ”Management also assured the staff union that all police officers found culpable in the ongoing dispute will be sanctioned appropriately as they are constitutionally under the disciplinary control of the Commission and cannot hide under any authority to flout the law.”

    “The Commission appealed for calm and patience it sought final resolution of this avoidable crisis in the recruitment of constables as directed by the President,” the source said.

    When contacted the Head, Press and Public Relations of the Commission, Mr Ikechukwu Ani, said he would get back to our reporter as he was yet to be briefed.

  • Esie soap-stones: a case for cultural tourism

    Are the stone images of small men of Esie, in Igbomina, Kwara South, that of pre-historic men? The answer remains conjectures. What is clear, however is that the images date back to 10th Century, and ought to be a catalyst for indepth historical and archelogical research, and cultural tourism, writes ADEKUNLE JIMOH.

    Soap-stone images kept in Esie Museum in Irepodun local government area of Kwara state are an historical excursion to the cherished past of the people of Igbomina extraction of Kwara South.

    The Esie Museum has been in existence for over 200 years and it is one of the first national museums in Nigeria. .

    A lot of myths surround the coming into existence of these images. One has it that the Esie people came from old Oyo Empire. They migrated because of royal dispute and stopped in different spots before they finally got to Esie and settled.

    One of the leaders who were going on hunting expedition stumbled on the images, Curator of the monument Mopelola Omowunmi has said.

    Mrs. Omowunmi added that “immediately he turned back to inform the king. At that time the only medium to unravel history was through divination.

    When the oracle was consulted it said they were people who turned to stones.

    But there are lots of schools of thought as regard this.

    “Archaeologists discovered that they were not human beings that turned into stones, because they are three times shorter than normal human beings.

    Also a critical look at the inner and the outer parts of the objects there are sharp differences.

    “The outer part is smooth while the inner part is rough. When people come here we will tell them the oral and archaeological sources. It depends on you to pick whichever you want. But research is still ongoing to unravel how these objects came about.”

    She said the museum was established in 1775. However, much was not known and tourists are not attracted to the place because the road to this place is bad, Omowunmi said. “Recently, we heard that something will be done as regards the road, but so far, nothing has been done.”

    She wuld have loved for the site to be turned into a research centre. “Some people still want to unravel the mystery behind the images. If we have craft centre here too is not out of place.”

    Based on the significant of the museum, the Senator representing Kwara South Lola Ashiru has urged the Federal Government to establish a university of history in the ancient, sleepy and predominantly agrarian community.

    “We will encourage the Federal Government to set up a university of history and archaeology here. Before that time we are initiating a yearly international conference on culture and art. A lot of facilities are needed to do this.

    “We need a big conference centre, we need good roads, we need modern infrastructural facilities that will support hospitality. I will call on the Federal Government to do a real capital project on this site.

    “That is why I am thinking of a university of history and archaeology as it is very important for our tomorrow and it is important to link up our present with the past and the best place we can do it is this place.

    “We need specialized universities. Universities that will take care of some specific needs of the people; we discover that in Nigerian universities today history and archaeology have been relegated to the background and it is not appropriate because discovering yourselves is so important to your development.”

    Senator Ashiru added that the images at the museum are stone artifacts hewed out of the ground dating back to 10th century.

    “It is like a history book of our people. This is to show the prosperity of the people of Esie, Igbomina and Kwara South in general.

    This is to show their prowess in the 10th century,” he enthused.

    The senator argued that the images are a testimony that the people living in Esie and its environs were engaged in agriculture, commerce and cultural and social life.

    “When you look at these images there are lots of lessons to learn from them. It is like showing different economic lives of the people. It is showing different social lives of the people.

    “The greatest lesson is that we are people of history; we are people of the cherished past and we are people who will take initiative from our past to be able to develop our present and our tomorrow.

    “We did not just come here some 10, 15 years ago, we have been here dated back to the 10th century. The idea is to show ourselves and cherish our past.

    Equally too, it is an opportunity for us that the development of our museums and monuments could bring a lot of prosperity to this land. People go abroad a lot of times to show things that are not as good as this; to show and see things that are not as natural as this,” he maintained said he: “This is an opportunity for us to showcase that cultural tourism is an important aspect of human life. There are so many countries today that are just living on cultural tourism. A visitation

    by our people within and outside the country will bring a lot of prosperity to us. The idea is to attract the attention of all tiers of government to the creation of this museum and its development.

