Terrible !! 59,500 children die yearly due to poor water, sanitation – SERAP

A report by Socio-Economic and Accountability Rights Project (SERAP) has revealed that 57 million Nigerians still lack access to clean water while 59,500 children under the age of five years die yearly due to poor water and sanitation.

The Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, Lagos, Prof. Ayodele Atsenuwa disclosed this yesterday at the media presentation of the latest report of SERAP titled: “Using Your Right to Information to challenge Corruption in the Health, Education and Water Sector” at the Citi-Height Hotels, Ikeja, Lagos.

The report, published with support from Omidyar Network, a philanthropic investment firm.

Prof. Atsenuwa, in the 46 page report, simplified the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act 2011 and how Nigerians can use it to curb corruption and improve access to public services, particularly education, healthcare and water in Nigeria.

She remarked that a significant amount of the country’s disease burden is linked to  lack of access to clean water by the citizens.

“The major problems affecting the health, education and water sectors are mismanagement of funds appropriated for these sectors, embezzlement, diversion of public resources, and other forms of corruption”, she stated.

According to Prof. Atsenuwa, “Nigeria ranks 187th out of 190 countries in the world on the health index, which means that the Nigerian health sector is one of the world’s worst in terms of healthcare delivery”, she said.

She also highlighted  indices relating to health that may be monitored and tracked using FOI Act to include: ‘level of realization of the right to safe, clean, accessible and affordable drinking water and sanitation; all level of funding provided for ensuring safe, clean, accessible and affordable drinking water and sanitation; all budget performance on water and sanitation-related goals, and level of implementation of government obligations under the Partnership for Expanded Water, Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (PEWASH) Programme Strategy  (2016-2030).

“Education, health and water are basic needs of all human beings and they are major areas of our lives that drive national growth and development. The primary purpose of government is to make policy and implement actions that ensure that citizens have access to education, health and water. Government is not infallible, and it is the duty of citizens to serve as watchdogs of government decision-making”, she said.

 Prof. Atsenuwa identified corruption and abuse of power as the bane of good governance.

To address these twin problems, she said citizens must have access to information to exercise judgment on propriety or impropriety of governmental decisions and action. The FOI Act provides access to information upon which citizens can engage in evidence-based advocacy with government.

“With the FOI Act, citizens can expose and fight corruption. They can request for information or documents relating to budgets, financial allocation, procurement and projects implementation. The information will enable citizens to track what is being done. If citizens identify impropriety through the search of records, such findings can be forwarded to the Police and anti-corruption agencies for further investigation and where appropriate, prosecution.

“Using FOI Act helps prevent wastage of public resources. A major problem in Nigeria is wastage of public resources through ineptitude, corrupt practices, neglect and non-accountability. FOI enables citizens to get factual evidence which they can use to take legal and/or political action. By tracking information on various aspects of public spending, citizens can identify specific instances of public funds wastage and call the relevant actors to account.

“By relying on the FOI Act, citizens can become involved in the management of the education, health and water sectors. They will be able to track and monitor the use of resources within the sectors as well as make their complaints heard through direct engagement with government officials such as law enforcement officers, civil and public servants either by the means of petition or through direct demand for accountability of government officials at all levels; and indirectly through media, civil society and representatives”, she stated.

She emphasized that wrongful denial of a request for information or record is a criminal offence.

According to her, both the officers who wrongfully denies access and the institution that she represents are criminally liable for wrongful denial and will be liable on conviction to a fine of N500,000, adding that anyone who willfully destroys any records kept in his/her custody or attempts to doctor or otherwise alter same before they are released to any person, entity or community applying for it commits a crime and faces a minimum of one-year imprisonment. 

She emphasized that FOI Act applies to the government of the federation as well as to state governments to monitor government funding of health and management of the funds and other critical decision-making which affects service delivery in the sector. - The Nation

APC and PDP: Two sides of a coin By Ademola Adeoye

Power resided in the house of the PDP for sixteen (16) years and instead of using it to better the lot of the common man; they used it to enrich themselves, cronies and their family members. When they became fat and corpulent, they boastfully said they would be in power for the next sixty (60) years. As if that was not enough, they even called themselves the biggest political party on the continent of Africa! To be fair to them, they never said they were the most useful political party in Africa.

