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Iran supplies arms to Zakzaky to run parallel govt, Gumi alleges AZA MSUE KADUNA

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enowned Islamic scholar, Dr. Ahmad Abubakar Gumi, yesterday alleged that

Gumi

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Speaking to journalists in Kaduna, Dr Gumi said the movement had been training its own security personnel and operating a state within a state.

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leader of the Shiite Movement of Nigeria, Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, was receiving arms from Iran to run a parallel government in most parts of the north in the last 40 years.

Wednesday, December 30 , 2015

Army won’t surrender North-East to Boko Haram –GOC P.6

Buratai

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FG raises legal team to prosecute treasury looters …says past corruption cases to be revisited

No to plea bargaining –Govt

DOOSUUR IWAMBE ABUJA

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ttorney General of the Federation, AGF, and Minis-

ter of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, disclosed yesterday that the Federal Government has put in place a formidable team CONTINUED ON PAGE 2>>

Buhari holds presidential media chat today P.6 Ondo monarchs mount pressure on President over NDDC P.8 NUPENG to suspend fuel supply to Lagos over N224m debt P.8

L-R: Senate President; Senator Bukola Saraki; Governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa; Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu and Governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, during the thanksgiving/reception of Ekweremadu by the people of Mpu, Aninri LGA, Enugu State, yesterday.

Contractor abandons multi-billion naira dam in ...accuses APC of leading 2012 subsidy withdrawal protest Katsina P.12 Kidnappers of Bayelsa commissioner demand N40m ransom

We’ll resist subsidy removal –NLC P.5 P.11

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Wednesday, December 30 , 2015

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FG raises legal team to prosecute treasury looters CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

of public prosecutors to take on the ongoing anticorruption war at the various courts of the country.

Malami, who made the disclosure during a visit by the unrelenting BringBackOurGirls campaign movement at his office in Abuja, re-stated President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to bring all perpetrators of corrupt practices that led to heightened insurgency to book.

“We have put in place a national prosecution team that comprises all stakeholders for the purposes of ensuring the success of what charge is presented before the courts.

“The committee will be saddled with the respon-

sibility of preferring relevant charges and ensuring that charges are preferred in line with the dictates of the law without compromises,” he said.

The country’s Chief Law Officer noted that corruption cases under past administrations in the country were deliberately compromised during investigation in order to pave way for criminal elements to escape the long arm of the law.

Malami, however, assured that steps had been taken to audit such cases with a view to bringing the culprits to justice.

“It is not just about having a team that will be prosecuting but ensuring that relevant audit is taken as it relates to previous

prosecution to ensure that those that are found wanting are brought to book.

“And then ensure the future of prosecution in this country is further enhanced by having in place an effective legal team that will involve legal drafters for efficient drafting of charges, efficient investigators that will ensure that adequate proof of evidence that will establish the required ingredients of an offence are put in place, and then competent prosecutors that will now ensure that the required proofs are presented before relevant courts for the purpose of establishing guilt,” he said.

On plea-bargaining as raised by the convener of the group, Mrs. Oby

Ezekwesili, the AGF expressed his abhorrence for the policy and pledged the government’s commitment not to compromise the fight against terrorism and financial crimes.

“I cannot imagine someone being responsible for monumental deaths of our citizens and then going scot-free arising from pleabargain as a policy.

“It has never been the policy of the government to make compromises on terrorism and financial crimes. It will never be tolerated by the office of the AGF,” he added.

He described the abduction of the Chibok school girls as “tormenting and psychologically traumatisisng” for the nation.

“It is tragic for a nation

to have a budget meant for arms procurement for the protection of lives and property of the citizens, and end up not having the arms but compromising the process of making adequate provisions for the protection of lives of its citizens,.

“The government of President Muhammadu Buhari has demonstrated sufficient skill and commitment to the protection of lives and property within the shortest practicable time of coming into existence.

“It has recorded tremendous success, including confronting Sambisa forest head-on with the hope of rescuing the Chibok girls,” the minister said.

L-R: Lamido of Adamawa, Alhaji Muhammadu Barkindo; wife of the President, Hajia Aisha Buhari, and wife of Adamawa State Governor, Hajia Mairo Jibrillah, during a condolence visit by Mrs Buhari to Lamido of Adamawa over the death of his Mother late Hajiya Sa’adatu Musdafa in Yola yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

We will not retrench workers in 2016, says Ogun SSG

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gun State Government yesterday said it would not reduce its staff strength in 2016, in spite of the prevailing economic challenges in the country.

Secretary to the State Government, Mr Taiwo Adeoluwa, said this at a news

conference in Abeokuta.

