71 captives rescued as troops smash Boko Haram camps

kinny men and women. Frail old people and ailing young boys and girls. They were all excited to be free — thanks to troops who subdued two Boko Haram camps in Chuogori and Shantumari, Borno State. The seizure of the camps was spearheaded by troops from 21 Brigade and Nigerian Army Engineers. In Kashingeri, Wale, Kushingari and other camps, 151 Task Force Battalion troops rescued 71 civilians from the terrorists’ camps. Amid the success, the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, yesterday listed why the war had been tough. He said: the military’s equipment was not enough; some fifth columnists in the military and other security agencies were leaking operational plans to the insurgents; and when the insurgency broke out in the Northeast, the military had been overstretched. The Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Kukasheka Usman, said troops dislodged insurgents from two camps yesterday and rescued 59 from three others. In a statement last night, Col. Usman said: “As part of efforts to rid Nigeria of Boko Haram terrorists, troops of 21 Brigade and elements of Nigerian Army Engineers yesterday cleared a notorious terrorists’ camp at Chuogori and Shantumari, Borno State. “During the offensive operations, the fleeing terrorists left underground silos. “In addition, troops of 151 Task Force Battalion conducted operations on Kashingeri, Wale and Kushingari Boko Haram terrorists camps today. During the raids, quite a number of the terrorists were killed; a Landrover vehicle and a tipper were recovered. “The troops also rescued 59 civilians that were held captive by the terrorists and cleared the camps.” Some of the captives told The Associated Press that they were in the clutches of the extremists for as long as a year. “I was waiting for death … they often threatened to kill us,” said Yagana Kyari, a woman in her 20s, who said she had been kidnapped from her village of Kawuri and taken to a militant camp in Walimberi, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) southeast of Maiduguri. Kyari said they often went hungry because the extremists never provided enough food. “Our gallant troops have rescued 59 civilians in two camps of the terrorist group,” army spokesman Col. I.T. Gusau said. “Many of the terrorists were killed in the course of the operations, but mop-up is still going on.” The 59, all women and children except for five elderly men, were freed on Thursday, he said. Another 12 women and girls were rescued Wednesday from Kilakisa, 90 kilometres (55 miles) southwest of Maiduguri, he said. Air Chief Marshal Badeh was delivering his valedictory address at his Pulling-Out from the Nigerian Armed Forces. He said: “Notwithstanding the modest successes we recorded in the fight against terror, I must say that the task of co-ordinating the military and other security agencies in the fight against the insurgents is perhaps the most complex and challenging assignment I have had in my over 38 years in service. “For the first time, I was head of a military that lacked the relevant equipment and motivation to fight an enemy that was invisible and embedded with the local populace. “Added to this was the exploitation of a serious national security issue by a section of the press and the political class to gain political mileage. “Furthermore, the activities of fifth columnists in the military and other security agencies who leaked operational plans and other sensitive military information to the terrorists, combined to make the fight against the insurgents particularly difficult. “The activities of these unpatriotic members of the military not only blunted the effectiveness of the fight, but also led to the needless deaths of numerous officers and men who unwittingly fell into ambushes prepared by terrorists who had advance warnings of the approach of such troops. “The decision by certain countries to deny us weapons to prosecute the war also added to the challenges we faced.” He said the military was overstretched by the time Boko Haram insurgency reached its peak in the Northeast. He said: “Over the years, the military was neglected and underequipped to ensure the survival of certain regimes, while other regimes, based on advice from some foreign nations, deliberately reduced the size of the military and underfunded it. “Unfortunately, our past leaders accepted such recommendations without appreciating our peculiarities as a third world military, which does not have the technological advantage that could serve as force multipliers and compensate for reduced strength. “Accordingly, when faced with the crises in the Northeast and other parts of the country, the military was overstretched and had to embark on emergency recruitments and trainings, which were not adequate to prepare troops for the kind of situation we found ourselves in. “It is important therefore for the government to decide on the kind of military force it needs, by carrying out a comprehensive review of the nation’s military force structure to determine the size, capability and equipment holding required to effectively defend the nation and provide needed security. This is based on the fact that without security, there cannot be sustainable development. The huge cost that would be required to rebuild the Northeast and other trouble spots in the country could have been avoided if the military had been adequately equipped and prepared to contain the ongoing insurgency before it escalated to where it is today.” Notwithstanding, Air Chief Marshal Badeh said his tenure witnessed many achievements. He said: “Despite these challenges, I am glad to note that a lot was achieved during our time in the fight against terror. The achievements recorded are largely due to the commitment, patriotism and fighting spirit of our men and women in uniform who saw the fight against terror as a task that must be accomplished no matter the odds and in spite of the campaign of calumny against the military by a section of the media with their foreign collaborators. “The support of our teeming populace who have continued to stand behind their military has been quite encouraging. “Also, our true friends who stood by us in our time of need and provided us the weapons we are now using to conduct the operations will always have a special place in our hearts. “I must also mention the support and co-operation we have continued to enjoy from our neighbouring countries, which have enabled us to present a united front against a common enemy. “The great support we have continued to receive and the determination of our patriotic troops to defeat this enemy of our nation has not only helped us to remain focused, but to also embark on other projects for the armed forces. Air Chief Marshal Badeh, however, said no nation could depend on other countries for its defence needs. He asked Nigeria to look inward by building a defence industrial complex. He added: “I want to state emphatically that no nation can achieve its full security potentials by totally depending on other nations for its defence needs. The lessons of the civil war and the ongoing war against terror where certain countries frustrated our attempts to procure much needed weapons are very instructive. “Again, as I have always said, when a nation is at war, it is not the military alone that is at war, it is the entire nation. Accordingly, every segment of society must see itself contributing to the overall war effort by presenting a united front against a common enemy. “Therefore, I appeal to the relevant agencies of government to mobilise the huge human and material resources we have in this country towards the development of a vibrant Defence Industrial Complex that would contribute to meeting our critical arms and equipment needs. This is crucial if we must reduce our total dependence on foreign sources of supply for critically needed arms. “That is the only way we can retain our dignity as a nation in order to have freedom of action in international affairs.” Air Chief Marshal Badeh, under whose tenure newspapers were confiscated, still criticised the press in his valedictory address. He said: “A major challenge we faced during my tenure was the negative media coverage of the activities of the Armed Forces in the ongoing war against terror in the Northeast. “We, therefore, resolved to have a medium through which we can tell our own side of the story in an objective and accurate manner. This gave birth to the establishment of the Armed Forces Radio, broadcasting on 107.7 FM from the Mogadishu Cantonment. “Also, we were able to complete and commission the Armed Forces DNA Laboratory in Mogadishu Cantonment.”

