MOTHER TERESA: A LIFE OF POVERTY, CHASTITY, OBEDIENCE AND JOURNEY TO SAINTHOOD

 “By blood, I am Albanian. By citizenship, an Indian. By faith, I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world. As to my heart, I belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus.”- Mother Teresa

On September 4, all roads led to St. Peter’s Square, Vatican City where His Holiness, Pope Francis after due consideration by the church proclaimed Mother Theresa of Calcutta a Saint. “After due deliberation and frequent prayer for divine assistance, and having sought the counsel of many of our brother bishops, we declare and define Blessed Teresa of Calcutta to be a saint, and we enroll her among the saints, decreeing that she is to be venerated as such by the whole church,” Pope Francis said in Latin. An honour exclusively reserved for those who uniquely served God and humanity with their all. The price for those who according to Saint Paul in 2 Tim 4: 22, “have fought the good fight, have finished the race and have kept faith.” No doubt this world acclaimed papal proclamation came on the hills of her good fight, a good race and a well-kept faith here on earth. Even before her demise she had already carved a niche and earned herself that sobriquet with a dint of her diligence, perseverance and dedication. The world only waited for her transition for that to be accomplished. It was a solemn gathering of the faithfuls with the hosts of heavenly powers in attendance. 

Mother Teresa gave hope to the hopeless, voice to the voiceless and life to the even the “lifeless.” Her works of charity, love for the poor resonates throughout the world and cut across all colours, race, ethnic and religious divides. Her service to humanity broke down barriers and immensely opened up unimaginable frontiers. The lives and times of Mother Theresa was characterised by her un-relentless and unreserved life of giving. In 1928, at the age of 18, Agnes Bojaxhiu set out to become a catholic nun by taking up the cross of Christ, as she forsook the pleasures of the world to serve God and humanity.  She joined the congregation of Sisters of Loreto in Dublin, Ireland where she adopted the name Sister Mary Teresa after Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. One year later in May 1931, Sister Mary Teresa was went to Darjeeling, India, for her novitiate period and afterwards sent to Calcutta, where she was assigned to teach at Saint Mary's High School for girls, dedicated to teaching girls from the city's poorest Bengali families. On May 24, 1937, after taking her Final Profession of Vows to a life of poverty, chastity and obedience, she took on the title of Mother Teresa. Through her kindness, generosity and unfailing commitment to her students’ education, she sought to lead them to a life of devotion to Christ. “Give me the strength to be ever the light of their lives, so that I may lead them at last to you,” she wrote in prayer about her students. She taught in India for 17 years before she experienced a “new calling” in 1946 to devote herself to caring for the sick and poor. The school took off in an open space while the established home for the dying destitute came up in a dilapidated building she convinced the city government to donate to her cause. 

She was the founder of the Order of the Missionaries of Charity, a Roman Catholic congregation of women dedicated to helping the poor. In October 1950, she won canonical recognition for the new congregation, which she founded with only a handful of members most of them former teachers or pupils from St. Mary’s School. Her order established a hospice, centers for the blind, aged and the disabled. In 1971, Mother Teresa opened her first American-based house of charity in New York City. And in the summer of 1982, she secretly went to Beirut, Lebanon, where she crossed between Christian East Beirut and Muslim West Beirut to aid children of both faiths. While there, she also opened Gift of Love, a home to care for those infected with HIV/AIDS.  The charity was considered one of the greatest humanitarians of the 20th century. Over the course of the 1950s and 1960s, she established a leper colony, an orphanage, a nursing home, a family clinic and a string of mobile health clinics. By the time of her death in 1997, the Missionaries of Charity numbered more than 4,000 in addition to thousands more lay volunteers with 610 foundations in 123 countries around the world.

On December 17, 2015, Pope Francis issued a decree which recognised a second miracle attributed to Mother Teresa, paving the way for her to be canonised as a saint of the Roman Catholic Church. The miracle involved the healing of Marcilio Andrino, a Brazilian who was diagnosed with a viral brain infection and lapsed into a coma. His wife, family and friends prayed to Mother Teresa, and when the man was brought to the operating room for emergency surgery, he woke up without pain and was cured of his symptoms, according to a statement from the Missionaries of Charity Father. She was awarded the Jewel of India, the highest honor bestowed on Indian civilians, as well as the now-defunct Soviet Union’s Gold Medal of the Soviet Peace Committee. In 1979, Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her work “in bringing help to suffering humanity.” In 1979 she received the Nobel Peace Prize for her humanitarian work. She died in September 1997 and was beatified in October 2003. 

The Pope fondly spoke about Mother Teresa’s life of service in the homily thus: “Mother Teresa, in all aspects of her life, was a generous dispenser of divine mercy, making herself available for everyone through her welcome and defense of human life, those unborn and those abandoned and discarded, he said. She bowed down before those who were spent, left to die on the side of the road, seeing in them their God-given dignity. She made her voice heard before the powers of this world, so that they might recognise their guilt for the crime of poverty they created. Mercy was the salt which gave flavor to her work, it was the light which shone in the darkness of the many who no longer had tears to shed for their poverty and suffering adding, may she be your model of holiness.” This woman of virtue was one whose worth is far above rubies. She was a dependable friend and comforter in times of need. The shoulder for the destitutes, the neglected and those abandoned in our society. She was a symbol of humility and an ardent lover of God, the society and her religious calling. Words are not weighty enough to describe Saint Mother Teresa. She was an enigma far beyond human comprehension. This was a compendium of the life and times of a woman of substance whose life of poverty, chastity, obedience and journey to sainthood the world gladly celebrates. It is said that what matters most in the life of a man was not the number of years spent but the lives touched and positive impact made. She was a model of her time and generation including ours. Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Pray for us! 

Eze, a Catholic, Media and Communications Specialist is the publisher of thenewinsightng.blogspot.com

Embattled Boko Haram leader, Shekau, resurfaces in video

The embattled leader of jihadist group Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, resurfaced in a video posted online Sunday, rejecting assertions by the Nigerian army that he had been seriously wounded.

“You have been spreading in the social media that you injured or killed me,” Shekau said in the 40-minute video released on YouTube and dated September 25.

“Oh tyrants, I’m in a happy state, in good health and in safety.”

The Nigerian army said on August 23 that Shekau had been seriously wounded in the shoulder in an air raid in which several commanders were killed.

The army’s claim was bolstered when Boko Haram released a video on September 13 without Shekau in it.

That video, also posted on YouTube, shows an unidentified man who says he is representing Shekau, who had allegedly been ousted by the Islamic State group to which Boko Haram pledged allegiance in March 2015.

Nigerian soldiers, with the support of regional troops, have recaptured swathes of territory lost to the jihadists since they launched a military campaign in February 2014.

The mass kidnapping of schoolgirls from the remote town of Chibok provoked global outrage and brought unprecedented attention to Boko Haram and its bloody quest to create a fundamentalist state in northeastern Nigeria.

AFP

No plans to sell off all national assets, says Udo-Udoma

THE Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo-Udoma, has assured that the Federal Government has no plans to sell off all national assets to fund the fiscal stimulus strategy.
Udoma gave the clarification in a statement by his Media Adviser, James Akpandem, yesterday, in Abuja.
He said that the primary objective of the government’s fiscal stimulus plan was not to sell off all major critical national assets but to source for immediate funds to get the economy out of recession.
He said the intention of government was just to get enough money to fund the 2016 budget and to put the economy back on the path of recovery.
A report on Freedomonline, a newsblog, stated that the Economic Management Team had been working on a plan to generate and inject large amount of funds, estimated at between 10 billion dollars and 15 billion dollars into the economy.
“This unfortunate scenario has prompted the team to urgently work out a fiscal stimulus plan to generate immediate large injection of funds into the economy,” he said.
He said the plans were to generate funds through asset sales, advance payment for license rounds, infrastructure concessioning and use of recovered funds to reduce the funding gap.
The other option, according to the minister, would have been to source for additional loans, beyond the level of borrowing, already projected for in the 2016 budget.
“This would not be a wise option as it would raise the level of debt service to an unsustainable level,” Udoma said
He also said the government was exploring several options in the asset sales proposal including repurchase options, which would make provision for buy-back of those assets when the situation improved.
The minister said the country’s economy might not have gone into recession but for the drastic fall in oil production levels and disruptions caused by oil pipeline vandalism.
Udoma said the government appreciated that the downturn in the economy had brought hardship to the people, adding that government was committed to redressing the situation.
“Our goal is to unlock the economic potential of the non-oil and high-employment sectors. This is to achieve a sustainable inclusive growth that will ensure that the majority of Nigerians become more productive, thereby reducing poverty.
“We are deliberately working towards diversifying the economy by ensuring that the non-oil sector drives the economy, because this is the sector that contributes most to GDP,” Udoma said.
Dailysun

Grumbling in FRSC over promotions

Crisis is brewing at the Federal Roads Safety Commission (FRSC) over allegation of ‘favouritism’ and ‘marginalization’ of some officers in its ongoing promotion exercise.
Daily Trust on Sunday gathered that the FRSC invited 57 officers for the 2016 promotion exercise scheduled to commence today in Enugu. But some senior officers of the Corps have petitioned the National Security Adviser, accusing the management of ‘bias’ against officers from the North in the exercise.

