Sahara Weekly Magazine

Category: Editorial

Ondo Residents Left Without Water As Workers’ Strike Bites Harder

Ondo residents now rely on dug wells and boreholes for drinking water after a four-week-old government workers’ strike shut off public water supply, driving locals to desperate means of surviving.

The workers are demanding payment of their five months’ salary arrears.

Although the state usually suffers inadequate water supply, the Ondo State Water Corporation provides water sales points at different locations, particularly in Akure, the state capital.

Residents buy container of water daily from the sales points.

With the strike, potable water is a scarce commodity in most towns of the state, as residents now resort to drinking water from well, which is poorly treated.

The Ondo State Water Corporation says it cannot guarantee the quality of the water from wells and boreholes done by individuals since it is not currently monitoring the situation.

According to the chairman of the corporation, Steve Giwa, his agency is handicapped to regulate the digging of wells and boreholes because of the lack of water law in the state.

A resident, who identified himself as Akintunde, told PREMIUM TIMES in Akure that the borehole in the estate where he lives provides the needed drinkable water for those living in the area.

“The water is clean and we drink it,” he said. “So we don’t need to look for water elsewhere.”

Other residents who are not privileged to be near a borehole resort to looking out for a “Good Samaritan” rich enough to be willing to make his borehole water available to the public free of charge.

A cocoa processing company in Algbaka, has opened its tap to the public, and its premises attracts a large number of people.

Some residents have also resorted to buying sachet water, popularly called “pure water”.

With the scarcity, “pure water” manufacturers sell a bag for N180.

“How long can you sustain the buying of bags of pure water?” Tope, a journalists based in Akure asked. “I cannot afford it, I prefer to go out there and get to the place where I can get water from any borehole.”

With the workers not willing to get back to work despite appeals from the government, there are fears that the people may have to wait a long time to have access to treated water.

Mr. Giwa told PREMIUM TIMES that the corporation was concerned about the situation, but could do nothing to get workers back to work.

“We are concerned, even as the government is concerned, but people have alternative sources of water besides what the corporation is providing,” he said.

Asked if he was sure of the quality of water from the alternative sources, Mr. Giwa replied: “I don’t know.”

“We are not yet monitoring because there is no water law,” said Mr. Giwa. “The law is currently at the level of the state executive council and when it is treated, it will be taken to the House of Assembly.”

Mr. Giwa, an engineer, appealed to striking to return to work so as to enable the corporation provide water for the teeming populace.

Premium Times

June 30, 2016
INEC Issues certificate of return to newly declared Abia State Governor, Samson Ogah

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has issued Samson Ogah the Certificate of Return as the new governor of Abia State, three days after Governor Okezie Ikpeazu was sacked by a court, the News Agency of Nigeria has reported.

A Federal High Court in Abuja had on Monday directed Mr. Ikpeazu to immediately vacate office after convicting him of tax evasion.

The court also ordered INEC to issue a certificate of return to Mr. Ogah, who contested the governorship ticket with the governor on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Mr. Ikpeazu had said through his Chief Press Secretary, Enyinnaya Appolos, that he remained the governor because he was challenging the judgment in a higher court.

As an appointee of Abia State Government from 2011 to 2014, he argued that his taxes were deducted at source.
He also argued that the state Board of Internal Revenue in 2014 issued him with valid tax receipts shortly before he contested the governorship election in the state.

A government spokesperson said on Thursday that Mr Ikpeazu was “not going anywhere”, and that he was remaining in office.

June 30, 2016
We Can No Longer Pay Workers’ Salaries Because Of Militants – Delta State Governor

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, has said the impact of the renewed destruction of oil assets in the state producing environment has gone so bad that the state is now unable to pay salaries regularly anymore.

The governor, yesterday at the Government Office Annex, Warri, where he convened a stakeholders meeting on, “Creating A Peaceful Atmosphere for the Development of Delta State and the Niger Delta Region,” said: “The larger Nigerian government has been in financial crisis over dwindling oil prices.

Increased production would have helped cushion the impact but instead we are faced with destruction of oil assets.

“Dealing with dwindling oil prices and destruction of oil assets, we are now producing just half of our quota. And we are all really worried because of the greater effect is on Delta State.

Before now we receive up to N20 billion monthly, but what we have now is so low. Last time we got N3.4 billion. Last month what we received has dropped to N3 billion. We now get 1/7th of what we use to have.”

The governor said, going by the current financial position, the state was no longer in a position to pay salaries regularly just as Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, has also nosedived.

“We met a wage bill of N7.4 billion. Our workforce has been unchanged.

With biometrics and rationalization, we trimmed that to about N6.8 billion. With the situation, we have in our hands, we are not in position to pay workers regularly anymore.

“If we produce our normal volumes, we won’t have it this bad. We have had to reduce support to the councils. And apart from poor income from Federation Account, IGR has also gone down because money is not circulating.

“I do know that we were receiving reasonable Pay As You Earn, PAYE of up to N1.5bn and N1.6bn monthly.