For sixteen (16) years, Nigeria became the biggest economy on paper, but very poor in reality. Politicians were smiling to the Bank every-day, but the common man was crying to bed every night. It was so bad that Nigerians were dying almost every-day as an effect of terrorism. Those that hunger did not kill, terrorism sent to the land of the silent ones. It became so challenging, being a Nigerian; belly-driven politicians were benefiting from bloodletting, though.

It was while we were swimming (with back-float style) in an extremely hard time that a class of people came together, selling the mantra of change to those of us who were tired of the PDP’s misrule and we too unwittingly embraced it as a newly affianced wife. The APC promised us an overnight change—saying that the soon coming arrow-head was the messiah we were all waiting for. They put blazers on his back so that the emerging generation of Nigerians could buy into him and they equally put “agbada” on his back, so that the aged ones could buy into him, too.

Three (3) years after seizing power from the PDP, it is clear as water that they only wanted power; they actually do not know the purpose of power. Evaluating PMB’s lacklustre performance in the last three (3) years, without being biased, Nigerians are not faring better than they were under GEJ. We have lost more people to senseless killings under PMB than we did lose under GEJ. More people have lost their jobs than they did under GEJ. The APC over-promised, but they are despondently under-performing.

As an effect of economic bleakness, sluggishness and childishness in leadership, many Nigerians are already yearning to go back to the Egypt of the PDP. And you cannot blame them. For those who do not know, the PDP and APC are two sides of a coin. A half a dozen and six are one and the same! When it comes to sharing of money, there would be no difference between those in the PDP and APC, but when they want to play Nigerians as a leather-ball, they would start flying the kite of opposition and ruling parties. You cannot afford to be fooled by the current crop politicians.

The APC is in point of fact not a political party; it was just a tool for a class of politicians to chase GEJ back to “Otuoke.” It has outlived its usefulness. The APC can only become useful again on the condition that Dr. Goodluck comes back to power. Behind the mask of that “tool” is selfishness, not the welfare and interests of the common man. How do I mean? Look at the ongoing defection from one political party to another; it has nothing to do with the common man, it is about personal aggrandizement.

The future of Nigeria is certainly not in the hands of both the PDP and APC. As 2019 elections are fast approaching, all they would do is to pump up the heads of Nigerians like a hot-air balloon—with empty-promises that would never see the light of day. For the umpteenth time, the PDP and APC are two sides of a coin. They are all fighting to either access or retain power for self-interests.

Last night, before retiring to bed, I needed to listen to news at 10pm and it was so comical the way the current chairman of the APC was addressing his party members. He needs to learn how to talk as a democrat. If he maintains the status quo, he is likely going to drown what is left of the APC. When he was speaking, he injudiciously painted the picture of a weak president—that people disobey without any consequences. One thing Adams does not understand yet is that PMB likes the way his employees disobey him or how do you explain his uninspiring and apathetic style of leadership?

Also, when a politician says good morning, it means it is a quarter past 6pm. When Adams said he is not going to have a sleepless night on the ongoing defections, I know he is truly having sleepless nights. If care is not taken, the APC will move from being a national ‘party’ to being a regional one on or before October. The administration of PMB is biting the fingers that fed him. Those who are feeding from Mr. President’s table are lying to him as they lied to GEJ. They have forgotten that PMB lost thrice before he was eventually helped to win. To win a presidential election in Nigeria, every influential politician and citizen is needed as fishes need water. If the APC continues the ongoing display of superciliousness that they do not need anyone to win, what happened to the PDP would befall them too! GEJ was supported blindly (as PMB too is being supported) till he became history.

