Why Nigeria must be restructured – Edwin Clark

Edwin Clark, a former Federal Commissioner of Information, on Wednesday stressed that restructuring remains the solution to Nigeria’s prevailing security challenges.

The elder statesman made this point while faulting the centralised security architecture in the country which he said could not avert, or respond swiftly to security issues in all parts of the country.

Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Clark said Nigeria must restructure to allow for the creation of state police and other grassroots policing options to tame the security issues in the country.

He said, “The security challenges the country is currently facing will be overcome if we adopt restructuring.

“This is because the issue of security is local and we cannot have effective security cover when everything is done from the centre.

“A major ingredient of restructuring is state police and it is when we have this and other community policing options that we can have proper security.”

Clark stressed that restructuring would also promote effective governance and development, if adopted by the country.

“Restructuring will ensure that power devolves from the centre to the other federating units for effective governance.

“Why, for instance, would the Federal Government be involved in things like secondary education, health services, agriculture that are better handled by the states?

“The government at the centre, in an ideal federation, should only control areas like immigration, defence and maybe prison.

“Restructuring will ensure that resources are freed up at the centre for the development of those local things like agriculture, health and secondary education,” he said.- Daily Post

FRSC : 50% of road crashes to drivers’ poor sight

Mr Anthony Oko, the Edo Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps ( FRSC ) says 50 per cent of the road crashes in the country are due to poor sights of drivers.

Oko made the assertion during a sensitization programme and free eye test organised in Benin by the command, in collaboration with the Optometrists Association of Nigeria, Edo chapter.

He said that because of this drivers needed to check their sights regularly, adding “to prevent accidents, we need to do eye tests,” he said.

He said that the essence of the programme was to enhance accurate driving and prevent accidents on the road.

He said road crashes were caused by human, mechanical and weather errors, stressing that the human element usually led to colossal loses.

“Not everybody knows how to drive under the rain,” he added.

In his remarks, Dr Onoriode Ateka, Secretary, Optometric Association of Nigeria, Edo chapter, said it had been observed that most road accidents were as a result of unclear vision of drivers.

Ateka said there was the need to educate drivers on the importance of sight to guarantee safety on the road.

He said that during the exercise, eye glasses would be recommended for those who needed them while those who would need treatment would be advised accordingly.

He therefore advised drivers to endeavour to go for eye checks as least once in a year to update their vision.

Some of the beneficiaries of programme, commended the organisers because it had enabled them to seek solution to their eye problems in order to avoid accidents on the road. 

Power sector ‘lost N324.3bn’ in eight months

New data from the advisory power team in the office of Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has shown that the power sector has lost N324.3bn this year, due to gas constraints and poor distribution network.

According to the latest power generation report, 3,700MW could not be generated on August 20 due to unavailability of gas, poor transmission and distribution network, and high frequency.
As a result, the sector lost N1.786bn same day.
A report by the advisory power team in June showed that the sector lost N201bn revenue in 6 months — from January 1 and June 5.

The data indicated that a total of N201,298,000,000 loss was recorded due to repeated shortfalls in gas supply to power generation companies (GenCos), the inability of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to effectively transport electricity from GenCos and operational limitations of power distribution companies (DisCos).
On Thursday, Joy Ogaji, executive secretary of the Association of Power Generation Companies (APGC), warned of  likely nationwide blackout over the inability of the TCN to transmit available volume of electricity generated into the national grid.

She complained that load shedding and power fluctuations in the country had resulted in low efficiency in the power system, adding that TCN could only transmit an average of 3985.15MW, 53 per cent of the available capacity of 7484.88MW produced daily by the GenCos. - TheCable

Transfer news : Chelsea slap £54million asking price on Alonso

Chelsea have slapped a £54million price tag on Marcos Alonso’s head after reports surfaced linking him with a move to Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, talkSPORT reports.

With the Spanish transfer window now closing until the end of the month, both Madrid sides are continuing to look for options to bolster their squads.
Marcos Alonso is now believed to be a key target for both clubs, but Chelsea will refuse to sell the Spaniard for anything less than £54million according to AS.

