Buhari: We’ll hit 10,000MW power – NOT 20,000

President Muhammadu Buhari says his administration would generate 10,000 megawatts of distributable power over the next three years, against 20,000 promised. 

Speaking at the national economic council (NEC) retreat on Monday, the president said the power situation in the country is no longer a laughing matter. “Nigerians’ favourite talking point and butt of jokes is the power situation in our country. But, ladies and gentlemen, it is no longer a laughing matter,” he said. “We must and by the grace of God we will put things right. In the three years left for this administration we have given ourselves the target of ten thousand megawatts distributable power. “In 2016 alone, we intend to add two thousand megawatts to the national grid. This sector has been privatised but has yet to show any improvement in the quality of service.” Unveiling their plans for the nation during the campaign, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) promised to deliver 40,000 megawatts of electricity within four to eight years. “The APC government shall vigorously pursue the expansion of electricity generation and distribution of up to 40,000 megawatts in four to eight years,” the party said. Buhari added that the purpose of the retreat was to “generate immediate medium and long term, viable policy solutions to the economic challenge facing us at both the federal and state levels”. “From my information, issues worrying the public today are rise in food prices such as maize, corn, rice and garri. Lack of visible impact of government presence on agriculture, lack of agricultural import at affordable prices, cost of fertilizers, pesticides and labour compound the problem of faro,” he said. “When I was a school boy in the 50s, the country produced one million tonnes of groundnuts in two successive years. The country main foreign exchange earner, were groundnut, cotton, cocoa, palm kernel rubber, all agro/forest resources.” He highlighted “agriculture, power, manufacturing and housing,” as drivers of the economy, saying “I am not touching on the subject of education and science and technology because these require a whole retreat by themselves”.

RIP: Youth corps member killed in Rivers rerun

A youth corps member was killed in the violent legislative poll held in Rivers state at the weekend, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has announced. 

In a statement issued by the NYSC management on Monday evening, the name of the victim was given as Okonta Dumebi Samuel with corps number RV/15B/5539. Okonta, an orphan, was killed by unknown gunmen in Ahoada West LGA. Two other corps members with him at the time of the incident escaped from the scene through the help of security agents, the statement added. Okonta, who served at GCSS Ukpeliede, was described as a patriotic young man by the NYSC management who said his killing “is primitive, barbaric, and ungodly and should be strongly condemned by all well-meaning Nigerians”. It promised to work with relevant agencies to ensure that the perpetrators of “this heinous act” are fished out and made to face the full wrath of the law. “We consider Okonta Samuel’s death as a great loss, not only to his immediate family, but also to all of us in the NYSC family and the entire nation,” the statement added. In a much cheery development, another corps member, Anana Aniekan Udoetor, who was earlier reported missing, has been found and is “hale and hearty”, the NYSC said. A total of 6880 NYSC members served during the ill-fated rerun polls. In 2011, nine corps members who serves as ad hoc staff, were killed by rioters who were protesting the outcome of the presidential poll. The victims were: Teidi Tosin Olawale (Kogi state, BSc computer science); Nkwazema Anslem Chukwunonyerem (Imo state, HND electrical electronic engineering), Okpokiri Obinna Michael (Abia state, BSc environmental management), Adowei Elliot (Bayelsa state, BSc computer science) and Adewunmi Seun Paul (Ekiti state, BSc, social sciences). Others were: Adeniji Kehinde Jehleel (Osun state, BSc banking and finance), Gbenjo Ebenezer Ayotunde (Osun state, BSc, education economics), Ukeoma Ikechukwu Chibuzor (Imo state, BSc medical microbiology) and Akonyi Ibrahim Sule (Kogi State, HND business administration).

Saraki: N’assembly will debate PIB next week

Senate president Bukola Saraki says the senate and the house of representatives will begin the debate of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) next week. 

Saraki made this revelation in Abuja on Monday, while speaking at a business environment roundtable on the economy, adding that both legislative chambers were working on the bill. “We are both committed. We have both come out with our agenda and as part of this commitment, you will all see next week, when we lay the petroleum industry governance bill,” Saraki said. “You will see that the bill we are going to lay in the house is the same bill we are going to lay in the senate because for the first time, we are committed to work together as one to achieve results. “The national assembly has in tandem made these the vision, the anchor-point of its legislative agenda but we know that being a mere agenda is not enough, that no mantra or talk can make this happen without commensurate purposeful action.” He said the laws guiding the viability of businesses in Nigeria are obsolete, and due for a review to ease doing business in within the country. “We have gone this route because we believe that if we deliberately involve and continuously engage our people in lawmaking, the edicts and policies we make will be greatly enriched and accepted having been a product of collective consensus,” he said. Yakubu Dogara, speaker of the house of representatives, backed Saraki, saying investors must be encouraged to move the economy from a “standstill”. On his part, Tony Elumelu, president of Heirs Group and Chairman of United Bank for Africa (UBA), urged Saraki, Dogara and other lawmakers to review the land use act and pass a new law in that regard. “What we do in Nigeria will set example for other African countries and the national assembly will help a great deal by moving away from talking to passing the legislation that would help to move the nation’s economy forward,” he said. Paul Idornigie, a business expert, said for the eighth national assembly to be judged as successful, it must pass 15 identified critical bills to enhance the ease of doing business in Nigeria.

We stand by Buhari’s statement on Chibok girls –Presidency

The Presidency says it stands by President Muhammadu Buhari’s last statement on the over 200 girls abducted from their school in Chibok, Borno State in 2014. The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said in an interview with our correspondent on Monday the Presidency had not changed its position on the matter. Adesina said, “We stand by what the President said on the matter the last time he spoke on it, especially during the last media chat. “Whenever there is a development on the matter, we will make it known to Nigerians.” Buhari had during his presidential media chat on December 30, 2015 admitted that none of the nation’s security agencies had any information on the whereabouts of the girls, saying that was “the honest truth”. Buhari said, “There is no such intelligence reports of where those girls are physically are and in what condition they are in, but what we believe in from our intelligence is that they (their abductors) keep shifting them around so that they are not taken by a surprise until the girls are freed, and they are not being kept in one place.” He reiterated that the Federal Government would negotiate with any credible leadership of the sect that could tell him the whereabouts of the girls. The girls were kidnapped by Boko Haram from Government Secondary School, Chibok in April 2014 during the Goodluck Jonathan administration. Buhari had in his inaugural address on May 29 shortly after taking over from Jonathan said the terrorism war could never be said to have been won without rescuing the Chibok girls. Meanwhile, the acting Director, Defence Information, Brig.- Gen. Rabe Abubakar, said the focus of the military was to defeat Boko Haram. He said that the military was determined to ensure that those being held captive by the terrorists, not only the Chibok girls, were released. Abubakar said, “Nigerians and our foreign partners know the unprecedented success we have recorded in recent time in the campaign against the insurgency in the North-East. “Many people have been rescued. We are determined to ensure that those being held captive, not only the Chibok girls, are all released. Our focus is to ensure that we do our best in the fight insurgency.”

Fayose dares Buhari to declare ‘state of emergency’ in Rivers, Ekiti

Ayo Fayose, governor of Ekiti state, says he is waiting for President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a state of emergency in Ekiti and Rivers states as being rumoured. 

 Several Ekiti lawmakers are currently being detained by the Department of State Services (DSS) allegedly to force them to impeach Fayose. Meanwhile, the rerun legislative elections in Rivers state were marred with violence, leading to several deaths and the arrest of the secretary to the state government, Kenneth Kobani, by the army. Fayose spoke to the media on Monday after the opening of the National Economic Council (NEC) retreat on the economy at the presidential villa, Abuja. He said: “They have been insinuating that (state of emergency) too in Ekiti. We have been waiting for them. Power has gone beyond the leaders, power has gone back to the people. “There are certain things leaders will do today, you will eat it tomorrow. “You want to declare state of emergency, declare it and we will tell you that the state of emergency will not work too. This country belongs to all of us.” He described the Rivers situation as “a service of ego” of some individuals who believe they have control on the federal government. “I want to condemn the election in Rivers state. I want to condemn the militarisation,” he said. “Like I said to some people yesterday, if say Ekiti election nobody was slapped, nobody died, the person defeated congratulated the winner, do we now call this Rivers election Rivers of Bloodgate? “Because for a peaceful election in Ekiti and this in Rivers, the military has got no business in our election. “Now, I want to say that if you watch the trend, PDP has always won all the elections after the annulment. Which means what happened in Rivers is just a service of ego of some individuals who believe they have Nigeria in their pockets, they can call the president at will to deploy the military and it is unfortunate that somebody would allow the military to kill his own people. “I strongly condemn the elections in Rivers and charge that we sustain the legacy of transparent elections. “For me in Ekiti, we learned from that and we are prepared. We prepare for election everyday and we are fully prepared.” Follow us on twitter @CRYSTALRAINBOW0

Ese: Yunusa gets N3m bail

The Federal High Court sitting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, on Monday granted Yunusa Dahiru, alias Yellow, bail. Yunusa is being tried in the court for alleged abduction and forcefully marrying a 14-year-old Ese Oruru from Bayelsa State. Yunusa, who hails from Kano State, is standing trial on five counts of abduction, illicit sex and unlawful carnal knowledge of Ese. The court, presided over by Justice H.A. Ngajiwa, resumed in Yenagoa to rule on a bail application filed by Yunusa’s five-man team of lawyers, led by Mr. Kayode Olaosebikan. The judge ruled that the offences committed by Yunusa were bailable. He then asked the suspect to provide N3m, two sureties who are resident within the court’s jurisdiction and a written undertaking that he would not jump bail. As part of the conditions for the bail, one of the sureties must be a renowned title holder and a public servant on Grade Level 12 who must provide evidence of first appointment and promotion letters. The judge further directed that the sureties must provide their tax clearance certificates. Ngajiwa’s verdict was based on an application deposed to by the defendant and supported by a seven-paragraph affidavit in line with the rules of the court on whether or not Yunusa was entitled to bail. The judge said the application averred that the grounds for bail were within the discretion of the court and in exercising that discretion, the court must act judicially and judiciously. The judge stated that Yunusa’s lawyers in the application argued that the suspect was innocent until proved guilty, noting that Yunusa had no records of criminal behaviour and was not likely to jump bail. The lawyers argued that since the offence was bailable and there were people who were ready to stand surety for the suspect, Yunusa was entitled to bail. Ngajiwa also faulted a 10-paragraph application opposing the bail filed by the prosecution. He said the argument of the prosecution that the accused person would not come for trial since he is not resident in the state was defective and would not stop the granting of the bail. He cited sections 158 and 162 of the Administration of the Criminal Justice Act and section 36 (5) of the Nigerian Constitution, 1999, as amended, and insisted that the felonies committed by Yunusa were bailable.

