PDP faults Okorocha on aircraft purchase

The Peoples Democratic Party in Imo State has faulted the inauguration of Imo Air, an aircraft recently purchased by the Governor Rochas Okorocha-led state government.

The PDP, in a statement by its state secretary, Ray Emeana, appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to compel Okorocha to sell the aircraft and return the money to the state treasury.

The party said the purchase of Imo Air was done at the expense of workers in the state, adding that it was a  misplacement of priority.

The statement partly read, “As of today, pensioners and civil servants in Imo State are being owed months of   salary arrears. There is alarming unemployment and total collapse of infrastructure while there is no functional education or health care system in all the 27 local government areas of the state.

“We call on President Buhari to ask Okorocha to sell the aircraft and return the money for the payment of workers’ backlog of salaries, settlement of pension arrears and gratuities, building of infrastructure and other developmental needs of the state.”

Okorocha, however, said the 10-year partnership between Dana Air and the Imo State Government on the running of Imo Air, was borne out of the desire to increase business activities, improve tourism and provide employment opportunities for residents of the state.

“This is a happy moment in the state. The aim of going into this  business is because I want to drive traffic to Imo State as Imo is genuinely becoming the fastest developing state outside Abuja and Lagos,” Okorocha said while inaugurating Imo Air last week.

You can only be successful if you provide value –Kennedy Okonkwo, MD, Nedcomoaks

Kennedy Okonkwo is an Estate Developer and Managing Director, Nedcomoaks Limited. In this interview, he reflects  on his journey to  entrepreneurship and gives insight on how youths can leverage on their intellectual capital to be successful.
You clocked 39 years recently. Do you have any regrets; are there things you feel you could have done in life that you are yet to achieve?
When I look back to when I  graduated and  where I am today, I have no cause to regret. But what I wish I could do more, is empowering young people. I wish to invest more money than I have done at the moment in creating more employment for  people, because if I do that, I won’t have to worry about whose rent  I pay  and whose school fees I pay.
What factors shaped your upbringing?
My late father always  ensured  our school fees were complete and he could tell me then that he was not going to make money for anybody and that all he would do was to educate us. He believed that if you are educated, you are empowered, so I can’t forget this .
There was also  a time  my mother was thrown out of the shop that we called our home and the church took us in. We lived in the church even while I was in the university. My education was sponsored by Chief  Sylvester Okonkwo. I knew at that point that when I graduated, I wasn’t going to be like every other guy. From day one, I had my  target that my family would relocate into a befitting home for a start. But I think the major turning point of my life was when I left my  job as the Strategy Advisor to the MD/CEO of a big company. I knew at that point that if I could channel my energy to what I was doing that time, I was going to make a lot more money and  impact on  society in business.
So, has the society benefited from you?
My company has employed over 2,000 people directly and indirectly, so the society is benefiting. Through our charity programmes, we have done a lot for people. We have paid tuition fees for lots of students and many people have been empowered through us. There are families that have benefited from the fact that our company is running.
I will tell you a story. There was a time I was ill and needed to travel out of the country for treatment, so, I went to each of the major sites, met with the foremen and I told them that I was going to stop all our projects because I don’t need to be signing cheques while I was on my sick bed. But they met and came to me and  said it was better that they continued working because there would be hope that when I came back, they would be paid. Some of them came from Ibadan, Osun State  and Abeokuta. They said they didn’t want to go and sit at home for six weeks, but preferred to continue working with the assurance that there was money somewhere to be collected. I shared this story with my wife and she advised that we should no shut down the sites. Also, we do not owe salaries despite the economic situation of the country.
We are a team of young people and the oldest member of my staff is about 35 years old. I prefer it this way, because the youths are the future of our country.
What lessons should young people learn from you?
I always tell people that opportunities abound everywhere; it is just for us to open our mind to recognise them when we see them and take advantage of them. I don’t believe that “my uncle or my brother can do this or that  for me”. I believe in what I can do for myself.
For instance, before you move from one street to the next, you would see dirt in the gutters; when you get home, you can write a proposal to that street association to clean the drainage. Entrepreneurship starts from there. If you wake up and see weeds in your environment, you can write a proposal, asking to be given the job to clear the bush. I tell people all the time that you can only be successful if you provide value.
