The Nation Newspaper

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  • Phone ‘thief’ burnt in Delta

    An unidentified phone ‘thief’ was burnt to death at the popular Effurun Roundabout in Uvwie council area of Delta State.

    The Nation gathered that the incident occurred on Sunday at about 7am.

    Witnesses said the suspect  snatched a woman’s phone outside the Delta Mall premises and was headed for the bush across the mall, when an angry mob caught him and immediately lynched him.

    A wristwatch trader who sells at the roundabout narrated the incident.

    Read Also: Black market petrol seller burnt to death

    “It happened on Sunday morning here. As he was running, the people around pursued and caught him. After seriously beating him, they put a tyre on him and set him on fire. They burnt him near were those buses are parked.

    “It was yesterday they removed the body,” the trader who did not disclose his name said.

    A man, Chuks Ifeyinwa, corroborated the story. He said he was on his way to church and saw the alleged thief being set ablaze for “stealing a lady’s phone”.

    When The Nation visited the scene on Tuesday, a bystander simply identified as Mabel claimed to have witnessed a robbery attack on some people who were just returning from a business trip in the same area.

    Stating that the area as from 10pm is “a deadly zone,” she called for security operatives to be drafted to the area in order to reduce attacks on unsuspecting persons.

    The State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Adeyinka Adeleke said he was “not aware,” of the case but  promised to “find out,” but was yet to give feedback as at the time of filing this report.

  • Nasarawa mulls new bond issue to fund infrastructure

    Nasarawa State is considering raising new capital from the capital market through the issuance of a bond.

    Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule said the state government was considering issuance of a new bond after it had repaid its previous bond issue.

    He said the net proceeds of the bond issue would be used to finance infrastructural development to further enhance the growth of the state.

    “Yes, we are looking at that, since the last bond has been fully paid off. We are trying now to find the possibility of taking a new facility on infrastructural development, like market development, transportation, among others,” Sule, a former private sector chief and former Managing Director of Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc said.

    He noted that Nasarawa State is one of the least-indebted states in Nigeria, noting that though the past government floated a bond issue, it had paid off the bond before the coming of the new government.

    “We are very lucky. The past administration took one major debt through a bond and before we came in they paid off. But they had inherited debts like contractors’ fees and some other debts from banks. But we didn’t have a major overdraft from any banks. Since we came in, servicing of debts have been the least of our concerns,” Sule said.

    He outlined that the government is focused on long-term economic development of the state noting that he has set up a 15-man ‘Investment and Economic Advisory Council’, to chart the way forward for the economic development of the state.

    He added that the government is working to develop small and medium enterprises (SMEs), especially in the areas of agriculture, mining and trading.

    According to him, there is an arrangement for the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to offer about N1.2 billion to Nasarawa farmers, which be used to empower the youths in growing small scale businesses.

    He assured investors that Nasarawa is a peaceful state where all stakeholders are focused on the progress of the state.

     

  • Oyo declares war on vandals

    Worried by the ceaseless theft and vandalism of public schools properties  in Oyo State, the government has declared war on vandals, saying that anyone caught in such acts will face the music.

    Some members of staff of the affected schools were also accused of conspiring with the vandals, but none has been arrested.

    It was reported that due to the absence of security guards in public schools, as a result of the ban on payment of school fees by the government, some criminal elements have taken advantage of the seeming collapse of security system to cart away valuables in the schools.

    Some head teachers had raised the alarm in a report, calling the attention of the government to the grave danger faced by the schools, especially when most of the schools could no longer afford to hire security guards because of the ban fees and levies.

    Read Also: Shell loses N202 million daily to vandals, oil thieves

    The state governor Seyi Makinde promised grants to public schools, but the government is yet to make the grants available.

    A statement issued by the Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Dr. Wasiu Olatunbosun yesterday warned that anyone caught in the act would be dealt with according to the law.

    Quoting the chairman, Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board, Dr. Nureni Aderemi Adeniran, the statement said those behind the vandalism shall be treated as saboteurs and enemies of the state.

    Speaking on the destruction of properties at a new model school completed by the state government in Ibadan, Adeniran said that perpetrators of such acts would be punished with extreme severity.

    Adeniran said, “It is unfortunate that these deliberate destructive acts on one of our model schools reportedly were aided by some teachers and staff members of the school, but let me assure you that this administration would tackle the menace of thugs among our teachers in the interest of our children.

    “This government frowns at such shameful acts and we promise to fish out those who masterminded this. As a government, we will not allow anybody mortgage the future of our children, for their selfish interests,” he added.

  • Ghetto P changes name to Khalil, drops Cold Blanket

    Rapper, dance-hall and afro-fusion artiste Ghetto P has adopted the new stage name of Khalil. This is coming just as he released a new single titled: Cold Blanket.