Ooni: Ife chiefs meet with Aregbesola

The Royal Traditional Council of Ife on Thursday met Governor Rauf Aregbesola briefly behind closed-doors at the Government House. The delegates first told the governor in the presence of some journalists that the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, was alive, contrary to the news in the media. The detail of the brief meeting held behind closed-doors was not made available to journalists. The chiefs, led by the Lowa of Ife, Oba Joseph Ijaodola, had earlier said it was regrettable that the Ooni was always a target of negative publicity in the media. Some prominent indigenes of Ife, who were members of the ruling All Progressives Congress, were present at the meeting. They included Senator Babajide Omoworare; the immediate past Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mr. Sikiru Ayedun; a former member of Osun State House of Assembly, Mr. Adetilewa Sijuade, and a former Special Adviser to the Governor on Youth and Sports, Mr. Biyi Odunlade. ADVERTISEMENT The Lowa said, “We were all shocked when we heard the rumour of baba’s death. If at all such an incident had occurred, the Royal Traditional Council of Ife would be the first to know and equally break the news to the entire public. “Sixteen of us are his chiefs and when he was travelling out, he didn’t look like he was going to die and should such a thing have happened to him, we would have been informed even before anyone would hear about it. We pray that Ooni Sijuade will live long in good health.” Aregbesola thanked the chiefs for holding forth the monarch’s domain while he was away and he prayed God to give the monarch long life in good health. Meanwhile, the palace of the Ooni looked deserted on Thursday when our correspondent visited the place. There was no crowd. The hordes of okada riders, who had gathered at the entrance of the palace on Wednesday when newspapers broke the news of the Ooni’s death, were clearly absent. While visitors to the palace including journalists were not allowed to go beyond the first court which houses the Press Centre, the Emese’s court and the police station, some chiefs who visited the palace were seen going inside the inner part of the palace. A palace source, who spoke to our correspondent, said the rebuttal of the news of the Ooni’s death by the RTC was in order. The source said although the monarch had passed away, the procedure for breaking such big news must be followed. He said, “The Traditional Council did a good job. They tried as much as they can to ensure that things are done the way they should be done. “Although they may not be able to do all those things the same way they were done about 100 years ago, there must be a semblance of it. He was not just an ordinary person, so the announcement of his death must follow the due process. “The news quickly filtered out because it happened outside the country. Nobody would have known except some very few persons if he had died right inside the palace. “You know that the same thing happened to one of the foremost Obas in the country (name withheld); it is almost two months now and they have not announced it officially. But the Ooni passed away outside the country; so it is difficult to manage the situation but the chiefs did what was expected of them.” Asked when the corpse of the departed monarch was expected to be brought back into the country, the source declined comment.

