02042019 - Military uncovers arms factory in Benue

10 — VANGUARD, TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019
We’ve increased power
generation to 8,100MW
— OSINBAJO
By Dayo Adesulu
L President
AGOS—VICE
Yemi
Osinbajo, yesterday,
disclosed that the Federal
Government has
succeeded in increasing
power generation from
4,000 megawatts to
8,100MW over the past
three years.
Osinbajo said this when
he delivered a lecture
titled: Nigeria rising: The
path to prosperity, during
the University of Lagos,
UNILAG, 50th
Convocation Lecture said:
“On power, we have moved
generation from 4000MW
to 8100 MW. But the effect
of this increase in
generation has not
translated significantly to
better service to the
consumer. This is mainly
due to distribution
challenges. Over 2000 MW
of power is not taken up by
the DISCOS for distribution
to consumers largely
because of problems they
experience in collection of
tariff, but one of the reasons
for this is the fact that the
DISCOS have not invested
significantly in metering.
“We have now embarked
on a major metering
initiative known as the
Metering Assets
Programme which involves
private metering assets
providers.
“In addition, the Federal
Government has, in the
past 18 months, taken on
the deficiencies in
transmission head on
through the TCN and the
NDPHC we are completing
transmission projects all
around the country.
“But the more important
strategy is to decentralize
power production. So, we
TAX EVASION: Court issues fresh
bench warrant against Nollywood
actress
By Onozure Dania
LAdedayo AGOS—JUSTICE
Akintoye of
a Lagos High Lagos sitting
at Igbosere, yesterday,
issued a bench warrant for
the arrest of Nollywood
actress and producer,
Monalisa Chinda-Coker,
over a tax evasion charge.
Akintoye further renewed
the order for Chinda-
Coker’s arrest for allegedly
failing to appear in court
for trial, since 2017.
She adjourned further
proceedings in the matter
till June 5.
When the matter was
called yesterday, neither
the actress nor her lawyer
was in court.
The Lagos State
prosecuting counsel,
Babatunde Sumonu told
the judge that the bench
warrant had yet to be
effected. “The bench
warrant is to continue,”
Justice Akintoye held.
The judge had made the
order for Coker’s arrest on
January 21, following an
application by the Lagos
...Says FG’ll
diversify economy
have adopted an off grid
programme; which means
that we are encouraging
private investors to
collaborate with
government to build IPPs
and supply power to willing
buyers. This was made
possible by what is called
an eligible customer
declaration by the Ministry
of Power, Works and
Housing. By this
collaboration, we have been
providing power, especially
Solar Power to economic
clusters such as markets
across the country,
including Ariaria market in
Aba, 31993 shops,
Sabongari market in Kano
13,598 shops, Sura market
in Lagos 1047. Isikan 493,
NEPA 256, Gbagi 8778,
UMBC 2178, a total of
81691shops servicing
320000 SMEs. In Lagos
we recently commissioned
the Sura market solar
project; the businesses there
now have 24 hour power.
From printers, commercial
tailors to small chop
businesses, everyone is
employing more and
making more profit.”
Speaking on plans for the
next four years, he said:
“The topic was informed by
the curiosity of the university
about what you expect from
the Buhari administration in
the next four years or what
is the meaning of that
expressionThe Next Level.
According to him,
prosperity would be
attained if we are able to
address the issues of
extreme poverty,
productivity, corruption, rule
of law, deficiencies in the
quality of human resources
caused by poor education
and health care.
State Ministry of Justice.
The state alleged that
Coker repeatedly failed to
honour a court summons.
The application for her
arrest was sequel to a twocount
charge accusing
Coker of failure to file
annual tax returns and pay
income tax in respect of her
company, Monalisa Code
Productions, for six years.
It ordered that the warrant
should continue and
adjourned till yesterday.
Count one of the charge,
marked LD/5712c/2017,
reads in part: “Failure to
furnish and file annual tax
returns for the purpose of
personal income taxation
with the Lagos State
Internal Revenue Service
contrary to Section 94(1) of
the Personal Income Tax Act
2004 (as amended).”
The particulars of the
count stated that Coker “of
Monalisa Code
Productions, being a taxable
person in Nigeria and
carrying on business at
Lekki failed to furnish and
file tax returns on your
personal income for the
years 2011 to 2016.”
CONDOLENCE VISIT: Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (middle), with late Pa Fasinro’s
children, Hon. Habeeb Fasinro (right) and Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun (left) during the governor’s
condolence visit to the family at their Victoria Island residence, Lagos, yesterday. Late Pa Hassan
Fasinro, the first Clerk of Lagos City Council, died at the age of 99 on Sunday night.
FATAL SHOOTING AT LAGOS VIEWING CENTRE:
Three police officers arrested
By Evelyn Usman
L police
AGOS—THREE
officers,
attached to the Anti-Cultism
Unit of the Lagos State
Police Command have
been taken into custody in
connection with the fatal
shooting of one Kolade
Johnson, in Lagos on
Sunday.