As I begin to coast home, our number one enemy in Nigeria is hypocrisy. When they joined the APC, they were saints, but now that they are leaving in droves, they are sinners. Also, I am of the opinion that it is unfair of any citizen to brand some politicians thieves, especially when he or she knows that his or her own principal too is a thief! Show me one politician in the corridors of power today—who is clean.

For the umpteenth time, evaluating PMB’s bland and jaded performance in the last three (3) years, for now, it is unattainable for him to still gather 12million votes as he did in the past. Those who are telling Mr. Presidents lies are doing so for selfish gains. If PMB does not want to fast become history as the man before him, he needs to move away from sycophants and listen to those who can afford to tell him stark naked truth.

Only very few Nigerians are actually good - Obasanjo

Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo has listed some politicians who he described as younger generation of leaders that have failed Nigerians.

He listed Atiku Abubakar, former Governors Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Deprieye Alamieseigha, Lucky Igbinedion of Lagos, Bayelsa and Edo states respectively, as well as former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Salisu Buhari.

Obasanjo said this at the 4th Annual Ibadan Sustainable Development Summit organised by the Centre for Sustainable Development, University of Ibadan, in collaboration with African Sustainable Development Network, Ibadan on Tuesday.

While responding to issues of poor leadership in Africa, He condemned the younger generation of leaders, saying they had poor performance record in terms of integrity and probity.

He stressed that after 53 years of independence, Nigeria had no leader that can be recommended.

“During my administration as President, we had some people who were under 50 years in leadership positions. One of them was Alamieseigha, where is he today? Lucky Igbinedion, where is he today?

“The youngest was the Speaker, Buhari, you can still recall what happened to him.

“You said Bola Tinubu is your master; what Buhari did was not anything worse than what Bola Tinubu did. We got Buhari impeached.

“But in this part of the world, some people covered up the other man. The man claimed he went to Government College, Ibadan, but the Governor of Oyo State then went to Government College and packed all the documents so that they would not know that he did not go there.

“I wanted someone who would succeed me, so I took Atiku. Within a year, I started seeing the type of man Atiku is. And you want me to get him there?

“I once went to Tanzania because Julius Nyerere recognised Biafra. He told me not to mind his aides and others in government. They would say they have one house in town, but their five-year-old sons and daughters would have houses all over.

“Some of you who are condemning the leadership would get there tomorrow and it will be a different story. Only very few are actually good.

“Abacha, my predecessor, got $750 million. Through our lawyer in Switzerland we recovered $1.25 billion and the lawyer still said there is probably still another $1 billion to be recovered.

“In 1979 we had 20 new ships specially built for Nigeria. When I came back 20 years after, the national shipping line had liquidated.

“The whole thing is not just about leadership. If we talk about good leadership, you should also talk about good followers. If you talk about human rights, you should also talk about human duties and obligations.

“Then we are jinxed and cursed; we should all go to hell. The problem in Africa is that when one person takes over he would not see any good thing that his predecessor did. Let us condemn but with caution,” Obasanjo said. - Daily Post

Racial scandal : Petition calls on international sponsors to drop DFB after Özil controversy

An online petition has called on several sponsors of the German Football Association (DFB) to withdraw their support, following the fallout surrounding Mesut Özil’s international retirement earlier this week.

The Arsenal attacker cited “racism and disrepect” within the DFB as his reason for stepping down from the national side, where he claimed he was scapegoated for Germany’s disappointing World Cup campaign, while his Turkish heritage has also been used as a weapon against him in the German media.

Contained in one of several lengthy Twitter posts, that Özil tweeted to inform the media of his intention to retire, the German said:

“I am German when we win, but I am an immigrant when we lose.”

Now international consumer group SumOfUs have called on several high-profile sponsors to sever ties, until the executives behind Özil’s demonisation are sacked. These sponsors include Adidas, McDonald’s and Mercedes-Benz.

SumOfUs’ mission statement is ‘to hold big corporations accountable’, and campaigner Christian Bock has called on German football to end it’s ‘shameful racism.’ Bock said:

“The resignation of footballer Mesut Özil has exposed the shameful racism within German football culture — and instead of protecting their player, top executives of the German Football Association put all the blame for Germany’s bad performance on Özil.”

