The Nigerian Focus: A Blind Trail?

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22/03/2017

By Opetu Ebibote

The way things are going one begins to wonder where our priority lies or what is left to actually motivate one. Increasing strings of event being broadcastedhave made the television useless because every news item is enough drama. In fact, what is left is a box of popcorn while reading and I don’t know if it is only me who feels this way.

I begin with the senate drama with the Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service. “When did wearing a uniform or not become one of Nigeria’s problems?” I ask with disdain. Our focus on ceremonial duties instead of the constitutional duties never ceases to baffle me. If the senate gave half as much time and attention they are giving this Uniform issue (and other trivial baseless issues) to the many problems that have caused the retrogressive nature of the Nigerian economy, maybe we will not be where we are right now, scratch that ‘maybe’ I am sure we as a nation would have moved further even if it is just by a step.

What baffles me most is the suspension of his proposal of a new policy to the House until he is fully regaled in ‘his uniform’. Please and please how do we benefit from Mr. Hamid wearing a uniform? Who his uniform epp? If the senate monitors the individual performance of the senate members and refused them entrance into the house until they did what was right; Nigeria for don better since o. Is the senate forgetting that this man did not become a custom chief until 2015 before which he had nothing to do with the customs office? In fact, what we should be worried about is if he even knows what is required of him and if he is able to carry out his duties appropriately.

The senate has argued that he is supposed to be an exemplary figure to other customs officers. They forget that when there is a problem with the head, all body parts are affected. “The head” in this context is President Buhari and his decision to make a retired colonel the Comptroller-General of a sector such as the Nigeria Customs Service. Should it surprise you if he says ‘I don’t like the uniform’, I am tempted to make a comparison with an old man who has written with his right hand all his life now forced to write with his left hand.

Was there no ‘good example’ among the thousands of Custom Officer in the system worthy of emerging the Comptroller-General; it’s the second week of this unfortunate drama, the second week of giving prominence to a baseless issue while over real issues plaguing the country are left pending like the court cases of most of House ‘representa-thieves’

Away from politics, the whole Apostle Suleiman & Aunty Stephanie shebang and the stain on religion is a really delicate one and I do not know where to start from. It is like when two children are caught fighting and each blame the other party for starting the fight. You just stand there not knowing whom to believe. Aunty Stephanie has come out to say she has video and pictures to prove all her allegations. This is not the first time, maybe not the last that a religious leader is blackmailed and as well it is not unheard of for a minister to have unholy sexual escapades with his member. I might have a definite stand on this issue if there wasn’t a twist to it.

On Sunday, a lady with the Facebook profile name “Yahweh Yesha Ace” came out to say that she had suffered such fate from the same man of God. This got me dumbfounded, the man who said “in every rumour there is an iota of truth” must be wise. This is the kind of movie, where you sit with your popcorn in hand silently watching and awaiting the climax. I am most certain that only time can reveal the truth. After all, nothing is hidden under the sun.

Moving from serious matters, my next stop is Big Brother Nigeria. I have been itching to say something about the continued condemnation of the Television show. It is understandable that it breaches the moral code of our highly religious country but why do we not have an answer for the question “Is this the first program where sexual related activities are promoted?”

There are myriads of Nollywood movies that promote subtle and obvious forms of immoralities and we vote the actors and actresses who engage in the act as best this… best that…Why have we closed eyes and shut mouths to condemning these movies and remember BBN is just on a channel, leaving you with other channels so you can leave interested Nigerians to watch. The irony of the situation is that there is no moral code in our country.

It is paradoxical that a huge number of those who complain about these activities engage in them as premarital sexual activities seem like a norm; the Nigerian youth do not need BBN to teach them sexual corruption. It’s like telling a professor of mathematics that one plus one equals two, those whose moral stand are still intact, my advice is; instead of shouting against BBN and giving it more publicity, why not ensure that you and your household serve the Lord by making sure no one watches it in your home.

If Nigerians haven’t noticed, the upheaval on social media against the program has not changed anything. The program is still on and is gradually reaching its grand finale.

My pen can find a resting place now while I wishfully pray that unending scenes of drama come to an end. God bless Africa, God bless Nigeria and God bless its citizens.

