RUNWAY REPAIRS: FAAN ORDERS PARTIAL CLOSURE OF ENUGU AIRPORT
source: http://www.eyesoflagos.com/2017/12/runway-repairs-faan-orders-partial.html


To enable repair works on the runway of Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has announced that there will be skeletal operations at the airport while the work is on-going.
In a statement issued yesterday, signed by the General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Mrs Yakubu Henrietta, the agency stated that, with effect from 14th December, 2017, the Authority will embark on a palliative repair work on the Runway of Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu.
Eyes Of Lagos gathered that, According to FAAN, the first phase of the repair work commenced on the 14th to 21st December 2017, while the second phase will be from the 27th December 2017, to 4th January, 2018.
FAAN further directed that, consequently, the runway will open for operations from 0700 hours local time till 1500 hours local time on the proposed dates.
“This is to enable the contractor have ample day-light working hours in order to obtain stable and even Runway surface, while also completing the work within the stipulated timeframe. In line with Standards And Recommended Practices, the Authority has requested the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) to issue a Notice To Air Men (NOTAM) in this regard”, the agency stated.
The agency equally apologized for any inconvenience this action might cause all their customers.

NIGERIA TO SAVE N127BN IN FOREX WITH CASSAVA BREAD
source : http://www.eyesoflagos.com/2017/12/nigeria-to-save-n127bn-in-forex-with.html

With over $6 billion spent annually on the importation of wheat, the director general of Federal Institute of Industrial Research (FIIRO), Prof. Gloria Elemo, has said Nigeria can save up to N127 billion in foreign exchange through the adoption of cassava bread.
According to reports gathered by Eyes Of Lagos, she said much more foreign exchange can be saved with full substitution of wheat flour for bread with cassava flour as the N127 billon will be saved with only 20 per cent substitution.
Elemo noted that this figure will, however, be N63.5 billion at 10 per cent substitution. “Again, no matter how you look at it, whether in the short term or in the long term, bread is going to be cheaper and affordable through inclusion of cassava flour. Prices of bread could be reduced by 20-45 percent at 20 per cent inclusion in the long term, if policy adopted.
She went on: “We have carried out consumers’ acceptability studies on cassava bread produced at various levels of inclusion of high quality cassava flour and the response is very encouraging. But also, one may not rule out some resistance from some quarters due to reluctance to change but change is one thing that is inevitable”.
Dr. Elemo stressed that some have actually said that cassava bread would cause diabetes or aggravate diabetic condition but as scientists, “we have been able to debunk this through Glycemic Index (GI) studies using human samples.
“The subjects consumed the cassava bread and we monitored the effect on the blood glucose. Interestingly, at 20 per cent inclusion, even at 10 per cent inclusion, there has been a slight drop in the GI for both bread than it is with bread baked with 100 per cent wheat flour. So there is no threat and it is not the cause of diabetes. Rather, I will even say it is better to use it for management of diabetes. Cassava bread is safe just like wheat bread for human consumption”, she added.
She maintained that it would get to a time when the nation would have more than enough cassava to export. “Presently, there are demands in the export market for cassava but because it is out food security crop we are using it extensively for foods like garri, fufu, so it is not easy to meet export demand. But by the time the value chain is pulled, there will be need for us to increase production. A country like China is in high demand for our cassava”, she added.
The institute therefore promised to train more entrepreneurs on its research and development, saying this would in a way reduce the importation of items that can be produced here.

JONATHAN WASN’T PREPARED FOR LEADERSHIP – SARAKI
source: http://www.eyesoflagos.com/2017/12/jonathan-wasnt-prepared-for-leadership.html

Senate President Bukola Saraki has said that the greatest factor in former President Goodluck Jonathan’s fall from power was that he was not prepared for the position he occupied.
He also noted that President Jonathan was not desperate for power.
However, Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima, attributed the fall of Jonathan’s government to his display of bad judgement on teething national issues.
Governor Shettima also slammed the proponents of restructuring, saying that what the country needs at this time is conscientious leadership on the part of the political class.
According to the reports gathered by Eyes Of Lagos, Both men spoke at the unveiling of the book, On a Platter of Gold – How Jonathan Won and Lost Nigeria, written by ex-minister of youth and sports in the Jonathan administration, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, in Abuja, yesterday.
Senator Saraki said, “No matter what you say about him, I don’t think he was someone who was desperate for power. He was not someone that was prepared for leadership.”
On his part, Shettima said: “I dare to say that sheer display of bad governance, lack of political sagacity and willpower squandered the enormous goodwill he commanded and he subsequently got voted out of the office.
“Within the short time of his ascendency, to paraphrase the author of the book, he went from a man who controlled the populace to the clueless; from the most followed president on Facebook in the world to the most cursed president.
“Dr Jonathan’s political profile rose within a short time and in a spectacular manner, but nosedived by the poor handling of the most important issues affecting Nigeria at the time, such as the fuel subsidy scandal, the Boko Haram insurgency and the general feeling of insecurity particularly with the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls. His handling of the crisis in the then ruling party, the PDP, left much to be desired.”
According to Shettima, the lesson for the political class was that they must at all times place national interest above all other considerations.
‎The Borno State governor further revealed that save for the advice of the then attorney-general, Mohammed Adoke, and the minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki, he was already pencilled down for removal by the former president.
“He sought the opinion of Mohammed Adoke Bello, the then attorney-general. Adoke told him, ‘Mr President, you have no power to remove even an elected councillor’. Then he sought the opinion of other senior advocates of Nigeria (SANs) in his team, like the minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki, and Turaki also told him, ‘Mr President, you have no power to remove a sitting governor’. And that was how the matter died.”
On restructuring, Governor Shettima said what was needed instead was for the nation’s leaders to deliver good governance.
“People are talking about artificial intelligence. Other nations are talking about nano technology or robotics engineering, but unfortunately, the topical issue in Nigeria is restructuring; restructuring my foot!”
“Let us improve on governance; let us work for the people, invest in education, create jobs for our people.”

BANKS’ BORROWING FROM CBN RISES BY 52% IN ONE WEEK
source: http://www.eyesoflagos.com/2017/11/banks-borrowing-from-cbn-rises-by-52-in.html

Borrowing from Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) by Nigerian banks rose by 52 per cent in one week, attributable to liquidity scarcity and banks demand for funds to participate in the special foreign exchange (FX) auctions conducted by the apex banking regulating body.
Commercial banks operating in the country last week, borrowed N870.9 billion from CBN, as against N574 billion in previous week.
Eyes Of Lagos investigations using the Standing Lending Facility (SLF) revealed that commercial Banks in November had borrowed N2.77 trillion with an average amount of N154 billion.
The highest and lowest amount commercial banks have borrowed so far this month was N260 billion and N108 billion respectively.
Banks use the CBN’s SLF to support their liquidity shortfalls and meet trading obligations on short term basis.
Finance experts told Eyes Of Lagos that CBN’s lending to banks has increased of recent on the heels of illiquidity in the economy.
Meanwhile, the Investors & Exporters Foreign Exchange (IEFX) widow recorded total turnover trade of $1.06 billion in one week, between Monday 20 November and Friday 24 November 2017.
The Naira, at the end of Friday sustained the slightly appreciated rates declared on Thursday against the three foreign currencies across the forex markets, as the apex bank continued to bridge the gap between parallel market and official market rates with injections of $287.89 million to meet request for industries, while extending efforts to boost liquidity and alleviate shortages.
The IEFX, at the beginning of the week under review declared total transacted figure of $346.36 million, representing the second highest turnover in the week, and better than $266.41 million sold in the corresponding period last week, but recorded the lowest for the week on Tuesday with $78.48 million traded figure.
At the close of Wednesday trading activities, the mid-week trading closed at a rebounded figure of $234.23 million turnover, compared to $96.43 million stood last Tuesday.
Although, it relapsed the following day to close at $214.84 million, weaker than $359.53 million sold on a week ago and dropped further to close the week at $179.78 million, compared to $346.36 million transacted the previous Friday.
The local currency, Naira, over the weekend stood steadied against the three major foreign currencies at N475 to the Pound the same rate it was exchanged since the mid-week, and N425 to the Euro at the parallel market.
The local currency, also, remained unchanged at N364 per dollar at the unofficial forex, but closed high at the unofficial FX market at N305.85 stronger than N305.90 sold on Thursday.
Speaking to the some selected journalists on the sideline of a workshop organised by the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) for business editors and reporters of the Finance Correspondents Associations of Nigeria (FICAN) in Kano, chairman House Committee on Insurance & Actuarial Matters, Honorable Olufemi Fakeye, said, “As far as I know the Naira is not floating, but still managed. I think they just want to assure that at N360 against the Dollar, for people that are not critical to the economy.
“For instance, I’m important to the economy but not critical because I’m not a manufacturer, whose factory might go down because he couldn’t get raw material.
“So, if they ask me to go and pay N360 to gets a dollar for children studying in abroad, I think that is fair enough but for a manufacturer, if you say to him the same thing, he might let go of all his manufacturing staff, the lower the rate for them, the better for government activities.”

