Uncategorized
Breaking: Obasanjo writes PMB open letter [Full Text]
Dear President and General Buhari,
OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT, GENERAL MUHAMMADU BUHARI
I am constrained to write to you this open letter. I decided to make it an open letter because the issue is very weighty and must be greatly worrisome to all concerned Nigerians and that means all right-thinking Nigerians and those resident in Nigeria.
Since the issue is of momentous concern to all well-meaning and all right-thinking Nigerians, it must be of great concern to you, and collective thinking and dialoguing is the best way of finding an appropriate and adequate solution to the problem. The contents of this letter, therefore, should be available to all those who can help in proffering effective solutions for the problem of insecurity in the land.One of the spinoffs and accelerants is the misinformation and disinformation through the use of fake news. A number of articles, in recent days, have been attributed to me by some people who I believe may be seeking added credence and an attentive audience for their opinions and view-points. As you know very well, I will always boldly own what I say and disown what is put into my mouth. But the issue I am addressing here is very serious; it is the issue of life and death for all of us and for our dear country, Nigeria. This issue can no longer be ignored, treated with nonchalance, swept under the carpet or treated with cuddling glove. The issue is hitting at the foundation of our existence as Nigerians and fast eroding the root of our Nigerian community. I am very much worried and afraid that we are on the precipice and dangerously reaching a tipping point where it may no longer be possible to hold danger at bay. Without being immodest, as a Nigerian who still bears the scar of the Nigerian civil war on my body and with a son who bears the scar of fighting Boko Haram on his body, you can understand, I hope, why I am so concerned. When people are desperate and feel that they cannot have confidence in the ability of government to provide security for their lives and properties, they will take recourse to anything and everything that can guarantee their security individually and collectively.
For over ten years, for four of which you have been the captain of the ship, Boko Haram has menacingly ravaged the land and in spite of government’s claim of victory over Boko Haram, the potency and the activities of Boko Haram, where they are active, remain undiminished, putting lie to government’s claim. The recent explanation of the Chief of Army Staff for non-victory due to lack of commitment and lack of motivation on the part of troops bordering on sabotage speaks for itself. Say what you will, Boko Haram is still a daily issue of insecurity for those who are victimised, killed, maimed, kidnapped, raped, sold into slavery and forced into marriage and for children forcibly recruited into carrying bombs on them to detonate among crowds of people to cause maximum destructions and damage. And Boko Haram will not go away on the basis of sticks alone, carrots must overweigh sticks. How else do you deal with issues such as only about 50% literacy in North-East with over 70% unemployment?
Herdsmen/farmers crises and menace started with government treating the issue with cuddling glove instead of hammer. It has festered and spread. Today, it has developed into banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery and killings all over the country. The unfortunate situation is that the criminality is being perceived as a ‘Fulani’ menace unleashed by Fulani elite in the different parts of the country for a number of reasons but even more unfortunately, many Nigerians and non-Nigerians who are friends of Nigeria attach vicarious responsibility to you as a Fulani elite and the current captain of the Nigeria ship. Perception may be as potent as reality at times. Whatever may be the grievances of Fulanis, if any, they need to be put out in the open and their grievances, if legitimate, be addressed; and if other ethnic groups have grievances, let them also be brought out in the open and addressed through debate and dialogue.
The main issue, if I may dare say, is poor management or mismanagement of diversity which, on the other hand, is one of our greatest and most important assets. As a result, very onerous cloud is gathering. And rain of destruction, violence, disaster and disunity can only be the outcome. Nothing should be taken for granted, the clock is ticking with the cacophony of dissatisfaction and disaffection everywhere in and outside the country. The Presidency and the Congress in the US have signalled to us to put our house in order. The House of Lords in the UK had debated the Nigerian security situation. We must understand and appreciate the significance, implication and likely consequences of such concerns and deliberations.
No one can stop hate speech, violent agitation and smouldering violent agitation if he fans the embers of hatred, disaffection and violence. It will continue to snowball until it is out of control. A stich in time saves nine, goes the old wise saying.
