Covenant University may reduce tuition soon –VC

The Vice-Chancellor, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Prof. Charles Ayo, has hinted that the school may likely reduce its tuition fees in a bid to accommodate more students who will want to benefit from the quality education it offers. Addressing a news conference on Friday over the school’s recent Webometrics ranking as the first in Nigeria and West Africa and the 15th in Africa, he said even though there is no actual date for the likely review yet, the initiative would make admission into the school more affordable and competitive. He explained that apart from the fact the Chancellor of the school, Dr. David Oyedepo, had already thought about it, the school management also had plans to increase its internally generated revenue so as to augment its income, which would make the review easy. He said, “Going by the thinking of the proprietor and chancellor, the commission is thinking of reducing the fees with a view to allowing more people to be able to benefit from the quality education that we have here, but it’s going to be highly competitive. “This may affect us because we would need to work more on our IGR, but we are up to the task. The beauty of it all is to be able to leave it open to all, however, we are mindful of our carrying capacity, which will only engender stiff competition before anybody would be able to get admission. “By the next academic session, the university will be going into production of certain items and looking at our projection on the adventure, we are going to be raking in billions, which will supplement our income and with that, we can be sure that the fees would be reducing gradually, which also shows that education venture is not necessarily about profit-making but about service to humanity.” The vice-chancellor explained that with the recently released Webometrics Ranking of February 10, 2015, “Covenant University is now the first among all the universities in Nigeria and West Africa and the 15th in Africa. “Last year, we were the second in Nigeria and 25th in Africa, but now we have improved greatly, and this is because we came in with a view to introducing a change, which was a clear departure from what others do, therefore, this feat and many others do not really come as a surprise to us.” Webometrics Ranking is the ranking of about 2,500 institutions in the world based on their web presence, impact, presence, openness and excellence.

