Muiz Banire Hits The Golden 50; Buhari, Others Celebrate Him

President Muhammadu Buhari joins all members and leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in congratulating the Legal Adviser of the party, Dr. Muiz Banire, on his 5oth birthday, October 6, 2016.
According to a statement signed by the President’s spokesman, Femi Adeshina, President Buhari warmly felicitates with family, friends and professional colleagues of the legal luminary and author, who has over the years selflessly inspired younger people in the law profession, and contributed immensely to intellectual and scholarly discussions and journals.
As a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and the National Legal Adviser of the APC, the President commends the loyalty and commitment of the party member in ensuring that the teething challenges faced by the ruling party get the right counseling, proper legal interpretations and directions.
President Buhari believes Banire’s penchant for learning through questioning, commitment to research and development, and willingness to serve the country in various responsibilities is most worthy of emulation.
The President prays that the almighty God will grant the astute leader more years and good health to serve the country.
Dr Banire is a Notary Public and erudite legal scholar with a doctorate degree in Property Law from the University of Lagos. He was a senior lecturer at the Department of Private and Properly Law, University of Lagos and has also been in active legal practice for years.
He is a prolific writer on different areas of law and also has robust public service experience as a Commissioner in Lagos State Government.
It was from his lecturer job that he was appointed a member of the Executive Council of Lagos State under Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 1999.
He served for eight years first as Commissioner for Special Duties, then as Commissioner for Transport under the Tinubu administration and it should be noted that Banire pioneered the reforms witnessed today in the state transport sector.
He was Commissioner for Environment during the first term of the Babatunde Raji Fashola administration and after leaving the cabinet he has been the National Legal Adviser of the APC and was instrumental to the legal framework that brought together the mega party called APC from the merger of defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and a part of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA).

World Bank study blames low productivity for poor service delivery

A research report has revealed that low productivity of workers rather than the availability of personnel or geographical structures are the factors responsible for poor service delivery in Nigeria’s education and health sectors.

While appealing for increased spending, the study, which was conducted by the World Bank in partnership with the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) and the African Development Bank Group (ADB), suggested improved services to address the identified issues.

At a two-day workshop with the media and civil society organisations in Abuja, which was organised by AERC and the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER), Dr Opeyemi Fadeyibi, Service Delivery Indicators Field Coordinator at the World Bank, said: “Low productivity of workers may be attributed to several causes including low levels of technical knowledge required to deliver services, low levels of provider effort, lack of motivation to work and absence of necessary input to deliver services.”

The overall objective of the SDI project is to gauge the quality of service delivery in primary education and basic health services and to provide a set of robust measures for benchmarking service delivery performance in Africa. It is expected that this will enable the governments and citizens identify gaps and to track progress over time. It is envisaged that the high public awareness and persistent focus on these indicators will mobilise policymakers, citizens, service providers and donors to ensure and enforce accountability along the service delivery value chains.

The workshop was organised to create high level public awareness about the state of quality of service delivery in health and education sectors in Nigeria in order to sensitise the media and civil society organisations to support the process of bringing about positive change in service delivery performance and possible policy actions for better quality service delivery in the two critical sectors.

The education survey was conducted in four states – Anambra, Ekiti, Niger and Bauchi – with data collected in June 2013. It focused on primary schools, teachers and publics, while the Federal Ministry of Education assisted the World Bank in the exercise.

The result revealed that school absence rate was 13.7 per cent in the entire sample area with public schools recording 16.9 per cent absence rate as against 5.5 per cent for private schools. Reasons for absence by the teachers included field trip (25.7 per cent), illness (19.9%), retrieving salary (10.2 per cent) and maternity leave (9.2 per cent).

In the area of teacher competence, only 36.8 per cent of the surveyed teachers were found competent in Mathematics and another 46.3 per cent in English Language, while a mere 15.3 per cent demonstrated ability in pedagogy.

The health sector survey was conducted between June 2013 and January 2014 in 12 states with a random selection of two states for each of the six geo-political zones. These are: Osun, Ekiti, Anambra, Imo, Bayelsa, Cross River, Kebbi, Kaduna, Bauchi, Taraba, Nasarawa and Kogi States. The Federal Ministry of Health assisted the World Bank to conduct the survey which focused on primary health care, secondary facilities, health care providers and end users of health care.