Problems abound in our society and people are looking for solutions. For me to take your money, I must know how to polish your shoes. A woman at Mile 12 market in Lagos brought up the idea of washing other people’s feet and now there are thousands of people washing feet at Mile 12 market. It is for you to understand the problem that a society has and look for a solution to that problem.
Do you think government is doing enough to help start-ups and entrepreneurs?
You must not have capital to start a business, because your brain is sufficient, but it is how to use it that matters. If I waited for capital, I could never have started off. While I was still in paid employment, I sacrificed my salaries which was N84, 000 monthly  to build a house. One day I walked up to my boss and told him I needed a loan of N500, 000 because I was building a house. When I took him to the site, he was agape. When he saw the place, he lent me that money and I paid back in record time. So, your brain is  intellectual capital. Going to school also broadens your horizon.
You are from Anambra State and many businessmen from the state have ventured into politics. Do you plan  to venture into politics?
I do not have any iota of political inclination and I don’t  need  any political position to solve my people’s problems. It is only successful businessmen like Peter Obi, that could steer the state into profitability. But the truth is that not all of us are inclined towards politics. We can be involved in politics without even contesting. We can be involved in the selection of candidates for the different offices.
For me, philanthropy in my home town and in Lagos is what I do because I have benefited from  society and society must also benefit from me.
What were some of the challenges you faced before you became successful?
The challenges I faced are the same challenges everybody faces. Poor infrastructure and dearth of  financing. When you start up a business and that business is growing faster than you envisaged, you realize that for you to do more, you will need more financing. You need to expand, you need  more manpower and  additional land because if you are building four houses, five houses, you will realise you need to think of building in hundreds. When you take loans, banks charge double digit  interest rates  whereas in other parts of the world interest rates are single digits.
At 39 you are already successful but Nigeria is 56 and it is already facing economic recession. How can the country get it right?
Nigeria has at some point, produced Africa’s richest man, so, if you think Nigeria is unsuccessful I will say no. Nigeria is just facing some challenges just as my organisation is facing but then, it’s the people that make a country. A country does not exist in isolation. We make up Nigeria and we should work towards making it the Nigeria of our dreams.
I want to also commend the leadership of this country. It is not easy to govern a family not talk of a nation. Even at home, you and your wife can have divergent opinions, but because you chose her from among all others you have met in your life, you have to find a way to live peacefully. Unfortunately for us, we don’t have a choice over where we were born. We were born Nigerians.
The problem of Nigeria is our problem and we must work for her success, because if you leave Nigeria, it becomes a geographical space. So, do you think you are the problem of Nigeria? If you answer this question, you will know that Nigeria is even going through the challenges of many organisations. I was privileged to be in Togo and I bought bottled water. I realised that maybe it is the problem of Nigeria that is affecting other West African countries because as Nigeria is being hit by recession, we underestimate the impact of our economic stability and growth on the West African coast. If we are not doing well, other African nations suffer too. We all need to put our hands on deck and  change our orientation.

I never dreamt of becoming councillor –Oshiomhole

Immediate past governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, yesterday reflected on his humble background and said he surpassed his expectations in life by becoming governor.
In an emotion laden speech yesterday evening at Auchi, headquarters of Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State, during a grand reception for him by the people of Edo North Senatorial District, Oshiomhole said he was forever indebted to the people of the state for the privilege he was given to serve.
Referring to her mother who was present on the occasion, he said “for my mother, I don’t know what is going through her mind right now. It was not in our imagination that I would be councilor.”
He told the gathering that his successor in office, Governor Godwin Obaseki, was one of those who encouraged him to run for governor in 2006.
“I am happy he is the governor now‎ and he is a worthy successor who will do better than me,” ex-governor Oshiomhole said.
He said there were many projects his administration was committed to executing, but could not carry out because of the drop in revenue owing to the fall in the international price of crude oil.
“There is still so much to be done that we couldn’t do,” the former governor said, and apologised to the people and communities that did not benefit from projects under his administration.
Oshiomhole, however, expressed confidence that Obaseki, who was part of the planning‎, and now the governor, would attend to those projects, stressing that every part of the state deserved development. The former governor, while admitting his imperfection, asked for forgiveness from those he might have offended unintentionally, just as he said he has also forgiven those who offended him. Earlier in an address, the chairman of the reception committee, Mr. Tom Uloko, said the people were proud of his good governance and performance in office.