DANGOTE FLOUR RECORDS ROBUST Q3 GROWTH
source : http://www.eyesoflagos.com/2017/11/dangote-flour-records-robust-q3-growth.html

Dangote Flour Mills Plc (DFM) has demonstrated a high level of corporate governance that drives confidence and supports numbers, as contained in its recent financials for the nine-month ended September 30, 2017 released to the investing public. The release was, among other reasons, to allow investors plan their investment and forecast the company’s performance.
Eyes Of Lagos gathered that, The scorecard revealed the company’s commitment, aggressiveness and sustaining profitability that had reflected in its outstanding numbers that continues to support price.
Also, the single-mindedness of the company’s management in creating value for its stakeholders at all levels of operations continues to drive profitability.
From a modest start as a division of Dangote Industries Limited in 1999, DFM was incorporated and commenced operations as a public limited liability company on January 1, 2006. It was listed on the NSE in 2008. It sustained considerable growth and regular dividend payment over the years until 2012 when Dangote Industries Limited (DIL) sold the majority equity stake to Tiger Brands Limited, South Africa’s largest food company.
However, barely two years after the acquisition, Tiger Brands in 2014 wrote off about half of its investment in the former DFM. Tiger Brands impaired DFM’s value by 849 million rand, about $82 million, because of what it described as “underperformance” and “excess milling capacity that continues to increase in the Nigerian flour market.”
After nearly four years of successive losses and impairing of assets and with losses and frustrations building up on all sides, Tiger Brands, which had just then renamed DFM as TBCG, in November 2015 announced that it would no longer extend funding to the struggling Nigerian subsidiary. In December 2015, Dangote Industries Limited repurchased the majority equity stake in its erstwhile subsidiary, Dangote Flour Mills Plc.
Few months after the re-acquisition, Dangote Flour Mills returned to profitability in its half year result of 2016, posting a profit before tax (PBT) of N2.64 billion, compared to a loss of N9.55 billion posted in the corresponding period of 2015.
The company has, since then, continued to grow its profit quarterly. For the third quarter ended September 30, 2017, the board of Dangote Flour Mills Plc, reported a growth of 359.35 per cent in its profit after tax.
According to the result, turnover and profit recorded three-digit growth, despite an equally significant increase in cost of sales and administrative expenses, just as foreign exchange gain was double that of preceding third-quarter.
In a company’s result showed profit after tax increased by 359.35 per cent from N2.84 billion to N13.05 billion, translating to Earnings Per Share of N2.55.
Revenue from sales for the period grew by 101.16 per cent to N100.28 billion from N49.85 billion, cost of sales gulped all of N77.03 billion, a rise from N35.82 billion, leaving gross profit of N23.2 billion, up from N14.03 billion.
Other incomje streams also soared from N68.23 million to N3.05 billion, distribution and administrative expenses stood at N10.97 billion, up from N5.63 billion; operating profit before foreign exchange gain rose from N8.46 billion to N15.32 billion, while gain on sale of assets held for sale, stood at N3.74 billion.
Underlying fundamentals indicated considerable improvements in the intrinsic business strengths of the group. Operating profit increased from N4.71 billion to N19.07 billion while finance costs rose slightly to N2. 56 billion in the third quarter of 2017, as against the previous N2.294 billion. Interest income soared from N228.8 million to N1.50 billion.
The company reported cumulative profit of N307.038 million, a significant improvement from the loss of N20.18 billion in the third quarter of last year.
Dangote Flour recorded gain that rose to 49.37 per cent to close at N9.53 per share to be the best performing stock in the month of October, 2017.
The executive director, Sales and Marketing, Halima Dangote attributed success recorded by Dangote Flour Mills to change in leadership and product innovation.
She highlighted strategic and bold moves by the company to grow its market equity in Africa by re-launching a new and improved pasta product, ‘Ecccellente’ with a great taste and in new pack.
She said, “The new improved and affordable pasta, is expected to reduce the dependency on rice consumption by Nigerians.”
Also, chairman, Dangote Flour Mills, Mr. Asue Ighodalo, said the latest earnings report underscored that DFM is stronger, better sophisticated and more focused.
According to him, since the takeover, the new board and management have taken several steps to reposition the company through expansion to drive growth while continuously focused on increasing shareholders value and offerings to customers.
He reiterated the commitments of the group to further invest in the growth of its businesses within and outside Nigeria noting that the Dangote Group believes in job and wealth creation.
Group chief executive officer, Dangote Flour Mills, Thabo Mabe said the return to profitability was due to several strategies adopted by the company to increase market share and create value for shareholders.
He added that the flour-milling group is driven by the vision to put its products on the table of every Nigerian.

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ONLY 11,220 TEACHERS ARE QUALIFIED IN KADUNA – SUBEB
source : http://www.eyesoflagos.com/2017/11/only-11220-teachers-are-qualified-in.html\

The Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), has released names of about 11, 220 primary school teachers who passed the competency test conducted to equip schools with competent and qualified teachers to provide quality education and learning to pupils.
Eyes Of Lagos gathered that, Addressing news conference in Kaduna, on Sunday, executive chairman of SUBEB, Nasiru Umar, urged any teacher who failed the primary four test to approach the committee set up to look into cases of those who are not satisfied with their results, adding that the committee can remark his or her answer paper again.
Recall that, 33,000 primary school teachers sat for the primary four examination and 21,780 failed the test. However, the Kaduna State Executive Council had approved the outcome of the teachers’ competency test and had directed immediate action which the process of recruiting 25,000 fresh new primary school teachers began.
The notice of new recruitment showed that applicants must have relevant educational certificates including the one from the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria.
SUBEB boss, explained that the exercise has no political undertone, saying that those who failed the test can apply and undergo the recruitment process.
Umar, advised people not to bring politics into the ongoing educational reform adding that government concern is to revive education especially in the rural communities.
According to SUBEB boss, “33,000 primary school teachers sat for the competency tests agreed upon by all stakeholders including Nigerian Union of teachers (NUT). 21,780 scored below 75 percent. We conducted the test because we went round and discovered that the schools were in bad shape. Some teachers cannot even speak English.
“We started training them but we discovered that no amount of training will improve them.
“We release the names of those who scored 75 and above. Three months’ notice will be given to those who failed the competency test for disengagement. All teachers including the ones who failed the test should go back to duty tomorrow Monday and wait further directives.”
Those who are above five years will be retired but those below 5 years will be disengaged. Those who failed can still apply in the ongoing fresh recruitment.”
“We should not bring politics into education. We presented the results to the committee involving the NUT, Teachers Council of Nigeria among others. The NUT wanted the pass mark to be 60. All the stakeholders including NUT, teachers’ council of Nigeria were involved in the competency test.”
He narrated further, “We agreed that only 40 teachers in a class during the exams. After exams we invited those who marked NECO and WAEC to mark the test and it was a conference hall marking. Nobody was allowed to go home with the scripts. After that, we brought in Kaduna State University professionals, we also brought in a foreign organisation and they analysed the tests.
“Those who have complaints, there is a committee I set up to look into complaints. We have all the test scripts and we can go through their scripts again. This has nothing to do with politics and witch hunting. No more sharing of appointments of teachers among the officials. This time around, government is determined to employ competent teachers as part of efforts to revive education in Kaduna State. We have so far received over 13,000 applications at the SUBEB headquarters, some applicants submitted their applications at the local government headquarters for the recruitment of new teachers,” Umar added.

"APC CAN’T SURVIVE TILL 2019"
source : http://www.eyesoflagos.com/2017/11/apc-cant-survive-till-2019.html

A political group in Ondo State under the auspices of the Sunshine Integrity Vanguard has said Nigerians are tired of the All Progressives Congress-led administration.


The group expressed confidence that the Peoples Democratic Party would regain power from the ruling party in 2019.

The coordinator of the group, Mr. Andrew Ogunsakin, in statement in Akure on Thursday said the APC had disappointed the entire people of the country.

According to the statement, since 2015 that the APC took over power at the centre, “things have been getting worse without any solution in sight.”

According to the report gathered by Eyes Of Lagos, He added that if the PDP was able to complete the ongoing reconciliation moves successfully, “there is no way the APC can survive till 2019.”

The statement read: “We have no doubt that the PDP is now getting stronger and the leaders reconciling and preparing to take over power from the … APC. The people are tired of lies and propaganda from the APC.

“We thought the APC would bring real change to the country, but for the past two years, all promises are not being fulfilled and we want the real change, come 2019…

“The anti-corruption fight is nothing to write home about, it is only targeted at some perceived political enemies and you are not a thief if you are a member of the APC.

“From what the people are saying on the streets, PDP is the party to beat come 2019.”

