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  • Infrastructural deficit: $100b annual investments needed to bridge gap

    Nigeria needs $100 billion annual investments for the next six years to bridge infrastructural gap, the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Alex A. Okoh, has said.

    The next phase of the reform and privatization of the Federal Government is to focus on Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) with the view to correcting the infrastructural deficit.

    According to a statement from the BPE on Wednesday, Okoh made the remarks when he received a delegation  from the  World Bank, led by the senior Economist (Economics and Private Sector Development), Mr. Volker Treichel which visited  the Bureau in Abuja.

    The statement said that Okoh noted that the “country’s infrastructure gap is huge as it is estimated that Nigeria needs to invest more than $3 trillion in the next 30 years to bridge the gap; and average of $100 billion per annum for the next six years.”

    Read Also: Seplat urges public, private sector investments

    The director-general, who was, represented by Director, Infrastructure and PPP Department, Mallam Sanusi Sule, said the new phase targets reforms mostly in the utility and infrastructure sectors which include; water resources, railways airports and highways.

    He stated that the need for refocusing on PPP was borne out of the increasing budgetary constraints to fund the development of new infrastructure and effectively maintain existing ones; deteriorating infrastructure (dilapidated roads, schools, hospitals etc); higher public expectations in terms of efficiency and effectiveness of infrastructure service delivery.

    According to him, the country’s infrastructure stock was too low for any meaningful development and that “the public sector cannot afford to provide the resources required to bridge the huge infrastructural gap”.

    He added that the most feasible option is to attract private sector investments and the Bureau is working assiduously with key stakeholders to come up with a robust framework and process for implementing and managing PPPs in the country.

    Leader of the delegation, Treichel, said the visit was part of the World Bank private sector diagnostic assessment of the public sector in Nigeria.

    He added that the bank was also looking for opportunities to provide short term assistance to the BPE in the next three years.

  • Govts step up moves to combat insecurity

    Security seems to have broken down in some parts of the country where bandits are having a field day. This has forced the states and the Federal Governments to step up the fight against crime, report Faith Yahaya, Abuja; Damisi Ojo, Akure; Donatus Nadi, Lafia; Bolaji Ogundele, Warri; Rasaq Ibrahim, Ado Ekiti; Okungbowa Aiwerie, Asaba; Abdulgafar Alabelewe, Kaduna and Augustine Okezie, Katsina.

    IGP seeks support for Operation Puff Adder

    Acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Adamu is seeking support for Operation Puff Adder, his initiative to combat insecurity in various parts of the country.

    He was in Katsina on Wednesday to seek support for the cause. On Tuesday, he was in Sokoto in furtherance of the anti-insecurity initiative. Sultan of Sokoto Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III pledged to support to the police and other security agencies to restore order.

    The Sultan spoke at his palace in Gida Sarkin Musulmi, Sokoto when he received the IGP. Governor Aminu Tambuwal and Deputy Governor Mannir Dan’iya were also at the palace with the IG.

    Sultan Abubakar promised to use the platform of the Forum of Northern Traditional Rulers to rally support of all the traditional rulers in the North to fight armed banditry and other crimes in the region. He aligned with the IGP’s policy direction of using the tool of Community Policing and Partnership to combat crime. The Sultan also urged Nigerians to support the police in the fight against all manner of crimes.

    The IGP visited the police headquarters where he urged the officers and men of the command to up the ante in the fight against armed banditry and other crimes, promising to do everything within his power to provide them with adequate working tools and healthy working environment.

    During the IGP’s visit to Katsina, Governor Aminu Masari announced the donation of 12 vehicles to the police.

    Adamu urged the men of the Police Special Forces and other Tactical Units deployed in Katsina State to deal decisively with those terrorising the state.

    Force Spokesman Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Frank Mba, in statement in Abuja, said the IGP admitted the obvious security challenges facing the country but said the challenges were not insurmountable.

    He also assured that everything humanly and operationally possible is being done towards bringing a permanent end to incidences of armed banditry and other crimes in the country.

    The IGP had earlier paid a courtesy call on, where he sought his support in the renewed fight against criminal elements.

    Masari, who was represented by his Deputy, Alhaji Mannir Yakubu, pledged support of the state government and the people to ‘Operation Puff Adder’ and other security initiatives of the police.

    The initiative also got a boost in its operational asset as the state government donated 12 Toyota Hilux vans to the police in the aid of the mission.

    Mba also stated that the IGP also visited the Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmumini Usman, where he sought his cooperation and other traditional authorities in the fight against criminals.

     

    Air chief orders elimination of bandits, insurgents

    Chief of Air Staff (CAS) Air Marshal Saddique Baba Abubakar has ordered his men to eliminate bandits and insurgents terrorising their areas of responsibility.

    He told his men to think out of the box and immediately evolve strategies to eliminate the bandits.

    The CAS  spoke during the inauguration of accommodation projects at the Regiment Training Centre (RTC) and Military Training Centre, (MTC)  NAF base in Kaduna yesterday.

    Represented by the Chief of Policy and Plans, NAF Headquarters, Air Vice Marshal, Emmanuel Anebi, the CAS asked the Air Officer Commanding, Ground Training Command, Air Vice Marshal Idi Amin, and his regiment officers to ‘think out of the box’.

    He said: “While capacity is been built within the NAF, we must continue to develop strategies to anticipate and curb emerging security threats across the country.”

    The CAS said the efforts of the Federal Government to adequately equip the military were already yielding the desired results as terrorists are being targeted and neutralised.

     

    Police arrest five kidnap suspects in Ondo

    Five suspected kidnappers were yesterday arrested in Ondo State. They police apprehended them after the abduction of Omoghae Igbegbon on Akunnu-Akoko/Auga-Akoko Road.

    They allegedly disposed their captive of N185,000 and demanded  for N30m ransom for his release.

    Addressing reporters at the state police command headquarters, Akure, Police Commissioner Undie Adie said his men tracked the kidnappers to their hideout in Ibilo, Edo State.