Arewa youth leader calls for sack of Defence Minister, NSA, IGP

Alhaji Shettima Yerima, an activist and president of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, in this interview says that peace may continue to be elusive if some ethnic groups are treated as second class citizens in the Nigeria project, adding that justice and fairness can only ensure the much desired peace in the country. Excerpts.The inflammatory statements here and there especially coming from politicians and ex-militants on the general elections are source of worry. You agree? I am worried because this is not what we expected from this country at this time. I am very worried also because we don’t need these inflammatory statements coming here and there at this particular time. It baffles me when I see our democracy turning into something else. People don’t talk as patriotic Nigerians. Politicians don’t talk about what will benefit the people any more and those who are beneffiting from the government shy away from the truth. Most of them believe that they can do anything and go away with it. Many Politicians seem to have forgotten that election will come and go but the country will remain. We have done it in the past and we are going to do it again. Those who are making inflamatory statements are those who have not contributed any thing to the growth of the country, they were not on the trenches when there were problems but they have the opportunity to be there not because they are better than us. Let all politicians be mindful of what they say because if anything goes wrong, they will all be affected. If they think they will run away, they may not be able to escape and if they do, their families will be affected. With some of these war threat, people are apprehensive of possible post election violence, what are you doing to stop it? The post election violence in 2011 is still fresh in my memory. So many people were killed and many families were wiped out in Kano. I saw how people were lynched. It was good that it didn’t escalate to the south. We liaised with various ethnic nationalities and it was controlled. We have worked alongside some international organisations and built a good relationship. But we have been able to manage the situation and those leaders from various organisations that are based in the South have actually seen our efforts and have trusted us. As one of the Northern leaders, I give updates to people and educate them on what to do. Where danger looms, I call the attention of the government and security agencies to avert it and to protect people. Right now, are you doing the same inorder to forestall a repeat of the post-election violence in 2011? We are doing it. As I speak with you, we are in touch with various ethnic national leaders. I have spoken, with Fredrick Fasheun, Gani Adams, Asari Dokubo and the rest of them. We are discussing extensively and we might hold a press briefing very soon on the need for violence-free elections before and after election in all parts of the country. These people are of the view that they are being treated as second class citizens. Yes! I agree with some of their views because we are all the same in this project Nigeria. There is hope if we have equity and fairness. The politicians have to watch their utterances. These days, the campaigns are not based on issues but attack on personalities. It has even extended to generations of a families. I don’t think it is right, people must be called to order. The politicians are too rascal in their approaches. To me, both the ex-militants and TY Danjuma are wrong. The call for war is wrong and also depriving somebody of his freedom of speech is also wrong. If Jonathan loses through normal process, they have no reason to raise any eyebrow; again, there are other channels without war. You can go to court and challenge the verdict. Nigeria must be seen to be bigger than any individual. Again, the call by Danjuma that they should be arrested is uncalled for because similar statements have been made by other people in the past. What happened? Was there any arrest? No. So, anybody talking now is enjoying his liberty under a democratic government. But from the discussion I had with so many of them, nobody wants war. What efforts are the Northern leaders putting in place to ensure that there is no repeat of 2011 post election violence? You can see that I spend most of the time, in the north. I move from one state to another trying to consult with various youth organisations. We are trying to educate them on the consequences of violence. It usually starts when somebody initiates a bad idea and put it on people. These people believe whatever they are told and they start killing people. We try as much as we can to diffuse that mindset, sensitize them and make them realise the effect of their action. Be that as it may, I don’t think that is enough, government must also rise to the challenge that adequate security is provided during and after the elections. The Boko Haram insurgents seem to have defied all government’s strategy to wipe them out, what do you think government should have done? In fairness, I don’t expect President Jonathan to go to Maiduguri and fight. There are people saddled with that responsibility. It shows these people have demonstrated total incompetence. The government then must rise to the occasion to saction them, sack them and bring fresh people who will deal very well with the situation. So, when people tell me Jonathan is behind Boko Haram, I get confused the more. Most of the people involved in security of the country are from the Northern area, so, are they in any way sabotaging the efforts of the government or serving the interest of a particular people? We should ask Minister for Defence, the National Security Adviser, NSA, the Inspector General of Police, Attorney-General of the federation, all of them are from the north. Instead of pointing accusing fingers, these people should tell us about it and we will know where the problem is coming from rather than blaming Jonathan alone. But these people get order and directives from the President… Yes! I am sure there is an order and if there is none, I challenge them to come forward and say it. So, if there is an order and they refuse to carry out the order, or they don’t carry it out well he should sack them. Fire all of them and bring in fresh blood that will tackle this problem and save our nation. What is affecting Maiduguri and other places, is indirectly affecting other parts of the country.