Reduction in salaries’ll curb do-or-die politics –Murray-Bruce

The senator representing Bayelsa-East senatorial district, Ben Murray-Bruce, says the huge salary of politicians is responsible for electoral violence. Murray-Bruce asked Nigerians to advocate for a reduction in salaries for political office holders. Reacting to a statement credited to a former governor of Oyo State, Adebayo Alao-Akala, in which the former governor reportedly said he was happy to have lost in the last election because of the dwindling allocation to states, Murray-Bruce said it was apparent that money was the major reason why politicians contest elections. In a series of tweets on his official Twitter handle on Saturday, the senator said, “This (Alao-Akala’s statement) vindicates my argument that money drives do-or-die politics. Close the treasury and do-or-die politics would end. “If you really want to bid farewell to do-or-die politics, Nigerians must vehemently push for a ‘demonetization’ of politics at all levels. Money drives do-or-die elections. Those states with dwindling federal allocations will soon experience a decline in do-or-die politics. “Do-or-die politics thrive because the president and governors have too much power over the treasury of their states. Remove that and it will end.” Meanwhile, a political counsellor with the British High Commission in Abuja, Ben Llewellyn Jones, has asked the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress to investigate their members’ involvement in the violence that marred Saturday’s rerun election in Rivers State. Jones, who described the violence as unacceptable, said the Edo State governorship election should be better than that of Rivers. “Both major parties should investigate the disruption in the Rivers rerun and discipline their supporters as involved. Either way, what can be done now to make conduct of Edo September governorship election better? “If legislators salaries were cut, would the desire for violence at Rivers rerun collapsed like the tent of the Independent National Electoral Commission yesterday (Saturday)? The violence yesterday was unacceptable. In places, I saw only 10 percent of people willing to risk voting during the election,” he stated on his official Twitter page on Sunday.

Troops kill B’Haram commander, 18 others in Borno

The troops of the Nigerian Army have killed one of the top of commanders of the Boko Haram sect during an operation on Sunday. The Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, said in a statement on Monday that the commander, referred to as the Ameer of Dalore, was killed alongside 18 others during a clearing operation carried out by elements of 22 Brigade Garrison. Usman said that the troops also rescued 67 hostages from the Boko Haram sect. According to him, the troops captured two AK-47 Rifles, one Small Machine Gun and one Hand Grenade and recovered four Pickup vehicles. He said, “Elements of 22 Brigade Garrison carried out a clearing operation at Dalore camp on Sunday in which they killed 19 Boko Haram terrorists, among whom was Ameer of Dalore. “The troops also captured two AK-47 Rifles, one Small Machine Gun and one Hand Grenade. The troops also recovered four Pickup vehicles. “The troops also rescued 67 hostages from the terrorists. The freed hostages are undergoing screening at the Internally Displaced Persons camp in Dikwa.” Similarly, the Director, Information and Public Relations, the Nigerian Air Force, Capt. Ayodele Famuyiwa, said in a statement that a suspected logistics base of the insurgents at Allagarno, Borno, was struck by fighter jets of the NAF on Friday. Famuyiwa said that the Allagarno base, target of the insurgents, was carefully selected for the aerial offensive after surveillance and reconnaissance by the Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles of the NAF. He said that the operation was successfully executed to support the effort of the ground troops to further degrade the fighting capacity of the Boko Haram sect. He said that the Allagarno target was most likely an ammunition dump, a fuel depot or a facility for inflammable materials expected to create logistic problems for terrorists operating in that axis. Famuyiwa said that the attack was a follow-up to previous missions of the NAF to the Sambisa Forest, Kumshe, Iza and other enclaves of the insurgents.

NNPC owes Federation Account N4.9tn – RMAFC

Available records show that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation owe the Federation Account a total of N4.9tn in unremitted funds, the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission has said. The Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation recently said that the NNPC had not remitted N3.2tn, a report that was denied by the corporation. The corporation instead put the unremitted funds at N326bn. But in a new twist on Monday, the RMAFC said between January 2011 and December 2015, the funds not remitted to the Federation Account by the NNPC amounted to N4.9tn. In a statement issued in Abuja, the RMAFC’s spokesperson, Mr. Ibrahim Mohammed, said the figure of N3.2tn was from the 2014 Annual Audit Report obtained from the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee’s Technical Sub-Committee on Domestic Crude Oil Sales and Reconciliation Statement as contained in the NNPC’s mandate to the Central Bank of Nigeria. However, Mohammed said, “Available records at the commission’s disposal indicate that between January 2011 and December 2015, the total indebtedness of the NNPC to the Federation Account was N4.9tn, a figure that included the NNPC’s claims for subsidy on petroleum products, crude and product losses, strategic reserves and pipeline maintenance cost.” The RMAFC spokesman added that while the AUGF’s report claimed that the corporation owed the sum of N3.2tn to the Federation Account in 2014 from domestic crude sale, the commission’s records revealed that the NNPC owed the sum of N1.99tn for the year from domestic crude sales. Therefore, the figure quoted by the Auditor-General of the Federation must have included revenues from other sources, Mohammed said. He added, “With regard to the alleged payment of $235m realised from the sale of natural gas into an undisclosed escrow account by the NNPC, the NNPC on behalf of the NLNG had entered into agreements with three International Oil Companies i.e. Nigeria Agip Oil Company, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria and Total E&P Nigeria Limited under a Modified Carry Agreement, proceeds from which are deposited in escrow accounts for funding the various gas projects under the NLNG. “The total amount transferred to the various accounts from 2012 to November 2015 was $1.62bn. The commission, through the FAAC Post Mortem, has consistently requested the NNPC to provide it with updated financial statements on the projects, but the NNPC has yet to respond. “The commission has been working with the NNPC to reconcile the figures following a tripartite meeting held with the NNPC, Federal Ministry of Finance and the RMAFC in December 2015, where it was agreed that in view of the subsidy and other claims by the NNPC, the forensic audit of the NNPC was very critical in establishing which party was actually indebted to the other.” Mohammed added that the forensic audit was expected to be concluded by the end of March. In a response to the declaration of the AGF to the National Assembly last week Monday that the NNPC failed to remit the sum of N3.2tn to the Federation Account for the period ended December 31, 2014, the firm stated that the auditor- general was incorrect. The NNPC, in a document signed by its Group Executive Director/Chief Financial Officer, Finance and Accounts, Mr. Isiaka Abdulrazaq, said the AGF’s declaration was inaccurate. He had said, “The Auditor-General of the Federation’s declaration is erroneous. It should also be noted that although this period is before the new NNPC management was appointed in August 2015, the management still deems it fit and important to correct any misinformation about the activities of the corporation as this will adversely affect its current and future financial and operational plans if not corrected. “The declaration by the AGF may have been born out of a misunderstanding of how revenues from crude oil and gas sales are remitted into the Federation Account.” Explaining how the funds were utilised, the corporation stated that as part of its responsibilities, the NNPC was getting an allocation of 445,000 barrels of crude oil per day for processing into petroleum products, which would be distributed across the country. It said any unprocessed crude was sold and the proceeds used to pay for the importation of petroleum products. It stated that the proceeds from the sale of these products were remitted to the Federation Account after deducting the cost associated with their supply and distribution. The costs, it said, included subsidy on petroleum products. The NNPC argued that it was entitled to claims on subsidy from petroleum products sold at government regulated prices, whether imported or locally refined.

FG hasn’t dropped charge against Orubebe – CCT

The Code of Conduct Tribunal said on Monday that the Federal Government had not dropped the charge it preferred against a former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Godsday Orubebe, as being speculated in some sections of the media. The Head, Press and Public Relations of the CCT, Mr. Ibraheem Al-hassan, said in a statement that the case was ongoing, contrary to reports in some newspapers and online platforms indicating that the charge against the former minister had been dropped. Al-hassan explained that the Federal Government had only at the last proceedings on March 8, substituted the former charges with a new one. The CCT’s statement read, “Our attention at the Code of Conduct Tribunal has been drawn to recent publications from some sections of mass media, indicating that the Federal Government has withdrawn charges against former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Godsday Peter Orubebe. “The tribunal is compelled to refute the said publications, specifically contained in ThisDay and Leadership newspapers and online media, dated March 21, 2016. “The purported withdrawal is said to be based on the case being fundamentally defective. “Pursuant to the above, the CCT advises that, to the best of our knowledge and based on available records as of the time of this report, the information is misleading, distortive, as such it should be ignored. “The case of Mr. Godsday Peter Orubebe before the CCT in charge N0. CCT/ABJ/02/15 is still ongoing. “What transpired in court in the last session held on March 8, 2016 was a substitution of the initial charge with a newly filed charge by the prosecution, of which leave was sought from and granted by the tribunal. Thus, there is no withdrawal of the case by the prosecution.” The Federal Government had on March 8 amended the charges it preferred against Orubebe before the CCT in October last year. The amendment saw the number of the original counts filed against Orubebe reduced from four to one. In the former charges, the first two counts bordered on false assets declaration, while the other two counts related to bribery. Only one count bordering of false assets declaration was retained in the new charge. In the former charges, Orubebe was accused of accepting N50m bribe from one Pastor Jonathan Alota, on September 19, 2012, and additional N20m from the same person sometimes in 2013 for the award of contract in favour of his (Alota’s) company, Chemtronics Nigeria Limited. He was also accused of having failed to declare Plot 2722 Kyamu and Plot 2059 in Asokoro District, both in Abuja, on assumption of office and on leaving. The prosecution has however removed Plot 2722 Kyamu District in the new charge. Lead prosecuting counsel, Mr. Mohammed Diri, told the Danladi Umar-led CCT on Tuesday that the amended charge was dated March 7, 2016, but filed on March 8. He said the amended charge was filed in line with provisions of Section 214 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015. Diri said it was served in the defence some moments before the proceedings began last Tuesday. The lead defence counsel, Mr. Selekowei Larry (SAN), did not oppose the amendment. The tribunal subsequently accepted the new charge and struck out the former ones. The tribunal chairman also directed the fresh charge to be read to the defendant. Orubebe pleaded not guilty to the one count. The prosecution alleged in the new charge that Orubebe failed to declare his Plot 2057, Asokoro District, Abuja, when he assumed office as Minister of Niger Delta Affairs on September 26, 2007 and on leaving office on June 29, 2011. The offence was said to have flouted the provisions of Section 15 of Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act and punishable under section 23(2) of the same Act.