    Often compared to Mike Tyson’s left-right hit combos for his ability to switch styles, the artiste whose real name is Khalil Hassan has rebranded as Khalil, which means ‘friend’ in Arabic.

    Currently signed to a record deal with a new label, Kronik Records, Khalil is set to release an EP titled Grown

     

  • Discordant tunes in RTEAN leadership

    The crisis rocking the Road Transport Employers’ Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) took a turn for the worse as one of the factions has headed for the Industrial Court. ADEYINKA ADERIBIGBE writes that the move was to prevent any person or persons from parading themselves as new leaders of the association.

    An order from the National Industrial Court on Friday may have put spanners in the works of Alhaji Musa who might have been preparing to assume office as the new Acting National President.

    Musa was, until last Tuesday, the Lagos State Chairman of the association. He and his entire executive had sought to secure a second term in office, following the unanimous adoption by members of the state council.

    Everything was going well, until September 12 when the National President Comrade Osakpamwan Eriyo ought to have presented him the certificate of return having allegedly paid the N60 million requested to facilitate that.

    Rather, Musa had been stunned when a faction from the council had protested against his candidacy at the Lagos State Governor’s office.

    Eriyo had been mandated by the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation Dr. Frederic Oladeinde to mediate and ensure a truce. But the matter became messy as Musa’s team that was expecting a fair arbitration got the boot as Eriyo announced his sack on Sunday.

    The National President, in a widely publicised statement insisted he acted within the ambit of his powers to sack Musa and members of his executive whose tenure had elapsed. He said the five-year tenure of Musa’s executive expired in September.

    He also said that, aside the issue of tenure, the protesters had accused the Musa leadership of corruption, a matter requiring some investigation.

    By Monday, Eriyo came up with a caretaker committee which was to take over from Musa’s executive in order to coordinate the affairs of the council pending the time another election would be held.

    The action drew the flak of the Lagos council, which took Eriyo to task about the proprietary of the action. They argued that allegations of corruption against it were figments of imagination of the National President.

    They also argued that going by the certificate of return presented to the state council, the mandate expires on October 31. Musa out rightly ruled Eriyo out of order, and wondered why Eriyo could rule on a matter as sensitive as sacking a state executive without confiding in the RTEAN National Executive Council (NEC).

    Musa said Eriyo had intended to plant a pliant surrogate in Lagos in order to ensure that Lagos, the association’s biggest honey pot, remains his exclusive preserve. His antics, they said,  had boomeranged.

    Musa said Eriyo had always been afraid of his continuous stay in office.

    “Being the most senior legally elected officer of the association, Eriyo who had imposed himself on the association has always been threatened by my presence and might have waited till the expiration of my tenure to strike.”

    Addressing reporters on Monday, Musa had pointedly accused Eriyo of corruption. He alleged that his executive paid into Eriyo’s private account N60 million to secure the certificate of continuity (second term).

    He added that the decision of his executive to continue in office was unanimous, and wondered how the man who supervised the meeting where the decision was unanimously taken was used by Eriyo to destabilise RTEAN Lagos.

    Aside the N60 million which allegedly was lodged into Eriyo and Adebiyi’s accounts, the state council bought Eriyo a N45 million SUV and paid directly to him another US$3,000 for logistics, while another sum of money was allegedly made available for accommodation for the NEC members who were to accompany him.

    Rejecting the dissolution of his executive, Musa queried how the President can unilaterally take a decision to dissolve an executive whose tenure has not elapsed without the consent of the National Executive Council (NEC) even after collecting its money and assuring the same executive of continuity.

    He said in line with Article 7, section 2 (iii) (a) of the Association’s Constitution, the action of the President and the National Secretary to sack the executive led by Musa and appoint caretaker committee is ultra vires, null and void.

    On Tuesday, RTEAN’s NEC, at an emergency meeting in Lagos State, dismissed Eriyo whom they accused of having taken over office by a coup d’etat. They said Eriyo, who was dismissed by the NEC in 2017, remained dismissed as no other authority in the association had vacated the order.

    They, therefore, decided to revisit Eriyo’s sack and summary dismissal, even as they resolved to press legal charges if Eriyo continues to parade himself as an officer of the association.

    Twenty-Eight  members of the NEC led by the Assistant National Secretary-General Alhaji Adamu Jalaludeen from Kaduna State, accused Eriyo of six offenses, among which are expansionist agenda, which has seen Eriyo disrupting the validly elected executives of Kaduna, Ogun, Niger and most recently Lagos states, with the hope of replacing them with surrogates, massive fraud as exemplified by Lagos where he collected, among others, N60 million in lieu of an election, ticket racketeering where the President personally supervises the distribution of park tickets, a tool which, according to him, has been used to “intimidate, blackmail, harass and suspend state chairmen, large scale fraud and diversion of funds into personal account and the sidetracking of the NEC in critical decisions as exemplified by the Lagos case where the President acted at variance with the association’s constitution.”