A copy of the petition signed by a group of ‘Concerned Officers’ sighted by Daily Trust on Sunday argued that “the FRSC released a timetable for 2016 promotion exercise under an administrative instruction referenced FRSC/HQ/CS/516Vol.2/03 dated 16 September, 2016 and many of us from the North are feeling short-changed because we were not invited for the exercise after waiting for more than 10 years on one rank.
“The list showed that only southerners were favoured to write the exams even though many of us from the North have satisfied the needed requirement for the exercise. For example, out of a total number of 28 level 15 officers, who were called to be promoted to level 16 (CC-ACM), only three are from the North - Kano, Kebbi and Benue. Again, out of 25 level 14 officers (DCC_CC) invited for the exercise, only one is from the North-Adamawa.”
The list obtained by Daily Trust on Sunday indicates that Ondo State had the highest with number officers invited for promotion, while no one was invited from 12 northern states.

From the North, Kogi State has two officers invited. Other northern states with one officers each are; Benue- S.A. Ajenge (15-16), Kebbi- P. Kibo (15-16), Kano- H. Dauda (15-16), Niger- M.I. Garba (15-16) and E.O. Abe (15-16). For level 14 officers being promoted to level 15, two are invited from the North and they are; H. S. Nehemia - Adamawa and J.A. Babalola - Kwara. On the list, A.D. Adejoh from Kogi State was also invited for promotion from level 13 to 14.
A breakdown according to the six geo-political zones shows that South West got highest number of officers on the promotion list with 22 in all cadre, followed by South-east with 15, North-central, six, South-South, five, North-west, two and North-east, one. The ‘Concerned officers’ further alleged that “in FRSC, public service rules are not applied in promotion exercises.
“Marginalization of northern officers in FRSC is common. Just last year when the FRSC released its 2015 promotion of officers on level 12-13 (CRC -ACC), out of a total number of 113 officers promoted to level 13, only three were from the northern part of the country and nobody said anything,” the group said.
The aggrieved officers called on government to suspend the 2016 promotion exercise and investigate FRSC management for its role in the said ‘marginalization saga’.
When contacted, FRSC Head of Media Relations and Strategy, Bisi Kazeem, said the allegations were not true. He said “promotion in FRSC is one of the most transparent exercises in the country. Every eligible person writes promotion examination, that forms the highest criteria. The papers are marked by appointed scholars from outside the Corps, who do not know whose paper they are marking. On interview day after the examinations, scripts are shown to individuals to peruse and confirm markings. Other criteria include seniority. To show transparency and openness, an officer from the Secretary to Federal Government (SGF)’s office is always present to witness the exercises. It should also be noted that promotions are done according to vacancies.”

North divided over Nigeria

FOR the combined effects of the general despondency and lack of future assurance, a vast majority of the populace is increasingly losing faith in the unity of Nigeria as a nation. And to stave off the looming danger of a forceful break-up, some critical stakeholders have been engaged in a sustained campaign for a restructuring of the present federal structure. Their strident agitation for a reconfiguration of the polity is anchored on two major premises. One, some proponents of the change of the old order strongly believe that a review of the system in favour of stronger federating units would lead the country out of the woods, as it would engender more competitive development among the constituent units.

On the other hand, there are those who argue that devolving powers to the grassroots would reduce the current wave of separatist agitations and ultimately ensure continued existence of the country as a united entity. Power devolution, they further argue, would not only promote participatory democracy, but also guarantee public accountability and good governance. Another argument in support of enhanced political power for the grassroots is that people would more easily be able to check the profligacy and prodigality of those in public office. The debate is still raging.

While various ethnic nationalities in the South have maintained a united front in their quest for a change of the status quo, their counterparts in the North are sharply divided into pro and anti-restructuring groups. Traditionally, the North is known for speaking in one voice, especially on matters that border on their collective interest and aspiration. However, that common unity of purpose seems to have momentarily eluded the region due to political consideration. Thus, as some prominent figures throw their weight behind the agitation; other concerned stakeholders view those supporting restructuring with suspicion, and accusing them of nursing selfish political ambition. In between the two sides of the divide are the moderate elements who maintain a subtle position, saying that it is better for the constituent units to go their separate ways peacefully than for the country to go into war.

A former vice-chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and notable member of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Prof. Ango Abdullahi, belongs to this latter school of thought. Speaking at a public presentation of two books:

Boko Haram: The Charade vs Reality and The Life and Times of Umaru Turakin Bauchi, written by a former diplomatic editor of the Voice of America and now visiting professor in ABU, Zaria, Dr. Hadiza Isa Wada, he said: “We are hearing about the restructuring of Nigeria. We’re hearing about secession; we are hearing all sorts of things and who are the promoters of this rhetoric?

“These are from the elite of the country. They’re right to say their minds, but they should also leave me to say my mind when the time is right.

“If Lord Lugard made a mistake in 1914, let’s correct it now. Why not? If Nigerians cannot live together and allow peace and development to take place, then let’s go our different ways and to our different places, so we can concentrate and develop our children and grandchildren in peace.

“There’s nothing wrong with that.
So many countries have gone through that before. So, I don’t believe in all this emotion and sentiment that Nigeria is indissoluble. There’s nothing like indissolubility in any country.

“So what is so special about Nigeria? If we find truly that we cannot develop and guarantee the welfare of our people as a nation and the solution is to go our separate ways, why not? This is the thing we have to always discuss at all times honestly.”

In another breadth, a chieftain of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Mohammed Abdulrahman, expressing
a strong support for restructuring of the country said the nation would be better for it. “I am in total support of the call for restructuring of the country. The North we have today is not what it used to be. Our politicians are not interested in the development of the region. They only care about their pockets. If the country is properly restructured, it is hoped it will benefit the masses and not some politicians who are only interested in buying cars and building houses for their families,” he stated.

In his own case, a Kano-born politician, Senator Rufai Hanga, while not totally in support of restructuring as a solution to Nigeria’s problems, said he would want to see a peaceful breakup of the country rather than going into war with separatist agitators. He said in an interview with Sunday Sun: “Right now, when I see some people talking of restructuring. I look at them as non-conformists, I see them as hypocrites who want cheap popularity among the people that are disgruntled. I see some of them as just merely following the train of bandwagon because they hear people saying restructuring. Let whosoever wants the country restructured come out and put it in black and white the way they want the country restructured. Even if they want the country divided, I welcome it. True to God, I welcome it because I will rather prefer we separate peacefully to fighting ourselves. Rather than having internal crisis like religious or ethnic, I will prefer everybody goes his way. It will be better for everybody to go and start afresh. There are lots of countries that have separated and they are doing fine. If that is what they mean by restructuring, then it is welcome. I personally welcome it than fighting ourselves. I don’t want crisis. People who are agitating and instigating people don’t know the implication of what they are doing. We should not let such people drag us into crisis because it is dangerous.”

However, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, a prominent leader of thought in the North, in a radical departure from this sentiment, lashed out at those calling for restructuring, arguing that it was intended to shut out the region from having its fair share of revenue from the federation account.
His words: “You see the way most of those people agitating for restructuring is unpatriotic. Most of those people who are calling for restructuring in Nigeria today are doing so with some kind of hate in their minds. The thing that is working in their minds is to find a way of denying states from the North of getting the kind of shares they are getting from the federation account. Some of the factors that government is using to distribute the revenue are God-made and not man-made. For instance, when they talk of population, the Nigerian people were not created by the Nigerian government.

“It is God who created the Nigerian people and concentrated some of them in a particular area, which is the North and which always has more than 55 percent of the total population of Nigeria. If you go through the records from 1911 when census was started even before the amalgamation, the  percentage in the North was roughly 55 percent of population in Nigeria. Now, if you go with the other factor, that is landmass, the North has
two third of the total landmass of Nigeria. You cannot deny a Northerner those advantages given to him by God simply because he gets some revenue based on those creations. Those who are talking of restructuring are actually hiding their real intent under the slogan. They are yet o explain what this restructuring means. They are only shouting and fighting restructuring because of the share of revenue the North is getting.”

