14042019 - 144 Killed in nine days

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PAGE 6 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, APRIL 14, 2019 Why Leah Sharibu’s release is difficult — Buhari •Says on-going negotiations encouraging •’I have not forgotten the abducted Chibok Girls’ By Morenike Taire, Woman Editor & Johnbosco Agbakwuru Muhammadu P RESIDENT Buhari on Saturday gave insight into why Leah Sharibu, who was heldback by the Boko Haram Islamist sect over her refusal to denounce her Christian faith a year ago, was yet to be freed. Most of the Dapchi School Girls that were abducted alongside Leah Sharibu have since regained their freedom because they are Moslems but Miss Sharibu was not released because she refused to denounce her faith. Meanwhile, President Buhari has assured parents of the Chibok girls still in the captivity of Boko Haram that he has not forgotten the girls and that efforts were still on to ensure their freedom. Recall that many school girls of Government By Dirisu Yakubu BUJA —Presidential Acandidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2019 election, has described the argument by the All Progressives Congress, APC, at the election petition tribunal that he is not a Nigerian as a “verifiable and incontrovertible evidence that the elections were not credidible and did not reflect the will of the Nigerian people.” This is even as Atiku insists that his stand is based on “facts and statistical evidence and challenged both the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the APC, to disprove his factual submissions.” The APC had on Friday, in a process it filed before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, urged the panel to dismiss Atiku’s petition challenging the election of President Muhammadu Buhari, on the ground that the former Vice President is not a Nigerian but a Cameroonian and thus, ineligible to even contest the February 23 election. However in a statement by his media aide, Paul Ibe, Atiku said “The fact that the APC chose to base its defence on the ridiculous assertion that the Waziri Adamawa is not a Nigerian should show to Nigerians the type of characters we have in the APC and its government, whose legitimacy runs out on May 29, 2019.” The statement continued: “The position of the APC is so pedestrian and shows such straw clutching desperation on their part, that I shall not dignify it with an answer. Our lawyers would, of course, do the needful in court. But the point I want to draw the attention of Nigerians to is that both the APC and its candidate have by this infantile logic admitted to the fact that they trampled on the will of Nigerians and that their only defence is to attempt an unconstitutional redefinition of the term ‘Nigerian’. “I am, however, confident in the Nigerian judiciary, as well as in the Nigerian people. I trust that the tribunal will treat such a claim with the contempt it deserves. We must maintain our fidelity to the rule of law and to our fountain of origin, the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended). “Atiku Abubakar has served Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, were abducted from their dormitory five years ago (April 14, 2014) during the regime of former President Goodluck Jonathan, while Sharibu was kidnapped from her school, Science Secondary School, Dapchi, Yobe State, on February 19, 2018. under President Buhari. A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, in Abuja, stated that President Buhari was aware that the promise he made was the main reason the people of Chibok voted overwhelmingly for him in the February elections. He said that though it was about five years the girls were taken away by their abductors, his government has so far succeeded in bringing back 107 of the girls, and that he will not rest until the remaining reunite with their families. According to the statement, “President Buhari assures the parents that his administration is still on the matter. “Diverse efforts are being intensified to secure the release of the Chibok Girls, along with all hostages in Boko Haram captivity, including Leah Sharibu who was kidnapped from her school, Science Secondary School, Dapchi, Yobe State, on February 19, 2018. “On Leah Sharibu’s abduction, the interlocutors have reported encouraging progress so far. “The report reaching us says her return to her family has unfortunately been hindered by the fear of the militants. “They worry that heavy military presence in areas where they previously moved about freely could affect their safety after they return her to the government. “At the same time, the military cannot jeopardise the security of the entire northeastern region by halting their operations to accommodate Boko Haram’s fears. “Leah Sharibu will be reunited with her family as soon as any conclusions are reached on a number of options being considered for her safe transportation. “The success of the Nigerian military in subduing Boko Haram is evidenced by the large numbers of militants who have surrendered recently, especially in neighbouring Cameroon and Niger. “A similar mass surrender of militants is expected to happen soon in Nigeria. “While Nigerian military operations are ongoing, the government is also engaging with the militants but the talks have been affected by the factionalisation of Boko Haram – with one group adopting a hard line attitude and intensifying attacks on Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad, and another group engaging with the government for peaceful resolution.” “He sends special greetings to the 106 girls sponsored by the Nigerian government to continue their studies at the American University of Nigeria, Yola. “He encourages them to CITIZENSHIP QUESTION: Atiku, PDP, Ozekhome, Rafsanjani blast APC •INEC to Atiku: Stop parading fake result our nation diligently in various capacities, form the civil service, where he rose through merit, to the top of his chosen field, to public service, where, by the grace of God, he was the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. “Moreover, he has committed his assets and talents to developing our nation through the provision of tens of thousands of direct jobs and hundreds of thousands of indirect jobs. “I make bold to state that those who have made Nigeria the world headquarters of extreme poverty are the very people whose Nigerianness should be in doubt, and not a man, who worked with President Olusegun Obasanjo to double the per capita Income of our nation in less than eight years.” Also reacting, the PDP described the position of the ruling party as “complete rubbish,” even as it urged Nigerians to dismiss the stand by the APC because “they have run out of smart arguments.” Speaking with our correspondent on the issue, PDP Deputy National Publicity By Johnbosco Agbakwuru & Bashir Bello ATSINA —Former KPresident, Court of Appeal, Justice Mamman Nasir, is dead. He died at the Federal Medical Centre, Katsina, after a brief illness. He was age of 90 years old. The Public Relations Officer of the Katsina Emirate Council, Ibrahim Iro Bindawa, who confirmed the death of Justice Nasir, said he died at about 12noon on yesterday. Justice Nasir is one of the Katsina traditional kingmakers. The jurist was, until his death, the Galadiman Katsina and District Head of Malumfashi in Katsina State. He was also a former minister in the defunct Northern Regional Government of Sir Ahmadu Bello in the First Republic. The former judiciary chief was Secretary, Diran Odeyemi wondered why it took the ruling party this long to suddenly realize that the former Vice President has a questionable nationality. He said: “Nigerians should ask the APC why they are coming up with this complete rubbish. Their position clearly shows that they don’t have any defense to give in a matter brought before the election tribunal. “So Atiku was not a Nigerian when he was Vice President for eight years? He was not a Nigerian when he joined late General Musa Yar’ Adua to fight military occupation of power? These people do not deserve a response but all we can say for now is that they should be prepared to give up the mandate Nigerians freely gave to our candidate, His Excellency, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.” Adding his voice to the discourse is a famous constitutional lawyer and renowned Human Rights activist, Mike Ozekhome. Describing the claims by APC as a joke taken too far, Ozekhome said the characterization of the former confered with the National Honour of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger, GCON, in 1992. He is survived by many children and grandchildren. Justice Mamman Nasir had earlier in the year, January, narrowly escaped being kidnapped by gunmen on Dayi- Malumfashi road, between Gora and Yammama villages in Malumfashi Local Government Area of Katsina State. He was burried yesterday according to Islamic rites at his Malumfashi hometown. One of the early tirbutes sent to the family was fromPresident Muhammadu Buhari and the Katsina State governor, Aminu Bello-Masari, who described Nasir as a jurist who led exemplary life defined by uncommon patriotism in the tradition of his mentor, the late Premier of the North and Sardaunan of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello. President Muhammadu Buhari has described the death L:R: Obaro Odeghe, Executive Director, Corporate Banking, Fidelity Bank; his mum, Dame Helen Odeghe and Reverend Cyril Odutemu, Bishop of Ughelli Diocese during the 80th Birthday Thanksgiving Service for Dame Odeghe at the Late Bishop Agori Iwe Memorial Anglican Church in Ughelli, Delta State. Vice President as an alien is an insult to the people of Adamawa state. “So, we had a foreigner as Vice President for eight years, a Presidential aspirant of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, and a former elected governor in Nigeria? Haba! There is a limit to which political jokes can be carried,” he submitted. For Auwal Ibrahim Rafsanjani, Executive Director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, CISLAC, APC should as a matter of urgency, apologize to the former Vice President without hesitation. “I think the APC are not serious with their argument at the tribunal. How can you be questioning the nationality of someone who was Vice President of Nigeria for eight years and one who was a former member of the same party in power today? “But we cannot ignore this because this is part of the problem we have with our constitution. There is the issue not just of nationality but also of indigeniety which we are still battling to resolve. The CISLAC boss further expressed worry that while some of the former