With the death of Funke, Chief Fasoranti’s daughter, some sympathetic Nigerian groups are saying “enough is enough”. Prof. Anya, a distinguished Nigerian merit Laureate, has this to say “We can no longer say with certainty that we have a nation”. Niger-Delta leaders, South-Eastern leaders, Middle-Belt leaders and Northern Elders Forum have not remained quiet. Different ordinary Nigerians at home and abroad are calling for different measures to address or ameliorate the situation. All the calls and cries can only continue to be ignored at the expense of Nigerian unity, if not its continued existence.
To be explicit and without equivocation, Mr. President and General, I am deeply worried about four avoidable calamities:
1. abandoning Nigeria into the hands of criminals who are all being suspected, rightly or wrongly, as Fulanis and terrorists of Boko Haram type;
2. spontaneous or planned reprisal attacks against Fulanis which may inadvertently or advertently mushroom into pogrom or Rwanda-type genocide that we did not believe could happen and yet it happened.
3. similar attacks against any other tribe or ethnic group anywhere in the country initiated by rumours, fears, intimidation and revenge capable of leading to pogrom;
4. violent uprising beginning from one section of the country and spreading quickly to other areas and leading to dismemberment of the country.
It happened to Yugoslavia not too long ago. If we do not act now, one or all of these scenarios may happen. We must pray and take effective actions at the same time. The initiative is in the hands of the President of the nation, but he cannot do it alone. In my part of the world, if you are sharpening your cutlass and a mad man comes from behind to take the cutlass from you, you need other people’s assistance to have your cutlass back without being harmed. The mad men with serious criminal intent and terrorism as core value have taken cutlass of security. The need for assistance to regain control is obviously compelling and must be embraced now.
A couple of weeks ago at a public lecture, I had said, among other things, that:
“In all these issues of mobilisation for national unity, stability, security, cooperation, development, growth and progress, there is no consensus. Like in the issue of security, government should open up discussion, debate and dialogue as part of consultation at different levels and the outcome of such deliberations should be collated to form inputs into a national conference to come up with the solution that will effectively deal with the issues and lead to rapid development, growth and progress which will give us a wholesome society and enhanced living standard and livelihood in an inclusive and shared society. It will be a national programme. We need unity of purpose and nationally accepted strategic roadmap that will not change with whims and caprices of any government. It must be owned by the citizens, people’s policy and strategy implemented by the government no matter its colour and leaning.
Some of the groups that I will suggest to be contacted are: traditional rulers, past heads of service (no matter how competent or incompetent they have been and how much they have contributed to the mess we are in), past heads of para-military organisations, private sector, civil society, community leaders particularly in the most affected areas, present and past governors, present and past local government leaders, religious leaders, past Heads of State, past intelligence chiefs, past Heads of Civil Service and relevant current and retired diplomats, members of opposition and any groups that may be deemed relevant.”
The President must be seen to be addressing this issue with utmost seriousness and with maximum dispatch and getting all hands on deck to help. If there is failure, the principal responsibility will be that of the President and no one else. We need cohesion and concentration of effort and maximum force – political, economic, social, psychological and military – to deal successfully with the menace of criminality and terrorism separately and together. Blame game among own forces must be avoided. It is debilitating and only helpful to our adversary. We cannot dither anymore. It is time to confront this threat headlong and in a manner that is holistic, inclusive and purposeful.
For the sake of Nigeria and Nigerians, I pray that God may grant you, as our President, the wisdom, the understanding, the political will and the courage to do what is right when it is right and without fear or favour. May God save, secure, protect and bless Nigeria. May He open to us a window of opportunity that we can still use to prevent the worst happening. As we say in my village, “May God forbid bad thing”.
OLUSEGUN OBASANJO
July 15, 2019
Released by
Kehinde Akinyemi
Special Assistant Media.