Also, bluntly rejecting the calls for a reconfiguration of the present federal structure, a former spokesman for the ACF, Anthony Sani, declared: “The North is currently opposed to the restructuring of Nigeria precisely because there is nothing to restructure. The North does not believe the problems of Nigeria can rightly be attributed to the form of government the country chooses. What we believe is that the problems of Nigeria are due to the failure of leadership.
“Those who hanker for ‘true federalism’ to enable each constituent unit to develop at its own pace are unwittingly advocating that Nigerians should live as if they are in different countries, where some citizens would live in a comfort zone, while others would live on the fringe. Such a split would be a harbinger for split.”

“There is nothing universally accepted as true federalism. And that is why there are no two countries with federal systems that are self-same or clones of one another. All federal systems depend on circumstances of their emergence. For example, 13 American colonies came together and formed the United States and evolved to be what America is today, while in the case of Nigeria, the national government has created the federating units. But the common mantra in all federal systems is a national government that is strong enough to keep the country under one roof but not too strong as to tilt the country into unitary system,” he added.

This submission is apparently at variance with the position earlier canvassed by former vice president Atiku Abubakar, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), who at the launch of a book by Chido Onumah, entitled, We are all Biafrans, in Abuja, openly renewed the call for restructuring of the country as a way to overcome the myriad of socio- economic challenges confronting the nation. He said: “As some of you may know, I have for a long time advocated the need to restructure our federation. Our current structure and the practices it has encouraged have been a major impediment to the economic and political development of our country.”

“When I was invited to chair this occasion, I immediately understood that the title of the book is a metaphor for the legitimate feelings of marginalisation by diverse segments of Nigerians that cut across the country. Agitations by many right-thinking Nigerians call
for a restructuring and renewal of our federation to make it less centralised, less suffocating and less dictatorial in the affairs of our country’s constituent units and localities.”

“In short, it has not served Nigeria well, and at the risk of reproach, it has not served my part of the country, the North, well. The call for restructuring is even more relevant today in light of the governance and economic challenges facing us and the rising tide of agitations, some militant and violent, require a reset in our relationships as a united nation,” he posited.

On the overall, the aggregate opinions of those opposed to restructuring underscores the negative consequences of oil discovery on the autonomy of the constituent units, as it sweeps away the competitiveness that characterized the old regional arrangement where states were free to develop at their own pace and do as they pleased.

In spite of the obvious limitations of the present federal structure, however, some stakeholders still insist that the status quo must be maintained. One
of such individuals is Senator Joseph Waku, a former vice chairman of the ACF, who believes that the restructuring would lead to breakup of the country. “We have been staying together as one nation since over 100 years ago when amalgamation of the Northern and Southern protectorates took place under Lord Lugard. Then as an independent country, Nigeria is now about 55 ears old. What are we now talking about? Those calling for restructuring are indirectly calling for a breakup of the country or a return to the era of regionalism, but we have gone beyond those stages,” he declared.

Unlike their counterparts in the
South, stakeholders in the North are yet divided on the appropriate modalities for ensuring the unity of the country
in the face of the threats of the rising social discontent, youth unemployment, challenge of insecurity and economic recession. And, of course, President Muhammadu Buhari is not considering a rethink of his position on the present structure either. Many cynics believe that doing so would run counter to
the interest of the North. But like the proverbial bird that perched on the line, neither the North nor the South has known peace since the present wave
of separatist agitations took the centre stage in the polity. The nation is drifting. Something urgent needs to be done to rescue the country from the brink.
Dailysun

Ondo guber: Uneasy calm in APC as Akeredolu makes INEC list

It is no longer news that Rotimi Akeredolu’s name has been finally submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) as its governorship candidate in Ondo State for the November 26 election.
Controversy has trailed his victory at the governorship primary election, following the recommendation of the three-member Election Appeal Committee chaired by Mrs. Helen Bendega, calling for cancellation of the poll that produced Akeredolu.

Bendega and her Secretary, Alh. Musa Umar, were said to have called for fresh election because of alleged irregularities in delegates list, a decision which the third committee member, Nikky Ejezie opposed.
But a twist was added to the political drama on Friday when the party which had explained the reason for its decision to submit Akeredolu’s name suddenly issued a statement to withdraw its position.
“The All Progressives Congress (APC) withdraws its earlier issued statement titled, ‘Re: 2016 Ondo State APC Governorship Primary Election Appeal Committee Report. Thank you for your cooperation,’” the statement reads.
In the withdrawn statement, the APC National Working Committee (NWC) explained the reasons why it rejected the recommendation of the Ondo State 2016 Governorship Primary Election Appeal Committee which called for the cancellation of the poll that produced Barrister Akeredolu as the party’s candidate.
The party, in the statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mai Mala Buni, dismissed the insinuation that its National Chairman Chief John Odigie-Oyegun overruled the NWC on Ondo Appeal Panel’s report.
“For the records, the party’s NWC decision to reject the 2016 Ondo State APC Governorship Primary Election Appeal Committee Report was taken on Tuesday, September 20, 2016 in an executive session after careful and exhaustive deliberation. The minutes and rejection was confirmed by the NWC on Thursday, September 22, 2016.
“The NWC, in its four-point resolution, rejected the Appeal Committee’s recommendation on the grounds that the report was fundamentally and fatally flawed. The NWC observed that the Appeal Committee contradicted itself when it admitted that the Primary Election Committee substantially complied with the rules guiding the process but still proceeded to recommend the nullification of the Primary election,” the release added.
The NWC, in its four-point resolution, faulted the failure of the Appeal Committee to invite the National Secretariat to either authenticate or reject the source of the disputed delegates list as the custodian.
The Appeal Committee, the release stated, did not invite the chairman or members of the Ondo State Governorship Primary Election Committee to clarify the allegation of manipulation on the accreditation process.
The party said the Appeal Committee rather relied on unsubstantiated evidence to recommend the nullification of the primary.
The NWC equally observed a serious contradiction in the Appeal Committee’s report in respect of the number of the accredited delegates.
“Whereas the Primary Election Committee’s report indicated that 2,774 delegates were accredited, the Appeal Committee’s report erroneously recorded it as those who voted in the election, thereby creating a false impression of over voting in the exercise. The actual total number of votes cast was 2,754, according to Primary Election Committee’s report,” the release further read.

The party, therefore, stressed that the issue of fresh primaries did not arise since the NWC had already rejected the Appeal Committee’s report in view of the stated flaws and upheld the election.
It further explained that the election was even time barred, saying by the timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), all governorship primary and issues relating to it ended on September 19, 2016.
The party added that voting on the issue did not arise in view of the NWC’s rejection of the Appeal Committee’s report.
The former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) had won the APC governorship ticket at a keenly contested Primary election.
Akeredolu, who defeated 23 other aspirants, polled 669 votes to beat the aspirant believed to have been endorsed by the APC national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Chief Olusegun Abraham, who garnered 635 votes.
Chief Olusola Oke, a former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the 2012 election, came third with 576 votes at the Primary election conducted by the Jigawa State Governor Badaru Abubakar-led five-man committee.
The incumbent senator, Ajayi Boroffice, representing Ondo North Senatorial District in the National Assembly polled  471 votes to come fourth at the election held in Akure, the Ondo State capital.
The senator representing Ondo Central, Tayo Alasoadura, polled 206 votes, while a serving member of the House of Representatives, Bode Ayorinde, garnered 67 votes.
Jumoke Ajasin Anifowose, the only female aspirant, got one vote.
The results also showed that Tunji Ariyomo got  two votes, Tunji Abayomi, five votes; Adefemi Mayowa, 13 votes; Adegbomire Adebiyi, eight votes; Adekunle Adekunle, eight votes; Senator Ayo Akinyelure, three votes; Jamiu Afolabi, 44 votes; Olabitan Victor, 18 votes and Oyewumi Taiwo polled seven votes.
Governor Abubakar, who announced the result, declared Rotimi Akeredolu as winner and the APC candidate, having scored the highest votes.
Abubakar, who said one of the 24 aspirants, Paul Akintelure, withdrew before the election, congratulated other aspirants for accepting defeat.
He implored them to work with Akeredolu to win the November 26 governorship election.
A total of 2774 delegates participated in the primary election which recorded seven invalid votes
Akeredolu, in his acceptance speech, lauded the electoral committee, the delegates and the aspirants for what he called their positive contributions.
“Today, our great party has produced a candidate for the governorship election in Ondo State. We are looking forward to all aspirants working together as a family to win the next election in Ondo State,” said Akeredolu.
The controversial primary election was postponed twice after the party had faced revolt from the aspirants who had earlier shown lack of confidence in the Ondo State APC chairman, Mr Isaac Kekemeke, for allegedly supporting one of the contenders believed to have been endorsed by the APC national leader, Tinubu.
As a result, the APC national chairman, Chief Odigie-Oyegun held a meeting with the party’s chairman and secretary in Ondo, Mr Kekemeke and Mr Rotimi Rahman, including the 24 governorship aspirants to assure them that the party leaders at both national and state levels had no preferred candidate ahead of the governorship primary election.
The meeting was convened, following the crisis that rocked the state chapter of the party after the state chairman, Mr Kekemeke, was accused of backing one of the aspirants, Mr Abraham, believed to have received the backing of Tinubu.
Mr Tunji Abayomi, one of the APC governorship aspirants, consequently told Tinubu to steer clear of the contest in a letter. But Tinubu replied by telling him that he had the right to endorse any of the aspirants.
As political intrigues continue to trail the emergence of Akeredolu, only time will tell the fate of the APC in the governorship election.

