The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Open

  • Make it open

    Make it open

    • Lawmakers owe Nigerians a duty to make their pay open to public scrutiny.

    It took Senator Sumaila Kawu to bring to the fore once again the controversy over what federal lawmakers actually earn. According to him, he is paid a monthly salary of about N1 million, but a running cost of N21 million, which is meant to ensure that he adequately represents his constituency.

    It is not a new debate.

    The lawmakers are either afraid of declaring what they take from the national coffers because it is out of tune with the pay structure, or because they know it is an illegality. It has continually been brought up since the return to civil rule in 1999.

    The closest we got to knowing the truth was when Senator Shehu Sani who represented Kaduna Central in the eighth Senate disclosed that he was being paid N13 million monthly. He was pilloried by his colleagues for exposing their well guarded secret, but escaped suspension. However, they came out one after the other to deny the story. He has again come out after the Kawu declaration to claim he has been vindicated.

    The latest disclosure has been similarly disclaimed by Senator Kawu’s colleagues, using subterfuge and sophistry.

    It is surprising that a section of public officers would want to keep their income, the whole salaries and emoluments, from the public. The hoopla invited intervention of the Revenue Allocation, Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) that said each senator receives N1.06m statutory salaries and allowances monthly, with other irregular pays that now seem to be indeterminate. Who fixes the irregular pay? Do they have the right to just allocate public funds to themselves? Why is the executive doing nothing about this? This is one matter that should be settled by the judiciary.

    On the basis of logistics and ethics, no group of public officers has the right to go outside the constitution in allocating money to itself. It is true that the lawmakers are vested with the power of appropriation, but that is because drafters of the law assumed that they would be decent enough to do so in the open and allow other agencies of government to play their roles in the process. The RMAFC is constitutionally empowered to fix all salaries and emoluments of all public officers. The argument that the lawmakers need money to run their offices falls flat in the face of current realities and the fact that details of the allowances incorporated into the remuneration has already factored it in. Is it too meager? Are the demands on them by impoverished constituents so much that they require much more? Perhaps, but that would not justify them taking the law into their own hands. What is expected of them is to hold a public hearing at which different segments of the society would participate in scaling up the pay package. After all, when a new minimum wage is due, that is the process, and the lawmakers have to pass whatever the negotiators arrive at into law.

    Read Also: Gusau/Ahlan Tourney: Nasarawa United, Lobi Stars record opening wins  

    We expect the legislators to come up with the whole truth regarding their pay, liaise with the RMAFC to realistically review it downwards as this economy cannot bear the load imposed on it. What Nigeria needs now are patriotic lawmakers ready to make sacrifice, not parasitic elements with a sense of entitlement.

    There was a time when the job was done on part-time basis. In the First Republic, the federal lawmakers held on to their personal jobs and only converged on Lagos for a short time to deliberate on developments. They were therefore only paid sitting allowances. Perhaps the time has come to revisit that model. The suggestion of limiting the federal legislature to a unicameral system should now be revisited, too, as is the very loud suggestion on what model of federalism to adopt. Is the American model truly too expensive for Nigeria at this point?

    As the constitution is now being reviewed for amendment, we suggest that everything regarding structure and cost of governance be brought up. Nigeria is bleeding and all Nigerians should get involved in stopping the haemorrhage.

  • Equities open second half with N120b loss

    Nigerian equities reopened for the second half of 2018 on a negative note as market-wide portfolio rebalancing shaved off N120 billion from market values of quoted companies. Equities had started the second half of 2017 also with a similar loss of N120 billion.

    Against the background of a flat performance in the first half, equities traded mostly at discount yesterday at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) with average decline of 0.9 per cent, equivalent to net capital depreciation of N120 billion within the five-hour trading session.

    The All Share Index (ASI)-the benchmark index for Nigerian equities declined from its opening index of 38,278.55 points to close at 37,946.92 points. Aggregate market value of all quoted equities also dropped from its opening value of N13.866 trillion to close at N13.746 trillion. Average year-to-date return stood at -0.8 per cent.

    With 21 losers to 16 gainers, most sectoral indices also closed in the red. The NSE Industrial Goods Index declined by 1.0 per cent. The NSE Banking Index dipped by 1.0 per cent. The NSE Consumer Goods Index slipped by 0.1 per cent while the NSE Insurance Index declined by 0.1 per cent. However, the NSE Oil & Gas Index rallied by 0.8 per cent.