POLICE ARREST, RELEASE JONATHAN’S NEPHEW OVER BAYELSA SHOOTING
source : http://www.eyesoflagos.com/2017/10/police-arrest-release-jonathans-nephew.html

Authorities of the Bayelsa State Police Command has confirmed the arrest and release of Mr. Oguanisi Akpusu, the Nephew to Former President Goodluck Jonathan over the alleged shooting of two persons during a Masquerade Festival at Emeyal 1 community of Ogbia Local Government Area of the State.
Eyes Of Lagos gathered that, According to the Police Commissioner, Mr. Asuquo Amba, who confirmed the incident Tuesday in Yenagoa during the parade of suspects and briefing of news men in the state, said though investigations showed that the shooting was “accidental”, the victims of the accidents sustained gun shots to their legs and thigh.
According to Police Commissioner Amba, Jonathan’s Nephew, who was part of the ongoing Masquerade Festival in Ogbia kingdom shot an Hausa and Igbo indigenes at Omeyal 1 and arrested by Policemen attached to the Kolo Divisional Police and case moved to the serious crime unit of the State Police Command in Yenagoa.
Amba said ” Preliminary Investigations‎ showed that it is a case of accidental discharge at a masquerade ceremony in Otuoke and Emeyal area of Ogbia Local Government. The victims are being taking care of by the culprit and the Ogbia people. It may have been a mistake.”
‎Police Commissioner,Asuquo Amba however expressed concern over rising cases of illegal possession of firearms in some parts of Yenagoa with huge haul of firearms recovered from suspects in violent crimes in some parts of the State.
According to him, a total of four locally made Revolver Pistol and two Pump actions with one 7.62mm live ammunition, twenty 9mm live ammunition and 30 rounds of AAA cartridges were recovered between September and October 2017‎.
“On 28th of 2019, one Yoko Nathan, Male,31 years and others at large came from Azegbene community in Ekeremor Local Government Area to Yenagoa to buy three AK 47 riffles and we’re tracked by detectives. The suspect was arrested at Tombia road while trying to exchange money for guns, while others fled. The suspects confessed that the guns were meant for kidnapping,sea robbery and armed robbery.”
” On 24th of October at about 1am, SARS Patrol team with assistance of the Vigilante group of Otiotio arrested three armed robbers namely Lucky Clement,Male, 25yrs, Samuel Emmanuel, Male,17yrs‎ and Gift Giba, Male,23 yrs,. The suspect attacked and robbed one Henry Etele of Akio Street in Yenizuegene and disposed him of one Nokia Lumia phone.One locally made revolver pistol, two. 9mm Ammunition, One Big cutter, vigilante I’D cards and charms were recovered from the armed robbers.”
Meanwhile, the Bayelsa Police Command has paraded over 96 suspects arrested over alleged involvement in cases of armed robbery, Kidnapping, unlawful possession of firearms, cultism and indecent consumption of dangerous drugs by teenagers in the state.
‎According to the Police Commissioner, “On Sunday at about 2pm, ASP Stephen Omologie and team of SARS in Yenagoa, raided the E Community and arrested 36 males and thirty females under aged persons who are between the ages of 14 and 17 years. Some of the suspects were seen in possession of weeds suspected to be India hemp.”

UNITED NATION DEVELOPS $4BN PARTNERSHIP FRAMEWORK WITH NIGERIA
source : http://www.eyesoflagos.com/2017/10/united-nation-develops-4bn-partnership.html


The United Nations System in Nigeria has commenced the development of a $4billion partnership framework with Nigeria scheduled to begin next year.
The UN Resident/Humanitarian coordinator in Nigeria, Edward Kallon, disclosed this yesterday at the 72nd United Nations Day organised by the office of the special assistance to the president on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Eyes Of Lagos gathered that, Speaking at the event, which took place at the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja, Kallon said, “Since January 1, 2016 when the implementation of the SDGs began, UN country Team in Nigeria, which consists of 20 UN agencies has remained undaunted in its support for Nigeria’s implementation of the SDGs”.
He urged the Nigerian authority to go beyond business as usual and fashion out ways of implementing the spirit and letter of the SDGs.
Kallon said, “Security and Peace are mutually re-enforcing. When peace prevails, hunger recedes. So, the authority must provide the leadership for the implementation of the SDGs”.
Earlier, the special assistant to the president on SDGs, Princes Adejoke Adefulere Orelope, noted that the Nigerian government had interfaced with the UN at every facet of its developmental strides like the SDGs.
“In line with the 2017 UN Day, which is ‘Concrete Action for SDGs’, government is working tirelessly to reduce inequality gap, women and children vulnerability”, she said.
In his goodwill message, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Goeffery Onyeama, said the UN has since its establishment lived up to ‘ expectation, just as he emphasised the need for improvement.
The CEO of Nigeria Economic Summit Group, Mr Laoye Jaiyeola, who delivered the keynote address bemoaned the rise of poverty, succession agitations and terrorists group like Boko Haram.
Jaiyeola said efforts are been redoubled to ensure economic sustainability of the country, adding that this will douse all the agitations and other dissenting voices in the country.

AIDES TO POLICE DSS, AGF DRAGS GOV AYADE
source: http://www.eyesoflagos.com/2017/10/aides-to-police-dss-agf-drags-gov-ayade.html

Many indigenes and residents of Cross River State were on joyous mood
when the news broke that the Attorney General of the Federation and
Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami in response to petitions written
by well- meaning indigenes of the state has ordered investigation into
allegations of threats to bodily harm against the critics of the Cross
River State government.
According to one of the news reports published on Eyes Of Lagos
on October 24, 2017 with the title, “Aides To Police DSS, AGF Drags Gov Ayade”,
the Minister of Justice and the Attorney-General of the
Feder­ation (AGF), Abubakar Malami (SAN), has dragged the Cross River
State governor, Prof. Ben Ayade and some of his principal aides to the
Department of State Services (DSS), and the Force Headquarters over
allegations of threats of bodily harm to and assassination of his
political opponents in the state.
There are also sundry charges of corruption and abuse of office
levelled against the governor in the petitions.
Eyes Of Lagos gathered that, a letter, referenced
HAGF/DSS/2017/Vol.1/15 from the Office of the Attorney-General of the
Federation, dated September 26, 2017 and titled: “Request for
Investigation” was directed to the Director-General of the DSS,
requesting the DSS to investigate petitions which the AGF’s office had
received, alleging that some top government officials, are
strategically planning to harm one Mr. Paul Ifere among other critics
of the state government.
A similar request letter, HAGF/IGP/207?VOL.1/17 was also on the same
date, addressed to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) in his Abuja
office.
Sent along with the Office of the Attorney-General’s petition, which
was signed on behalf of the AGF by Okoi Obon-Obla, the Senior Special
Adviser (SSA) to the President on Prosecution, was a recorded compact
disc, which as the AGF office said, “captures the conversation between
the petitioner and a source within the Government House”, in Calabar,
who, based on the letter from the AGF’s office, “reported the
assassination plan of some indigenes of Cross River State that have
openly opposed the bad government policies in Cross River State.”
In light of these, the AGF requested the DSS and the Nigeria Police to
carry out a thorough investigation in order to ascertain the veracity
or other­wise of the allegations contained in the petitions.
As a concerned indigene of Cross River State we are watching with
trepidation the atmosphere of fear occasioned by political intolerance
in our state under the present leadership.
Due to fear of being killed, unlawfully jailed and injured by the agents of the present
administration, many are afraid of speaking out against the
maladministration and corruption in the PDP government in the state.
Only recently, Mr Paul Ifere was bodily harmed and unlawfully detained
for allegedly criticizing government policies on his Facebook wall.
It was common knowledge in Cross River that the state government
authorities connived with the police to ensure that he was detained
indefinitely.
It would be recalled that recently the Cross River State Commissioner
of Police, CP Hafiz Inuwa dragged Mr Ifere Paul to a Magistrate Court
1for what was allegedly a mere expression of his misgivings about the
spate of political killings, kidnapping, cultism, armed robbery and
other crimes in the state, that was unheard of a few years ago.
Meanwhile legal experts have kicked against taking Ifere Paul to a
Magistrate Court since the offence he allegedly committed cannot be
heard in such a court. They are insisting that it was a tactics by the
state government to detain him indefinitely. This is so sad.
Ifere Paul and several opponents of this government have lost their
businesses and their lives made unbearable for speaking out against
corruption and maladministration that are rampant in the present
administration. Similarly, it was reported that the Calabar City FM,
recently set up by Mr. Jeddi-Agba was shut down for no discernible
reason, while wagging tongues in the state widely claim that the
station was closed on the orders of the state government.
In a similar development, the owner of Hit FM in Calabar, Tony Ugbe,
was reportedly kidnapped a few months ago, raising allegations that he
might have suffered his fate on account of the regular attack of the
policies of the Ayade administration by the vibrant FM station.
Given the aforementioned challenges faced by the APC supporters and
other opponents of the Cross River State government, which has lead to
deaths and injuries, we are most grateful for the intervention of the
AGF on the deteriorating state of security in the state and the
assault on free speech and association.
We are also using this opportunity to call on our amiable President
Muhammadu Buhari to call the government of Cross River State to order.
We also reiterate our unalloyed support to the administration of
President Muhammadu Buhari.