Adeoluwa said government would continue to evolve ways of increasing its revenue base rather than lay off the workforce.

He explained that in spite of the shortfall from federal allocation, the government had continued to meet its

financial obligations to workers due to its fiscal discipline and commitment to their welfare.

“This outgoing year witnessed a gross financial decline occasioned by huge reduction in federal allocations to the states because of the sharp drop in the price

of crude oil globally.

“The situation grew so bad that the Federal Government had to come to the rescue of the states through a bail-out arrangement.

“Our governor, Sen. Ibikunle Amosun, has been able to manage the state’s finances and weather the

storm because he prioritised payment of workers’ wages and salaries,” he said.

He gave assurance that Amosun would not disappoint the people “who freely gave him their mandate for another term in 2015 because better days lie ahead in the coming year.”

Bureau De Change operator docked over possession of fake dollars

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28-year-old Bureau De Change operator, Musa Bukar, who allegedly stole and presented fake $5,000 to a customer, was yesterday arraigned at an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.

Bukar, whose address was not given, faced a twocount charge of stealing and unlawful possession of fake money.

The prosecutor, Insp. Ingobo Emby, told the court that the accused committed the alleged offences on

December 16, at 1:30 p.m., at Plot 42, Olabanji Olajide St., Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.

The prosecutor alleged that the accused obtained genuine $5,000 valued at N1.4m from one Tony Emokpere, but subtly changed it to fake $5,000 and presented

as original U.S. currency to Emokpere.

He said that the offences contravened the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

The accused, who could face a maximum of seven years imprisonment as provided by Section 285 (7)

if convicted, denied the charge.

The Magistrate, Mr P. A. Balogun, granted him bail for N50,000 with two sureties.

He, however, adjourned the case to Jan. 13, 2016 for mention.

He re-assured the group of government’s commitment to secure the girls’ freedom from captivity.

Earlier, the group’s convener and former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, told the AGF that the inefficient governance of the immediate past government was largely responsible for the tragedy of the Chibok girls.

She recalled that since the advocacy for the Chibok girls began in April 2014, no concrete step was taken by the exPresident Goodluck Jonathan’s administration to secure the safe return of the girls.

“In the movement, we over time realised that it is the failure of governance that resulted in the abduction of the Chibok girls and that corruption was the key obstacle to the rescue of the girls.

“To that effect, therefore, we believe that in recent times and the revelations that have followed, it is clear that there is a lot your office must do in order to establish a framework that assures Nigerians that every bad behaviour that took place and facilitated the abduction of the girls and every bad behaviour that impeded their immediate rescue must be fully prosecuted.

“The matter of disclosure of the Presidential Taskforce report on the fact-finding mission into the veracity of the abduction is key and urgent.

“This will put paid to the saying by some people that the Chibok girls’ abduction is a scam.

“How can the tragedy of the Chibok girls be scam when the government under which it happened instituted an inquiry into it, and there are parents who are crying that their children are not yet back?

“Their children are still with terrorists and their fellow citizens dare to call their experience a scam.

“The government owes it a duty to the girls under captivity, their parents, to the community of Chibok, the movement and to all wellmeaning Nigerians that that report be transparently disclosed in its entirety so we will know exactly what made it possible for our Chibok girls to have been abducted,” Ezekwesili said.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

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Photo

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Wednesday, December 30, 2015

NEWS

L-R: Janet Aderuagba, 1st runner-up in female dance competition; Glo Ambassador Adekola Odunlade; 8-year old Awawu Yakub, winner of the female dance competition; Helen Akaise, second runner-up and Raymond Shoyebo, 1st runner-up in the male dance competition at the Glo pavilion at the One Lagos Fiesta event at the Agege Stadium.

L-R: Ecobank Chairman, Chief John Odeyemi; Chief Executive Officer, Financial Reporting Council, Mr. Jim Obazee; Group Chief Finance Officer, UBA Plc , Mr. Ugo Nwaghodoh; Past Chairman, Financial Regulatory Council, Mr. M.A. Popoola and Head Financial Control, UBA Plc, Mr. Adewale Adeniyi, at a summit by the Financial Reporting Council, in Lagos.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

L-R: General Manager, High Hope International Group Skyrun Corporation, Mr. Gu Xin; Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola; Chairman, High Hope International Group Skyrun Corporation, Mr. Xie Shao and former Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperative and Empowerment, Hon. Jayeoba Ismail Adekunle Alagbada, during a visit to the Governor at his Ikeja Lagos residence, yesterday.

