Paul Obi in Abuja

The Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) and Assembly of Health Care Professionals (AHCP) yesterday petitioned the Presidency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Nigerian Police and others over the decision of the Federal Ministry of Health to reinstate Medical Director of the Owerri Medical Centre (FMC), Dr. Angela Uwakwem.

The health workers who laid siege at the Federal Secretariat, Abuja chanting solidarity songs, carried placards with inscriptions such as ‘Mr. President Rescue FMC Owerri’ ‘Corruption is Killing the Health Sector’ ‘ Corruption Kills, Avoid It’ ‘Reinstatement or Cover Up of Dr. Angela Uwakwem?’.

JOHESU President, Biobelemoye Josiah and National Secretary, Florence Ekpebor while addressing journalists, explained that the reinstatement of Uwakwem was against the extant rules governing the civil service.

According to Josiah, “the Federal Ministry of Health handling of the matter as it affects the conduct of officers in sensitive areas and we wish observed that their acts are in tandem with President Muhammadu Buhari’s posture on corruption and his efforts to stamp out same in our public milieu.

“It is no longer news that FMC Owerri has been embroiled in crisis on corruption by Dr. Uwakwem. This situation led to her suspension and subsequent arraignment at Owerri State High Court II, by the EFCC on charges of corruption related matters.”

The group urged the Presidency and anti-graft agencies to go beyond arraignment and ensure that the Medical Director is stripe of her duty until she clears her name.

They accused the administration of double standard in fighting corruption in the health sector, “as a group suffering this suffocating sleaze at the FMC Owerri, therefore, we wish to place on record that we shall resist the move within the ambit of the law that is already sending signals to the general public that Mr. President’s anti-corruption war is embedded in double standard and that whistle blowers stand the high risk of abandonment.

“We therefore called on Mr. President to as a matter of urgency call the authorities of the Federal Ministry of Health to order. We wish to salute the courage of EFCC in arraigning Dr. Uwakwem and call on them to pursue the case with vigour in the interest of the common man who ultimately bears the burden of these negative acts,” JOHESU stated.

The federal government had through the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole reinstated Uwakwem following the recommendations of a committee set up to investigate the matter. Her reinstatement has continued to elicited uproar and discontent as health workers protest government decision to soft pedal on Uwakwem’s case.

Demola Ojo in Lagos, Tobi Soniyi and Alex Enumah in Abuja with agency reports

Condemnation has trailed President Yahya Jammeh’s rejection of the results of Gambia’s election held on December 1. Jammeh had initially accepted the results and conceded defeat to his rival Adama Barrow, preparing to cede power after 22 years as the leader of the West African nation of less than two million people.

But in an announcement on state TV on Friday, Jammeh said he had changed his mind and wanted “fresh and transparent elections which will be officiated by a god-fearing and independent electoral commission”.

Jammeh said, “After a thorough investigation, I have decided to reject the outcome of the recent election. I lament serious and unacceptable abnormalities which have reportedly transpired during the electoral process.”

However, in a unanimous statement, the 15-member UN Security Council called on Jammeh to “respect the choice of the sovereign people of The Gambia”.
The body condemned the latest statement from Jammeh and called on him to transfer power “without condition and undue delay”. They intend to review the situation tomorrow before deciding whether to hold a meeting, diplomats said.

AU chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma also said Jammeh’s latest statement was “null and void” because he had already conceded defeat in the election. “The chairperson of the commission strongly urges President Yahya Jammeh to facilitate a peaceful and orderly transition and transfer of power,” she said.
Senegal’s government urged President Jammeh to respect the election results. Senegal, which has Gambia’s only land border and once sent troops there during a coup, warned Jammeh not to harm Senegal’s interests or its citizens in Gambia.

Also, the US State Department weighed in. “This action is a reprehensible and unacceptable breach of faith with the people of the Gambia and an egregious attempt to undermine a credible election process and remain in power illegitimately.”

Similarly, New York-based Human Rights Watch said it was “deeply concerned by reports of belated objections to the Gambian election results raised by President Jammeh”.
HRW called on the international community, notably the Economic Community of West African States and the African Union to “loudly protest against any unlawful attempt to subvert the will of the Gambian people”.

President-elect Barrow accused the incumbent of damaging democracy. He told reporters in Banjul that, “The outgoing president has no constitutional authority to reject the result of the election and order for fresh elections to be held.

“I open up a channel of communication to convince him to facilitate a smooth transfer of executive powers in the supreme interest of this country,” he said.
ECOWAS chair, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, had hoped to put back on track Gambia’s first democratic transition of power in over 50 years. However, those plans appeared thwarted yesterday when her plane was denied landing access at Banjul.

“Johnson Sirleaf was supposed to fly in today, but Jammeh said ‘not at the moment,” Senegal foreign minister Mankeur Ndiaye told media.
The results of the election had been revised by the country’s electoral commission on December 5, when it emerged that the ballots for one area were added incorrectly, swelling Mr. Barrow’s vote.

The error, which also added votes to the other candidates, did not change the outcome but narrowed Mr. Barrow’s margin of victory from 9 per cent to 4 per cent, about 22,000 votes.
The US embassy in Banjul urged the army to continue to show “respect for the rule of law and the outcome of the presidential election”. It added: “The Gambian people have made a clear choice for change and a new start.”

This came as troops were deployed to the streets of Banjul, the capital of the Gambia. Soldiers were seen placing sandbags in strategic locations across the capital, a development that triggered widespread unease among the already spooked population, who had been panic-buying food before the vote due to fear of unrest.
Opposition figures had earlier said that although they expected some electoral fraud and rigging, they hoped to win by a sufficient margin to make their victory impossible to contest.

The election result – and Jammeh’s acceptance of defeat – was widely seen as a moment of democratic hope on the continent and prompted widespread celebration in the Gambia and elsewhere.

There was immediate speculation that the autocratic leader’s defiant announcement had been prompted by the prospect of prosecution under the new government.
Human rights groups have accused Jammeh’s government of detaining, torturing and killing his opponents during his rule. Dozens of pro-democracy activists were arrested earlier this year and one well-known leader killed.

Last week the chair of the country’s new ruling coalition said Jammeh would be prosecuted for his crimes within a year of handing over the reins of government in January.
Jammeh’s earlier decision to resign was reportedly due to a lack of support from senior security officials. However, the prospect of being held to account for previous human rights abuses may have rallied the military and police behind the president. It is also possible Jammeh hopes to secure immunity from prosecution in return for withdrawing his rejection of the poll results.

ECOWAS, Buhari Congratulate Ghana

Meanwhile ECOWAS has congratulated Ghana’s President-Elect Nana Addo Akufo-Addo, for his victory at the December 7 general elections, describing it as well deserving.
The commission, in a communiqué on the outcome of the 2016 Ghanaian elections, also commended President John Dramani Mahama for gracefully accepting the outcome of the elections as the will of the people.

While congratulating the Electoral Commission for conducting a credible and peaceful election in the country, ECOWAS however, charged the president-elect to be magnanimous in victory and endeavour to work with all Ghanaians irrespective of political leaning in order to realise the dividends of democracy.