65-year-old accused of stealing phone, N4,000

Martin Nnaemeka, a 65-year-old man, has been remanded in prison over alleged theft of an Infinix phone valued at N29, 000. The suspect, according to the Police Prosecutor, Sergeant Jimah Iseghede, stole the phone and the sum of N4000 from one Elvis Recent Nathaniel. He added that the suspect who was with a gun and other offensive weapons stopped and robbed the victim of the items, on January 26, along Ibe road, Ile- Iwe bus stop, Isolo. The offence is contrary to, and punishable under Section 295(2) of the criminal law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2011. Miss Okpe Agbe the Magistrate of the Ebute- Metta Magistrate Court, where the suspect was arraigned, rejected his not guilty plea and ordered that he be remanded in prison. The Magistrate, however, adjourned the matter till April 12 for Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP)’s legal advice.

Strike: We can’t be intimidated —Ogun workers

•We may apply ‘no work, no pay rule’ —Govt

STRIKING workers in Ogun State, on Tuesday, said

they cannot be intimidated by any form of threat

from the government to return to work, as the

industrial action enters the third day.

The workers noted that a directive issued by

government on Monday asking civil servants to

report to their offices and that registers would be

opened at various Ministries, Departments and

Agencies for attendance should be ignored.

Addressing newsmen at the Nigeria Union of

Journalists (NUJ), Iwe-Irohin Hall, the state Chairman

of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating

Council, Comrade Abiodun Olakanmi, urged workers

to disregard all efforts of the government to

intimidate them, insisting that the strike continues

until further notice.

Olakanmi, flanked by the chairmen of the Nigeria

Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress,

Comrades Akeem Ambali and Olubunmi Fajobi

respectively, maintained that organised labour in

the state would not submit to cheap propaganda on

the part of the government.

The labour leader said, “The JNC hereby states

categorically that all machinations of the state

government to intimidate workers and coerce them

to submission and servitude be disregarded.

“Under no condition would the organised labour in

the state submit to cheap propaganda being peddled

by the government.

“It should be mentioned that until the government

remit all deductions from workers’ salaries, there is

no going back.

“The JNC, therefore, call on workers to reject

outrightly the threatening message being circulated

by the state government directing workers to report

to work. You are advised to keep calm and stay at

home until the strike is called off by labour leaders

in the state.”

Meanwhile, there was a little skirmish in the early

hours of Tuesday during a peaceful rally by the

labour leaders, as police arrested two members of

the union.

One of the members was said to be handcuffed and

they fired canisters at the other members to

disperse the crowd.

On the incident, Olakanmi explained that the rally

monitored by men of the Quick Rapid Response

Squad was peaceful and that he could not explain

what led to the firing of the canisters.

He told newsmen that the Secretary to the State

Government (SSG), Mr Taiwo Adeoluwa, addressed

them within the government secretariat on the strike

issue.

Olakanmi said that those arrested had been

released and that item collected was also returned

to them.

The SSG, in an interview with journalists, denied any

form of maltreatment on the part of the police to the

workers, adding that government may employ the

‘no work no pay rule.’

“I was there this morning. The police conducted

themselves in a civil and responsible manner. I was

there to preach peace with the labour leaders on the

need to show understanding on some of the issues

raised.

“However, the workers, sensing that the strike had

failed, went round the offices to physically assault

the staff to return home. They were frustrated

because their plan had failed,” Adeoluwa said.

Asked why government reneged on the MoU signed

with the workers on January 25, the SSG said there

was no agreement between the state workforce and

government that had not been fulfilled.

Court adjourns Seriki vs Olubadan-in-Council suit till April 14

OYO State High Court, on Tuesday, adjourned the
two cases filed by the Seriki chieftaincy line in
Ibadanland seeking approval of the court to strike
out the names of dead defendants and a motion to
set aside the recent promotions of some chiefs in
the Olubadan-in-Council till April 14, for arguments.
The suits were numbered: I/421/2007 and
I/149/2016.
In the two applications presented before the High
Court by counsel to the Seriki chieftaincy line, G.A.
Adeniran, before Justice Munta Abimbola, dated
February 16 and filed March 1, 2016 sought the
approval of the court to strike out the names of the
first, second, third, fourth and sixth defendants in
the case.
They are the late Olubadan, Oba Samuel Odulana
Odugade 1; High Chief Omowale Kuye; High Chief
Sule Omiyale; Chief Adeleke Ajani and Chief Busari
Alarape.
The presiding justice who is also the Chief Justice of
Oyo State, Justice Abimbola, struck out the names of
the dead defendants for necessary amendments
when the defendants’ counsel, Michael Lana, pose
no objection to the application.
In the second application, marked I/149/2016, the
Seriki line prayed the court to compel the Olubadan-
in-Council to obey the 2008 injunction restraining
them from elevating any high chief to the position of
the Olubadan of Ibadanland.
The claimants also joined the Oyo State governor,
the Attorney General of the state and members of
the Olubadan-in-Council in the case.
The second motion moved by G.A. Adeniran, dated
February 16, 2016 and filed on March 1, 2016,
sought to set aside the appointments or promotion
made in the Olubadan-in-Council by the late Oba
Odulana, including the recent installation of Oba
Saliu Adetunji, as well as the approval of the state
governor for the appointments.
But defence counsel, Lana, said the two cases should
be consolidated because they focused on the same
objective or goal that Seriki wanted to produce the
next Olubadan. 

OPPOSITION CHASER: FG reduces charges against former minister, Orubebe, to one

THE Federal Government, on Tuesday, withdrew the four-count charge slammed against the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Peter Orubebe, replacing it with a one-count charge. The Federal Government had, in October last year, preferred a four-count charge, bordering on false assets declaration and demanding and collection of bribe of about N 70 million against the former minister. However, at the resumed hearing on Tuesday, counsel for the Federal Government and the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mohammed Diri, in oral application, withdrew the charge sheet earlier filed against Orubebe and replaced it with an amended one-count charge. He told the court that the application to amend the charge against the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs was brought pursuant to section 216 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015. Orubebe’s counsel, Selekeowei Larry, did not object to the amendment of the charge, reducing it from four to one-count charge and the Tribunal chairman, Justice Danladi Yakubu Umar, consequently struck out the charge filed on October 8, 2015 and replaced it with an amended charge filed on Tuesday before the Tribunal. The amended one-count charge against Orubebe read: “That you, Godsday Peter Orubebe, on or about June 29, 2015, while being a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in charge of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Tribunal, did make a false declaration of assets to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) when you failed to declare Plot 2057, Asokoro District, Abuja on assumption of office on September 26, 2007 and on leaving office (at the end of your tenure on June 29, 2011) and you, thereby, committed an offence contrary to section 15 of Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act Cap C15 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and punishable under Section 23 ( 2) of the same Act.” Orubebe pleaded not guilty to the single count charge when it was read out to him and the prosecution counsel asked the court for a date to commence trial, adding also that the prosecution intended to call three witnesses to prove the allegation against the former minister. It will be recalled that the Federal Government arraigned the former minister over alleged N70 million bribe and false declaration of assets, to which he pleaded not guilty. He was also alleged to have, while in office, asked for and accepted a bribe of N50 million from one Pastor (Dr) Jonathan Alota, for the contract awarded in favour of his company. In the fourth count, Orubebe was alleged to have while being the minister, in 2013, asked for and accepted N20 million from one Pastor (Dr) Jonathan Alota as additional bribe for the contract awarded in favour of his company for the construction of skill acquisition Centre at Edo State for 1,799,914,251.88 and thereby, committed an offence contrary to section 10 of CCB & T Act as incorporated under paragraph 18 of part 1 fifth schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

EFCC searches Badeh’s house, recovers $1m cash

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has recovered $1m cash from one of the houses belonging to the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh(retd.), The PUNCH has learnt. Our correspondent learnt the money was recovered after detectives searched a mansion located at 6, Ogun River Street, Maitama, Abuja. A detective at the EFCC, who did not want his name in print, said, “We have seized several properties belonging to Badeh. A few days ago, we returned to the mansion located at 6, Ogun River Street, Maitama. “In the presence of several witnesses, including neighbours, we searched the house and recovered $1m in cash. The money has been lodged as evidence.” When our correspondent visited the mansion on Sunday, the EFCC seal was seen on the gate, with the warning, ‘EFCC, Keep off!” written all over the fence. The property, which is said to be worth over N1.1bn, is one of the five properties seized from the ex-defence chief. Some of the properties were said to have been purchased, renovated and furnished for a son of the former CDS, Alex Badeh (Jnr.). Badeh also allegedly bought a commercial plot of land at Plot 1386, Oda Crescent, Cadastral Zone A07, Wuse II, Abuja for N650m. They were said to have paid N878m for the construction of a shopping mall at Plot 1386, Oda Crescent, Cadastral Zone A07, Wuse II, Abuja, and another sum of N304m to complete the construction. The anti-graft agency also accused them of paying N260m to purchase a duplex at No. 19 Kumasi Crescent, Wuse II, Abuja, for Badeh’s son. The sum of N60m was said to have been paid for the renovation of the property and another N90m to furnish the property. The retired Air Force officer also allegedly paid N330m to one Honourable Bature to purchase a duplex at No. 14 Adzope Crescent, Off Kumasi Crescent, Wuse II, Abuja. They were also accused of paying N240m to Rabiu Isyaku Rabiu to buy a semi-detached duplex at No. 8A Embu Street, by Sigma Apartment, Wuse II, Abuja. They also allegedly renovated a private property at No. 2, Nelson Mandela Street, Asokoro, Abuja, with N62m. In the charges, signed by EFCC’s Deputy Director, Legal and Prosecution Department, Aliyu Yusuf, the anti-graft agency alleged that Badeh removed the sum of N3.9bn from the accounts of the Nigerian Air Force. But Badeh had, last week, denied ownership of the properties seized by the anti-graft agency. Badeh, who has remained in the EFCC custody since February 8, has been charged along with a firm, Iyalikam Nigeria Limited, before Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja. He is set to appear in court on Monday (today).