    “While small to mid cap stocks have enjoyed bargain hunting from short-term investors, we continue to observe bearish sentiments on bellwethers. Hence, we expect overall market performance to be bearish in subsequent sessions while emphasizing that valuations remain attractive for entry by long-term investors,” Afrinvest Securities stated.

    Dangote Cement- NSE’s most capitalised company, led the losers with a drop of N4.90 to close at N224.10. Forte Oil followed with a loss of N3.20 to close at N29.65. Nigerian Breweries declined by N1.10 to close at N113.10. Guaranty Trust Bank lost 50 kobo to close at N40 while Zenith Bank declined by 40 kobo to close at N24.60 per share.

    On the upside, 11, formerly Mobil Oil Nigeria led the gainers with a gain of N16.90 to close at N199.90. Guinness Nigeria rose by N1.30 to close at N99.05. Flour Mills of Nigeria chalked up 80 kobo to close at N32.80. Julius Berger of Nigeria added 55 kobo to close at N28.05 while C & I Leasing and Oando rose by 20 kobo each to close at N2.27 and N6.60 respectively.

    Turnover volume and value dropped by 47.9 per cent and 68.2 per cent respectively with the exchange of 244.5 million shares valued at N1.9 billion. Banking stocks dominated the top activities chart. Sterling Bank was the most active with a turnover of 100.35 million shares worth N138.5 million. FBN Holdings followed with 23.7 million shares valued at N251.11 million while Wema Bank placed third with 16.9 million shares valued at N12.4 million.

  • Open court is open

    A March 9 report said an Ikeja Customary Court, Lagos, barred journalists from covering its proceedings. According to the report, the court’s registrar, simply identified as Mr Yomi, said:  “We do not allow journalists into the courtroom to report proceedings due to the type of high-profile cases and the calibre of people that come into this particular court. The order not to allow journalists cover proceedings from this court is from above.” He reportedly threatened to expel any reporter who came into the court to report proceedings.

    The enforcer of the so-called order from above was also quoted as saying: “I have walked journalists out of the court before with the backing of the president of the court. Ikeja Customary Court is the number one court in Lagos State because of the calibre of people and cases that are filed there. You can never hear any news on marriage dissolution emanating from this particular court.”

    When did this court become a place where journalists are not allowed to do their job?  A court is supposed to be open to litigants and people interested in observing proceedings.  While a court may hear certain types of cases in a judge’s chambers, instead of in open court, cases that are heard in open court should be open to reporters who should be free to report the proceedings.

    What reportedly happened at the Ikeja Customary Court on March 8 against journalists who were there to do their job is puzzling. The relevant authorities have a lot of explaining to do.

    If the Ikeja Customary Court customarily hears cases that are not meant to be reported by the media, then the court should be specially designated as a court that is out of bounds to reporters. It cannot be a public place open to the public, but not open to the media.

    The so-called registrar at the centre of this ridiculous show of unthinking power needs to be enlightened about the constitutionally defined role of the media. It is noteworthy that he reportedly boasted about previous occasions when he walked journalists out of the said court with the approval of the president of the court.

    Those in charge at the Ikeja Customary Court should be told that it is absurd to bar the media from covering and reporting proceedings in open court. They must be made to understand that open court is different from a judge’s chambers where a case may be heard without media presence.

  • Council poll: Ekiti PDP members sleep in the open, vehicles

    The crisis rocking Ekiti State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) worsened yesterday as members opposed Governor Ayo Fayose’s decision to shift primaries of the council election to the Government House in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.

    Party leaders and members from the 16 councils have been trooping into the state capital to participate in the primary to elect chairmen and councillors for the December 23 poll.

    Party members, who arrived in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday for the weeklong event, slept in the open; in vehicles and under the Okesa Flyover Bridge, under construction.

    News of disqualification of aspirants further deepened the party’s crisis.

    A party leader from Ekiti East Local Government Area, who spoke in confidence, wondered why the governor did not allow the delegates to elect their candidates in their localities.

    He said: “I have not heard of a situation where a primary to elect councillors and chairmen is conducted in the Government House.