Opetu Ebibote is a young writer who appreciates the gifts of words and its power to effect a change in the society. She writes from Ibadan and blogs at musespill.com.ng She can be contacted via 07062612574 or msespill@gmail.com

Nigeria: Court Charges Woman To 14 Years Imprisonment Over Fraud

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22/03/2017

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Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), LOGO

By Longtong Ibrahim

Simon Aboki of the State High Court sitting in Mararaba, Nasarawa State in north central Nigeria, on Tuesday convicted and sentenced one Hanna Abraham to 14years imprisonment on a three count charge of obtaining by false pretence and issuance of dud cheque to the tune of N7million preferred against her by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The convict was said to have, under false pretence, obtained the said sum as loan to supply 22 trucks of diesel to News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, and diverted it to other purposes other than what it was meant for.

EFCC’s spokesperson Wilson Uwujaren, noted in a statement that the offence contravenes Section 1 (1) a, Section 1 (b) (i) and Section 1 (b) (i) of the Advance Fee Fraud Act, 2006 and Dishonoured Cheque Offences.

She pleaded not guilty to the counts when she was arraigned.

After diligent prosecution, Justice Aboki found Abraham guilty on all three counts.

Delivering the judgment, Justice Aboki sentenced her to 10years imprisonment on count one and two years each on counts two and three without option of fine.

While the sentence is to run concurrently, the convict is to refund all monies collected from the complainant, he added.

Commemorating World Water Day 2017

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22/03/2017

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By Suleiman Haruna

One of the most challenging human needs is that of water, it is everywhere but seems never available or enough for use. Water has been on the front burner of development discourse since time immemorial. The sixth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets improving water and sanitation in furtherance of the efforts expended through the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It was revealed, by World Health Organization that unlike the water target, the sanitation target was not met by most of Africa by the end of 2015.

Most of the MDGs actually targeted problems that could be reduced by simply providing clean water; poverty, education and health.

The goal of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger is pertinent because many people, sometimes even host communities have left their abode on account of water shortage or drought, thereby pushing the citizens to submit themselves to the vagaries of migration and displacement; en route, they are subjected to all kinds of humiliation in order to feed their families.

The second had to do with achieving universal primary education, children have to endure long distances to fetch the water for the use of their families; this affects their school attendance. Promotion of gender equality and empowerment of women is the third Goal, and is pertinent in the water discourse as responsibility for the provision of water is always pushed to women and young girls, even though they have been determined as the weaker sex.

Goals four and five are about reducing child mortality and improving maternal health and the challenge of clean water has been described as being responsible for the diseases that kill more children and keep mothers bedridden and unproductive, especially during natal periods. Water is also a key player in the spread of malaria, which kills at least 300,000 Nigerians every year. Controlling malaria was another goal of the MDGs.

Water, sanitation and hygiene have always been treated as cousins because addressing the challenges of both sanitation and hygiene rely on the availability of water. To a large extent, interventions for the control of the practice of open defecation in our communities is reliant on the provision of water; as it is important to provide water in all health and educational facilities.

Figures by UN Water indicate that 1.8 billion people use a source of drinking water contaminated with faeces, putting them at risk of contracting cholera, dysentery, typhoid and polio. Unsafe water, poor sanitation and hygiene cause around 842,000 deaths each year. In the same vein, 663 million people still lack improved drinking water sources.

Water is the most important resource in the life of man. So it is important that we use it efficiently, and avoid its wastage. Beyond that we must encourage communities to get this important resource, sustain it and ensure its purity, if they are to live better lives.

Communities always need information on what they can do to ensure efficient water use. They must know how the availability and use of safe and clean water can bring development to them in terms of economy, health, education, culture and other indices of development. In areas where the communities cannot provide water for themselves, it behooves on men and women of goodwill to assist.

World Water Day, is celebrated on 22 March of every year, and is about taking action on water issues. Governments at all levels do a lot to provide tap water, boreholes and tube wells as far as their budgets can carry; development institutions, civil society and NGOs also offer their widows mite in this regard.

Wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, has keyed into this call through the Future Assured Programme and has built many of such water points including boreholes and tube wells across the country especially in hard to reach communities and IDP camps. By these action, children of those communities can go to school, women can lead more productive lives, and the whole community can be healthier.

These endearing efforts ensure that health outcomes do not deteriorate, that children do not drop out of school, and adults do not leave their communities for greener pasture.

Suleiman Haruna is the Director of Information, Office of the Wife of Nigerian President

Court Stops EFCC Case Over Falsehood, Media Trial

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21/03/2017

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… Says EFCC Can’t Engage in Court and Media at the Same Time

By Yusuf Issah

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) suffered a major setback in the trial of Colonel Nicholas Ashinze and three others in an alleged N3billion unlawful transfer as the Federal High Court in Abuja suspended the case over an alleged falsehood and media trial engaged by the anti-graft agency against the military officer.