    Also sacked alongside Eriyo was the National Secretary of the association Comrade Yusuf Adeniyi Ibrahim, who they accused of colluding with Eriyo to defraud the association and bring it to ignominy.

    Two schools of thought have emerged as to why Eriyo fell out of favour. While the first opined that he was an impostor whose cup was full, the other school of thought said he got his hands burnt having fell out of favour with the power base in the association.

    Though the latest antics to approach the Industrial Court was seen as one of the ways open to the Eriyo leadership to buy more time, sources with deep knowledge of the power play in the union opined that “the owners of the union have spoken and Eriyo had to go.”

    The source, a TREAN NEC member, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, accused Eriyo of “insensitivity and high handedness.”

    He said: “If Eriyo had been sensitive, he would have avoided the ruinous outcome that claimed his office last Tuesday.”

    The source said Eriyo’s decision to fight the Lagos executive led by a die-in-the-wool unionist Comrade Mohammed Musa was his undoing.

    The National Industrial Court, on Friday, restrained Alhaji Musa Mohammed and six others from parading themselves as members of the National Executive Council of the Road Transport Employers’ Association of Nigeria (RTEAN).

    Justice Sanusi Kado gave the order following an application filed by Mr. Osakpanmwan Eriyo, National President who was represented by counsel, Olayiwole Afolabi and Simon Ezenwa.

    Kado, in his ruling, ordered the defendants to desist from further harassing, intimidating and subjecting members of the claimant to inhuman treatment pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice already before the court.

    The judge further restrained them from holding offices in any capacity as servants, agents, assigns, appointees, privies or whatsoever connected to RTEAN.

    “This includes operations and businesses pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice already filed along with the originating process,’’ Kado held.

    The National President insisted that the dissolution of the Lagos State Executive Council on September 13 remained legal and binding.

    He reiterated that the expiration of the branch’s tenure as provided in Article 9 (I) of the association’s constitution as the reason for the dissolution.

    Members of the Lagos State Executive Council, on Monday, disagreed with the action of the national body, describing the dissolution as illegal, null and void, saying that their tenure would lapse on October 31.

    They said the resolution for the continuity of their executive committee had been passed at the chapel, zonal and state executive levels, adding that it had since been forwarded to the national body.

     

  • Bayelsa polls: Who succeeds Dickson?

    The governorship election in Bayelsa State is gathering momentum. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is calling for continuity. But, the All Progressives Congress (APC) is advocating change. Senior Correspondent MIKE ODIEGWU examines the strengths and weaknesses of the two major parties, their candidates and issues that will shape the poll.

    The die is cast between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State. On November 16, the two dominant parties will scramble for votes from electorate. The PDP has some advantages. The party, led by Governor Seriake Dickson, will be fighting to retain the state.

    The umbrella party has been governing Bayelsa since 1999. Therefore, people believe the party has mastered the political topography since it has a better and more entrenched structures. PDP leaders have always insisted that Bayelsa is PDP and most of them claime that the PDP is an Ijaw party. Besides, PDP is led by Dickson, who is believed to be a political war veteran.

    The governor has been the master of the game and has always shown that he has the magic wand to deliver at every electoral period. The governor sprang a surprise in 2015 to retain the seat against all odds, despite massive defections of PDP leaders to the APC. Observers believe that the governor is set to lead another political onslaught against the APC.

    Though Dickson is not the candidate, he is going to lead Senator Douye Diri, the flag bearer of the PDP, to face the candidate of the APC, Chief David Lyon. The APC will be led by the Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva. Therefore, it is expected to be Dickson-Sylva show, reminiscent episode when Sylva challenged the second term bid of the governor.

    Apart from the vantage position of the PDP, the party is also running on its scorecard, especially the performance of Dickson in eight years. The PDP has seized every opportunity to boast of transforming the state. Dickson has been presenting his scorecards in education, infrastructural development and health, citing the airport, model schools, particularly the Ijaw National Academy, a flyover and others as examples.  The party believes that with its scorecards, Diri, who represents the Bayelsa Central District at the National Assembly, will win the election.

    Also, PDP is banking on the principles of zoning to defeat the APC. Though the two parties zoned their governorship tickets to the Central Senatorial District, the PDP believes it has a better zoning formula for giving Diri, who hails from Kolokuma-Opokuma, its ticket. Only Kolokuma-Opokuma and Yenagoa have not produced a governor from the centre. Southern Ijaw, where Lyon hails from, produced the first civilian governor, the late Chief Diepreye Alamieyeiseigha.

    The PDP and Dickson hope that, in the spirit of balance and fairness, equity and equality, the people will vote for Diri. PDP is also hoping that in reverence to the foremost Ijaw hero, Isaac Adaka Boro, who hails from Kaiama in Kolokuma-Opokuma, voters will choose its candidate at the poll.

