In a bid to stall the spread of some cases of meningitis witnessed in the past few weeks, Katsina State Government has drawn up strategic plans to serve as road map to drive the vision, the Deputy Governor of the state, Alhaji Mannir Yakubu, has said.

Yakubu, who is also the chairman of the State Taskforce on Immunization and Polio Eradication, revealed this in his remarks during its 41st meeting held in Katsina.

His words: “The government is coordinating with development partners in delivering interventions to the affected communities. These include case management and treatment at health facility levels; two-way referral to secondary health facilities; preposition of antibiotics and medical supplies at focal health facilities in the affected local government areas.”

He added that the government was out to decisively prevent outbreak of meningitis in other areas through “distribution of IEC materials at health facilities; statewide radio alert on CSM outbreak; phone in programmes; community sensitization and case notification using traditional, religious structures, VCM Network and field volunteers in the affected communities.”

The Deputy Governor further explained that plan was underway to secure meningitis vaccines for contact immunization to reduce further spread. On polio eradication, he confirmed that the state had distributed about 2,970,000 doses of oral polio vaccines to the 34 local government areas in Katsina for this weekend round of immunization.

“All necessary steps that will lead to quality round in the Immunization Plus Days (IDPs) are being taken so as to sustain the gains and success so far achieved,” said Yukubu while appreciating the efforts and contributions of members of the committee for the success recorded so far in polio eradication in the state.

To ensure Katsina remains polio free, he said, the government is committed to providing all the necessary support, noting that the intensification of routine immunization would be prioritized, while challenges imitating against successful immunization campaigns would be tackled.

He stated: “We are also trying to revitalize all our Primary Health Centres with required infrastructure, equipment and manpower with a view to making them functional because that is where routine immunization can actually be carried out successfully.”

Tanzania’s President John Magufuli has sacked the country’s information minister, the first cabinet change since taking office in late 2015.

Magufuli, nicknamed “the Bulldozer” for his strict leadership style, launched a reform drive soon after he was elected by dismissing dozens of senior public officials over allegations of corruption and inefficiency.

The president removed Nape Nnauye as the country’s Minister of Information, Culture, Arts and Sports just days after the minister ordered a probe into an alleged raid on a private television station by a senior government official on March 17.

Harrison Mwakyembe was appointed information minister while Palamagamba Kabudi was named justice and constitutional affairs minister, the portfolio previously held by Mwakyembe.

No reason was given for the cabinet changes, but some analysts said there were reports of friction among some government officials over Magufuli’s strict leadership style.

On Thursday, police officers prevented Nnauye from holding a planned press conference at a Dar es Salaam hotel after his sacking.

“I don’t expect to see any major rift that could affect the performance of the government as a result of conflicts between some government officials,” Benson Bans, a Dar es Salaam-based political analyst told Reuters.

“Recent opinion polls give Magufuli an approval rating of over 80 per cent so he is still very popular among Tanzanians and has a mandate to push through his reforms.”

Nigerian author, Chimamanda Adichie has been named amongst the 50 greatest world leaders in the 2017 Fortune magazine ranking.

The ‘Half of a yellow sun’ writer was ranked at number 42 on the list with Chicago Cubs baseball team president Theo Epstein at number one.

http://fortune.com/worlds-greatest-leaders/chimamanda-adichie-42/

Business mogul Jack Ma of AliBaba group of companies appears at number two and Catholic leader Pope Francis is in third place for his social integration projects as a clergy.

Melinda Gates is number four in recognition of the impact of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation which she co-chairs.

The list also features celebrated basketball player, LeBron James at 11, comedienne Samantha Bee at 19.

Colombian music superstar Shakira is at 27 for her philanthropic work through her Pies Descalzos (Barefoot) school foundation.

Just outside of the top five is Ava DuVernay recognized for her directorial work in Academy Award winning film, Selma and her forthcoming Disney adaptation, A Wrinkle in Time.

Chance the Rapper checks in at number 46, the 23-year-old hip-hop star is commended for his willingness to remain an independent artist and release his music for free and his education philanthropy in his Illinois, Chicago hometown.

Adichie’s book ‘Americanah’ recently won the “One Book, One New York” campaign from the New York City Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment in partnership with BuzzFeed.(NAN)

As part of celebrations to mark the 2017 World Water Day which came up on March 22, Nigeria has indicated her preparedness to harness the latent goldmine in waste water for sustainable development. This is in conformity with the theme of this year’s event “Why Wastewater? The intention is to highlight the symbiotic relationship between water and wastewater in the quest for sustainable development.

Hopefully, it will also create opportunity to consolidate and build upon the previous years’ World Water Days’ themes that had focussed on key aspects of water as a resource in the development process.

World Water Day is an annual global event usually, officially celebrated on March 22 every year to create awareness on Water Resources Management. It is an international observance day.  It is meant to inspire people around the world to learn more about water-related issues, tell others about these issues and take action to make a difference, particularly in developing countries. This day was first formally proposed in Agenda 21 of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro. The United Nations (UN) designated 22 March as International World Water Day in 1992 at the same conference. The first International World Water Day, designated by the United Nations, was commemorated in 1993.  Since then, each year has focused on a different issue in the water value chain

The theme is about reducing and reusing wastewater as a valuable resource to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goal Number 6. One aspect of Target 6.3 is to halve the proportion of untreated wastewater and also to increase the recycling and safe reuse of water across the globe. Scientists aver that after appropriate treatment, wastewater can be used for a variety of purposes. They cite industry as an example of where wastewater can be reused as water in cooling towers as well as agriculture where it can be reused as water for irrigation.

World Water Day is supported by stakeholders across the globe. Many organisations promote clean water for people and sustainable aquatic habitats. Events such as theatrical and musical celebrations, educational events, and campaigns to raise money for access to clean and affordable water are held worldwide on or close to 22 March. In Nigeria, it was marked by organised walking.