Nigerian High-Life Musician, Bongos Ikwue (left), with the founder and sponsor of Mark D’ball tournament, Sen. David Mark, at the 2015 Mark D’ball basketball competition in Otukpo, Benue State, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

National News

Ship owners make case for establishment of Maritime Bank

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igeria Ship Owners Association, NISA, has called for the establishment of a Maritime Bank to help develop the shipping business in the country.

President of the association, Capt Niyi Labinjo, made the call in Lagos yesterday.

He said the call became necessary because commercial banks did not have an understanding of maritime issues.

He said the Federal Government could set up the specialised bank and use the Cargo Vessel Financing Fund, CVFF, as seed money.

“Let us establish a maritime bank. We cannot work with commercial banks.

“Shipping is never done like that. If you want to do Cabotage, you must use maritime bank for Cabotage.

“The reason is, the moment you hike the cost of accessing funds, it will become difficult.

“You have Bank of Industry for manufacturers; Bank of Agriculture for farmers. You even have Bank of Infrastructure.

“You have mortgage bank for housing.

What does it cost to have maritime bank.

“Use the CVFF (Cargo Vessel Financing Fund) collection; use it as the seed money.

“In that wise, we shall be dealing with a bank that will be using maritime tem-

plate.

“Commercial banks will never understand why a ship cannot disappear from the surface of the water.

“So we need a maritime bank that has

an understanding of maritime issues,” he said.

The mariner said it was unfortunate that shippers were not benefiting from the cargo vessel financing fund as well as

the maintenance fund.

He, therefore, urged government to create an atmosphere that would enable indigenous ship owners to benefit from the funds.

Free phone calls for Ogun workers in 2016

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gun State Government has concluded arrangements to connect civil servants to Free Voice Over Internet Protocol to enhance productivity and hitch-free communication in the discharge of their official duties.

The state government is also set to establish a data centre across the three senatorial districts to give room for rural participation in governance.

Director of Information Technology

in the Bureau of Information Technology Mrs Olatundun Adekunte, made this known while speaking with newsmen yesterday in Abeokuta, the state capital.

She explained that the device would be put in place at the Oke-Mosan Government Secretariat in the state capital to allow civil servants access to free calls during official working hours.

Adekunte also said that arrangements were being made to procure mo-

bile phones and other accessories for the workers.

“There is an existing network for communication, though restricted to few individuals. However, come 2016, all civil servants in the state will be connected to the network.

“This is aimed at making communication amongst workers more effective and thus increase their productivity,” the director said.

NCMM DG wants private investors to build museums

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irector General, National Commission for Museums and Monuments, NCMM, Malam Yusuf Usman, has urged private investors to establish more museums to enhance history.

Usman made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Lagos yesterday, even as he said

the commission would provide technical and professional support for interested investors.

The director-general said the commission was not planning to establish more museums but to consolidate on the existing ones.

“The commission is ready to assist interested investors who would love to build

museums.

“This is important because when museums are located closely, everyone will have easy access to them to learn about the past.

“We do not have plans to build more museums as there are museums across the states but we are interested in assisting private individuals who wish to establish more.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

News

Wednesday, December 30 , 2015

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We’ll resist subsidy removal –NLC OLUFEMI ADEOSUN ABUJA

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igeria Labour Congress, NLC, has cautioned the Federal Government not to take Nigerians for granted over its flip-flop tales on the removal of fuel subsidy, warning that any attempt to tamper with fuel pump price will be met with strong resistance from workers.

NLC, in a statement by the General Secretary, Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson, stated that it was ironic that the same party chieftains who supported massive protests when the last administration attempted to deregulate the petroleum sector, could now turn around to rationalise it.

According to him, the flip-flop from the various agencies of government on the fuel situation is meant to hoodwink the people into accepting the subsidy removal.

In order to demonstrate to government that it meant business, the NLC scribe explained that in line with the Central Working Committee, NWC, decision, state councils and other affiliates unions had been placed on red alert.

The statement reads in part: “Party chieftains who supported and en-

couraged the massive protests against subsidy removal in 2012 are now preaching the inevitability of subsidy removal!

The Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum first announced that come next year, the price of petrol will revert to 97 per litre and that subsidy will be phased out.

“Two days thereafter, he denied this and stated that what he said was that the price will operate within a band of 87 to 97 and that this did not mean removing the subsidy. The same minister now says the price of petrol will now be 85 in January signifying the deregulation of the sector.

“These vacillations and flip flops are, in our view, designed to confuse Nigerians and pave the way for deregulation of petrol prices through the back door.

“The fact of the matter is that as long as we continue to depend on imported refined products, deregulation and the abandonment of a subsidy scheme will unleash hardship on Nigerians.