Senate uncovers govs, minister’s imported luxury cars in Lagos

There are strong indications that influential Nigerians, including a serving governor and a minister, are among owners of about 1,500 exotic vehicles parked in the Volkswagen Yard, on the Mile 2-Badagry Expressway in Lagos since 2015.

Another governor from the South-East (name withheld) has also been identified as the owner of 15 Sports Utility Vehicles intercepted and impounded by officers of the Nigeria Customs Service and parked in the agency’s office in Ikeja.

The Senate Committee on Customs, Excise and Tariff, led by its Chairman, Hope Uzodinma, had visited the VON premises last week on oversight assignment when it discovered that the place looked deserted with disused equipment in its assembly plant.

The officials of the company, who had earlier declined to open the store to the lawmakers for inspection, were forced to grant the visitors access into the warehouse when the lawmakers threatened to force the door open.

The senators, who were there in company with security operatives and officials of the NCS, saw no fewer than 1,500 pieces of various models of Volkswagen products and other brands of vehicles in the warehouse.

SUNDAY PUNCH learnt that the senators were curious when they found out that there were port tags on the vehicles, indicating that they were imported.

One of the lawmakers told one of our correspondents that his colleagues were not convinced by the explanation offered by officials of the company that the firm did not abuse the auto policy introduced by the Goodluck Jonathan-led administration with its action.

The senator added that the team discovered that about 15 Sports Utility Vehicles, on the premises of the NCS office in Ikeja, Lagos, which were impounded by the service when the dealer attempted to evade payment of duty, belonged to a serving governor in the South-East.

He said the vehicles carried Federal Government’s official number plates in an attempt to deceive officers of the customs service.

Uzodinma had alleged in an interview with journalists in Abuja that there were indications that the company was not assembling vehicles in Nigeria as it claimed.

He stated that his committee discovered different vehicle brands in the company’s warehouses which were already assembled before they were shipped to Nigeria.

The Managing Director of VON Automobiles, Mr. Tokunbo Aromolaran, however, refuted the Senate claim that the company was sabotaging the country’s economy.

Aromolaran said, “The Chairman of the Senate Committee, in company with about 30 people, comprising senators, officers of Nigeria Customs Service, journalists and police officers, descended on the VON premises on October 28, 2016, without prior notification.

“They were given free access to our plants and warehouses, and found nothing other than what you would expect to see in an auto assembly plant – an inventory of vehicles assembled, awaiting delivery.

“We also confirmed that applicable duties were paid at the ports when the components were imported into the country.

He said, “All applicable duties and levies on Volkswagen vehicles stored at VON have been paid to the NCS (SKD vehicle kits and fully built units). This can be verified by the service.

Uzodinma, however, told one of our correspondents on Saturday that the committee was convinced that VON was sabotaging the nation’s economy, adding that a public hearing would be organised soon to unravel the alleged sharp practices.

The Public Relations Officer, Nigeria Customs Service, Mr. Wale Adeniyi, said the affected vehicles had remained under NCS custody because duty was not paid on them.

Adeniyi stated, “There are no separate laws for top government officials or highly-placed Nigerians. The laws are the same for everybody and the laws specify that all imported vehicles attract duty. If duty was not paid, the vehicles cannot be released.”

He, however, added that if the owners paid the required duty, the SUVs would be released.

On the 1,500 vehicles found in the premises of Volkswagen, Adeniyi said, “I do not have details of that development.”

Senate forgery: Police submit fresh report, indict Saraki, Ekweremadu

There are strong indications that the police have submitted to the National Prosecution Coordination Committee, another report on the investigations into the alleged forgery of the Senate Standing Orders, 2015.