receive sense my sister

CBN RELEASES N501BN FOR COMMERCIAL AGRIC CREDIT SCHEME
source: http://www.eyesoflagos.com/2017/10/cbn-releases-n501bn-for-commercial.html

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has so far released a total sum of N501.697 billion under the commercial agriculture credit scheme (CACS).
Information obtained from the bank by Eyes Of Lagos showed that the fund was deployed to boost 526 agriculture projects across the country.
The document also showed that total repayment under the scheme was N251.156 billion in respect of 526 projects, out of which 281 projects had fully been repaid as at the end of September 2017.
It was gathered that outstanding balance with lending banks was N250.541 billion as at September 30, 2017.
The CACS was established by the federal government and is financed from the proceeds of the N200 billion three-year bonds raised by the Debt Management Office (DMO).
The fund is made available to participating banks to finance commercial agricultural enterprises.
Speaking with our correspondent on the sidelines of a three-day workshop for CACS agriculture desks officers of commercial banks in Lagos organised by the Nigeria Agriculture Insurance Corporation (NAIC), project management officer of the CBN, Mr. Ademuyiwa Adeleke, expressed worry about frequent abuse and negligence of laid down policies and CACS guidelines.
Adeleke disclosed that banks have flouted repatriation of loans and often failed to carry out due diligence of projects before disbursement of loans.
He warned that CBN would not hesitate to apply appropriate sanctions against banks that fail to observe due process.
In her opening remarks, the managing director of NAIC, Folashade Joseph, said the deposit money banks and other financial institutions have been NAIC’s major distribution channel over the years.
Joseph said the deposit money banks serve as credit providers, while NAIC acts as risk management service provider.
According to her, NAIC as a major stakeholder in the Central Bank of Nigeria CACS’ initiative has repositioned itself to improve on its product offerings and services with a vision of “remaining the pioneer and leader in the agro-investment risk management sphere” in Nigeria.
“Risk management remains an integral part of any modern day agricultural financing model, as such the Central Bank of Nigeria has deemed it fit to ensure that any agricultural investor accessing the CACS facility must have the project insured by NAIC as stated in the current lending guidelines for the CACS loan”, she said.
This, Joseph noted, is to protect the project from failing due to unforeseen risks.
She said, “This capacity building program is to enlighten the agricultural desk officers of banks on how to implement the risk management component of the CACS.
“Furthermore, NAIC is committed to forging the appropriate partnerships with deposit money banks in the fulfillment of their mandate by the provision of the appropriate risk management services to the agricultural investors being financed by the banks”.

N40bn: SERAP Seeks Court Order To Stop Collection Of Double Pay
source: http://www.eyesoflagos.com/2017/10/n40bn-serap-seeks-court-order-to-stop.html

For Allegedly failing to stop former governors and now serving senators and ministers from receiving double pay and life pensions, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has dragged the federal government before the Federal High Court in Lagos.
SERAP in the suit, which is yet to be assigned to a judge, is seeking leave to apply for Judicial Relief and to seek an order of Mandamus compelling the FG to urgently institute appropriate legal actions to challenge the legality of states’ laws permitting political office holders to enjoy governors’ emoluments while drawing normal salaries and allowances in their new political offices.
According to reports gathered by Eyes Of Lagos, The civil society organisations also wants an order compelling the government to identify those involved in the practice and seek full recovery of over N40 billion of public funds unduly received by them.
SERAP’s suit followed a request to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN) urging him to use his “position as a defender of public interest to institute legal actions to stop former governors from enjoying emoluments while drawing normal salaries and allowances in their positions as senators and ministers.”
The suit brought pursuant to Order 34, Rules 1 and 3 of the Federal High Court Rules 2009 and the inherent jurisdiction of the court.
The organisation maintained in an affidavit attached to the suit that, “Public function should be exercised in the public interest.
“Double emoluments promote private self-interest or self-dealing. By signing double emoluments laws, which they knew or ought to know that they would be beneficiaries, these former governors have abused their entrusted positions, and thereby obtained an undue advantage, contrary to article 19 of the UN Convention against Corruption to which Nigeria is a state party.”
The organisation is also arguing that “Senators and ministers should not be receiving salaries and pensions running into billions of naira from states that are currently unwilling or unable to pay their workers’ salaries and pensioners’ entitlements.
It further stated that,” national and international laws implicitly forbid public officials entrusted with public resources from granting to themselves emoluments for life while serving in other public offices including as senators and ministers.”

UK, FRANCE DENY IPOB AND BIAFRA
source : http://www.eyesoflagos.com/2017/09/uk-france-deny-ipob-and-biafra.html

Britain and France yesterday denied any link with the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

They were reacting to the Federal Government’
s claim that Biafra Radio was broadcasting from Britain, which rejected requests to stop it.

Minister of Information Lai Mohammed said also that the bulk of the Diaspora money being sent to the group and its leader Nnamdi Kanu was passing through France.

The British High Commission, in a statement by its Press and Public Affairs Officer, Mr. Joe Abuku, said: “The UK is not aware of any representation from the Nigerian government about Radio Biafra.



“Were we to receive any such request, we would of course consider it carefully on the basis of the available evidence, recognising that freedom of speech and expression carries responsibilities.”

A diplomatic source who corroborated the High Commission’s statement said: “There is no way the UK Government will harbour any terrorist organisation. The UK is not immune from terrorism and it is in our interest to join hands with the Nigerian government to fight the scourge.

“We can only crack down on any group if proven intelligence is made available. And even in doing that, we will act only within the ambits of the law and fundamental human rights.

“If you will recall, the British Prime Minister in June called for a global action against the use of internet space by terrorists.

”She demanded international agreements to ‘regulate cyberspace’ against terrorists.”

Eyes Of Lagos source quoted the British Prime Minister as saying: “We need to do everything we can at home to reduce the risks of extremism online. We need to deprive the extremists of safe spaces online.”

The French Embassy said its government was not harbouring IPOB terrorists.

It said the French Government was surprised by the allegation from the Federal Government.

A statement by the Embassy’s Political Counsellor, Claude Abily, said there was no knowledge of IPOB presence in France.

The statement said: “The Embassy of France was surprised by the statement made yesterday by the Minister of Information and Culture indicating that the ‘financial headquarters’ of IPOB were in France.

“We don’t have any knowledge of a particular presence of IPOB in France and the Nigerian authorities never got in touch with the Embassy on this point.

“We stand ready to examine any information which could support this statement.

“Furthermore, we would like to reiterate that France actively cooperates with Nigeria in the field of security and that we strongly support the unity of the country.

FINALLY, DEFECTIVE FADEYI PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE GETS GOVERNMENT ATTENTION; SEE RESTRICTION DETAILS
source : http://www.eyesoflagos.com/2017/09/finally-defective-fadeyi-pedestrian.html

More than few months since Eyes Of Lagos exclusively reported the difficulties faced by Fadeyi residents and other commuters who use the now defective Fadeyi steel pedestrian bridge daily, the situation has finally gotten government attention.
Recall that Eyes Of Lagos reported the appeal of Fadeyi and other Lagos Mainland residents to the Lagos State Government to repair the pedestrian bridge at Fadeyi bus stop. The bridge was blocked by government officials months after the railings supporting the base was damaged.
In a response to the situation, the government today, Thursday, September 21, 2017, announced that replacement of the dilapidated will commence on Saturday, September 23, 2017, just as it announced restriction of movement on Ikorodu Road during the replacement process.
In a statement signed by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Mr. Olujimi Hotonu, the government said that in its “continuous drive to protect the lives of pedestrians on the highway, the disused pedestrian bridge would be pulled down to give way for a new one worthy of the status of the State”.
To effect the removal of the bridge, the State government said the “main carriage lanes of the Ikorodu Road would be closed to traffic for two nights on Saturday, 23rd September, between 11 pm and 6 am, and Sunday 24th between 11 pm and 4 am. During the restriction, the service lanes on Ikorodu road will be open to traffic.”
In addition, the government announced that “all traffic both inward Lagos and outward Ojota will be diverted to the service lanes.”
While soliciting for the cooperation and support of all road users especially motorists plying the corridor to observe all the precaution signs on the road, the State Government said it had put in place effective traffic management strategies to manage the traffic during the period of closure.
The government said the notice of partial restriction of the road became expedient to enlighten motorists and other road users to utilize alternative routes to avoid delay as well as obey traffic officers deployed on the road to ease movement.
While regretting the inconveniences the partial restriction would cause, the government appealed for caution, noting that the ultimate goal of the plan was to safeguard lives and improve traffic along the corridor.