CONSPIRACY CASE AGAINST COORDINATOR, PHCN STAFF FORUM, KADUNA, STANLEY ILUMAH ADJOURNED

Members of PHCN STAFF FORUM after the Court proceedings
At the resumed hearing of the case of criminal conspiracy, criminal intimidation and defamation of characters of Moses Amedu, the Assistant General Secretary, Ali Sikamta Mishelinga,  Deputy President North West and Joe Ajaero, General Secretary all of the National Union of Electricity Employees(NUEE), the prosecutor Sergent Nanjul Amos applied for adjournment.
The offences contravene sections 96, 398 and 391 of the penal code of northern Nigeria. The nominal complainants were not also in court. The counsel to the defendant did not oppose the application and it was granted by Hon. Judge Ibrahim Titus Jujas  Members of the Forum were on hand to support the coordinator. The case was adjourned to 10th October, 2016 for further hearing.

PHCN STAFF FORUM KADUNA ENDORSES N 7.7 BILLION PETITION TO EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) played host to the members of PHCN STAFF FORUM, Kaduna at the headquarters of the commission, Wuse II, Abuja. This came on the heels of an invitation to the Forum to appear for “ENDORSEMENT”  of the petition titled “REQUEST FOR DISCREET INVESTIGATION INTO THE UNAUTHORISED AND UNACCOUNTED SUM OF ABOUT N7.7BILLION (SEVEN BILLION, SEVEN HUNDRED THOUSAND) NAIRA SURREPTITIOUS DEDUCTIONS BY THE NATIONAL UNION OF ELECTRICITY EMPLOYEES (NUEE) AND SENIOR STAFF ASSOCIATION AND ALLIED COMPANIES (SSAEAC) AT SOURCE UPON PAYMENT OF SEVERANCE BENEFITS TO DEFUNCT STAFF OF THE POWER HOLDING COMPANY OF NIGERIA,”  dated 5th August, 2015.
The invitation was a routine and forms part of the commission’s laid down procedures aimed at ensuring that those who signed petitions on behalf of themselves or groups are human beings and not ghosts. The petition exclusively obtained by thenewinsightng.blogspot.com showed that the purpose was to bring to the attention of the commission the sum of N7.7 billion being 2 % unauthorised and unaccounted deduction at source from the Severance Benefits of over 50, 000.00 defunct staff of PHCN throughout the nation. It prayed the Chairman of EFCC to graciously use his good Office to among other things:
First, thorough investigate the deductions of the 2 % of the total sum accruable to over 50, 000 staff throughout the nation with a view to refund same to us as it has not benefited us.
Second, investigate investments made if any by National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) and Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC) upon the deduction, ascertain the proceeds, accruable interest and return on investment in that respect from 2013 till date for possible surrender to us (disengaged, retired, living or dead staff) whose deductions were used for such investment.
Third, investigate all properties of the two unions nationwide as acquired through the 2 % deduction at source from the Severance Benefits of over 50, 000 defunct staff of PHCN, of all members disengaged, retired, living or dead.
Fourth, freeze the accounts of both NUEE and SSAEAC pending the outcome of the investigation.
Fifth, investigate the parameters used in computing our Severance Entitlements which has been shrouded in secrecy.
In an interview after the endorsement, the Coordinator, Stanley Ilumah revealed that the encounter was fruitful. He extoled the anti-graft agency for the milestones recorded to guarantee a corrupt-free Nigeria and urged the commission to exercise its functions without fear or favour. He added that, the membership of ex-PHCN Staff ceased on 30th June, 2012, therefore the Union had no right to make any deductions. “The membership of staff to NUEE/SSAEAC automatically ceased on the 30th day of June, 2012 being the terminal date of payment of benefit of staff, as captured in Severance Benefit Advice (Statement of Final Claims), dated 10th June 2013, signaling final exit of the employees’ from union activities and end of the employees’ appointment with the former PHCN Management and the Unions (NUEE/SSAEAC) respectively.” Mr. Ilumah pointed out that staff membership of the two unions under NEPA/PHCN terminated in 2012, leaving the NUEE/SSAEAC with the option to open a fresh and new page of unionism with the new companies if they so  desire.
He insisted that the Forum stands for JUSTICE and will not rest on its oars as it will boldly continue  to interrogate accountability in the unions. adding that anyone or group of persons who invested as much as N7.7 billion Naira for three years ought to have substantially reaped from the investments but that is not forthcoming, he said. The Coordinator denied sponsorship of the Forum by anybody or group as suggested in some quarters and urged those who carried out the illegal deduction to be contrite, ask God for forgiveness and tow the path of restitution. Accompanying the Coordinator for the endorsement were Sunday Onyemaechi Eze and Etudaiye Eneye (Zaks). Aluta Continua!

Negotiation necessary for Nigeria’s unity – Ex-CJN

Justice Dahiru Musdapher

The former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Dahiru Musdapher, yesterday said there was need to negotiate the country’s present status in order to understand root causes of its problems.
Musdapher said this yesterday in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, while delivering a lecture titled, ‘The Question of Nigerian Unity’ at the 75th birthday of Chief Alani Bankole, the father of former House of Representatives Speaker, Dimeji Bankole.

According to him, the unity of Nigeria remains an “un-negotiated union in the minds of Nigerians, hence, the need for a clear understanding of the root causes of the seemingly confused system”.
He said Nigeria as a nation cannot come up with strategies and solutions capable of dousing the tension and bringing back the respectable and acceptable level of social decency without negotiation.
He said: “It is rather worrisome that after 100 years since the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorates in 1914, we seem as divided as ever.
“What we call Nigeria today was the amalgamation of separate regions in an arranged marriage that some argue only lasted while the matchmaker, colonial Britain, was still around and in control.
“Over the past half-century, we dismantled the regions and created states, reduced the autonomy of the regions by forcing a centralised approach to governance, instituted the principles of Federal Character, Quota Systems, rotation and distribution of political offices based on geographic and ethnic consideration.
“Though it may appear harsh to dismiss the cumulative effect of these policies on the evolution of a national identity, we must in the least, concede that irrespective of the meagre gains recorded, these mechanisms are in need of comprehensive review”, he said.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, in his address observed that it was disheartening that some Nigerians were determined to divide the nation.
“Nigeria represents the only hope of a black man anywhere in the world.  Attacking Nigeria is attacking the hope and aspiration of the black man. This is a time when nations are even surrendering part of their sovereignty to form a more prosperous union and it will be disheartening if discussions in this part of the world are centered on dismemberment of a nation,” he said.
Dailytrust

Reps decide Jibrin’s fate Tuesday

.‘All Accused Members Must Clear Names With EFCC, Others’
.Embattled Lawmaker Raises 7-Point Demand to Colleagues
.We’ll Play by Our Rules – Namdas
Indications have emerged that the House of Representatives may begin the process of sanctioning its erstwhile Appropriation Committee chairman, Hon Abdulmumin Jibrin, as soon as it reconvenes from an 8-week recess on Tuesday.
Daily Trust on Sunday gathered that the need to take disciplinary action against Jibrin over allegations of padding he leveled against Speaker Yakubu Dogara and other principal officers of the lower chamber, would top the legislators’ agenda immediately they resume.