    Apart from zoning, Dickson and the PDP are parading Diri as having the capacity and experience to govern the state. The party described Diri as the only candidate with the capacity and competence to succeed Dickson. The party referred to him as a committed public official with years of exemplary service to Bayelsa, the Ijaw Nation and the country.

    The Secretary Chief Godspower Keku, said the party was happy with the emergence of Diri as its flag bearer after the keenly contested transparent and credible primary. He said Bayelsa was in need of a leader with vast experience in public service, adding that Diri had been a commissioner, a Principal Executive Secretary to the governor, and a member of the House of Representatives and a Senator.

    The PDP scribe commended the other 20 aspirants who contested the election with Diri for their display of maturity and respect for the party. Keku called on the aspirants to support the candidate of the party stressing that the primaries could only produce one candidate out of the 21 aspirants, who indicated interest.

     

    PDP pitfalls:

    In fact, PDP and Dickson must manage the post-primary crisis rocking the party. Members of Dickson’s Restoration Caucus never believed in Diri’s candidature. They worked against his emergence as the flag bearer because they generally viewed him as unpopular. They complained that Diri lacked the capacity to mobilise votes, following his alleged miserliness and lack of acceptance by members of the public.

    While some wanted Dr. Nimibofa Ayawei, who hails from Southern Ijaw, others rooted for a former Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Chief Timi Alaibe. Other PDP members made a case for Keniebi Okoko and Reuben Okoya. But, Diri emerged against stiff opposition from PDP members including close associates of Dickson. Many PDP members said Diri became a candidate because he was the governor’s choice and the delegates only wanted to please Dickson. While some PDP members have decided to work for Diri, others said they are not inspired by his emergence.

    Diri’s kinsman, Alaibe, has continued to criticise the process that led to his victory at the primary. Alaibe is not giving up his claims that the process was not free, fair and transparent. He has asked the court to invalidate the primary. He complained that he was brazenly robbed of victory through flawed processes.

    Alaibe, in the suit filed at the Federal High Court sitting in Yenagoa, the state capital, demanded the cancellation of the result based on  procedural flaws. The suit sought answers to questions bordering on alleged non-adherence to the constitution, the Electoral Act 2010, the PDP Constitution and Election Guidelines on the conduct of the ward congresses, inclusion of local government council officials in the delegates list and the procedure for inclusion of three ad-hoc delegates.

    Citing specific relevant laws and guidelines, Alaibe asked the court to examine the processes that resulted in the primary and rule in his favour.

    Prior to the primary, the Timi Alaibe Campaign Organisation raised objections to what it described as gross disrespect for legal procedures and party guidelines.

    Despite going to court, Alaibe is said to be exploring another option of contesting the election in another party as he had vowed to be on the ballot. Pundits believe that, if Alaibe succeeds in joining the governorship race, he will be a third force that will further narrow the chances of the PDP at the poll.

    Another setback for the PDP is the general perception that the people are tired of the PDP and will like to align to the centre. Though the governor believes that he has done well for the state, people complain of untold hardship under Dickson. Therefore, they see Diri as the extension of Dickson’s administration and an appendage of the governor. Some critics say unless the PDP candidate owns his campaign and divorces the governor from it, it will be difficult for the PDP to make a statement at the poll.

    More worrisome is the issue of the party’s running mate. Party members, groups and other stakeholders descended heavily on Dickson and the PDP leadership for nominating a senator representing Bayelsa West at the National Assembly, Lawrence Ewrujakpor, as the running mate to Diri.

    The Bayelsa East Forum for Justice (BEFJ) advised the party that, having picked the candidate from the Bayelsa Central, it was natural to select a competent party man with requisite political clout and popularity from the East. Its Chairman, Monday Eribo, described the feelers that the slot for running mate had been zoned to the West as sad and an attempt to deprive the  East.

    Following the emergence of Diri, PDP leaders were said to have asked Speaker of the House of Assembly Tonye Isenah to surrender his position to another lawmaker from Southern Ijaw to enable the party garner votes from the council. But, Isenah insisted that he would not let go of his position before the poll.

    The Speaker in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Aotendeike Boloigha, said he had served the PDP faithfully, adding that resignation is not a priority.

    However, Dickson believes that all misgivings against his party and his preferred candidate will collapse when campaigns for the election begin. The governor also said reconciliation was ongoing to resolve grievances of party members, especially the ones arising from the primary.

    A statement by Dickson’s Chief Press Secretary, Fidelis Soriwei, confirmed that some frontline aspirants met with the governor after the internal poll that produced Diri as candidate. The governor was also quoted as saying that the leadership of the party would make deliberate efforts to contact all the other aspirants, with a view to bringing them back effectively to the PDP family.