    “We never thought we would sleep in places not conducive for us, all in the name of a local government election primary. We are not happy with what is going on in our party because we have become a laughing stock by holding this primary inside Government House.”

    A PDP governorship aspirant, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, slammed Fayose for allegedly hijacking conduct of the primary and “turning himself into electoral officers” and exercising powers not vested in him by the Constitution.

    In a statement yesterday by the Director of Media and Publicity of Adedayo Adeyeye Movement (PAAM), Mr. Niyi Ojo, the governorship hopeful urged national leaders of the party to save Ekiti chapter from collapse.

    The aspirant criticised Fayose for fixing the maximum age for chairmanship candidates at 50 and maximum age for councillorship candidates at 30, contrary to the Constitution.

    He said: “There is nowhere in the Constitution that stipulates a maximum age for any elective position.

    “Thousands of our members were subjected to untold hardship by sleeping on grasses, in buses, cars and concrete platforms. The governor adopted Option A4 method, which attracted a lot of people, without any arrangement for accommodation of delegates.

    “Surprisingly, yesterday, the publicity secretary of the party in Ekiti State issued a statement that the governor had disqualified all chairmanship aspirants from Ado Local Government Area.

    “Also, some local government chairmanship aspirants from Ido/Osi, Moba and Ikole were included in the illegal disqualification for alleged unruly behaviour. He called for a fresh nomination before Friday for other interested aspirants.

    “We believe that only a court of law can disqualify a candidate for an election, not by executive fiat by the governor. We call on the national leadership of the PDP to intervene in the situation before it degenerates into another a crisis.

    “Governor Fayose is not the owner of PDP, but he is only privileged to be a governor. We appeal to our people who have been subjected to all forms of dehumanising treatment and conditions to remain calm and be loyal to the party.”

    But Fayose said Option A4 was adopted to conduct the primary “because of the need to allow transparency in the process”.

    In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Idowu Adelusi, the governor said the system would also give room for the most popular candidates to win.

    According to him, Option A4, which involves bringing delegates to the Government House in Ado-Ekiti, will also reduce acrimony because losers would see a free and fair process.

    Fayose said: “We want a transparent process to select our candidates and we don’t want to have serious issues as fallout of the exercise.

    “If a person loses and sees that there was a level-playing field, his complaints and grievances would be minimal.

    “To ensure fairness in accreditation of those to vote, you have to come with your party membership card and voter’s card. Besides, party executives in each ward as well as aspirants are at the gate to identify voters before they come in.”

    Also, only seven of the 13 wards in Ado were concluded; all seven chairmanship aspirants from the council were disqualified.

    A statement by the party’s State Publicity Secretary, Mr Jackson Adebayo, said they were disqualified for alleged “gross misconduct”.

    It said those interested in contesting should collect the nomination form before Friday and pay the mandatory fees while a date for the primary would be communicated to them.

  • Open letter to the President

    SIR; I bear my heart out in this letter with great respect and humility.

    I was about 17 years during the Nigerian civil war. My youth was scandalized, and since then, I have carried a big scar in my heart. All I saw around me then, was blood, death, and hunger. That war, which could have been avoided was a collateral damage for easterners. Over three million people died – when it could have been resolved on a conference table.

    Most Nigerians, are hopeless, helpless, fearful, aggrieved and have been brutalized by poverty created by the status quo to terrorize my people.

    When you came on board I had hoped that yours would be a government that would assist the ordinary people; a government that will turn round the economy and put a smile on the faces of Nigerians.

    No, I don’t blame you for the woes that have befallen us, but, truth be told, you have so far spent too much time passing the buck than actually serving the people you struggled to lead. Two years is enough for us to start feeling like something would happen. I can’t believe that as hard and as many times as you applied for this job and you finally got it, this is the best you can do? Haba, baba!

    As a father, please do something to calm down this rising tension.

    As a father, it is very wrong to show your children that you have a favourite. Right now, it is clear that we are in a Big Mess. And sometimes I wonder if you understand how difficult it is for the masses to cope. People even from your village have complained to us (OurMumuDonDo movement); From Sokoto to Owerri, Benue to Delta, hunger everywhere, young people committing suicide, yet the legislators and executives still maintain their obnoxious lifestyle.