Fayose threatens to bar DSS from Govt House over itss ruthless acts

Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has threatened to bar the Department of State Services from the Government House and other government establishments in the state. The governor stated this in his reaction to the alleged invasion of the Ekiti State House of Assembly by the DSS on Friday. Two members of the Assembly, Mr. Afolabi Akani, who represents Efon Alaye Constituency, and the representative of Ado Ekiti Constituency 1, Mr. Musa Arogundade, were allegedly arrested by the DSS. The DSS was also said to have arrested Mr. Ropo Ogunjobi, who was recently sacked by the governor as the Chairman of the Internal Revenue Board. But the police in the state said they were not aware of any invasion of the Assembly. Spokesman for the police in the state Alberto Adeyemi said, “The command is not aware of any invasion by the DSS. You may speak with the DSS for clarification.” However, a DSS official told our correspondent on Sunday that Akanni and Arogundade, as well as the Commissioner for Finance, Chief Toyin Ojo; Special Assistant on Works, Odunayo Talabi (Arinka); and Ogunjobi had been invited by the DSS through its Ekiti State office. The source said, “Through one of our men in the assembly, we got in touch with Akanni, who came to the DSS’s office. There is no way the DSS operatives could storm the assembly with arms to arrest anyone when there are armed policemen on guard.” The invitation of the lawmakers, it was learnt, was aimed at ascertaining their involvement in the alleged fraud in the last governorship election in the state. A former Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state, Dr. Temitope Aluko, had alleged that former President Goodluck Jonathan gave Fayose $35m to prosecute the election. Aluko also alleged that Jonathan gave Fayose another $2m to enable him to win the PDP governorship primary. Fayose was the candidate of the PDP during the election and it was alleged that he used the money to manipulate the security agencies to return to power for the second time. The governor has repeatedly denied the allegations. Fayose, in a statement on Sunday by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, said he would not succumb to intimidation. The governor said, “The government of Ekiti State may have to reconsider the usefulness of men of the DSS in the Government House and other institutions of the state government.” He added, “If (President Muhammadu) Buhari likes, let him relocate all DSS men in Nigeria with the entire ammunition in their armoury to Ekiti, the will of Ekiti people can never be broken. They will only try, and like they have always done, they will fail because dictatorship has never triumphed over the people. Even Buhari’s dictatorship between 1984 and 1985 ended one day and Nigerians will also outlive his current dictatorship.” Fayose claimed the DSS under Lawal Daura had abandoned its core mandate of providing intelligence for internal security. He said, “Instead of assisting the police, military and other security agencies with classified matters, we now have a DSS that is running after perceived opponents of the president, arresting goat and fowl thieves as well as husbands who assaulted their wives. “If the DSS was alive to its responsibilities, we won’t be having Boko Haram insurgents killing Nigerians. All these kidnappings and Fulani herdsmen’s killings, raping and destroying farmlands in the South-West, South-East and North-Central zones in the country would have been nipped in the bud.” He said the same way President Buhari used the National Security Organisation headed by Ambassador Mohammed Lawal Rafindadi from Katsina State was the same way the President had been using the DSS headed by another of his kinsman, Lawal Daura, to harass, oppress and intimidate Nigerians. The governor said, “It is obvious that democracy in Nigeria is becoming unsafe at the hands of Buhari and his APC and those keeping silent now because of politics may also end up in the belly of this roaring lion that is threatening to consume our democracy. “Therefore, Nigerians and the international community should take special notice of the use of the DSS and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to muscle opposition. “As for me, I wish to say once again that I am not among those Nigerians that are afraid of harassment by any agency of the Federal Government.” Meanwhile, the PDP in the state also criticised the development. In a statement by the state Publicity Secretary, Mr Jackson Adebayo, Sunday, the party said the invasion had shown that Buhari had not discarded his dictatorial tendency.

Buhari’s govt still learning —Mohammed

Dr Junaid Mohammed, a frontline Northern politician and member of the National Assembly in the Second Republic, speaks with KOLA OYELERE on President Muhammadu Buhari’s perceived slow pace, the call for a national economic summit, and sundry issues. Excerpts:

-*How  would you analyse events in the country
since the 2015 general election and why?*-

I think it is very difficult to analyze anything within
the short period of time this present government
came into power. To me, eight months is too early to
assess the success or failure of any administration.
The reality we are confronted with is that, no matter
how good your programmes are, no matter how
competent the people you bring into government
are, and no matter how sincere and well-meaning
they are, when you begin a new administration, you
automatically inherit the good, the bad and the ugly.
You inherit the consequences of mismanagement,
corruption, impunity and what have you.
What is confronting this administration is simply that
there was division within the party, the government
and the Presidency. However, when you are going
into an election, it is not enough to plan to win, you
have to prepare yourself very well, so that within a
short possible time, you can take care of the garbage
of the past and prepare to tackle your new
administration. I think the government is learning;
they are learning the hard way, and sadly.
Even if there were no issues and no challenges from
the government, the fact is that the emergence of
this government coincided with oil prices collapse.
Some countries are in recession and Nigeria is
fundamentally an oil-producing country. We rely on
oil for most of our internal dollar
denominationatory revenues and when those who
buy our oil cease to do so, the economy will not be
favourable, coupled with the fact that we have
massive corruption institutionalised in the system.
Therefore, nobody should have expected anything
different.
As if that was not enough, we have a major security
crisis in the North-East, and security challenges
particularly in the North-Central and North-West,
even down South, too. We have been taught that
whenever you have prolonged security crisis,
economic crisis will invariably follow. In addition to
the Boko Haram problem in the North-East, we have
a major economic crisis nationwide and the two are
a very deadly combination. But, I believe that, with
the goodwill and the cooperation of Nigerians,
things will soon normalise.

-*Are you not disturbed by what some individuals
perceive as the slow pace of the Buhari
administration?*-