PRIVATE REFINERIES: ONLY 2 LICENSEES MAKING PROGRESS – FG
source : http://www.eyesoflagos.com/2017/08/private-refineries-only-2-licensees.html

The federal government has revealed that only two out of 50 licensees granted authorisation to operate private refineries across the country in recent time are making what it described as meaningful progress.
Minister of petroleum resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, who expressed disappointment at the situation, stated that his ministry in collaboration with the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) consequently invited the licensees for a discussion to ascertain the challenges they were facing but failed to disclose their findings.
Kachickwu revealed this while speaking at this year’s Association of Energy Correspondents of Nigeria (NAEC) in Lagos recently stated that the federal government was exploring every available opportunity to optimise local refining capacity.
According to him, the government in pursuing this goal first initiated steps towards revamping the nation’s refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna. He explained that the government was not considering concessioning of the refineries nor selling them in whole or part, as doing so would not allow for achievement of optimal value because of the current state of the refineries.
On efforts to source for funds to salvage the situation, Kachikwu said, “We sought externally for resources to finance the rehabilitation of the existing refineries, which was a very tall order, telling someone to invest about $1billion in the refineries rehabilitation with no equity, and wait for incremental volumes of refined products to recoup their investment.”
Speaking on the failure of licensees to deliver, the minister said, “The second dimension was to ascertain what holders of existing licenses to establish refineries have done since they were issued their licenses. Of about 40-50 licenses issued by DPR for the establishment of modular refineries, only two (2) have shown substantial progress.”
According to him, the high percentage of non-performance led to engagements with licensees to ascertain the issues with a view to removing all bottlenecks. But he failed to reveal the details of government’s findings.
Meanwhile, a source in DPR told Eyes Of Lagos that the non-performance was due to the high cost of executing the project.
The source who pleaded anonymity disclosed that the said meeting was necessitated by the failure of many licensees to progress to next stage of implementation after the first stage of merely request for approval.
He added that under normal circumstances the validity of the licence to establish a refinery or plant shall be for a period of two years after which it shall elapse.
“I can confirm to you that the DPR in collaboration with the Ministry of Petroleum Resources held series of meeting with the CEO of the companies granted licenses to establish refineries. Our finding showed that the greatest challenge the prospective operators face is access to fund,” the source said.
Our source explained further that since most of the equipment were sold in dollars, the task has become tougher with the current situation in accessing foreign currency (FOREX) in the open market.
According the DPR, there are three levels of approval for setting up private Greenfield (new) or modular refineries in the country. These are Approval to Establish (LTE), Approval to Consult (ATC) and Licence to Operate (LTO).
In what appears as a confirmation of the minister’s statement , a document titled: ‘List of Private Refineries Licence,’ obtained from the DPR website showing the current state of these refineries revealed that only two licencees namely Resources Petroleum & Petrochemicals International Incorporated located at Ibeno, Akwa Ibom State and Dangote Oil Refineries, Lekki Free Trade Zone, Lagos have reached advanced stages.

GERMANY’S ALLIANZ BUYS NIGERIAN INSURER FOR $35M
source : http://www.eyesoflagos.com/2017/08/germanys-allianz-buys-nigerian-insurer.html

Germany’s Allianz plans to pay $35 million for 98 per cent stake in Nigerian insurer, Ensure Insurance, in a push for growth in Africa, where many people are uninsured.
Foreign insurers are banking on growing premiums as the continent develops its infrastructure and a consumer class demands protection from risk.
Eyes Of Lagos report disclosed that Allianz said that it would acquire the stake from UK-based holding company Greenoaks Global Holdings.
Ensure Insurance offers life and non-life cover to businesses and retail clients and generated 11 million euros ($13 million) in gross premiums last year.
The Allianz group has operations in 16 African countries and views the Ensure acquisition as an opportunity to tap into Nigeria’s strong demographics and economy.
“The transaction gives Allianz access to the fifth-largest insurance market in Africa and is in line with our strategy to capture long-term growth opportunities on the continent,” said Allianz Africa spokeswoman Bettina Sattler.
“It is also a market with significant entry barriers, which is another reason why this acquisition is a great opportunity for us. Entering Nigeria with a team that knows the market was essential for us.”
Allianz expects the acquisition to close this year and said it intends to retain Ensure’s management team.
The German insurer plans to focus on property and casualty insurance, particularly underwriting industrial and speciality risk in the energy sector as well a large complex risks such as infrastructure.
“In the past two years, we have been quite visible in Nigeria, sharing our risk-management expertise in power, oil and gas, as well as cyber insurance,” Sattler said.
“Now that we have a company locally … the retail sector is another growth sector for us.”
Allianz follows British insurer Prudential which last month bought a majority stake in Nigeria’s Zenith Life to gain access to the African country’s fast-growing insurance market.

WE HAVE RECOVERED OVER N430.8 BILLION IN EIGHT MONTHS - EFCC
source : http://www.eyesoflagos.com/2017/08/we-have-recovered-over-n4308-billion-in.html

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman Ibrahim Magu yesterday said the commission has recovered over N430, 849,162,174 billion in eight months.

The funds recovered are N409, 270, 706,686.75; $69, 501,156.67; £231,118.69, €610,816.20; Dr. 443,400.00 (Dirham) and SR70, 500.00 (Saudi Riyal).


He also said the EFCC has secured 137 convictions within the same period under review.

The anti-graft chairman, however, said he is not fighting anybody and he has no issues with anyone.

Although he said he meant no harm in pursuing the fight against corruption, he vowed to fight the menace to a standstill.

He urged the media to remain undaunted in supporting the EFCC.

Magu, who spoke at a session with representative of media organisations in Abuja, said the battle against corruption was already half won.

He said: Gentlemen of the press, regardless of the challenges that we have faced and continue to face, I am happy to report that we are making progress.

“Many of you are aware of the achievements that we have recorded in the fight against corruption, especially in the area of assets recovery. Two (three) days ago, we got the court to forfeit to the Nigerian Government a sum of N7.6billion which was hidden in a Nigerian bank by former Petroleum Resources Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke.

“Two weeks earlier, another court issued a temporary forfeiture order to seize properties worth $21,392,224)belonging to the same former minister. Those properties are awaiting final forfeiture.



“Over a month ago, the commission recovered over N329billion from a group of oil marketers for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). These are major recoveries from a sector of the economy. But to give a holistic picture of the aggressive drive to recover stolen wealth, I have the pleasure to report that the commission, between January and August 30, 2017, recorded the following monetary recoveries: N409, 270, 706,686.75; $69, 501,156.67; £231,118.69;

€610,816.20; Dh 443,400.00 (Dirham); and SR70, 500.00( Saudi Riyal).

“In the area of prosecution of cases in court, we are also making progress despite the antics of some persons accused of grand corruption to delay trial.

“Between January and August this year, EFCC recorded 137 convictions. The potentials for improvement are good as more cases are brought to conclusion in the remaining four months of the year,” he added.

Magu also opened up on the purported rift between him and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami.

He said he had no issues with anybody and not after anyone.

Magu said: “Ladies and gentlemen, it would be naïve for anyone to expect the fight against corruption to be smooth; you should expect resistance and opposition which are expressed in various guises.

“From what we read in the papers these days, it is either somebody is fighting Magu or Magu is fighting other people.

“ I know that journalists want to sell their newspapers, but seriously speaking, instead of fighting ourselves, we should be united in fighting the common enemy, which is corruption.

“Personally, I am not after anybody and have no issues with anybody. Those who think they have issues with me will soon discover that I mean no harm. What drives me is the passion to do what is right by ensuring that we fight corruption to a standstill in this country.

“I believe in self-discipline, I respect authority. The AGF is number one minister, there is no reason for conflict.

“This is a fight for all of us, it is not just one person. Nobody can claim ownership, nobody has a monopoly of knowledge in fighting corruption. We need everybody on board now that the fight against corruption is getting tough.

“It has never been this tough. Corruption is fighting back. We are fighting corruption to ensure a better life for Nigerians and so that the next generation can be comfortable. It is not for our selfish interest.

“The way we are going, the corrupt elements have already failed, the battle is already half won but we must sustain the momentum. But the media is vital, the media is very key to the sustenance of the momentum. We must be united in fighting corruption because it is poison.”

On the setting up of a centre by the AGF to assist law enforcement agencies in investigation and prosecution, the Acting EFCC chairman said the agency was “ready to work with the centre.”

“Setting up committees or centres to work with law enforcement agencies has been done severally. It is just to bring in additional prosecutors to add value to what we are doing.

“Already, we have 137 convictions in eight months. Can you find out even if there is any law enforcement agency that recorded 10% of what we secured? We are ready to work with them.”

He debunked the notion that the EFCC has been indulging in media hype.

He said: “With all these media disclosures, we are just trying to be very transparent so that if you are not there, the records will be there.