The Blues are reluctant to sell the full-back who scored the winning goal in the 3-2 home victory over Arsenal at the weekend, with Alonso firmly being a part of new boss Maurizio Sarri’s plans this season.

Alonso is believed to want to return to Spain at some point in his career, but any deal for for the Spaniard to leave Stamford Bridge this summer would appear highly unlikely. - Read Sport

Transfer news : Real Madrid reject chance to sign Willian

Real Madrid have reportedly turned down the chance to sign Willian from Chelsea this summer.
According to a report from Mundo Deportivo, who cite claims from Onda Cero, the Brazilian has been offered to Real Madrid.

It appeared that speculation about the Brazilian’s future had ended after being linked with Barcelona throughout the transfer window, but that does not seem to be the case.

The La Liga champions chased the player’s signature earlier this summer, but with Chelsea asking for a fee in the region of €80 million, they decided to turn their attention to Malcom.

Despite the Premier League window closing before the start of the new season, Madrid still have over a week to sign and sell players.

They are yet to fully replace Cristiano Ronaldo and could be in the market for attacking reinforcements.

However, with the likes of Gareth Bale, Isco and Marco Asensio tipped to play a key role for Madrid this season, it is unclear where Willian would fit in their side. - Read Sport

Buhari showers encomium on airport guards who returned bag filled with dollars

President Muhammadu Buhari has asked Nigerians to emulate two security men who returned a handbag filled with valuables forgotten at the Murtala Muhammed Airport by an American returnee.

A Lagos-based medical doctor, Banji Oyegbami, had met a family returning from America at the airport on August 18, 2018.

In the process of loading their luggage into the car of their host, the handbag of the returnee’s wife fell, unknown to anyone.

Less than 90 minutes later, an officer of Halogen Securities on duty at the airport, called the couple, to come for the retrieved bag.

When the bag was eventually collected, the contents, including a handsome amount of American dollars, phone, wrist watch, and other valuables were reportedly intact.

The grateful couple offered a generous gift, but Francis Emepueaku and Achi Daniel, the security guards, declined, saying they were merely doing their duties.

In a statement issued by Femi Adesina, presidential spokesman, Buhari said he believes that despite the scoffing of a minority number, Nigeria is resolutely on the road to a new dawn.

“Honesty remains the best policy. We must exhibit such behaviour in whatever position we find ourselves, whether high or low,” he said.

“The security men could have chosen to behave differently, following the self-serving principle of ‘if you can’t beat them, join them.’ But they have chosen to be examples of good, honest Nigerians. I commend their conduct to the rest of the country.”

The president urged Nigerians to bring out the best in themselves at all times, noting that with such minds, they can never be hoodwinked again by those who seek power for selfish and dubious reasons, and return the country to an inglorious past.

“Nigeria will no longer be a byword for corruption and plundering of public resources. That is the path we have chosen to take, and our country will eventually get to a new shore,” Buhari said. - TheCable

Why we focus on common man – Osinbajo

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, has said that the Buhari administration will continue to focus on the common man and taking Nigerians out of poverty through its social investment programmes.

He however called for unity among all Nigerians.

Prof. Osinbajo said this during a townhall meeting on Tuesday in Bariga/Somolu LCDA in Lagos State to felicitate with Lagosians on the Eid-el-Kabir celebrations.

The Vice President, who addressed a gathering comprising APC chieftains in the state, youth groups, state government officials and the LCDA Chairmen of Somolu and Bariga, noted that the administration’s National Social Investment Programmes (N-SIP) were geared towards improving the welfare of ordinary Nigerians.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Laolu Akande, Osinbajo said “The President focus has always been on the common man. So, when we came, we decided on a few things to tackle youth unemployment. First, the N-Power programme to engage as many young people who are graduates as possible.

“We started with 200,000, and just this month, we have employed another 300,000. So, in our N-Power programme, we have 500,000 young graduates who are employed in the programme. Now every local government in Nigeria has N-Power graduate.”