The study revealed that only 19.8 per cent of the sample area professionals with ability to manage maternal and newborn complication. Specifically, there were 33.2 percent medical doctors across the sample area, 23.9 per cent nurses or midwifes, 13.6 per cent community health workers and 12.4 per cent other professionals.

For availability of drugs, health posts had 46.9 per cent, 47.3 per cent for health centres and 63 per cent in the hospitals, while hospitals scored only 1.8 per cent of vaccines.

AERC stated that availability of infrastructure such as toilets, clean water and electricity was a key challenge, especially the availability of improved toilets, which stands at merely 34 per cent of health facilities.

Mr Obadia Miroro, Assistant Knowledge Manager at AERC, said that about 51 per cent of health facilities had met the minimum medical equipment requirements, which included a thermometer, any weighing scale, sphygmomanometer, stethoscope for health posts, and additionally sterilising equipment and a refrigerator for health centres and hospitals. Health facilities, on average, had 49 percent of all essential drugs available at time of the survey.

Buhari, Tinubu, Odigie-Oyegun, Ambode, Aregbesola on Obaseki’s victory: Edo people have made a good choice

President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated the government and people of Edo State on the successful conclusion of the governorship election in the state, the President’s spokesman Femi Adesina has said.
Adesina said in a statement in Abuja on Thursday that Buhari, in a telephone call to Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, noted with delight the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Mr Godwin Obaseki in the poll.
He said Buhari commended the well-articulated campaign programme of APC in the state, the doggedness of the governor, governor-elect and the party members in going round the state to reach the people with records of good governance.
The president said the outcome of the election clearly reflected the mood of the people to sustain the pedigree of responsiveness, forthrightness and diligence that Oshiohmole brought into the service of his people, Adesina explained.
“The victory is good for democracy, for Nigeria and for the people of Edo,” he quoted the president as saying.
He said the president described the victory as well deserved considering that the campaign train, which he (Buhari) joined, worked hard to sell its people-centred manifesto.
Adesina said the president applauded the conduct of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, National Youth Service Corps members and the electorate in ensuring a peaceful election in Edo.
INEC had announced that Obaseki of APC won majority of the votes cast, with a total of 319,483 votes to beat Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with 253,173 votes to the second place.
Former Lagos State Governor and APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, also congratulated Obaseki, for his victory in the election, saying Edo people have made their choice.
He said Obaseki is a tested technocrat who is competent and experienced to take over and continue the good work done by the outgoing governor, Oshiomhole.
The APC leader also congratulated Oshiomhole for his achievements in Edo, which helped in retaining Edo for APC.
With the election of Obaseki, Asiwaju Tinubu said Edo had taken after Lagos in the Continuity model, which has worked assiduously well for the people of Lagos State.
The National Chairman of APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, on Thursday congratulated Obaseki and his running mate, Philip Shuaibu respectively on their victory.
In a message on Thursday evening on behalf of the APC National Working Committee (NWC), Odigie-Oyegun thanked the good people of Edo State for the massive turnout during the election.
The APC National Chairman also congratulated political parties and their candidates that contested the Edo governorship election for the fair play and relatively peaceful conduct displayed during the election exercise. He called for calm and appealed to the opposition parties to accept defeat in good faith.
“The people of Edo state voted to ensure continuity and consolidation of the massive multi-faceted developments recorded under the administration of Governor Adams Oshiomhole. The Party assures that we will deliver on this expectation,” the APC National Chairman said.
Also, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, congratulated Obaseki for his victory, saying that the people of the state have made the right choice.
Ambode, in a congratulatory message by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Habib Aruna, said the development was not just a victory for democracy but the people who he said would experience continuity in terms of dividends of democracy.
The governor, who was the Chairman, APC National Campaign Committee for the election, said the people of Edo have voted for continuity of people-friendly policies and programmes, and urged all the relevant stakeholders in the affairs of the State to accept the verdict of the people and work with Obaseki to move the State forward.
“Like I said during the grand rally of our great party – APC, at Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin some few weeks back, Edo State, being the heartbeat of the South-South region, has all it takes to become another Lagos, and the decision of the people to speak with their votes in support of Obaseki is a signpost of their readiness for greatness and a testament to the monumental successes recorded in the last seven and half years by the incumbent Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.
“We are enjoying the dividends of democracy in Lagos today because of the decision of the people to vote for continuity of good governance and I am glad that the people of Edo have also toed that path and the result will definitely translate to improved social services and welfare of the people,” Governor Ambode said.
The governor said judging by the antecedents of Obaseki, he was certain that Edo State is set for transformation and consolidation of the achievements of the outgoing administration in the State.
According to him, “Governor Oshiomhole has laid the right foundation for progressive governance. He has been responsive, progressive and totally committed to the needs of the people. With the decision to vote Mr Obaseki who is equally people-friendly, reliable, trustworthy, and has the fear of God, the people have made the right choice and I can only urge them to continue to support him to deliver on the campaign promises.
He also congratulated the people of Edo State for comporting themselves peacefully throughout the period of the election, while urging those aggrieved with the result to channel their grievances to the appropriate quarters rather than resort to self help.
From Osogbo, the Osun State capital, Governor Rauf Aregbesola congratulated APC over the outcome of the election.
In a message of goodwill to Obaseki and the APC, Aregbesola said the final result of the election was not surprising given Nigerians’ conviction that the APC has offered quality and selfless leadership at all strata where it is in control.
“Victory was not unexpected for the only party that has proved beyond doubt that selfless service to the people is weapon to kill and bury political parties that promote selfishness, greed, self aggrandizement and elevates kleptocracy as a state policy.
“As bad as the PDP brought Nigeria, it is evident the rescue mission is on course no matter what the naysayers say.
“Nigerians have rejected PDP and that is final,” he said.
Aregbesola while welcoming Obaseki to the fold, said he must be determined to ensure fulfillment of his promised programmes for the people.
“This is the hallmark of our party and we therefore congratulate our people in Edo for voting for continuity. Good governance, we are confident, will only continue.