    There is so much I want to say as a very frustrated Nigerian, but for now what’s uppermost in my heart is to plead with you to intervene in this “Operation Python Dance”. Sir, you should be committed to dousing tensions and promoting peace and unity.

    In as much as I am aware that the federal government is concerned about curbing divisive messages and inordinate agitations within the country, I believe it should be more concerned about safeguarding the lives and properties of all Nigerians in any part of the country.

    It is also important to note that though recanted, the October 1 ultimatum issued by some misguided northern youths to the Igbos in the north remains weighty in the minds of many and the atmosphere is hypersensitive to any mishap that could foment such inter-ethnic wahala.

    Sir, suffering Nigerians are begging you to quell this tension than steaming up the flames of enmity and discord within the country by using force on harmless citizens.

    On behalf of all frustrated, hopeless, unsafe, hungry Nigerians I beg you, hear our prayer. As a father, show some compassion and give us hope that this too shall pass away.

     

    • Charly Boy,

    Abuja.

  • Open letter to GEJ

    SIR: I never thought I was going to write to you again since your eviction from the “Rock”. But seeing how ardently you are trying to invade our memories with “Ebele-Trojan Virus”, in a bid to reformatting it- clearing off and replacing existing data, in an attempt to rewrite history thereby playing on our intelligence, it became increasingly incumbent on me to pen this short note.

    In a speech you delivered at the Annual Gala Dinner of Nigerian Lawyers Association in the US.., you said and I quote: “Under my watch, not a single Nigerian was sent to prison because of anything they wrote or said about me or the Administration that I headed.”  You must have forgotten about the military attack on Nigerian newspapers that happened right under your watch on June 6-7, 2014. An event that saw soldiers seize and in some cases destroy thousands of copies of several newspapers including Leadership, The Nation, and Punch newspapers. The general distribution centre for all newspapers in Area 1, Abuja, was also sealed by soldiers and several newspapers circulation staff were also harassed and detained in the process.

    Again, we have not forgotten the assaults on the National Assembly that happened on November 20, 2014, when policemen were stationed at the gate of the National Assembly Complex and denied the then Speaker of the House- Aminu Tambuwal and some federal lawmakers entry to the complex where they were slated to carry out their duties.

    From the havoc caused by the Boko Haram insurgency, to the massive loot and corruption under your watch, to the killing of innocent unemployed Nigerians during the Nigerian Immigration Service recruitment scam, to the attack on media houses by the military, the invasion of the National Assembly and assaults on members of the parliaments, to the collapse of systems and infrastructure in the country amongst others, in a saner society, you should have been behind bars by now.

    You cannot do such grave evil to our nation- squander our commonwealth among your friends and allies- and watched lackadaisically as Boko Haram decimated our military and made a total mockery of us, and yet come back to us and speak ostentatiously about your achievements- doing that is evil!

    I consider this as a spat in our face- as another grave evil perpetrated by you to repaint and rebrand your mischievousness in an attempt to rewrite history falsely. You cannot in less than two years come back to us like an angel walking on the street of Babylon in a spotless garment. You cannot appear to us like a saint that just came down from heaven- you are not!

     

    • Ogundana Michael Rotimi,

    Lagos. 

  • Open letter to PMB

    Often, people usually talk about the first 100 days of a president’s achievements in office. In many countries, it has now become a standard yardstick to gauge the effectiveness of the presidentin getting his or her new policies passed. The first 100 days is so important in a democratic system of government. It is a period that welcomes the new change as everybody is in the mood of accepting new ideas, programmes and policiesthat will move the country forward. There is hardly any serious opposition to the new President’spolicies during this period. The period is usually regarded as that of grace or honeymoon. Smart presidents usually capitalize on this period to get their policiespass into laws. A good example isUS President Obamawho got his affordable health care, Obamacare, passed into law during this period.

    The 100-day yardstick was established byFranklin D. Roosevelt of the United States in 1933.When he was sworn in as the president on March 3, 1933, the US was faced with the catastrophic state of depression. In addition, there was mass unemployment. The unemployment rate stood at about 25 percent. There was also the problem of inflation, bank failures and widespread loss of confidence. Banks were shutting down. Accountholders were losing their life’s savings. Businesses were running out of enough cash to keep going. FDR had no choice but toaddress the problem head on.He said in his inaugural speech March 4: “This nation asks for action, and action now. Our greatest primary task is to put people to work. I am prepared under my constitutional duty to recommend the measures that a stricken nation in the midst of a stricken world may require.”

