The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Stakeholders

  • Violence against women dominates stakeholders’ talks

    Violence against women dominates stakeholders’ talks

    Concerned with the increasing spate of violence against women, stakeholders, including the British Mission in Nigeria, civil society organisations and the media, are pushing for the enforcement of the provisions of Violence against Persons (Prohibition) Act 2015. ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA reports

    Violence against women has seemingly become a daily occurrence in Nigeria. Victims who survive it have sordid tales to tell.

    Some violence against women take place within the victims’ homes, others occur in the public. Most times, the culprits go unpunished; a development which emboldens them to commit more of the crime.

    Described as the violation of women’s fundamental human rights, discrimination or violence against women include all acts of gender-based violence that result in, or are likely to result in physical, sexual, psychological or economic harms or suffering to women, including arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether or not it occurred in public or private life.

    Whenever there is civil war, insurgency, terrorism, sectarian crisis, robbery and other forms of violence, women are always at the receiving end; with many of them serving as sex slaves and instruments for bargaining.

    Nigeria, whose legal system is adapted from its colonial master, the Great Britain, has laws which prescribe punishment for perpetrators of such violence against women. However, it is believed that such laws are not well implemented to deter culprits.

    It is against this background that New Initiative for Social Development (NISD), a non-governmental Organisation (NGO), with the support of the British High Commission, organised a three-day workshop in

    Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, for stakeholders. It was aimed at creating awareness among the people and sensitise them to a new law enacted to reduce, if not eliminate violence against women in Nigeria.

    The civil society group won a big battle in the National Assembly with the passage of the Violence against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Bill by the Seventh Senate on May 5, last year and the signing of the Bill into law by ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on May 24, last year.

    It is on record that the Bill had been in the National Assembly for 13 years before it was passed and assented to by ex-President Jonathan. Since its passage, not many Nigerians know that the VAPP Law exists for victims to defend their rights and for the offenders to be punished.

    The workshop was attended by the officials of the British High Commission in Nigeria, the Department for International Development (DFID), media practitioners from both print and electronic media, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), faith-based organisations, association of women lawyers (FIDA) and security agencies, among other stakeholders.

    •Participants at the workshop
    •Participants at the workshop

    The participants came from the six Southwest states of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti to brainstorm on ways to promote the VAPP Law, ensure its domestication in states where it has not been domesticated to ensure that future perpetrators of violence against women are brought to justice.

    The session for journalists was very interesting, lively and revealing as they shared experience on their reportage of various acts of violence meted out to the women folk and in-depth enlightenment on the VAPP Law.

    In his welcome address, the Executive Director of NISD, Mr. Abiodun Oyeleye, said his agency, with the support of the British High Commission, has produced and distributed over 1,000 copies of VAPP Law, trained 20 journalists in the Southwest states in order to understand the contents of the Law and enlighten the citizens on its import.

    He explained that the NGO has also trained 20 senior police officers on strategic ways of enforcing the law in each of the six Southwest states while it also planned to increase the capacity of 25 judges in the

    zone in in-depth interpretation of the Law.

    Oyeleye stressed that the passage of the VAPP Bill and its subsequent signing into Law now gives a legal teeth to the law which aimed at eliminating cases of sexual and other forms of discrimination and gender-based violence in the country.

    In her remarks, the Acting Southwest Regional Coordinator of DFID, Mrs. Margaret Fagboyo, noted that her agency supports governments at national and sub-national levels and civil society groups to help reduce poverty, support good governance and achieve sustainable development goals.

    She further explained that one of the critical success factors towards the achievement of these goals is a free and egalitarian society, devoid of any oppression, suppression, discrimination or violence that can prevent individuals or group of people from attaining their God-given potential.

    She said: “Unfortunately, the legal and judicial systems do not offer much protection against violence and abuse. The ugly trend is further accentuated by our culture of silence. It has been realised that in these instances, silence is never golden.

