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Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, has refuted claims that he has been pocketed by the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki. He also explained how he was able to increase Kwara State Internally generated revenue from N7bn to about N17bn annually which has since made it easy for his administration to pay workers salaries as at when due.

The soft spoken governor, in a recent interview with PUNCH Newspaper said ‘So, the issue of pocketing or not pocketing; it’s not a private business, it’s not Abdulfatah Nigeria Limited, it’s the business of Kwara and Kwarans have been input providers in getting us to the current level”.

Full Excerpts of the interview below:

Kwara is one of the few states that have been able to pay salaries regularly. How have you been able to do this?

The financial challenges started kicking in and around 2013, 2014. The first thing we did was to look internally. We reviewed our revenue generating strategies, we changed the people, we changed our processes and engaged technology and this saw the movement of our revenues from an annual accrual of about N7bn to about N17bn. That automatically created some level of headroom to carry out recurrent and capital expenditure, hence, our ability to support salary payment and carry out some of the projects we’ve been able to carry out.

How do you think the herders/farmers clashes can be solved?

The current situation in the country is saddening. I think it requires a holistic approach given the fact that the cattle rearing business is part of the national economy which must be given its proper place to truly enable it to contribute to the economy. The current rate at which cattle rearing is done needs to be reviewed and seen in the context of today’s reality because the size of land available is different from what used to be available. If you look at the whole issue of clashes between the herdsmen and farmers, it’s about land use; it’s about being able to appropriately use land to create wealth. There are better ways by which this can be done through dialogue, through looking at the working models in different environments, domesticating them and improving advocacy on peaceful co-existence. In Kwara State, we’ve approached the issue of farmers/herdsmen clashes through dialogue and understanding which have since led to peaceful co-existence and have allowed for areas of infractions to come with compensation. It’s mutually agreed that when farms are trampled on or destroyed, they come with compensation and this has been adhered to by the various associations of cattle breeders which has also created a much more peaceful environment. Of course, there are skirmishes here and there, it is not unexpected but not to the scale that will require the deployment of security forces. It’s still at levels where it can be mutually sorted out. So far,  our mode of approach has been through dialogue and inclusive agreements between the cattle rearers and farmers on what should be done at what time and defining areas of the use at a  point in time and so far, we are happy with what we have on the ground.

What is your take on the proposed cattle colonies?

I think we should look at what is going to work for us as a country. We must realise that the cattle herders in the light of the services they render to the country’s economy, we need to have a very responsive agriculture ministry which must pursue policies that will ensure everybody is carried along. I am sure by the time we are able to sit and look at practices that are carried out in other parts of the world, we would be able to domesticate something that will suit our interest and will suit our peculiarities. One thing is clear, the way and manner we used to do it in the past, is no longer possible because the space is getting smaller, the population is growing and we require optimal land use in such a way and manner that we will begin to reap the benefit. First things first, domesticate what is done in different parts of the world and begin to see how to truly skew our people through advocacy and other methods that will make them find the new methods attractive and move on to the new level.

The relationship between you and your predecessor, Senator Bukola Saraki, who is the current Senate President, seems cordial. Is it that he has pocketed you?

I was part and parcel of the administration (of Bukola Saraki) when he was here as governor. I was part and parcel of the economic team. I was part and parcel of the planning team and I was part and parcel of articulating the programme that would see the development of Kwara from point A to point B, employing all available resources. So, it was only natural that when I was coming on board, it would be foolhardy for me to say I want to run the state without getting input from him or others who have input to give because governance is about taking ideas from people. You must be able to listen to constructive criticism and use that as the basis to change things from the way they are if they are not in the way they should be. By and large, we have been working based on campaign promises, based on input from all those who can support us. We even give room for opposition who come with constructive criticism.  So, the issue of pocketing or not pocketing; it’s not a private business, it’s not Abdulfatah Nigeria Limited, it’s the business of Kwara and Kwarans have been input providers in getting us to the current level. I have had town hall meetings across the state. For him, he can only serve as a guide to us because whether we like it or not, he’s had that experience. Whoever is coming in tomorrow as governor, will necessarily listen to me if he truly wants to see some things achieved because I’ve gone through this experience and there is no substitute for experience.

Your party, the APC, came on board based on a promise of change. From what is currently happening, would you say your party has done so well that it deserves a second term especially at the centre?