That has gone down. We should realise there’s a challenge. Political office holders, traditional rulers should build peace.

Delta State has been on the news for the wrong reasons and that’s not where we want to be,” Okowa added.

Source: Vanguard

June 30, 2016
Rev. Mbaka Denies Saying The President Had Slim Chances Of Survival

Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, has denied saying President Muhammadu Buhari had a slim chance of surviving after he visited UK for a 10-day vacation which eventually turned 14.

Mbaka said he was misquoted and all he did was to pray for the President and every other Nigerian facing health challenges. The Priest spoke through his media Chief, Barr Ike Maximus Ugwuoke, saying;

“‎Our attention has been drawn to a report in a section of the media alleging that Rev Fr Ejike Mbaka the Spiritual Director of Adoration Ministry Enugu Nigeria said that the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari has slim chances of surviving from his ill health.

“The true fact is that there were media reports, making fuss about Mr President’s health and insinuating Mr President‘s slim chances of recovering from his ill health, published immediately the president went on vacation.
“Fr Mbaka referring to the said media report during his prayers for the sick in the ministry prayed with the worshippers of the ministry for Mr President’s healing and health after which there were lots of testimonies from the sick that were healed of blindness, elephantiasis, deafness, cancer, tumor and all other diverse healings at the end of the prayer session.”

He quoted Mbaka as saying: “They say the sickness is E.N.T. When it affects, the ear, it affects the nose and affects the neck. We pray for our President and any one that is suffering such a dangerous disease.

“We lift our healing hands for divine healing upon our president. Wherever he is, may he be healed in Jesus name.

“The doctors in Nigeria are nursing fear that he may not survive but we have a healing God. His name is specialist in impossibilities.”

He added that some ‎persons were nose-diving in the affairs of the ministry with a view to causing unnecessary rift between the ministry and the presidency.

June 30, 2016
Niger State Governor Approves New Allowance For Corps Members

Niger State Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello has approved the upward review of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members’ allowances posted to the state from N3,000 to N5,000, with effect from July 2016 on Wednesday,.

The Governor who gave the approval during the closing ceremony of the 2016 Batch A Stream 2 Orientation Course at the NYSC orientation camp, at Paiko, said that despite the dwindling resources of the country, the state government remained committed to the welfare of the corps members.

He, therefore directed all the local government councils in the state to join in the welfare programme for the corps members, warning that no ministry should reject corps members posted to them for their primary assignment.

His words: “The corps members must be given the necessary support to enable them to feel comfortable and contribute their quota to the development of the state. No matter how small the resources are, we will make their stay comfortable.”

June 30, 2016
BENUE @ 40: ALLI BABA AND 40 TIIVS STORMS BENUE WITH COMEDY SERIES 1

* 1^ST LADY, MONICA OGAH, GEOFFREY AND OTHERS TO BE UNVEILS AT BENUE HEROES

* WORLD PRESS CONFERENCE NOW TO HOLDS JULY 15, 2016

The celebrate Benue heroes world press conference earlier scheduled to hold on the 3oth of June will now hold on the 15^th of July 2016 at Markudi, the Benue state capital. The press conference will kick start the international tourism attraction package to celebrate the state as the state marks it 40 years of creation. At the world press conference, the Benue first lady, popular Nigerian comedy icon Alli baba and the 40 Tiivs, while Monica Ogah and Geoffrey both MTN project fame winners will all be unveiled as faces of Benue heroes at the brief.

Ontrade solid concept limited is the official partner authorized by the Benue state government through the ministry of culture and tourism to organized the celebrate Benue heroes as part of activities to celebrate the state at 40^th and to also create awareness on all the tourism potential of Benue state to the world, thereby attracting foreign and internal investors to all the tourism potential of the state and place Benue state on the world map of state with tourism opportunity for investors and subsequently brings various tourism development to the state.

According to the senior partner of Ontrade solid concept limited, Sanny Ogemyi, said the state is endowed with huge tourism potential so this event will further give interested investor different foresight to various location where there are tourism opportunity for them to come and invest thereby creating lot of employment opportunity for the youths of the state and also bring about development to the state. He said the celebrate Benue heroes will begin with a world press conference on the 15^th of July followed by different programmed lined up which will be disclosed at the press conference, he concluded that the celebrate Benue heroes will bring a total turn around for the state through all its tourism potential as various investor will see a very good reason why they must come and invest in tourism in the state.

June 30, 2016
WAEC certificate :Abuja-Based Lawyer, Nnamdi Nwokocha withdraws suit against President Buhari over alleged life threat

Abuja based legal practitioner, Nnamdi Nwokocha-Ahaaiwe, has filed a notice at the Federal High Court Abuja withdrawing the suit he filed challenging the authenticity of President Buhari’s Cambridge West African School Certificate WASC. Nwokocha-Ahaaiwe in the suit alleged that President Buhari did not sit for the Cambridge West African School Certificate WASC) in 1961 as he claimed. The notice for the discontinuance of the suit dated June 27th reads in part ;

“Take note that the plaintiff in this originating summons, Nnamdi Nwokocha-Ahaaiwe, hereby discontinues this action.”