“The Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has taken note of the announcement of the final result by the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Ghana, and the congratulatory phone call by the incumbent President, H.E. John Dramani Mahama, candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to the president-elect, H.E. Nana Addo Akufo-Addo, of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
“The ECOWAS Commission, on behalf of the West African Community, congratulates H.E. John Dramani Mahama for gracefully accepting the will of the people of Ghana and displaying an enviable sense of Statesmanship.

“Equally, the ECOWAS Commission congratulates the President-elect, H.E. Nana Addo Akufo-Addo, for his well-earned victory in the Presidential election. The commission encourages the President-elect and his team to work hard to live up to the aspirations of the Ghanaian people, especially in addressing the critical issues of youth unemployment and economic growth”, the statement read.

The commission also applauds the Ghanaian electorate for the high sense of patriotism and civic responsibility they displayed by coming out en masse on Election Days to exercise their franchise in a peaceful and orderly manner.
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari congratulated Nana Akufo-Addo, on his historic win.
Buhari also felicitated with the government and people of Ghana, the National Electoral Commission, and candidates of political parties, for the decorum, maturity and peaceful conduct of the election that produced a winner from an opposition party, who was contesting for the third time.

The statement said: “As a scion of one of the biggest political families in Ghana, and with the lessons learnt from previous unsuccessful attempts preceded by years of service to the country, most notably as foreign affairs minister, President Buhari believes Akufo-Addo is widely experienced and skilled in leadership to build on the legacies of President John Dramani Mahama.”

The Nigerian leader extolled the statesmanship and great leadership qualities of Mahama, who came into power at a trying period for the country with the passing away of former President John Atta-Mills, and kept pushing for a better life for all Ghanaians, and strengthening diplomatic relations with countries in the sub-region, especially Nigeria.
Buhari commended the incumbent President for the great courage to call his opponent and concede defeat, stressing that leaders must always honour their pre-election pledge to accept the results of polls as the will of the people.

He expressed his optimism that the future of African development rests on building strong political, democratic institutions, ensuring free, fair and credible elections, and respect for the sanctity of the ballot.

• Seeks increased budgetary allocation for Navy

Chiemelie Ezeobi

To tackle incidences of maritime crimes in the nation’s waterways, the Senate Committee on Nigerian Navy, yesterday said it had proposed a special tribunal to handle any arrested vessel and its crew.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Navy, Isah Maisau, made this disclosure at the one-day oversight visit to the Western Naval Command (WNC) and Naval Training Command (NAVTRAC), in preparation for the 2017 budget.
Maisau was reacting to the reports by the Flag Officer Commanding, WNC, Rear Admiral Ferguson Bobai, who had during his briefing lamented that harbouring arrested vessels and catering for their crew was tasking the navy.

He said, “We are looking at a situation where all these arrested vessels within three months are taken care of. We shall have a special tribunal to handle cases of arrested vessels so that within three months, all the exhibits are handed over to the appropriate agencies and prosecution is concluded.

“At the end of the day, we will put a legislation whereby such vessels are forfeited to the Federal Government to deter the sponsors of maritime crimes because if you auction them, they will go behind and buy it and still continue the illegality. But if you put it for government use, it will deter the criminals from venturing into criminality, given the fact that they will forfeit their vessel to the government.”

On the essence of the oversight visit and the expected outcome he said, “You should expect so much. We are preparing for 2017 budget and we are expecting the president to lay the budget on Wednesday or Thursday next week. That is why we came out for oversight function, so that we can see where we can assist during the 2017 budget.
“Navy needs so much than the government is approving in the budget. About 75 to 80 per cent of the resources coming to government coffers lie within the maritime domain and the Navy is in charge of protecting the facilities.

“With the kind of budget we are approving, the nation cannot perform its function effectively. We are trying to see how we can make a special presentation and appeal to the president in collaboration with the National Security Adviser (NSA), finance minister and budget office to get intervention from other sources for the navy.
“As a committee, we would ensure that this time around, the navy has enough funds to perform its duties. If the resources are availed to the navy, the activities of militants in the Niger Delta will reduce, because the discipline, capacity and well trained officers to do it, but no equipment.

He added, “Only budgetary allocation of about N25 billion cannot do anything for a capital intensive agency like the navy. That money cannot even fuel all the ships they are using in one month, because, one vessel takes as much as 24 tankers of 33 litres.
“I am not happy with the situation of the things. I want a situation where we would be proud of the assets we have. The government has to look inwards to see how they can assist the navy.”

In response, the FOC West, Rear Admiral Bobai, said it was a good omen for a political master that came for an oversight function and understands the challenges of the navy.
He said, “These challenges are the issues the political masters of the past couldn’t fathom. We need more of these visits.”
On the key needs of the navy in general and the Western Naval Command specifically, he said the command needs funds for the Forward Operating Bases (FOB) Takwa Bay and Tongeji Island.
He also mentioned training of personnel, barracks accommodation for personnel, as well as providing financial support for the navy by appropriating funds for the repairs of its platforms.

He also asked for funds for more patrol boats, as well as the need for construction of more indigenous boats, like the NNS Andoni, which he said is more viable economically to patrol the Lagos area of responsibility.

On the problems caused by arrested vessels, he said they are a burden to the navy because there are no budgetary provisions to cater for the ship and its crew members.
Also, the FOC NAVTRAC, Rear Admiral Ifeola Mohammed, while receiving the senate committee members said the command is the heartbeat of training.

On the challenges he said it includes need for more training aids and models in most of the NN professional colleges and schools, dearth of instructorship manpower in NN professional schools, lack of trained NN personnel in the use of sails.
Others include difficulty in accrediting some courses such as advanced nursing courses, inadequate vehicles, and dilapidated jetties at navy professional schools.

Abimbola Akosile

As part of efforts aimed at safeguarding the rights of women and children in the state, the Ondo state government at the weekend re-inaugurated the state Social Mobilisation and Technical Committee (SSOMTEC) in conjunction with the United Nations Children Social Mobilisation Fund (UNICEF).

While inaugurating the Committee, the State’s Commissioner for Information, Mr. Kayode Akinmade said the government has rendered services in consonance with the Child Right Act, aimed at enabling every child to develop his or her talent and full potential in a climate of peace, equality and respect for human dignity.

The Commissioner, who observed that children and women everywhere in the world were vulnerable and so largely depend on government for protection and survival, explained that the caring Heart programme of the Dr. Olusegun Mimiko’s administration was to fulfil this responsibility.

According to him, the free medical care for pregnant women, free health care and immunisation for children from age 0-6 years, the mega schools, the Mother and Child hospitals, free shuttle buses for both Primary and Secondary school students and Abiye programme among others were all to ensure the well-being of the child.

He commended UNICEF for its continued support and assistance towards promoting the survival, protection, development and participation of children and women in matters that affect them.

Akinmade challenged all the Focal/ Programme officers involved in the scheme, to come up with new strategies that would enhance the performance of the Committee, emphasising that SSOMTEC was re-launched, to among other objectives, identify and provide appropriate outlet for child survival, protection and developmental information for action in the interest of women and children.