    He said: “On April 2, one Prince Omoghae Igbegbon of Senior Staff Quarters, NIFOR, Benin City Edo State was attacked by unknown gunmen numbering six along Akunnu Akoko/Auga Akoko Road in Ondo State.

    “The hoodlums robbed him of N185,000 and dragged him into the bush. The abductors demanded N30m as ransom for his release.

    “On April 3, a team of Police men with members of vigilante group trailed the kidnappers to their den at Ibilo, Edo State and after exchange of gun fire, the kidnappers fled to unknown destination.

    “They left behind one pump action, one double barrel and two single barrel guns. The victim escaped to a community in Ibilo where he explained his ordeal in the hands of the kidnappers.

    “The Police placed the community on red alert to watch out for any strange faces. Thereafter, one Ismaila Wakili, 19 years, from Niger State whom the victim later recognized as one of the kidnappers was arrested and handed over to the Police.

    “Upon interrogation, the suspect confessed committing the crime and mentioned other members of his gang.

    “The suspect later led a team of detectives to the hideouts of the hoodlums at Aduwawa in Benin City, Edo State.”

    The CP said Abdullahi Sanni, 33, from Kogi State, Mohammed Abdullahi, 36, from Sokoto State, Umoru Usman, 25 from Kebbi State and Sheu Usman, 25, from Niger State were arrested.

    He said the suspect identified themselves as members of the gangsters terrorising Akoko axis of the state.

    Adie said efforts were on to arrest other fleeing members of the gang, while those already apprehended would be charged to court after conclusion of the ongoing investigation.

    However, Wakili, who had earlier admitted to have participated in the crime, denied knowing the other four suspects, stressing that the operation was his first outing.

    On last Monday’s bank robbery in Idoani, where seven persons were killed, the Police Commissioner said investigation was on to unveil the perpetrators.

    Adie added that that security measures have been scaled up around bank premises across the 18 local government areas of the state.

     

    Days of kidnapping are over in Nasarawa, says CP

    Nasarawa State Police Commissioner Bola Longe has said the days of kidnapping are over in the state.

    Longe spoke on Wednesday at the state police command, Lafia while parading 17 suspected kidnappers and armed robbers arrested by the command across the state recently.

    The police commissioner: “The command has been re-strategising on how to further check criminal activities in the state, especially armed robbery and kidnapping. The command has put in place several anti-kidnapping and robbery templates.

    “Not only that, we want to state without any equivocation that the command has the will, the training, the logistics and  temperament to comprehensively reduce criminal activities to the barest minimum in the state.”

    The police commissioner appealed to members of the public to combine synergise with the state police command by giving the command useful information that could lead to the arrest of criminal practitioners in their communities.

    “The identity of the giver of such information will be subjected to utmost confidentiality. Such information will assist the command in realising its goal of making Nasarawa a state where criminals will neither hide nor intimidate law-abiding citizens in their goals of self-actualisation.”

    “Therefore, we are warning criminal practitioners to stop their antics or be dealt with in accordance with the provision of the law,” Longe added.

    Suspected herdsmen kill four  in Delta community

    Not fewer than four persons have been killed between Tuesday night and yesterday morning by suspected herdsmen, who invaded some parts of Abraka community, Ethiope East Council Area of Delta State.

    The Nation gathered that the killer herdsmen, besides attacking anyone in sight, were also stopping farmers and farm labourers from gaining access into farmlands, taking over parts of the community with their herds of cow and leaving many injured.

    One their victims was identified as Kennedy Ukuanovwe. Ukuanovwe, father of seven and native of Urhuovie Quarters of Abraka was attacked by the invaders along the Abraka-Benin Road, while riding his motorcycle around the areas under invasion, shooting and cutting him to death.

    The other three casualties, who could not be identified as at the time of filing this report, included a woman, a soldier and another man.

    A community source, who spoke to The Nation on the development, said: “It was only Kennedy (Ukuanovwe), who was killed on Tuesday night that has been identified, the other three dead people have not been identified in person yet. The other three were killed by the Fulani herdsmen this morning (Wednesday)”.

    At the time of filing this report, policemen and other security operatives were seen patrolling the town, which is host to the main campus of the Delta State University (DELSU), and hometown the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in last month’s elections, Chief Great Ogboru.

    Delta State Commissioner of Police Adeyinka Adeleke said: “It is not only one person that died. We saw corpses. Other persons also died but we don’t know who actually killed them. Our men are still in the bush. When they come out, they will be able to give details.”

     

    Ooni’s wife urges religious leaders to preach against kidnapping, killings

     

    The wife of Ooni of Ife and founder of En-heralds Ministry, Prophetess Silekunola Naomi Ogunwusi, has urged the religious leaders in the country to preach against kidnapping and indiscriminate killings in the country.

    Mrs. Ogunwusi said faith remains one of the potent weapons to fight crimes in the society, saying the religious leaders must join the fray to make Nigeria a peaceful nation.

    She spoke at the palace of Ogoga of Ikere Ekiti, Oba Adejimi Adu yesterday during the commencement of a three-day revival in the town organised in concert with Christians Association of Nigeria (CAN).

    Mrs. Ogunwusi stated that increasing crimes in the country in spite of the proliferation of churches didn’t connote that all the church leaders were deceptive and unGodly.

    The evangelist added that the body of Christ had been working with governments to rid the country of crimes.

    “There are so many people who are using the name of Christ to do evils. But the body of Christ must work harder, we have a lot of work to do in view of the ways people were being killed, kidnapped and maimed by bandits.

    “We have been praying and preaching against these but we must know that crimes had been before the coming of Jesus Christ and we should not forget that we are having more children on daily basis and the more we do this, the more we must intensify efforts to preach Christ to them to help them grow stronger in faith,” she said.

     

    Air Force shells insurgents in Zamfara

     

    The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has said its Air Task Force (ATF) on Operation DIRAN MIKIYA has recorded successes in a renewed air offensive against bandits in Zamfara and its environs.

    NAF Spokesman, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola,  in a statement yesterday in Abuja, said the operation was carried out on Monday.