Global water crisis is one of the issues the Day is made to focus attention on. The global water crisis properly defined include challenges such as water scarcity, water pollution, inadequate water supply and the lack of sanitation for billions of people in developing countries. The day brings to light the inequality of access to WASH, a collective term for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, services and the need to assure the human right to water and sanitation.

To mark the day, the United Nations pointed out that most human activities produce wastewater and over 80 percent of the world’s wastewater is released to the environment without treatment.

In a 2017 United Nations World Water Development report, the world body said that limiting the discharge of untreated wastewater will not only save lives and strengthen healthy ecosystem, but also help sustainable growth. It also stressed the need to shift paradigm of wastewater management from ‘treatment and disposal’ to ‘reduce, reuse, recycle and resource recovery’. The UN insisted that wastewater should no longer be seen as a problem, but as part of the solution to challenges that all are facing. Treated wastewater, it emphasised can be a cost-efficient, sustainable, safe and reliable alternative source of water for various purposes ranging from irrigation and industrial uses to drinking water, particularly under conditions of water scarcity. For this, we need to change mind-sets, to raise awareness and redouble educational efforts to share the benefits of wastewater reuse.

The report stressed the need to see improved wastewater management at the heart of a circular economy, balancing development with the protection and sustainable use of natural resources. At a time when demand is growing and limited resources are increasingly stressed by over-abstraction, pollution and climate change, the world simply must not neglect the opportunities from improved wastewater management.   We cannot afford to waste wastewater.

UN-Water coordinates plans and programmes for the day in consultation with UN member organisations who share interest in that year’s theme. Also, End Water Poverty, a global civil society coalition with 250 partner organisations worldwide, coordinates a calendar of global events to commemorate World Water Day, on the 22nd and during the whole of March.

Creative dysfunction is sometimes an unofficial government tool. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo occasionally set top government officials up against themselves to test their loyalty or ideas.

But there was no doubt who was in charge.

US President, Donald Trump, is reputed to have the worst cabinet in modern US history, comparable in its dysfunctionality only to Richard Nixon’s.

But again, there’s no doubt who is in charge.

In the last two weeks or so, there has been an outbreak of civil war in President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet, creating serious concerns about who is really in charge.

Buhari’s medical leave could not be responsible for it because there was no vacuum during his absence.

It started with the Foreign Affairs Minister Geoffrey Onyeama pouncing on the Senior Special Assistant on Diaspora, Abike Dabiri.

Out of concern for the misery Nigerian travellers were going through at the hands of immigration officials in a number of countries, especially South Africa and the US, Dabiri had advised travellers to restrict themselves only to essential trips.

This was common sense advice, which she was unlikely to make without first discussing it with the Foreign Affairs minister. She had barely said the word when the Foreign Ministry took up arms against her, advising travellers to ignore Dabiri.

Not that Onyeama offered an alternative or provided facts to the contrary. No. Insiders said the Foreign Minister was called aside by other “power centres” and advised to speak up and “put that woman in her place” or risk losing his job.

He threw the dagger without delay and, in a bid to reclaim his mojo, jumped on the next plane to Johannesburg with Minister of the Interior, Abdulraham Dambazzau.

But the visit only produced a brief encounter with former president Thabo Mbeki, whose promise that Nigerians would get an earlier warning signal did not stop three more Nigerians from being killed a few days later.

Has anyone asked Onyeama and Dambazzau why that happened or how many more Nigerians will be killed before the early warning sign begins?

The CAF election was yet another evidence of the serious infighting inside Buhari’s government. The President of the Nigerian Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick, campaigned on getting rid of Issa Hayatou, who became CAF president when Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg was four years old.

Pinnick campaigned openly against Hayatou for months. At the last minute, Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung, who was obviously on a Boy’s Scout parade all the while, called Pinnick and directed him to vote for Hayatou to repay Cameroun for its support to Nigeria in the fight against Boko Haram.

Pinnick ignored the minister, lined up behind Madagascar’s Ahmad Ahmad and the world was invited, yet again, to see a house divided against itself.

Perhaps the most astonishing evidence of a meltdown in Buhari’s cabinet was the report by the Department of State Services, which the Senate used conveniently for a second time to reject the confirmation of Ibrahim Magu as Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

I still cannot understand why the Director of the DSS, who was appointed by the president and who reports to him through the office of the National Security Adviser, will lend the Senate a gun to execute the head of another organ of the executive, not once, but twice.

The first time a committee of the Senate rejected Magu’s nomination, the Senate said the first DSS report showed that he was living beyond his means and may have been compromised by persons he was supposed to be investigating.

Neither the DSS nor the Senate gave Magu chance to defend himself.

The Office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, which later looked into the allegations, cleared Magu of any wrongdoing on the basis of which the Presidency represented him for confirmation.

But the Senate was not – has never – been interested in finding someone who can fight corruption outside its own terms. The same political elite hounded Nuhu Ribadu out of office; they smeared Ibrahim Larmode with allegations of mismanaging N1trillion worth of seized assets and once they got him out of office nothing has been said about the assets again.

They have sunk their teeth into Magu’s flesh and won’t back down under the current leadership.

The only thing worse than the combined treachery of the DSS and the Senate is the silence of the President, one week after he suffered a second humiliation with the rejection of his nominee.

There’s not been a word, no sense of discomfort, no feeling of outrage, nothing.

Those close to the president say that it’s his style not to get involved once he has put people in charge. He lets them do the job as best as they can.

That’s a good thing, but it’s precisely the sort of argument that former President Goodluck Jonathan used to justify his refusal to call to order ministers like Diezani Allison-Madueke and others who eventually ruined his government.

And surely, the President cannot forget that the other side of this two-edged sword dealt a fatal blow to his administration in his first coming.