    “However, the situation is more complicated in our environment. While, for instance, rape carries a punishment of life imprisonment in Nigeria, the arduous process of proving rape, the pain and shame of reliving the experience, coupled with societal pressure to keep silent, victim-blaming and stigma, often discourage women from reporting sexual violence.

    “Until the passage of VAPP Bill, there were a handful of states in Nigeria with specific laws targeting domestic violence and abuse but there was no federal law specifically addressing the myriad of cases.

    “However, the content of the new law is tailored towards our environment, as it reflects the realities of domestic violence and discrimination in Nigeria at present. In addition, the law incorporates relevant provisions of international human rights laws and principles.

    “VAPP Law has been in place for over eight months now. How many people are aware of it? How many people have gained insights of its provisions? How many people have been charged under the law or conviction obtained?

    “Here comes the responsibility for the media. The media is recognised all over the world as agent of socialisation, which moulds morals, views and opinions of the society. It needs, therefore, to step in and begin the education process towards preventing and ending violence and abuse in our society.”

    In his keynote address, the representative of the British High Commission, Mr. Wale Adebajo, regretted that institutions in Nigeria are very weak in rising up to tackle the issue of sexual violence while the situation is further compounded by lack of political will and low capacity of actors.

    Adebajo, who is the Communication Manager and Political Adviser of the British Deputy High Commission in Lagos also expressed dismay that the VAPP Law has a challenge of low level of awareness among Nigerians; with citizens having no access to the law, including the justice sector stakeholders which makes it very difficult to enforce.

     

  • Stakeholders adopt fresh strategy on budget tracking

    States in the Southwest and some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working in the areas of good governance and transparency have reviewed and embraced new ways of tracking transparency of budgets of states in the region.

    They agreed to lay bare details of budgets by each of the states to enable civil society organisations; researchers and interested individuals access them for various purposes, including tracking.

    The agreement was reached at the Southwest zone’s launch of the Nigerian state’s budget transparency survey results in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

    It was organised by the Civil Resource Development and Documentation Centre (CIRDDOC).

    Addressing directors of budget in the six Southwest states, heads of NGOs, researchers, members of the civil society organisations (CSOs) and other stakeholders, the Coordinator of the programme in Southwest zone, Dr Kolawole Olowe, lamented the secrecy in which budget documents and details are shrouded in states in Nigeria.

    He condemned a situation where budgets are not made available to stakeholders to enable them to analyse and track. By the act, Olowe said state governments closed the door against transparency which is needed to monitor development in the society as well as build the platform for good governance.

    Placing Ekiti State first in budget transparency and Oyo State at the last, Olowe stressed the need to raise more awareness about transparency in budgeting, adding that untracked budget is most unlikely to bring desired development to the people.

    He urged other states to emulate Ekiti State while also urging the leading state to do more to sustain it.

    In his analysis of the Nigerian budget from 2006 till date, Dr Tola Winjobi commended President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2016 Budget for devoting 30 per cent to capital project. According to him, the N1.8 trillion devoted to capital projects in the current budget is equal to the entire 2006 budget.

    He also commended Buhari for projecting higher revenue from non-oil sources, saying it is a good step forward in moving away from near total reliance on oil to fund budget.

    Earlier, the Executive Director, CIRDDOC, Oby Nwankwo, explained that the objective of the project was to ensure that the budgets of all the states are available to the citizens who it is meant to serve.

    She added: “Evidence shows that when citizens have access to information and opportunities to participate in the budget process, they are able to improve the decisions made about what to spend public money on and the quality of how the money is actually spent. That means that the allocation of scarce public resources is more equitable and effective.”

    Stakeholders agreed to train CSOs and other interested individuals in budget tracking, engage government in appropriate allocation of resources, deploy different tools for tracking and do social audits.