You and I are not unfamiliar with the fact that there was a major shift from the PDP to the APC, and truly the APC came with a lot of expectations. However, the attendant programmes that have come in as the APC government was being ushered in, especially the issue of the price of crude oil that dropped; we saw how the economy began to move southwards. This naturally created a different starting point for the APC and in trying to gauge what the APC has done so far, from a modest perspective, I think it has done well because it had so many facets to tackle. You have one of the facets of ensuring that our institutions are working, ensuring that resources are available to drive programmes, there is a huge deficit of infrastructure especially in energy and roads which are very critical to development and growth. By and large, getting to create platforms that would drive states to the right platform to allow governance to go on was quite herculean. I would say that modestly, the APC government has achieved and it requires sometimes building on what it has achieved as platforms to give the desired impact that would truly change what people’s expectations are.

Do you think governors should be monitored on how they spend bailout funds from the Federal Government?

Let us recognise the fact that the Paris Club money is a refund to states. Their monies were taken in the past and it’s being returned to them. For us in this state, we had expectations on how to use these funds and we keyed it into our budgeting system and it wasn’t like some free money dropping from heaven that didn’t have where it was coming from or where it was going to. It’s money that has been anticipated and has been encapsulated in the budget as part of the funding to go into all programmes that were captured in both capital and recurrent in our 2017 budget. Do you need to monitor people on how they execute their programmes? It is our money. If I lend you money today and you pay back, would I tell you how to spend the money? I can only give advice because when you came to me asking for the money in the first place, you were shouting that you had projects and programmes to run. So naturally, when I am giving out that money if you came to me and said, ‘Look, I need to marry a new wife, I need some money,’ when I give you that money, I remind you to say don’t forget you said you are going to marry a new wife. So that was the situation.

But the President said you should use it to pay salaries.

He was just being suggestive because this was the pressure that was put on him by governors in making request for their refund. He was also advising that ‘since some of you claim you need the money to pay salaries, this is the money, just pay the salaries  so that workers will be happy.’ It is not that he is compelling governors on what to do with the money. For some of us, it’s been put in our budgets and it’s designed to fund our normal budgeting system.

There are some misgivings among APC leaders and there are indications that some may move back to the PDP. If that happens in Kwara, what is likely going to be the decision?

It is an unlikely scenario here in Kwara. Don’t forget that because we run an inclusive process, it’s not about the leadership, it’s about the following and the following defines the direction they want us to go in because the followers’ decision is based largely on what their expectations are. If they insist that they want us to remain, we remain; if they want us to go, we go, and it will be based on their inputs. Don’t forget, it’s an inclusive house, which allows for decision-making to be done inclusively and has since informed the way and manner decisions are taken. When we were in the PDP and had to move to the APC, it was an inclusively designed programme and it’s not like you are herding cattle and just move on and direct them to move to a particular direction; no, it’s inclusively done. Inputs are taken from ward level on why changes need to happen at that time but as it is today, we are comfortable where we are and we’ve not seen the basis for moving out from where we are today.

There are speculations that the PDP is talking to you. Is the PDP talking to you?

As speculative as it is to you, so it is to me.

 

 

 

Punch

BIG STORY

Oil Marketers Counter Dangote Refinery On Substandard Products Claim, Say “It’s False”

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Oil marketers, under the umbrella of the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), have rejected claims by the Dangote refinery suggesting that cheaper petrol sold by other marketers is substandard.

On November 3, the Dangote refinery stated that any oil marketer offering petrol below its price is likely importing inferior products.

The refinery emphasized that its prices are aligned with international benchmarks and the rates at which the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited sells to local marketers after deregulation.

In response, DAPPMAN’s executive secretary, Olufemi Adewole, issued a statement on Tuesday, asserting that none of the association’s members are involved in the importation of low-quality products into Nigeria.

“We have said this for the umpteenth time, and it bears repeating, those in the downstream sector business of petroleum products trade are patriotic Nigerians who will not shortchange Nigerian citizens for filthy lucre,” Adewole said.

“Our members are in this business to add value to the businesses of their fellow Nigerians and not to defraud them.

“Prices of products in the international market are dynamic as they are dictated by prevailing circumstances at every given situation. We calculate our landing costs based on the dynamics of market forces, and the templates are always in the public domain.