“In any case, according to our laws, the determination of the recommended prices of petroleum products is the responsibility of the Petroleum

Iran supplies arms to Zakzaky to run parallel govt, Gumi alleges CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

He said: “The Shiites have been embarking on military training and producing cadets and soldiers.

They were operating a state within a state.

“The Islamic Movement of Nigeria does not recognise the corporate entity of Nigeria. The group is not registered. They operate above the law and they get direct foreign aid.”

Gumi further alleged that former President Umaru Yar’Adua had told him of the massive importation of ammunitions and weapons to different parts of the country by the movement, adding that the president had mentioned Iran as supplying arms to the Shittes.

The medical doctor-turned Islamic scholar described the recent clash between Shiites and soldiers as “A

divine intervention to prevent us from a catastrophe like that of Boko Haram.”

He added: “It came sudden and powerful to eradicate and uproot any plan that they must have had to harm the society.”

Gumi said he had written Zakzaky about a year ago, warning him about the dangers of blocking roads during the annual Ar’baeen trek, where his followers travelled on foot from all over the country to Zaria.

He said blocking roads is an abomination in Islam.

The scholar warned that the north would continue to be under-developed if the twin evils of Shia and Boko Haram are not eradicated.

“The strife and unnecessary blocking of roads and shouting slogans on the way increase tension in the north,” Gumi added.

Products Prices Regulatory Agency, PPPRA. “By law, the board of PPPRA is made up of stakeholders. None of the contradictory prices the minister is throwing up is a product of the agency. “Indeed, the board of PPPRA has not operated for over two years, although we have made

repeated demands for the convening of the board.

“We call on the government to be guided by the rule of law and constitute and convene the board of PPPRA in accordance with the law without further delay.

“This will enable the agency to examine and agree a new pricing tem-

plate based on the realities of today. Any price unilaterally determined and announced by the minister is in violation of the law.

“In the meantime, we wish to restate our opposition, adopted at our Central Working Committee Emergency Meeting of 22nd December, to any at-

tempt by the government to increase the price of or remove subsidy on petrol.

“We reiterate our directive to our State Councils and Industrial Unions to commence the process of mobilisation prior to a meeting of the National Executive Committee to be convened in the New Year.”

L-R: Members Bring Back Our Girls, Mrs. Fatimah Abbakaka, Mrs. Aisha Yesefu, Convener BBOG, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili and Minister of Justice Mr. Abubakar Malami, during the BBOG’s visit to the Minister in Abuja, yesterday.

Shettima meets Civilian JTF over spate of bombings

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overnor Kashim Shettima of Borno State, yesterday urged members of youth volunteers involved in counter insurgency operations, popularly known as ‘Civilian JTF’ to step up surveillance efforts to combat the growing menace of suicide bombings in the state.

The governor held e meeting with the Civilian JTF aftermath of recent attacks by Boko Haram insurgents in some parts of the state.

Shettima also unveiled welfare packages for them at the meeting, which was held at the Multipurpose Hall of the Government House in Maiduguri.

The governor also held closed door discussions with leaders of the volunteers with focus on enhancing community policing.

At an open session with majority of the volunteers, Governor Shetti-

ma paid glowing tributes to them for sacrificing their lives towards complimenting the efforts of the armed forces to fight for the restoration of peace in the state.

He said no amount of welfare package can equal the sacrifices being made by the volunteers, especially given the fact that some of them had laid their lives for Borno State.

The governor said despite its meager resource, the state government would expend whatever it takes to ensure that the volunteers were properly paid allowances, equipped and highly motivated.

He announced a bonus of N20m to the volunteers while directing that any backlog of allowances be paid immediately.

Shettima directed the Ministry of Health to put a system in place that would guarantee free medical attention to all

youth volunteers in all public hospitals in the state.

He also ordered the supply of more patrol vehicles to the volunteers.

“We are all eternally indebted to you and we thank you most sincerely for the sacrifices you have made for us to have peace in this part of the world.

“I want to assure you that once the dust settles down, once this madness is over, we have the herculean task of creating jobs, of engaging the multitude of youths who stood firm and ensure that we have peace in this part of the world,” Shettima said.

The governor commended President Muhammadu Buhari in his fight against Boko Haram and for his role in restructuring the military.

“I have to pay a special tribute to President Muhammadu Buhari; he has shown the zeal, the

courage, the passion and the commitment to bring about peace in this part of the world.

“Our military men and women are now adequately armed and supported so that they carry out their task; they have so far recorded great successes not withstanding some attacks being carried out by insurgents on soft targets. Insha Allah, Boko Haram will be over and very soon,” he noted.