  • Stakeholders differ over airports’ management model

    Stakeholders differ over airports’ management model

    Aviation experts and stakeholders are sharply divided over what model the government should adopt to make the airports more efficient and service driven. Some are pushing for outright sale through privatisation; others favour concession, which will allow the government some level of control. Aviation Correspondent KELVIN OSA- OKUNBOR examines the raging controversy. 

    Should Nigeria’s over 24 airport terminals be privatised or concessioned? This is the question agitating the minds of experts and stakeholders in the aviation sector. While they are unanimous in their position that the huge cost of building and running airports without commensurate returns had become a pain in the neck and needed to be stopped, they are however, divided over the best model to be adopted to infuse the culture of efficient service delivery in the airports.

    At present, only the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two (MMA2), Lagos, is being run by the private firm of Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited. Other airport terminals are owned and operated by the Federal Government through the Federal Aviation Authority (FAAN). About eight of the airport terminals are built and run by state governments. The states are: Akwa-Ibom, Delta, Bauchi, Katsina, Gombe, Taraba, Jigawa, and Kebbi.

    But the management of these state-owned airport terminals has come under public scrutiny. Not a few experts and stakeholders insist that the running of the terminals by government, Federal or state, has left sour taste in the mouth of airport users most of who enjoy everything but cost-effective and efficient service delivery. The thinking is that going by global trends, state management of airport terminals is no longer the fad; many countries across the globe have either embraced concession or privatisation.

    However, experts and stakeholders are sharply divided over which management model to adopt. Proponents of privatisation point out, for instance, that the Federal Government got its fingers burnt when it concessioned MMA 2. According to them, the concessioning of MMM 2 pitched the Federal Government against Bi-Courtney, the concessionaire, over issues around tenure and scope of the concession agreement.

    Those rooting for privatisation were encouraged by Federal Government’s announcement last October that it was considering possible privatisation of airport terminals. The Director-General of Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr. Benjamin Dikki, had said in Abuja that the privatisation of Nigerian airports would begin  soon. “We are planning to commence the privatisation of airports; the airports will be more efficient if the private sector is running them,” he said.

    In opting for privatisation of the airports, the Head, Research, Zenith Travels, Mr. Olumide Ohunayo, said government should consider the clustering option whereby a major airport will be taken along with other unviable airports within the zone.

    This, he said, will reduce FAAN’s liability while they concentrate on regulating, monitoring and securing the airports. “Clustering takes the airport in totality rather than the cherry picking option,” the aviation expert said.

    To support his position, he said the Argentines took their 30 airports in totality using funds from the viable one to support the unviable ones, while the Indians divided their airports into green field and brown field before privatising. “This is why airports have often been sold as a package – good and bad, small and large, domestic and international,” he stated.

    Mr. Ohunayo however, pointed out that in achieving the objective, government should as a first step invite reputable international airport management companies, who will achieve improvements in capacity, efficiency and safety of airport terminals.

    For Chairman, Bi- Courtney Aviation Services Limited, Dr Wale Babalakin, concession model is the way to go. He, however, said Nigerian airports managed by FAAN require 30 months restructuring to prepare them for eventual concession. He said the 30 months timeline would be used to rework the existing system and make them attractive for private sector investment.

    Babalakin also canvassed pairing of airports nationwide across four regional structures to make them viable. He advised government to divide the airports into four zones, comprising Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt before offering them to interested concessionaires. He added that each zone should then be made responsible for the growth of all airports within its jurisdiction.

    Hear him: “I heard some people say that only Lagos airport is viable. I don’t agree. If you want to challenge my position give us Abuja Airport to run. If you think it is not viable, we will take it. I want to assure you that to make them viable requires somebody sitting down and thinking of how to make them viable. I expect that whoever takes them over would realise that you must create activities around the airport that would attract those who want to fly to and from the airport.”

    The Chief Executive Officer Maevis Limited, Mr. Tunde Fagbemi, agrees on the need to restructure  existing airports to make them more effective and viable. He said experience in other climes have proven that the private sector is better positioned to manage air transport infrastructure like airport terminals.