     

    Sylva, APC strength:

    Many  people believe that the political dynamics have changed in Bayelsa. Dickson and his party are up against the leader of the APC Sylva, who contested as a candidate against the governor in 2015. This time, Sylva is not a candidate. He is a super minister, who wields a lot of political and economic influence. Sylva understands the importance of winning Bayelsa for the APC, especially in view of giving the party a strong base in the Southsouth for the 2023 presidential election. He is working in tandem with the national leaders of the party to actualise the victory.

    Despite the controversial emergence of Lyon, he has more popularity rating than Diri. Lyon has a mass appeal. They look at him as a philanthropist, who is capable of floating economic policies to mitigate their suffering. Unless there is a sudden shift during campaigns in favour of Diri or the entrance of a third force with a better rating, pundits believe that Lyon will dwarf the PDP candidate at the poll.

    The APC also has some zoning advantages. Its candidate’s Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, which is likened to the Kano of Bayelsa is always a game changer during elections. It has the second largest voter population after Yenagoa, which is notorious for dry voting. It is better than Diri’s Kolokuma-Opokuma, which has the least voter population in Bayelsa. Almost all leaders in the local government are said to be clamouring for the governorship slot and may likely support the Lyon’s ticket.

    The party will further benefit from its gains in the last general election. Going into the November 16th governorship poll, the APC boasts of three members of the House of Assembly, three members in the House of Representatives and a senator.  It is also benefitting from the grievances of the PDP, which is forcing many of its members to jump ship.

    Besides, Lyon, who is a surveillance contractor and oil magnate, has attracted the sympathy of ex-militant leaders in the state. The ex-creek warlords are said to be pushing for the Lyon’s ticket because they have been beneficiaries of his business. Lyon is said to have about 7000 persons in his payroll, including the ex-militant leaders. He runs a scholarship scheme, which cuts across the eight local government areas of the state.

    While crisis is rocking the PDP over its running mate, the APC is calm, following its decision to zone the running mate to Nembe in the Eastern Senatorial District. APC is believed to have sealed a better deal when it nominated the Senator representing the district, Biobarakumo Degi-Eremienyo, as Lyon’s running mate.

    But, the APC has its fair share of post- primary crisis. Lyon was declared the winner of the primary by an electoral committee constituted by the party leadership. The results were announced by a member of the committee, Senator Emmanuel Ocheja, who identified himself as the Collation Officer.  Lyon polled 42,138 votes to defeat five other aspirants. Mrs. Desiye Nsirim came a distant second with 1,533, while Chief Ebitimi Amgbare came third with 633 votes.

    Senator Heineken Lokpobiri was said to have scored  571 votes to come fourth while Prof. Ongoebi Etebu and Prince Preye Aganaba got 564 and 354 votes.

    Senator Ocheja, who was accompanied by the other national and state officers of the party said he was standing in for the Returning Officer and Governor of Yobe State, Mai-Mala Buni, saying the governor  was unavoidably absent.

    Lokpobiri, a former minister, believed to possess the credentials to fly the flag of the APC, felt shortchanged after the internal poll. Lokpobiri vehemently rejected the outcome of the primary. He said he was still trying to get details of what transpired in Bayelsa, adding that he and his team never participated in any primary that declared Lyon the flag bearer.

    The former minister said there was no way he would be defeated in any election in Bayelsa by Lyon adding that the majority members of the APC were supporting him.

    He wondered why a primary was held started in a hotel in Yenagoa and ended in the hotel, instead of sidelining the secretariat of the party.

    He said party members gathered at the secretariat and waited in vain for the arrival of the committee saddled with the conduct of the primary. He also queried why the result was declared by someone other than the Returning Officer and governor of Yobe State, who chaired the committee.

    Apart from Lokpobiri, Aganaba has also rejected the outcome of the primary describing it as a mockery of the democratic process. Aganaba, who referred to the primary as a political hoax and lacking any semblance of credibility, alleged that the results were written in a hotel.

    The aspirant has gone to court to seek cancellation of the poll. Aganaba, a founding member of the APC in Bayelsa, dragged the APC, Lyon and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to the court as defendants in a suit he personally filed on  Seprember 12.

    The aspirant urged the court to make a declaration that the primary scheduled for September 4 across the 105 wards in the eight local government areas of the state did not take place. He also asked the court to make a declaration that since there were no primaries, the declaration of results that produced Lyon as the candidate  was illegal, unconstitutional, null and void and of no effect.

    The aspirant demanded an order setting aside the result of the primary, which returned Lyon as the candidate of the party for November 16 election. He asked the court to make an order “restraining the APC from presenting Lyon or submitting his name to INEC  as candidate of the APC.”

    Many party elders have, however, urged the aggrieved aspirants to sheathe their swords and work for the  interest of the state. A stalwart of the APC, Chief Gift Ebiki, urged the aspirants to end their grievances. Ebiki  said in every contest a winner must emerge.