SUNDAY PUNCH gathered that in the fresh report, the police indicted the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, and his deputy, Dr. Ike Ekweremadu.

It was gathered that the Special Investigation Panel, headed by the retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Ali Amodu, explained that a former Clerk to the National Assembly, Salisu Maikasuwa, could not have committed the alleged offence without the connivance of the two principal officers.

The SIP was set up by the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to investigate high-profile cases.

The Federal Government had, on October 6, 2016, withdrawn the charges of criminal conspiracy relating to the alleged forgery of the Senate Standing Orders, 2015, filed against the Senate President and his deputy at an Abuja High Court.

The government, it was reported, had found out that the investigation was inconclusive and the evidence was not strong enough to sustain a diligent prosecution of the accused persons.

Following this discovery, the Ministry of Justice filed an application to amend the charges.

In the new charges, only Maikasuwa and a former deputy clerk, Mr. Ben Efeturi, were listed as the accused persons.

Saraki and Ekweremadu were earlier charged alongside Maikasuwa and Efeturi for allegedly forging the Senate Standing Orders, which were used for the inauguration of the Eight Senate.

All of them pleaded not guilty to the charges before Justice Yusuf Halilu and were granted bail on June 10, 2016.

Following the amendment of the charges, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), directed the police to conduct fresh investigations into the case.

Saraki, Ekweremadu may face conspiracy charge again.

A top police operative, who confided in SUNDAY PUNCH on Saturday, said the SIP had addressed the loopholes the AGF identified in the former report.

He said, “The police have concluded investigations into the case and submitted the report to the NPCC. This was done about a month ago.”

Giving an insight into the report, a top source at the Force Headquarters said, “Conspiracy is a very wide offence and Maikasuwa couldn’t have done what he did without the connivance of Saraki and Ekweremadu.

“There is no doubt about it; they were the beneficiaries and they have to be joined in the case.”

When asked if the panel made any recommendation for the prosecution of the beneficiaries of the forgery, he stated, “There is no need to make any recommendation to prosecute them because the investigation did not exonerate them.”

On the non-interrogation of Saraki and others by the former investigators, the source stated, “It is not totally out of point. It is for Saraki, Ekweremadu and others to defend themselves in court. The fact that they were not questioned did not mean they didn’t commit the offence as alleged. The circumstances were that the investigators could not reach them just like the way the House of Representatives leadership was dodging police summons on the budget padding probe.”

He added that the evidence and corrections made on the report had been sent to the AGF by the police.

He stated, “There were certain documents and evidence they asked us to fine-tune, which we did. We got all the necessary documents, including the Hansard, where publications were made and notices were given. We looked at the Hansard. Was there any amendment during the 7th Senate? There were no amendments; nothing was adopted during the 7th Senate. We got the papers and there was nothing like that.

“So, where did Ekweremadu and Maikasuwa derive their authority from when no amendment was done on the floor of the Senate?”

Another highly-placed source, who was familiar with the police probe, informed one of our correspondents on Saturday that the SIP was able to gather the necessary evidence about how the alleged forgery at the Senate was carried out.

The source said it was now up to the AGF and the NPCC to decide whether to re-arraign Saraki, Ekweremadu and others or not.

It was gathered that the detectives were able to verify the extent of amendment to the Senate Standing Orders 2011, the individuals who authorised it, and the official who ordered the printing of the Senate Standing Orders, 2015.

The source added, “The SIP, through painstaking efforts, was able to identify who distributed the printed copies of the Senate Standing Orders, 2015, to senators-elect and it also obtained the complete Hansard of June 9 and 24, 2015, which indicated what transpired on the floor of the Senate as well as other relevant evidence. These were issues the former probe did not resolve.

“It is now up to the government to decide whether Saraki and Ekweremadu should be re-arraigned or only Maikasuwa and Efeturi would carry the can.”

One of our correspondents gathered that the SIP had to bypass the Clerk, National Assembly, Mohammed Sani-Omolori, to get the necessary evidence and documents relating to the case.