“If there are things we are doing wrong, tell us. If there are things we are doing right, tell us so that we can improve.

“This meeting is part of my ongoing interface with critical stakeholders. Of course, there is no gainsaying the fact that the media remains the most important ally of the EFCC in the fight against corruption.

“We owe the media a debt of gratitude for whatever success we have recorded in the last two years. More importantly, we are convinced that the media remains strategic for future success of the EFCC and the fight against corruption in our country.

“I have not called you here to lecture you on anti- corruption. I am here to listen to you, to know what we are getting right and areas where we need to improve. I will be taking notes.

“This conviction inspired my decision to meet with you in this informal setting to interact and exchange ideas on the way forward in the fight against corruption in Nigeria.

Remarkable as this feat is, we are not resting on our oars. We believe there is still a lot to be done which is the reason why we are actively seeking the support of all stakeholders, including the media.

“We do not pretend to have a monopoly of knowledge on how to win the war against corruption.

“The anti-corruption campaign requires a concerted effort. I enjoin members of the public, including the media, to be part of this effort by reporting cases of corruption to the EFCC.”

FG TO START SCHOOL FEEDING FOR PRIMARY 1-3 IN NASARAWA
source : http://www.eyesoflagos.com/2017/08/fg-to-start-school-feeding-for-primary.html

In a bid to increase children enrolment in schools, the Federal Government said that it would commence the second phase of the school feeding program for pupils in primary 1-3 pupils next academic year in Nasarawa State.
According to the reports gathered by Eyes Of Lagos, The federal government school feeding program which has since commenced in 14 states, is already feeding about 2.9 million primary school children in the country.
Speaking at a 2-day stakeholders’ implementation workshop on the National Home Grown School Feeding Program, the Operation Manager of the National Social Investment Program (NSIP), a program under the office of the Vice President, Mr. Dotun Adebayo, said the workshop was aimed at building the capacity of the state government and other stakeholders to successfully kick start the program.
Mr. Adebayo posited that Nasarawa state was selected as one of the pilot states to empower women, reduce malnutrition in children and increase enrolment in schools to tackle illiteracy from the basis.
He said, the program was designed in such a way that middlemen would have no access to the funds, as each school child would take a meal of N70 per-day, whereas federal government would deal directly with the cooks (women) as well as producers of farm produce in order to reduce cost.
The NSIP operation manager urged the state government to key into the program, as the benefits accruing are enormous, saying that Nasarawa State was captured in the budgetary provision to feed school children in the state, as federal government has expended over N6 in the said 14 states.
He said, the implementation of the program in the said 14 states has lifted a lot of burden and difficulties on households in the face of recession.
Mr. Amos said, the implementation of the school feeding program would first commence with pupils from primary 1-3, before it would be extended to pupils from primary 4-6.

SALLAH: FG DECLARES FRIDAY, MONDAY AS PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
source : http://www.eyesoflagos.com/2017/08/sallah-fg-declares-friday-monday-as.html

The Federal Government has declared Friday, 1st and Monday 4th September, 2017 as public holidays to mark Eid-el-Kabir celebrations.

This was confirmed by the Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau, who made the declaration on behalf of the FG in a statement on Monday.

He congratulated Muslim faithful and all Nigerians, urging them to use the occasion to pray for peace, unity, prosperity and the stability of Nigeria.

Dambazau also urged citizens to join hands with President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, in its avowed determination to build a peaceful and harmonious country, “where the rights of every citizen are protected and guaranteed, as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

The Minister assured Nigerians of security and safety in all parts of the country, emphasizing that security agencies have been directed to maintain peace and protect lives and property.

He condemned in strong terms the prevalence of hate speeches in the country and warned that the government would henceforth deal with perpetrators according to the law.


The minister stated that the government would continue to foster peaceful coexistence, national cohesion and stability in its march towards actualizing the full potential of Nigeria.

ARSENAL'S ALEX OXLADE-CHAMBERLAIN SET TO JOIN CHELSEA
source: http://www.eyesoflagos.com/2017/08/arsenals-alex-oxlade-chamberlain-set-to.html

Arsenal midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is on the brink of joining Premier League champions Chelsea.



Oxlade-Chamberlain, 24, will be out of contract next summer and has refused to sign a new deal at Emirates Stadium.

The England international has started every game for the Gunners so far this season, including Sunday's 4-0 defeat at Liverpool, when he was substituted.

Chelsea have declined to comment but it is understood they have agreed a transfer fee with their London rivals.

Liverpool have also shown an interest, but the former Southampton player is set to move to Stamford Bridge.

Oxlade-Chamberlain would be Chelsea's fifth major signing of the summer following the arrivals of striker Alvaro Morata, goalkeeper Willy Caballero, defender Antonio Rudiger and midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko.

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte had made it clear he wanted to add further to his squad before the transfer window closes on Thursday.

Oxlade-Chamberlain, who has made 198 appearances for Arsenal since joining them from Southampton in August 2011, would be the first arrival since the Italian said he wanted to sign four more players.

The Blues have allowed a host of players - including defenders John Terry, Nathan Ake and Kurt Zouma, and midfielder Nemanja Matic - to leave this summer, while last season's top scorer Diego Costa has been told he can leave.

They have won two of their opening three Premier League matches.

Arsenal, meanwhile, have lost their past two games, including Sunday's defeat at Anfield.

Like Oxlade-Chamberlain, forward Alexis Sanchez and midfielder Mesut Ozil are also out of contract next summer.

FOUR ARRESTED AS POLICE UNCOVERS FRAUD SYNDICATES IN IKEJA
source : http://www.eyesoflagos.com/2017/08/four-arrested-as-police-uncovers-fraud.html


The operatives of Rapid Response Squad (RRS) attached to the Lagos State Police Command have arrested four members of two fraud syndicates operating in Ikeja, Maryland, Ojodu-Berger, Agege and Oshodi parts of the metropolis.
The members of the syndicates – three male and a female – were arrested in two separate cases of fraud last Thursday and Saturday in Ikeja and Oshodi.
The first group, comprising of Chinasa Sunday and Osadebe Aigbe were arrested in Ikeja after several days of being under the surveillance of RRS Undercover team for defrauding a lady of the sum of N85, 000.
The victim, Grace Enitan, had reported at the RRS Headquarters that a syndicate of four men picked her up in a taxi and duped her of N85,000 while she was heading to Ikeja.
Investigations revealed that Chinasa Sunday and Osadebe Aigbe were involved in the scam while their ring-leader, identified simply as Martin is on the run.
The victim when invited to the RRS headquarters after their arrest identified the two suspects and their respective roles in the scam.
Upon his arrest, Chinasa while pleading for leniency explained that he joined the syndicate after losing his job in February, 2017. He explained that they picked up the suspect in Olowopopo Way, Ikeja, adding that her role was to monitor their victims while the scam lasted.
The second syndicate was arrested Saturday, August 26, 2017, after a failed bid to swindle a food seller of over N120,000 and dispossess her of her jewelry in Oshodi.

According to EYES OF LAGOS source, the suspect, Rukayat Aderinwale was accosted and hypnotized by a syndicate of five members before dispossessing her of a purse containing N120,000 and her mobile phone.
They were leading her away to another location when the lady regained her consciousness and called out to RRS officers stationed nearby.
In a direct response, the RRS team arrested one Sunday Atanda and Fausat Tijani, while three other members of the syndicate escaped.
In his confession to the police, Atanda gave the names of other syndicate members as Kayode, Shina and Lateef. He added that the syndicate only operated on the road.
Confirming the development, Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Olarinde Famous-Cole said that the Command is charged to make Lagos inhabitable for criminals. He added that investigation is on-going to arrest other syndicate members.