    “The air strikes, which were intensified on April 8, with the deployment of additional aircraft, are aimed at flushing out the bandits from their hideouts in Sububu, Rugu and Kagara Forests, amongst others, whilst ensuring the protection of the lives and properties of citizens in the North West of the Country.

    “On the first day of the intensive operation, the ATF conducted coordinated air raids against multiple identified bandits’ hideouts at Doumborou, Sububu, West Malamawa, Baturia Pond and Rugu Forest, where several bandits were neutralised and their camps destroyed,” he said.

    He said the ATF on April 9, conducted waves of attacks against several targets, adding that the first wave struck three bandits locations within Sububu forest as well as another camp in Kagara forest.

    “Targets attacked in the second wave were notable armed bandits’ hideouts at Kamarawa, Kunduma and Tsamare hill, while the third wave focused on armed bandits hideouts in Doumborou.

    “The ATF also provided close air support to surface forces of Sector 2 to enable them move into the attacked areas to mop-up the fleeing survivors and recover their weapons.

    “In all, the ATF degraded eight camps and neutralized scores of bandits,” he said.

    Daramola said reports indicated that, as a result of the air strikes, some of the bandits were fleeing towards the border between Nigeria and Niger Republic.?

    “Accordingly, the ATF is liaising with relevant authorities to ensure that the bandits are prevented from escaping through the Southern part of Niger Republic,” he said. ?

    He said the NAF, in consonance with surface forces and other relevant authorities, would sustain its efforts to end the scourge of banditry and other related threats to life and safety in the North West of “our dear nation.”

     

    El-Rufai warns against reprisal over Kajuru killings

     

    Following Monday morning’s killings at Banono and Ungwan Akut, Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai yesterday visited the troubled Kajuru local government area, urging all communities in the state to reject an eye for an eye stance in resolving differences.

    Addressing the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at their camp in Maraban Kajuru, the governor said attacks and reprisals only produced pain and suffering. He said he has directed relevant agencies to reassess the condition of the IDPs who are from different communities to enable them return to their communities soon.

    Speaking in Maraban Kajuru, Kajuru local government after meeting with the IDPs, El-Rufai said  he was saddened by the situation. “What we saw is unfortunate, but we must speak out and tell our people the right thing to be done. An eye for eye is not a solution to the vicious cycles of killings and will complicate and undermine collective efforts.

    “Our admonition is simple. If Fulani or Adara communities have complaints of killings or attacks, they should report and allow security agencies and government to take up the administration of justice. If these communities resort to taking the laws into their own hands, it will not work. That  is not the solution.”

    According to the governor, “all communities must resist the temptation to take the law into their own hands. Security personnel and assets cannot be in every inch of our state. Communities must stop this abnormality of taking the laws into their own hands. It has never worked and will never work.”

    El-Rufai said  it is not helpful to create false narratives and politicize security challenges that can be solved with goodwill and law abiding conduct by all parties. “As a government, we will continue to collaborate with security agencies, traditional and religious institutions in peace building, but we will be frank to our communities.

    “They have lived peacefully before this mistrust and they can rekindle the glorious past by simply not taking the laws into their own hands and doing away with jungle justice. On our own part, we will do our very best in protecting lives and property.

    “We will also not shy away from applying the law to anyone found complicit in the violent communal conflicts, irrespective of their status, religion, ethnicity or political persuasions. Let us cherish all lives. No life is more precious than another life.”

    After receiving briefings from officials of Kajuru local government council and the volunteers managing the IDPs, the governor directed that urgent reassessment of the condition of the displaced citizens be undertaken so that their return to normalcy can be fast tracked.

  • ‘I feel like my hand is burning with fire from inside’

    A student of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto (UDUS), Habibu Abubakar, lost his two hands when he was attacked by unknown assailants. His road to recovery is a long one that requires lots of funds, reports ABIODUN JAMIU, a 200-Level student of Political Science UDUS.

    All was well with Habibu Abubakar, a 200-Level student of Modern European Languages and Linguistics at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto (UDUS) until Sunday when he was dealt a cruel fate by unknown men who chopped off his two hands.

    Abubakar, who was class representative for his set, was attacked around 2a.m by the men at Mana area of the metropolis who also took away his motorcycle.

    The act has been condemned by all and sundry, including students and the university’s Dean of Students’ Affairs, Prof Aminu Mode.

    Uchenna Emelife, a 200-Level student of Literature in English, expressed sadness at the inhumane treatment Abubakar got from his attackers.

    “I cannot bring myself to imagine the pain and trauma he must be passing through now.  Habibu is the most egocentric person I have ever met.  His competence is outstanding, ever ready to speak up and act in defense of the students he represented,” he said.

    Another student, Muneer Yakub, who is in his final year studying Microbiology, said: “I cannot believe some peole could actually go as far as cutting off a fellow man’s hands and steal his bike.”

    He said: “I have seen the pictures, but I don’t really know how it happened.  I heard different versions of the attacks; some said he (Abubakar) was attacked by political thugs while another version alleged that he was confronted by thugs who stopped him on the way not because he belongs to any political party. They wanted his motorcycle.

    “To me, that is simply inhumane! Even animals are better than them.”

    The DSA said he was deeply touched by the attack because the victim was his student, noting that he had sent a team of departmental executives to visit him at the Orthopaedic Hospital in Wamakko where he is being treated.

    “I am deeply touched. They have just rendered him helpless because 90 per cent of what we do in life is through the hands,” he said.

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    Abubakar has two sessions and one semester more to go to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in Modern European Languages and Linguistics.  However, how it will not be so easy to do so anymore without support.

    Speaking when executive members of the Modern European Languages and Linguistics (MELL) visited him at the hospital, Abubakar said he would want to continue his education without taking a break.

    “I feel like my hand is burning with fire from inside.  However, I do not wish to dfer my academics even for a session. But I will wait patiently to wee my health condition improve before I resume,” he said.

    According to www.webmd.com, it may take up to two months for wounds from an amputation following surgery to heal.  This medical recovery should be followed by rehabilitation for the patient to learn to live as normally as possible without his limbs.  For that, Abubakar would need the services of an Occupational Therapist.  Abubakar would also need psychological counseling to deal with the trauma.