When contacted on Saturday, the spokesperson for the AGF and the NPCC, Mr. Salisu Isah, said he was not aware of any fresh development in the case.

“Just give me some time to find out and revert to you,” he said.

Besides the AGF, who is the Chairman of the NPCC, the committee consists of 19 members, including the Solicitor-General/Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Mr. Taiwo Abidogun and Mr. Dipo Opeseyi.

When contacted on Saturday, Saraki decline to comment on the matter, while Ekweremadu said he was not aware of the new development in the forgery case.

The Special Adviser to the Senate President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Yusuph Olaniyonu, said, “I have no comment on the matter,” when he was called on the telephone by one of our correspondents.

Ekweremadu, who spoke through the Special Adviser to the Deputy President of the Senate on Media, Mr. Uche Anichukwu, said, “We are not aware of that” when he was told that the police had submitted a fresh report to the AGF-led committee.

Another aide to Ekweremadu, who spoke on condition of anonymity, wondered why the police would file another report from a fresh investigation when the security agency had sworn to an affidavit that it had concluded its investigations into the case and presented it before a court.

2019: Buhari woos South-East with capital projects

As part of political realignment ahead of the 2019 general elections, President Muhammadu Buhari’s strategists are wooing the South-East, SUNDAY PUNCH has learnt.

It was gathered in Abuja on Saturday that the President had directed that infrastructure gaps in the South-East should be bridged.

It was also learnt that apart from reviving old alliances with associates, the president’s allies were also counting on political bridges built by northern politicians with their eastern counterparts over the years.

In addition to these political moves, Buhari was said to have ordered contractors handling various infrastructural projects in the zone to return to site.

This is aimed at ensuring the speedy completion of the rehabilitation of some federal roads in the region.

Findings showed that emphasis would be placed on the following projects: Port Harcourt-Aba Road, Abriba-Arochukwu-Ohafia Road (Abia State,; Oji-Achi-Obeagu-Mmaku-Awgu-Ndeaboh-Mpu-Okpanku Road (Enugu State), Second Niger Bridge and the Ikot Ekpene Border-Aba-Owerri Road (Akwa Ibom/Abia and Imo States).

Buhari is also said to be eager to erase the impression that he would punish the zone for voting against him during the 2015 election.

This is coming on the heels of subtle threats by some members of the ruling All Progressives Congress, especially from the South-West, to reassess their membership.

A prominent member of the party, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “Of course, a lot of realignment is going on.

“Even the media war between former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, should tell you something.”

He added, “The 2015 elections taught us that no part of this country can be ignored. The PDP took the North-Central for granted and they paid for it. The news from the South-West is giving us concerns but we are addressing the issues. We don’t want to leave anything to chance.

“The president is a better politician than many are willing to give him credit for. He listens, he has instructed that infrastructure, especially roads in the zone, be revisited. He knows such projects have a direct impact on the lives of ordinary people.”

The Director General of the Voice of Nigeria, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, however, said it would be wrong to give political colouration to the president’s desire to give every part of Nigeria a sense of belonging.

He explained that in one of his first acts as president, Buhari approved a bailout for interested state governments, irrespective of political affiliations to access funds to pay their workers, some of whom were owed up to 18 months.

Okechukwu said, “The rehabilitation of roads has started across the land not only in the South-East. Mr. President is looking for the best way to meet up with the promises we made during the campaign.

“On the issue of our south-eastern brothers coming back home to the APC where they belong, you and I know that nobody can poach somebody like Orji Uzor Kalu. He is not a hungry man.”

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media, Garba Shehu, could not be reached for a reaction as calls to his mobile telephone were neither picked nor returned. There was no response to a text message sent to him as of the time of filing this report.

However, a highly placed Presidency source told our correspondent, “I am not aware of any special plan for the South-East but I know a stakeholders’ meeting similar to what was held for the South-South is being planned for the South-East (Zone) this year.”

… FERMA repairs federal roads in Imo

Motorists and road users in Imo State have begun to heave a sigh of relief as the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency commenced repairs of some failed stretches of federal roads in the state.