Ooni: Ife chiefs meet with Aregbesola

The Royal Traditional Council of Ife on Thursday met Governor Rauf Aregbesola briefly behind closed-doors at the Government House. The delegates first told the governor in the presence of some journalists that the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, was alive, contrary to the news in the media. The detail of the brief meeting held behind closed-doors was not made available to journalists. The chiefs, led by the Lowa of Ife, Oba Joseph Ijaodola, had earlier said it was regrettable that the Ooni was always a target of negative publicity in the media. Some prominent indigenes of Ife, who were members of the ruling All Progressives Congress, were present at the meeting. They included Senator Babajide Omoworare; the immediate past Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mr. Sikiru Ayedun; a former member of Osun State House of Assembly, Mr. Adetilewa Sijuade, and a former Special Adviser to the Governor on Youth and Sports, Mr. Biyi Odunlade. ADVERTISEMENT The Lowa said, “We were all shocked when we heard the rumour of baba’s death. If at all such an incident had occurred, the Royal Traditional Council of Ife would be the first to know and equally break the news to the entire public. “Sixteen of us are his chiefs and when he was travelling out, he didn’t look like he was going to die and should such a thing have happened to him, we would have been informed even before anyone would hear about it. We pray that Ooni Sijuade will live long in good health.” Aregbesola thanked the chiefs for holding forth the monarch’s domain while he was away and he prayed God to give the monarch long life in good health. Meanwhile, the palace of the Ooni looked deserted on Thursday when our correspondent visited the place. There was no crowd. The hordes of okada riders, who had gathered at the entrance of the palace on Wednesday when newspapers broke the news of the Ooni’s death, were clearly absent. While visitors to the palace including journalists were not allowed to go beyond the first court which houses the Press Centre, the Emese’s court and the police station, some chiefs who visited the palace were seen going inside the inner part of the palace. A palace source, who spoke to our correspondent, said the rebuttal of the news of the Ooni’s death by the RTC was in order. The source said although the monarch had passed away, the procedure for breaking such big news must be followed. He said, “The Traditional Council did a good job. They tried as much as they can to ensure that things are done the way they should be done. “Although they may not be able to do all those things the same way they were done about 100 years ago, there must be a semblance of it. He was not just an ordinary person, so the announcement of his death must follow the due process. “The news quickly filtered out because it happened outside the country. Nobody would have known except some very few persons if he had died right inside the palace. “You know that the same thing happened to one of the foremost Obas in the country (name withheld); it is almost two months now and they have not announced it officially. But the Ooni passed away outside the country; so it is difficult to manage the situation but the chiefs did what was expected of them.” Asked when the corpse of the departed monarch was expected to be brought back into the country, the source declined comment.