Sources in the House disclosed that the allegations, which Jibrin raised just 24 hours after his sack as the chairman of the Appropriation Committee on July 20, would throw the House into confusion as different groups would be making various demands. The House has been on recess since the scandal broke out.
His corruption allegations had brought to question, some of the activities of the entire leadership of House.
Jibrin himself was alleged to have allocated projects worth N4.3 billion to his Kiru/Bebeji Federal Constituency of Kano State in the budget, a development that forced his colleagues in the House to demand for his sack in April, but Dogara reportedly shielded him until July 20.
He has submitted petitions to anti-corruption agencies and foreign embassies, calling for a probe, and has been asking Dogara and other principal officers to resign.
Speaking to Daily Trust on Sunday yesterday, the spokesperson of the House, Abdulrazak Namdas, said they would wait until the House reconvened on Tuesday before taking a decision on the matter based on their rules.
“As a House we are guided by rules, so we’ll look at the rules and apply them accordingly. I can assure Nigerians that whatever we’ll do on this matter, we’ll follow our rules,” he said.
Earlier in July, Namdas said the House would conduct an internal probe into the 8-month tenure of Jibrin to establish all the allegations leveled against him by members and some government agencies.
The spokesperson also said the House would refer Jibrin to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt and Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over his handling of the 2016 budget and his stewardship as chairman of Finance Committee during the 7th Assembly.
It was also gathered that members of the Transparency Group in the House would demand that all the officers Jibrin had accused submit themselves for investigations to anti-corruption agencies before they would be allowed to retain their positions.
The group, which was formed in the wake of the budget padding allegations that rocked the House, said the entire leadership of the lower chamber must get a clean bill of health from the agencies if they wanted to be accepted as leaders.
Jibrin had accused Dogara, his deputy, Yussuf Suleiman Lasun; Chief Whip Alhassan Ado Doguwa, and Minority Leader Leo Ogor, of perpetrating monumental corruption in the 2016 budget by allegedly attempting to compel him to include projects worth about N40 billion for them in the budget. The quartet has since denied any wrongdoing in the budget.
The Transparency Group disclosed its new position on the matter, just as the members of the Green Chamber were preparing to reconvene on Tuesday after an 8-week recess.

Jibrin had written petitions to the EFCC, ICPC, Presidential Advisory Committee on Anti-Corruption, among other agencies, asking for the probe of the principal officers.
But Dogara had said he was not going to resign on account of the allegations, as according to him, “padding is not a crime.”
Speaking to our reporter yesterday, the spokesperson of the Transparency Group, Mohammed Musa Soba (APC, Kaduna), said the speaker and all the others mentioned in the petitions must clear their names.
“They must submit themselves to the anti-corruption agencies for proper investigation so that they’ll come out clean. Any accused person has to clear himself,” he said.
Asked if they would be asking Dogara to resign, Soba said: “It’s only those that are patriotic enough that can resign, but what we’re demanding as a matter of right is that they must submit themselves to the anti-corruption agencies for investigation, if not, there’s no way they can lead anybody in that chamber.
“That’s our position and we won’t relent in our efforts until we see that the right thing is done. As we reconvene on Tuesday, we’ll continue with our efforts,” he added.

Jibrin faces suspension
Although he was the first to accuse the House leadership of impropriety, two groups, the Transparency Group and the Integrity Group, later joined in calling for investigations. While the Transparency Group demanded an external probe into the matter, the Integrity Group said such investigation must include all the 10 principal officers of the House.
It was gathered that when the lawmakers reconvene Tuesday, Jibrin’s fate would be hanging in the balance “because some members are angry with him and will call for his outright suspension,” a lawmaker told Daily Trust on Sunday.
“On resumption, I can assure you that Abdulmumin will be suspended, and it’s going to be a unanimous decision. I’m not sure he’ll come back to the House because the suspension will be renewed up to the end of his tenure. People feel that even if Buhari is fighting corruption, it’s a clean man that should spearhead that,” the lawmaker said.
Jibrin had on August 11, rushed to an Abuja High Court, seeking an order to compel the leadership of the House not to suspend him.
In the suit: No. FHC/ABJ/CS/539, Jibrin joined Dogara, Lasun, Doguwa, Ogor, the House of Representatives, Clerk to the House, the FCT police commissioner, and 10 others as defendants.
In an affidavit deposed in the court, Jibrin said if the respondents/defendants “are not immediately restrained, he would be suspended as a member of the House and this will greatly prejudice him and thousands of his constituents who rely on him to afford them their due representation in the federal legislature.”
In the said affidavit, the sacked Appropriation Committee chairman said he was aware that the lawmakers held meetings where they agreed to suspend him.
“He will definitely face disciplinary action. He may go to Ethics and Privileges Committee,” said another source.
The Ethics and Privileges Committee, headed by Rep Ossai Nicholas Ossai (PDP, Delta), is a standing panel of the House that deals with misconducts by individual lawmakers and recommends the appropriate action to be carried out on any erring member.
Already, the EFCC has been reported to have launched probe into some of the projects allocated to Jibrin’s Kiru/Bebeji Federal Constituency of Kano State in the 2014 and 2015 budgets.
Daily Trust on Sunday last month reported that operatives of the EFCC had commenced investigation into how the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons allegedly awarded 10 contracts to companies in one day, allegedly aided by Jibrin as the chairman of Finance Committee in the 7th Assembly under the 2014 budget.
The leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), rising from a meeting in August, barred both Jibrin and Dogara from making further comments in public on the allegations. Both parties, however, have since defied the the directive.
A lawmaker told our reporter that: “All members now know he’s going to talk about their own allowance. They feel that he’s going to dress them down. What he’s claiming is that our allowances should be reduced, but members won’t accept that. He’s going to mess everybody up, so members may not support him.
“Those supporting the speaker are not doing that because of him. They are doing that because of the individual battle involved. We heard that the EFCC is investigating the 2016 budget, so there’s no point supporting him.”

Dogara must resign – Jibrin
When contacted about his possible suspension, Jibrin promised to get back to our correspondent, but he never did up to the time of filing this report.
But in a letter he wrote to his colleagues and emailed to Daily Trust on Sunday, the lawmaker insisted that Dogara and the other principal officers must give way for a holistic probe.
“There are even more grounds for prosecution when such bill becomes an act. In the case of 2016 budget, Speaker Dogara, the 3 other principal officers used appropriation powers to commit fraud. The most patriotic thing we must all do is to insist that Speaker Dogara and the 3 other principal officers step down from their offices and hand themselves over to the anti-graft agencies for prosecution,” he said.
In the said letter, Jibrin also recommended seven steps that the House must take to clean its image after the scandal:
1.    The House should direct Speaker Yakubu Dogara, Deputy Speaker Yusuf Lasun, Whip Alhassan Doguwa and Minority Leader Leo Ogor to step down immediately to allow for a free and fair investigation without interference as they cannot be judges in their own matters.
2.    To nominate a speaker pro tempore to take over as presiding officer with immediate effect.
3.    The speaker pro tempore should constitute an ad hoc committee to investigate the allegations in collaboration with the ongoing external investigation by the anti-graft agencies.
4.    To discuss with the executive arm, and in the spirit of justice, fairness and equity, to return the N100billion constituency project component of the budget under any of our laws, so that all stolen money can be returned, particularly the N40billion, and equitably distributed to all constituencies. This is possible, especially that the 2016 budget will run until May 2017.
5.    I am offering to identify all the fraudulent insertions by Speaker Dogara, Lasun, Doguwa, Ogor and others, running into billions of naira in the budget, so that they can be removed... This will salvage the image of the House and reduce the financial pressure on the budget in the face of the current revenue challenges.
6.    Immediate implementation of internal reform of the activities of the House to include management of our finances, budget process, transparency and implementation of e-parliament, among others.
7.    In the face of an ongoing litigation, the House should revisit the House rules immediately and remove all draconian clauses.

We won’t waste time discussing Jibrin – Doguwa

Meanwhile, Chief Whip Alhassan Ado Doguwa has said that the House would not waste time to discuss the issue of Abdulmumin Jibrin. He called on all members to disregard the former chairman of Appropriation Committee.
“For me, it is high time Nigerians, and indeed, the press disregarded any statement from Abdulmumin Jibrin. He has realised that he is fighting a lost battle.
“We have succeeded in consolidating our support base in the House, with over 300 respected members willingly signing the vote of confidence for the leadership. When we resume on, Tuesday the House will not even waste valuable time discussing Jibrin’s issue. We would rather continue with more important legislative issues that would impact positively on our economy and the people we represent.
“On behalf of the leadership of the House, I wish to call on all our well-meaning members to disregard the so-called letters sent to them by Jibrin. Members must remain focused and never allow themselves to get distracted,” Doguwa said.