President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Mamman Nasir, "as not only a loss to the judiciary, but also the country at large, because of his remarkable commitment to public service.” Reacting to the death of the Galadiman Katsina in a statement soon after he heard the news, President Buhari recalled that "the late Nasir belonged to a generation of Judges and Justices who perceived public office as an opportunity to offer selfless service to the country and its people." According to Buhari, "Nasir and Judges of their golden age were more interested in leaving untainted record of integrity than accumulation of wealth overnight." Buhari said, "when you look at Nasir's modest lifestyle and his incredibly humble possessions, you would be disarmed at once by his honesty and patriotism. "While some Nigerians perceive public office as an opportunity to line their pockets, men of Nasir's character put a higher premium on honest labour Nigerians have had cause to seek the citizenship of other countries in the past, those who stayed put to contribute their quota to the development of the nation are having theirs questioned due to political differences. INEC to Atiku: Stop parading fake result Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has accused Atiku Abubakar of manufacturing results of the last presidential election to prove his case at the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal. The electoral umpire filed its response on Thursday at the tribunal in Abuja. It distanced itself from an electronic sheet that purportedly contained the genuine results of the presidential election. Mr Abubakar’s legal team submitted the sheet at the tribunal last month, contending it was obtained from an internal compilation of results on INEC’s Internet server. The team, amongst other submissions, said Mr Abubakar won by more than Former Appeal Court President, Justice Mamman Nasir, is dead •Buhari, Masari send condolence messages than on greedy accumulation of questionable wealth overnight." President Buhari explained that "gentlemen like Mamman Nasir succeeded in protecting their reputation because greed was far removed from their minds", and that "contentment is the secret to a happy life of service to the people." According to the President, "lack of contentment is the devil behind greedy accumulation of wealth at the expense of others, but selfless public servants like Nasir were never motivated by the desire to live above their means." He said "Nasir's family should be proud of their father because he built a solid and impeccable record of integrity, which is the greatest asset any individual should leave behind." The President directed that a government delegation be sent to condole the family, the government and people of Katsina State for the loss of this illustrious member of the Katsina Emirate Council. Governor Masari, in his condolence message through stay focused on becoming women who will inspire girls in Nigeria and around the world to triumph over the daily battles they face in a world that is often unfair to the girl-child. “President Buhari also extends his best wishes to Chibok girls in other schools in Nigeria and around the world. “He sends special congratulations to Kauna Yaga Bitrus, who has excelled Continues on page 7 six million votes, but his victory was allegedly suppressed by the commission in favour of incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari. The umpire said it, “does not share information with such an unclassified entity and any information purportedly derived therefrom which does not accord with the result as declared by INEC is not authentic but rather was invented for the purpose” of the tribunal, according to excerpts of the filings seen by PREMIUM TIMES. In the 291-page response, INEC said it did not transmit results via electronic channels, but used manual collation as stipulated by law. It, however, did not say whether it collated results from across the country and compiled them on an Internetenabled computer. “INEC specifically denies the existence of electronic transmission of results and it is unknown to the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended),” it said. Mr Buhari was declared winner of the polls with about 3.9 million votes. He will be sworn in for a second term on May 29. his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Abdu Labaran Malumfashi, made available to newsmen in the state, said Nigeria has lost one of it's last standing illustrious sons. The governor said the late jurist was a rare gem, adding that his death has created a wide leadership chasm that may take a long time to fill. The statement reads,:"The late traditional ruler and former jurist, whose professional career peaked as President of the Court of Appeal, was a rare gem, and his death has created a wide leadership chasm that may take a long time to fill. "His death is particularly devastating coming at a time when our nation, buffeted by many challenges, not least that of insecurity, requires his wise counsel". Extending condolences to President Muhammadu Buhari and the Emir of Katsina, Alhaji AbdulMumin Kabir Usman on behalf of himself, the government and people of Katsina state, Governor Masari called on Nigerians to borrow a leaf from the deceased and lead a life devoted to the service of the people in whatever endeavour they find themselves.