Ashinze was Military Assistant to former National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (Rtd).

Counsel to Ashinze, Mr. Ernest Nwoye, had at the resumed trial protested the press statement issued by EFCC in which the defendant was reported to have been indicted by the court for diverting and misappropriating a whopping sum of N36billion.

Apart from the alleged N36bn said to have been diverted and misappropriated, the EFCC statement also referred to serving Colonel Ashinze as a retired officer.

The counsel who drew the attention of Justice Gabriel Kolawole to the offending EFCC press statement, tendered the statement and the newspaper publications at the court to establish bias and misrepresentation of the court proceeding of March 7, 2017 by the anti-graft agency.

Nwoye told the Judge that Colonel Ashinze was never charged by EFCC for any offence on N36billion diversion and misappropriation and wondered where EFCC Media team, that was not present in the court, got its proceeding that the defendant had been indicted for the amount.

The counsel urged the Court to frown at Media Trial the defendant is being subjected to as such action if not checked, will lead to misrepresentation of facts by the general public.

Nwoye also tendered newspaper publications that emanated from the EFCC press statement issued by one Mr. Wilson Uwujare who claimed to be the Head of Media and Publicity in the EFCC.
Nwoye said that both the complainant and the defendant are bound by court records of proceeding and any attempt by one of the parties to concoct lies to prejudice the order is against the rule of law and natural justice.

Justice Kolawole who was taken aback by the EFCC’s press statement asked the EFCC counsel, Mr Ofem Uket if he was aware of the press statement and if he ever issued any.

The EFCC counsel denied ever granting press interview in respect of the trial but admitted receiving letter of complaint from Nwoye and that he consulted with EFCC and discovered that the Press Statement was actually released to the media.

Uket, in his defence said that contrary to the charge of N3billion alleged transfer, evidence from witnesses have shown that about N5billion was involved.

However, Justice Kolawole who was not impressed by the argument of the EFCC’s counsel told him that the proceeding would have to stop pending the time the EFCC would put its house in order by stopping to mislead the public on court proceedings.

Justice Kolawole in a short ruling on the protest from Barrister Nwoye said that “It is unfair for EFCC as a complainant in this trial to resort to self-help by engaging the defendant in the media trial at the same time in the court trial.

“If you want to try the defendant in the media, you have to limit yourself to the media. You have to stop misleading the public in the fact of this trial. Let me say it for the sake of emphasis that EFCC must stop the use of journalists to distort proceedings in my court. You cannot be engaging in two trial: one in the court and one in the media at the same time. If you are not satisfied with my decision to stop this trial pending the time the EFCC retract this offending press statement of my court proceeding, then you can take your case to another court

“This press statement by one Wilson Uwujare who claimed to be from EFCC is scandalous and prejudice to fair trial of the defendant in this matter.

“In order to prevent media and court trial at the same time with one misrepresenting the order, I have stopped this trial pending the time the EFCC retracts the offending press statement. The trial of the defendant has nothing to do with N36billion diversion and misappropriation.

“The retraction has to be done between now and April 13, 2017. And this EFCC witness is hereby ordered to step down from the witness box and come back on April 13, 2017

“The court proper proceeding cannot materialise where records and facts of the case are being distorted by EFCC that is even the complainant in the matter.”

It would recalled the EFCC, had arraigned the quartet of Colonel Nicholas Ashinze, an Austrian, Wolfgang Reinl; Edidiong Idiong and Sagir D. Mohammed before Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court, Abuja on a 13-count charge of corruption and money laundering to the tune of N3.1bn.

The defendants however denied the charges preferred against them. Ashinze and other defendants were arraigned alongside five companies accused of allegedly diverting huge sums from the office of the former NSA.

The companies are: Geonel Integrated Services Limited, Unity Continental Nigeria Limited, Helpline Organization, Vibrant Resource Limited and Sologic Integrated Services Limited.

Curled from PRNigeria

DFID – M4D Strengthens Local Governance In Northern Nigeria Through Strategic Partnerships

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21/03/2017

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By Godwin Ekosin

An International Non-Governmental Organization, Mobilising for Development (M4D) has introduced new engagement approach to share ideas and best practices with more Community Based Organizations (CBOs) and policy makers in northern Nigerian states of Kaduna, Kano and Jigawa.