Anyone who listened to Aisha Buhari and lately read Governor Nasir el-Rufai’s memo, might agree that Buhari’s government is in meltdown mode. It begins with absent-minded delegation. But we’ve passed that stage.

Authority has become very diffuse and the hijackers have become desperate to assert themselves. In the end, the cabinet is coming apart by the seams.

The meltdown is not irreversible but it must start with Buhari showing that he is present, presiding and in charge.

One of the saddest things said by a foreign newspaper during Buhari’s medical leave was that, dead or alive, he no longer makes any difference to the lives of Nigerians.

The best response to that metaphor is performance, not the sort of abdication we have seen in recent times.

Special Present For Odion

I regret that I’m not in Lagos this weekend and can’t get back fast enough because commuting between Lagos and Abuja is now a traveller’s nightmare.

The point of my misery is that I will be missing out on the birthday celebrations of my friend and brother, Louis Odion, who will be 44 tomorrow.

In the babel of weekly punditry, his weekly column maintains a clarity and depth that I find refreshing and inspiring.

The least I can do for him on his next birthday, is to team up with Chief Tony Anenih, one of the most high profile targets of his righteous venom, to give him a special present.

Long may you live, Capacity!

Ishiekwene is the MD/Editor-In-Chief of The Interview magazine and board member of the Paris-based Global Editors Network.

A Lagos-based caterer, Mrs Nike Adegboyega, on Friday pleaded with an Agege Customary Court in Lagos to end her 8-year-old marriage to  her husband.

Adegboyega  made the plea in her testimony to the court  presided  over  by Mr Phillips Williams.

She said that the divorce, if granted, would free her from the husband’s alleged  fetish ways and  his threats to her life.

“My husband constantly beats me and has turned me to a punching bag.

” I have never enjoyed my marriage and have been responsible for the upkeep of the house, still  he does not appreciate all my efforts.

“He is too abusive and often threatened to kill me,” she told the court.

She  also said  that there was no love lost between them again.

Nike described her husband of eight  years as an irresponsible man, who has refused to take proper care of her and the children.

She said she had been solely responsible for the feeding and upkeep of the children since her husband has refused and does not care to know how they are faring.

“My mother kept warning me not to marry my husband , that he doesn’t look responsible but l refused because l was already pregnant before we legalised our marriage

According to the caterer  who works with Isalu Hospital, Ogba, Lagos, her husband is a gold digger with dubious character.

She said  that he once planned to dupe her friend by conspiring with a herbalist to defraud her.

She alleged that her husband is too fetish.

“He keeps all sorts of assorted charms at home and whenever l demand what they are meant for, he tells me they are for protection and progress in business.

“ I became scared for my life and my children when we had a misunderstanding over feeding allowance after l became fed up bearing all the financial burden.

“My husband insulted me and threatened to kill me instead.”

She said that the respondent told her openly in the presence of the children that the money he has is to enjoy himself with his girlfriend.

She claimed that the respondent later confronted her, threatening to charm and make her run mad, that she will not enjoy the fruits of her labour.

“I am fed up with the marriage; there is no love between us again. I can no longer bear the pains and humiliations,” she said.

She, therefore, urged the court to dissolve the marriage and compel the respondent to be responsible for the welfare and education of the children.

The respondent, Moshood Adegboyega, 40, however, denied the allegations and pleaded with the court not to dissolve the marriage.

According to the father of two, there has been frictions between himself and his mother –in- law since he got married to her daughter.

The respondent, who lives at  No. 2, Oremeji St., Ogba, Aguda, Lagos, claimed that the petitioner keeps late nights and  go to parties a lot.

He said that his wife does not give him any regard,  neither does she inform him of her movements.

“Whenever she is wrong, instead of being apologetic, she will be proving stubborn.’’

The respondent , who urged the court not to dissolve the marriage, said he made efforts and begged his wife to return, especially for the sake of the children, but she remained adamant.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the president of the court invited the estranged couple to his chambers for a possible resolution of the crisis.

He adjourned the case to April 25 for further hearing. (NAN)

By Aminu Umar Sheka
In it is efforts to ensure smooth flows of foreign exchange currencies in the country, Government as an engine room for economic growth and development, various institutions must be mobilize in order to stabilize the foreign exchange market in the country. Since the establishment of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigeria’s exchange rate policy has been aimed at preserving the external value of the domestic currency and maintaining a healthy balance of payment position.
Exchange rates policies are different system of managing the exchange rate of a nation’s currency in terms of other currencies.
The exchange rate policies applied in Nigeria have traversed two main mechanisms i.e. the fixed and flexible system. Between 1960 and 1995 different exchange rate policies were implemented by the CBN. The two major exchange rate systems, fixed and floating have been operated in Nigeria at different times since independence.
Fixed Exchange Rate System:
This system operated from 1962 up till 1986 from 1962 to 1973, the Nigerian currency was pegged to the pound sterling on 1:1 ratio before the later was devalued by 10 percent. Thereafter, the currency was allowed to move independently of the sterling. The policy was changed in 1981 to that of gradual depreciation of the Naira against the US dollar or the pound sterling which ever was stronger. However, this policy could not sufficiently reverse the sustained pressure on the external sector.
The Dual Exchange Rate System:
In September 1986 a flexible exchange rate mechanism was adopted with the floating of the Naira in the second –tier foreign exchange market (SFEM). Under this system, the exchange rate was largely determined by the market forces. Although these forces were expected to produce a clearing price as the basis of allocating foreign exchange, the CBN intervened when the need arose.
The Gradual Depreciation of the value of Naira in the foreign exchange market is dated back since independence. The Nigerian’s foreign exchange earnings are more than 90% dependent on crude oil export receipts. The result is that the volatility of the world oil market prices has a direct impact on the supply of foreign exchange. Nigeria has come a long way in evolving an enduring exchange rate management policy and we have no doubt made appreciation progress in this regard.
Indeed, the need to ensure that the realistic exchange rate of the Naira is achieved by mobilizing various institutions through the establishment of (National Commission for the regulations of Foreign Exchange Market and Trade). Nigerian foreign exchange market required additional regulatory bodies that would assist the market immensely with a view to achieve macroeconomic growth in the country. Basically, by involving these institutions like Central Bank of Nigeria, Federal Ministry of Finance, Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, Federal Ministry of Exterior, Debt Management office and others government
agencies as a regulatory bodies, which would assist the commission immensely in revamping the Nigerian economy to a greater high level and attainment of a realistic value for the Naira.