Dogara to face pressure
It was learnt that Dogara would come under intense pressure by some members of the House, particularly from members of the Transparency and Integrity groups to vacate his seat in view of the allegations.
Dogara has since vowed never to resign on account of the allegations by Jibrin, as he maintained that budget padding did not constitute a crime.
A member of the group, who did not want to be named, told our correspondent that they would not relent in their effort to see that justice is done.
“We’ll press home our demands. We won’t allow ourselves to be cheated and keep quiet. We were all elected on equal basis, so there’s no reason why someone will sit as a principal officer to shortchange other members,” the lawmaker said.
A top member of the Transparency Group told Daily Trust on Sunday that they were yet to resolve on the specific action to be taken when they reconvene, but said the group would meet today (Sunday) to decide ahead of the Tuesday resumption.
It was gathered that even if some lawmakers make serious case for Dogara’s resignation, they would not succeed as the speaker is said to have the backing of majority of members of the House.
A lawmaker told our reporter that Dogara’s removal or resignation at this time was impossible, saying: “I don’t see the man resigning, and you know they can’t get the numbers, which is at least 240 members, to remove him.”
But another member told our reporter that even if some members want to demand for Dogara’s resignation, nobody would give them the opportunity to do so.
“They have to be given the opportunity to talk first, but who will give that opportunity?” he said.
On the action to be taken against Jibrin, the lawmaker, who did not want to be named, said, “There’s a procedure. We can’t just decide if it doesn’t come as a motion, but I believe someone may bring the matter up.
“We can decide to disappoint Nigerians. The matter may not come up on the floor on Tuesday. It depends on the mood of the leadership. The Integrity Group may decide to bring up the matter. But it all depends on what happens, although the group is losing steam. Because Nigerians want controversy, we may decide to ignore it.”
Dailytrust

Nigeria may soon be in total darkness — Egbin CEO

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Egbin Power Plc, Mr. Dallas Peavey, Jr., in this interview with ‘FEMI ASU, says the nation may be enveloped in darkness in the coming weeks due to a myriad of challenges in the power sector

What do you think about the Nigerian power sector almost three years after it was privatised?

I think at this point, we have gone through so many stages. I think the issue here is liquidity. So many of the owners came and they were thinking that they were going to be reaping some sort of returns after the first three years. In reality, nobody realised that they would go through three years and lose money. Our parent company owns Egbin as well as Ikeja Electric. Having said that, we cover a lot of the areas in Nigeria out of our own pocket. We, as a private company, don’t expect to do that.

I think the government is coming up with a plan and working with us to ensure that we get paid and continue to generate power, and go from the current generation of less than 4,000 megawatts to 10,000 MW in the next five years. At least, that is what we are hoping to achieve. We have got a long way to go, but I think we can get there.

Aside from the liquidity challenge, what other issues are hampering the growth of the sector?

Fuel supply is also an issue. The second is transmission; the system is older than Egbin, which is 37 years old. The transmission system is older than that, and they have not done anything towards the revitalisation of the system. They are trying to push almost 5,000MW to the system and it is not capable of taking that. We have to work with the Transmission Company of Nigeria and the government, because it is still owned by the government, to work through those issues.

How is the current economic recession in the country affecting your operations?

We have not laid off anybody and we haven’t cut back on salaries. We haven’t cut back on the mainstay of our workforce simply because we are hoping that we can rectify the gas issues. We hope that the liquidity issues will be resolved with the government so that we can get back to generating 1,320MW, because Nigeria needs power.

Transmission is often regarded as the weakest link in the power value chain, do you think the government should give it out on concession basis, or totally privatise it?

I can only give my opinion, and I think typically the transmission system is weak and probably could have been privatised earlier simply because that is the weakest link and it takes the most investment. I think that Manitoba Hydro is gone away; now, the TCN is back in the hands of the government. I think the government needs to take a look at how they are going to fund the projects that are necessary to strengthen the transmission network; even when we generate our capacity of 1,320MW, we are not sure the system can take that. And we are looking at doubling the capacity of the plant in the next three years. How are they going to take that? The government has to take a hard look at that.

Over the past three years, we have seen capacity upgrade at Egbin, with the plant now having available capacity of 1,320MW; what plans do you have going forward?

We are going to continue to work to ensure that we maintain the 1,320MW, and we just completed the environmental impact assessment for our phase two so that we can double the capacity of Egbin. Our plan is to have up to 3,000MW capacity in the next three years.

Do you have any plans to diversify your sources of fuel for the plant?

We already are doing that. We are looking at using Low Pour Fuel Oil. We are looking at using liquefied natural gas. We are looking at several options so that we are not depending upon the Nigerian Gas Company, because of the constant attacks on the pipelines. Nigeria needs power, even if we have full capacity, the nation needs over 10,000MW today. So, what we need to do is to continue to work with our owners and partners so that we can get fuel, and then work with the TCN so that they can take the power and get it to the nation. Right now, we have got almost 820MW stranded capacity that the nation needs.

Normal generation in Egbin is about 1,320MW. Currently, we are doing about 425MW, only 30 per cent of what we should be generating simply because of gas. The other side that we are having an issue with is that the TCN cannot take the full amount of power that we can generate. Right now, the biggest issue is gas, and we don’t know what the future is going to bring to us in terms of gas supply.

On top of that, we are owed over N86bn by the Federal Government; we have been producing but we haven’t been paid for almost six months. The last amount of money that we got was about 16 per cent of the total bill for the power that we generated for the month.

What are the implications if the debt is not settled as soon as possible?

We can’t continue to operate simply because we don’t have the money to pay for materials. We don’t have the money to pay for repairs and we can’t continue to pay our employers simply because we are owed so much money. We have gone out to banks and different financial entities to borrow the money to continue to do maintenance. You know for banks, the limit is only so much and we have reached that limit.

How has the exchange rate crisis affected your operations?

When we bought the plant three years ago, the exchange rate was N156 to the dollar. Today, the bank rate is N310 to the dollar, double of what it was then. This plant was built 37 years ago by the Japanese. And to do replacement and repairs, the foreign exchange rate is double. So, where are you going to find that? We are being paid in naira, but almost everything that we pay for is in dollars. So, the exchange rate is significantly impacting our ability to continue to operate as well and we are looking to the government to assist us on that, to come up with the solution for us to do that. Also, the scarcity of the dollar to be able to buy these spare parts and continue to do maintenance is impacting us tremendously.

But we, as a private company, have continued to dig deep into our pocket, go to our sister and parent companies to borrow money that the banks can’t loan us to continue to operate. But even so, if we don’t get paid and if we don’t get gas, we can’t continue to generate.

In terms of building power plants, we have not seen a lot in the sector in the past few years, why is this so?

It is a challenge because it requires huge investment. You have to have the capital to come in and build the power plant. A power plant like Egbin will cost you $600 to $700 per megawatt to build and install. Where are you going to find that much money, you are talking about $1.7bn to build the plant? That is a lot of investment. When you are not getting paid and you are owed N86bn, it is hard to attract investors in that kind of marketplace.

The Central Bank of Nigeria recently gave out intervention funds to power firms, what has become of that?

They didn’t give it to us; what they paid to some of the generation companies was what they owed them. It wasn’t guarantees; it wasn’t financing; it wasn’t loans. It was simply the obligations that they owed us; but then, we haven’t got any money. We are still waiting for it.

What do you intend to achieve with the Egbin plant in the next five years?

If we can continue to progress and move forward, by addressing the fuel supply, transmission and the liquidity issues, again we are looking at generating up to 3,000MW in the next three years from this plant alone. Right now, we currently provide 35 per cent of the power in Nigeria. That is a big step. Nigeria needs it and all we do here is to generate power.

Power supply appears to have improved slightly with generation rising above 3,500MW from a record low of 1,400MW in May amid militant attacks on oil and gas facilities, what is responsible for this?

That is because we have had more rains, leading to increase in generation from the hydro power plants. But in the next few months, there won’t be any more rain and so the output from the hydro power plants will dissipate and we will be back to generating from Egbin, because it is the largest in sub-Saharan.



Are you worried about the current state of the power sector?

Absolutely, because everybody is working so hard to come with the resolution but we need the government’s help and support because we need the money that it owes.

If that is not done any time soon, what will happen?

Then it is going to be dark in Nigeria soon.

Do you think the core investors who acquired the power plants are doing enough in terms of investment?