    Ebiki said that the process that led to the emergence of Lyon was free, fair, transparent and credible. He appealed to the aggrieved to put the party first. He commended APC members for electing an oil magnate and businessman to fly the flag.

    He said APC members lined behind Lyon in an orderly and peaceful manner. He described the direct primary as credible and transparent. Thanking the people for their belief in Lyon, Ebiki assured them that the APC candidate symbolised prosperity, development and job creation.

     

  • ‘I quit U.S Navy to serve my people’

    A Member of the House of Representatives Ibadan Southeast/Northeast Constituency Abass Adigun has said the urge to serve the people propelled  him to quit the United States Navy.

    Adigun told reporters in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, that service to the fatherland was much rewarding.

    The lawmaker explained that serving in Asia, Europe and other parts of the world exposed him to great feats that abound in self-development efforts.

    He said many people and companies from Western nations have been moving to third world countries to  improve standard of living of their citizens and strengthen democracy.

    Adigun said the experience made him to come back home and contribute meaningfully to democracy, adding that he has the energy to serve the country.

    The lawmaker added that, within a short period in the House, he has moved a motion to improve the welfare of the officers in the military and paramilitary agencies.

    He said the security personnels needed better welfare to boost their morale and patriotism. He added this would enable them confront insurgents and other criminals in the society.

    Adigun said the security personnel, who have laid their lives for the peace and security of the nation, deserved better welfare to motivate them.

    He said their welfare would be given adequate attention in preparing the 2020 budget.

    Adigun commended Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila for his leadership role, noting his listening ears and attention had galvanised the House .

    The House under his leadership has ventilate robust discussions at plenaries. This has resulted in sound laws that will support the development efforts of the Federal Government.”

  • Group lifts 279 less privileged with N20m

    TO alleviate the sufferings of the downtrodden in the society,  NASFAT Agency for ZAKAT and SADAQAT (NAZAS), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has donated cash gift and work tools valued at N20 million to 279 less-privileged. The NGO, established to give succour to the needy,  also provided health insurance scheme for missioners and their immediate families.

    Venue of the event was the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, Lagos State Chapter at Ikeja.

    For the 279 beneficiaries, it was indeed a life-changing experience. However, before the donation, Chairman, Board of Directors of the agency, Mr. Niyi Yusuf, presided over a general meeting, during which he presented the scorecard for the past years. Yusuf said the agency had received tremendous support from members and other public-spirited Nigerians for its Zakat obligations over the past one year.

    According to Yusuf,  NAZAS started five years ago, and has since mobilised more than N174 million from which over 676 poor individuals had benefited from, at Ramadan and Muharram (first month of the Islamic year), public disbursements and other routine and emergency disbursements.

    He said: “This was made possible through regular payment of Zakat and Sadaqat by you and other donors. The clamour for us to scale up our game by going beyond the regular N40 million marks in fund receipts was achieved this year as we finally crossed the N40 million lines last year and we have already crossed the N55 million thresholds this year. We hope to cross the N60 million mark.

    “Health is wealth. I am pleased to report that last year, the board, approved that we institute a health insurance package for Imams and Missioners (both NASFAT and non-NASFAT) to promote the health and well-being of the Imams and their immediate families. This year, we have enrolled the initial set of 12 Imams and Missioners with the Lagos State Health Management Authority. Working with the Lagos State League of Imams and Alfas, and with your financial support, we hope to enroll more Imams and Missioners in the period ahead.”

    Ms Mariam Amidu, alongside 37 others, benefitted from the N1.88 million set aside for education support and scholarship for the needy.

    Mrs Amidu, 21, and student of  the University of Lagos, said she cannot wait to share the testimony with her mother.

    “I never knew my father, and paying school fees has always been a problem for me and my siblings. With this scholarship, I can now pay attention to my studies and achieve my dreams of being an accountant. May the Almighty Allah continue to bless all those who have sacrificed their hard earned money for people like me to go to school. I am so grateful to NAZAS,” she said.

    Mr. Jubril Jimoh and 14 others with deteriorating health conditions shared N4.862 million. And six others received N510, 000 to offset their debts.

    Another beneficiary, Jimoh Jubril, said that in the last four years,*/ he has exhausted all he had on his ailment without healing. “I was diagnosed with acute diabetes. I have initially spent over N420, 000 managing it before I was slammed with another N400,000 bill again. But, I had no money anymore hence I resorted to call for help.

    “Luck finally shined on me through a friend’s wife who came to check on me in the hospital and suggested I reach out to NASFAT. I did and surprisingly, they have come to my aid. I am so grateful to them and to Allah the most benevolent,” Jubril said.

    Twelve NAZAS Imams and Missionaries, and one of their wives and any of four of their children were placed under the recently launched Lagos State Health Insurance Scheme valued at N400, 000 per year.