“While this year’s World Cup was a triumph for diversity, the racist and xenophobic treatment of German player Mesut Özil still managed to rear its ugly head.”

“After Germany’s early exit from the World Cup, fans and German politicians alike scapegoated Özil, a third-generation Turkish-German, for the team’s loss. A controversial photo Özil took with Turkish president Erdogan in May was used as an excuse to pile on more prejudice and Islamophobic insults.”

“In this case, officials from the German Football Association didn’t just fail to defend Özil — they actively supported his detractors, ultimately leading Özil to resign from the German team.”

The petition is nearing 2,000 signatures. - Read Sport

Scholes : Pogba needs to use his brain more

Paul Scholes says World Cup winner Paul Pogba needs to "use his brain more" before the Manchester United midfielder can be considered a top footballer.

Pogba was an integral part of the France side that triumphed in Russia and enjoyed a trophy-laden four seasons at Juventus before returning to Old Trafford in 2016.

His second spell at United has been mixed, though, with the 25-year-old receiving criticism for some of his displays for the Red Devils.

Pogba seemed to answer those critics during the World Cup, but Scholes still believes he needs to deliver week in, week out before he can be considered a football great.

"Paul needs to find consistency I think. I think if you look at his game he can be brilliant one week, not so good the next week," Scholes told beIN Sports.

"He seems to be a player that you get a performance one in every three or four games. And if you're going to win leagues, it's not enough, it's just not enough. He needs to become that commanding player he was at Juventus. 

"There's no doubt the lad's got real quality. He's shown that in this World Cup I think that he can play. He's such a strong lad, he can run, he's [got] great technique as well, great ability. But he needs to use his brain a little bit more to become a top footballer."

Scholes admits Jose Mourinho's squad rotation may be partly to blame for Pogba's problems, suggesting a settled side could bring the best out of the Frenchman.

"He was part of a set structure at Juventus," added the 11-time Premier League winner. "He knew every week what position he was going to play, who he was going to play with.

"And I don't think that helps him at United because I'd be amazed if the same team has been named twice on the run, the same formation. 

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"There doesn't seem to be a set way of where it's going. That could possibly work against him." - Goal

Lagbaja returns — to perform alongside Simi

Bisade Ologunde, Afrobeats musician popularly known as Lagbaja, has returned to the news after years of laying low.

This time, he will be performing alongside Simisola Ogunleye at the Johnnie, Jazz & Whisky concert.

The event which will take place on Saturday will feature live performances from the ‘Konko Below’ and ‘Joromi’ singers.

Guests will be treated to various side attractions as they share in the delight of Johnnie Walker Black Label’s distinctive flavours – fruity, tropical, creamy & smoky.

Taking place at Central Park Arena in Abuja, the Johnnie, Jazz & Whisky concert will see Lagbaja give his first performance in years.

With a career almost three decades long, Lagbaga has become an icon in Nigerian music history.

Respected for his musical prowess, the singer is more recognisable for his masks which he says is an “icon of man’s facelessness”.

Simi recently released the extended version of her critically acclaimed album, ‘Simisola’.

The deluxe version carries two new remixes on top of 14 original tracks.

‘Original Baby’ remix featuring 2baba and ‘Smile For Me’ remix featuring  Sigag Lauren. - Thecablestyle

2017 : 970,000 People Died of AIDS

Fifteen thousands people from over 100 countries have gathered in Amsterdam, Netherlands for the largest AIDS Conference which would hold from 23rd to 27th of July.

Welcoming delegates across the world at the opening ceremony on Monday evening, the Minister of Foreign Trade in Netherlands, Sigriel Kaag noted that in 2017, 970,000 people passed away of AIDS adding that 27 million people are currently living with AIDS.

The Minister lamented that out of the 27 million, only 22 million of the people have access to therapy and adequate health care noting that over 30 per cent new infections are recorded yearly.