    He said the case of Nigerian airports where public institutions no longer have the ideas to turn airport terminals around is enough for government to allow the private sector players to take over. He said public private partnership (PPP) model of managing airport terminals has brought about marked improvement in the system.

    Fagbemi and other experts, who spoke with The Nation, noted, for instance, that since 1987 when the United Kingdom (UK) privatised the British Airport Authority (BAA) through PPP, the camp of those in favour of privatisation has increased globally. For instance, since the UK embraced the option, more than 20 countries are said to have completed the sale or lease of airport facilities so far.

    The countries include Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bolivia, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Germany, and Hungary. Others are Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa and Switzerland.

    The Chief Executive Officer of Belujane Konzults, Mr. Chris Aligbe, as well as aviation security consultant, Group Captain John Ojikutu (rtd), called for the setting up of airport management companies as alternatives to concession or outright privatisation.

    According to Aligbe, pairing some airports for effective management by the proposed management companies will ensure better services and development for some terminals hitherto described as unviable. The airport authority, he said, is saddled with too much task that it may not be able to focus on providing the required services, and at the same time run the terminals profitably.

    The management companies, Aligbe added, would focus on enhanced non-aeronautical sources of revenue for the airports, while FAAN would focus on operational and technical areas.

    “There is an urgent need to fix the entire airports in Nigeria to make them viable. One of the ways of achieving this is for government to install the relevant air navigation equipment to enable airlines fly into them even at nights. This is one of the ways to better run the airports if the facilities are in top gear,” he said.

    Aligbe, who noted that there was need for a right model on how to run the airports, said the government’s decision to acquire more airports including the 24 it is currently managing is wrong. “This is not the best approach. What government needs to do is stop the central management of the airports,” he argued, insisting that the central management system cannot bring about efficiency in the airports.

    He emphasised that if Nigeria must have good airports, she must concession them. He was however quick to add that the concession must be done in a way that government will take concession revenues and royalties from where it will reorganize the system.

    “Government should consider setting up a holding company which will oversee her interest in the concessioned airports and to ensure the implementation of the terms of the concessions. There are various strategies to airport concession. The airports need to be paired for income generation and development. For instance, you take Benin and Lagos as one. You take Kano and Maiduguri and other airports,” he suggested.

    However, the former Managing Director of Nigerian Airports Authority, Mohammed Sani Baba, an engineer, disagreed with the privatisation model for the airports. He argued that airports are strategic air transport infrastructures that were not built to generate profit. He said while the Federal Government should manage only international airport terminals, state governments should manage the other terminals.

     

  • Stakeholders differ over airports’ management model

    Stakeholders differ over airports’ management model

    Aviation experts and stakeholders are sharply divided over what model the government should adopt to make the airports more efficient and service driven. Some are pushing for outright sale through privatisation; others favour concession, which will allow the government some level of control. Aviation Correspondent KELVIN OSA- OKUNBOR examines the raging controversy. 

    Should Nigeria’s over 24 airport terminals be privatised or concessioned? This is the question agitating the minds of experts and stakeholders in the aviation sector. While they are unanimous in their position that the huge cost of building and running airports without commensurate returns had become a pain in the neck and needed to be stopped, they are however, divided over the best model to be adopted to infuse the culture of efficient service delivery in the airports.

    At present, only the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two (MMA2), Lagos, is being run by the private firm of Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited. Other airport terminals are owned and operated by the Federal Government through the Federal Aviation Authority (FAAN). About eight of the airport terminals are built and run by state governments. The states are: Akwa-Ibom, Delta, Bauchi, Katsina, Gombe, Taraba, Jigawa, and Kebbi.

    But the management of these state-owned airport terminals has come under public scrutiny. Not a few experts and stakeholders insist that the running of the terminals by government, Federal or state, has left sour taste in the mouth of airport users most of who enjoy everything but cost-effective and efficient service delivery. The thinking is that going by global trends, state management of airport terminals is no longer the fad; many countries across the globe have either embraced concession or privatisation.