Leader of the civilian JTF, Baba Lawan Jaafar pledged the continued commitment of his members to supporting the military in the fight against insurgency in the state.

He added that they were motivated by Governor Shettima’s support for them over the years.

“We have also changed our tactics and strategies.

By the grace of God, we are going to resist their new tactics of inflicting havoc,” Jaafar promised.

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Wednesday, December 30, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Army won’t surrender North East to Boko Haram, says GOC •Adamawa govt dispatch assessment team to Madagali

James Abraham Jos

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ut-going General Officer Commanding 3rd Armoured Division Jos, Plateau State, Major General Hassan Umaru, yesterday said that the Nigeria Army’s efforts in wiping out Boko Harm in the North East shall be sustained even as the Army has kept faith with the December dead line issued by the Federal Government. .

General Umaru made this known at the handing over ceremony to usher in the new GOC 3rd division, Brigadier-General Mohammed Aliyu.

While Geneneral Umaru is resuming in Maiduguri as the new Theatre Commander, Tactical Headquarters, (Operation Lafia Dole), Brigadier General Aliyu was transferred from 21 Brigade, M

to Jos to serve as the new GOC. The two Generals encouraged officers to be more united in fighting the insurgents, urging them not to allow sentiments to inform their judgement.

Umaru said: “The ongoing battle against the insurgents will be won only by our collective efforts. We must continue to pray for each other and shun indiscipline in the discharge of our duty,” he said.

The 3rd division commanders were also advised not to turn their back when they see any junior officer misbehaving urging them to take seriously the welfare of the junior officers working under them as they are the frontline soldiers.

Meanwhile, as part of activities marking the

Association urges FG to remove taxes on gas equipment

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igerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers has appealed to the Federal Government to remove Value Added Tax, VAT, and duty on all imported gas equipment into the country.

National President of the association, Mr Basil Ogbuanu, made the appeal on Tuesday after inspecting the scene of Nnewi gas explosion in Anambra which claimed eight lives and injured many on December 24.

Ogbuanu, who sympathised with the families of the victims and management of Inter Corp Oil Limited, a subsidiary of Chikason Group of Companies, described the fire as unfortunate.

The association president said that a final assessment report would be published after the association’s technical team, in conjunction with the DPR has concluded investigation.

“The fire service department in the country should see the incident as a wake-up call to duty.

“If the service had provided early intervention,

the fire could have been put-off to reduce the effect of damage,” Ogbuanu said.

On gas utilisation in the country, the president said the high cost of importation of the product’s equipment accounted for why many Nigerians were not using domestic gas at homes.

According to him, government is rather spending foreign currency to subsidise kerosene when there is gas in abundance in the country.

“Gas is abundant and available, cleaner, cheaper, safer and the most efficient cooking energy.

“However, one of the major problems of using domestic gas is the high cost at the entry points of obtaining cylinder, hose, regulator and cooker.

“We are asking the Federal Government to intervene in the area by removing VAT and duty on all imported LPG equipment,” he said.

Ogbuanu also appealed to the Federal Government to improve the state of the roads in the country to reduce involvement of tankers on road mishaps.

handing-over ceremony, Geneneral Umaru commissioned a 100KVA generator at the All Saints Military Church situated in the 3rd division.

Meanwhile, Adamawa State Government has dispatched an assessment

team to Madagali over Monday’s suicide bombing that claimed 17 lives, reports the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN. The state Commissioner for Information, Mallam Ahmad Sajoh, made this known to the

News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday in Yola.

“So far we have 17 dead and 41 injured who have been taken to hospitals in Madagali, Mubi and Yola.

“The state government has directed free treatment for the injured,” Sajoh said.

The commissioner urged residents to be more

vigilant to prevent such attacks and report suspicious movements and objects to security agencies.

Sajoh said that the state government would intensify enlightenment campaign programme in the area to reawaken the people on security consciousness.

National President, Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers, Mr Basil Ogbuanu, leading executive members of the association on inspection of Inter Corp Oil’s Gas Plant, which recently exploded at Nnewi, Anambra, yesterday.

Buhari holds Presidential Media chat today

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resident Muhammadu Buhari will today host his first Presidential Media chat since he assumed office on May 29.

A three-paragraph statement issued yester-

day by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina said in the course of the programme, which would be broadcast live on the network services of the Nigerian Television

Authority (NTA) and the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Buhari would answer questions from a panel of journalists on a broad range of current national issues.

The statement further

said that the Presidential Media Chat would begin at 7p.m while other television and radio stations in the country may hook-up to NTA and FRCN to relay the programme to their viewers and listeners.