The composition of the Committee is inter-sartorial and members are drawn from Ministries, Agencies and other Stakeholders implementing UNICEF supported programme in the state. The Committee is expected to enhance public enlightenment campaigns, articulated at effecting positive behavioural change on the part of the people towards welfare of children and women.

Chineme Okafor in Abuja with agency report

Member countries of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-OPEC producers yesterday reached their first deal since 2001 to jointly curtail oil output and ease a global glut after more than two years of low prices that overstretched many national budgets and spurred unrest in some countries.

A Reuters report on the development stated that with the deal finally signed after almost a year of arguing within the OPEC, as well as mistrust in the willingness of Russia, a non-OPEC member to play ball, the market’s focus will now switch to compliance with the agreement.
Last week, OPEC agreed to slash output by 1.2 million barrels per day from January 1, 2017, with top exporter Saudi Arabia cutting as much as 486,000 barrels per day (bpd).

While no official statement was released by the OPEC Secretariat in Vienna venue of the meeting as the time of filing this report, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu however confirmed the development on his twitter handle @EIK where he noted that the total volume to be cut by non-OPEC members would be 558,000 barrels per day (bd).

Kachikwu noted that within the deal, Azerbaijan will cut its daily production by 35,000bd, Bahrain – 10,000bd, Brunei Darussalam – 4,000bd, Equatorial Guinea – 12,000bd, Kazakhstan – 20,000bd, Malaysia – 20,000bd, Mexico – 100,000bd, Oman – 45,000bd, Russia – 300,000bd, Republic of Sudan – 4000bd, and Republic of South Sudan – 8000bd.
He said that amounted to 558,000bd of oil production cut from the non-OPEC member countries, with the Russian Federation taking the biggest cut of 300,000bd, followed by Mexico which has agreed to shelve 100,000bd of its production volume.

OPEC has a long history of cheating on output quotas. The fact that Nigeria and Libya were exempt from the deal due to production-denting civil strife will further pressure OPEC leader Saudi Arabia to shoulder the bulk of supply reductions.

Russia, according to Reuters had 15 years ago failed to deliver on promises to cut its oil production in tandem with OPEC, but was now expected to perform a real output reductions this time.
Reuters also stated that market analysts were beginning to question whether many other non-OPEC producers would be attempting to present a natural decline in output as their contribution to the deal.

It quoted OPEC’s Secretary-General, Mohammed Barkindo to have said before the agreement, that: “This is a very historic meeting … This will boost the global economy and will help some OECD countries to reach their inflation targets.”
Similarly, the President of the OPEC Conference and Qatar’s Minister of Energy and Industry, Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Sada, said before the meeting that the decision of OPEC to cut its production by 1.2mbpd last week was a collaborative timely action to address the prevailing market realities and prospects, and that it expected non-OPEC members to complete the picture.

“It was a commitment to the global community to help restore and sustain market stability with positive and broad implications on the world economy, the oil industry and oil producing and exporting nations.

“The efforts made by OPEC member countries were extremely constructive. They have shown great resolve, flexibility, responsibility, as well as a sense of compromise. We hope that today’s meeting will complete the picture from the non-OPEC perspective.
“We should aspire to announce to the world a responsible and timely joint action to help rebalance the market and see sustainable market stability return. I can only re-emphasise the importance of this – for our countries, for the oil industry and for the global economy as a whole,” said Al-Sada.

• Anti-graft agency expresses preference for plea bargain in resolving corruption cases
Dele Ogbodo in Abuja

The Head of Media and Public Affairs, of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, yesterday disclosed that the commission would drag more bank managing directors and chief executives of banks to court over allegations of money laundering.

Speaking as guest in a radio programme monitored in Abuja, the EFCC spokesperson averred that all investigations regarding the CEOs of the banks had been concluded as they will soon appear in court to defend themselves for economic sabotage.
According to him, EFCC recently arrested a top executive of one of the banks for money laundering and the case went to court for prosecution.

He said: “We are still going to take some of them to court because EFCC has concluded investigation with those cases and so it is no longer going to be business as usual with some of the bank MDs who want to aid and abet money laundering in the country.
Uwujaren said some of the banks had failed in terms of their reportage obligation to the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), on the minimum benchmark of transactions they should handle.

He said: “Some banks have been found sometimes to aid corruption in terms of reporting obligation. The Money Laundering Act, actually stipulates that banks should report certain transactions to NFIU, cash transaction of between N5 million to N10 million by individuals and corporate bodies.

“But you know that in this clime, it is one thing to make a law and another to enforce it. We have found out, that sometimes, banks do not report some of these transactions to the NFIU.”
On plea bargain by Nigerians found to have enriched themselves at the expense of the state, he added: “Where suspect is willing to plea-bargain, you have the opportunity of achieving conviction and also recovering the proceeds of crime.

According to him, recovery of proceeds of crime is paramount in all prosecutions to the organisation than the tenuous trial which will take years to accomplish.

“For instance if you are able to recover what the person stole what is the essence of that…as plea bargain actually speeds up the trial process to enable EFCC achieve conviction and recover the proceeds of crimes thereby avoiding other prosecutorial processes.”
He said the commission had achieved a lot in its 13 years of operation especially in its anti-graft war, adding that one way the agency’s achievements can be bench-marked is through the number of convictions of offenders.

Uwujaren said: “One way that our achievements can be benchmarked is through the conviction rate and I can tell you that we have achieved about 1,200 convictions in 13 years. Beyond that, in terms of enforcing the law, the political will of the leadership matters a lot and we didn’t have that until very recently.

“But under the current dispensation, the will is there and we are doing all within our power to ensure that all the laws that the commission is set up to enforce are done adequately and you will agree that a lot of stolen monies and assets have been recovered back to state treasury.”

On challenges facing the commission, he said: “It is not until recently in 2015 when we had this administration of Criminal Justice Act, part of the challenge was the penchant for defence counsel to stretch the judicial process in court with all kinds of frivolous applications which delays prosecution. But with the ACJ now it is difficult to come up with those applications.”

• Says KPIs to determine CEO’s continued stay in office

The federal government has proposed in the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB) which is currently before the Senate for legislative consideration that a tenured term of office be established and legalised in the bill for the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Oil Company (NOC) that is intended to emerge from the process to replace the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu in his address at the public debate on the PIGB in Abuja, disclosed this. The PIGB is a private member bill sponsored by Senator Tayo Alasoadura who represents Ondo Central in the Senate.

Kachikwu also said the government would want the office of the CEO of the NOC to be saddled with established annual Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) upon which the performance of its occupants would be evaluated for either a sack or continuation on the job.

He noted that since the NOC would be established as a holding company for an integrated operation that would be commercialised, it must therefore be insulated from political interferences and all its governance structures clearly stated to allow it begin to apply the corporate governance ethics of companies listed in the stock market even before its eventual listing in the exchange.

“With respect to government’s role on the commercial side, the reforms that we commenced earlier on in the year need to be sustained through legislation. The critical issues here are governance, funding, efficiency and accountability of the commercial entities,” said Kachikwu.