“To claim that if the landing cost of imported product happens to be lower than that of the refinery indicates importation of low quality product is not only preposterous, but also fallacious. In any case, the management of the refinery has, until now, kept its cost and prices close to its chest and put it away from public scrutiny.”

Adewole said the refinery’s comment is targeted at projecting DAPPMAN’s members negatively before the public.

He also said such claims cannot help the company’s desire to have oil marketers patronise its products.

“What will ensure such patronage is transparency, fairplay, and readiness to compete with others, including foreign refineries, on an even keel and on a level playing field,” he added.

The DAPPMAN executive secretary said the company’s claim that the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) does not have a modern laboratory to test imported fuel is false.

“A regulator must have access to modern, state of the art laboratory at every point in time, whether owned by it or others. Such laboratories must be of world standard,” he said.

“The regulator, and indeed, the marketers, have access to such world-class laboratories, which include: SGS, Inspectorate, and Interterk, among others.

“If fuel marketers were bringing in off-spec fuel, this wouldn’t have been difficult to detect. How many vehicles in the last one year have reported engine problems resulting from bad fuel? Where are the reports about environmental pollution occasioned by the usage of low quality fuel?

“It is a false statement to claim that any product brought in with a landing price lower than the price offered by the Dangote Refinery is a substandard product.

“It is the management of the refinery that will need to tweak its template to reflect the crude for naira sales and other incentives which the federal government has graciously extended to the refinery.”

Adewole also said the members were surprised to know that the refinery has a 500 million litres fuel reserve.

“We were surprised because we believe that if the Refinery has such huge stock, it is the marketers that should be put in the know first,” the executive secretary said.

“Secondly, it was even more surprising given that the news came about the time the refinery was working on rationing what each marketer could pick from the refinery. If they had such huge stock, how is it then that they are rationing what marketers could buy.”

Adewole said the association will continue to play by the rules and will not be tired of advocating for a level playing field, and a competitive and transparent sector.

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BIG STORY

Doyin Okupe Reacts To Peter Obi’s Viral Video, Says I Cannot Support Him Again

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Doyin Okupe, the former director-general of the Labour Party (LP) presidential campaign in 2023, says he “cannot support” Peter Obi again.

Okupe spoke on Monday during an interview with Seun Okinbaloye on Channels Television’s Politics Today.

He was reacting to a viral clip of Obi commenting on how the country’s economic situation offers little relief to people in the south-west, despite President Bola Tinubu being from the zone.

“Let us talk about what is happening today. Rice is about N100,000. We are not even sure where we are going to be. ‘It’s our turn’, ‘he is a Yoruba man’ — ask the people in Ogun, here is there any place you people buy bread cheaper?” Obi said in the viral clip.

The video generated mixed reactions on social media, with some supporting Obi’s comments while others criticised him.

Adding his voice to the criticism, Okupe described the former LP presidential candidate’s remark as an “insult” to people in the south-west.

He said Obi’s statement publicly demeaned the south-west, even though “eminent Yoruba people” had supported him during his presidential campaign in 2023.

“When Obi made that statement, it insulted us. I am a Yoruba man; I left everything and followed Obi.

“For the first time, Obasanjo left his circle of influence and deviated to support Obi,” Okupe said.

“I do not regret supporting Peter Obi. But now I cannot do it again. The reason why I did it was because we agreed that a southern president must emerge.

“I was approached that if a southern president must emerge, which zone must it come to? I said the south-east.

“If all these eminent Yoruba people supported you, why now bring us down publicly? It is wrong.”

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Lagos Muslim Cleric Bags Life Jail For Raping 14-Yr-Old Girl Inside Mosque

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Alani Rafiu, a Muslim cleric, has been sentenced to life imprisonment by an Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court for raping a 14-year-old girl inside a mosque.

Justice Rahman Oshodi delivered the verdict on Monday, after finding Rafiu guilty of child defilement. The cleric was arraigned on October 28, 2021, for having sexual intercourse with the teenager, but pleaded not guilty, leading to a trial.

During the trial, the prosecution, led by B. Boye, presented three witnesses, including the victim, who testified against Rafiu. The prosecution provided compelling evidence, including the victim’s testimony and medical reports, which revealed a calculated pattern of predatory behavior by the cleric.