    However, experts and stakeholders are sharply divided over which management model to adopt. Proponents of privatisation point out, for instance, that the Federal Government got its fingers burnt when it concessioned MMA 2. According to them, the concessioning of MMM 2 pitched the Federal Government against Bi-Courtney, the concessionaire, over issues around tenure and scope of the concession agreement.

    Those rooting for privatisation were encouraged by Federal Government’s announcement last October that it was considering possible privatisation of airport terminals. The Director-General of Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr. Benjamin Dikki, had said in Abuja that the privatisation of Nigerian airports would begin  soon. “We are planning to commence the privatisation of airports; the airports will be more efficient if the private sector is running them,” he said.

    In opting for privatisation of the airports, the Head, Research, Zenith Travels, Mr. Olumide Ohunayo, said government should consider the clustering option whereby a major airport will be taken along with other unviable airports within the zone.

    This, he said, will reduce FAAN’s liability while they concentrate on regulating, monitoring and securing the airports. “Clustering takes the airport in totality rather than the cherry picking option,” the aviation expert said.

    To support his position, he said the Argentines took their 30 airports in totality using funds from the viable one to support the unviable ones, while the Indians divided their airports into green field and brown field before privatising. “This is why airports have often been sold as a package – good and bad, small and large, domestic and international,” he stated.

    Mr. Ohunayo however, pointed out that in achieving the objective, government should as a first step invite reputable international airport management companies, who will achieve improvements in capacity, efficiency and safety of airport terminals.

    For Chairman, Bi- Courtney Aviation Services Limited, Dr Wale Babalakin, concession model is the way to go. He, however, said Nigerian airports managed by FAAN require 30 months restructuring to prepare them for eventual concession. He said the 30 months timeline would be used to rework the existing system and make them attractive for private sector investment.

    Babalakin also canvassed pairing of airports nationwide across four regional structures to make them viable. He advised government to divide the airports into four zones, comprising Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt before offering them to interested concessionaires. He added that each zone should then be made responsible for the growth of all airports within its jurisdiction.

    Hear him: “I heard some people say that only Lagos airport is viable. I don’t agree. If you want to challenge my position give us Abuja Airport to run. If you think it is not viable, we will take it. I want to assure you that to make them viable requires somebody sitting down and thinking of how to make them viable. I expect that whoever takes them over would realise that you must create activities around the airport that would attract those who want to fly to and from the airport.”

    The Chief Executive Officer Maevis Limited, Mr. Tunde Fagbemi, agrees on the need to restructure  existing airports to make them more effective and viable. He said experience in other climes have proven that the private sector is better positioned to manage air transport infrastructure like airport terminals.

    He said the case of Nigerian airports where public institutions no longer have the ideas to turn airport terminals around is enough for government to allow the private sector players to take over. He said public private partnership (PPP) model of managing airport terminals has brought about marked improvement in the system.

    Fagbemi and other experts, who spoke with The Nation, noted, for instance, that since 1987 when the United Kingdom (UK) privatised the British Airport Authority (BAA) through PPP, the camp of those in favour of privatisation has increased globally. For instance, since the UK embraced the option, more than 20 countries are said to have completed the sale or lease of airport facilities so far.

    The countries include Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bolivia, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Germany, and Hungary. Others are Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa and Switzerland.

    The Chief Executive Officer of Belujane Konzults, Mr. Chris Aligbe, as well as aviation security consultant, Group Captain John Ojikutu (rtd), called for the setting up of airport management companies as alternatives to concession or outright privatisation.

    According to Aligbe, pairing some airports for effective management by the proposed management companies will ensure better services and development for some terminals hitherto described as unviable. The airport authority, he said, is saddled with too much task that it may not be able to focus on providing the required services, and at the same time run the terminals profitably.