M4D is a United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) 5 year funded project, aimed at improving governance at the Local Government level, by ensuring citizens voice counts in governance.

M4D which had earlier conducted baseline studies, has taken note of the political economy of northern Nigeria, with a view to ensuring the best practice of improving governance in the region. It is currently working in the three focal states on diverse service delivery models where citizen’s demands are accommodated in the plans of government officials.

In the new approach, emphasis is placed on improving delivery of basic services to women and adolescent girls, the physically challenged and the elderly.

M4D supports CBOs in developing action plans that guides them (CBOs) on implementing what they have learnt from peer review programmes.

A beneficiary of M4D programmes, Justina Bakut from Jaba LGA of Kaduna State, who spoke in one of the CBO programme in Kachia town said, she has been well equipped especially on networking with other CBOs to echo their voice and attract attention of policy makers right from budget planning to its implementation. this according to her is to ensure only the needed projects are executed by government.

“Before now, I don’t know anything about networking. I usually thought an organization can work in isolation without joining hand with others to share ideas on how to move forward. I think an organization can work based on what its members think is good for them not necessarily asking from others. So, this learning event has taught me so many things I don’t know despite been involved in the organization for a long time.

“For example, there are places that don’t have water and even as we speak during hash weather condition like dry season, their river and well are already dried up and that means they have to trek kilometers before they can get water. These people are suffering. So these people need borehole or even pipe borne water which has even become scarce. Sometime the water board people will come and disconnect people who may not be able to pay their water bill even though the water is not frequently supplied. So we have learn the best way to go about all these issues without confrontation or force and the policy makers will reason with us”, she added.

Another participant, Umaru Samaila from Kachia said, “today I leant how to write demands and show the evidence of writing such demands. If I get back to my community, I will mobilize my people and tell them what I have learnt here and see how we can do better on what we have been doing because there is always room for improvement”.

Treasurer, Kachia Educational Development Association (KEDA), Kasimu Haruna who was among the resource persons at the event described M4D as pace setter saying before the arrival of the NGO in his community, KEDA as a community based association has been doing its things without proper organization.

According to him, ‘’we have been existing for the past 16 years and M4D came about five years ago. But before the arrival of M4D, we were running our association helter-skelter. However since their coming, we have received a lot of training and education on how to make our association strong. This has helped to be more organized in such a way that we now meet with policy makers.

We were running the association based on understanding we now had and transferred same to our people who have been supportive. We have also been able to be involved in self-reliance efforts so we can generate funds for our use instead of depending on politicians and government.

We have been able to raise enough money to built corpers’ lodge for the benefit of our corps members. We also have computer training centre with the support of M4D though it has not commence operation fully which we hope will soon start”.

In an interview shortly after the learning event held in Kachia on Monday, State Programme Manager M4D, Hannatu Ahuwan, said she considered it a learning event rather than training event because her NGO is working with Community Based Organizations (CBOs) in three local government areas of Kaduna State which are Kachia, Igabi and Kudan, a five years programme and which according to her is gradually coming to a close.

She maintained that, M4D did not want to limit the scope to only the three LGAs where it is currently working, but want to see that even other CBOs in non M4D wards can also learn what its CBOs have learnt from; how they have leant it and of what benefit is this training to them and their communities.

Giving insight into her organization’s activities she said, “the essence of our organization is to see that policy makers and service providers are more responsive and accountable to citizens needs and entitlements most especially those of excluded groups. So in other to achieve that, we work with LGA itself while we also work with CBOs to see that they are better organized and they are able to mobilize their communities, identify their communities issues, prioritize them and then make demands of their policy makers and service providers.

“We have been able to teach them certain things and we have improved their capacity. So we are here to review and learn more on all these things they have learned including other CBOs from other LGAs even though we are not currently working there.

“Like I mentioned earlier, we are working with already existing CBOs and there are criteria we used in selecting them. They are already known by their communities and that means they have been doing one thing or the other to improve their lot. So we carried out assessment need to identify where they have gap in term of organization and then strengthen their capacity in different ways and we have been able to achieve that. Some of them don’t even have structure in place; no constitution, no action plan and some of them are not even inclusive as some of them don’t have single woman or people living with disability among them. All these bottlenecks we have been able to resolve and they are doing fine now.

“Now, we are happy that they are now doing what they hitherto don’t do.

“For instance, they identify their community needs and present them to policy maker in a manner that it will be difficult to ignore. They start with their LGAs and where the LGAs may not be able to handle such needs, then the state will come in. They also provide feedback to their community there by carrying everyone along in their activities.