Although he did not give any reason for withdrawing the suit, Nwokocha-Ahaaiwe had in an interview with Thisday last month, alleged that some subtle threat to his life has been made as a result of the suit.
“Of course, I am concerned and my family and friends are too; I am not naïve and some subtle threats have already been made. For now it is small comfort that if anything happens to me, even if disguised as an accident or anything, Nigerians will know exactly who is responsible”he said

June 30, 2016
Man Charge To Court Over Theft Of Goat

A 27-year-old unemployed man, Henry Semana, who resides at 9, Hundeyin Str., Idale, Badagry was on Wednesday brought before a Badagry Chief Magistrates’ court in Lagos State, for allegedly stealing a goat worth N9,000.

The accused is facing a one-count charge of stealing.

The Prosecutor, Insp. Innocent Uko, told the court that the accused committed the offence on June 22, at Hundeyin Str., Idale in Badagry.

Uko noted that the goat belonged to the complainant, Mr Seshe Balogun.

“The accused saw the goat roaming around the street so he caught it and was on his way to the market to sell it when he was confronted by the owner,” he said.

He noted that the offence contravened Section 285 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the offence.

Counsel to the accused, Mr Bamidele Shina, pleaded with the court to admit the accused to bail, since his offence was a bailable one.

The Magistrate, Mr Abiodun Etti, granted bail to the accused in the sum of N20, 000 and a surety, who must provide evidence of tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

The case was adjourned till July 28, for further hearing. (NAN)

June 30, 2016
ASUU rejects FG directives to scrap Post-UTME

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, on Wednesday, kicked against the Federal Government’s directive for tertiary institutions to scrap the Post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, Post-UTME, for admission of candidates for the 2016/2017 academic session, saying the quality of tertiary education in the country could improve if the institutions are allowed to regulate their students admission process. ASUU President, Comrade Biodun Ogunyemi, said such freedom would enhance the quality of education. Recall that at a recent joint policy meeting to decide the cut off mark for students seeking admission into the universities, the government announced the scrapping of post-unified tertiary matriculation examination (UTME).

The Post UTME is the second stage of screening usually conducted by universities for the final selection of candidates qualified for admission for an academic session. Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu had threatened to sanction any university or tertiary institution found conducting examinations under any guise to admit students. He further directed tertiary institutions that had collected money from candidates for such purposes to immediately refund it or face appropriate sanctions. The ASUU boss told NAN that such directive encroached on the autonomy of the institutions. “I think government should give these institutions the chance to regulate themselves,” he said. “They should decide for themselves, the process they dim fit to admit their students. The Senate of universities for example, should decide on the process they want to use in selecting candidates. “We do not think it’s right for government to decide the method of screening of the candidates, indeed, we want to attain some level of sanity and quality in the system.” The unionist added that government could only come into the process by putting in place the necessary guidelines as part of their oversight functions. According to him, it may not also be easy for institutions that had already collected money for the conduct of the post-UTME or screening in whatever guise to refund such money. He added that this was because such money could have been diverted to other purposes. Ogunyemi noted that most universities were under-funded and therefore, might have used some of the money to attend to urgent needs of the institution. “Some of the arguments raised in this entire episode is that universities or tertiary institutions were using the conduct of such examination to make money,” he said. “But the truth is, these institutions are poorly funded. If universities for example are properly funded, will the vice-chancellors be looking for other means of making money? “In the last seven months, university workers have been receiving incomplete salaries, that is, the disbursement of funds for payment of salaries has always been inadequate. “When situations like this arise, the managements will not be left with any choice than to look inwards and seek means of meeting such needs. “And one of such strategies is by conducting such examination.” Ogunyemi noted that the state universities were worst hit for many of them had yet to receive subvention in the last one year. “Actually we in ASUU frown at extortion of any type from students or candidates but the government too should be alive to its responsibilities by providing the enabling environment that will aid teaching, leaning and research.”

June 30, 2016
Its Honourable For You To Resign – SGF Tells Saraki And Ekweremadu

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, David Babachir Lawal, has waded in the alleged forgery trial of Senate President Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, asking the principal officers of the Senate to resign their positions.

The Senate, in a swift reaction last night, said the two principal officers of the Senate will not resign, insisting that it was being assaulted by the executive arm of government in the ongoing trial of its leaders.

But Lawal said, yesterday, that the Senate was not on trial for forgery, but that only the actors in the alleged act, the Senate President, his deputy and two others being prosecuted.

He also said the honourable thing for the duo to do was to resign as former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Salisu Buhari, who was accused of certificate forgery, did.

In a statement he personally signed, Lawal said the positions of the Senate leaders were contradictory. He also described their statements as unfortunate, stating that the Federal Government was not deciding the trial of the duo.

June 30, 2016