ELECTION SAGA: PDP mounts pressure on Jega to drop Card —Reader Machines

More controversies have followed last Saturday’s rescheduling of the general elections that were originally billed to start today with the Presidential elections. And there are also emerging factors that may play out before the new date of March 28, for the Presidential election.The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, rejected the use of computerised Card Reader Machines by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for accreditation and tracking of information on the Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs. According to INEC, the machine could help in checking rigging as it would display information on any person who has voted. But the PDP now fears that the machine may not make for credible elections as it is said to easily malfunction especially when the battery weak. The party also accused INEC of engaging in a lot of manipulations that could favour the opposition, saying that as a ruling party, the PDP was only being diplomatic so as not to be seen as being opposed to the polls. National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu Muazu made these observations in Abuja, when a delegation of Africa Union election observers led by AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Dr. Aisha Abdullahi visited the national secretariat of the PDP. The Civil Liberties Organisation, CLO, also yesterday asked INEC to accept blame for not being ready to conduct a free and fair elections in the country, saying ‘’that the evidences are on the ground to show that the commission was not ready to go ahead with the polls as it claimed.’’ EACH CARD READER WORKS FOR ONLY FIVE HOURS This was even as sources told the Saturday Vanguard that for each card reader to be effective, it has to be charged for about 24 hours prior to the election even as it may not last for long hours before the battery would go down. However, Muazu noted that although the use of card reading machine which forms part of INEC’s Electronic Management Tool, EMT was a welcome development in the nation’s political history, the failure of INEC to meet up with the role expected of it as it had not test-run the machines for Nigerians to see whether the process would be successful or not was a big failure by INEC. According to him, Nigerians cannot be used as guinea pigs over the matter, hence INEC management must get their acts right before introducing the device. REPORT INEC MANIPULATIONS TO THE WORLD The PDP National Chairman urged the delegation to ensure that as observers, they report the manipulations of the distribution of the PVCs by INEC to the whole world. “What is happening today in INEC has been highlighted to them via letters from our party to Jega’s office on so many issues including the fraud of PVC that we anticipated… ‘’We all said this in writing to INEC. It is because we are the ruling party, we don’t want to be unruly. If we were the opposition, we would make a lot of noise and say a lot of things. “In their own sense of judgment, how does Professor (Attahiru) Jega who is the leader of INEC exonerate himself from disenfranchising 23 million Nigerians and telling the world that he was ready for elections? We are saying that he was not ready. 23 out of the 68 million registered voters by his personal submission in the Council of State’s meeting that was held last week to review the preparedness or otherwise of INEC to conduct the election had not been distributed; 23 million PVCs were either produced and not distributed or not produced at all. “This must be highlighted and made known to the world. Your report must be very explicit on what has happened. He is economical with the truth. We must not have 100 as the basis for distribution and collection; But 23 million out of 68 million eligible voters or 34% as the INEC Chairman himself confirmed (are not going to vote) is unacceptable by any standard,” he said. Earlier, the leader of the delegation of observers Dr. Abdullahi had noted that they were impressed not seeing street fighting or protest trailing the postponement of the elections, adding that the development showed the level of maturity of Nigerians and the depth of democratic practice in the country. Abdullahi, a former commissioner in Mu’azu’s cabinet when he was governor for Bauchi State between 1999 to 2007, was accompanied on the visit by five other members of the AU observer mission on the March 28 elections. Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary of the CLO, Mr Ibuchukwu Ezike who spoke on the INEC’s level of preparedness for the elections yesterday blamed the commission over its alleged preparations for polls. CLO POOH-POOHS INEC FOR ALLEGED POOR PREPARATIONS Ezike, the CLO executive secretary said, ‘’the following lend support for my argument. Printing of PVCs is still in progress. Over 20 million Nigerians are yet to collect their PVCs. None display of voters registers as required by law. ‘’About 700,000 ad-hoc staff still in the process of being recruited and trained. Card readers being used for the first time in the country yet to be test-run or tested. Lopsided distribution of PVCs as well as lack of full complement of ballot boxes for elections among others. ‘’Why is the INEC misleading Nigerians on these issues and people are singing praises for it?’’ APC kicks Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Organisation (APCPCO), has frowned at the Presidency’s and PDP’s strident and scurrilous castigation of the use of Card Readers for ensuring the integrity of the forthcoming general elections, as being proposed by INEC, as the PDP’s agenda for the manipulation of the electoral process. The APCPCO in a statement by its Director of Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu described the action by the ruling PDP and the Presidency as a precursor to the move to stampede the resignation of Professor Attahiru Jega before the appointment of a pliable lackey, who according to him, would do the hatchet job of stopping the use of the Card Readers. Shehu noted that the INEC’s decision to use the Card Readers was borne out of the need to ensure electoral transparency and integrity. “Aside the huge financial investment involved in the procurement of the Card Readers, the PDP’s desire to hoodwink the Nigerian people on this anti-rigging device, is not just subterranean but an affront on the independence of the electoral body. “We are equally aware that this is the latest gambit of the ruling Party in its desire to thwart the electoral wishes of majority of Nigerian electorate. We are aware also of the use of its tested and well-oiled rigging machine of unregistered voters and accentuation of same by the use of soldiers that had been specially trained and reserved for that nefarious purpose. “We have said it that, based on the ruling of the Federal High Court, Sokoto against the use of Soldiers for Election duties, our Party is opposed to the use of soldiers for the Election Days on 28th March and 11th April, 2015. “We insist that the use of Card Readers for authenticating the propriety of the Permanent Voters’ Cards presented and ultimately, accreditation of Voters, as envisioned by INEC. These, in our estimation as a credible Party, remain the irreducible minimum that must form the basis for the conduct of free, fair, and credible elections on 28th March and 11th April, 2015. “We call on all Nigerians to remain vigilant and we, on our part, shall remain alive to our responsibility in galvanizing the citizenry for assuring on the virility of the Nigerian nation. Indeed, eternal vigilance is the price of our liberty.”