She stated that despite the fact that the infection have been in existence for over 30 years, experts and scientists have not been able to come about the root cause that causes the virus to grow.

Kaag called on governments of nations to look into ways of reducing the stigma faced by people affected with HIV/AIDS and ensure that their rights are protected.

She stated that the government of Netherlands is committing $10 million to Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) which is a new way people can protect themselves from HIV adding that the funds would be meant for communities that have been unreached for so long.

In her address, the President of the International AIDS Society, Linda-Gail Bekker said the conference would look at the latest science innovation in HID treatment, cure and the latest underground strategies towards prevention.

She added that the conference would have 3,000 abstracts over 150 sessions in the period of four days. - The Nation

Osun 2018 : Court adjourns ruling on Senator Ademola Adeleke’s certificate scandal

The Osun State High Court sitting in Osogbo has adjourned till tomorrow, Thursday, the ruling on interlocutory order seeking to nullify the election of Senator Ademola Adeleke as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship flag bearer.

This bordered on his alleged certificate scandal relating to his secondary school result.

Two members of PDP in the State had asked the court, among other things, to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting the name of Senator Adeleke as the party’s candidate in the September 22 governorship election.

After listening to the submission of counsel to the plaintiffs, Barrister Olufemi Ayandokun, the presiding judge, Justice David Oladimeji stated that he had to study the bulk processes filed by the applicants to be able to give ruling on the matter.

DAILY POST reports that following the primary election of the party held on Saturday, in which Adeleke was declared winner with 1569 votes, against his closest rival, Dr Akin Ogunbiyi, who polled a total of 1562, some members of the party have rejected the outcome of the election, citing some irregularities.

Hundreds of the aggrieved members had on Monday blocked the Osogbo-Ikirun road, demanding for the cancellation of the exercise.

They accused the National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus of complicity. - Daily Post

How SARS officers withdrew N20, 000 from my bank account – DELSU student

A final year student of the Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka, Johnson Oke, has giving details of how officers of the Nigerian Police attached to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) allegedly withdrew N20, 000 from his account to secure his release.

Narrating his ordeal to DAILY POST in Abraka, the victim, a final year student of Geology department, said “I was on my way from Site Three of the university and was going home around Bembo Area, Abraka, when the officers, numbering three stopped me and requested for my identity card.

“I showed them my DELSU Identity Card and they identified themselves as well; one of them goes by the name Hassan but I can’t remember the other name.

“Afterwards, they requested for my mobile phone, which I gave to them. One of them started scrolling and saw a white lady in my phone before concluding that I am a “Yahoo Boy”.

“Before I could explain myself, he seized me by the trouser and dragged me into their red vehicle parked close by. They said that they were taking me to Asaba, that I should call my master, the person teaching me the Yahoo job but I told them that I am not a “Yahoo Boy.

“After I declined being an Internet Fraudster (Yahoo Boy), they said they were taking me to Abraka Police Division since I was proving stubborn and that after they are through with catching other “Yahoo Boys”, they would take us to station.

“While on motion, they sighted another person buying Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) at Fejikev Filling Station close to the police station and was operating his mobile phone, before diverting into the station. One of them went to quiz the person, while the other two started negotiating prize with me to secure my release.

“Initially, they requested for N100, 000 but I lamented that I don’t have such money and instantly, the one in possession of my phone searched further and found my United Bank for Africa (UBA) bank application and requested that I provide my secret pin to the application but I declined, telling them that I was innocent, but the other pointed a gun at my head with strict warning that if I failed to cooperate with them, they will kill me and say I was an armed robber; fear gripped me because this is the first time a gun would be pointed at me since I was born.

“I gave them my secret pin, they checked my account balance and withdrew N20, 000 out of N21, 000 in it. They actually transferred the money to another account. They were not satisfied yet; so, as I was about to leave as they have released me, they searched me further and saw a Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB) Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card and requested I provide the password but I refused.”