    “This is a good site for a university of history and archeology, which is so important. Africans have to rediscover themselves. It is usually said that we are the cradle of civilization, but we have not been able to show it in Nigeria as much as it is in Esie here.”

    On how private concerns can be of assistant, the architect-turned politician said “private partnership is very important in modern economy but the government has to put down the seed money first. When the seed fund is there and operating at a level the private people will come in.”

  • New automotive bill underway

    The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Adeniyi Adebayo has said a new automotive policy bill is underway.

    He spoke at the fifth edition of the Presidential Policy Dialogue organised by the Lagos State Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI).

    According to him, President Muhammadu Buhari declined assent to the previous bill because it was not well received hence the need for a new bill.

    He said: “We are already working towards having a new bill. We have decided to start afresh and get it right this time. The last one was not done right; we will engage all stakeholders in the formulation process of the bill.

    “In the next couple of weeks, I will be visiting all the assembly plants and hold a meeting with the owners. They are the people that will implement whatever policy we come up with. The government is desirous to see to that cars can be gotten by citizens at affordable price; that is where we are at the moment.

    “Our role as a government is to set policy direction and ensure it is clear and consistent, as well as provide enabling environment for the private sector which is the engine room for growth of the economy.  Relevant government agencies are in continuous process of implementing initiatives and policies that address key areas of concern. We need to improve local patronage, the need to bridge the gap between the industry skills and innovation, the ease of doing business, access to finance for SMEs and the need to resolve multiple taxation among others.”

    President of the LCCI Babatunde Ruwase called for accountability on the multiple taxation levied on businesses, saying an increase of the Value Added Tax (VAT) from five to 7.5 per cent was only an additional pressure.

    He said: ”Nigerians have not been able to see value for money; we have been paying so much money but we are not seeing value. There are so many levies but no accountability of such levies. That is why the average Nigerian does not believe he should pay more. If we can see result, see what government is doing with the money, Nigerians would be ready to pay.

    “But the situation we have today is that there is a mistrust by Nigerians. We are not ready to pay more because the one we paid we can’t see what it was used for.”

    Managing Director of the Nigeria Port Authority (NPA) Hadiza Bala Usman said efforts are on to provide trade facilitation tools and other projects that would boost efficiency in the ports system.

  • School heads seek visa to China

    School principals billed to attend this year’s International Confederation of Principals in Shanghai, China, have urged the Chinese authorities to facilitate the issuance of visas to them.

    They said the delay was caused by the non-issuance of a verification certificate needed for visa application.

    The international bi-annual convention attracts the largest gathering of school principals.

    A delegate, who pleaded not to be named, said: “The Chinese organising committee has tried everything to enable us get visas.

    “The Chinese authorities have refused so far to grant the verification certificate which is necessary for us to be issued visas.

    “This development becomes particularly worrisome considering that quite a good number of principals from other countries have long received their visa.”

    The delegate said his counterparts from Ghana, for instance, have all been issued visas. He wondered why the case is different for Nigerian delegates.

    He said: “Apart from the fact that the event commences on October 20, principals in Nigeria have already committed a lot of money into the event.

    “Already, we have committed money on registration, we have spent a lot to purchase flight ticket, and have also spent quite a huge sum to book for accommodation and so on.

    “This explains why we are all jittery because if it eventually happens that we are not given visas, what then becomes of the huge sum of money we have all committed?

    “Do they just go down the drain like that? Will they return our money, or will the Chinese authorities compensate us?”

    The delegate said Nigerians who previously attended the conference were of good behaviour.

    “We have never for once been implicated in any kind of malfeasance, so why all these unmerited treatment?”

  • Court orders forfeiture of hotel belonging to civil servant

    Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin has ordered the forfeiture of a hotel belonging to a civil servant to the Federal Government.

    Also forfeited is a landed property which comprised three bedroom flats, two wings of two bedroom flats and a room and parlour self-contain.

    Delivering judgement, Justice Sikiru Oyinloye said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.

    He said the evidence presented before the court were strong and reliable.