EASE OF DOING BUSINESS: CAC’S GIANT STRIDES IN BUSINESS REGISTRATION
source : http://www.eyesoflagos.com/2017/08/ease-of-doing-business-cacs-giant.html


The federal government has demonstrated its determination to improve the way businesses are being done in Nigeria.
Stakeholders have described this step as one in the right direction considering the fact that the country is viewed by many as that with enormous opportunities and business potentials. The sheer size of the country’s population, human and natural resources as well as its diverse culture place the country in a class of potentially great nations. It is therefore a sad narrative when the challenges faced by businesses and entrepreneurs are considered. According to the World Bank Doing Business Report 2017, Nigeria is ranked 169 among 190 economies in the ease of doing business.
However, in the wake of the recession, which the country slipped into in the second quarter of 2016, the federal government has adopted a number of measures to try to curb economic decline and engineer growth. One of the most remarkable is the effort to improve the ease of doing business.
In July 2016, President Muhammadu Buhari established the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) with a mandate to remove bureaucratic and regulatory constraints to doing business in Nigeria and improve its global business rating. The Council is chaired by the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo
A major component of this reform is in business registration. Today, this has witnessed much improvement with the new model adopted by Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) under the leadership of Mahmud Bello.
EYES OF LAGOS learnt that the CAC has been in the forefront of strengthening ease of doing business through its plethora of initiatives including the Company Registration Portal (CRP).
Since the launching of the CRP, company registration activity has witnessed progressive increase. Worthy of note, is the fact that the feedback which the CAC gets from its customers and other stakeholders has over time helped to further enhance the workability of the on-line registration experience and operational needs required for a perfect registration process which the Commission is committed to provide.
EYES OF LAGOS findings have shown that the CRP is not only user-friendly, but also affords customers on-line real-time access to the services of the CAC from the comfort of their offices or homes, using different e-payment platforms such as inter-switch, e-transact, MasterCard, Verve card and Visa card to effect payments for their registration. This has made it possible for potential investors to register companies without necessarily hiring the services of a lawyer or lawyers. The CRP has also been found to have significantly impacted on the time cycle for company registration, thereby leading to the achievement of the Commission’s 24 hours registration target. This is undoubtedly a huge leap for Nigeria in terms of one of the key components of the World Bank’s ease of doing business assessment criteria, ‘Starting a Business’.
Beyond the CRP, however, the CAC’s current dynamic management led by Barr. Bello Mahmud had also envisioned other initiatives which have helped immensely towards ease of doing business in Nigeria. For some time now, the Commission has maintained a desk at the One-Stop Investment Centre (OSIC) being hosted by the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), which is a platform to carter for foreign investors coming to register and do business in Nigeria.
The CAC’s OSIC desk has been empowered to conclude company registration activities within 24 hours. Another laudable initiative by the Commission has been the creation of a public search window which allows members of the public to view all existing and approved names online free of charge before they choose names for reservation. Hitherto, this was only being done physically by lawyers on behalf of potential registrants after payment of a sum as search fees.
Equally invaluable to its clients, the CAC has established a 24/7 Call Centre which is domiciled in its Public Affairs Department, with four dedicated telephone lines and an email account, for the public to make enquiries and complaints resolution.
Also, as part of the federal government’s initiatives to ease doing business, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Okechukwu Enelama recently approved timelines and extended working hours for the Commission. The CAC now closes by 7pm to the public. These, among numerous other initiatives, are sure measures towards not only fast-tracking quick start of business in Nigeria, but also ensuring that the Commission evolves into a world class companies Registry.
EYES OF LAGOS learnt that in the new dispensation, founding a business in Nigeria now simply starts with a person or a group of persons choosing a desired business name and approaching the CAC for its availability on their platform. Approval for reservation of a name shall be completed within 12 hours from inception. If such a name is free for registration, the Commission approves and reserves it for the promoter[s] for a period within which the process of formal registration is expected to have been completed or in some cases, should have been in progress.
The Commission has uploaded the names of all registered Companies, Business Names, Incorporated Trustees and those undergoing registration on its website. The information is updated daily –to enable members of the public to confirm the name, registration number and date of registration for every Company, Business Name and Incorporated Trustees at no cost. The public search window can be accessed directly at .gov.ng or through the Commission’s website cac.gov.ng.
The current guidelines for the process is contained in the Commission’s Companies and Allied Matters Act provisions of 2012, which contains the required forms and documents that the registration seekers must provide, and also the various fees they should pay to the government through the Commission.
Before now, it was compulsory that promoters of a business name engage the services of either a CAC accredited chartered accountant, chartered secretary, or a lawyer to register such a company on their behalf. But in the new order, promoters of business names can are now permitted to register their businesses at the Commission directly by themselves provided they have valid identifications such as the permanent voter’s card, international passport, national ID, or driver’s licence.
This new order ensures that expenses incurred by business registration seekers are reduced. Besides this, almost all the fees charged by the Commission for its services have been reduced by half.
Our correspondents learnt that in order to get the optimal benefits of the Companies Registration Portal and further ease the process of company registration, the Commission has integrated it to the Electronic Stamp Duty Portal of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). It was disclosed that the e-stamping system has cancelled the physical submission of documents to FIRS for assessment and manual stamping at the various Stamp Duty Offices across Nigeria.
The director-general of CAC, Mahmud Bello has said that once the stamp duty is paid through an e-platform, customers fill in the application form and the Memorandum and Article of Association on the CRP.
“They are then required to download and print the certificate of stamp duty as well as the Memorandum and Article of Association together with the application form for submission.
“Upon such execution, the documents are then scanned and uploaded through the document upload interface together with all relevant documents including the means of identification of the individual subscribers/Directors and their proficiency certificate – if required. These scanned documents are then uploaded via a link to the Company Registration Portal that enables customers to upload their registration documents from the comfort of their homes or offices.
“By this new procedure, there is no more need for physical submission of documents by customers for new and post registration filings, as they can easily do so through the interface. To ensure seamless operation of the portal and zero downtime, the Commission has concluded arrangement for external hosting of its main database and operating software. This will ensure availability of the site by customers 24/7 – thus ensuring efficient registration services,” he said.
In furtherance of federal government’s commitment and determination to improve the business environment, also turned the light on the states.
Enelamah disclosed that the 36 states of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory were being assessed on the basis of the ease of doing business in each location for the period 2014 to 2018. This is in preparation for rankings due to be released in the first half of next year.
According to them, the subnational rankings are being undertaken by the World Bank Group, in collaboration with the EBES and the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council (NIPC). The EBES and NIPC would assist state governments in the implementation of their priority reforms.
The states and FCT will be ranked based on 11 indicator areas, which include four World Bank indicators and seven additional areas of interest that are governed or implemented by the state governments. The World Bank indicators are; starting a business, enforcing contract, registering property, and dealing with construction permits.
The seven additional indicator areas comprise: trade/investment and marketing; infrastructure; access to landed property; regulatory environment; institutional support and business resources; transparency and accessibility to information; and security.
While the global World Bank Doing Business Rankings evaluate countries based on the performances of one or two major cities, generally using Lagos and Kano as representative centres for Nigeria, the subnational assessment would rank all the states and the FCT. The government says the aim is to bring out local peculiarities, help states to compete on the basis of their comparative advantage, and highlight good practices and success stories that can be replicated.
Experts hail the looming state-by-state rankings as an exercise that would engender healthy competition among the federating units.
Speaking on this initiative, president of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Dr. Frank Jacobs, “Such an exercise would engender competition among the federating states in terms of who would be the best in the ease of doing business.
“If that happens, it will create a better business environment and it is going to increase the ease of doing business among the states.
That will be to the benefit of the manufacturing sector.”
Jacobs explains, “We believe that it is a step in the right direction. It is something that should be encouraged, in fact, not just in the states alone, but also in the local governments. It will make the business environment attractive and more investment will go into business, thereby creating jobs and wealth for the country. That would improve the economy of the country.”
However, experts noted that there are serious structural issues that need to be addressed before the intentions of the state-by-state ease of doing business rankings can really be realised.
With the retention of Monetary Policy Rate at14 per cent, which has been operational since July last year, alongside all other policy parameters, this position of the monetary committee contradicts that of many experts, who have maintained that lowering the interest rate would reduce the cost of funds and give both government and private investors more access to loans to expand infrastructure and production.
Economist Henry Boyo said, the high cost of funds, double-digit inflation rate, and CBN’s monopoly of the foreign exchange market are problems that must be addressed before Nigeria can truly attract both local and foreign investment.
Many have also said that the pseudo-federal nature of Nigeria, which is anchored on a unitary-style central sharing of revenues, would always neutralise any pressure on the state governments to take concrete steps to encourage ease of doing business within their territories.
They stated that the current momentum of business reforms initiated by the federal government is commendable.
“Further, the step towards enforcing compliance with these reforms through issuance of executive orders is a step in the right direction. Nonetheless, it is instructive to note the attendant challenges in the implementation of the orders,” they said.
They envisaged that with the success recorded so far, Nigeria will move up in the World Banks’ next rankings in the Ease of Doing Business Report.

MAKARFI’S LEADERSHIP FAILS TO RECONCILE KWARA PDP
source : http://www.eyesoflagos.com/2017/08/makarfis-leadership-fails-to-reconcile.html

Moves by the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to reconcile the warring factions of the party in Kwara State failed yesterday.
The failure of the national party to broker peace between the warring camps led by IyiolaOyedepo and Sunday Fagbemi, manifested barely minutes after the stakeholders came out of the peace meeting which held at the party’s national secretary in Abuja.
Eyes Of Lagos gathered that, The Sen. Ahmed Makarfi-led leadership had summoned the party stakeholders from the state to Abuja in a bid to reconcile them. The party had engaged Sen. Solomon Ewuga to serve as mediator between the two warring factions.
But indications that the two-hours meeting ended in an intense deadlock emerged as some of the stakeholders were seen discussing angrily in clusters, while others hurriedly left the party premises.
When approached for comments, former minister of National Planning Prof Suleiman Abubakar refused to speak with newsmen but directed them to a former senator, Suleiman Ajadi, who angrily rebuffed them saying “what journalists, what journalists, can’t you see we are discussing”.
Earlier, SenMakarfi, while speaking during the open session, cautioned the two camps to tow the part of four other states that have resolved to work together, noting that Kwara State was reputed to be very politically mature.