He further explained: “A National Oil Company (NOC) needs to be created as a holding company for an integrated operation that will operate on a fully commercial basis.
“A key plank of our reforms is to ensure that the national oil company is able to operate without recourse to the treasury such that funds that could otherwise be sequestrated for our upstream commitments can be deployed by the treasury to meet urgent needs in other social sectors. Ultimately, the national oil company needs to acquire an investment grade status if it is ever to achieve these objectives.”

The minister then stated: “This will require a new way of governance and a different type of national oil company than currently exists. For one, it must be insulated from political interference in its operations.

“It must also run commercially and efficiently if it is to be able to attract funding from debt and capital markets. The governance structure and terms of reference must therefore be clearly stated and legislation must provide it a pathway to independently and sustainably raise its own funding.

“Hence, our recommendation is that there should be an explicit provision in the bill that clarifies that the national oil company shall cease to be funded from the federation account and shall have the power to raise funding for its operations from the debt and capital markets.”

The NOC, he noted, “should be structured as a holding company to be chaired by the minister, the NOC to be an integrated holding company comprising semi-independent upstream, midstream and downstream with their own CEOs and board of directors, CEO/GMD of NOC to be appointed by the President upon the advice of the minister.”

“Position of CEO/GMD of the NOC to be tenured but subject to fulfilment of annual Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and targets to be set by the board, the CEO/GMD of holding company may only be removed for failing to fulfill KPIs and for misconduct,” he added.
Kachikwu equally said the government was proposing that the CEO of the NOC must have no less than 20 years managerial experience, whilst other executive directors should have a minimum of 15 years senior management experience.

Kunle Aderinokun in Lagos and Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja

The federal government has unveiled a 10-point fiscal roadmap, designed to stimulate the economy and set it on the path of recovery and growth.
Highlights of the roadmap were rolled out by the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, who represented the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, at the annual dinner of the Lagos Business School. Adeosun itemised the fiscal policies and actions being taken to tackle the key barriers to economic growth.

A major component of the roadmap is to replace administrative measures on the list of 41 items with fiscal measures to reduce demand pressure on foreign exchange (forex) at the parallel market. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), in its wisdom, had barred importers from assessing forex, particularly the United States dollars, for the 41 items via the official window, a measure, which had generated intense controversy. Though the measure was applied in good faith by the monetary authority, it pushed importers to sourcing forex from the parallel market, which led to forex shortage and inadvertently affected the value of the naira and the economy.

But with the federal government’s decision to reconsider its policy on the 41 items, the expectation, according to the roadmap, is that there would be a reduction in the demand for US dollars to ramp up forex supply.
Speaking at the session, which was attended by industry leaders across key sectors of the economy including oil, banking and telecoms, Adeosun said, “The Federal Government’s Fiscal Roadmap is addressing barriers to growth that will drive productivity, generate jobs and broaden wealth creating opportunities to achieve inclusive growth.”

She stated that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration was determined to convert Nigeria to a productive economy from the one that is consumption driven. To do so, she pointed out, the federal government would tackle the infrastructure deficit to unlock productivity, improve business competitiveness and create employment. The minister stated that the government would actively partner the private sector to achieve this by use of a number of new funding platforms. These, according to her, include the Road Trust Fund, which will develop potentially tollable roads, and the Family Homes Fund, which is an on-going PPP initiative for funding of affordable housing.

In addition, Adeosun detailed a revision to the tax provision that allows companies to receive tax relief for investment in roads on a collective basis. She explained that the existing provision that enabled companies to claim relief for road projects had only been taken advantage of by two companies, Lafarge and Dangote Cement. This was because few companies were large enough to fund roads alone.

The revision, she noted, would now allow collective tax relief such that companies would be able to jointly fund roads, subject to approval by FIRS and the Ministry of Works, and share the tax credit. This would be particularly attractive to firms in clusters such as industrial estates, many of which are plagued by poor road conditions.

She emphasised the role of infrastructure in creating inclusive growth, explaining the current barriers to growth in agriculture, solid minerals and manufacturing. She stated that the drivers of inflation were structural and were being addressed through the focus on power, rail and road infrastructure.

Adeosun also outlined measures planned to deal with the problem of hidden liabilities, which were affecting the banking sector and efforts to revive the economy. The minister explained that the conversion from cash accounting to IPSAS (International Public Sector Accounting Standards) had unveiled unrecorded debts owed to contractors, oil marketers, exporters, electricity distribution companies and others. These liabilities were estimated at N2.2 trillion and would be addressed with a 10-year Promissory Note Issuance programme in conjunction with the Central Bank of Nigeria. This measure would be subject to a rigorous audit process of all claims to ensure validity and mitigate fraud and the impact of past corrupt practices.

Henceforth, the minister said that measures would be put in place to prevent recurrence of such a problem by ensuring that contracts are managed in a manner that firms have assurance over when they would be paid. She cited the fact that many contractors were owed as a reason that many of those recently paid by government were slow in remobilising to site. According to her, “Some contractors had not been paid in the past 4 years and in some cases the banks they were owing, refused them access to the funds released, causing delays.”

She explained further that those receiving the Promissory Notes would be expected to provide a material discount to government. The issuance was a solution to a long term problem that was ‘a drag on economic activity’.

Adeosun gave assurances that, despite the current challenges facing the Nigerian economy, the outlook is positive due to the strong fundamentals and the on-going reform programme. She reiterated that the federal government was determined to create an enabling environment and put in place supportive policies to return to growth in 2017 including greater alignment of monetary and fiscal policies.

Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt
One person was killed yesterday in the rerun election in Rivers State after what started as a peaceful election degenerated into a violent exercise in Ogoni area of the South East Senatorial Zone.

The police have however denied knowledge of violence while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called for the cancellation of the exercise in Khana Local Government Area, alleging connivance of the police in ballot snatching and attacks on PDP chieftains.

The legislative rerun elections in Rivers State had proceeded peacefully in most polling units across the state. Unlike the situation in the March 19 rerun, there were no incidents of gunshots or snatching of ballot boxes in most of the areas.
Security was tight in most of the places where voting took place while there were road blocks in strategic areas of the state.

It was also gathered that some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) last night ran away from the Rivers South East Senatorial Collation Centre at Bori following pressure from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to write results in its favour.

The INEC officers who spoke on condition of anonymity alleged the APC officials invaded the INEC collation centre at about 7pm in the company of security officials , locked the gates and demanded that the INEC officials accept the results they had brought in about elections in Gokana Local Government Area

An INEC official, who did not want to be named, told THISDAY that he had to disguise to escape from the Bori Centre having known that some security agents snatched ballot boxes in the area earlier in the day.
If we allow this to happen we will be sowing a seed that will ultimately destroy this country,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged that the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, led soldiers to beat up Ikwerre Caretaker Chairman, Hon. Samuel Nwanosike, and also invaded the INEC Collation Centre at Isiokpo.