I think they have invested. Again, they have gone three years without any return. Second is that they have invested a lot of capital to get to this point. Lastly, they have explored every means of financial support that they can get, whether from banks, financial entities, the World Bank, IFC and others; and in our case, from our parent company. Everybody runs out money sooner or later if they don’t get paid.

What is the current level of Egbin’s indebtedness to the banks?

Right now, it is about $325m; how do you continue to sustain that? You can’t pay the principal, so how can you pay the interest? It is a difficult situation. We had to continue to borrow money to do the repairs, to buy the materials for the replacement of the pumps, modules and transformers because this is a 37-year-old plant; the equipment that we have is 37 years old. It wasn’t maintained when we bought the plant and so we continued to overhaul each one of the six units. We had to modify everything to do the repairs. The equipment that we utilise in the plant is not manufactured in Nigeria or Africa; so we had to go back to Japan, Korea and US to buy these spare parts.

Right now, because of gas and transmission issues, we only have three of our six units running. Each one of our unit can produce 220MW. For a megawatt, that is about 100,000 people that it provides power for. We are helping to stabilise the national grid. If you notice, over the last six weeks, we haven’t had a grid failure or system collapse because of Egbin. Egbin is the sole reason there has not been a total system collapse in the nation, because we regulate everything coming to Lagos all the way to Abuja and farther North.

Are you satisfied with the current electricity tariff?

We are not satisfied with the tariff simply because it is not functioning the way it is supposed to. It is supposed to cover your costs; today, it is not covering our costs. We have a shortfall because the cost of gas, the transportation of that gas and the cost of operating are far above the Multi-Year Tariff Order II. The MYTO II was set up to cover those costs, but it is not doing that. We are not looking for returns on our investment yet; we are trying to continue to invest in Nigeria but we have to be paid the bills to do that.

Does it mean you are not making any profit since you acquired the plant?

We have never made a profit. We are owed N86bn and we have lost $300m in the last three years directly out of our pocket because we haven’t been paid and because we have invested that money and we have got no returns. We don’t expect the returns immediately, but at some point, every business has to be able to sustain itself with profits or returns on its investment.

When do you intend to start making profits?

We don’t know. Right now, we are just trying to survive and that is not going on very well. We are hoping and praying that it is going to get better.

What specific policy or action do you expect from the government?

We need the government to pay its bills. Everybody is blaming the distribution companies; the government needs to pay its bills.

How has Egbin Power affected its host communities in the last three years?

Today, we were able to put together a programme to offer scholarships to academically excellent students and students from the local regions that otherwise would not have the opportunity to attend schools like Powerfields. We think what this is going to do is that it is going to enrich the communities, Egbin and the nation.

It is part of our Corporate Social Responsibility but it is also different. The scholarship is for a full year per student. It will cater for all the expenses and costs in the full academic year, and if they continue on with the excellence of their academic programmes, they will benefit from the scholarship programme to the university level. We have probably spent at least N750m in the last three years on our CSR programme.

Naira drops against dollar as inflation hits 17.6%

The Naira on Friday depreciated in most major segments of the foreign exchange market just as inflation hits 17.6 percent. The Nigerian currency fell by N2.24 to exchange at N308.69 to the dollar at the interbank market, from N306.93 recorded on Thursday.
At the Bureau De Change it closed at N420 to the dollar, N550 to the Pound Sterling and N465 against the Euro.
At the parallel market, naira lost N2 to close at N425 against the dollar from N423 it traded on Thursday, while it exchanged at N545 and N470 against the Pound Sterling and the Euro, respectively.
Traders at the market said that in spite of the reduction in the rush for the greenback to meet up school fees payment, the naira continued to depreciate.
They said that the demand for dollars for importation far outstripped its supply.
Meanwhile, the National Bureau of Statistics has said the Consumer Price Index which measures inflation increased year-on-year from 17.1 per cent in July to 17.6 per cent in the month of August.
Data released by the NBS late in August had showed that the CPI rose by 0.6 percentage points from 16.5 per cent in June to 17.1 per cent in July.
The Bureau had in its August report attributed the increase to high energy prices which it added impacted negatively on the index. It said despite the fact that the country was in a period of harvest, it had yet to feel the impact as food prices was still on the increase.
“In July the Consumer Price Index which measures inflation increased by 17.1 per cent (year-on-year), 0.6 percentage points higher from the rate recorded in June (16.5 per cent),” the report had read in part.
“The pace of the increase in the headline index was however weighed upon by a slower increase in three divisions; health, transport and recreation and culture divisions.”
Dailysun

Konduga, self-acclaimed Boko Haram spokesman rearrested in Borno

Self-acclaimed spokesman of Boko Haram Islamist sect, Ali Sanda Umar Konduga, who was sentenced to three years imprisonment on criminal acts and freed last week, has been rearrested at the Maiduguri residence of Sen Ali Ndume, sources said.
Konduga (a.ka Al-Zawahiri) had alleged Sen Ndume who is the Senate Leader, provided contacts of certain personalities in the country to him, which gave him access to issue several threats of Boko Haram attacks  to such people.
A source close to the family of the senator said Konduga was identified as same person that alleged Ndume provided him with telephone numbers of some politicians with which he issued threats of Boko Haram attacks. Ndume was charged to court for disclosing information to terrorism suspect under Nigeria’s Terrorism Prevention Act.”
“He has been coming to the house since Sunday before Sallah. He asked for the senator but he was told the man is in Saudi Arabia,” the source said. He was however, arrested by the people around on the third visit on Wednesday, the source claimed.
Saturday Sun could not ascertain the purpose of Kinduga’s repeated visits to the senator’s house as at press time. Some residents around the area said he had come to apologise to the family for linking Ndume to Boko Haram activities three years ago. Others also said he may have come to request for financial assistance even after his role in the Ndume case.
Konduga was arraigned before Abuja High Court with Sen Ndume in 2014. He alleged the senator sponsored him to undertake Boko Haram activities. Ndume had pleaded not guilty to charges of passing classified information to an unauthorised person and of criminal intimidation.
Sen Ndume could not be reached on his mobile phone as at press time.
Confirming the incident to our correspondent on phone yesterday, an aide to Ndume who pleaded not to be named, said the Boko Haram suspect was arrested in the Senate Leader’s house, but added that, ‘boys’ who were around invited the police to arrest him.
The aide said the senator was in Saudi Arabia for his annual Hajj and could therefore, not be reached for further comments.
But the aide who spoke in confidence said: “He (Boko Haram suspect) went to the Leader’s house in Maiduguri to apologise to him over what he said about him in the past and, how he was told to implicate the senator. ‎He went there the first time and did not meet the Leader.
“The second time he went there, some of Ndume’s boys, who followed him to court over his ongoing terrorism trial, recognised Konduga and alerted the police immediately. That was how he was arrested.”
Dailysun

FG to use local textile for military, paramilitary uniforms

The federal government says plans are underway for Nigerian military and para-military personnel to use made in Nigeria textile for their uniforms.
The Minister of Trade, Industry and Investment, Hajiya A’isha Abubakar,  said this, yesterday, in Benin at the 28th Annual National Education Conference of the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN) and the Nigerian Textile, Garment and Tailoring Employers Association (NTGTEA).

Represented by a director in the ministry, Barnabas Jattau, Hajiya A’isha said:  “The government is presently discussion with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on how to stop smuggling of textiles materials into the country through the nation’s border posts.”
“The other plan is to reduce production cost, especially the cost of gas. We are working out ways to change gas pricing from dollar to naira.”
She said that the government, worried by the state of textile industry in the country, would revive the sector by ensuring that made in Nigeria textile was patronised by Nigerians.
Earlier, the President of the NUTGTWN, John Adaji, urged the federal government officials to wear clothing from fabrics made in Nigeria to encourage local textile manufacturers.
He advised President Muhamadu Buhari to shift from rhetoric to practical actions on the nation’s textile industry, saying that his achievement would be measured by the success he recorded in reviving the textile sector.
Also speaking, the Director General of the NTGTEA, Hamman Kwajjaffa, said that poor electricity supply remained major challenge in reviving the ailing textile sector.
He condemned smuggling of textile goods from Asia and other parts of Europe into Nigeria.
On his part, the General Secretary of NUTGTWN and National Vice President, Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Isa Aremu, said that the recent re-orientation campaign launched by Buhari should be embraced by especially  members of his cabinet.
 “The new change mantra must start from the textile industry with the president, vice president and ministers wearing made in Nigeria textiles,” he said.
“Our school uniforms, military and para-military uniforms, uniforms of the NYSC should be made in Nigeria with Nigerian fabrics, we must patronise our produce at home.”
Dailytrust

El-Rufa’i dashed people’s hopes — Kaduna elders

Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State
A group of elders in Kaduna, the Kaduna Development Elders Initiative, advises Governor Nasir el-Rufa’i to change his style of administration.
The group said that measures and policies he took were unpopular and not in the interest of people in the state.