Ooni: Ife chiefs meet with Aregbesola

The Royal Traditional Council of Ife on Thursday met Governor Rauf Aregbesola briefly behind closed-doors at the Government House. The delegates first told the governor in the presence of some journalists that the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, was alive, contrary to the news in the media. The detail of the brief meeting held behind closed-doors was not made available to journalists. The chiefs, led by the Lowa of Ife, Oba Joseph Ijaodola, had earlier said it was regrettable that the Ooni was always a target of negative publicity in the media. Some prominent indigenes of Ife, who were members of the ruling All Progressives Congress, were present at the meeting. They included Senator Babajide Omoworare; the immediate past Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mr. Sikiru Ayedun; a former member of Osun State House of Assembly, Mr. Adetilewa Sijuade, and a former Special Adviser to the Governor on Youth and Sports, Mr. Biyi Odunlade. ADVERTISEMENT The Lowa said, “We were all shocked when we heard the rumour of baba’s death. If at all such an incident had occurred, the Royal Traditional Council of Ife would be the first to know and equally break the news to the entire public. “Sixteen of us are his chiefs and when he was travelling out, he didn’t look like he was going to die and should such a thing have happened to him, we would have been informed even before anyone would hear about it. We pray that Ooni Sijuade will live long in good health.” Aregbesola thanked the chiefs for holding forth the monarch’s domain while he was away and he prayed God to give the monarch long life in good health. Meanwhile, the palace of the Ooni looked deserted on Thursday when our correspondent visited the place. There was no crowd. The hordes of okada riders, who had gathered at the entrance of the palace on Wednesday when newspapers broke the news of the Ooni’s death, were clearly absent. While visitors to the palace including journalists were not allowed to go beyond the first court which houses the Press Centre, the Emese’s court and the police station, some chiefs who visited the palace were seen going inside the inner part of the palace. A palace source, who spoke to our correspondent, said the rebuttal of the news of the Ooni’s death by the RTC was in order. The source said although the monarch had passed away, the procedure for breaking such big news must be followed. He said, “The Traditional Council did a good job. They tried as much as they can to ensure that things are done the way they should be done. “Although they may not be able to do all those things the same way they were done about 100 years ago, there must be a semblance of it. He was not just an ordinary person, so the announcement of his death must follow the due process. “The news quickly filtered out because it happened outside the country. Nobody would have known except some very few persons if he had died right inside the palace. “You know that the same thing happened to one of the foremost Obas in the country (name withheld); it is almost two months now and they have not announced it officially. But the Ooni passed away outside the country; so it is difficult to manage the situation but the chiefs did what was expected of them.” Asked when the corpse of the departed monarch was expected to be brought back into the country, the source declined comment.

Ooni: Ife chiefs meet with Aregbesola

The Royal Traditional Council of Ife on Thursday met Governor Rauf Aregbesola briefly behind closed-doors at the Government House. The delegates first told the governor in the presence of some journalists that the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, was alive, contrary to the news in the media. The detail of the brief meeting held behind closed-doors was not made available to journalists. The chiefs, led by the Lowa of Ife, Oba Joseph Ijaodola, had earlier said it was regrettable that the Ooni was always a target of negative publicity in the media. Some prominent indigenes of Ife, who were members of the ruling All Progressives Congress, were present at the meeting. They included Senator Babajide Omoworare; the immediate past Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mr. Sikiru Ayedun; a former member of Osun State House of Assembly, Mr. Adetilewa Sijuade, and a former Special Adviser to the Governor on Youth and Sports, Mr. Biyi Odunlade. ADVERTISEMENT The Lowa said, “We were all shocked when we heard the rumour of baba’s death. If at all such an incident had occurred, the Royal Traditional Council of Ife would be the first to know and equally break the news to the entire public. “Sixteen of us are his chiefs and when he was travelling out, he didn’t look like he was going to die and should such a thing have happened to him, we would have been informed even before anyone would hear about it. We pray that Ooni Sijuade will live long in good health.” Aregbesola thanked the chiefs for holding forth the monarch’s domain while he was away and he prayed God to give the monarch long life in good health. Meanwhile, the palace of the Ooni looked deserted on Thursday when our correspondent visited the place. There was no crowd. The hordes of okada riders, who had gathered at the entrance of the palace on Wednesday when newspapers broke the news of the Ooni’s death, were clearly absent. While visitors to the palace including journalists were not allowed to go beyond the first court which houses the Press Centre, the Emese’s court and the police station, some chiefs who visited the palace were seen going inside the inner part of the palace. A palace source, who spoke to our correspondent, said the rebuttal of the news of the Ooni’s death by the RTC was in order. The source said although the monarch had passed away, the procedure for breaking such big news must be followed. He said, “The Traditional Council did a good job. They tried as much as they can to ensure that things are done the way they should be done. “Although they may not be able to do all those things the same way they were done about 100 years ago, there must be a semblance of it. He was not just an ordinary person, so the announcement of his death must follow the due process. “The news quickly filtered out because it happened outside the country. Nobody would have known except some very few persons if he had died right inside the palace. “You know that the same thing happened to one of the foremost Obas in the country (name withheld); it is almost two months now and they have not announced it officially. But the Ooni passed away outside the country; so it is difficult to manage the situation but the chiefs did what was expected of them.” Asked when the corpse of the departed monarch was expected to be brought back into the country, the source declined comment.