A statement by the party said Thousands of Ikwerre people have besieged INEC in Isiokpo following the invasion of the Local Government Collation Centre.
It claimed the Minister stormed the INEC Collation Centre with over 200 soldiers and Armoured Personnel Carrier and was also accompanied by the Commissioner of Police in charge of Election, Mr David.

According to the PDP, “The soldiers and the Commissioner of Police forcefully gained entrance where they drove away the live crew of the African Independent Telecision(AIT) Live crew, other print and broadcast journalists, agents of political parties and observers.
“The Commissioner of Police in charge of elections, Mr David beat up the Caretaker Chairman of Ikwerre Local Government Area, Mr Samuel Nwanosike before dragging him on the floor.”

The INEC has in the meantime confirmed that elections would hold on Sunday at Akukutoru Local Government Area of the state as elections could not hold there on Saturday because of late arrival of materials.

The state Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the commission said the commission would return to conduct elections in the area on Sunday.
In Buguma, headquarters of Asaritoru Local Government Area, the waterways were patrolled by the police and the navy. While the area was peaceful, materials did not leave early and there was low turnout of voters.

The same apathy was witnessed in parts of Eleme Local government Area and Ikwerre Local Government Area, home of Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi.

In polling units in Port Harcourt, Obio/Akpor and environs, accreditation and voting started at about 9am while in other areas it started between 10 and 11am.
The APC candidate for the Rivers South East Senatorial District, Senator Magnus Abe, voted at about 11:55am at Ward 16 Unit 10 Bera in Gokana Local Government Area.

Addressing journalists shortly after, Abe commended the conduct of the state and national assembly re-run elections in Rivers South East Senatorial District particularly in Gokana Local Government Area.

He said although he had got reports about few cases of late arrival of materials and ballot box snatching, which he said was promptly responded to by security operatives, so far the conduct appears impressive.

He commended the law enforcement agents for their vigilance and also used the opportunity to commend President Mohammadu Buhari and Service Chiefs for providing adequate security for the election.

His words: “Well, first of all, I want to express my sincere appreciation to President Mohammadu Buhari, Inspector-General of Police, Chief of Army staff, Chairman of INEC, the people of Rivers South East Senatorial District and most importantly to Almighty God.
“Since this election started, this is the first time I am actually casting a ballot; this is the first time many of the people here are actually voting. Well, it is not a perfect exercise, there are cases of late arrival of materials and security challenges like we are getting report of hoodlums still having the audacity to come out to attack and try to hijack materials in some areas. But in all, the security responses have been prompt and adequate.”

But shortly after the interview, there were reports of police invasion of a polling station at St. Pius X College, Bodo, where Units 2 and 3 of Ward 3 were voting.
When THISDAY visited the scene, voters had dispersed but there were tell tales of destruction left behind: destroyed ballot boxes, already thumb-printed ballot papers and empty shells of bullets.

There were, however, some people who came back to look for their missing items at the centre.
One of those persons was a lady who gave her name as Barituka. She told THISDAY, “I was in the queue to vote in Unit 2 at about 11.45am when some men in SARS (Police Special Anti-Robbery Squad) uniform came here to disrupt the peaceful election.

“As they drove into this place in three white Hilux vans, they started shooting. They came to scatter the election because we are voting for PDP.
Barituka also informed THISDAY that the same team of SARS operatives attacked Ward 2 in the same Bodo City where they killed one Mr. Meebari Kormaga in their (SARS) attempt to disrupt the election and cart away the ballot boxes.

Addressing journalists at the Ward 1 polling centre, Bodo, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Hon. Kenneth Kobani, lamented that SARS operatives, attached to the APC House of Representatives candidate for Gokana/Khana Federal Constituency, Hon. Morris Pronen, invaded the St. Pius X College, Bodo polling station and killed Mr. Meebari Kormaga and took away the ballot boxes.

“They have killed an innocent man who just came out to exercise his franchise in cold blood. I don’t know how people think they can ride to power on people’s blood,” he lamented.
When THISDAY also visited the polling unit at Kpor, close to the police divisional headquarters, THISDAY saw a detachment of the SARS, leading other police and security operatives forcibly take the ballot boxes and used tear gas to scare away voters who protested against the removal of the ballot boxes.

But when contacted for his reaction, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Nnamdi Omoni, said there was no report of violence in the area and that elections in the area was peaceful.

“We have just left Gokana in the company of the GOC and there was no iota of violence or election malpractice. Everywhere was peaceful. We also visited Bodo especially and there was nothing to even suggest violence,” he said.

But when THISDAY insisted that he witnessed some violent scenes at Gokana, especially in Bodo and Kpor, he said he would call the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the area and get back to him. But he never did till the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has accused the Nigerian Army and the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigerian Police of killing PDP agents, hijacking electoral materials and working to deliver a particular candidate in Rivers South-East Senatorial District.
The governor added that no matter the use of the Nigerian Army and SARS personnel by the APC Government, Rivers State would never be conquered.

Wike, who was said to be reacting to the mass shootings by the Nigerian Army and the Police in Khana, Gokana, Akuku-Toru and Etche Local Government Areas on Election Day, said the Security Agencies were deployed to the State to manipulate the result of the polls.
He said true to the claim by the APC Governors and leaders that they would use Federal Might against the Rivers people, the military have been used to rig rerun elections in parts of the state.

The governor said in Khana Local Government Area, election materials for the entire Local Government Area were hijacked by the Nigerian Army and SARS personnel.
He added that in Gokana Local Government Area, soldiers hijacked election materials for Wards 2 and 3 in Bodo City where the military also killed two persons in the process of fleeing with the materials.

Wike said out of the 19 wards of Etche Local Government Area, soldiers and SARS personnel hijacked election materials for 4 wards.
He alleged that one Mr Charles Anyanwu, Etche APC Chieftain, has been arrested with two AK47 guns. He noted that the security agencies may release him.

The governor noted that the unfortunate onslaught by the military and SARS personnel started in the night of Friday, when the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi backed by a battalion of soldiers and over 20 SARS personnel attempted to hijack materials from the Isiokpo INEC headquarters, but was resisted by youths.

Madagali bomb blast death toll rises to 45

Okon Bassey in Uyo and
Daji Sani in Yola
Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel came within a whisker of being killed yesterday in Uyo, the state capital, when a church building in which he was worshipping collapsed, killing more than 50 people. Emmanuel was among the top government officials and other dignitaries at the Reigners Bible Church along the Uyo village road when the tragedy occurred about 11am, leaving hundreds of worshippers trapped inside the church.

Meanwhile, the National Emergency Management Agency said yesterday that 45 people had now died and 52 others were injured following Friday’s twin bomb blast in Madagali, in Adamawa State. The state coordinator of NEMA, Saad Bello, confirmed the new figures. Bello said many of the wounded were being treated at the Michika General Hospital.

A twin bomb blast had rocked Madagali market about 12 noon on Friday, resulting in the death of 30 people on the spot and injuring of 67 others. Bello said out of the 67 that were injured some later died at the hospital while receiving treatment, which raised the number of the dead to 45. Eyewitnesses said two suspected female suicide bombers had detonated themselves at the grains and second-hand clothes sections of the market.