    His success in winning congressional approval became the model for future presidents in dealing with Congress during the first 100 days in office.

    PresidentMuhammadu Buhari may not be FDR: The problems he currently faces in Nigeria are similar to what President Roosevelt faced when he took office in 1934. Presently in Nigeria today, there is a high rate of unemployment, massive inflation, acute non-payment of salaries,and starklylack of both local and foreign cash flow.There is no regular power supply, potable water, security and standard road network in other words, basic amenities.

    Unlike FDR’s 100Days, President Buhari has a much longer grace period of one yearto address Nigeria’s teething problems. It is unimaginable for a worker or family to be without a monthly salary for six months. This is a serious egregious problem that needs to be addressed urgently.

    We all know that President Buhari did not create all these problems.It is a lot of sacrifice for him at this stage of his life and instead of staying with his beautiful family, chose to once more try to lead this country aright. However, one cannot but wonder how a career militaryofficer with military background that once ruled this country with draconian decrees–is now at the helms, navigating the intrigues of democracy with Senators and Congressmen some of who were still in theirdiaperswhen he first came to office,  December 31, 1983.

    President Buhari, you got this job again for over a year now, there is no time to waste. The problems are enormous and mounting. Among many of these daunting problems- two of them stand out that need urgent attention now, massive unemployment and non-payment of salaries. Confronted with similar situation in 1934, FDR said in his inaugural speech March 4, that “his task is to put people to work.”In order for the President Buhari to address these problems of mass unemployment and non-payment of salaries head on, he needs to embark onbuilding road network across the nation NOW.

    From history,nearly all advanced nations of the world first started by investing in road building.They embarked on road building for the primary purpose of addressing the issues of acute mass unemployment, economy and nation building. The end product of their actions paid off asthey were able to put many people to work and stabilized their economies. They developed superb road network infrastructure that are regularly maintained across their entire nations. Road building started in the ancient Rome, and the modern history shows the Germans builttheir Super-highways – autobahns in the 1930s. The Americans under General Dwight D. Eisenhowerwas captivated with the German highway system which influenced him to embark on massive construction of the interstates highways in the United States. We have seen how new developing nations and emerging economies have also started by investing on building roads.

    This is an opportunity for President Buhari now to start on nationbuilding by constructing modern highways. Start by constructing new and dualizing all trunks A and B roads across the nation. This is a shovel-ready project that will instantly put people to work. Employ credible indigenous and foreign road construction companies that will constructmodern road networks with rest areas. These will provide instant employment for millions of young and able-bodied across the nation.

    The benefit of road construction cannot be over emphasized as it will bring jobs to every corner and nook of Nigeria instantly. Consider that nearly all road contracting firms pay their worker weekly or bi- weekly. It will instantly jump-start the current stagnant economy by putting money into peoples’ pockets. Road construction provides both direct and indirect employments.

    Road construction provides direct employment for highway construction professionals such as road firm employees- road engineers, designers, tractor operators, managers, accountants,clerks, specialists, drivers, quality controllers, skilled, and unskilled laborers, etc.  The local area for the road construction usually provides thecatchment zone for the unskilled laborers thereby ensuring job opportunities for the locals.

    Road construction also provides indirect employment also. These include supply of materials for the roads such as cement, sand, asphalt, bitumen, quarry, iron rods and metals fabrication industries.There will be supply contractors for the road materials and equipment. Also importantly, are the local foods and water supply industries-from the local farmers to the food canteens and fast foods forworkers.

    Also most importantly is the maintenance. The maintenance culture is what Nigerians need to cultivate both individually and institutionally. As individual needs to maintain their houses so also is the government. The road maintenance department will provide jobs for hundreds of thousands on permanent basis for the new highway network.  This will replace the mundane Public Works Department- PWD.