Aminu Umar Sheka wrote in from Kano

A Lagos High Court recently sentenced the killers of Cynthia Osokogu to death by hanging. Cynthia, at the time of her gruesome death, was a postgraduate student of Nasarawa State University and also a fashion shop owner. She was lured by her killers to Lagos, through social media, on the pretext that they were keen on discussing fashion business with her. That was not to be. It is easy and even convenient to blame an enlightened, well-educated lady like Cynthia of falling prey to criminals on the internet so cheaply. Was she greedy and unsuspecting? May be. But for those familiar with the operations of social media networking and the silky approaches of those adept at it, getting hooked is so simple.
Most people who give in to the smooth-talking style of those who have become, literally speaking, professionals in the game of deceit must have listened to a few success stories of their friends and acquaintances who made it through internet connection. The sad side of it is that those so- called successes do not tell the whole story. The reason is not far-fetched: only cowards think of the risk and not the reward. So they do not learn.
We are ready to bet that even with what happened to Cynthia, some ladies and men are not willing to be discouraged from meeting people, as they claim, on the internet. Murder of the type Cynthia suffered maybe few and far between but her case has proved that it can happen.
The more familiar disadvantages of social media include cyberbullying through which threats, intimidation messages and rumours are sent to those who have access to the facility to create discomfort and chaos; hacking used to access the personal data of the victim, invade his or her privacy and share those personal details on the Internet in a manner that can lead to financial losses or, in extreme cases, lead to loss of life; addiction by those who get so very involved extensively and are eventually cut off from the society; the more common of the side effects of social media are fraud and scams where individuals commit fraud through the social media and, of course, security issues.
The other disadvantages are ruining someone’s reputation just by creating a false story and spreading it across the social media; cheating and relationship issues that often end on a sour note; the excess usage of social media can also have a negative impact on the health of the user; social media causes death not just by using it, but by following the stunts and other crazy stuffs that are shared on the internet and finally it is a fact that through the use of social media some have developed the habit of not only glamorising drugs and alcohol but also inspire others to follow the same and get addicted.
Like everything else, there are always two sides to a coin. Social media has its good sides such as connectivity, education, help, through which one can share issues with the community to get help, information and updates, promotion, noble cause, awareness, crime fighting, improvement in business reputation – Just like it can ruin any business reputation. It can also improve business sales and reputation and community building.
But in our opinion, with all its good sides, one mistake like the case of Cynthia can rubbish whatever benefits there are. We will not go to the extent of advising government to stringently regulate the use of the social media or unnecessarily impose blanket sanctions for its perceived wrong usage as is prevalent in some countries. Regulation and sanctions, in our view, are essential to curb criminal intent in the use of social media and this should be on a case by case basis.
However,we argue, in relation to the Cynthia case, that victims of social media abuse are partly to blame for any inconvenience that comes to them. Accepting to enter into any form of dealings with someone you met on Facebook, Instagram, twitter or any other social media platform without due diligence assessment and background check is the height of indiscretion. We know that some may want to say that such processes are likely to dampen the fun it sets out to create. That is possible. Cynthia would have been alive today if she had stopped to cross-check information on her ‘associates’ that turned her killers. Journalism has a dictum: If in doubt check again or else leave out. We suggest that social media aficionados borrow from this and stay safe.

The Institute of Governance and Social Research (IGSR) has organized a one day validation workshop on peace in Jos project for stakeholders from the Six local government council that make up Plateau North senatorial zone in the state.
The stakeholders assemble at Crest hotel venue of the workshop who are critical to achieving peace in any community includes traditional and religious leaders, women and youth group, vigilante  and security agencies to access and review the success recorded so far in the area of peace building and conflict resolution.
Speaking while presenting  an over view of IGSR peace in Jos project phase One activities Celestine Ukatu, operations Manager IGSR said peace in Jos project is a three-year community-based problem-solving, peace-building intervention programme .
According to him, the project is designed to resolve the issues of conflict and to break the cycle of violence and no going area in Jos and its environs.
He pointed out that the project is designed and implemented by the Institute of Governance and Social Research (IGSR), approved by DfID and is supervised by the Nigerian Stability and Reconciliation Programme (NSRP) who serve as fund managers.

Six people lost their lives and 10 others sustained fatal injuries in Jos Plateau State, when a lorry driver lost control and rammed into vehicles and commercial tricycles with passengers on board around Farin Gada roundabout In Jos North Local government.
LEADERSHIP Weekend gathered that the sad incident occurred on Thursday evening when a driver of a MAN DIESEL lorry conveying maize from Saminaka in Kaduna State to Onisha suddenly lost control as a result of brake failure causing confusion and pandemonium in the area.
Eye witness said while the driver was struggling to control the vehicle, it rammed into three tricycles loaded with passengers and three other cars parked along the same road and crushed them adding that six  people died on the spot while ten  others sustained various degree of  injuries.
It took the efforts of the men of the Special Task Force and other good Samaritans who dashed to the scene of the incident to evacuate the bodies of those trapped under the lorry.
It was further gathered that three passengers died in the tricycles while another three also gave up the ghost in a car believe to have been occupied by a driver, his fiancé and one other passenger.
The Police Public Relation Officer, Plateau State Command, DSP M. T.
Tyopev confirmed that three people died in the accident adding that the driver of the lorry, Fatai Onaolapo has been arrested and is presently  helping the police  to unravel the cause of the accident.
According to him, the preliminary investigations carried out revealed
that the driver who was coming from Saminaka in Kaduna State was heading to Onitsha with a lorry load of maize adding that those at the scene attributed the accident to over speeding.
He said those who sustained injuries are presently receiving treatment at Bingham University Teaching Hospital Jos.