THISDAY learnt that the Saturday service in Uyo during which the building collapse took place was a special programme organised to mark the Archbishopric ordination of the founder of the church, Akan Weeks, as Bishop. The Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Udoh, and the chief press secretary to the governor, Mr Ekerette Udoh, were among those injured and taken to the hospital.

At the time of filing this report, cranes from the construction company, Julius Berger, were still at the scene of the building collapse lifting debris in search of bodies and possible survivors. Government ambulances, medical personnel, the Red Cross officials, and security operatives were mobilised to help in rescue operations.
Eyewitnesses said the church building, which was undergoing renovation, was filled beyond capacity when the tragedy occurred.

A member of the church, who was visibly shaken and preferred anonymity, told THISDAY that he was in an adjoining building to buy water when the building collapsed. “I heard a loud bang and the next thing I saw was that the building just collapsed with worshipers trapped inside,” he stated.

Another member of the church said, “Pastor Akan Weeks was being consecrated today (Saturday), so the programme was holding inside the church when, suddenly, the whole building collapsed.
“Many people are buried under the debris, as emergency workers continue rescue exercise.”
The Police Public Relations officer in the Akwa Ibom State, ASP Cordelia Nwaiwe, said the number of casualties could not be ascertained immediately as rescue operations and evacuation of victims was still on.

“For now, we are not talking about death, but seriously involved in reviving some of the victims and taking them to the hospital for medical attention. The police commissioner will talk on the deaths in future,” Nwaiwe said.
She said men and officers of the state police command had been deployed to the scene of the accident to secure the place and check the activities of hoodlums who might want to exploit the situation to steal.

President Muhammadu Buhari and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria have offered their commiserations to the church and victims of the Uyo tragedy.
A statement by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu, said the president had spoken with the Akwa Ibom State governor by telephone to commiserate with him over the collapse of the church building.
The statement said, “The president also conveyed to the governor and the people of Akwa Ibom State the deep sorrow of his family, the government and the entire people of Nigeria over the many deaths and injury recorded following the incident.”

Buhari prayed for the repose of the souls of the deceased and the quick recovery of the injured. He implored the people of the state, especially those within the vicinity of the incident, to rally round the victims of the tragedy to help ease their sorrow and pains.
The Akwa Ibom State chairman of PFN, Dr. Sylvanus Ukafia, said in a statement, “The Pentecostal Community shares the pain of Reigners’ Bible Church on the sad event of the collapse of its building during the Bishopric Ordination of its presiding pastor, Bishop Elect Akan Weeks, and stand with them in prayers and support.

“The PFN urges all Pentecostal churches in the state in particular and Nigeria in general to hold special prayers for the Church in their services on Sunday, December 11, 2016.
“Furthermore, the PFN urges all churches to take special offerings for the medical assistance of all those injured and send same to the Reigners’ Bible Church. Church members who can are also urged to donate blood, where necessary, to those in the hospital and make other donations as may be required in the course of the treatment of those injured.”

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara has greeted Nigerian Muslims on the occasion of the Eid-el-Maulud festival to mark the celebration of the birth of Prophet Muhammed.

Dogara, in a statement issued yesterday, urged Muslims to use the occasion of the remembrance and celebration of the birth of Prophet Mohammed to imbibe and promote the virtues of humility, love, peace, harmony and mutual co-existence which the prophet exemplified.

He also called for prayers for Nigeria to overcome its current economic challenges.  “Maulud Nabiyy is a special period that calls for sober reflections and special prayers to the Almighty for our leaders at all levels for God’s wisdom and guidance. We must also put aside our ethnic, religious and political differences and come together to build a more united and peaceful country,” Dogara added.

Tambuwal Sues for Peace, Tolerance

Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, yesterday urged Nigerians to put aside all differences and collaborate with one another  to build a united and peaceful nation.

This was contained in a message to commemorate this year’s Eid-el-Maulud issued in Sokoto  by his spokesman, Malam Imam Imam.

He urged Nigerians to imbibe the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and strive to live with one another in peace and harmony.

“Same way the birth of the Prophet in Mecca ushered in a new dawn for humanity, Nigerians should view the occasion of this year’s Maulud Nabiyyi as an opportunity for a new beginning.

“As a nation, we will make progress towards the realisation of our shared vision of a strong, united and prosperous nation if our people imbibe the Prophet’s lessons of peace, tolerance, honesty, selflessness, sincerity, justice, equity and peaceful co-existence,” the statement read.

The Governor to this end,  rejoiced with Nigerians, especially the Muslim faithful, on the occasion of Eid-el-Maulud.

Tambuwal assured the people of Sokoto of his determination to promote religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence among all citizens.

He added that his administration made the provision of social amenities a top priority, and will continue with its policies so as to ensure rapid development of all sectors of the state.

Ayade Felicitates with Muslims, Urges Support for Buhari 

Cross River State Governor, Senator Ben Ayade, has enjoined Muslims in Nigeria to use the occasion of the birthday of Prophet Muhammed to preach and show love to one another.

In his goodwill message signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Christian Ita, marking this year’s Eid-el-Maulud, the governor said: “May this wonderful occasion of the birthday of the Holy Prophet Mohammed bring about love, peace and prosperity to our beloved country, Nigeria. As we  celebrate the holy Prophet’s birthday, your prayer for the peace and unity of our dear country is needed now more than ever before.”

While urging Nigerians to rally round President Muhammadu Buhari to pull the country out of the current recession, Ayade said: “As committed faithful, let us harness our creative energies, our love for one another towards the development of the country by aligning with our President, Muhammadu Buhari to help Nigeria pull through recession.”  According to the governor, “As we celebrate, we must not be unmindful of the lessons of Eid-el-Maulud, which is love , peace and devotion.

As true Moslems, “You have always demonstrated good examples by exhibiting the true teachings of Muhammed, I want to, therefore, urge all Muslim brothers and sisters across the country to continue to join hands with people of other faith to preach peace, love and unity which our country desperately needs.”

He entreated the Almighty Allah to fill the hearts of Moslems with love, even as they celebrate in peace.

Bello Urges Dedication, Sacrifice.

Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, has urged the people of the state to live a life of dedication and excellence in the spirit of the birth of Prophet Mohammed.

The governor who made the call in a message through his Chief Press Secretary, Petra Akinti Onyegbule, to mark this year Eid el-Maulud,  said Nigerians must dedicate their lives to the “pursuit of good, justice and equity.” Bello said Prophet Mohammad led an exemplary life of dedication, equity and justice, saying, “The best birthday gift to Prophet Mohammad is for all to strive to build an egalitarian society where equity, justice and fairness are the cornerstones.”

He said he would continue to lead Kogi State with the fear of Allah, admonishing the people to fear Allah and avoid anti-social practices that could jeopardise the “peace and well-being of the society.”

“I urge all Kogites and Nigerians to imbibe the spirit of Prophet Mohammad by promoting peace and stability in the society. In a time like this, leaders must eschew selfishness and contribute to the well-being of the people.