The late Johnson was hit
by a stray bullet while
watching a football match
at 1, Beco Street, Onipetesi,
Mangoro Bus Stop.
The policemen, four in
number, stormed the area
to arrest a suspect.
They opened fire on the
undisclosed person, only
for a stray bullet to hit
Johnson.
As at 6.30pm yesterday,
the erring policemen were
still being interrogated at
the Provost section of the
Command.
A visibly angry
Commissioner of Police,
Lagos Command, Mr.
Zumairu Muazu, stated
that if found culpable, the
policemen would be eased
out of the Police Force and
charged for murder.
Confirming the arrest,
spokesman for the
command, DSP Bala
Elkana, said: “On March
31, 2019, at about 5:05pm,
the Command received a
distress call that the Lagos-
Abeokuta Express Way had
been blocked by some
angry youths, who were
protesting the shooting of
one Kolade Johnson of 1
Beco street, Onipetesi,
Mangoro Bus Stop by a
team of Policemen from
Anti-Cultism unit.
“A team of policemen
from the Rapid Response
Squads and Metro patrol
were promptly drafted to
the scene. The account of
eye witnesses helped in
identifying the team which
fled the scene immediately
after the incident.
“Members of the team,
suspected to be involved
in the shooting, have
since been arrested and
are currently in Police
custody undergoing
interrogation. They will
be subjected to internal
disciplinary procedures
and may be prosecuted in
conventional Court if
implicated by ongoing
investigation.
“Meanwhile, CP Zubairu
Muazu, calls for calm,
assuring that justice will
prevail in this case. The
Commissioner of Police
also condoles with the
family, friends and well
wishers of Kolade
Visit to Buhari: CAN President didn’t
represent the Church — NCEF
By Sam Eyoboka
L National AGOS—THE
Christian
Elders Forum, NCEF, has
dissociated itself from the
recent congratulatory visit
to President Muhammadu
Buhari on his purported
victory at the 2019 election,
arguing that the visit was
subjudice as the
determination of who won
the 2019 General Election
is still before the Court.
A statement signed on
behalf of the group by its
president, Elder Solomon
Asemota, SAN, said the
group was shocked to read
in the newspaper that the
President of CAN, Rev. Dr.
Samson Olasupo
Ayokunle, with some CAN
officials and Christian
leaders paid a
congratulatory visit to
President Buhari on his
purported victory in the
2019 general elections.
NCEF insisted that such
a victory visit was
premature and it was
presumptuous for anyone
to congratulate President
Buhari for winning an
election that is contested in
Court.
The statement reads in
part: “The NCEF wishes to
state that the congratulatory
visit to Aso Villa by CAN,
could not be in the interest
of Nigerian Christians,
who daily bear the agony
of thousands of their
brethren being killed,
maimed, displaced and
marginalized in the Jihad
launched in the northern
parts of the country.
“It is well known the
indifference of the Buhari
Administration to the
murder of Christians all
over the country. This
indifference has led many,
including foreign
observers, to conclude that
Late Fasinro was true
father of Lagos — TINUBU
By Olasunkanmi
Akoni
LLagos AGOS—FORMER
State governor,
Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has
described elder statesman
Pa Hassan Fasinro, who
died on Sunday as a true
father of Lagos and a
committed progressive.
Fasinro, the first Clerk of
Lagos City Council, died at
the age of 99.
In a condolence message
to the Fasinro family he
personally signed and
released by his Media
Office, Asiwaju Tinubu
said
Fa
Fasinro contributed
immensely to Lagos and
Nigeria as a lawyer,
politician, administrator,
legislator, author, and
community leader, adding
Johnson. The CP has
promised to initiate far
reaching reforms to help in
repositioning the Anti
Cultism Squad for effective
service delivery,
particularly in areas of
respect for Human
Rights and proficiency
in the use of firearms.”
the Buhari Administration
is complicit in the genocide
that is taking place in
Nigeria.
“The action of the CAN
President, Rev. Samson
Olasupo Ayokunle, is a
further confirmation of all
the protests and petitions of
NCEF in 2018 querying
the faithfulness of Dr.
Ayokunle to Christ and to
His Church.”
that he would be deeply
missed.
In a statement titled Pa
Fasinro: A True Father of
Lagos, Tinubu said: “Alhaji
Hassan Adisa Fasinro was
a true father of Lagos. Born
and bred here, he
personified the best of Lagos
and dedicated his life to
making Lagos a place of
progressive governance,
cultural richness and social
justice for its people. He
lived and breathed Lagos till
his last breath.
“A committed progressive,
Papa fought to establish the
rule of law and to give
Lagosians a democratic
egalitarian society. He
believed in the innate
goodness of the people and
that democratic governance
would help our people
realize their fullest
potentials."