Youth Arrested For Buying PVCs From Housewives In Sokoto

Ahead of the February 14 and 28 presidential and governorship elections respectively, politicians, aside campaigning for votes as stipulated by law, have engaged in unwholesome act of buying Permanent Voters Cards from eligible voters in areas where they consider strongholds of their political opponents. This was the case on Wednesday in Tambuwal Local Government Area of Sokoto State when some young men, believed to be working for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state, were arrested over suspicion of buying PVCs. According to PREMIUM TIMES, residents of Tambuwal town apprehended Abdu Dankuturu, Amo Masaurari, Dantonka Maikada, Kabiru Modibbo, Dantani Hulkwui and Danbala Gyarge after they were seen buying PVCs from some housewives. “They were paying N2, 000 for each PVC and about 400 cards were found on them upon arrest”, the online newspaper quoted a source as saying. He also said the arrested youth were handed over to the Divisional Police headquarters in the town, who in turn transferred them to the State Criminal Investigation Department, CID, in Sokoto, the state capital for further action. The source said all those arrested were known members of the opposition PDP in the state. When contacted Thursday, the Police Public Relations Officer in Sokoto State, El-Mustapha Sani, said he was not aware of the arrest of the youth in Tambuwal. He, however, promised to find out the situation of things from relevant officials but as of the time of publishing this report, he was yet to confirm and get back to PREMIUM TIMES.

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Election: Southern leaders reiterate call for Jega to resign