    Ideally, Abubakar’s life would be easier with the aid of prosthetic limbs.  However, whether his family can afford them is another matter.

    With advances in science and technology, prosthetic limbs are now much more sophisticated such that amputees can achieve more.  However, they do not come cheap.  According to the website of the Alliance of Advanced Biomedical Engineering (https://aabme.asme.org/posts/3-d-printing-to-lower-prosthetic-costs), sophisticated prosthetic limbs cost between $5,000 to $50,000 – amounts barely affordable for citizens of industrialised countries, and way beyond the poor in developing countries like Nigeria.

    Prosthetic devices have become more sophisticated, enabling amputees to accomplish more of the tasks that were once difficult or impossible because of missing hands, feet, or limbs. Additional functionality, however, comes at a price: advanced prosthetic limbs can cost anywhere from $5,000 (N1.8 million) to $100,000 (N36 million).

    Foreign firms are now exploring the use of 3-D Printing Technology to lower the cost of prosthetic limbs.  But that is not likely an immediate reality for Habibu.

    Prof Mode said the University would support Habibu to graduate from the university – though he did not say the form the support would take.

    “I assure that whatever can be done to ensure the completion of his programme will be done.  The Vice Chancellor, Prof Abdu Abdullah Zuru, is aware of the situation and I know he has students in his mind. In fact, he has directed me to look into it so as to see what the management can do about the matter,” he said.

  • Neymar visits Pele after surgery

    Neymar spent time with Pele in hospital, raising the spirits of his Brazilian compatriot after emergency surgery.

    The PSG star shared a picture on his Instagram page with the 78-year-old legend and both men seemed in high spirits. The three-time World Cup winner arrived back in his homeland on Tuesday.

    In Neymar’s snap, Pele was lying in a hospital bed and clasped hands with the young forward, who simply wrote ‘king’ as a caption.

    Pele was in Paris when he fell ill and was taken in for emergency surgery due to a severe urinary infection.

    He was treated in the American Hospital of Paris after an event with Kylian Mbappe. And has now flown back to Brazil and was mobbed upon arrival, looking under-standably worse for wear after surgery and the long haul flight.

    Read Also: Neymar hits the beach in Qatar

    Fans, carers and media representatives surrounded him at Guarulhos International Airport near Sao Paulo as he was whisked away in a waiting car.

    Pele has suffered a number of health issues in recent years, arriving for the World Cup draw last year in a wheelchair and suffering with numerous problems with his hips and knees.

    ‘I’ suffered from a severe urinary infection that demanded medical and surgical assistance as an emergency,” the three-time World Cup winner explained.

    Neymar and Pele are both considered among the best Brazilian talents the world has ever seen and have a close relationship. No doubt Pele appreciated the visit from his young protege and pledged to return to work as soon as possible.

  • Kachikwu: Firms should raise Nigeria’s oil production to 7m bpd

    The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu has challenged exploration and production companies in Nigeria to strive to raise daily crude oil production to seven million barrels per day (bpd) from the about 2.1 million bpd currently produced.

    Kachikwu, who spoke at the just concluded second edition of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Opportunity Fair (NOGOF) organised by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, urged all stakeholders in the petroleum industry to put all hands on deck to actualise the aspiration.

    He said: “Industry players should strive for improvements in all facets of their operations because Nigeria should be producing over seven million barrels of crude oil every day and enough gas to meet its electricity needs. The oil and gas sector should have rapidly developing infrastructure, while oil bearing communities ought to be well developed with proceeds from the sale of crude oil.”

    He encouraged Nigerian operators to move into other African countries and use Nigeria’s 60 years’ experience in the sector to lead the operations of their fields.

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    The Executive Secretary NCDMB, Simbi Kesiye Wabote, said the Board had identified over 80 oil and gas opportunities that would be developed by major international and indigenous operating companies in the short and long term, with the estimated cumulative value of the projects exceeding $100 billion.

    The projects, according to him, are contained in the Compendium of Nigerian Content Opportunities in the Oil and Gas Industry launched at the event. The projects and opportunities cover the upstream, midstream and downstream subsectors of the Nigerian oil and gas sector and were collated from presentations by various oil and gas companies at the first edition of NOGOF in 2017 and updated at workshops organised by the Board in October 2018.

    Wabote explained that the compendium was intended to create a database of Nigerian Content opportunities and help indigenous and potential investors prepare, improve their capacities and capabilities to participate in available and upcoming contracts and projects.

    He added that the compendium gives the industry a five-year outlook and enables stakeholders to key into those opportunities. The NCDMB chief said: “Two years ago when we held this workshop, we talked about ExxonMobil’s Ibot, Total’s Ikike and NLNG Train 7. Today, they are going through the funnel and within the next few weeks they would take Final Investment Decisions (FIDs) on Ikike and Ibot and before the end of the year they would take FID on Train 7. We focus and follow through on those opportunities. Every two years we roll on new opportunities and add to the compendium.”

    Kachikwu, who was just re-elected the President of the African Petroleum Producers Organisation (APPO) for a third term at the association’s meeting in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, also noted that the speedy development of the identified $100billion opportunities would require the roles and contributions of various entities including the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) for approvals, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for negotiations and the oil companies, who would take FIDs, among others.

    He promised that the Ministry of Petroleum Resources would midwife a special arrangement that would involve every agency of government and entity that has a role to play in the approval and development of the identified projects. “We must avoid a situation whereby NCDMB might work very fast and gets to the goal post and others are just taking off. We would create an arrangement that involves everybody and be clear about the deliverables, timelines and opportunities and bring out something which everyone can then drive.”

    On government’s support for modular refineries as a strategy for ending crude oil theft, vandalism and environmental degradation, Kachikwu said the Ministry of Petroleum would develop a policy that would encourage persons living in oil producing communities to form cooperatives, with which they can set up and own modular refineries. He said: “We would have some agreements with them to stop the sabotage. We can work with NCDMB to put in a bit of funding. Then we put in technical know-how, business structure around it and have a major shareholder who is an entrepreneur. That way the locals get to participate, get jobs, polish their skills sets, crude is paid for and not stolen and the environment is better dealt with.”