SUNDAY VANGUARD, APRIL 14, 2019, PAGE 7 The marriage ceremony between Omoyeni Oluwapelumi, daughter of Elder Feyi Smith, Executive Secretary of the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), and Temitope Ademiju, son of Pastor Olukayode Adeyanju, at The Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG (Fountain of Life Sanctuary, Ikeja Industrial Estate, Ikeja, Lagos, held yesterday. From left: Elder Feyi Smith, bride's father; Pastor (Mrs) Caroline Adeyanju, groom's mother; Temitope Ademiju and his wife, Omoyeni Oluwapelumi; Pastor (Mrs.) Oludolapo Smith and Pastor Olukayode Adeyanju, during the ceremony. Photo: Bunmi Azeez Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State (2nd left), groom's father, Prince Olatunji Braimoh Banjoko (left), his wife, Mariam (right) with the couple, Dr. Lanre and Mrs. Deborah Banjoko at the wedding of the Banjokos' in Lagos, yesterday Anticipated petrol subsidy removal triggers panic-buying •NAEE, LCCI okay removal •Cost hits N731bn By Udeme Akpan, Dayo Johnson, Michael Eboh and Rotimi Ojomoyela Fuel shortage ap peared to have wors ened over the weekend as queues of vehicles were seen at filling stations in Abuja, Lagos, Ondo and Ekiti. Investigation showed that the shortage was fuelled by the Federal Government’s announcement that it might undertake a gradual phase out of fuel subsidy, which the World Bank said cost Nigeria N731 billion in 2018. The Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, who announced the decision of the Federal Government, was reacting to a recommendation by the International Monetary Fund, IMF, calling on Nigeria to end subsidy on petroleum products. At the Conoil and Total stations in the Central Business District, opposite the NNPC Headquarters in Abuja, slight queues were seen while black market operators were seen calling motorists for patronage. In Lagos, there were long fuel queues at stations in Maryland and other parts of the city as many people used the weekend to ensure they have adequate supplies. Mr. Tayo Aboyeji, the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, South West Chairman, informed Sunday Vanguard, in a telephone interview, that the situation was fuelled by panic-buying. He said loading was ongoing at all NNPC depots across the country, indicating that the shortage was not real, adding that consumers should not bother about supply as there was adequate supply to meet demand. NAEE, LCCI seek end to subsidy Meanwhile, the Nigerian Association for Energy Economics, NAEE, says subsidy on petroleum products should end. Addressing newsmen in Abuja, yesterday, ahead of the 12th NAEE/IAEE Conference, the President of the association, Pofessor Wumi Iledare, argued that the benefit of fuel subsidy in Nigeria is far less than the cost. He said, “I believe that the benefit of subsidy is far less than the cost of subsidy. Anytime government has a policy, there is need for that policy to be reviewed to see whether the policy that comes from that policy is more than the cost or whether they are equivalent. “If you look around, the roads are bad, the hospitals are bad, and the infrastructure is not even there. Go and look at the budget for health, education, defence and another, you will see that it is not up to the amount spent on subsidy in 2018. “I understand the social unrest is scary, but it is just going to be for a while, if there is enough public education on the benefits of the removal. You are losing the capacity that you have because you are actually giving the products to the elites who are capable of paying for their petrol at a giveaway price.” Iledare further stated that consumption of locally produced energy was imperative for sustainable economic development much more than energy production for rent seeking and rent sharing. He also called on the country to rethink its energy resource extraction policy to ensure access to affordable, sustainable and secure energy for all Nigerians. In an email to Sunday Vanguard, the Director General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LCCI, Mr. Muda Yusuf, who shared similar sentiment, stated: “Perhaps the biggest fiscal burden on the economy today is the petroleum subsidy regime. It is a big hole in the finances of government. It puts tremendous pressure on the foreign reserves and the foreign exchange market, just as it exerts immense stress on the nation’s treasury. “It remains a cause for concern that the subsidy regime had subsisted, especially at time when the economy is facing unprecedented fiscal challenges; at a time when productivity in the economy is constrained by acute infrastructure deficit; at a time when public institutions are finding it hard to fund their basic obligations. There cannot be a better example of resource misapplication.” He went on, “There are two components of this: The first is the genuine subsidy, which is the differential between the pump price and the landing and other costs of fuel. The second [and more disturbing component] is the transparency problems inherent in the fuel subsidy administration, including the petroleum equalisation policy. For several years, the economy suffered severe bleeding from this phenomenon. “One of the critical elements of the Oil and Gas Sector reform, particularly the downstream sector, is the complete deregulation of the sector. This is the spirit of the Petroleum Industry Bill which, regrettably, has not seen the light of day. The reform of the oil and gas sector would create a number of advantages for the economy. “It will free resources for investment in critical infrastructures such as power, roads, the rail systems, health sector, education sector etc. The deficit in all of these infrastructure areas is phenomenal. Fixing infrastructure will greatly improve productivity and efficiency in the economy and impact positively on the welfare of the people. “It will unlock the huge private investment potentials in the downstream oil sector especially in petroleum product refining. This will ultimately reduce importation of petroleum products and ease the pressure on the foreign exchange market as well as the burden on our foreign reserves. It will