    In general, workers in this road construction willsubsequently spend and invest their earnings in the immediate local communities thereby generating economic activities acrossthe geographicalareas, which will have ripple effects on state, and national economies. It will also provide thousands of road construction related incomes and jobs such as housing and transportation. It will also create a large number of new roadside related businesses.

    The implication of this is that it will relieve federal, state and local governments from the acute stress of youth unemployment by providing jobs.Gainful employment will curb spate of robberies and other nefarious activities that exist as a result of unemployment. Providing jobs will restore a sense of purpose and wellbeing to individuals. Road construction will generate the revenues that will stabilize the economy that will form the bedrock upon which other government programmeswill be built such as agriculture and mining all of which need good solid road for transportation.

    For President Buhari, there is a discernable pattern of governance and achievements between the way he governs now and the first time he came to office between 1983–85which was characterized with probes, War Against Indiscipline and loss of jobs due to downsizing in other words, Lean and Mean Workforce. While the intentsmay be altruistic and noble at both times, the middle class is being crushed economically due to lack of employment, loss of jobs, and in many cases non-payment of salaries. It presents a state of sacrifice with a hope of a better morrow which many may not even live up to reap the dividends.

    It is time to add another approach by doing something new and bold that will assuage the plight of workers and the middle class.The middle level will benefit immensely by investing on road building head on.Dear President, probes alone will not cut it; the ordinary man is neither directly affected by probes; all he needs is job and he needs it now.

    President Buhari, if this is what you can achieve in your first term of your second coming in office, people that voted for you will not be disappointed as it will be regarded as substantial investment in nation building and also an observable project that will go a long way to justify your second coming. It is the easiest and most achievable nationwide project whileother challenging projects such as regular power and water supply, may follow later.

    Failure to embark onaggressive nationwide road construction will be another missed opportunity that will be catastrophic and regrettable.

     

    • Dr. Fagbemi, writes from the United States.

  • Open letter to Amosun

    My name is Habeeb Whyte and I am still obliged with the responsibility that life placed on me to constantly suggest better pathways for achieving the desired development, especially as regards the youth constituency in general. I am writing this to you as a concerned youth of Ogun state, and not as someone who wants to gain cheap attention from your Excellency. I write this as a pen pusher that is ready to change the cause of his generation, using the pen and advocacy.  I hail from Abeokuta where residents do not speak out of fear, but where they speak so that changes could be effected. My purpose comes with justification – your administration cheated on my colleagues and I.

    Your Excellency, I want to say that your administration has in no doubt done a lot of good things in our beloved state. Beyond sentiments, my state is now enviable among states in Nigeria. The infrastructural developments are really worth the commendation, and they pass as adorable. I have no option than to say thank you for this. I guess this was part of the reasons why the good people of the state insisted that you are elected into power to continue the good work. I thank God you are elected again because if not, I would not be writing this letter to you.

    I want to state for the records that I was part of the Nigerian Law School students for the 2013/2014 session from Ogun State. I want to say that it was really a good thing to have hailed from the state that produced students from various universities in the country and still emerged victorious despite the fact that your administration gave no support to us. We are done with the Nigerian Law School and we are now lawyers. The struggles of our parents were never in vain.  We were never supported by your administration in any way and dare say that any attempt by your administration to boast that the law school students of the 2013/2014 session were aided with cash of any amount is nothing but a blatant lie and a grave attempt to deceive the populace. Your Excellency, I concede that it is not only a moral shame, but also a grave distortion of fact that such a release emerged and your revered office stands to garner encomium for such omission.

    I need to bring to your notice, that Your Excellency had misled the Nigerian populace in your address on Ogun State website. The piece is titled:Address Delivered by the Governor Of Ogun State, His Excellency, Senator IbikunleAmosun FCA, on the Second Anniversary of His Administration, where, in Paragraph 8, Line 12 – 13, your Excellency emphatically, but falsely said that: “we also invested N120million on Bursary, Scholarship and grants to 10,770 students of Ogun State Origin ranging from N100, 000 paid to students in the Law School to N10, 000 each pupils with special needs in primary school.”