    Kachikwu expressed regret that the potentialities of the Nigerian oil and gas sector was not being maximised and advised stakeholders to accelerate their activities because oil is a fast degenerating asset and developed countries were already switching to cleaner energy options

    He praised Wabote for his numerous achievements, particularly for the construction of the Board’s 17-storey headquarters building. “The building is not just important to NCDMB but also for Bayelsa State, because it had cried out for long that federal presence was not here. This is a big federal presence. By the time they finish the power supply they are doing with Agip, you will have a near 100 per cent supply of power to most of the Board’s facilities.”

    Over 1000 delegates including attended the event. The Fair’s theme was: Maximizing oil & gas industry for the benefit of the Nigerian people.

  • Five years after, seven sacked workers return

    Five years after their sack, some Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Lagos State workers, who were reinstated in January, relived their fight for re-absorption. KOFOWOROLA BELO-OSAGIE reports.

    Theirs is a story of all is well that ends well. Five years after their sack, they were reinstated. To celebrate their return seven chartered accountants with Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) gathered friends, colleagues and members of various civil society organisations (CSOs) for a thanksgiving reception.

    Eight of them were sent away between October 2013 and December 2014 during the tenure of the immediate past Rector, Dr Kudirat Ladipo because “their services were no longer needed.”

    One of them, Basiru Adedeji, died before they were reabsorbed. He died in February, last year.

    At the thanksgiving reception, their leader Mr Olu Ibirogba, thanked CSOs like Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), Civil Liberties Organisaiton (CLO), Coalition Against Corrupt Leadership (CACOL), Centre for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) and the media for standing by them in their time of great need.

    “We are here today because of those of you, who have decided to lend helping hands to those who are in distress.  We are using this platform to thank our brothers and sisters for stretching their hands of assistance to us not asking for money to help us.  We thank God eight of us were sent away, but we are back at work,” he said.

    Ibirogba was the bursar when he was sacked in October 2013. Six others, Bamidele Ajinde (Chief Accountant); Olusola Dada (Chief Accountant), his wife, Gbemisola (Chief Accountant); Mopelola Ibitomi (Assistant Chief Accountant); Temilola Akinwusi (Assistant Chief Accountant) and the late Adedeji  were sent away a year later in September 2014.  Charles Akharayi (Chief Accountant), the eighth person, got his termination letter in December 2014.

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    They resumed on January 15, 2019. But Ibirogba was reinstated five months before others.

    Their  reinstatement followed the verdict of the National Industrial Court (NIC) last year. Ibirogba’s case was the first to be decided last June when Justice O. A. Obaseki-Osaghae directed YABATECH to reinstate him as bursar and pay damages of N21 million-apart from the payment of all his salaries and entitlement for the five-year period.This led to his being recalled in August 2018.

    Justice Obaseki-Osaghae had declared his sack null and void, and “in gross violation of Section 17 (3) of the Federal Polytechnic Act, extant civil service rules and an affront to the judgment of this court.”

    The Judge also directed that relevant law- enforcement agencies like the Police, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) should investigate Ibirogba’s allegations against Dr Ladipo’s administration.

    The cases against the other seven also went in their favour last December and the court asked them to be returned to their jobs with their monies paid. On their return, they were placed in new positions they would have attained if their appointment had not been terminated. Many, who were principal accountants, are now Chief Accountants or Assistant Chief Accountants.

    Ibirogba thanked the government for allowing due process to take its course. “We wrote to many influential Nigerians to help us; some did not do anything. But we thank God the present administration saw the letters written by CDHR, CLO and listened to them.  We are saying this so when you are in trouble you can go to them. We thank the relevant authorities-the government, the Governing Council of the College, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo,” he said.

    Ibirogba is now YABATECH’s Epe Campus Director-in charge of administrative matters for the institution. He was not reinstated as Bursar. Neither was he paid the N21 million based on an out-of-court settlement with the institution’s Governing Council. However, he said he was overjoyed that the eight workers were vindicated.

    “The most important thing is that we have been vindicated.  When the court says you have done the right thing and the relevant authorities of government have said you have done the right thing, I don’t want to pursue that.

    “We already have an agreement now.  It is the agreement we are trying to pursue its implementation.  They (Council) said they would not pay the punitive charges of N20 million and the legal fees of N1 million, but they would pay my entitlements as a principal officer, who has completed his tenure in instalments. That is what we are addressing now,” he said.

    Had he not spent five years in the trenches fighting for his job, Ibirogba said he would have used the time to undergo a Ph.D programme.

    “My first Masters was in 2000 before I joined YABATECH. My second Masters was from the University of Leeds before this issue came up.  I would have used that period to pursue my Ph.D, but I did not have the time and money,” he said.

    On his part, Mr Charles Akharayi said surviving the five years of job wilderness was due to the Grace of God.  He thanked the Governing Council led by Lateef Fagbemi for speeding their reinstatement.

    “It was through the grace of God that one was able to survive.We thank the Governing Council Chairman, Chief Lateef Fagbemi as well as the Management Team headed by the Rector, Olufemi Omokungbe.  They worked assiduously on the matter.  After series of meetings during which it was decided it should be written to withdraw from the court after the consent judgment (agreement to resolve the case), the Council Chairman directed that we should be called back to resume.  We are now doing the job and trying to fit into the system.Other workers are happy for us,” he said.

    Regarding the late Adedeji, Akharayi said the institution was still working on his entitlement which would be passed on to his family. “We are in touch with the family. We visited when his first child wedded 23rd of last month.  The Governing Council is still working on his entitlement and we are following up on it,” he said.

    With both she and her husband affected by the infamous sack, Mrs Gbemisola Dada described the period as a trying one for her family. “You can imagine both husband and wife being affected.  It was not easy.  We thank God it is now over,” she said.

    Speaking at the reception, the Rector, Mr Olufemi Omokungbe, an engineer, said the workers’ reinstatement was worth celebrating.

    “We also give glory to God that everything has come to an end.  Nobody can force anyone to retire at will.  What happened to you, I also experienced a part of it.  I salute your courage and give glory to God. The celebration you are having is worth celebrating.