NSCDC Commandants, DCGs at war over secret recruitment slot Obiora Ifoh Abuja

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ndications have emerged that the management of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, is currently enmeshed in alleged secret recruitment which has turned the top officials of the corps against each other over slot allocations.

National Mirror gathered that the presidency had approved certain number of persons to be recruited into the corps in March 2016, but the new management had embarked on the process ahead time.

Some senior officials of the corps who were not comfortable with the slot sharing arrangement which favour state commandants by the Comman-

dant General, Abdullahi Gana Muhammadu, have vowed to expose the deal.

One of the sources revealed to journalists that while the CG gave 10 slots to each of the 36 states commandants, the DCGs which form part of his management team got one slot apiece.

Another dissatisfied officer told our correspondent that most of the names have been compiled by the management and will soon issue out appointment letters to the appointees secretly.

The reliable insider said CG, Gana, was doing everything possible to set up a formidable team that will fight vandalism in the country, adding the new recruit will be deployed to

states for same purpose.

“A lot of things go on here that this place (NSCDC) stinks. It needs to be sanitized,” he said.

Confirming this, a statement signed by the Corps Spokesman, Okeh Emmanuel, earlier in the week had said the special force was in line with the corps mandate in the protection of critical infrastructure and national assets.

According to the statement which directed the state commandants to cooperate and work in synergy with the CG’s Special Task Force assigned to their states for special operation in clamping down on illegal dealers of petroleum products, vandals, illegal refineries, illegal bunkering, and marketers involved

in diversion of petroleum products.

“The task force operation is also extended to filling stations selling above approved government pump price, hoarding of products, those involved in black marketing and racketeering as well as other related crimes for prosecution in line with the law of the federation.”

Several attempts to get the reaction of the CG proved abortive.

But when contacted on phone, the spokesperson of the NSCDC, Emmanuel Okeh, denied any rift between the CG and the DCGs, saying the information on recruitment was not correct as the corps has only got approval from the Presidency to recruit in March next year.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Lagos records 260 fire disasters in December Francis Suberu

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n December 2015, over 260 different fire outbreaks were recorded, just as Galaxy Television’s head office in Lagos was gutted by fire.

It was gathered that the

Galaxy TV fire started at about 5.30 am yesterday.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the fire was caused by electrical spark resulting from power surge which affected the amour cable connecting the television studio to the mast.

FRSC promotes 442 to inspector cadre

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ederal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, has promoted 442 marshal inspectors in line with the commitment of the commission to reward efficiency and punish indiscipline in the service.

This was contained in a statement signed by the commission’s head, media relations and strategy, Mr. Bisi Kazeem, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Abuja.

According to Kazeem, the commission promoted 442 personnel within the ranks of deputy chief inspector and marshal inspector III. “At the end of the last promotion exercise, 38 deputy chief inspectors were promoted to the rank of chief inspector, while 80 assistant chief inspectors got promoted to the rank of deputy chief inspector.

“Also, 66 principal

marshal inspectors were promoted to the rank of assistant chief inspector, while 77 senior marshal inspectors moved to principal marshal inspectors,” he said.

Kazeem added that 85 marshal inspectors (I) were promoted to the rank of senior marshal inspectors, while 82 marshal inspectors II were promoted to marshal inspectors (I).

According to Kazeem, 14 marshal inspectors (III) were promoted to marshal inspectors (II).

He added that the corps marshal for the commission, Mr. Boboye Oyeyemi, urged the officers on efficiency and dedication to duty at all time.

NAN recalls that the presidency recently approved the promotion of over 900 officers below the rank of corps commanders to boost the morale of the commission’s personnel.

Sani’ll continue to criticise el-Rufai’s ‘anti-people’ policies – Aide

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pecial assistant to Senator Shehu Sani (All Progressives Congress,APC, Kaduna), on politics and ideology, Malam Suleiman Ahmed, said nothing would deter his principal from criticising the ``anti-people” policies of the state government.

Ahmed stated this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigerian, NAN, in Kaduna yesterday while reacting to the alleged suspension of the senator by the Tudun Wada North, Ward 6 of the APC. The party, at the ward level, had in a letter dated December 7 and signed by the party’s ward secretary, Malam Ahmed Abdullahi; the public relations officer, Malam Auwal Anguwa; and an ex-officio member,

Malam Aminu Alilan, suspended Sani for 11 months.

The letter said Sani was suspended for consistently criticising the policies of Governor Nasir el-Rufai, an act which the APC ward executives described as ``anti-party.”

The aide said the suspension would only strengthen his principal’s resolve to criticise any policy of the el-Rufai administration that he considers ``anti-people.”