“All Muslims must strive to promote peace across the world, for that was the ideal Prophet Mohammad lived for”.

Bello reassured the people of Kogi State of his readiness to defeat poverty and underdevelopment in the state. He said civil servants would soon start to appreciate his civil service reforms in the state.

Amosun Calls for Value Reorientation

Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has urged the Muslim Ummah in Nigeria to learn from the exemplary lifestyle of Prophet Mohammed. The governor stated this yesterday in an Eid-el-Maulud message signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Adejuwon Soyinka. He urged the Muslim Ummah in Nigeria to always learn from the peaceful lifestyle of complete obedience to Allah, exemplified by Prophet Muhammed in all that they do. “Whether in political, social, economic or religious circles, our lifestyle need to reflect that of the Prophet Muhammed,” governor Amosun said.

He added: “If Nigerians, irrespective of ethnic or religious differences would learn from the values and ethos exemplified by the life of Prophet Muhammed, this country would be a better place for all of us.” The Ogun State governor also seized the occasion to call on all Nigerians to shun acts of violence and disobedience to constituted authorities while urging all to rededicate themselves to the task of nation building.

Ambode: Pray for Peace, Progress in Nigeria

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, yesterday called on Muslims to offer special prayers for greater peace, unity and continuous progress of Nigeria, as they join their counterparts across the world to celebrate Eid-el-Maulud, which is the birth of Prophet Mohammed. The governor, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Habib Aruna, enjoined Muslims to follow the exemplary leadership of the Holy Prophet by promoting peaceful existence.

While imploring Nigerians to shun ethnic, political and religious differences and work towards building a safer and better Nigeria, Ambode said the celebration of the birth of the Prophet should renew the faith and bond of unity as one people and one nation irrespective of diversity.

“On the occasion of the commemoration of the birth of the holy Prophet, it is imperative to reflect on his teachings and uphold his legacies of unity, integrity, peaceful coexistence and love for one’s neighbour, which are indispensable in our quest for meaningful development and the profitable management of our diversity,” he said. The governor also urged Muslim to internalise the virtues of honesty, selflessness, charity, tolerance, good neighbourliness, justice, equity and fairness which Mohammed (PBOH) preached, saying such will go a long way to engender national development.

“I want to seize this occasion to urge all Nigerians to commit themselves to making a greater effort to imbibe these qualities and values as they celebrate the Prophet’s birth”.

“I wish all our Muslim brothers and sisters in Nigeria and Lagos in particular a happy Eid-el-Maulud”, he said.        

Pray for Great, New Nigeria, Orji Tells Muslims

As Nigeria Muslims join their counterparts the world over to mark the festival of Eid-el-Maulud, Senator Theodore Orji has called on the Islamic faithful to pray for the emergence of a new Nigeria with leaders imbued with great ideas that would make the nation a global brand. The senator who represents Abia Central in the National Assembly, made the call in his good will message to the Muslims, saying they should in humility ask the Almighty God to intervene in the affairs of our nation given the many challenges facing the country.  “Knowing what Eid-el-Maulud represents, our Muslim brothers and sisters should therefore use the occasion to pray for innovative ideas that will enable us break new grounds that the world would take notice of and celebrate the same way it celebrates the birth of Prophet Mohammed,” he said.

In the statement issued by his media adviser, Mr. Don Norman Obinna, the senator, who is also the immediate past governor of Abia State, noted that as a religious people Nigerians should never relent in praying for the good of the nation and those running its affairs.

According to him, supplication for the well being of Nigeria, “when granted by Allah will not only earn the country and her citizenry respect but also position her among the leading countries of the world”. He felicitated with the Muslim faithful in their celebration and urged them to emulate the life of Prophet Mohammed whose birth is the reason for the celebration.

Glo Congratulates Muslims

Telecoms giant, Globacom,  has congratulated all Muslims in the country as they celebrate Eid-el-Maulud,  the birthday of Prophet Mohammed.   In a goodwill message issued in Lagos at the weekend by the company, Globacom urged Muslims to celebrate the occasion with optimism and hope for a better tomorrow. 

The company also urged the Muslim Ummah to use the celebration of the birthday of Prophet Mohammed to continue to pray for the country to victoriously scale through the current economic recession.

It noted that the economic situation in the country can be overcome through hard work, commitment to good virtues and persistent prayers to the Almighty who has the power to return Nigeria to the path of economic growth.   “We in Globacom wish to congratulate our Muslim brethren on this unique occasion and urge them to use the period to pray for the rapid economic recovery and peace of the nation,” the message said.

Globacom called on Muslims to remember that the birth of Prophet Mohammed was heralded with peace and goodwill to all men.  It therefore called on the faithful to take advantage of the celebration to extend hands of fellowship by sharing  good tidings with all,  especially the less privileged. The message noted that in Nigeria, like in most parts of the world, Eid-el-Maulud provides an opportunity to show love to families, friends, neighbours and businesses.  It said the special occasion is also used by families and friends to bond and communicate through voice calls, SMS and numerous data services.

Globacom urged Muslims to take advantage of the company’s array of products and services for their communication need at all times. The Muslim feast of  Eid-el-Maulud will be celebrated this year on Monday, December 12 

By John Shiklam in Kaduna

The Justice for All (J4A) has identified sexual violence as the most serious crime affecting women and girls in Nigeria.

It, however, regretted that despite the magnitude of the problem, there were limited facilities to help victims of sexual  assault in addition to the fact that  only a few of such cases were prosecuted with very few convictions.

Speaking at  the opening of a one day workshop in Kaduna, the coordinator of the J4A, Bob Arnot said the programme has supported the establishment of Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARC) in eight states of the federation to handle rape cases.

The states include Lagos, Enugu, Niger, Akwa-Ibom, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano and Yobe.

He said the Lagos centre known as Mirabel centre is located at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) is managed by partnership for J4A  and provides forensic  medical examination, counselling and other support services to victims of sexual violence.

Similarly, he said the Enugu Centre known as Tamar centre is managed by Women’s Aid Collective (WACOL) and is located in the premises of the Family Support Programme unit of the Enugu State Ministry of Gender.

According to him,  the success of SARC has demonstrated the critical role it can play as a platform for collaboration among many agencies and groups that are fighting against sexual violence.

Arnot said further that SARCs work closely with the Juvenile Women’s and Children’s Units (JWCU) from J4A established Model Police Stations across Lagos, Enugu and Niger states where police and social workers are encouraged to undertake joint investigations.

He disclosed that  the Lagos SARC  has helped 1,954 victims of sexual violence within three years while the Enugu SARC  has assisted 572 victims in the last two years.

“Between 2013 and October 2016, over 2,500 people have benefitted from SARC services in Lagos, Enugu and Niger States, 74 per cent of these are below 18 years old and 34 per cent are below the age of 10,” he said.

He added that  the number of cases of sexual violence being investigated by the police and charged to court has multiplied since the SARCs were established.

Also, in  an interview with journalists during the workshop founder of WACOL, Prof. Joy Ezeilo, said there are many challenges militating against the successful prosecution of cases of sexual violence.