    The management companies, Aligbe added, would focus on enhanced non-aeronautical sources of revenue for the airports, while FAAN would focus on operational and technical areas.

    “There is an urgent need to fix the entire airports in Nigeria to make them viable. One of the ways of achieving this is for government to install the relevant air navigation equipment to enable airlines fly into them even at nights. This is one of the ways to better run the airports if the facilities are in top gear,” he said.

    Aligbe, who noted that there was need for a right model on how to run the airports, said the government’s decision to acquire more airports including the 24 it is currently managing is wrong. “This is not the best approach. What government needs to do is stop the central management of the airports,” he argued, insisting that the central management system cannot bring about efficiency in the airports.

    He emphasised that if Nigeria must have good airports, she must concession them. He was however quick to add that the concession must be done in a way that government will take concession revenues and royalties from where it will reorganize the system.

    “Government should consider setting up a holding company which will oversee her interest in the concessioned airports and to ensure the implementation of the terms of the concessions. There are various strategies to airport concession. The airports need to be paired for income generation and development. For instance, you take Benin and Lagos as one. You take Kano and Maiduguri and other airports,” he suggested.

    However, the former Managing Director of Nigerian Airports Authority, Mohammed Sani Baba, an engineer, disagreed with the privatisation model for the airports. He argued that airports are strategic air transport infrastructures that were not built to generate profit. He said while the Federal Government should manage only international airport terminals, state governments should manage the other terminals.

     

  • 19th National Sports Festival: Stakeholders propose November 8 date in Calabar

    Participants at the ongoing National Council on Sports in Calabar have resolved that the 19th National Sports Festival be held in Calabar from November 8 to 21.

    They also resolved that the second edition of the National Youth Games be hosted by the University of Ilorin (Unilorin) in Kwara State with 22 sports on the bill.

    They made the proposal on Saturday after deliberating on separate memorandum presented by the Cross River Government and the Grassroots Sports Development Directorate of the National Sports Commission (NSC).

    Dr Ademola Are, Director Grassroots Sports, had told the technical session of the council held at Tinapa Resort that Unilorin had proposed a date for the games

    He also urged states to develop grassroots sports by organising events at least in one sport annually, adding that the games were conceived as an event to balance sports, culture and education.

    He said the games’ objectives included building a robust grassroots talent pool as well as enhancing and elevating sports globally and regionally. He told the session that the national youth games also had the objective of establishing a standard programme for athletes’ succession from one generation to another.

    Mr Asu Okang, the Cross River Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, said that no less than eight venues had been slated for the “Paradise Games’’.

  • Stakeholders hail Lalong’s peace initiative

    Stakeholders hail Lalong’s peace initiative

    Plateau State indigenes have hailed the peace initiatives mooted by Governor  Simon Lalong to end the protracted conflict rocking the state since 2001.

    The indigenes under the aegies of ‘Patriots for Peace and Change’ noted that the state has celebrated its 40 years of existence in an atmosphere of peace and security.

    The group’s leader, Pastor Huseini Gotan, told reporters in Jos, the state capital, that the governor has contributed largely to the peace accord.

    He said: “Ours is 40 years of good old memories and rough experience having gone through the good, the bad and the ugly occasioned by ethno-religious crisis and tribal sentiments.

    “The life of our dear state has been a very bumpy experience, but we have reasons to celebrate today because we have conquered peace that has eluded us over the last decades.

    He added:  “We deeply appreciate the role played by All Progressive Congress (APC) administration of Gov Simon Lalong whose peace initiative has been the solution the state has been lacking in all its search for peace over the years.

    “We have also witnessed bad leaders and good leaders in the last forty years, we  therefore feel that the best way to commence the celebration of 40 years of our dear state, we should commend the efforts of our governor, who is now our hero of peace.

    “Now that we have achieved peace, the glory of Plateau state has been restored fully, our state remain the home of peace and tourism that used to be the acronym before the crisis.