He added that the Buhari administration has been able to embark on the completion of more infrastructure projects and achieve more with less funds because of President’s Buhari’s honesty and the seriousness of the administration to improve the country’s fortunes.

He said, “In the past four years of the previous administration, over US$393 billion was earned in oil proceeds alone. In the past three years, we have earned US$94 billion, look at the difference. And the reasons are very straightforward. The price of oil was about half of what it used to be. But with the same $94 billion, we have been able to do far more.

“When we got into office, 24 states had not paid salaries for over six months and we ensured that these salaries were paid. And President Buhari said then, “Look, I have been a salary earner all my life, I have never done any business; the only thing I ever done is government work, either as a soldier or in government. I cannot imagine how anybody can go to sleep as a governor without paying the salaries of his workers.” So, we made sure that we paid salaries and we have done so many other things.

“In investments, look at the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway; for almost 12 years, with all that money, it was never done. Now we have set about and we are doing it, we will complete it. Also, the Lagos-Kano railway project, so many of us know that we are moving towards Ibadan now. And we are going to complete it.”

The Vice President further said the Buhari administration will continue to support petty traders and small businesses to ensure that more Nigerians are taken out of poverty.

He said, “The other thing we have done is GEEP (Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme), a micro-credit scheme for market women and others. We are doing one now for petty traders that is called TraderMoni. We have done it in Lagos we are going to do at least 100,000 in Lagos and 2 million across the country. The traders here in Bariga must benefit from it. We also have the one for people far bigger than that which is called GEEP.

“I want to emphasize that everything we are doing, our focus, first of all, is to ensure that people are taken out of poverty. Our country is a very big; over 200 million people, many young people coming out everyday. Aside from that, we also want to ensure that anybody who is doing anything at all, who is trading, artisans, mechanics; we are able to support them.

“The reason is that when you look at the way government operates in the past; when you look at the government budget, it focuses on the middle-class, those who have industries and manufacturing plants, and those kinds of people. But the majority are at a very low level, doing little things. Those are the people that we must first of all (focus on), so that the poorest are able to do better. If the poorest do better, it would be better for all of us.” he said. - The Nation

NLC speaks on new minimum wage

Abdullahi Adeka, the Chairman of Nasarawa State Chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has expressed optimism that Governor Umaru Al-Makura would implement the new minimum wage as soon as it is announced.

Adeka expressed his optimism in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Doma, Doma Local Government Area of the State.

According to him, the governor was among the first to implement the current minimum wage of N18,000 due to his labour-friendly disposition.

He called on all Nigerians to use the Sallah period to pray and work towards achieving sustainable peace in the country. - Daily Post

Nigerians eat expired rice meant for animals – FG

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has raised the alarm that expired rice meant for animals is being imported into Nigeria.

The minister disclosed this on Tuesday while speaking with newsmen in Oro, Kwara State.

He noted that most of the rice have been on the shelf for more than six years and had expired.

 Mohammed blamed the development on smuggling, pointing out that if the affected rice had been put under scrutiny they would have failed NAFDAC test.

He, however, vowed that in the next one and half years Nigeria will become self-sufficient in rice production given the commitment of the administration to agriculture.

“The rice being imported now are not fit for consumption in their countries of origin.

“They are also being subsidized and sent here even in credit because those people know that they are unfit for consumption; they are only fit for animals.

“Imported rice are mostly smuggled into the country because they cannot pass NAFDAC test. No Nigerian rice is more than one-year-old but the imported ones have spent even six years in their countries”, he said.

“In the area of agriculture, it has been a huge revolution. Let’s take one of our national staples, such as rice, as an example. When we came in, there were 5 million rice farmers,” he added.

“Today, we have in excess of 11 million rice farmers. Our rice import has been cut by over 80 per cent. These didn’t happen by accident. It was a result of our Anchor Borrowers Programme. There are more millionaire farmers today than at any other time in the history of our nation.”

“Today, Nigeria is close to achieving self-sufficiency in rice than at any other time in the history of our country.” - Daily Post