    While 148 petty traders, mostly of physically challenged people received cash donations, work tools such as sewing machines, refrigerators, among others worth N14.2 million.

    One of the beneficiaries of the items, Mrs. Silifat Daramola, who broke down in tears after receiving a deep freezer and a cash donation to support her trade said: “I didn’t entirely believe when I was informed that I would be among those that would benefit from Zakat today. This is because I have always ended up being disappointed by other groups whom I had earlier run to for help. They would call for empowerment but at the end of the day, nothing comes out of it.

    “But today, NAZAS has put smiles on my face. They didn’t only give me deep freezer but also a sum of money. May the Almighty Allah continue to bless everyone in the agency and wipe away their tears just as they have wiped mine.”

    Yusuf said that the donation is the second disbursement this year to commemorate the new Islamic year. “So, today is the symbolic disbursement of N20 million to over 250 beneficiaries reflecting the donations we have received from different donors during Ramadan period and we hope that this would help bring succour to many Nigerians.

    On how to apply as a beneficiary, Yusuf said: “To apply as a beneficiary of Zakat, we advise people to come  and collect form in our office, or download it online and fill it, but they would still have to come  physically to submit the forms in our office.”

     

  • Huge remittances

    The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has disclosed that total direct remittances to Nigeria in the first seven months of the year has risen 136 per cent to $11.54bn as against $4.9bn reported in the corresponding period in 2018. The apex bank revealed that diaspora remittances into the nation’s economy continue to soar amidst series of foreign exchange reforms that include licensing of many foreign exchange companies.

    Home remittances from Nigerian migrants in the Americas, Europe, Asia and many Arab and African countries have been rising for some years. For example, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) said recently that remittances from abroad could strengthen Nigeria’s economy with an estimated amount of $25.5bn, $29.8bn and $34.8bn in 2019, 2021 and 2023, respectively. In 2018, migrant remittances were 77% of the Federal Government’s budget. Nigerians in diaspora in the same year sent home 10 times the Financial Direct Investment (FDI) from foreigners doing business in Nigeria.

    With $25.08 from Nigerians in 2018, the World Bank ranked Nigeria with the highest remittance in-flow in Africa and the fifth globally, behind India, China, The Philippines and Mexico. We applaud the patriotic feelings of Nigerians abroad, many of whom left home because they could not find fulfillment or realise their potential in their country of birth.

    It is gratifying that Nigeria’s brains and brawn losses to foreign countries have a positive side for the country, especially for providing family members left behind funds to assist them in respect of education, nutrition, health, and in some cases, housing. It is noble that the Nigerians abroad remain empathetic and willing to provide social security for the less fortunate of their kith and kin at home.

    But it would appear that the steady increase in home remittances in the last five years is more of a result of growing empathy on the part of Nigerians abroad than of direct or indirect result of licensing of new foreign exchange companies by the CBN. We congratulate Nigerians in diaspora for holding on to the tradition of family support that is becoming increasingly more inevitable today than when they left the country, and that is more difficult to sustain by those at home because of increasing inequality.

    Instead of complaining about brain drain, the governments – federal, state and local – must rise to the demands of the time. In particular, the Federal Government ought to be encouraging its citizens abroad with efficient delivery of consular services that their counterparts from other countries receive as of right. For instance, there should be no stress for Nigerian citizens abroad to access Nigerian embassies for services that other nationals take for granted – obtaining or renewing passports or travelling certificates in cases of emergency. The story of a Nigerian who got frustrated last year to the point of destroying vehicles in the premises of the Nigerian Embassy in London for failure to renew his passport does not demonstrate adequate sensitivity to the needs and concerns of Nigerians abroad.

    As important as financial remittances are to developing countries, there is another resource that Nigeria is in a good position to benefit from its diaspora community – social remittances or the flow of skills, knowledge, ideas and values that migrants transfer toward development of their home countries. In addition to informal social security benefits provided by financial remittances, communities in countries such as China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and many other places benefit significantly from values added to education, health, employment, business, governance, and technology from citizens abroad. Such benefits generally go beyond migrants’ immediate family members to the wider community.

    To have adequate access to social remittances, governments at all levels need to work harder by improving infrastructure and enhancing democratic governance, especially the rule of law, to make the country attractive to citizens in diaspora.

    But nothing we have said should be taken to mean that governments should abdicate their responsibility to make the country better for Nigerians. When all the stakeholders play their part, Nigerians at home would find something worthwhile to do while even those abroad may find cause to return to help develop their fatherland.

  • Govs: Plan 2020 Pry6/SSS3 exam success; Pry School OSAs

    ABCDEFGGHI=Avoid Bribery & Corruption Daily Everywhere For Good Governance Here Immediately.