The aide said the senator would consider seeking legal redress if served with a genuine suspension letter in line with standard procedure.

He explained that the ward executives had invited the senator to the ward office to defend himself against some allegations levelled against him.

The fire reportedly destroyed properties worth millions of Naira.

The incident brings the number of fire disasters recorded between December 1 and December 28, 2015 to 260, just as the recurring fire incidents in the state between January and December 2015 have hit 1,898.

As at the time of writing this report, it was learned that the Lagos State Fire Service has attended to over five fire disasters cross the state.

And sources said the fire

could increase before the end of the year.

Confirming the Galaxy inferno, the director of the state fire service, Mr. Rasak Fadipe, said the distress call for the inferno was received at about 5.59 am and water tankers were deployed to the scene immediately.

On how the fire was put out, the director explained: “What we did when we arrived was to disconnect the electricity.

And we were able to put out the fire.”

On the 260 fire disas-

ters recorded in the state between December 1 and 28, Fadipe blamed a larger percentage of the inferno in the state on residents’ actions, saying “whenever a fire occurs, residents do not call for help immediately. Rather, they fight the fire alone. It is until it had escalated that they call the emergency lines for help.

“For instance, at 23, Ogundola Street, Ladylak, Bariga, 10 rooms were razed. The fire started from a candle lit by one of the occupants. The person left the candle unattended.

It fell on the furniture in the room and caught fire.

Rather than call for assistance, the occupants were fighting the fire and due to the weather, it escalated,” he added.

A breakdown of the statistics showed that 16 fire disasters were recorded on Monday, and last Sunday, 12 cases of inferno were recorded.

Fadipe warned residents to desist from storing premium motor spirit, PMS, in their homes, noting that it could escalate fire.

People queuing for petrol at a station in Alkalari Local Govenment of Bauchi State where petrol sells for 150 per litre.

Lagos to commit more resources to school infrastructure in 2016 –Adebule Francis Suberu

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n a determined effort at improving performance in public schools across the state, the Lagos State government has disclosed that it would commit more resources to the upgrade of public school infrastructure in the new year.

The state government also said it would prioritise the welfare of its teaching staff to motivate them to work harder.

Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Idiat Oluranti Adebule, disclosed this yesterday at the end of the year’s get-together organised by the State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, for head teachers and directors of the board.

Adebule explained that the state government is not unaware of the decay of some public schools infrastructure, disclosing that government has taken some steps to put them back as soon as the 2016 budget becomes ready for implementation.

She added that Governor AkinwunmiAmbode has mandated the Ministry of Education and all its relevant agencies to ensure that the state does not go below excellence in all external examinations that would be conducted in the state from next year, adding that the state government has concluded plans to put necessary facilities in place come next year in order to meet the demand of better performance in all its schools.

The deputy governor who also doubles as the supervisor of education in the state, explained that she is not too pleased with the state of infrastructure in some public schools she had visited, stating that she secured the assurance of the governor for the upgrade of public schools and improvement on instructional materials that should guarantee quality learning in schools. She said teachers’ welfare would be prioritised in the new year to make them more productive. While reminding the teachers of how important their profession is to nation building, she appealed to them to justify government’s huge investment in education by rededicating themselves to duty and work harder for optimal

performance in schools.

Earlier in her welcome address, chairman of SUBEB, Dr. Ganiyu Oluremi Sopeyin, had stated that the programme was put together to appreciate head teachers and directors who are the managers of public schools for their resilience and commitment to quality education in the state so as to encourage them to do more.

He assured them the SUBEB, under his leadership would always ensure that prompt attention is given to their needs while promising that the board would continue to advocate for their welfare to make their job easier and life more meaningful, adding that a happy worker is a productive worker.

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South West

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Ondo monarchs mount pressure on Buhari over NDDC boss’ appointment OJO OYEWAMIDE AKURE

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ew days after the dissolution of the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, traditional rulers of oil-producing communities in Ondo

State have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint an indigene of the area as the next managing director of the commission.

The monarchs, in a statement signed by Olikan of Etikan, Oba Adeleke Adedoyin Oyeta-

kin, and Ahaba of Ajagba, Oba Thomas Adesayo, said it is the turn of an Ondo State indigene to occupy the NDDC top post.

The royal fathers lamented that Ondo State has not produced a candidate for any of the commission’s principal posi-

tions since its inception, 15 years ago.