A former minister of National Planning in the previous administration, Dr. Shamsudsen Usman yesterday said the quest for economic buoyancy, national growth and sustainable development would remain a mirage so long as there is no strong political and legislative will to support the many laudable policies and initiatives of the present government.
Speaking while delivering a paper titled “Public Private Partnership (PPP) for Economic Growth and Development: The Role of Islamic Finance,” at a public lecture series organized by the International Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance of the Bayero University, Kano, Dr. Usman, lamented that Nigeria is regrettably moving at a wrong direction.
“Clearly, Nigeria has not done well at all. It is punching far below its weight due largely to inadequate support of the highest political level, legal regulatory and operational frameworks and lack of  consistency,” he stated.
Usman who is also a onetime minister of finance, said as a panacea, the country must reinstate and maintain long term plan.
He suggested that Islamic Finance remain very vital and critical in salvaging the country out of the poor infrastructural deficit.
He advised that the National Assembly should hasten the passing of the National planning and project continuity bill adding that while other nations such as India and Malaysia have been religiously been following their national planning doctrine, Nigeria is always conceptualising policies without implementation.

The emir of Kano Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, has said that praise singers are the real enemies of President Muhammadu Buhari and his government.
In a post on his Instagram page yesterday, Sanusi said praise singers could destroy Buhari’s efforts adding that Buhari needs people that will tell him where he is wrong.
“The praise singers around the President Muhammadu Buhari are the real enemies of the government who could destroy his efforts,” the emir said.
He added: “I feel sorry for the people in government because they are surrounded by enemies. The President needed people who will tell him where he goes wrong. I knew power was transient; I spoke the truth during my time at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), no matter the consequences.”
“Some were afraid to speak out against evil because they were afraid of losing their jobs. All the people they were afraid of years ago, where are they today? For those who are still in power, remember that it is transient, If you want to be a true Nigerian, tell the present government where they’re going wrong,” Sanusi said.
The immediate passed Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said further in the post that his suspension in the apex Bank was not a surprised to him adding that he knew it would happen.
“I had been called and asked to resign, and I said ‘no’. I was not going to make it easy for anyone. My answer was simple. You asked me to resign for telling you money has been stolen,” he said.
“Ask the minister to resign first. You forget that the person, either the President or the Governor, is also occupying a transient position.
All the people that people were afraid of two, three years ago, where are they today? Power is transient.
“If you’re a governor or a President or a minister, it does not matter how much you have; you will be remembered for service, not the amount of money you have that you cannot even announce,” Sanusi added.

The chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT), of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Walid Jibrin said Nasarawa north Senatorial District deserves to be given the chance to produce the next governor of the state comes 2019.
Jibrin made this known when he hosted the forum of traditional rulers from Nasarawa north senatorial district in his home town of Marmara in Nasarawa local government area of the state.
According to him, since the western and southern zones have had the opportunity of producing state governors, it is only fair and just that the people of the northern zone be given the chance to produce the state number one citizen comes 2019.
Senator Walid assured that the Peoples Democratic Party will zone its governorship position to the zone come 2019 and cautioned politicians against engaging in politics of religion and ethnicity in carrying out their political activities.
Earlier, the Gom Mama, HRH Alhaji Audu Nuhu, who spoke on behalf of  the traditional rulers, said their visit was to solicit his support in their agitation for the zone to be given the chance to produce the next governor of the state.
The royal father said though they are not politicians but have a role to play in ensuring a serene and fair political atmosphere for politicians in the zone who would want to contest the 2019 governorship election irrespective of political party.
The traditional rulers also paid similar visit on the ambassador designate from Nasarawa state, Alhaji Muhammad Musa Ilu, who assured them of his support

Dr. Olu Atunramu, an alumnus of the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) has emerged the representative of Alumni in the governing council for the next 4 years.
He emerged winner in a keenly contested election that pitted him against the outgoing representative, Prof Jonathan Onyekwelu. Olu  Atunramu polled 209 votes as against Jonathan’s 173.
The election was presided over by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Biyi Daramola and the Registrar Mr. Adeyinka Arifalo.
The Vice Chancellor used the occasion of the 2017 convocation meeting to commend the effort of an old student of the university, Engr. Tunji Light Ariyomo for his contributions and strategic interventions that brought about the approvals for the institution’s medical college.
Daramola also commended the partnership between the institution and the host community and the leadership roles of the Deji of Akure, Oba  Ogunlade Aladelusi Aladetoyinbo and the leader of Afenifere Chief Reuben Fashoranti in resolving issues that stalled the project.
He revealed to the gathering that the Akure community has helped in securing the certificate of occupancy for the permanent site of the medical school and that it was in the best interest of the university to have both the medical school and the teaching hospital together in a single location.
Contributors at the 2017 Convocation Meeting urged Daramola to hasten actions on construction activities at the permanent site contending that the medical school would be his biggest legacy yet as Vice Chancellor.
Under Daramola, FUTA, in fulfilment of the vision of its founding fathers secured the approval of the National Universities Commission (NUC) to establish a School of Health and Health Technology which was in tandem with its original statutes. The university immediately commenced the Departments of Anatomy and Physiology having previously established the Departments of Biochemistry and that of Microbiology. The first set of students will soon be moving to 300 levels while the basic medical sciences are expected to ultimately end up in core medical courses and a teaching hospital with the goal that they would have the imprimatur of excellence embellished with advanced technology which FUTA is known for.
The 2017 Convocation Meeting was held at the sprawling state-of-the-art 3,000 capacity auditorium built and commissioned by Daramola.