Policy issues depend on the style of an individual.
Buhari has his own style. It will not be all that right
to say his administration is too slow. We are talking
of a population of 180 million. If you want to rush,
you will eventually rush yourself into a disaster. One
thing you have to take into consideration is that
when you are inheriting a government, you are not
inheriting a plain or clean slate. And if you want to
rush, you may find yourself in a complete mess. It is
now eight months since this administration came on
board, and we are just seeing slight changes, the
removal of heads of some parastatals. Some of
them have been given ample time to sabotage the
programme of the administration. I have not seen or
heard any convincing reasons why it needed to take
so long to remove some of the head of the
parastatals
 A lot of damage has been done through waiting for
eight months before sacking those that were
appointed by the past administration, because most
of them were there simply to satisfy personal
agenda. Closely linked to that, the president and his
party must be seen to be reading from the same
page. I am not persuaded that the president has
been able to carry his party along; if he cannot
convince his party, he cannot convince me, outside
his party, and that is very important.
As a senior citizen, what do you think is
responsible for the culture of impunity, or if you
like, corruption among public officials?
My personal take off on this is that anytime you
leave people who are corrupt without holding them
to account for their atrocities, next time, if there is
need to deal with such people, you will have a bigger
and harder mess to clean up. I think a lot of what
has been happening has to do with the coup-detat
organised by General Ibrahim Babaginda in 1985. It
was staged to protect some major officials and
members of the political class who were very close
to him.
For 30 years, there had been no attempt whatsoever
to get to the root of corruption and deal with it with
a serious mind. If the present war on corruption is
truncated, then next time around, whoever wants to
try it will experience more difficulties.
We have to do it right now, otherwise it is going to
be very difficulty for us to deal with corruption in
Nigeria in future, because it is becoming a
institutionalised in the country. It is expected that
whoever is getting into office is going to be corrupt,
that he is going to steal, and unless something is
done to reverse this, we are going to get into a
bigger mess in the future.
Besides, in the past, from 1979 to 1984, at least the
judiciary could be relied upon. But at the moment,
the judiciary is the number one enemy of the
average Nigerian. I think we have one of the most
perverse, one of the most shameless and too
stupidly corrupt judiciary in the World. You can see
that the task is seven times more painful to
undertake simply because the so-called hope of
common man is now the worst. The war on
corruption has to be fought and if Nigerians can do
it, President Buhari can do it.
How best can the country tackle the menace, as
some have advocated plea bargain for looters,
while others canvassed for special courts to try
suspects?
I think those who invoke the American system and
allow people who are privileged to plea bargain are
asking for the destruction of this country. I don’t
believe people who have been proved to have done
something wrong should be allowed to get away,
simply because they can part with money they stole.
Plea bargain package is uncalled for. If that should
be the case, there is no hope for dealing with
corruption in Nigeria. There is no way somebody
who has stolen billions of naira can be allowed to go
scot free, simply by giving one billion or half of a
billion, while somebody who steals a goat is sent to
years imprisonment. Secondly, it is alien to the
principle of English Common Law, which we
inherited.
As a former parliamentarian, do you believe the
Legislature can absolve itself from the reign of
impunity/sleaze in the land?
 We have a system, from my own observation,
whereby corruption and impunity within the
legislature are now the two basic problems that are
facing this country. In fact, we can deal with the civil
service corruption any day, because it operates with
known rules. However, in the case of corruption in
the National Assembly, it is covered by certain
understanding. They blackmail the executive to
collect money, and bribes from agencies of
government.
Everything about the National Assembly is optic,
nothing transparent. Their salaries are not known,
but their allowances are budgeted for and they also
believe they have a divine right to collect money and
to jack the budget up, or bring it down if it does not
do their bidding. It is a very serious trouble and I
don’t see how we can get to address this situation
now.
Getting to grips with the issue of corruption within
the legislature will depend on how we can get an
effective party system. For example, I believe the All
Progressives Congress (APC) can do this by
disciplining its own members, making sure that
those who were not behaving well are sacked. Even
if they can get by with this corrupt judiciary, at least
they would know that they will never be able to get
back to the National Assembly during the next
election.
As far as I am concerned, there must be a party
system. I do not believe the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) can ever be discipline because, by its
definition, it is a party of big people and if you were
there, it is like a company of equal contribution
because nobody can hold you for any shortcoming.
But I believe APC is a different political party.
Therefore, it should be seen to be different by
making sure it disciplined.
 In the case of the judiciary, it has to be the
collective efforts of all Nigerians because what I am
seeing now is something I have never seen in my
life. A High Court Judge, not even a Court of Appeal
Judge, holding the Supreme Court to ransom
through ill-motivated judgment, and behaving as if
they are above the law itself. I believe that next time
if there is a violent of trouble in Nigeria, I will not
want to see the judiciary spared. If blood has to be
shed, it must include the blood of everybody who is
corrupt.
 Would you advocate a reform in the existing
party system in the country, given the
experience of the 2015 polls and the aftermath,
including the gale of defections by some
politicians?
I don’t believe we need any serious reform within
the party system in order to curtail defection. No,
you can still use the existing situation and bring
about meaningful result, by making sure that
anybody who under any circumstances decides to
defect from one party to another party should
vacate the office he is holding. We should not allow
members of the National Assembly to simply
legislate any law for their own convenience, whether
to stay in a party or not. I think that is the only way
to instill decency in the polity. I think that is the only
way to curtail this. This does not require any major
reform: all you need to do is to make sure that the
laws are strictly applied and that they are also very
fundamentally seen to be true and fair.
On the other hand, we need to decide if we want to
continue with the presidential system or not. The
presidential system can be said to bring stability. But
it has enormous negatives. The major negative is
that it is much more prone to corruption than the
parliamentary system. We have to look at very
serious ways of curbing corruption, otherwise it will
finish the system and finish the country itself. I am
so persuaded that, in terms of accountability,
bringing the Prime Minister who is the head of
government from the legislature is very important,
and we are more likely to call him to order as well
call other ministers who misbehave to order. We
need to discuss whether we can afford the
presidential system, given the way the legislature
has been behaving since 1999 to date. Are we sure
we can leave the destiny of this country in the hands
of these lawmakers? They need to be called to order
at everyday. If those who are supposed to call the
executive to order are themselves irresponsible, I
think we have to take a hard look and see what is
happening and see whether we can continue with
this .
Is the principle of zoning still relevant after
more than 16 years of civil rule in Nigeria since
1999?
I am not sure if am the correct person to answer the
question, because I have never believed in the
zoning system. I don’t believe it can work for the
country, nor solve any of the problems we have.
Today, we have the problems of insecurity,
economic mismanagement, problems within the
political class and, most especially, that of the
judiciary. All the problems this country is
confronting, can you tell me which one has been
solved by the zoning system?
 The zoning and rotational system did not start with
this dispensation. It started with the Second
Republic, but you can see all along from the defunct
National Party of Nigeria (NPN) to the PDP, it has
been marred by impunity, rascality, dishonesty.
The power rotated from former President Olusegun
Obasanjo from the South, to Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua
in the North, and then went to the South again, with
former President Goodluck Jonathan. I am yet to
point out one thing the zoning system has done. The
problem is that the political class is prepared to play
with tribalism and religious intolerance, even
creating and inventing constitutional crisis just to
stay in power. The issue which the zoning system is
meant to take care of has not been spelt out to me.
Ask those people who believe in it to tell us what has
been achieved by it. Nigeria has become a far more
disunited country.
What is your position on the existence of ethnics
based associations? Is it not a confirmation that
Nigerians need to take another look at those
issues some stakeholders in the Nigerian project
consider as grey areas making up the National
Question?
What is the grey area? Ethnic-based political
association or pressure groups are there and they
openly tell us what they do. Afenifere will tell us
they want to have the unity of the Yoruba. In their
own calculation, maybe the unity of the Yoruba is
more important than the unity of Nigeria. I think it
will be much more cost-effective to have the unity of
Nigeria instead of Hausas, Yorubas, Igbos, or some
of middle-level ethnic groups.
The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) believes in the
unity of Northerners. It is still qualitative superior,
because the North is not one ethnic group. The
largest number of ethnic groups in Nigeria is in the
North. I can tell you that a state like Adamawa has
about 82 ethnic groups, Taraba has about 72 ethnic
groups, so you can see that if they were able to
arrive at a formulation and allow them to have a
pressure group, the ACF is nothing but a business
pressure group.
We, maybe, likely have a transition from ACF to a
national unity forum , than just have a tribal unity
forum. If you look at them critically, you will find out
that the so-called Ohanaeze group is not for the
interest of the Igbo. It is just for the interest of the
Igbo elite, who believe that whatever they say, must
be accommodated into the Nigerian situation, and
that if they do not achieve this, they will go and pay
out Nnamdi Kanu or Ralph Uwazurike, and blackmail
the government .
I believe that this is not an idea you can legislate on,
saying that that you are banning Ohanaeze,
Afeniferere or ACF. I think it requires time and
education for people to realise that we are better
off in this country if we remain one united entity.
What is your view on the call for a national
economic summit being canvassed for by
Professor Wole Soyinka?
I would have been more supportive and encouraged
if Professor Soyinka is an economist. However, he
has never been involved in the governance of any
political party or any government of the part of this
country. I am a bit unimpressed by the bogus call for
an economic summit because, at the end of the day,
what the team will do is to look for the various
variables and variable economic alternatives. That
can be done without forming a bogus summit or
conference.
 I have been involved in this kind of conference in
the past 20 years. This high falutin debating chamber
has not added any value to development in Nigeria.
The last national conference was a disgrace: people
simply came with ideas, they stayed with the ideas,
and after the conference, they constituted
themselves into second sects. They turned many
things upside down. The issues that were discussed
and rejected were smuggled through the back door.
That is not my idea of any economy summit.
The national conference was a waste. Those who are
calling for the implementation of its report do not
know what they are talking about because, how do
you implement a fraud? I thank God we were there;
we will not allow that to happen. It will never be
implemented. If they want another conference, let
them go and call another one and spend billions of
public money. There is no way we can have an
economic conference. It is a disaster and the person
that is canvassing for the conference is not an
economist . He has never managed anything in
government. The only time Professor Soyinka was in
government was when he was the chairman of the
Road Safety Corps and he ended up in a scandal.

N7.7trn stamp duty revenue not accounted for, SBH insists

The School of Banking Honours (SBH) has called on the Federal Government to reverse the N50 stamp duty recently introduced on electronic transfers, insisting that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigeria Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS) did not remit N7.7 trillion Stamp Duty revenues for two years. Briefing journalists in Lagos, Rector, SBH, Mr Adetola Adekoya, said that the N7.7 trillion represented stamp duty collected by NIBSS on electronic transfers from 2013 to 2014 and impossing another stamp duty amounts to double charge. He said the School of Banking Honours (SBH) was appointed by NIPOST in 2012 to coordinate the collection of the Stamp Duty charge. “SBH is alerting the Presidency and all good Nigerians to begin popular action for the recovery of the said N7.7 trillion from NIBSS/CBN into the federation account while payment of agreed commission to SBH is effected.” “In 2012, NIPOST signed a Master Service agreement with SBH to coordinate collection of Stamp Duty on cash and cashless transactions. The CBN thereafter issued approval and No-Objection letters to SBH , dated November 5 and December 3, 2012, respectively, to engage banks and other financial institutions on the statutory charge for government (through a two year services agreement signed with NIPOST). “Furthermore, NIBSS, during a joint press conference with SBH on January 4, 2013, openly promised to support the statutory charges for government, in line with CBN approvals letters to SBH, and was engaged as official sweeping agent on the project immediately.” Adekoya regretted that though, the three year delay by CBN was then utilised by NIBSS to: Introduce new N70 charge on electronic receipts below N500, 000; and increase by 300 percent, charges on electronic receipts above N500, 000. Consequently he explained further, NIBSS is keeping N70 aggregate increased charges on electronic transfers for 2013 to 2015, against CBN financial inclusion policy, stated in CBN approval letters to SBH. NIBSS is also keeping N70 aggregate increased charges on electronic transfers against CBN directives for such charges to be remitted to government coffers on monthly basis, in CBN approval letters to SBH.

Oil price and the Nigerian economy

The latest foreign trip by President Muhammadu Buhari to Saudi Arabia and Qatar was obviously in relation to the continuing slide in the international price of crude oil. With oil as Nigeria’s major foreign exchange earner and with its price going down in the international market, Nigeria is urgently in need of an upward swing in oil price in order to stave off economic recession and stabilize growth. This objective is one requiring the support of other oil producers in the international system. The role of Saudi Arabia as the largest Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) producer is key in this regard. Given that the current poor run of oil in the international market is reportedly owing to a glut, one viable way of nudging the price up would be to cut production, the hard task here being how to convince the biggest producers to do so. It is therefore probable that President Buhari was in Saudi Arabia to lend his voice to persuading the country and its neighbour, Qatar, on the propriety of cutting their massive production in order to help ignite an increase in the international price of oil. We believe that President Buhari’s trip is in order, as the health of the Nigerian economy is critically dependent on the international oil market at this point. It is also welcome news that both Saudi Arabia and Qatar, during the visit, shared President Buhari’s position on the need to curb production in order to arrest the declining price of oil. We are aware that nobody could logically deny the imperative of curbing and cutting production within a context in which decline in price is caused by a glut. However, the problem with the current situation of oil is that none of the largest producers is ready to embark on any production cut for now, both for national and strategic interest. Saudi Arabia had spoken against production cut earlier, not only to preserve its national revenue, but also as a strategy to control and protect OPEC’s share of the international oil market against the onslaught of shale oil, which has a higher cost of production. The thinking was that the decline of oil price would get to a state that would push shale oil producers out of the market, thus preserving OPEC’s share. And even when that seemed to have been achieved in a way, the lifting of international sanctions on Iran, a contender for regional power posture alongside Saudi Arabia, made the situation more complex, as Iran made it clear that it would not join in cutting production, as it was just returning to the market. The implication of this is that the politics surrounding the price of oil is a rather complex one that would not be amenable to the simple case of cutting cost to improve price, as there are many interests lurking around the commodity. Indeed, it could be said that Nigeria, in spite of the critical nature of oil to the health of its economy, is not a major player in the international politics surrounding oil, which would limit the influence and the result of the trip by President Buhari on oil diplomacy in spite of the promises made and the sentiments expressed by both Saudi Arabia and Qatar. There is a sense, therefore, in which Nigeria needs to move beyond the criticality of oil in order to address the issue of proper development of its economy. The ill health of the Nigerian economy on account of the decline in oil price is principally because of its mono-cultural nature and the refusal to diversify the economy. Rather than the president spending much time bemoaning the decline in oil price, therefore, he should be working to remove the undue reliance of Nigeria on oil revenue. A country of an estimated 170 million people should not be depending on free oil revenue for survival. Again, it is important for the Nigerian government and Nigerians to realise that there are other developed and developing countries without the blessing of oil which nevertheless are able to rely on the productivity of their citizens to achieve remarkable growth. The government should see its principal task as freeing Nigerians from the betrothal to oil and making them to face other productive ventures that would ensure that the economy functions, grows and develops without the hiccups and tensions from the oil market. The Nigerian government has been mouthing diversification of the economy for a long time and it is surprising that the economy has remained tied to the apron string of the oil sector. The present administration must go beyond statements to pursue the actual diversification, through which other sectors would be energized and made to function for the growth and development of the Nigerian economy. The country would continue to experience economic dislocation if it remains mono-cultural in its economic architecture. The path to a viable future and healthy economy, therefore, is not to romanticize a return to higher oil prices, but to go beyond oil and make the Nigerian economy truly diversified in terms of being multi-cultural and multi-sectoral in its functioning and workings, such that it is sustained through the massive contributions from all its bourgeoning sectors and productions.