The elders, arising from an executive meeting in Kaduna, said they resolved to continue advising el-Rufa’i for the state to experience physical and human development.
The elders, in the communiqué signed by their publicity secretary, Alhassan Balarabe Musa, said el-Rufa’i’s promise of making Kaduna great again did not seem to reflect the reality. Kaduna “is now sinking into a quagmire of neglect and inaction,” the communiqué said.
“The people of Kaduna State deserve better than what is being given to them now and the sooner the governor realizes that the better. He should, therefore, change his gear now.”
The communiqué alleged that civil servants and pensioners have been in agony due to what it called “endless verifications exercise,” resulting in the withholding of salaries for many months.
It expressed displeasure with the appointment of non-indigenes into key positions in the state, saying that might be in accordance with el-Rufa’i’s’ refusal to distinguish between indigenes and citizens.
“It could, therefore, be seen that Governor el-Rufa’i is walking a tight rope in Kaduna State, high above his people, totally indifferent about their aspiration, hopes for obtaining dividend of democracy they have toiled hard to install.”

Amazing Health Benefits of Groundnut

Groundnuts are famously known by many names. You may have heard of them as peanuts or even monkey nuts.
They are among the cheapest nuts, available abundantly all over the world.
They are often touted as the ‘poor man’s protein’. Since they are abundantly available, they are priced low and are often synonymous with penury.
They come encased in an easy-to-crack shell and have an Being legumes, groundnuts are very rich in proteins. They are also rich in fats and are used to make extract groundnut oil too. However, their high abundance of fat makes them rather difficult to store. If stored improperly, for a long time, groundnuts can turn rancid and taste bad.
The nutritional value may also deplete over time. Here are some of the most significant health benefits of groundnuts. Heart Healthy: Groundnuts contain a lot of fats. However, these fats are very healthy for the heart. They contain both monounsaturated and poly unsaturated fats – which are both good for maintaining the health of the cardiovascular system.
They help prevent cholesterol and plaque build up in the arteries, therefore reducing the risk of coronary heart disease. Body Building: Groundnuts are an excellent source of proteins. A 100g serving of groundnuts contains about 28g of proteins. This makes up for about 50% of protein’s RDA.
Proteins form the base of all the enzymes and are also digested to produce amino acids – which form the building blocks of all cellular material. Proteins are required for the healthy functioning of the endocrine glands. They also assist in growth and development of the body. However, if you are on a high protein-low fat diet, groundnuts may not be the healthiest option for you.
A 100g of groundnuts contain 49.24g of fat, which is 165% of the total RDA.
Fertility Booster: Groundnuts are rich in folates and boost fertility. Doctors recommend consuming folic acid when women plan pregnancies simply because folic acid is crucial in the healthy development of the neural tube of the fetus – a development that usually occurs even before a woman realizes she is pregnant.
Antidepressant: Groundnuts are a healthy source of Tryptophan – a biological chemical which improves mood and helps in the production of the ‘happiness’ chemical known as serotonin. Women who are suffering from postpartum depression may find groundnuts beneficial. The increased amount of serotonin in the blood can help fight depression and improve your overall mood.
Anti Carcinogenic: Groundnuts contain a healthy amount of polyphenols. Among these are oleic acid and p-coumaric acid. Both of them are highly beneficial in neutralizing cancer causing oxygen radicals. Groundnuts also contain a phytosterol known as beta sitosterol. This too is very beneficial in the removal of free radicals that damage internal organs.
Prevents Cognitive Decline: Groundnuts are a rich source of vitamin B2 or niacin. This vitamin, though required only in trace quantities, is highly beneficial for maintaining and enhancing cognitive functioning. Adequate intake of vitamin B2 can be really helpful in fighting against age related cognitive decline. Contraindications Though groundnuts are very healthy, they should not be consumed excessively.
Groundnuts can be detrimental to your health if you consume too many of them. A lot of people experience peanut allergies due to some of the proteins in them. In fact, peanut allergy is one of the most common causes of allergy related asphyxiation in the world. Peanuts are also highly susceptible to contamination by a fungus known as aspergillus flavus.
This fungus produces a highly toxic compound known as aflatoxin. In large quantities, this toxin can be fatal to humans.
Therefore careful selection and storage of groundnuts is extremely important. You should also not store them for long as they may become rancid and unfit for human consumption.
Nationalmirror

You can’t kill Biafra, IPOB lawyer tells Buhari

Counsel to the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB), Amobi Nzelu, yesterday expressed displeasure  with  President Muhammadu Buhari for using the occasion of Sallah homage by some National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members to his Daura country home to talk about his civil war escapades.
Nzelu, in an interview with Daily Sun, described the forum chosen by the president to pass his message as most inappropriate, urging him to document his civil war experience in a memoir.
He also implored Buhari to toe the path of diplomacy, as according to him, utterances like this further exacerbate the already fractured polity.
Buhari had specifically told corps members from the south-eastern states to tell their colleagues who want Biafra to forget about it.
Nzelu further appealed to the president to release IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, because his continued incarceration will not end the agitation.
“They should engage in a meaningful dialogue. Ideology cannot be destroyed by might or force but by what I call constructive and Pentecostal persuasion. You cannot destroy an ideology. Even if you kill the person, it is an ideology, it’s not a movement. Anything that is settled politically, the wound heals faster.
“It was the most inappropriate forum to have said that. Let me restate it  in unmistaken term that the issue of Biafra is not what you can settle with a wave of hand. To celebrate what he did over 40 years ago before those young corps members was uncalled for. He should better put his war experience in a book form.
“Buhari has done well in fighting corruption, but he is mishandling the issue of Biafra and other ethnic agitations.
“He should do the needful. Nnamdi Kanu has been in detention for over 18 months now. Let the president release him.
“When Mohammed Yusuf started Boko Haram, he was arrested and he died in their hands. If the issue was properly handled, we would not have had the ruin we have in the North East today,” Nzelu stated.
Dailysun

PDP must apologise to Nigerians –APC

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has described the fresh call by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for President Muhammadu Buhari to resign as “a silly statement  not worth the ink it was written with.
APC urged the opposition party to apologise to Nigerians for years of misrule.
In a statement by its National Secretary, Mai Mala Buni, the ruling party said “instead of the factionalised PDP hiding in shame over mindless looting of the public treasury to build luxury hotels and other properties, they have the gut to cast aspersion on the current administration.”
“The attention of the APC is drawn to the latest ridiculous demand by a faction of the PDP that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari should return the country to the voodoo economics and reckless fiscal policies it was subjected to during the immediate-past PDP administration.
“Also, PDP’s silly call for the resignation of President Buhari is not worth the ink it was written with. Hence, the APC will not dissipate energy responding.
“The PDP faction, by its demand to return the country to the years where looting of the public treasury was the order of the day, has taken its orchestrated plot to deflect attention from the economic mess it left behind to new insensitive and shameless heights.
“Instead of this charade, we advise the PDP and their cronies to apologise to Nigerians and toe the path of honour by returning public funds stolen under its watch”.
“While the PDP attempts to fraudulently re-write history and misrepresent facts on its misrule of the country, Nigerians are traumatised on a daily basis on disclosures of the startling level of pillage of the country’s commonwealth perpetuated under its watch.”
Meanwhile, Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank has said federal lawmakers owe it a duty to Nigerians to tell President Buhari the truth.
The National Assembly (NASS) is expected to resume plenary on Tuesday, September 20 and Frank insisted the House should not shy away from telling Buhari the “bitter truth” about the economy, even if it will cost some people their jobs.”
In a statement issued yesterday, in Abuja, Frank advised Senate and the House of Representatives to employ the services of experts to rescue the economy from recession.
“I must, at this point in time, tell the NASS leadership not to shy away from telling the executive the bitter truth even if it will cost some ministers and managers of our economy their jobs for the sake of Nigerians and the betterment of our economy,” the statement read.
“In the light of this, I want to support the promise made by Senate President Bukola Saraki, recently that upon resumption, the NASS will make tough recommendations to Mr. President. Nigerians are waiting.
“Senate and the House should employ the services of experts on what to do, urgently, to rescue the nation from recession before it gets to depression, God forbid! Even our opposition lawmakers, at this point, should forget about their political affiliation and join hands with their leadership for the sake of Nigeria because (it is) Nigeria first…” Frank said.