    “Now that you are back, you have to join hands to work for the progress of the College,” he said.

  • Okowa and challenges of second term

    The governorship election has been won and lost in Delta State. Senior Correspondent Okungbowa Aiwerie examines the challenges that will confront Governor Ifeanyi Okowa in his second term.

    On May 29, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa will be sworn in for a second term as governor of Delta State, following his victory at the just concluded polls.

    Okowa’s administration has achieved modest success in many areas, especially in health, education, infrastructure and social investment schemes in his first tenure.

    Despite his successes, Okowa will face major challenges in two critical areas of politics and economy.

    An important challenge is the tact or lack of it in handling the potentially combustible issue of succession in 2023. Has the 2023 governorship race started in Delta State? No, not quite! But the contending political forces within the PDP are already jostling for vantage position in the race for 2023.

    Will Okowa honour the pact signed between Urhobo traditional rulers and his administration in the run-up to the just concluded elections?

    Or will he succumb to pressures from the Ijaws and Isoko minorities in Delta South Senatorial District, who have never assumed the gubernatorial office since the creation of Delta State, to ditch the rotational/zoning policy for zoning on the basis of ethnicity.

    At the January 2019 meeting with Urhobo traditional rulers, midwifed by ex-Gov James Ibori at the palace of Ohworode of Olomu, Ogbon Ogoni-Oghoro, Olomu, Ughelli South L.G.A., Okowa publicly pledged to support an Urhobo candidate in 2023, in line with the rotational principle of the PDP.

    His words: ”Our next governor will come from Urhobo land after my tenure in the spirit of equity. By God’s Grace I will support the cause of the Urhobo’s in producing the next governor after my tenure. God made it possible that our leader, Chief James Ibori, spent eight years in office.Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan also had eight years in office as our governor and by divine Providence,I am governor.”

    He added: “Because of the roles you are playing as respected traditional rulers, the trend should continue.”

    But, on the eve of Okowa’s second tenure, zoning is generating controversy, with the declaration by president of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC),  Peretubo Oweilaemi, that the zoning policy be scrapped in favour of zoning on the basis of ethnicity.

    The Ijaws are of the view that, having completed the zoning for the three senatorial districts, they should take over from the governor in 2023 while the Urhobos argue that the zoning  should continue from where it started, being Delta central, in 1999.

    The National coordinator of the Urhobo Youth Forum for Change (UYFC) Eshanekpe Israel, countered, saying that the chances of the people of the Delta central producing the next governor in 2023 is not negotiable.

    According to him, the political arrangement which has been existing since 1999 when the PDP came to power in Delta is still standing, vowing that nobody can change the arrangement in the state.

    Okowa won with landslide victories in the six state constituencies both ethnic groups control in Delta South senatorial district, unlike in Delta Central where the opposition APC made inroads, winning two state constituencies.

    These six Isoko/Ijaw state constituencies – Patani, Bomadi, Burutu,Warri South West, Isoko South and Isoko North – contributed immensely to the successes recorded by the PDP at the last general elections, and the ruling party will be unwilling to lose them to the opposition.

    Will Okowa defy Ibori and support the cause of the Ijaws and Isoko in a major gang up against the Urhobos? Or will he honour his promises? Only time will tell.

    Another major challenge that the Okowa administration will grapple with is paucity of funds to execute projects.

    Already, the lack of it is threatening critical projects, a situation further compounded by the alleged large number of political aides in his government, many aides disengaged from the Presidency after the defeat of ex-president Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 have and those recruited since 2015 have been given appointments.

    The paucity of funds to execute projects lies at the heart of a recent N7.9 billion loan request to the State legislature for approval.

    According to the letter, Okowa said there was urgent need for the state government to support some of its road contractors, in accessing financing to aid accelerated execution of critical projects before the onset of the rainy season.

    Okowa said the request had become expedient considering the almost N3 billion drop in Federation Accounts receipt in January 2009 when compared to December 2018, which had hindered planned disbursement to the contractors.

    He said most of the contractors were already on site and have generated payment certificate for works already executed, which were yet to be defrayed.

    The governor said the funds were required to make progress in project execution, adding that the state executive council at its meeting of February 5, 2019, considered and approved that the state government should support certain contractors for the state’s critical priority projects.

    What can be gleaned from the communication between the executive and legislature is the anaemic state of the state’s finances. A shortfall in the Federation Account receipts creates budgetary distortions in the State.

    Oghenejakporjabor Ikimi, National Coordinator, Center for the Vulnerable and Under Privileged (CENTREP), called for a reduction in the size of government, adding that the large number of political aides constitutes a drain on state finances.

    His words: ”I see paucity of funds as the major challenge facing Gov Okowa in his second tenure. And so I will advice that the size of his government be reduced. The State may not be able to afford a large executive council.  How can Okowa justify hiring over 5000 political aides when the Delta state judiciary lacks judges? It so bad that a judge in Delta is assigned two or three divisions. I speak from the vantage position of a lawyer who daily goes to court.”

    To tackle paucity of funds, Ikimi  suggested the sack of tax consultants, arguing that Delta Board of Internal Revenue (DBIR) is a specialised agency best equipped to deal with taxation in the state.

    He said that the Delta State government is violating state laws by appointing agents to assess and collect taxes of citisens in behalf of government.

    In 2017, the activist won judgement against Delta State Government on the use of tax consultants at a Delta High Court,Otor-Udu, Udu L.G.A. Although the matter has been appealed by government.

    He said: ”I took the Delta government to court over appointment of private tax collectors. It is wrong for a private person to collect tax on behalf of government.  Infact, it is an offence that attracts a three year jail term and a N50,000 fine. I took the State to court but rather than allowing DBIR to collect taxes they went on appeal. If government insists on using private tax collectors, I will advise they operate under the revenue board as agents or employees. Many of the taxes collected are not accounted for. Government does not know how has been assessed or how much is due them (government) as commission. If government is serious about meeting it’s funding challenge, it must allow the DBIR to function professionally and we will see a rise in IGR”.