    “After 40 years, we are now on the threshold of hope, peace and greater expectations for good governance and responsible leadership” he said.

     

  • Council holds stakeholders’ meeting

    Council holds stakeholders’ meeting

    The Ejigbo Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos State has held its stakeholders’ meeting at the council’s secretariat. Supervisor for Agriculture, Femi Ibile said the stakeholders’ meeting was aimed at carrying them along in the council’s activities such as construction of the two roads within the community.

    The Executive Secretary of Ejigbo LCDA, Hon. Jaiye Alabi said notice has been given from the Lagos State government that all gated streets in the community must be open from 5:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m.

    He added that between 12:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. security must be put in place to prevent criminals from unleashing their deadly acts on the residents.

    Alabi further said that a law has been enacted by state government and Governor Akinwunmi Ambode is continuing with the law which the past governors worked with, even as he is working with all communities to see that things are fulfilled.

    Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary has advised stakeholders to take care of their environment and be careful of the kind of foods they eat to avoid contracting Lassa fever.

    He urged them not to eat foods which rat has eaten or urinated on, adding that foodstuffs must be kept properly to avoid rat urinating or eating them.

    “Cleanliness is next to godliness, health is wealth. We will carry out our responsibility with the little income we make to fumigate, sanitise and give access to the community

    .”We are trying to get a firm dealing with fumigation to reduce Lassa fever.

    “Governance is about information, governance is about communication. It is better we are informed on what is going from the government to the people so that they will assist us.

    “There are some efforts the community must also do so that the government will wake up for their assistance. He called on the Community Development Association (CDA) to work together with the Community Development Council (CDC) to improve the community.

    He praised the past administration for its commitment to road construction, most especially Ejigbo-Ilamose Canoe-Ajao Link Road.

    “Roads are the problems of Ejigbo. To ease the flow of gridlock, Lagos State government in conjunction with Ejigbo council have started constructing Peter Agha/January 27 Street (mass burial bridge) to link Ilamose – Canoe Bridge.

    “Also, construction of Lafenwa-Coker and Fadu Street also is going on. Twenty-three culverts have been constructed while 33 streets have been graded. Fifty citizens of the community will be trained as environment officers to arrest those who litter the streets with dirt. He said the community must be clean.

    He pleaded that the “change” promised by the All Progressives Congress (APC) must start with the people.

     

  • COSON to meet stakeholders in Owerri

    COSON to meet stakeholders in Owerri

    The nation’s collective management organisation for musical works and sound recordings, Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), has announced plans to hold a stakeholders forum for copyright owners in the Southeast and Southsouth states.

    The forum, holding at the main hall of Rockview Hotel, Owerri, on February 16, is expected to be attended by top artistes, songwriters, composers, music publishers, performers, record companies, broadcast stations, hotels, night clubs, restaurants and transport companies from Imo, Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, Rivers, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Delta and Cross River states.

    According to Chairman of COSON Chief Tony Okoroji, “the messages we are getting from Owerri suggest that there is great expectation. We are bringing together diverse groups to chart a new course for Nigerian entertainment.  The copyright revolution we have begun must spread so that we can create new jobs for the many young people who are unemployed in Nigeria and ensure that the environment is right for investment in the creative industries. Those who think we are bold have not seen anything yet. COSON is going to even be bolder in 2016.”

    Corroborating Okoroji’s thoughts, COSON General Manager, Mr. Chinedu Chukwuji said: “We are leaving no stone unturned in putting together a first class event in Owerri. The successes of our previous stakeholders’ events are indicative that we are making progress especially with the recent successful hosting of the Nigerian Digital Music Summit in Lagos. I am confident that stakeholders across the country are willing to make the necessary sacrifice to make the process work. We are indeed looking forward to the Owerri Forum.”

     A few weeks ago, the Edo Chapter of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN) allegedthat COSON has not been transparent in the distribution of royalties collected on behalf of artistes.