    There was a recent ‘Future of Education Summit’ held at Nustreams in Ibadan, Oyo State hosted by Pastor Francis Madojemu. It was a great event exposing valuable old, modern and future education tools and prospects.

    Urgent actions can reverse the poor performance recorded by students in national examinations who need extra help. Teachers need extra support and incentives to lift weak students. The most immediate education war /emergency strategy in all states is to single out for six MONTHS HYPER-EDUCATION SUPPORT for the 2020 batch of students facing Common Entrance or WAEC/NECO in May/June2020. Without this the students will fail woefully-automatically. They need fatherly governors who must recruit/transfer the best, dedicated, motivated teachers, even NYSC, just to extra-teach primary six and SSS3 students during and after school and compulsory Saturday with group and individual training using fresh teachers. This strategy will guarantee better fortunes of state-based children in the national examination ranking.

    Primary schools need major support, the same as the financial and social benefits given secondary schools. Governors should encourage that ‘What is good for secondary school is good for primary school’. Governors must empower PRIMARY SCHOOLS TO SET UP OLD STUDENTS ASSOCIATIONS AND BOARDS OF GOVERNORS and reward the best as recommended by Educare Trust since 1994.

    The introduction of free primary and secondary education is welcome. Yes, teachers have cheated parents. Yes, some impose levies for exams and scams. Remember ‘the Delta State affair -Success The Girl’.  After 60 years of some form of ‘Free Education’ one thing is sure. Educare Trust has repeatedly pointed out that government can never provide enough exercise and text and story books, buildings, toilets, chalk for blackboards or marker pens for whiteboards, desks and chairs, staff rooms, sports equipment, laboratory equipment for all the students. Even Eaton and universities like Cambridge and Harvard where high fees are paid have no hesitation in sending out ‘SCHOOL NEEDS LISTS’ to old students and current parents requesting them to contribute in cash and kind to events and equipment. When PTA raises money, it should be left to the PTA to spend on what it wants, without government interference. Simple.

    Government should not deny individual PTA members of the right to support the school, even a free education programme. Our school suffered in the past when the battle of ‘Quality vs Quantity’ Free Education raged between political parties with the children as suffering pawns. Many good creative practical teachers were unable to function maximally as they were banned from even asking children to bring pins, newspapers, magazines, scissors, books or coloured pen to make posters for the walls. Even the parents mistake free education and refuse to supervise any aspect of their children’s lives related to school for the six years they are in school. Nobody running a school would reject financial, material and moral support from parents or community.  Government, the custodian of all schools servicing millions of needy youth cannot in 2019  afford to reject, purely to avoid political misinterpretation of ‘free education’,  financial, material and moral support from willing parents, PTAs, Old Students Associations or the social or business community. We suffered from an arrogantly underfunded free education in the past. Never again should ‘free education’ mean ‘No voluntary contribution’ by parents. Educare Trust suggests schools without libraries can ask each student to contribute voluntarily a book each to the CLASSROOM BOX LIBRARY to be returned at term end – no cost to anyone.  Teacher running arts, reading or music classes must be empowered to request students to bring educational material to help the learning process using an official ‘VOLUNTARY SCHOOL MATERIAL LOAN REQUEST FORM’. Educare Trust recommended from 1994 that well-monitored, with checks provided by PTA and a school Board of Governors can complement government budgets by voluntary extra material investment in school and classroom. PTA should keep its money within the classroom for wallposters, books, dictionary and encyclopaedia, sports equipment and science instruments.

    Governors need to authorize a long standing Educare Trust recommended annually updated School Needs List (SNL) exercise for every school. A SNL does not embarrass or disgrace a wise government. It is for genuine stepwise upgrading support from the community, social and business. Schools have faced 50 years of under-budgeting. This can only be reversed by joint effort.

    No man is an island. Education needs updates with new input into an ANNUALLY UPDATED CURRICULUM PAGE. Governor-directed inter-ministerial cooperation and ministry/institutional cooperation areas are key to a good governance and particularly health, environment and education programmes. The Ministry of Education must involve all ministries and  institutions to improve the local content of the curriculum.

    Every school has an assembly daily, 200+ a years. Educare Trust recommends that every school uses that time with ‘5-10MINS ASSEMBLY TALKS’ ON ‘LIFE SKILL TOPICS AND MESSAGES’ like environment, manners, morals, bullying, harassment, prepared by teachers and students bring 200 items of co-curricular knowledge to the students.

    Sadly, less than 1% of Summit participants had read or taught social conscience and Nobel Laureate Pa Professor Wole Soyinka’s ‘Ake; The years of childhood’ or heard of Olaudah Equiano, the First Nigerian Published Author who wrote ‘The interesting narrative of the life of Gustavus Vassa alias Olaudah Equiano’. He will be 275years ‘old’ in 2020. Nigeria is in trouble when it refuses to read or teach its heroes to generation Next!