The National Hajj Commission has allocated 2,677 hajj seats to Jigawa state for 2017 hajj exercise.
The Executive Secretary of the state pilgrim’s welfare board, Alhaji Sani Ahmad revealed this while briefing newsmen on the level of preparation for the forthcoming hajj exercise.
He noted that the allocation of this year has reflected the increase of almost 20 percents as against some years back.
Ahmad Sani added that the state pilgrim welfare board has been categorized among the first category of state board with high standard arrangement by NAHACO screening committee.
He however revealed that, the board has fixed N1million as deposits to be paid by any qualified intending pilgrim in the state pending to the announcement of this year Hajj fare by NAHACO.
“As I am talking to you now we have commenced selling of the seats to intending pilgrim and over 517 intending pilgrims have deposited their money from across the 27 local government area of the state.
On the accommodation, the executive secretary said they have already secure good accommodation for their pilgrims in Mecca and also received the discount from the landlords against what they paid last year.

The Lagos state Police Command yesterday rescued a woman identified as Taiwo Titilayo Momoh who attempted to jump into the Lagoon from Third Mainland Bridge.
The suicide attempt is coming few days after a medical doctor, Allwell Orji jumped into the Lagoon from Third Mainland Bridge. His remains was retrieved from the water on Wednesday.
Lagos state Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni who disclosed this to journalists at the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), headquarters, Lagos Government Secretariat, Alausa, Lagos on Friday said Momoh was in a taxi heading towards Oworonshoki on Third Mainland Bridge when she told the taxi driver to stop on the bridge.
According to Owoseni, the woman was about to jump into the water when a police patrol team on a routine patrol on the Third Mainland Bridge sighted her and rushed to save her before she jumped into the Lagoon.

As the world marks the World Water Day, Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health (PACFaH) has urged the federal government and relevant stakeholders to help tackle water borne disease.
Speaking on the theme of the conference: “Why Waste Water? Clean Water Prevents Diarrhoea and Saves Lives” the programme director operations, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Pharmacist Ayuba Ibrahim said that he was optimistic that the implementation of the advocacy requests will drastically reduce the unfavourable childhood mortality from water-borne diseases such as diarrhea in the country.
Pharmacist Ibrahim maintained that by mainstreaming diarrhoea in national and state health planning, preventable and treatable child deaths from diarrhoea can be achieved in Nigeria.
The national coordinator, Association for the Advancement of Family Planning (AAFP) Mrs. Chinwe Onumonu stressed the need to increase the uptake of family planning commodities and services.

Governor of Bayelsa State and Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Peace and Reconciliation Committee, Governor Seriake Dickson, yesterday met with one of the founding fathers of the party, Alhaji Adamu Ciroma, as part of efforts to resolve the crisis rocking the party.
Dickson told Alhaji Ciroma (Madaki Fika), that the visit was to intimate him on the efforts of the committee to ensure a peaceful resolution of the ongoing crisis in the party.
While presenting the template prepared by the committee on a peaceful resolution of the crisis, the governor thanked Alhaji Ciroma for finding time to receive the committee.
He added that he and members of his committee valued the fatherly advice and words of wisdom given by the elder statesman on the way forward for the PDP.
The Governor also thanked the politician for his sacrifice and service to the fatherland and to the party all through the years.
He urged Alhaji Ciroma to continue to provide his fatherly advice and counsel on party and national matters especially at this trying time.
“We must say that we value this meeting and indeed your invaluable contributions to the growth and development of the PDP in particular and the nation as a whole”, Dickson said.
The elder statesman and founding father of the party, thanked the governor for the efforts and sacrifices he has made to ensure that peace returns to PDP.
He opined that discord and disagreements are a normal occurrence in political parties worldwide, adding that the resolution of the issues should matter to the party for now.
He advised the governor to continue to handle the important assignment with the goodwill and good intentions he has always displayed and wished him success in that regard

The Academic Staff Union Of Nigerian Universities, ASUU has described the ongoing fractional payment of salaries of its members across nations as disrespectful and disregard to the nation intellectual communities found only in universities.
Speaking at a press conference held at the secretariat of the ASUU, Bayero University Kano, BUK, Mahmoud M. Lawan said it will be against the dream of Nigeria to be a developed nation if tertiary education is neglected.
Mahmoud noted that the federal government has continued to deny staff in universities their salaries adding that the action is utter breach of ASUU and Federal government agreement.
He added that the atmosphere of despair and frustration is now made to shroud citadels of learning adding that a one week strike action of  ASUU on November 16th, 2016 to prevail on government to address all issues in contention as regards the full implementation of 2009 agreement which included shortfall in salaries has not been honoured.
Lawan revealed that the problem has persisted in the universities and is generating palpable tension in the system which could lead to unpalatable consequences if not addressed.
“The moral value and socioeconomic situation of the country can only be referred to as dangerously heightened by the malignant corruption and wholesale adoption of neo liberal economic prescriptions of the International Monetary Fund, IMF and World Bank by the nations ruling class,”Mahmoud said.

Mosto Onuoha,  Professor of Geology, is the current president of the 40-year -old Nigerian Academy of Science – the foremost independent scientific body, dedicated to the development and advancement of science, technology and innovation (STI) in Nigeria. In this interview with CECILIA OGEZI, he speaks of ways Nigeria benefits from the activities of his organisation and how the nation can maximise the benefits of STI for sustainable development.