Reopen Bola Ige, others’ murder cases —Reps

The House of Representatives passed a resolution on Thursday asking the Federal Government to reopen investigations into several unresolved high-profile killings in the country. Lawmakers also called on the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, to take decisive actions against kidnapping, which they said had assumed an “embarrassing dimension” in Nigeria lately. Among those on the list of victims of unresolved killings were a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, late Chief Bola Ige; Pa Alfred Rewane; Chief Funsho Williams; Chief Harry Marshall; Dele Giwa and Chief A.K. Dikibo. The list also included Dr. Ayo Daramola, Chukwuma Ogbuefi, the ‘Apo Six’ and the deaths resulting from attacks on communities in Delta State, Zaki-Biam in Benue State as well as Odi in Bayelsa State. The House noted that those behind the criminal acts were still moving freely. The motion on the issue was sponsored by a member from Rivers State, Mr. Kingsley Chinda. “The House resolves to urge the Federal Government to urgently re-open investigations into the aforementioned high-profile and unresolved murders with a view to bringing the culprits to justice. “The House also urges the Nigeria Police Force to be more alive to its responsibilities in the prevention and proper investigation of crimes,” the motion read partly. Chinda had told the House that the unresolved cases had emboldened killers who continued in their unlawful acts, forcing Nigerians to live in perpetual fear. The resolution further directed the committees on Police Affairs, National Security and Public Safety to monitor the investigations and report back to the House within four weeks. On kidnapping, the House specifically asked the IG and his men to be proactive in dealing with the perpetrators. The motion initially sought to wade into recent rising cases of kidnapping in Ondo and Ekiti states. However, the House later amended it to cover cases of kidnapping in other parts of the country. There was a mild drama when lawmakers from the South-South and the South-East disagreed over the geo-political zone where kidnapping first started in the country. While those from the South-South said the criminal act started in the South-East, their colleagues from the zone disagreed, as they traced it to the activities of the Niger Delta militants.

WAEC Threatens To Withhold 19 States Results Over Debts

Hundreds of candidates who sat for the May/June West African Senior School Certificate Examination may not have their results released in the next two weeks, the West African Examinations Council has announced. No fewer than 19 states of the federation owe the council about N4bn examination registration fees. The WAEC Head of National Office, Lagos, Mr. Charles Eguridu, announced this on Monday at a briefing in Lagos. He, however, failed to make public the affected states. Eguridu said, “A total number of 19 states in the country owe the Council in respect of entry fees for state government sponsored candidates for the May/June 2015 WASSCE. Some states also still owe the Council registration fees for the May/June 2014 WASSCE. “We have written to the affected state governments without any response. The poor response of the debtor states is threatening the smooth operations of the Council. “We, therefore, want to publicly plead with the affected states to off-set the registration fees of their candidates as soon as possible, as we cannot guarantee that the results of their candidates for the May/June 2015 will be released along with others.”

FCSC denies online recruitment, warns against fraudsters

The Federal Civil Service Commission on Thursday in Abuja dissociated itself from an advertisement that it had embarked on recruitment of applicants. A statement by the spokesperson for the FCSC, Dr. Joel Oruche, entitled, ‘No online recruitment exercise by FCSC’, advised the public “to discountenance this and be on guard against fraudsters.” He added, “The commission hereby dissociates itself from the advertisement and states categorically that no recruitment exercise is being conducted by FCSC as being advertised by some faceless individuals in the social media.” The statement reads, “The attention of the Federal Civil Service Commission has been drawn to an online advertisement that it has embarked on a massive recruitment of applicants. “The commission hereby dissociates itself from the advertisement and states categorically that no recruitment exercise is being conducted by FCSC as being advertised by some faceless individuals in the social media. ADVERTISEMENT “The public is hereby advised to discountenance this and be on guard against fraudsters.”