    The state Chairman of the association, Maleke Idowu, stated this when he led other leaders and members of the union on a courtesy visit to the secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), noting that PMAN has petitioned the state House of Assembly on the matter.

    The society had, on December 15, 2015, approved the distribution of N140 million in royalties to members and affiliates. The unanimous approval of the proposed distribution took place at the Extra-Ordinary General Meeting (EGM) of COSON held at the Oranmiyan Hall, Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja. Following the approval, several members of COSON at the venue confirmed that shortly after the approval, they received alerts from their banks confirming that their royalties had been paid.

  • Fashola, stakeholders meet on 7000Mw generation today

    Fashola, stakeholders meet on 7000Mw generation today

    Works, Power and Housing Minister Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) will meet  stakeholders in the power sector today in Lagos to discuss how to position the sector for service delivery, especially the achievement of 7,000 megawatts (Mw) electricity generation by end of the year.

    A source told The Nation that Fashola said the Federal Government wants the attainment of at least 7,000Mw generation and remarkable supply level this year.

    The meeting will bring together representatives of the generation, transmission and distribution companies, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET), Market Operator, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Ministry of Petroleum and Nigerian Gas Company (NGC).

    The meeting aims to address the problems in the  sector, including gas supply constraints.

    According to the source, payment for the debts owed power firms by consumers, especially government offices, such as the military and ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), which is over N50 billion, is on the table. The Federal Government has made provision for the payment of the debts in the budget.

    He said the improvement in power supply is as a result of the previous meeting with the Power Minister, who also has the backing of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to sanction any defaulter in the supply value chain.

    “The meeting is to discuss increase in power generation. There is determination by this government to fix the sector. Everyone is performing his role. Nigerians will witness much improvement in supply, and I assure you the planned 7,000Mw generation will be achieved before end of the year because the government is backing its statement with action. They take practical actions, not rhetoric.

    “I see a better situation for Nigerians. For the first time, we have surpassed 5,000Mw generation to 5,075Mw. The new electricity tariff is a new baby that should be nurtured because it will make the sector better, and if there is more generation, there will be more to distribute. With the tariff, the sector will be able to pay the gas suppliers, there will be more gas for the generators, and funds for necessary the infrastructure required.

    “With the few meeting we held with the Power Minister, he has given a good account of himself. In a business such as power, we don’t have to mix it with politics and lip service. He has severally turned down moves by some stakeholders to see him prior to the meetings. He is focused on practically improving the sector. Challenges are there, but they are being surmounted.

    “Vice President Osinbajo also wants practical results, and has given his approval that any defaulting section be sanctioned,” the source said.

  • Stakeholders hail Lalong’s peace initiative

    Stakeholders hail Lalong’s peace initiative

    Plateau State indigenes have hailed the peace initiatives mooted by Governor  Simon Lalong to end the protracted conflict rocking the state since 2001.

    The indigenes under the aegies of ‘Patriots for Peace and Change’ noted that the state has celebrated its 40 years of existence in an atmosphere of peace and security.

    The group’s leader, Pastor Huseini Gotan, told reporters in Jos, the state capital, that the governor has contributed largely to the peace accord.

    He said: “Ours is 40 years of good old memories and rough experience having gone through the good, the bad and the ugly occasioned by ethno-religious crisis and tribal sentiments.

    “The life of our dear state has been a very bumpy experience, but we have reasons to celebrate today because we have conquered peace that has eluded us over the last decades.

    He added:  “We deeply appreciate the role played by All Progressive Congress (APC) administration of Gov Simon Lalong whose peace initiative has been the solution the state has been lacking in all its search for peace over the years.

    “We have also witnessed bad leaders and good leaders in the last forty years, we  therefore feel that the best way to commence the celebration of 40 years of our dear state, we should commend the efforts of our governor, who is now our hero of peace.