Patoranking Hints He Just Welcomed A Child, Shares Baby Bump Photo With Lady (See Photo)
source : https://makesensemusic.com/patoranking-hints-just-welcomed-child-shares-baby-bump-photo-lady-see-photo/

Nigerian Reggae and dancehall king, Patoranking seems to have welcomed a child.

The singer just shared this baby bump photo with a mystery lady and captioned it;

” Daddy Yo Thank God ”
See below:-

cc : lalasticalala , mynd44

ASUU MAKING UNREALISTIC DEMANDS - EZEKWESILI
source : http://www.eyesoflagos.com/2017/08/ASUU-making-unrealistic-demands.html

A former Minister of Education, Dr Oby Ezekwesili, on Sunday said that the demands by the Academic Staff Union of Universities were unrealistic in light of the current economic situation in Nigeria.


Eyes Of Lagos gathered, Ezekwesili said this while speaking in Ibadan while reacting to the ongoing strike embarked upon by the union.

Strike: We won’t go back to class until govt implements past agreements –ASUU

The former minster said that lasting solution to the crisis bedeviling the education sector could only be found from strong analysis of the issues raised by ASUU and evidenced based policies.

“Money is not limitless and yet everyone must acknowledge that investment in education is crucial and it is key.

“There are, however, some fundamental reforms that the sector needs in order to ensure that it is not about the size of the funding but about the productivity of the funding.

“You cannot simply express a desire, it must be founded on reality and that means you must know what can be achieved within a given period,” she said.

According to her, a structural and policy change which allows public and private investments should be integrated into the university system.

“If you remember, the ASUU negotiation started in 2007 when I was the Minister of Education and we constituted a government negotiation team, led by the late Gamaliel Onosode,

“Even though that period was short, one of the major issues for me was for us to make sure that we were being evidenced based in the way we were solving the problem,

“We considered issues like the existing model in countries similar to us in emerging economies,’’ she said.

The former minister said the team also considered what could be done by the public and private sectors about university funding among others.

“Those are the kinds of evidence that we had and on the basis of which we hinged our negotiation at that time,

“It was a very short period and then we had to leave and the next government that took over had to continue.

“I do not know the basis of the final agreement they reached with ASUU, but if it was not anchored on analytical evidence, I am not surprised that there has been inability to implement it.”

Ezekwesili urged both the Federal Government and ASUU to return to the negotiating table and work on the basis of analysis and evidence to find lasting solution to the dispute.

FAAN BLAMES DELAY IN AIRPORT CERTIFICATION ON PAUCITY OF FUND
source : http://www.eyesoflagos.com/2017/08/faan-blames-delay-in-airport.html


The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has blamed lack of funds for the delay in certification of the nation’s airports.
Managing Director of the authority, Engr. Saleh Dunoma, who disclosed this in an exclusive interview with EYES OF LAGOS noted, however, that with budgetary provision made in this regard, the issue of paucity of funds had been laid to rest.
Dunoma said with multiple assessments done on the nation’s airports by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), Airports Council International (ACI) and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), FAAN now has higher safety standards than what it was before the airport certification process.
He said, “The challenges at the beginning were resources. At the beginning, we thought we might not need many resources, but at the end of the day, after the assessment, we discovered that we have a lot to do.
“The only thing we needed to do was to make provisions in our budget that these are special fund to address the certification. Once we got the assessment and the funds provided, our engineers swung into action. The engineers came with the estimate of how some of the technical issues, some of the documentations and some of the new things we needed to provide to make sure that we close the gaps.
“So, with the provision in our budget, there was no issue again. Budget was provided and everything is going smoothly and that is why we are at this stage”.
Dunoma who added that he was looking at the certification from the level of achievement in terms of safety, pointed out that FAAN has, by way of going through the process of airport certification, achieved a lot of safety standards
Emphasising that certification is all about safety, the FAAN boss said that the Authority had since combined the two assessments done by ICAO, ACI and the one done by NCAA in order to work with the results and forge ahead.
Without the assessments by such reputable organizations, Dunoma said, the authority wouldn’t have known that there are some open items at the airports.
He, however, informed that with certification, everything was looked into, including documentation, communication lines, emergency contact telephone numbers and other necessary facilities and equipment at the airports.
His words: “Under normal circumstances, we would not bother. But with the certification, we must make sure that whoever is there is current. Certification is making sure that everything is current and checked on regular basis. It is not only getting the certificate but sustenance of the certificate is important.
“Yes, we have worked hard that we close the items, but we must sustain it. Also, what is important is the currency in terms of training of personnel. We must make sure that all personnel are properly trained. If you acquire equipment for example, we must make sure that people that will operate the machine are trained on that particular machine”.
On the readiness of airports for certification, Dunoma said as far as FAAN is concerned, the Authority is ready for the process.
He added that although most of the open items have been closed, there is also the need for them to go back to NCAA so that they can come and confirm the closure.
Speaking further on the items that needed to be closed, Dunoma said, “There are so many items. If I remember rightly, there are over 100 items that we need to close. There are some of them that have to do with procedures. Those ones are easy to close. There are some that have to do with documentation”.

"GOD IS WATCHING," BUHARI'S DAUGHTER TELLS THOSE WHO WANT HER FATHER DEAD
source : http://www.eyesoflagos.com/2017/08/god-is-watching-buharis-daughter-tells.html


Eyes Of Lagos gathered, As written on her Instagram page "God is watching,"

The president's daughter Zahra Buhari Indimi, on Saturday told those who want to eliminate her dad, as she welcomes him back to Nigeria

THE VALIDITY OF ELECTRONIC CONTRACTS IN NIGERIA BY IDOWU ODUBANJO
source : http://www.eyesoflagos.com/2017/08/the-validity-of-electronic-contracts-in.html

What is an Electronic Contract?
An electronic contract is piece of information, communications, or correspondences in an electronic document, creating obligations between two or more correspondents that are enforceable or otherwise recognisable at law.

Formation of Electronic Contract.
Traditionally, a contract may be made or entered orally or in writing or implied from the conduct of the parties. The advent of the electronic documents as additional means of entering into a contract other than a paper document, has not change the basic requirements for the formation of a contract of a valid and enforceable contract.

It has however, added to the variant of a written agreement, thereby giving the parties intending to enter into a written agreement or contract the option of having it on the traditional paper document or in a dematerialised format of an electronic document. Whichever means a contract is entered or formed, the law recognises five vital ingredients as the constituent of a valid and enforceable contract.
These are
1. Offer
2. Acceptance
3. Consideration
4. Capacity to contract and
5. Intention to create legal relationship.
See: College of Medicine v. Adegbite (1973) 3 SC. 149; Nimanteks Associates v. Marco Const. Co. Ltd. (1991) 2 NWLR (Pt. 174) 411 at 427, per Tobi JCA (as he then was).

Thus, before there can be said to be the formation of an electronic contract between the correspondents, it must be apparent or implicative that, there was an offer and an acceptance backed by consideration with the intention to create a legal relationship between the correspondents who possessed/possess the capacity to enter into such a contract.

The value of reliability placed on electronic correspondence in Nigeria is very low, as many users of electronic platform including some lawyers are either not aware that, electronic contracts can be implied or made from mere electronic correspondences without signatures or are wary of entering into a contract without a direct face to face communication. The latter may be due to the online fraudulent activities of internet fraudsters known as “yahoo boys” or due to ignorance of the fact that, transacting business on electronic platforms is cost effective and time saving compare to than traditional paper platforms.

The absence of a statutory legal framework on electronic transactions in Nigeria is enough to invoke doubts on the validity of the contract. Fortunately, however, the provisions of the Nigerian recent Evidence Act, 2011 on electronic evidence provides the necessary legal protection for the enforcement of electronic contract in Nigeria. Moreover, it is not the doubting or the believing of the validity of a contract that makes it valid or invalid in law, but the presence of the basic ingredients of a valid contract in the contract in issue, be it a paper or an electronic contract.

Formation of an electronic contract is not rocket science or an esoteric or complex transaction, as some perceive it, it only demand for more legal creativity on the part of the solicitor engaged to see to an enforceable electronic contract.

Our free legal advice to anyone or organisation about to accept an electronic offer or sign a contract-agreement on paper, is to seek for a good Lawyer to review the electronic offer or contract, before electronically accepting the offer or before appending your signature.
You may contact IDOWU ODUBANJO & ASSOCIATES for further illuminations on your paper or electronic contracts.

CONTACT :
IDOWU ODUBANJO & ASSOCIATES.
� 26 Ogunlana Drive,
Surulere, Lagos, Nigeria.
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