eliminate the patronage, rent seeking activities and corruption that currently characterise the downstream oil sector. It will create more jobs for the teeming youths of the country in the downstream oil sector as investment in the sector improves. “The subsidy regime has done incalculable damage to the economy over the years. The citizens have in the past suffered untold hardships resulting from scarcity of PMS and in many instances buying the product far above the regulated price. The nation’s treasury and foreign exchange market has been under severe pressure from the funding of petroleum product importation. This should not continue if the Nigerian economy must make progress. “Admittedly, it is a politically difficult decision to take, it imperative for the government to demonstrate commitment to this critical reform to unlock revenue for development. The current management model of the oil and gas sector is clearly not sustainable.” He added: “The LCCI is worried that the NNPC has practically assumed a monopoly status in the petroleum products production and importation in the economy. It has become practically impossible for private sector petroleum products marketers to import and sell products because of the price distortions which the involvement of the beyond expectations in her college in Maine, USA, and who is soon to receive a special ‘Against All Odds Award’ from her school.” Kudos, Knocks for FG Meanwhile, kudos and knocks continue to trail the response of the Federal Government to the plight of the remaining 112 girls still missing. Mohammed Fall, the representative for the United Nations Fund for Children, UNICEF, decried the deteriorating situation in the Northeast where Children's Rights are not adhered to. In a statement released by Kusali Kubwano, Communications Analyst in Maiduguri, the body provided startling statistics saying more than 3500 NNPC has created in the industry. “The extant policy on pricing of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) has made it impossible for the private sector marketers in the sector to import or produce PMS. It is even more disturbing that even for the products that have been deregulated such as AGO, it is impossible for private sector players to compete with NNPC because of the huge cost differential resulting from preferential exchange rate and use of crudeswap for finished products importation.” Varsity don calls for new accounting practice females aged between 13 and 17 were recruited by armed groups ‘around 2013 and 2017, while 482 children were killed and maimed.180 others were abducted while 43 girls were sexually abused in the war torn region'. Reacting, co-convener of Bring Back Our Girls movement, Aisha Oyebode, lauded the Buhari administration, giving it a pass mark for its efforts at tracking down the Chibok Girls. She says the world has not forgotten the movement as touted by many, stating that different events are being organized in different parts of the world to commemorate the abductions including in the United Kingdom and the United States of America. She however noted that the issue must move away from only the Chibok and Dapchi girls to all the girls all over the Northeast who cannot attend school because of the fear of kidnap and abuse. Another group, Women for Peace and Justice in Nigeria has also professor of accounting A and strategic financial management, Professor Ishola Akintoye has called for the inclusion of thehuman asset in corporate entities’ statement of financial positionfor objective determination of total valuable assets. Professor Akintoye made the call while delivering the Babcock University’s 28th inaugural lecture. He noted that many investments and companies worldwide have gone down the drain on account of non- inclusion of the human capital in their statements of financial positions. In his paper, titled Accounting: A mismanaged concept requiring urgent redefinition, Professor Akintoye said the current concept of accounting and financial reporting system was inadequate to address the strategic life of NNPC assurances The NNPC had, on Friday, when the queues started building up, debunked claims of scarcity of the commodity, stating that it currently has over one billion litres of the products in stock. It had also allayed fears over any planned increase in price, as it declared that the pump price of petrol remained N145 per litre. In a statement in Abuja, Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of the NNPC, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, had disclosed that in addition to existing stock levels, for April alone, it has made commitment for importation of 48 vessels of 50 million litres of petrol each.” In its recent report, the World Bank had stated that N731 billion was spent to subsidise fuel in 2018 alone. Why Leah Sharibu’s release is difficult — Buhari Continued from page 6 acknowledged the efforts of the administration while also honouring 'the sacrifice of our police and military'. The statement signed by the BBOG Lagos Family made available to Sunday Vanguard noted 'we are aware of the efforts made so far and commend the government for the recovery of 107 Chibok Girls and 106 Dapchi girls'. The group, however, expressed hope for the imminent news of the rescue of the remaining girls. Meanwhile, in a tweet to Nigerians, popular political activist, Deji Adeyanju, wrote yesterday, "my stand of not negotiating with BH during GEJ has not changed till today. When we pay Boko Haram ransom, we are indirectly sponsoring and emboldening them. Buhari's government got it wrong". Senator Shehu Sani, who is also the president of the Civil Rights Congress of Nigeria, declined elaborate comment when approached by Sunday Vanguard, simply stating "the government is not serious". corporate and individual entities. He therefore called for the practice of accounting that mustdemonstrate and lay emphasis on driving the future rather than short or medium term in private and public sectors to achieve long term sustainability would. “This is a global challenge that needs to be urgently addressed,” he said.
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