OTEDEOLA BRIDGE: RRS NAB 3 SUSPECTED ROBBERS WITH MASTER KEY

Three suspected robbers who have been terrorising passers-by broken down vehicle owners and other road users around Otedola Bridge in Lagos have been arrested by the operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of Lagos State Police Command just as they recovered two master keys from them.
The suspects, Chima Joseph (24), Hassan Adamu (34) and Ibietan Oluwaseyi (41) were arrested after dragging their victim from the Expressway into the bush and dispossessed him of all his belongings.
The victim, Idi Musa, who was in Lagos for the first time, said he was on his way to Apapa from Borno State to meet his brother.
According to him, "I alighted at Ojodu Berger to walk from the Bus Stop to Ojota. As I walked down the road towards the bridge (Otedola), I heard somebody called out from the bush, Aboki! Aboki!!, zo mana (come).
 I ignored the call because I didn’t know them. Before now, I have been warned to mind my business when in Lagos.

As I continued my journey, two of them (pointing to Chima and Adamu) ran after me, dragged me with my trousers into the bush, beat me several times before searching my pockets and luggage. They took N3, 000 from me".
"After collecting my money, one of them (pointing to Hassan Adamu) threatened me that he was a Lagos State Government official and that if I ever come back there, they would arrest me and send me back to my village.
They then released me to go. As I descended the slope towards the bridge, I spotted an RRS vehicle. I went to the officers, narrated all that happened to me.
At their office, three teams of officers were drafted to comb the Bush properly. It was in the process that they arrested the other two that dragged me from the road into the bush before collecting my money".
It was gathered that RRS's surveillance team have been on the lookout for the robber`s terrorising people during traffic congestion in that area.
It was further learnt that more than four people have been arrested for robbing road users while two additional cases of robbery linked to the suspects have been reported to RRS's operatives.
One of the suspects, Chima Joseph, from whom the master keys were recovered, stated that he found the keys on the ground, adding that he was looking for a place to put it for people to see.
It was revealed that the key, when tested open the doors of 2 Toyota Camry, Toyota Corolla and one Honda (End of Discussion).
He confessed that they dragged Musa into the bush, ransacked him and collected his N3, 000.
"My friends and I sleep in the shed in the bush beside the expressway. What we do is to assist people on the highway", he added.
As at the time of filling this report, RRS's Investigators were still questioning the suspected robbers to establish if they have a link to car-stealing gang around popular Fela's Shrine.
They are expected to be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further questioning.
Confirming the arrest, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Superintendent of Police, SP Dolapo Badmos, stated that the police are keeping an eagle eye on all the black spots in the state particularly as the year draws to an end.‎