‘Many Muslim leaders unknowingly support terrorism’

Nasrul-lahi-l Fatih Society says the silence of many Islamic leaders on terrorist activities in some parts of the country is a way of supporting the perpetrators unintentionally. The group noted that the failure of the leaders to openly condemn killings of innocent people by Boko Haram under the guise of propagating Islam, was responsible for the negative impression some people had of the religion. The NASFAT President, Mr. Kamil Bolarinwa, who spoke in Lagos on Saturday during a world press conference to mark the association’s 21 years of existence, urged massive campaign against terrorism and public enlightenment on peace, love and unity. While lamenting that terrorists were often wrongly tagged Muslims, he said anybody could hide under the religion with a view to tarnishing its image. He said, “Religion does not promote terrorism, neither do race or ethnicity. It is people who perpetrate acts of terrorism. Our contemporary experience has shown that when it comes to sharing lucre, big men and women, Muslims and Christians, Imams and pastors alike, act as one to fleece society. “But when it comes to terrorism, just because eyewitnesses hear the perpetrator say ‘Allahu Akbar’ (Allah is great) before the trigger is pulled or before a suicide bomber blows himself up, that invariably is the conclusive evidence that the perpetrator is a Muslim. Allahu Akbar is sacred to Muslims, but it is simple and anybody can be taught to say it, Muslim or not. “Unfortunately, many Muslim leaders have not risen as one to challenge this mindset and condemn terrorism perpetrated by groups of psychopaths masquerading as Muslims. By their loud silence and indifference, they unwittingly create impression of support for these terrorists. And for us at NASFAT, our 21st anniversary provides a unique opportunity for new partnerships for public enlightenment and mass education of people on what Islam truly stands for.” The president said terrorism was caused by lack of education, poverty and unemployment in the country. He called on Nigerians to support the government in bringing development and restoring dignity to the country. He said, “While we (NASFAT) remain nonpartisan and apolitical, it is our view that all well-meaning Nigerians should support the government efforts and programmes intended to restore dignity to our compatriots at home and abroad and improve the welfare of the people. The war on corruption is one of such programmes.”

‘Generations yet unborn will forever appreciate Awo’s legacies’

FOR his contributions to the development of Nigeria, the legacies of the sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, will continue to be appreciated by generations yet unborn. This was said on Sunday, at his 29th posthumous thanksgiving birthday service, held at the Obafemi Awolowo Memorial Anglican Church, Ikenne-Remo, Ogun State. In her sermon, Layreader Alarape Olurombi, noted that Awolowo worked for the good of all Nigerians and that generations yet unborn would reap from his good legacies. She maintained that the late Premier of the defunct Western Region had laid a solid foundation for the growth and progress of the country. Mrs Olurombi also added that people were still celebrating Awolowo 29 years after his exit because of his good deeds. “The children of Awolowo are reaping from the good works of their father. He, indeed, worked for the good of Nigeria. Generations yet unborn will still reap from the good legacies of Awolowo. “Will your children say good things about you and I after our departure from this earth?,” she asked. Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, children of Chief Awolowo, Reverend (Mrs) Omotola Oyediran and Ambassador (Dr) Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu, eulogised their father for the spartan training and unequalled discipline he gave his children. Oyediran, who is the chairman of the African Newspapers of Nigeria (ANN) Plc, publishers of the Tribune titles, promised that the family would continue to uphold the good name of their parents. She admonished Nigerian leaders to research and read books written by the sage, so as to learn more on his leadership styles and qualities. Also, Awolowo Dosumu, the Executive Director of the Obafemi Awolowo Foundation, appreciated Nigerians for celebrating Chief Awolowo, even in death. In attendance at the service were Chief Ebenezer Babatope, Chief Dipo Jimilehin, the management staff of ANN Plc, led by its Managing Director/Editor- In-Chief, Mr Edward Dickson, and other dignitaries.

Senate will uphold rights of disabled persons — Saraki

Senate President, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has said that the National Assembly will prioritise bills aimed at protecting the rights of persons living with disabilities in the country. Saraki, according to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sanni Onogu, gave the pledge when the Centre for Citizens with Disabilities led by its Executive Director, Mr David Anyaele, visited him in Abuja. According to Saraki, it does not speak well of any country where people living with disabilities are neglected or denied access to basic amenities including access to justice. Saraki said: “I want to assure you that the eighth Senate is truly committed to rejig and redefine the issues. I think what has happened in the past is the issue of not making the rights of people with special needs a priority. “I want to assure you that the eighth Senate will not stop. We are your partners. We are ready to work to protect your rights and to ensure there is a departure from what has happened in the past. “It is by providing those laws that we will provide the enabling environment that will redefine these types of challenges. It is not good for us as a country for our disabled persons to feel neglected and deprived and I want to assure you that we will work to change the narrative in the eighth Senate,” he said. Earlier, the Executive Director of Centre for Citizens with Disabilities, Mr David Anyaele, lamented that people with disabilities in the country find it difficult to access public infrastructure and justice nationwide. He decried a situation where about 25million Nigerians living with disabilities and their families are being caged as a result of inability to care for their loved ones. According to him, even the Ministry of Women Affairs which coordinates other line agencies for the rehabilitation of persons with disabilities in the country has not made adequate provision for easy access to its building. Anyaele said: “Our purpose of coming to your office today is to share with you the findings of our research on access to public infrastructure in Nigeria. It will interest you to know that more than 99.5 per cent of public infrastructure in Nigeria is not accessible to persons with disabilities. “In fact, all the line ministries, department and agencies that have been earmarked for the national policy on the rehabilitation of persons with disabilities are not accessible including the Coordinating Ministry - Ministry of Women Affairs,” he said.

Investment inflow into Nigeria drops by N2.3tn

Over the past three years, the flow of investment into the country has been declining due to issues in the economy, which have made Nigeria not to be the darling of foreign investors again. The Nigerian economy recorded a total decline of $11.68bn (N2.3tn) in investment inflow in the last three years, investigations have revealed. It was learnt that since 2013, the country had been experiencing persistent decline in the value of direct and portfolio investments. For instance, figures obtained by the National Bureau of Statistics stated that as of 2013, the country had a total investment inflow of $21.32bn (N4.2tn). This figure, according to an analysis of the report, declined to $20.72bn (N4.08tn) and $9.64bn (N1.89tn) in the 2014 and 2015 fiscal periods respectively. Cumulatively, between January 2013 and December 2015, the country recorded total investment inflow of $51.7bn (N10.18tn). The report showed that all the three major components of investment such as Foreign Direct Investment, portfolio investment and other investments all recorded a huge decline within the three-year period. For instance, in terms of FDI inflow, the report showed that the economy attracted the sum of $1.28bn in 2013. The inflow rose to $2.27bn in 2014 before dropping again to $1.44bn in 2015. A further breakdown of the FDI inflow, which is made up of equity investments and other capital, showed that investments in equities accounted for a huge chunk of the capital brought into the country. It attracted the sum of $1.25bn, $2.26bn and $1.44bn in the 2013, 2014 and 2015 fiscal periods. In terms of portfolio investment, which is made up of equity, bonds and money market instruments, the report stated that the sum of $17.37bn was invested in 2013. The figure dropped to $14.92bn and $6.01bn in 2014 and 2015, respectively. The report also indicated that from the $17.37bn portfolio investment in 2013, investment in equities, with $15.12bn, accounted for the highest amount; while investment in bonds, with $1.21bn, and money market instruments, with $1.04bn, followed. For 2014, the sum of $11,45bn was invested in shares, while the bond market attracted $2.44bn and $1.03bn in 2014 and 2015, respectively. The report added that for the 2015 fiscal period, the country recorded $4.66m investment in equities, while $776.28m and $571.59m were invested in bond and money market instruments in that order. It stated, “In the final quarter of 2015, portfolio investment reverted to being the latest component of imported capital, accounting for 61.18 per cent. This large change relative to the third quarter emphasises the volatile nature of capital inflows. “Within portfolio investments, equity accounted for 83.16 per cent, slightly less than in the third quarter. This was mainly due to a quarterly decline of 9.98 per cent in equity and a quarterly increase of 47.12 per cent in the value of money market instruments.” The NBS attributed the decline in investment to the harsh economic climate in the country. For instance, it said the removal of Nigeria from the JPMorgan Bond Index in 2014 affected the level of investors’ confidence in the economy. It said that while the country had between 2012 and 2014 experienced high increase in the level of investment inflows owing to its inclusion in the JPMorgan Bond Index, such could not be achieved in 2015. Nigeria was removed from the index in 2014 due to what was described as the lack of liquidity in the market for foreign investors as a result of scarcity of foreign exchange. The NBS said, “The level of capital imported between 2012 and 2014 was markedly higher than in the preceding years. “This may have been a result of external factors, such as the inclusion of Nigeria in the JPMorgan EM Bond index, and globally low interest rates, triggering a search for higher yields from investors over this period. “The drop in 2015 may be partly a result of these factors unwinding, as well as the tougher economic environment in Nigeria resulting from the effect the lower oil price has had on export earnings. “Furthermore, the widely anticipated decision to raise interest rates in the United States may have played a part in the drop of capital inflows in the final quarter.” Commenting on the drop in investment inflow into the country, financial analysts said except the government put in place adequate fiscal and one-tray policies, Nigeria might witness a further decline in investment inflows. For instance, the President, Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Tony Ejinkeonye, told our correspondent that a lot of investors would continue to adopt what he described as a “wait and see attitude” as a result of the tough economic environment in the country. He said the tough operating environment had led to the closure of so many companies in the country, adding that there was a need for the government to address the structural challenges, which had made the operating environment hostile. Ejinkeonye listed some of the areas that were scaring away investors to include uncertainty in the foreign exchange market, hostile business climate, infrastructure deficit and the absence of adequate incentives to attract investors into key sectors of the economy. He told our correspondent that what the country needed was for the government to implement a well-articulated industrial plan and an enterprise development agenda aimed at bringing in a new era of industrial development. He said, “The Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry has made it known to the government that the issue of power and energy must be urgently addressed in order to promote industry, boost productivity, attract both foreign and local direct investment.” Ejinkeonye said that the nation’s economic growth rate, which had fallen from an average of five per cent two years ago to about three per cent, was as a result of the problems facing the economy. On what the chamber is doing to attract investors into the country, he said the ACCI was working with embassies to identify areas of investments in the country. He said that ACCI’s trade facilitation endeavours and investment drive were in line with the current government’s policies of promoting trade and investment in the country. The Director-General, Securities and Exchange Commission, Mr. Mounir Gwarzo, said SEC was putting in place strategies to attract more retail investors into the Nigerian capital market in its determination to deepen and develop the market. He said unlike countries such as South Africa and Malaysia, Nigeria had a low rate of retail investor penetration.