She however called for the use of DNA test to scientifically prove rape cases. 

According to her, the technicalities around prosecution and trial of rape cases are very problematic.

“You have also the cases of children who are victims in child abuses some of who can barely talk and give evidence.

“There is also the issue of societal pressure that  stigmatises and blames the victims and then the victims are so reluctant even when they reported, there is always the pressure to withdraw.

“Sometimes police play along and the case is withdrawn and settle out of court. DNA is very  important in the prosecution of rape cases,” she said

By Emmanuel Addeh in Yenagoa

Despite its reluctance to officially set up a negotiating committee to hold talks with militants in the Niger Delta, the federal government has continued discreet talks with the belligerent groups in the region, THISDAY learnt yesterday.

It was gathered that at least three meetings had taken place in the last few months between the militants and federal government emissaries coordinated by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Mohammed Moguno (rtd).

The backroom discussions, which have incorporated other smaller aggrieved groups, are continuing, it was learnt, just as there is growing anxiety among elders and leaders in the region over the inability of the government at the centre to formally name its team of negotiators about six weeks after their meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari.

All the meetings between the agitators and the office of the NSA, THISDAY was informed, took place in Abuja, after the Joint Task Force (JTF), a special security outfit fighting militancy in the area, cleared and certified the various groups which have attacked oil installations since the beginning of the year.

A source close to the goings-on between the government and the agitators, said government agents reached out directly to the groups instead of going through third parties to learn first hand the underlying reasons for the several attacks on the oil infrastructure aside the ones publicly voiced by the warlords.

To avoid the complaints of exclusion that has continued to trail the amnesty programme, the government was said to have gone beyond only the known violent groups like the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) and the Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate (NDGJM) two groups that have publicly claimed responsibility, to reach out to smaller groups.

But the source added that to avoid making the meetings an “all-comers-affair,” the security agents subjected the groups to serious scrutiny which ensured that ‘portfolio militants’ were screened out.

According to the source, most of the issues being discussed still bordered on the 16-point demand by the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), led by Chief Edwin Clark.

However, it was gathered that the Iduwini Volunteer Force (IVF),  one of the groups operating along the coasts of South-western Delta State and North-western Bayelsa State, in the last meeting with the office of the NSA, insisted that one of the conditions for peace should be the direct payment of 13 per cent derivation to the source of the oil, the communities, rather than the state government.

The group reportedly told the government negotiators that it was an aberration to pay the derivation funds to the state governors who were hardly accountable to the oil producing communities in the Delta.

The IVF, led by one Commander Johnson Biboye, it informed, maintained during one of the meetings that the part of the constitution that set aside the 13 per cent derivation specifically said that the monies should be paid directly to the source of the natural resource and not the states where they are found.

Confirming the discreet discussions between the parties, the source  said: “We have been meeting and interfacing with the government through the office of the NSA. We have told them that the last amnesty programme did not carry many genuine groups along. So, after clearance, several groups have been meeting with them, though there is no definitive conclusion on the discussions.

“As far as you are cleared by the JTF, and they (security agencies) know you have antecedents, you are allowed to be part of those they are talking to. But we have also told government to be consistent.

“If they want peace, let them follow through with the withdrawal of soldiers from the creeks. They cannot be looking for peace and deploying soldiers to harass innocent people at the same time,” it added.

On how the talks were progressing, it said that though the federal government has not made any particular concession, it had agreed in principle to allow the Marine University in Okerenkoko, Tompolo’s town to continue as originally planned by the government of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Meanwhile, there has been growing unease among elders and leaders of the region who met with President Buhari on November I, to table the demands of the Niger Delta, it was learnt.

Many of those involved in the peace committee, including Chief Clark, in a meeting in Delta State at the weekend, were said to be unhappy over the refusal of the government to formally inaugurate it’s team of negotiators.

Also, the King of Twon Brass,  Bayelsa, Alfred Diette-Spiff, on the margins of an event which held in Yenagoa, told THISDAY that the committee was patiently waiting for the federal government to officially announce its team.

He said he was sure that the government was serious about achieving peace in the region and called on the militants to maintain the ceasefire that has prevailed for weeks.

“Of course, the federal government has to be sincere because they have no choice in the matter.

“The federal government realises and appreciates what the elders are trying to do. So, it is a matter of letting the tempers of agitators and the people cool down before starting the dialogue,” he said.

Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Senator George Sekibo, winner of the senatorial election in Rivers East Senatorial District.

But the All Progressives Congress in the state has kicked against the result saying it would contest the result as it was not done in line with the law.

Declaring the result at the Collation Centre, the Returning Officer, Prof. Orji Okumenkama, said Sekibo scored 93,098 votes to defeat candidate of the APC, Chief Andrew Uchendu, who scored 34,193 votes.

The announcement of the result, however, did not come without drama. As the result was about to be announced, some security operatives made up of soldiers and policemen in SARS uniform stormed the Port Harcourt City Hall Collation Centre and tried to disrupt the process.

As more people were attracted to the scene, the security operatives shot sporadically into the air to scare people and made their exit.

In the ensuing confusion, the Election Officer, Mary Tokoyo, was manhandled.

“They (security operatives) hit me with chair, they slapped me. I was molested,” she told journalists as she was being taken to hospital for medical attention.

The state Governor, Nyesom Wike, was among those who rushed to the collation centre as the security operatives invaded the centre.

Addressing supporters shortly after the announcement of the results, Sekibo dedicated his victory to “the resilience of Rivers Governor and the people”.

The Lagos State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, at the weekend unveiled plans to build five new arts theatres across the state as part of efforts to engage the youths and promote tourism through arts and entertainment.

A statement by the governor’s media aide, Mr. Habib Aruna, said the governor made the disclosure at the Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos, where a play, ‘Heartbeat the Musical…A New Beginning,’ directed by Olu Jacobs and his wife, Joke Silver, was staged.

Ambode said the theatres would be up and running before the end of 2017.

Speaking shortly after the stage play, Ambode said he was thoroughly impressed by the production of the play, saying it was a confirmation that Lagos was not only the destination for arts, culture and entertainment, but has budding youths ready to showcase their talents.

He said: “I never believed I could sit down for two hours, I thought I would just pop in briefly and then leave, but this is awesome and fantastic, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

“The mere fact that I believe strongly in arts, entertainment and sports, everything that is arts, like I said, before the end of next year, we are going to have five new theatres in Lagos.

“We are already engaging Terra Kulture and we are speaking to another consultant and the truth is that we want to have the theatres in Badagry, Epe, Ikorodu, Alimosho and on the Mainland.

“We already have one in Victoria Island. But the truth is that this is where the energy of Lagos is and that is where we should go.

“It’s not so much about the physical infrastructure, but 67 per cent of the Lagos population is below the age of 35, so we need to start finding things to keep the younger ones more creative and then open the space for them to be able to just show their talents.”

Ambode further revealed that the state government was fine-tuning plans ahead of its Lagos @ 50 celebrations coming up on May 27, 2017, adding that several events that would promote the arts and entertainment sector would be incorporated in the celebrations.