    There is growing discontent over alleged lopsidedness in appointments and infrastructure  by government allegedly in favour of Anioma areas and his Ika kinsmen, in particular.

    In other words, for Okowa, the imperatives of balancing the expectations of the various ethnic groups in projects allocation and appointments is key to a successful second tenure in office.

    Reacting to the allegations, Ikimi blamed Okowa for continuing an undesirable trend started by Ibori and perpetuated by his successor Uduaghan.

    He said: ”This is our brand of politics. This shows our level of development politically. It has always been like that. When Ibori was in power he concentrated development in Oghara, his hometown. Uduaghan did the same thing in Abigborodo, someday the while will become developed. We do not know where the next governor after Okowa might have left office.”

  • Crime, criminals and our troubled humanity

    We have never had it this bad. The reality of terrible oddities in our lives. Strange acts wrought by people who seem ordinary.

    A man rapes his daughter. Another and his son take turns to rape a 13-year old who they put in the family way. The man’s wife is the poor girl’s aunt. An alfa rapes a physically challenged girl in a mosque and flees. Boys go after girls’ undergarments for money ritual. Human waste becomes edible in a money making ritual. A boy rapes his grandma.  Men sleep with minors in a bizarre assault on innocence. A man is found carrying a roasted human hand as if it is a trophy won in a sporting competition. Does he want to make a meal of it? Ah, the Clifford Orji days again.

    What is happening to the world, our world? Why do men commit these atrocities that make nonsense of our age-long claim to humanity? Mental depravity? Spiritual powers? Spiritual powers for what? Are such powers an end in themselves or a vehicle for some ends that are selfish and destructive? Why will a human being want to destroy others just for his own well-being, forgetting that the well-being of an individual becomes a Herculean task if the society is troubled in whatever way?

    Why? Money? A young man murders his girlfriend, digs a grave in his bedroom and buries her body there. But the ghost of former Ondo State Deputy Governor Lasisi Oluboyo’s daughter would not rest in peace. It tormented the hell out of her killer until the law hit him hard. Seidu Adeyemi is to die by hanging for her murder.

    A young man craves fame and riches. He gets into occultism, acquires some strange powers for cash, gets so rich, spends money with so much obscenity, revels in being called “Ezego” (king of money) and ends it all in a shocking manner. He dies just when the sun of his life begins to rise; sunset before noon. The end. Why?

    Is money – and its material benefits- all that is to life? Does joy actually spring forth from the fountain of cash? Can money buy happiness? The Holy Book enjoins us not to lay up for ourselves “treasures upon earth where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal…”.

    We still lay claim to our membership of the human community, but our sense of right and wrong is suspect. How do we halt the way we hurt ourselves? Why bend it when we should end it?

    It is not that Nigeria had been crime-free. No. Far from it. Criminals have been with us for ages – and they will remain with us anyway–. It is the heartless nature of today’s criminals that is worrisome as they battle to turn our world into a jungle in which there are no laws. All is fair. No fear.

    Those men of the underworld whose stories sound like Hollywood scripts handled by first class producers and actors must be surprised at the way their bloody records are being shredded by our new gangsters, mobsters and fraudsters.

    Some flashback into the hall of infamy. Salami Bello Jaguda was a Lagos musician who found fulfilment in crime. So popular was he in the nefarious trade that his name became synonymous with robbery and theft. He quit the bloody stage for the dreaded self-styled Dr Ishola Oyenusi (aka Dr Rob and Kill) who reigned from 1965 to 1971. His first reported major operation was on Herbert Macaulay Street, Yaba, Lagos Mainland where he snatched a car, killing the owner. Reason: his girlfriend was broke and needed money for her makeup. Thousands watched excitedly as Oyenusi was tied to the stakes and executed by a firing squad on the Lagos Bar Beach. The spectators had come to confirm his much rumoured invincibility. Oyenusi, according to the myth, possessed the power to be visible, invisible and invincible. Besides, his body was said to be impenetrable to bullets. It all turned out to be a myth. But the spectators confirmed that he was all smiles as the soldiers took position, awaiting the command, “fire!”.

    Oyenusi died. But his gang remained active, headed by second-in-command Isiaka Busari (aka Mighty Joe), who killed many in a savagery that also crashed before a firing squad on the Bar Beach.

    Horrible as it was, the Oyenusi saga had a redeeming feature. Kayode Williams, a member of the gang, later found Christ. He became the Bishop of the Christ Vessel of Grace Church and the Director-General of the Prison Rehabilitation Mission International (PREMI) after a 10-year jail term.

    Army deserter Youpelle   Dakuro is reputed to have masterminded the most vicious daylight robbery in Lagos in 1978. Babatunde Folorunso, Lt. Oyazimo and Mohammed Kolomi were dreaded names. But their exploits were nothing compared to those of Lawrence Nomayogbon Anini (aka The Law) and his deputy, Monday Osunbor. They killed several policemen before fate caught up with them. Before he was executed on March 29,1987, Anini, wheelchair bound – one of his legs had been amputated– sober and dejected, said of the fate that awaited him: “I am afraiding.” He also warned excited photographers to stop feasting on him. “E don do now”, he said, waving his hand.

    Those who thought the worse of the beasts had been seen off were wrong. Enter Shina Rambo. With Yemisi Akinsanmi,alias Yemo and Tony “Montana” Ikiagwu, Rambo rumbled through the 90s. He was notorious for striking in several places at the same time, driving snatched exotic vehicles in a long convoy all the way from Lagos to the Republic of Benin.

    Okwudili Ndiwe (aka Derico Nwamama) held Onitsha, Anambra State’s commercial city, and other parts of the East by the throat early 2000. A former “area boy” and pick pocket, he became the most dreaded gangster of his bloody time, smashing banks at will. The police on August 1,2013 gunned down Abiodun Egunjobi (aka Abbey Godogodo), who reportedly killed scores of policemen. His arsenal included 60 AK 47 rifles, which the police recovered. He reigned for 14 years.