In a swift reaction, the police spokesman in the state, DSP Andrew Aniamaka said: “the reports we have is that the student is involved in Yahoo business, we are investigating the matter”. - Daily Post

Jungle : Nigeria may not have stable power in next 5 years – Electricity distributors

Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors, ANED, has said that Nigeria may not have stable power supply in the next five years except the challenges confronting the sector were addressed.

Mr Sunday Oduntan, the Executive Director, Research and Advocacy of ANED disclosed this at a news conference in Lagos on Tuesday.

According to Oduntan, there are challenges inhibiting power sector efficiency and they include liquidity gap of N1.3 trillion, lack of improved generation due to mismatched electricity pricing, lack of much needed investment in transmission and distribution network and rising energy theft among others.

“Except these challenges are addressed, we may not have stable power supply in the next five years,’’ he said.

Oduntan said that the illiquidity in the sector must be prioritised because the sector could not afford to collapse.

“If the power sector collapses, many banks will collapse because in 2013 during privatisation, only one Distribution Company obtained foreign loan, others took loans from local banks in dollars.

“Privatisation was based on 30 per cent equity and 70 percent loan.

“The model was borrowed from New Delhi, India and it is working as we speak. If it is successful in India, why is it not working in Nigeria,’’ he added.

Oduntan decried the prevalent non-reflective tariff and called on the government to prevail on the military, Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) to pay for energy consumed. - Daily Post

NSE proffers solution to Fulani herdsmen killings

The Nigerian Society of Engineers ( NSE) has called on governments at all levels to invest in the building of relevant multipurpose water infrastructures to check and prevent herdsmen forceful migration to areas of more favorable climate and explorable arable land.

The body explained that this is the major part of the solution to herdsmen killings in some parts of the country.

Rather than acquiring lands and spending billions of naira building ranches, the NSE said it is imperative for the federal government to recognize the fact that lack of access to water is the primary driver of migration in Nigeria.

Delivering the 2018 Ife Akintunde Annual Engineering Lecture at the Jogor Event Centre, Ibadan on Tuesday, the President, Nigeria Committee on Large Dams, Engr. Dr. Johnson Adewumi said rural urban drift can be curtailed through implementation of multipurpose water infrastructures in the country to check conflicts and bloodshed  in the land .

With massive investment in manpower and building of multipurpose water infrastructure from small, medium and large dams across the country, the engineers promised that the problem of electricity in Nigeria will be a thing of the past.

According to the lecturer, Nigeria has abundant potentials to become the power house of the African continent ” but we must get our priorities right “.

The maiden annual lecture was organised by Oluyole branch of the Nigeria Society of Engineers in honour of the the former Vice President, World Federation of Engineers, and former National President (NSE),  Engr. Ifedayo Akintunde.

The topic of the lecture is Building Multipurpose Water Infrastructure from Small, Medium and Large Dams in Oyo state:  Roles of Academics, Industrialists, and the Government”

Adewumi , while lamenting  the failure of the government t to fully utilize the abundant water resources in the country, noted that Nigeria benefits more than its neighbors from water resources of River Niger and Benue , and charged the  government to begin to look inward to addressing the infrastructure needs of the country.

For instance, he said South West region has good potential of surface water rate, but water use rate is lower when compared with the North.

He added that South West is deficient in water infrastructures to meet social, agricultural and industrial needs.

“Asejire which was built in 1972 with the capacity of 32.9m3 can generate about 5.8million KWHR per year. This is sufficient to run the water dam treatment works and generate income for Oyo state government. As it is today Asejire has no record of effective multipurpose use,” he stated.

Engr. Adewumi therefore called on the Oyo state government to upgrade Asejire Dam to serve multipurpose uses such as hydro power and irrigation, adding that the dam is currently under-utilized.

Earlier , the Chairman, NSE , Oluyole branch , Engr. Ademola Agoro explained that the maiden annual was intended to chart a road map to addressing water problems and unlocking  the potentials of building multipurpose water infrastructure in the state, and Nigerian . - The Nation