The motorists plying the busy Owerri-Obowo-Umuahia road described the repairs as timely and requested the agency to sustain the tempo of the reconstruction.

One of the commuters, Mr. Benjamin Mgbelechi, told our correspondent that the deplorable state of the road had forced motorists to look for detours before joining the main alignment, which he said occasionally led to crashes.

Mgbelechi noted that the state of the road had caused untold hardships to road users, adding that it is not uncommon for motorists who use the road to visit mechanic workshops more often than not.

Another motorist, Mr. Cletus Ohiri, stated that at Enyiogugu Mbaise axis, motorists witnessed constant traffic gridlock.

He said, “Owing to washout at that spot, motorists spend hours in heavy traffic.”

A 54-year-old resident of Umulogho in Obowo LGA, Mr. Okechukwu Isika, said the bad state of the road made it easy for robbers to operate.

Isika commended FERMA, adding that the repairs would save many ugly situations especially as Christmas approaches.

A trader, Mrs. Juliet Njoku, also noted that the bad road had affected their businesses negatively.

She said, “We pay through the nose to convey our goods to the markets. Even when we get to the market, the goods are not sold because of the (delayed) time of delivery.

“Also, when we add money to the goods to make up for the high transportation fare, people don’t buy. They usually say the price is high.”

A FERMA Engineer in Imo, Mr. Chukwuemeka Maduagwu, said the agency would ensure that federal roads are without potholes and failed spots.

Maduagwu said, “Within the limit of available resources, we will ensure that all failed sections along our vital economic routes receive attention within the shortest possible time, especially as Christmas approaches with expected increase in traffic.”

THE VOICE MAGAZINE HONOURS, GOVERNOR ABDULLAHI UMAR GANDUJE, OBA OGUNWUSI ENITAN(OONI OF IFE), SENATOR OLUREMI TINUBU OON, SENATOR OLAMILEKAN SOLOMON ADEOLA, OTHERS

The Management of DAMA MEDIA CONCEPT, Publishers of The Voice Magazine, had released the lists of the 2017 THE VOICE MAGAZINE MERIT AND OUTSTANING AWARDEES.

According to the statement from the publisher, Mr. Oladele Damilola, the award recipients are: GOVERNOR ABDULLAHI UMAR GANDUJE, ELDER OLOWO O. GABRIEL(President Sabre Network), SENATOR OLUREMI TINUBU OON, SENATOR OLAMILEKAN SOLOMON ADEOLA, CP OWOSENI FATAI, OBA OGUNWUSI ENITAN, DR.(MRS) OLUFUNSHO AMOSUN, SENATOR GBOLAHAN DADA, SP EGBEYEMI SAHEED(CHAIRMAN LAGOS TASKFORCE), PRINCE ADEWALE BELLO(APC CHAIRMAN, OJOKORO LCDA, LAGOS), MR. ABIMBOLA TOKI-PHILLIPS, SP AJAYI ABAYOMI(DPO ALAKUKO DIVISION), CSP MUYIDEEN OBE (DPO ONIPANU DIVISION, OTA), GBENGA ARULEBA. OLOOTU G.A BANKOLE (Chairman Mercyland Int’l College), KRESTAL LAUREL GROUP IKEJA, PASTOR ALONGE (Chairman, Barachel Group of schools), Prophet Sanni Oluwagbenga Jp, Mr. Ahmed Taiwo (IDL, Ibadan), TAIWO & KEHINDE FALOBI, MR. AANU EGBESOLA (MD KERLIN PRODUCTS LTD), COMMANDER SENI OGUNYEMI (TRACE CORPS COMMANDER, OGUN STATE), MR. F. OJO and others.

The event will holds on Friday, 24^th of February, 2017 at 6.00pm, at Golfview Hotels & Suit, Major General Adeyinka Way, GRA, Ikeja Lagos. This year lecture will centre on “The Challenges of National Integration and Survival of Democracy in Nigeria”. The Management has written Chief FEMI FALANA SAN as the notable Guest speaker.