Uncategorized
Fury Fails in Revenge Mission Against Usyk
Tyson Fury’s mission to avenge his only professional defeat ended in crushing disappointment Saturday evening as he lost on a unanimous points decision to unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.Another classic encounter between the well-matched rivals ended in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with Usyk retaining his world championship belts by finishing 116-112 ahead on all three judges’ scorecards.
The Ukrainian thus continues on as holder of the titles belonging to the World Boxing Council (WBC), World Boxing Association (WBA) and World Boxing Organisation (WBO). The result was a fair reflection of the Ukrainian’s control of the rematch given he set the pace for most of the 12 rounds.He was the harder worker, landing more frequently and with greater impact.Fury described his grim-faced demeanour this week as “beast mode” and while his greater focus was evident on a night when there was no showboating.Simply, he was unable to make a dent on the extraordinary Usyk.Usyk’s performance confirmed his status as an all-time great and the 37-year-old will now look to become undisputed champion for the second time.This will be by toppling International Boxing Federation (IBF) champion Daniel Dubois.Fury entered the fight at a fully-clothed 20stones 1lbs, almost four stones heavier than Usyk.Right from the start he took to the centre of the ring, showing more intent to carry the fight to his opponent.Towering over the champion, the Briton spat out his jab but he was also taking shots to the body.By the second round he was being stalked around the ring by Usyk -– a theme of the first fight.The pace was being set by Usyk but both fighters were landing in a lively start to the clash with Fury’s jab causing problems.Usyk connected with two big left hands in a fourth round that ebbed and flowed and as the fight approached the halfway stage it was desperately close.Fury staggered the Ukrainian with a short left uppercut and, having taken a flurry of blows to his body, he hit back with intent.Unlike their first meeting which saw the Briton suffer the first loss of his career, there was no grandstanding from the challenger.The fifth was the Gypsy King’s best round yet as he imposed his size and power, all while working behind his pinpoint jab.But he was caught several times in the sixth.Fury’s output began to drop and he was being driven backwards with Usyk’s left hand giving him plenty of problems.It was relentless pressure from Usyk, who put together a lovely sequence of shots in the eighth and finished the three minutes by backing Fury up against the ropes.The ninth round was the turning point in May when 36-year-old Fury was saved by the bell.While those dramatics were missing this time, Usyk was showing similar purpose as he continued to build momentum.He swarmed over the bigger man in the 10th, but also took shots himself.As the last two rounds arrived, it was Fury who needed to do something special to catch the judges’ eyes.A storming final round saw the rivals exchange blows with each having their moments in a high quality finish full of courage and skill.Once again the judges were called upon to separate the two and there could be no complaints.Usyk emerged a conclusive winner on each card to continue his reign as the division’s dominant force.(dpa/NAN)Uncategorized
PenCom Issues Over 38,000 Pension Clearance Certificates – D-G
The National Pension Commission (PenCom) on Thursday said it had issued over 38,000 Pension Clearance Certificates (PCC) so far to organisations, in 2024.
The Director-General of PenCom, Ms Omolola Oloworaran, said this at a workshop organised by PenCom for journalists covering the pension industry in Lagos.
The theme of the workshop was, “Tech-Driven Transformation: Shaping the Pension Landscape”.
Report says that in 2023, PenCom issued 30,293 PCCs to firms.
PCC is an evidence of compliance with the Pension Act.
it serves as a prerequisite for all suppliers, contractors, or consultants soliciting contract or business from Ministries, Departmentss, and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government.
PenCom commenced the issuance of PCC to organisations in 2012 in line with the Pension Reform Act, (PRA), which mandates all organisations with at least three employees to participate in the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).
However, the certificate is valid up to Dec. 31 of the year it was obtained, irrespective of the date it was issued within the year.
Organisations are, thus, required to apply for new PCC’s each year.
Oloworaran said that the commission also achieved a major milestone with the launch of the e-Application Portal for the PPC in October.
She said that the initiative replaced the previous manual process, enabling companies to seamlessly apply for and receive PCCs online, significantly enhancing ease of doing business and ensuring compliance.