    Henry Chibueze (aka Vampire), who terrorised Imo and neighbouring states, fell in March 2017. His gang was said to have murdered no fewer than 200 people, including the victims of the 2013 bloodshed in Igando on the outskirts of Lagos, among them his girlfriend, her expectant sisters and their children.

    Ruthless and brutal Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike (aka Evans) is on trial for kidnapping the rich and collecting ransom in hard currency. The police described him as Nigeria’s “cleverest” kidnapper who evaded arrest for seven years by using 126 mobile phone SIM cards.

    Anambra State Governor Willie Obiano has been in holiday mood since last week’s arrest of murder suspect Ikechukwu Udensi (aka Ikanda), whose gang  allegedly killed 38-year-old businessman Ndubuisi Nwokolo in Onitsha.

    Five Nigerians were arrested the other day in the United Arab Emirates after smashing their way into a currency exchange shop, injuring the staff and carting away some cash. Their fate hangs in the balance.

    Back home in the North, Boko Haram seems to be yielding the headlines to herdsmen-farmers violence. By the way, where the hell is the loudmouth Shekau? He hasn’t released a video for a long time. Now, the new criminals have no name; they are simply lumped together as bandits.

    Why are they killing in Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara, where the Federal Government has just banned mining? Is it all economic? Where are the guns coming from? Who exactly are these gangsters? Are they more powerful than the government? Why has it taken this long – and many lives of innocent Nigerians, including women and children – to think of reining in these murderers?

    Defence Minister Gen Mansur Dan-Ali has accused traditional rulers of aiding the criminals, leaking information on security moves to curtail them. He should do more. Any monarch who fuels the bloodshed does not deserve any respect. He should be seized like a common criminal and brought before the law.

    Our rich men have fled the Kaduna-Abuja highway for fear of being kidnapped. Train ride is it now. Kajuru, Kaduna State residents are crying for safety. Cultists are striking in Rivers State. Kidnappers have just let go of the Lagos Fire chief and others.

    The government should go after the big masqueraders behind these evil ventures. This should be part of the “tough decisions” President Muhammadu Buhari should take. Now.

    Coping with the heat wave

    The full effects of the prevailing heat wave are here. Sleepless and sweltering nights. Dry fields stripped of their seductive lush greenery. Dusty streets. Humming air conditioners shattering the peace of the workplace. Medical experts are warning of the effects on our health. Dermatologists are having fun, their clientele rising by the day.

    Trust Nigerians. Some are considering taking up insurance covers for their glittering skin. Others are checking the manifesto of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to see if it promised to install air conditioners on our streets. Could the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have turned the table if it had promised this?

    The scorching sun emits the heat that has turned our towns and cities into huge cauldrons. We are all sweating like bakers retrieving hot loaves of bread from the oven, with its burning charcoal. Young women are going about in bum shorts. Environmentalists are saying these are some of the effects of the global warming they have been warning against, asking the world to plant more trees.

    And this on the social media: “We sincerely apologise for the intense heat all over the world. This is due to the maintenance  going on in hell fire. The maintenance is imperative to accommodate more Nigerian politicians when the world eventually ends. We regret any inconvenience this may have caused. Signed. Angel Gabriel.”

  • ‘Ihedioha should deliver on campaign promises’

    A support group for good governance in Imo State has called on the Governor-elect, Emeka Ihedioha, to deliver on his campaign promises.

    The group staged a peaceful protest in Owerri, yesterday, to thank the people for voting for a new government.

    Edet Ekwe, Bolton Igboanugo, Jerome Nnadozie and Basil Okeoma, who spoke for the group, admonished Ihedioha to prioritise efforts that would address the people’s yearnings.

    The group noted that Ihedioha’s victory was one for the entire Imo people and would chart the way forward for the state.

    Read also: Tribunal orders substituted service on Ihedioha, PDP

    They were satisfied with the outcome of the general elections, stressing that under the incoming government, standard social infrastructures, quality health care, effective security, people-oriented policies, among others would be achieved.

    Igboanugo said: “It is our expectations that Ihedioha will deliver on his campaign promises. We trust him based on his antecedents and pray that he will do well to address the immediate needs and yearnings of the people.

    Ekwe added: “We decided to come out today having seen the massive support given to Ihedioha in the last election, to say thank you to the people.

    “Equally, we want to assure them that Ihedioha we know will not disappoint.”

  • Court rejects pro-Buhari group’s name in N40b suit against Atiku

    A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Apo, Abuja has struck out the name  of a group – the Buhari Campaign Organisation (BCO) from a N40 million libel suit filed by in the name of BCO and President Muhammad Buhari against the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last presidential election, Atiku Abubakar.

    In a ruling yesterday, Justice Binta Mohammed said the BCO, listed as the 2nd plaintiff, “is not known to law.”

    Justice Mohammed agreed with Atiku’s lawyer, Chukwuma-Machukwu Ume (SAN) to the effect that, not being a juristic person, BCO cannot sue or be sued.

    The ruling was on a motion by Atiku,  in which he sought for an order striking out BCO (the 2nd plaintiff/respondents) as a party in the suit on the grounds that it is not a juristic person that can sue or be sued in his name.

    Chukwuma-Ume, while moving the motion yesterday, urged the court to hold that the 2nd Plaintiff (BCO) is improperly joined as a party in the case.

    Read also: Atiku denies paying US lobby group $30,000 to stop Buhari’s inauguration

    He argued that for the suit to be properly constituted, so as to vest jurisdiction on the court, parties must be juristic persons known to law and competent.

    In the substantive suit,  the plaintiffs   accused Atiku and his aide, Phrank Shaibu of making several defamatory statement in the media, to the effect that Buhari used his position as the President and head of the government, to fraudulently acquire two private companies, Keystone Bank Plc and 9Mobile Communication Ltd for himself, his family members, and friends.

    The plaintiffs also stated that Atiku and his aide falsely claim to the effect that President Buhari acquired the said companies using his influence and the control he has over the head of parastatals or organisations that are connected with activities of the companies.

    They maintained that the unverified and false allegations it said was sponsored by Atiku, “caused grave pain, embarrassment”, to President Buhari, and thereby calling his (Buhari’s) integrity to question.