“Within this senatorial zone, which has eight LGAs including Kachia where we are currently working, from each of the seven other LGAs we invited three CBOs and each of them came with two representatives and their community development officers of their LGA. So that translates to 49 of them apart from other CBOs we are working with.

“The message we have for them is that, they should go back to their various organizations and communities and put into practice what they have leant in this extensive learning event. They also need to get their CBOs better organized as they can see from those we have already trained. Now they can better mobilize their community, identify their needs and then approach policy makers and service providers to their advantage”, added the State Programme Manager of M4D.

Additional reporting by Iliya Kure.

Israel Complete Tests, Set To Put David’s Sling Defence System To Use [Video]

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20/03/2017

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Israel and United States have concluded tests on a missile defence system, David’s Sling, a major part of Israel’s multi-tiered anti-missile array.

Israel Ministry of Defence says the interceptor missiles have a range of about 186 miles.

The system’s multi-mission radar has detected target after launch and performed all flight phases, and engaged the targets as planned, the Ministry said.

David’s Sling project is for defence against rockets and ballistic missiles.

The success of the project has positioned the country against its perceived enemies, which continued to pose threat to the nation.

Sources say, the Defence System will be put to use early April.

Kenya Man Recounts How His Girlfriend Pour Hot Water On His Chest

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20/03/2017

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By Lontong Ibrahim

A middle aged man, Peter Waithaka, from Kang’oo village in Gatundu North Sub County of Kenya is recovering from burns after his girlfriend poured hot water on his chest after a dispute.

The girlfriend identified as Leah Nyambara is said to have carried hot water to a bar and poured it on her boyfriend’s chest on suspicion that he was cheating.

Peter Waithaka is said to have engaged in a row with Leah Nyambara on 10th March 2017 at Kang’oo shopping centre which led to the attack.

Recounting the incidence, Waithaka said, “Nyambara found me taking my beer at a local bar and started shouting at me. I asked her to leave me alone but as I took more beer with my friends, she went to her house, boiled water and put it in a thermos then returned to where we were.

“She splashed the water on my chest unexpectedly. She suspects that I have another girlfriend. That is what prompted the row.”

He went on to say that he regained consciousness at Igegania Level four Hospital where he was admitted for three days before he was discharge.

He pointed out that, his girlfriend who also own a green grocery shop went into hiding after she was confronted by a lynch mob.

According to report, Waithaka reported the incident to Mwea police officers, demanding her arrest to prevent future harm, as well as make her pay for his damages and medical expenses.

The Police are yet to apprehend Nyambara, Waithaka said.

Nigeria Emphasizes On Team Work To Get Out Of Recession

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20/03/2017

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By Lontong Ibrahim

Nigeria’s Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma, has called for team work among critical stakeholders to ensure speedy recovery and growth of the Nigerian economy.

According to him, the recovery task calls for maximum cooperation and understanding between Ministries, Departments and Agencies, and sustained synergy between the public and private sectors.

A statement by the Ministry’s Acting Director of Information, Ben Bem Goong, noted that the Minister made the call in his office in Abuja when he received the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, NIPC, Mrs. Yewande Sadiku, who was in the Ministry for a one-day working visit.

While explaining that one of the key elements of the recovery plan was hinged on the speedy development of critical infrastructure such as roads, rail and energy.

The Minister charged the NIPC to urgently mobilize the private sector to invest heavily in these areas, noting that with a population of over 170 million people and vast natural resources, the Nigerian economy was a gold mine with promising returns on investment practically all sectors of the country’s economy.

While expressing optimism that the country would exit recession sooner than expected, Udoma pointed out that the over-subscription of the country’s bond, the marginal drop in inflation rate and minimal stability being witnessed in the forex market in recent times as well as the raising profile of the foreign reserves were clear indicators of the journey out of recession.

He described NIPC as an important partner in the recovery plan, noting that their leadership qualities would provide the necessary impetus to the recovery drive.

The Minister further appealed to Nigerians to have faith in their country, economy and leadership.

Speaking earlier, NIPC Executive Secretary, Ms Yewande Sadiku, told the Minister that the Commission was working assiduously to promote the required synergy between investors and critical stakeholders in various sectors of the Nigerian economy.

She maintained that the Commission was mindful of the need for greater cooperation and coordination among stakeholders.

She also promised the Minister that her Commission would do its best to promote the ease of doing business within the area of its jurisdiction as part of its contribution to the recovery efforts.

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