US Marines prep West African allies to fight ISIS, Boko Haram, al-Qaida

UNITED States Marines are operating in a West African country where the world’s most troubling terror groups have formed an alliance of sorts. Marines with Combat Logistics Battalion 6 recently wrapped up a five-week mission in Mauritania, where the Islamic State group, Boko Haram and al- Qaida have teamed up to train new terrorists at terror camps. The Marines’ mission was launched at the request of the Mauritanian government as local troops fight terrorists operating along the borders. Mauritania shares borders with Mali and Algeria, both of which have seen troubling terror attacks in recent years. Veryan Khan, editorial director for the Terrorism Research & Analysis Consortiumm, a group that tracks international terrorism, told Fox News in 2015 that ISIS, Boko Haram and al-Qaida were working together in the Sahara Desert in Mauritania. “The situation in Mauritania is a powder keg very few people are talking about,” Khan told the station. The Marines in Mauritania were training local logisticians on convoy operations. The Mauritanian logistics battalion supports its army’s infantrymen as they operate along the borders. At the conclusion of the course, the Marines ran the group through a final exercise to evaluate their progress. According to the Central Intelligence Agency, Mauritania’s porous borders leave the country vulnerable not only to terrorism — al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb has a recent history of successful attacks — but also human trafficking and refugee movements.

Over 1,000 Boko Haram members now in Libya •To fight ‘holy war’ for $1,000

NO fewer than 1,000 members of the deadly Boko Haram sect have joined the Islamic State (IS) terror group in Libya to fight what they tagged a holy war for a monthly fee of 1,000 US dollars. The Boko Haram members had to jump at the Libya offer following intense heat on them at the hands of the joint military task force in relentless counter- insurgency operations. The development also came as a result of the entry of Cameroon, which shares borders with Nigeria, into the anti-insurgency strategy, fortifying its borders and rolling back the frontiers of the sect. Two United Kingdom-based news media, IB Times and Daily Telegraph, which revealed the details of the recruitment, quoted the United Nations and the Pentagon to have reported a rise in the Libya IS group to 6,500 from 3,000 in just three months. The group is said to have “carried out audacious suicide attacks in Libya’s cities,” with scores of casualties and clashes with “government aligned militias at crucial oil installations.” “The rapid expansion of the Islamic State into the anarchy of post-Gaddafi Libya has been fuelled by the arrival of hundreds of Boko Haram fighters,” the UK media outfits reported. In the Libyan town of Sebha, considered a hub in the trafficking of the terrorists, a local activist told IB Times that “the number of Boko Haram members in Sirte could be as high as 1,000.” The activist is reported to have explained that the Libyan chapter of ISIS did not use regular trafficking routes to “transport fighters” but through “its own hand-selected smugglers.” “There are a number of smugglers that don’t actually work within the human smuggling network. They are not well known. They are the ones bringing the Boko Haram fighters and taking them to Sirte. A former Boko Haram fighter living in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, Ahmed Umar Bolori, said the same economic reasons that made the terror group members to join the organisation forced them to go to Libya. “These tribes, more and more, as they give up the political process, are aligning themselves with Daesh (the Arabic acronym for the terror group). A lot of them want to do so, not because of ideological links but out of a sense of revenge,” said Bolori. Daily Telegraph reported that security sources from Libya had said ISIS offered $ 1,000 to fighters from neighbouring countries to join their ranks. “There are a lot of businesses that operate between Libya and Nigeria. They will follow the routes that bring goods to or from Libya to Nigeria,” Bolori added.

Nigeria ranks 182 out of 189 in World Bank ease-of- doing-business rating

Nigeria slumped backwards in the latest World Bank Ease-Of-Doing-Business chart, as the nation’s economy slumped to number 182 out of 189 economies in 2016; a figure that was 20 places worse off than what the nation polled in the last quarter of 2015 when she was ranked 169.out of the same number of economies. According to the World Bank Doing business-Trading across borders report 2016, Nigeria economy is just better than 6 economies globally in terms of ease of doing business across trade border. Parameters used in the latest World Bank report are Customs clearance and inspections; inspection by other agencies of government; port or border handling at most widely used port or border of the economy; obtaining, preparing and submitting documents during clearance, inspections and port or border handling amongst others. Shedding more light on why there is a lull in cargo throughput at the nations seaports and vessels are beign diverted to neighbouring ports, the World Bank document reveals that in Ghana, it will take an importer about 23 days (564 hours) to complete all necessary border and documentary compliance certificates to bring in goods into the country, while an exporter will spend 8 days (197 hours) to complete all necessary documents for export. However, in Nigeria, for trade across border, an importer will spend 55 days (1327 hours) to complete all necessary border and documentary compliance certificates to bring in goods into the country while an exporter will spend 12 days (290 hours) to complete all necessary documents for export. On the cost to importers in Ghana, the report stated that it will cost an importer $1027 US Dollars to import goods into the country while an exporter will spend $645 US Dollars to export goods out of the country. In Nigeria, the indicators reveal that it will cost an importer $471 US Dollars to import goods into the country while an exporter will spend $1036 US Dollars to export goods out of the country. The higher cost of exporting goods out of the country sums up the low level of participation in export exercises at the nations seaport. On the African continent, the report reveals that Swaziland is number one in terms of ease-of-doing- business across borders while Ghana ranks ahead of Nigeria in number 171.

Nigeria in Islamic coalition against terror, Buhari admits

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has admitted that Nigeria has joined the Islamic Coalition against terrorism put together by Saudi Arabia. He made the disclosure during an interview broadcast at the weekend on the international satellite news channel, Al Jazeera. He had been asked whether Nigeria was part of it and he answered: "We are part of it because we've got terrorists in Nigeria that everybody knows which claim that they are Islamic. "So, if there's an Islamic coalition to fight terrorism, Nigeria will be part of it because we are casualties of Islamic terrorism." Asked whether he had suggested Nigeria's membership of the coalition during his meeting with King Salman Bin Abdul-Aziz during their meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia recently, Buhari said "yes." Asked to explain how such coalition would work for Nigeria, he said he could not disclose the details to the media. However, he added: "Well, that we mentioned under Lake Chad Basin Commission, our regional grouping compromising Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Nigeria and Benin and we dedicated a certain number of troops to be deployed in our own sub-region and I don't think we have to tell the press the details of that." Pressed further about where joining the Islamic coalition served Nigerian security interest, he declared: "Certainly. I've just told you it is the Boko Haram itself that declared loyalty to ISIS. "ISIS is basically based in Islamic countries. Now, if there's a coalition to fight Islamic terrorism, why can't Nigeria be part of it, while those that are fighting in Nigeria as Boko Haram claim to be Muslims. But the way they are doing it is anti- Islamic." When his interviewer pointed out that since Nigeria was roughly evenly divided among Christians and Muslims and that some Christians were complaining that he was giving Islamic identity to Nigeria, the president wondered why such Christians had not gone to fight Boko Haram in the North or militants sabotaging installations in the South. "Why can't those Christians that complained go and fight terrorism in Nigeria or fight the militancy in the South. It's Nigeria that matters, not the opinion of some religious bigots," he stated. On whether he was trying to change the religious identity of the country, Buhari noted: "How can I change the religious identity of Nigeria? "No religion advocates hurting the innocent and just because the Muslims are the ones that claim to be Boko Haram and they are killing innocent people whether in the church, in the bus or in the market place, then I will just sit and look at them because I too am a Muslim? Islam is against injustice in any form." The president's admission of Nigeria's membership of the Islamic coalition came a little under two weeks after an official Presidency statement seemed to suggest that Buhari had turned down the invitation to be part of the coalition. A statement issued by the Senior Special Adviser to the President (Media and Publicity), Garba Shehu, during the president's trip to Saudi Arabia had said that Buhari had pledged Nigeria's support for the coalition even if it would not be part of it. The statement had said that two leaders who engaged in extensive discussions on regional and global issues also agreed that terrorism posed a common threat to their states and would require close cooperation to prevail over the threats. It observed that President Buhari who was making his first pronouncement on the invitation to join the coalition of Islamic states against terror spearheaded by the Saudis congratulated the Kingdom on its formation. The statement quoted Buhari thus: "Even if we are not a part of it, we support you. I must thank the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the recent creation of a coalition to address the menace of international terrorism. Nigeria will support your efforts in keeping peace and stopping the spread of terror in your region. "This is in consonance with our own commitment and on-going efforts in seeking to stamp out Boko Haram terrorists from the West African sub-region and Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC)."