Justice Oshodi emphasized that Rafiu’s actions were particularly egregious due to his position of trust as a religious instructor and family friend.

The judge stated that the gravity of the offence could not be overstated, as Rafiu exploited the victim’s vulnerability and betrayed the trust placed in him.

“The gravity of your offence cannot be overstated. You betrayed the trust placed in you as a religious instructor and family friend.

“Instead of nurturing and protecting a vulnerable 14-year-old child entrusted to your spiritual care, you repeatedly sexually abused her in a place of worship.

“This conduct is criminal and represents a profound violation of secular and religious principles,” he said.

Oshodi further held that the evidence revealed a calculated pattern of predatory behaviour, as the convict deliberately isolated the child, exploited her vulnerability, and bought her silence with money.

“The evidence revealed a calculated pattern of predatory behaviour. You deliberately isolated the child, exploited her vulnerability, and bought her silence with money.

“The physical and psychological trauma inflicted on this young girl is immeasurable. At an age when she should have been focused on her education and development, she was subjected to experiences that no child should endure,” the judge held.

Oshodi also stated that having carefully considered all the evidence before the court, there was compelling and consistent proof establishing that the prosecutrix was indeed a child below the age of 18 years at the time of the alleged offence in May 2021.

He said the evidence manifested through multiple sources.

Oshodi said, “When the prosecutrix testified before this court, she stated that she was 15 years old and 14 when the alleged incident occurred.

“Notably, she was still attending primary school then, explicitly saying she was in Primary 3.

“The prosecutrix’s educational level, being in Primary 3, at the time of her testimony, while not determinative of age, provides supporting circumstantial evidence consistent with her being a young teenager rather than an adult.

“The consistency of these multiple sources of evidence – the police and guardian testimony, the prosecutrix’s evidence, and circumstantial evidence – all converge to establish beyond reasonable doubt that the prosecutrix was 14 years old at the time of the alleged offence in May 2021.

“The defence led no evidence to contradict these age-related facts, nor was the prosecutrix’s age challenged during cross-examination of any of the prosecution witnesses”.

The judge said the prosecutrix provided a detailed, firsthand account of sexual intercourse with the convict.

“Her testimony was specific. She offered a detailed sequential account of the sexual assault. She testified that at the mosque (where the convict, whom she referred to as Alfa), isolated her. He would then lock the door, remove her underwear, and instruct her to lie on the floor.

“She explicitly stated that Rafiu would then insert his penis into her vagina. When asked about frequency, she confirmed this occurred three times.

“She further testified that these acts would result in bleeding, which the convict would have her clean with a handkerchief. Afterwards, he would instruct her to put her underwear back on before taking her outside,” he said.

According to Oshodi, this testimony provides a direct account of penile-vaginal penetration, with specific details about the sequence of events, location, frequency, and aftermath of the sexual acts.

“The prosecutrix maintained during cross-examination that this occurred three times, explicitly stating, “He had sex with me three times.”

The judge noted that the prosecutrix testimony remained consistent even when challenged about the timeframe, clarifying that these incidents occurred.

He said the medical evidence further strengthened the evidence of sexual intercourse. It reports that the transection found in the prosecutrix’s vagina was “consistent with forceful penetrative injury to the [prosecutrix’s] anus and vagina”.

Before passing down the verdict, Oshodi said, “What makes your conduct particularly egregious is your abuse of religious authority and the sacred space of a mosque to perpetrate these violations.

“Places of worship should be sanctuaries of safety and spiritual growth, not venues for the exploitation of children.

“The medical evidence and the prosecutrix’s testimony paint a disturbing picture of the physical harm you caused.

The bleeding she experienced and your callous provision of a handkerchief to clean up the evidence of your abuse demonstrate a shocking disregard for her well-being.

“This court must protect children from sexual predators and send a clear message that such conduct will be met with the full force of the law.

“The sentence must reflect society’s abhorrence of child sexual abuse and serve as a deterrent to others who might contemplate similar crimes.

“Therefore, I now sentence you to life imprisonment by section 137 of the Criminal Law. Furthermore, under sections 33 and 38 of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency Law, 2021, I order that you be registered as a sex offender in the Sex Offenders Register maintained by the Lagos State Government,” he held.

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