The director-general said that the Pension Industry Shared Service Initiative is in an advanced stage of implementation.
She said that the initiative would digitise pension contributions and remittances, ensuring seamless processing of contributions and resolving discrepancies caused by incomplete remittance details.
“To further enhance contributors’ experiences, we have introduced a revised programme withdrawal template, simplifying access to voluntary contributions and revising the threshold for en-bloc payments in line with the new minimum wage.
“These measures are designed to make retirement processes more efficient and user-centric.
“But beyond policies and systems, what really excites me is the potential to transform lives,”she said.
According to her, technology has become the backbone of transformation across all sectors, and the pension industry is no exception, hence PenCom has embraced the transformation wholeheartedly.
Oloworaran said that there are over 10.5 million contributors, while pension assets are in excess of N21.9 trillion as at October.
She said that this progress demonstrated the strength of the CPS, though not without challenges.
“Inflation, for instance, continues to erode the purchasing power of pensioners, and we are actively seeking innovative solutions to address this issue.
“We also continue to face the persistent issue of delays in the payment of accrued rights.
“Recently, N44 billion was approved under the 2024 budget appropriation to settle accrued pension rights for retirees from March to September 2023.
“Moving forward, we are working with the Federal Government to put in place a sustainable solution that ensures that retirees receive their benefits promptly and without undue stress,” she said.
She said that since assuming office, she and her team had been focused on strengthening compliance, enhancing service delivery, diversifying pension assets to optimising returns.
She said that they had also been improving benefits and expanding coverage to include more Nigerians, especially those in the informal sector.
Oloworaran expressed passion over the micro-pension initiative, in particular, noting that it is the commission’s way of fostering financial inclusion, no matter how small an earning might be.
She said that the commission intended to use technology to scale the micro-pension plan.
“Technology plays a vital role in driving this inclusion from mobile enrollment to real-time account management,” she said.
She said that PenCom planned to rebrand the micro-pension scheme, and also target onboarding not less than 20 million Nigerians in the informal sector.
Oloworaran acknowledged the role of the media as stakeholders in the success of the pension system.
“As we integrate technology across every aspect of the pension industry, we are paving the way for a future where the CPS becomes more accessible, reliable, and sustainable.
“However, this transformation cannot succeed without your unwavering support as media practitioners.
“Your role in amplifying our initiatives and educating stakeholders across Nigeria is essential to achieving this vision,” she said.
She described the ability of the media to inform, educate, and hold institutions accountable as invaluable.
“Together, we can ensure that every Nigerian, including the most vulnerable, has access to a secure and dignified retirement,” she said.(NAN)
Uncategorized
Price of Local Rice Drops in Enugu Markets
The price of de-stoned local rice has dropped marginally by between six and 10 per cent in Enugu markets, causing many residents to shift patronage to the brand.
Report says that dealers in the commodity attributed the positive development to the harvest season for local rice.
A trader at the popular Ogbete Main Market, Mrs Rose Nwakwo, said that a 50-kg bag now goes for N78,000 as against N84,000 in November.
Another dealer at Garki Market, Enugu, Mr Chidi Orji, said that a five liter paint container goes for N6,500 as against N7,500.
Orji urged the residents to buy as much as they could before the price would shoot up again.
Daily Asset also observed that most rice retailers and hawkers, who sell in cups and bushels, are currently stockpiling the commodity.
Mrs Eunice Madu, a grain seller in Mayor Market, said that she was only stocking bags of the brand for the Yuletide.
“I must confess we are selling out almost all our available bags of de-stoned local rice, popularly known as ‘Abakaliki rice’, ahead of the Yuletide.
“Most people are turning to it due to its price drop and improved processing and de-stoning qualities,” she said.
Meanwhile, a buyer, Mr Edwin Okoh, expressed joy over the price drop, saying that his salary could get him more than a 50-kg of the brand for his family.
“It is a thing of joy that the price has gone down to some extent, at least I can get more than a bag for me and my extended family during this Yuletide,” he said. (NAN)
1 Comment