What are the things the public should know about yourself?
My name is Professor Mosto Onuoha and I am based at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. In fact, I have been there for very many years –for close to 37 years. By God’s grace, I will soon clock 70 years of age, and by the regulations governing the conditions of service in the Nigerian university system, I am now preparing to retire formally from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka(UNN) sometime later this year on my 70th birthday. Already, the University Ceremonials Committee has fixed July 13, 2017, for my Valedictory Lecture.
I am currently the PTDF Professor of Petroleum Geology, i.e. the holder of the chair endowed by the Petroleum Technology Development Fund [PTDF] at the university. Previously (between 2003 and 2012), I was the occupant of the Shell/NNPC Chair of Geology at the UNN. Still talking about Professorial chairs, I was indeed the pioneer holder of one of the earliest professorial chairs endowed in a Nigerian university, the Mobil Producing Nigeria’s Chair of Geology at the University of Calabar. This was some twenty seven years ago.
I have also been involved in university administration for a good number of years. I served as Deputy Vice-Chancellor [Academic] at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka between 2005 and 2009 and though I was on appointment as Adjunct Staff, I also served as Interim Deputy Vice-Chancellor of one the newest universities in Nigeria, the Federal University, Ndufu-Alike Ikwo, [FUNAI] in Ebonyi State between 2012 and 2016. I am member of several professional bodies, local and international, e.g. I am a Fellow of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE), a Fellow of the Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society (NMGS), Member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), etc. Most importantly, in connection with the present interview, I am also a Fellow of the Nigeria Academy of Science and currently the President of this august body. This is the much I can tell you about myself for now.

What was the reason for the formationt of the Nigerian Academy of Science?
To start with, the Nigerian Academy of Science is a body made up of most of Nigeria’s foremost scientists. It is the highest scientific honours society in Nigeria. The members are called Fellows; they are people who have distinguished themselves and are globally acknowledged in their fields of science, engineering and technology. The Academy itself is about 40-years- old – having been formed in 1977. It started when some eminent members of the Science Association of Nigeria, mostly, very well-known professors and researchers who had also become Fellows of the Science Association of Nigeria got together to form an Academy of Science, similar to academies like the Royal Society in the United Kingdom, and other Science Academies in other parts of the world. Today, the Nigerian Academy of Science has relationships with many her academies in Africa, and in the world an  represents the country at the International Council of Scientific Union [ICSU]. One unique thing about academies, whether it is Academy of Science, Academy of Engineering, or Academy of Arts as the case may be, is that you don’t just walk into any of them. There is a rigorous (almost restrictive) system of admission or entrance that ensures that only the very best and most qualified come in.

How does the president of the Nigerian Academy of Science emerge?
I was still a graduate student in 1977 when the Academy was formed and so cannot tell how the pioneer president, the distinguished professor of Animal Science, Prof. V. A. Oyenuga (now late) was selected. However, I suspect that those forty two eminent scientists must have just looked among themselves and selected the person who had the clout and exposure,  disposition, and was willing to run the affairs of the Academy at the time and they chose him as the president. So as time evolved and more Fellows got inducted, the Academy grew from the original 42 to 60, 80 and so on. By the time people like us were inducted in1998, the number of Fellows had serially grown to about 100, although by then a few of them had died. For a while the presidents were chosen by consensus, each President serving a term of two years. The practice for many years was for the past presidents to consult among themselves and by consensus select a presidential candidate to be presented to the body of Fellows during its Annual General Meeting.
The important point to note is that election by popular vote has up till now not been the route for becoming the president of the Nigerian Academy of Science. So over the years, when a new President had to come into office, we simply waited for the past presidents to consult among themselves – a situation  akin to when the Catholic Cardinals go into their conclave and after a while emerge to tell us who the new Pope is.
Following some modifications to our statutes and bye-laws, the choice of a president for the Academy now rests with a Search Committee chaired by a past president. The members of this committee include another past president, the serving president, and representatives of each of the eleven Sectional Committees of the Academy. The selection and presentation of the candidate to the AGM is made one year ahead of time, so the individual so selected, serves as president-elect for a year while the investiture as president then follows one year after when the term of the out-going president ends. The tenure of a president is now four years. I was thus selected and presented by the Search Committee to the AGM of the Academy as president-elect in January 2016 and only took office about two months ago in January 2017.

I believe that every new president comes with his own creative agenda to advance the course of the Academy. What values shall we be looking out for during your presidency?
You know, the main vision of the Nigerian Academy of Science is an improved quality of life for the Nigerian society, through the promotion and application of science and technology. And our main mission is to see how we can strengthen the nation’s ability to deliver the fruits of science and technology to our people. So for me personally, if you look at our country today, the problems facing us are many and my main focus as president is to see that the Academy continues to partner with the various governments (federal, state and local) and the private sector in solving some of these problems through the dissemination of sound scientific knowledge. We will continue with our various advocacy programmes, organising one forum or the other on identified areas of national need and providing evidence-based advice to influence policy formulation to improve the lives of our people.
To underscore what I’m saying, let me provide information on some of the things that the Academy has done in the recent past. Through our forum on evidence-based health policy making, we have provided vital information on reducing maternal and infant mortality in Nigeria. We also organised another forum focusing on the nation’s preparedness to control the rising burden of non-communicable diseases in the country. We recently tackled the issue of how to use agriculture for improved nutrition of women and children in Nigeria. In the days ahead we will turn our attention to other pressing issues, e.g. waste management in our urban areas, water and sanitation in the cities, and other environmental issues, including desertification in the North and deforestation in the South where the woodlands are fast disappearing.
One of the very important things that the Academy is already pursuing under my presidency is to try to obtain a charter from the National Assembly officially recognising the Nigerian Academy of Science as the official organ for the provision of evidence-based advice on science, technology and innovation to government. We hope that the present (i.e. 8th National Assembly) will pass this bill. In almost every country where there is an Academy of Science, there is usually an official bill passed to set it up or recognise it for the work it does to the nation. The National Academy of Germany is the oldest continuously existing Science Academy and it was established on January 1, 1652 and chartered by Emperor Leopold I of Germany in 1667.The Royal Society, in London, was founded on November 28, 1660 and received the Royal Charter on April 23, 1663, with the King of England designated as its founder. The current patron is Her Majesty the Queen. Even the Ghanaian Academy of Arts& Science was chartered through a bill sent to parliament shortly after the country’s independence from Britain by the then President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
When John F. Kennedy was President of the United States of America and all of a sudden it looked like the Soviet Union had overtaken them in the space research race by sending a man (Yuri Gagarin) into orbit round the earth, Kennedy gathered the leading American scientists and demanded they work how America would put men not just into orbit round the earth, but land them on the moon – at any cost! This are the kind of things that nations do. They identify their major problems or issues that are of national importance and task their scientists to produce the solutions.