Nigerian Passport Ranked 57th Most Useful in the World

The Nigerian passport is ranked 57th in the world out of 199 indexed passports. This is according to Passport Index - the interactive tool recently unveiled by Arton Capital, a financial advisory firm which specialises in procuring multiple citizenships for its clients. Commenting on the Index, Oluwakemi Ojo - Head of Communications for Travelstart Nigeria - said, “Arton Capital’s assessment bodes well for Nigerians who love to travel. Currently, Nigerian passport holders enjoy visa-free access to 61 countries in the world including Fiji, Dominica, Madagascar, Mauritius, and Kenya. Visa-free travel is extremely important because it facilitates doing business in foreign territories, and for leisure travellers it reduces the costs and administrative hassles of international travel.” In West Africa, Guinea has a leg up on the rest of the sub-region. The second most useful passport in the region belongs to Togo whose bearers can travel to a total of 67 countries without having to apply for a visa. Citizens of Sao Tome & Principles are less fortunate with visa-free access to just 28 countries. The Passport Index filters passports by country, by region, by colour (of the passport cover), and by passport power rank - the ranking system allocates 1 point for each country the passport holder can enter without applying for a visa before departure. The United Kingdom and United States share the highest passport power rank in the index with access to 147 countries, while Palestinian Territories, Myanmar among others have the lowest with visa free access to just 28 countries. Nigeria holds the same rank on the passport ranking as with Tunisia, Zambia, Mali, Namibia, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Tanzania and Bahrain. The Index’s visa-free count is based on data and consultations from IATA’s Timaticweb platform and other sources. Passports are ranked based on their Visa Free Score. The higher the Visa Free Score, the better the Passport Power Rank. The country list is based on the 193 UN member countries and 6 territories (Macao, Kosovo, etc.) for a total of 199. Territories annexed to other countries such as Norfolk Island, French Polynesia, etc. are excluded. Data is based on research from publicly available sources, as well as information shared by government agencies. Below is a table showing the 17 passports from the West African region, according to Passport Index. Country Passport Power Rank         No. of Visa Free Countries Guinea 42                   80 Togo 50                  67 Liberia 52                  65 Burkina-Faso 53                  64 Mauritania 53                   64 Cape Verde 56                    61 Ivory Coast 56                    61 Senegal 57                    60 Nigeria 57                    61 Mali 57                      61 Benin 60                     58 Ghana 66                      52 Gambia 66                       52 Niger 66                        52 Sierra Leone 69                        49 Somalia 78                         39 Sao Tome & Principle 80                             28

Mourinho slams Mrs Benitez

Jose Mourinho has launched a stinging attack on Real Madrid manager Rafael Benitez after the Spaniard’s wife teased the Chelsea boss by saying her husband always had to tidy up messes left by the Portuguese. Montserrat Seara triggered the attack after Spanish newspaper La Region published her light-hearted remark following Benitez’s appointment at the Bernabeu last month, the third time he has joined a club previously managed by his rival. Mourinho was clearly not amused and speaking to reporters after Chelsea beat European champions Barcelona on penalties in a Washington friendly, he delivered a withering straight-faced response. “The lady is a bit confused,” he said after the match that ended in a 2-2 draw. “I am not laughing… “Her husband went to Chelsea to replace Roberto Di Matteo and he went to Real Madrid and replaced Carlo Ancelotti. “The only club where her husband replaced me was at Inter Milan where, in six months, he destroyed the best team in Europe at the time. “For her also to think about me, and to speak about me, I think she needs to occupy her time. “And if she takes care of her husband’s diet, she will have less time to speak about me.” Benitez was hired by Inter Milan in 2010 after Mourinho had led an aging team to a European and domestic treble before leaving for Real Madrid.

UNDP, ECN provide solar energy for five FCT communities

The United Nations Development Programme has provided solar-power energy for five rural communities in Bwari Area Council in the FCT. The benefitting communities are Tokulo, Zhiko, Sunape, Youpe and Goipe. The gesture came under the “Expanding Access to Off-Grid Renewable Energy (Solar and Biomass) Based Sustainable Energy for All,” a project initiated by the Energy Commission of Nigeria. Director General, ECN, Prof. Eli Bala, said the UNDP provided the fund for the project, while the commission supervised the implementation. Bala, who spoke to newsmen after a two-day inspection tour of the communities, said the objective was to utilise renewable energy sources to provide basic needs for the communities. He listed those needs as lighting, cooking, heating, water pump and health care delivery. “These rural communities are not grid-connected and even those which are grid-connected, supply is epileptic and not regular to sustain a good standard of living. “Fortunately, these areas are endowed with some energy sources referred to as renewable energy, like the sun, wind and the biomass,” (plant-based materials). “They can utilise these with modern technology to enhance their standard of living. “What we did in these villages in Bwari Area Council is to provide them with clean water supply from underground through solar energy,” Bala said.