ABUJA—SOUTHERN leaders, yesterday, reiterated their call for the resignation of the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega, accusing him of acting a script for the northern part of the country to declare the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, General Muhammadu Buhari, rtd, from the north as winner of the yet to be conducted Presidential election. According to the leaders, there were plans to rig the 2015 election hatched by the Northern Elders Forum in collaboration with Professor Jega-led INEC. They said “as a responsible government agency, it is only germane that Nigerians, whose tax monies are used to fund its operations, are properly informed on these critical aspects of INEC’s activities. We make bold to say that Prof. Jega has betrayed public trust, respect and acceptance, sublime attributes that are necessary for an impartial electoral umpire.” The southern leaders on the banner of the Southern Nigeria Peoples Assembly, SNPA, said Jega was promoting an ethnic agenda by favouring the North against the South, with what they termed an unholy conspiracy between INEC and the Northern Elders to install a Northern President through rigging. Present at the briefing were Senator Femi Okurounmu who signed the statement for Archbishop Ayo Ladigbolu; former governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife signed for former Vice President Alex Ekwueme; Senator Femi Okurounmu signed for Archbishop Ladigbolu, as well as former Minister of Information, Walter Ofonagoro; a former Commissioner in Bayelsa State, Chief Whisky Ayakeme; Dr. Cairo Ojuogboh, among others. Reading an 8- page text for the SNPA, Senator Femi Okurounmu who represented Archbishop Ayo Ladigbolu, called for the postponement of this month’s Presidential and general elections to allow the Federal government reposition INEC and make it discharge its responsibility of conducting an impartial election effectively The leaders also called for the immediate arrest of the INEC Chairman over allegation that he has criminally masterminded the procurement of Permanent Voters Cards, PVCs for under- aged pupils in contravention of the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as Amended and the Electoral Act, 2010. The Southern leaders threatened that should the president fail to sack Jega and refuse to postpone the already fixed elections, they would ensure that the people of the South West, South South and South East do not participate in the February 14 and 28 general elections, adding that if INEC goes ahead with the polls with Jega Presiding, “the consequences may be too grave for Nigeria to bear.” At the briefing, one time Federal Commissioner for Information and South-South Leader, Chief Edwin Clark displayed some PVCs allegedly owned by under- aged pupils to buttress the group’s call for Jega’s immediate arrest for registering those pupils contrary to the constitution and Electoral Act, just as they accused Jega of stopping the implementation of additional polling units in the south, but gradually using the new units in the north. The leaders said, “Consequent upon the foregoing, the Southern Nigeria Peoples Assembly, SNPA, wish to make the following unequivocal demands, which if not complied forthwith, would compel us to consider every necessary step to force compliance. “Professor Jega, should and must resign his appointment immediately as the Chairman of INEC because he has lost the requisite moral rectitude to organize a credible election devoid of the shenanigans of the Northern Elders Forum and their cohorts. “There should be immediate postponement of the February 14, 2015 presidential elections to allow for the reconstitution, repositioning and reprocessing of INEC to discharge its responsibility of conducting an impartial election. “We call for the immediate arrest of Prof. Attahiru Jega for criminally masterminding the procurement of PVCs for under-aged pupils in contravention of the provisrons of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as Amended) and the Electoral Act, 2010 Where the Federal Government fail to take decisive action on these demands e shall employ and mobilize with all ounce of energy at our disposal to ensure that there is no election in any part of Southern Nigeria. “We wish to remind Mr. President that the Federal Government has the sacrosanct duty to maintain peace and order, and to protect the lives and property of the citizens of this country. Therefore government must not allow itself to be intimidated by any group of persons to conduct the elections under these uncertain circumstances that could culminate in the break down of law and order in the country The consequences may be too grave for Nigeria to bear.” The Southern leaders alleged in their statement, that INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, through one of his National Commissioners “met with select leaders of the Northern Elders Forum led by Prof. Ango Abdullahi on the 16th’’ August, 2014 where strategies and modalities for enthroning a President of Northern extraction through vote rigging were discussed and agreed upon. “As part of the grand design, Prof. Jega agreed in the meeting to create astronomical number of additional polling units in the North, over and above what is desirable to ensure the election of a Northern Presidential candidate, that would emerge from the party primaries, in the general election. We now know that this was responsible for Prof. Jega’s whimsical creation of additional 30,000 polling units with intent to give unearned massive votes to the northern presidential candidate. These additional polling units were agreed to exist only on “sheet of papers” which would be used as votes mill to rig the election. This means therefore that the acclaimed suspension of the implementation of the additional 30,000 polling units by Prof. Jega is a grand deceit as same is reported to have continued in parts of the North under cover”.

DSS invites Asari Dokubo over inflammatory statement

ABUJA – The Department of State Services (DSS), yesterday, said that it had invited the ex-Niger Delta militant, Asari Dokubo, several times over recent provocative statements credited to him. The Spokeswoman of the DSS, Marilyn Ogar, who stated this while fielding questions from Journalists during a routine security briefing, in Abuja, explained that not all their operational procedures would be public. “First of all, whatever is the operational procedure that we take after we have issued out warnings; we do not make them public. “And I want you to recollect that Asari Dokubo has been brought into the office – DSS, a couple of times. It is not in the position of the office to begin to tell you who has been brought in or who has not been brought in. “We still stand by our words that whoever in any way would want to interfere or interrupt the peace that prevails, he or she would definitely go for it,” Ogar said. The Coordinator of the National Information Centre (NIC), Mr Mike Omeri attributed the recent success recorded in the fight against insurgency in the north east to ‘country-to-country’ bilateral agreement entered into by the Nigerian government with its neighbours. He disclosed that the 7,500 AU-backed multinational force recently announced would come from the four countries; Nigeria, Cameroun, Chad and Niger mainly affected by the Boko Haram insurgency. According to him, “The 7,500 AU-backed multinational force is to be composed of mainly troops from countries in the Lake Chad Basin Commission areas. “The modalities for the operationalization of this force are being worked out at a tactical summit which started today in the Republic of Cameroun. “In addition, the Chadian Chief of Defence Staff is currently in Nigeria to consolidate discussions on trans-border operations with his Nigerian counterpart.”