    “The interim order of this honourable court was published in The Nation, while the court’s processes were served with the hearing notice to the defendant, but despite this, the defendant did not show up to explain why the properties should not be forfeited to the Federal Government.

    “The evidence of the EFCC was not controverted or challenged by the defendant or any interested parties to the suit. This honourable court is of the opinion that the defendant was fully informed about the proceedings. In view of the foregoing, this honourable court hereby orders that the properties be forfeited to the Federal Government,” Justice Oyinloye said.

    Read Also: Court grants N10m bail to ex-Petroleum Ministry director

    In a motion dated September 8, 2019, prosecuting counsel Nnemeka Omewa had urged the judge to grant EFCC’s prayers.

    Part of the prayers include “an order of this honourable court forfeiting to the Federal Government of Nigeria an unregistered Toyota Camry 2008 model,  found, traced and recovered by the commission from the respondent which property is reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activity.

    “An order of this honourable court forfeiting to the Federal Government of Nigeria a gold coloured Parsche Cayanne vehicle found, traced and recovered by the commission from the respondent which property is reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activity.”

    Relying on the motion and 13 exhibits attached, Justice Oyinloye also ordered that the cars recovered from the respondent be forfeited to the Federal Government.

  • How Ogun’ll remain top most investment destination, by Abiodun

    The Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has said the state will remain the nation’s number one investors’ choice for long because his administration is consciously working to retain that status.

    According to him, the state with its rich human and natural endowment cannot be compared with any other state in terms of access to land and sea port as well as availability of arable land.

    Gov Abiodun stated this at the 34thAnnual General Meeting of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) in Abeokuta, where he encouraged foreign investors to come and take advantage of the one-stop arrangement created by the recently passed Ogun State Investment Promotion Law.

    “Our state remains the best place for investors to open business. Besides our natural geographical location as the gateway state to Nigeria, we share borders with four other states and we share international borders with Benin Republic, which is a window to the West African sub-region,” the governor said.

    He added that in addition to these natural factors, “our proximity to Lagos, the continent’s fifth largest economy, our administration is providing focused and qualitative governance and create the enabling environment for a public-private sector partnership, which we consider fundamental to the creation of an enduring economic development and individual prosperity of the people of Ogun”

    “So, we are very investor-friendly; we are putting reforms in place to ensure that we are even more investor-friendly. We are trying to ensure that we become number one in the ease of doing business in this country and it is incontrovertible that we house the largest number of industries in the country.”

    The governor, who was represented on the occasion by his deputy, Noimot Salako, said the AGM’s theme: “The manufacturing sector: An integral part of making Ogun State the industrial hub of Nigeria,” was apt as his administration was working with the private sector in all areas of development, especially, in employment generation, wealth creation, food security and poverty alleviation.

    Read Also: Abiodun: Development for the forgotten ones

    He noted that his administration “is committed to making Ogun State a truly Investors’ First Choice Destination not only in Nigeria, but in Sub-Sahara Africa,” adding that the geographical location of the state as the gateway to the country and its proximity to Lagos, the fifth largest economy in Africa, puts the state in a vantage position for this aspiration.

    As Ogun State continued to experience influx of companies, we have deliberately considered the interest of our investors the integral part of our master-plan. We have put in place measures as the foundation to drive key policies in our Public-Private Sector Partnership strategy, and we are already recording positive results.

    “We are consciously improving the state’s ranking on the local and global ease of doing business index so as to promote and encourage local and foreign direct investment in the state.”

    He added that his administration had also put in place mechanism for a transparent, accountable revenue collection system to halt multiple taxation, whilst increasing capital expenditure on infrastructural development of roads, energy and information technology.

    “Ogun State Investment Promotion Agency will be a one-stop-shop, which will help investors to settle down easily without having to go through multiple windows,” he said.

    The governor also used the meeting to inform the investors that government was working towards ensuring that the state of public infrastructure across the state was improved upon.

    He added that the present government was also committed to ensuring that the welfare of workers in the state was attended to and also improve the security of lives and property.

    Governor Abiodun promised to create industrial parks and to “strategically locate them in different parts of the state that will provide 24-hour uninterrupted electricity supply,” which he said would be of immense help to cottage industries in local communities.