    Sir, my concern in this letter is the aspect where you said your administration gave N100, 000 to Law school students. This information you sold to Nigerians across the globe is false sir. Your administration did not give us money as a form of bursary throughout and after our stay in the Nigerian Law School. No doubt you raised our doubts in your campaign that you were going to increase the law school bursary from the conventional 50,000 to 100, 000. This we only benefitted on papers, not in reality. I remembered during our stay at the Nigerian Law School at the Bwari campus, we had a particular meeting with the liaison officer of Ogun state in Abuja and he told us categorically that bursary was never our right and that we should not expect anything from the government. He said if the government has, we would be given and if not, we should forget about it. After several attempts from our executives back then, we did not get a penny. However, we know that the then Governor of Lagos State and his Kano counterpart did fulfilled their own promises to students from their states.

    Sir, this false statement made by you is very disheartening to us. It means that money were actually released from the state treasury but were not disbursed to us. Your speech, having proven to be false can be described as a gross demonstration of lack of accountability, and this has been reputed to haunt down a million and one institutions. If it is about the Nigerian Law School set of 2013/2014 which you claim benefited from your administration, I make bold to say that your Excellency lied. I would urge you to please respect us as not only indigenes of Ogun state, but as youths that believed in your governance even after you have betrayed our electoral confidence and sense of accountability. I would urge you to please in no time as you read this make an open apology to all Nigerian Law School students of the 2013/2014 session for alleging that you paid us when you did not. Such act is unbecoming of any man, let alone a person in whom the populace reposed their collective confidence via votes.

    I must let you know that all of us are now lawyers and we are doing well. The non-payment of the bursary never stopped God’s glory in our lives. I would urge you to please set the records straight for the sake of posterity. We can take all things, not lies that are made at our expense for the purpose of covering what is open to God. This is not an allegation on your Excellency but a fact devoid of falsity. I dare challenge anyone form your office or your Excellency to say boldly that we have been paid the money as stated in your speech. We take solace in the fact that we are where we are today by God’s grace, and for cheating on us, we forgive you. If others have not or cannot, I have forgiven you.  I would urge you to please endeavour to pay the 2014/2015 Ogun Law school students the bursary because I gathered authoritatively that they have not been paid also.

    Thank you.

  • League title still open, Aigbogun insists

    League title still open, Aigbogun insists

    Warri Wolves coach, Paul Aigbogun has insisted the Nigeria league title race is still open after they were held to a draw by hosts Rangers and leaders Enyimba won at home.

    Enyimba opened a five-point gap at the top of the table when they beat Shooting Stars 2-1 and Wolves were held to a 1-1 draw by the Flying Antelopes on Sunday.

    “The title race is still wide open,”  Aigbogun said after the match.

    Aigbogun’s side welcome Enyimba to Warri in a top of the table clash next week in a game that could decide their title ambition.

    In Enugu, Wolves let their hold slip after taking a 13th minute lead through Gbolahan Salami who slotted home from a Kufre Ebong assist.

    Osas Okoro drew Ranger level for the home side in the 51st minute stabbing home from close range.

    It was Wolves eighth draw on the road.

  • Senator Tinubu to ward leaders: be open

    Senator Tinubu to ward leaders: be open

    The senator representing Lagos Central, Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu, has advised ward leaders to be open and free with members of their constituencies.

    She spoke at a meeting with local government ward leaders at her constituency office in Yaba.

    Senator Tinubu described the leaders as the first contact with the people.

    The lawmaker said: “Words cannot quantify the support I have received from these constituents.

    “It is my belief that we have achieved so much with the first four years mandate given to us and I feel the need to do more.

    “This is indeed a very critical time for our nation but I strongly believe we shall, irrespective of distraction and overzealousness of some people, fulfill the change.

    “The Eighth Senate shall witness lots of activities for the people as promised. This will not go without the knowledge of our party leaders; that is why we have decided to sustain some of our programmes, including our quarterly Town Hall meetings, Youth Empowerment and Skill Acquisition Scheme (YESA), Petty Trader Empowerment Capital Scheme (PETECS) and the elder citizen initiative.

    “It is our duty to be accountable and responsible to our constituents.

    “Also, as leaders, I urge you to be accountable and open, show the people kindness.

    “It is practically irresponsible and unacceptable to neglect the people in these trying times. With them lies the power; that is what the party has been preaching.”

    Senator Tinubu presented 220 GCE forms to the leaders to be distributed to the youths and scholarships to six undergraduates of New Era Foundation.