Why has the Academy not been chartered since 40 years of its existence?
Honestly, I cannot answer why. But you must remember that the military ruled Nigeria for many years during which they simply rolled out decrees since parliament had been sent packing. The Academy came into existence during the military era of government and the military and the academia (where the bulk of the Fellows of the Academy came from) were then not the best of friends. It was only during the return of democratic government under the regime of President Olusegun Obasanjo that the first attempt to get the Academy bill passed started. This first effort came through a bill proposed at the Senate by late Senator Wada from Gombe State. Unfortunately, he died during the life of that Senate and it appears that our bill died with him. A similar bill was also presented to the House of Representatives during the time of Alhaji Tambuwal as Speaker during the life of the last National Assembly. Significant progress was made in getting it passed as it went through second hearing, but the life of that Assembly also ended without the bill being passed. A new effort is now on the way to get this matter settled.

How much of your efforts contribute to public policy?
We have been quite successful in the past and some notable public policies have emanated from our evidence-based advice to government. The Nigerian Academy of Science has since its inception had a history of beneficial interaction with Government. Nigeria’s first National Science and Technology Policy was formulated in1986 in the realization of the fact that overall national development could only be sustained through the effective application of scientific and technological skills for the production of goods and services. The Policy was designed to create harmony in the quest for knowledge about the environment through R & D and the use of that knowledge to ensure a better quality of life for our people. The Academy was actively involved in the formulation of that policy.
The Academy successfully cooperated with the Federal Government in producing a report on Science and Scientific Research Infrastructure submitted to the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) in 1992. That report identified those areas of Science and Technology practice in Nigeria whose immediate reorganization or development would enhance the evolution of industrialization in the country. At the instance of Government, we also made vital contributions in 1997 to the deliberations on the concept of long-term strategic planning (code-named Vision 2010) for achieving national self-reliance, economic strength and political stability.

In the area of public health, there was a time that the National Assembly prohibited  energy drinks from coming into the country; plus outlawing smoking in public places – because they were killing young Nigerians In large numbers. But energy drinks and public smoking are still being done openly. What is your Academy doing about the defiance?
See, the Academy cannot act as the police – especially when laws have been passed on public smoking and scientific evidence provided about the harmful effects of smoking. It is the duty of the Customs to check what goods come into the country and of agencies like NAFDAC to monitor the foods, medicines and drinks that are sold to Nigerians. The Academy cannot do much in these areas.  If something is not going well in our society and we can provide evidence-based advice on how to tackle it, we do so. When new policies or laws are introduced and they are not obeyed, it becomes another Nigerian problem, a situation when laws are not obeyed. If energy drinks are outlawed but are still available in our shops, the Academy cannot be blamed!

The Nigerian Academy of Science belongs in the global science community. How would you rate Nigerian academy in comparison with other academies, particularly in Africa?
I think we have done exceptionally well, taking into consideration the fact that we do not receive direct yearly funding from Government as other Academies do in other lands. Indeed, we are now mentoring some other Academies especially in South-Saharan Africa. The Academy in Ghana is older than ours, but we ran past them many years ago, thanks to our sheer number, creativity and linkage with the US National Science Academies. The Academy in South Africa is also doing well with a robust support from their government. All in all, Academies all over the world operate a fairly uniform mandate. They try to see how science, technology and innovation can deliver a better living standard for their citizenry. For instance, in Nigeria today the discussion or argument on genetically modified organisms (GMO) is ongoing. The Academy has issued an official statement regarding the suitability of GMO-based foods to human health. We are going to say a lot more on this topic soon. The Nigerisn Academy of Science has done very well in my opinion. A lot more could be done if more funding is available for our activities.

As a geologist, and now president, has the academy done anything so far to stem the perennial erosion menace in Southeast Nigeria?
To the best of my knowledge the Academy hasn’t delved into the problem of erosion in Nigeria. However, that does not mean that we cannot go into it – with a view to seeing what needs to be done to check the menace. But even if the Academy were to decide to go into erosion control as a subject, it would again be in the form of providing evidence-based scientific knowledge to help agencies of government to better tackle the problem. Government has been active in checking erosion in different parts of the country, especially in Southern Nigeria and lots of money has been voted by the federal and various state governments for erosion control projects. However, the problem is not abating for many reasons. First of all, there is a lot of pressure on the land due to population explosion and changing weather conditions. Secondly, the soils in the Southeast are very loose and fragile, and easily eroded. Bush burning which is now rampant over the entire area, exposes the soil to erosion. There is also the problem of bad construction works, with road projects that are poorly executed and gutters and drainage channels that are not led to where they should properly discharge water.
I don’t want to name contractors, but a particular popular contractor was notorious for leaving near vertical cuts on road sides in soft soils and introducing serious erosion problems where none existed before they started their road work. It appears to me that though our contractors and those that supervise them as clients possess the right knowledge of what ought to be done, they often still do the wrong things because they are interested in cutting corners.All these aggravate the problem of erosion. Yes, maybe the Academy could organise a forum, bring in experts from the various ministries (Agriculture, Environment, Works & Housing, etc.) together with academics and other researchers to provide evidence-based solutions to the problem. We will do so, if we can get funding for such an exercise.