Doctors begin one-week warning strike in Ogun

Doctors under the umbrella of National Association of Government General Medical and Dental Practitioners, Ogun State chapter, will on Monday commenced a one-week warning strike to press home their demands, which include shortage of staff, and unconducive working environment among others. In a communique issued at the end of the emergency general meeting of the association last Wednesday in Abeokuta, the association said the strike became imperative after exploring in vain, all avenues to get the attention of the state government on issues affecting the health system in the state. The communique signed by its chairman and secretary, Dr. Oladunni Adetola and Dr. Adetonwa Festus, stated that the association had written series of letters to the state governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun on the need to restructure health facilities and address shortage of staff without getting any response.

Gunmen behead APC chief, kill family in Rivers

Gunmen have beheaded a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Omoku, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State. The APC chieftain identified as Franklin Obi was murdered alongside his wife, Iheoma, and 18-year-old son, Bestman, at their residence in Omoku at about 9pm on Saturday. The State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Musa Kimo, who is currently on a visit to the place, expressed regret over the incident. Details later…

Seventh-day Adventist Church's logo and its meaning

•LOGO AND ITS MEANING• The logo reflects the core values of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Its foundation is the Bible, the Word of God, shown open because its message should be read and put into practice. Central to that biblical message is the cross, which is also a central feature of the logo. Above the cross and the open Bible is a burning flame that represents the Holy Spirit, the messenger of truth. •Seventh-day Adventist Church Logo• -*THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS*- The lines at the top of the design suggest upward momentum symbolizing the resurrection and ascension to heaven at Christ's second coming, the ultimate focus of our faith. -*THE FLAME*- This is the shape formed by three lines encircling an implied sphere. The lines represent the three angels of Revelation 14 circling the globe and our commission to take the gospel to the entire world. The overall shape forms a flame symbolic of the Holy Spirit. -*THE CROSS*- The symbol of the cross, representing the gospel of salvation, is positioned in the center of the design to emphasize Christ's sacrifice, which is the central theme of the Adventist faith. -*THE OPEN BIBLE*- The Bible forms the base of the design and represents the biblical foundation of our beliefs. It is portrayed in a fully open position suggesting a full acceptance of God's word. It is our hope and prayer that though this logo is a very simple picture of the foundation of Adventist beliefs and values it may be a recognizable symbol of the Adventist message to the world.

Senators close ranks for Saraki’s successor

Following the failure to secure a safe landing for Senate President Bukola Saraki at the Code of Conduct Tribunal penultimate week, members of the upper chamber of the National Assembly appear to be closing in on a successor in case the inevitable happen. The Senate President, Bukola Saraki and his army of supporters across the two main political parties in the red chamber, the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress, would definitely had wished that the cup of this week should pass over them. The Code of Conduct Tribunal has fixed March 11 to start the trial of the number three citizen of Nigeria who is the head of the federal parliament. The Code of Conduct Bureau is prosecuting Saraki for alleged false declaration of his assets. Virtually all legal and political steps taken to stop Saraki’s trial by the Danladi Umar-led trial appeared to have hit the rocks. For instance, a last-minute hope of securing a judicial remedy through an Abuja Federal High Court after a devastating blow from the Supreme Court which allowed the CCT to continue with the trial, was dashed penultimate week, when the court failed to heed a fresh prayer seeking to stop the trial. The Senate President had sought an order quashing his trial before the CCT on ground, among others, that he was denied fair hearing in the course of investigations leading to the charges preferred against him. While necessary judicial solutions were being explored by the Saraki’s team of legal experts, his friends and political associates within and outside the National Assembly had equally intensified efforts to lobby the presidency to prevail on the CCT to stop the case. Part of the thinking of Saraki’s lobby team was that since an outright dismissal of the case would generate serious public outcry, especially when the case involved an alleged act of corruption, a deliberate delay through long adjournments of hearing dates could make Nigerians and the international community lose interest in it, while the Senate President enjoys his tenure. But feelers from some heavyweight politicians involved in the lobby showed that major political actors in the presidency claimed that their hands were tied on the matter because all facts were already in the public domain. A senator who claimed to be privy to the lobby option told SUNDAY PUNCH on condition of anonymity that Saraki’s emissary to the presidency said attempting a political solution at this stage would cause a setback for President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption crusade. A presidency source had said, “If Saraki’s hands were not tied when he rejected the party’s nominations for the principal offices of the National Assembly, perhaps the rope would not have been tied tightly on our own hands at this moment too.” Saraki’s loyalists in the Senate, however, saw an opportunity to save their colleague when Umar appeared before the Senate Committee on Judiciary to defend the 2016 budget of his tribunal penultimate week. A senator, who would not want his name mentioned, confided in our correspondent that the Senate committee raised some issues in Umar’s budget and gave him a date to come back to defend the queries. The senator however said the plan failed when Umar refused to show up for the budget defence until the deadline for the submission of committee reports on MDAs budgets lapsed last Monday. Since the grand plot to bring Saraki and Umar together at the upper chamber failed, Saraki’s loyalists at both chambers are now allegedly mounting pressure on the House of Representatives’ Committee on Ethics and Public Petitions to intensify its probe of the alleged bribery allegation against Umar. Both chambers of the federal parliament had asked their ethics committees to investigate an allegation contained in a petition by the Anti-Corruption Network that the CCT boss allegedly demanded and collected a N10m bribe. The Chairman, Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, told our correspondent last week that his panel would await the outcome of the House committee, which had already started work on the petition. But the spokesperson for the camp loyal to Sen. Ahmad Lawan, Saraki’s main opponent for the senate presidency seat, Senate Unity Forum, Sen. Kabir Marafa, said in an interview with our correspondent that the trial of Umar was politically motivated. He therefore reiterated his call for the resignation of the Senate President in order to enable him to attend to his case. It was learnt that part of the strategies of the SUF members was to constantly attack Saraki’s leadership, using the proposed purchase of exotic cars at a time when the Federal Government was finding it difficult to pay theN5, 000 meant for jobless Nigerians. But the Special Adviser to Saraki on Special Duties and Intra- Parliamentary Affairs, Mr. Moshood Mustapha, described the public outcry over the reported purchase of some vehicles by the National Assembly for security operatives in the convoy of principal officers of both chambers of the legislature as “unnecessary.” Mustapha said critics of the project vehicles were not being fair to the federal parliamentarians, arguing that nobody was raising eyebrows when the political office holders in the executive arm of government were allocated at least two vehicles each. He said Saraki, for instance, had been using his personal cars since he was inaugurated as President of the Senate. He also cited instances where some of the vehicles he inherited in the convoy of his predecessor developed serious mechanical faults. The pro-Saraki lawmaker said the car transaction was purely between the National Assembly management and the beneficiaries of the vehicles who are not even lawmakers. Mustapha said Saraki was entitled to two vehicles but that only one was replaced in his convoy and that he chose so, on his own, because of the economic situation of the country and to minimise government expenses. Mustapha also said Saraki saved the country N5bn when he rejected the N6bn put in the budget of the Federal Capital Territory to build his official residence and reduced it to N1bn just to exhibit prudence. “Left to other people, they would have allowed it to go. As an individual, he doesn’t believe in that project but because a lot of money had gone into it; he believed that having N6bn in his official residence is a waste and decided on his own to take away N5bn from this project and put only N1bn. “So, what is the N200m used to buy vehicles for security personnel and protocol compared to the N5bn he had saved the nation. I wonder why people are talking as if the vehicles are his personal property or for his children.” He also said no form of bribery took place at the upper chamber during the screening of the ministers, contrary to insinuations in certain quarters. He added that no form of corrupt practice took place during the recently concluded budget defence by federal government agencies. Mustapha said, “Bukola Saraki had created the most democratised, participatory and rigorous budgeting process as we have all seen, this is perhaps the most disciplined senate since 1999. We have ministerial screening and budget approval process without bribery and other forms of corruption. It is a scandal free budget process. Nobody has ever said anybody brought money or anything. “Everybody has been busy doing his work and it was through this painstaking process that we were able to discover errors in the budget and even the president himself had said it that there are errors and that he would hold the culprits responsible.” Neverthless, having considered the sensitive nature of the case before the CCT, some senators were said to have been making frantic efforts to shop for Saraki’s successor. Findings by our correspondent showed that members of both the SUF and pro-Saraki senators under the aegis of Like Minds Senators had started making contacts on how to agree on an acceptable candidate. Some senators were also said to have agreed that the Deputy Senate President, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu, would not be affected by the change as he would be allowed to continue in office. “However, senators from the anti-Saraki’s SUF group were advocating the change of the principal officers to reflect the position of the leadership of APC,” one of those privy to the plan had told SUNDAY PUNCH. If the SUF members should have their way, the implication is that Lawan would take over from Sen. Ali Ndume as Senate Leader, while Sen. Bala Ibn N’Allah might lose his Deputy Leader seat to Sen. George Akume, who has not been attending activities in the Senate for some time. The newcomer from Edo State, Sen. Francis Alimikhena, might also be asked to vacate his seat as Deputy Whip for Sen. Abu Ibrahim. It is still not clear how the issue of principal officers would be resolved but one of the Like Minds Senators said Saraki’s successor might come from his state or from the neighbouring Nasarawa State. He said, “Both the SUF and Like Minds Senators had agreed to support the emergence of somebody from the North- Central geopolitical zone, a Muslim, who will be a bridge builder and acceptable to every senator.” He also said the Saraki loyalists, who were in the majority at the upper chamber, had insisted that his successor must also be a member of the ‘New PDP’, a breakaway faction of the PDP which joined the APC at its formation. The lawmaker said, “This issue had gone beyond SUF or LMS. We are coming together as one to ensure a rancour free arrangement that would lead to the emergence of a new senate president. Most of the people that we have consulted agreed that another senator from Kwara North should take over the mantle of leadership. “It has been agreed that with this, the people of Kwara would not feel too bad, while the current arrangement in the red chamber will remain as it is. ” Close watchers of the development at the senate were of the opinion that the resumption of Saraki’s trial at the CCT this week will obviously shape the nation’s political history. SOURCE: PUNCH