They explained that while Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Delta and Rivers states, otherwise known as the ‘Big Four States,’ had repeatedly produced the managing director, executive director (Projects), EDP, executive director

L-R: Senior Partner, Sofunde, Ogundipe, Osakwe and Belgore Chambers, Mr. Jide Ogundipe; APC National Legal Adviser, Dr. Muiz Banire (SAN); Special guest and Minister of Works, Housing and Power, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN); host and former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Olasupo Sashore and Mr. Dele Belgore, at a reception in honour of Mr. Fashola on the completion of his tenure as governor and his recent appointment as Federal Minister, in Lagos on Monday.

NUPENG to suspend fuel supply to Lagos over N224m debt

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ational Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas, NUPENG, yesterday said the union would stop supplying petroleum products to the Lagos State government over a N224 million debt.

South West chairman of the union, Mr. Tokunbo Korodo, told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Lagos that the debt arose from a contract given to the union by the state government.

Korodo alleged that the N224 million was for the supply of diesel and kero-

sene to the government for direct labour projects in Ojodu which were executed between October 2014 and May 2015.

The union chairman said the contract was financed by Skye Bank and the bank had been asking for repayment of the loan.

“All efforts to prevail on state government to pay this money through our letter dated December 2, 2015 which was acknowledged on December 4 have proved abortive.

“Now, the union is left with no option than to

stop supplying petroleum products to all agencies of Lagos State.

“From today, if this is not effective, we may be forced to abandon Lagos State as a whole to demand for this payment as Skye Bank is on our neck for this payment,” he said.

Korodo said the union had reached out to the governor, deputy governor, Secretary to the State Government and the state’s Commissioner for Transportation over the matter, but nothing has been done.

The chairman said all unions in the oil sector would participate in the action.

“If this payment is not made on time every union under oil workers will participate because an injury to one person in the union is an injury to all members,” he said.

Officials of the state’s Ministry of Transportation were not ready to speak on the issue when contacted by a correspondent of NAN. They said they are not permitted to speak to journalists.

Ketu killings: Police yet to arrest management staff of Paulson Hotel

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agos State Police Command said it is yet to arrest any management staff of Paulson Hotel, Ketu, where twin brothers and their friend were murdered by a drunken policeman.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, Panti, Yaba, Mr. Abiodun Odude, made the disclosure during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, yesterday in Lagos.

He spoke while giving an update on the incident which occurred on Saturday on Anibaba Street, Ketu-Ikosi, Lagos.

“We are yet to arrest anybody from the hotel.

The manager is on the run.

We have not been able to effect the arrest of any management staff.

“The Homicide Unit is investigating the case. We are looking for the manager and other management staff that run the hotel,’’ Odude said.

NAN reports that a drunken policeman, one Sgt. Stephen James, on Saturday shot dead three male customers of Paulson Hotel over their refusal to buy him drinks and killed himself thereafter.

The said killer cop worked with Mopol 22, GRA, Ikeja, before killing the twins, their friend and himself at about 4.20 p.m. on Saturday.

NAN also reports that the deceased twin brothers were identified as Taiwo

and Kehinde Oyesunle and their friend simply identified as Jeje.

One of the twins, Kehinde and Jeje were buried in Ikorodu on Sunday and Monday respectively, while Taiwo, who was a Navy personnel was taken away by the naval authorities for burial.

As at the time of filing this report, the hotel had been completely deserted by staff and guests as the facility was vandalised by irate youths in the area.

(Finance and Administration), EDFA, and chairman of the board respectively and concurrently, Ondo State, as number five on the list of member states, had not tasted any of the key positions.

The monarchs made reference to the Act establishing the commission which stipulates that the appointment of the MD, EDP and EDFA shall be rotated accordingly among member states of the commission based on their oil quantum.

They affirmed that the call became imperative in other to draw the attention of Mr. President to the injustice meted on Ondo State by previous administrations for possible solution.

The royal fathers disclosed that they would soon send their position paper to the presidency for appropriate action.

Oba Adesayo said they had delegated some monarchs in the area to meet with appropriate authorities on the need to zone the managing director’s

position to the state.

He added that the oil communities in the state had nominated Prince Joshua Oyetakin as their candidate for the NDDC managing director’s position.

Also, Ondo State Oil Producing Community Mandate Group, OSOPCMG, has called for the zoning of the position to the state.

The group, in a statement signed by his coordinator, High Chief Claudius Omomowo, urged President Buhari to address the injustice suffered by the state under previous administrations by appointing an indigene of the state from the mandate area as the next NDDC boss.

The group said it is in support of the nomination of Oyetakin for the post, adding that his antecedents and track record show that he is up to the task.

It was learnt that several notable indigenes of the state had also shown interest in the NDDC job.

Ogun Assembly passes N200.2bn appropriation bill

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gun State House of Assembly yesterday passed the 2016 Appropriation Bill of N200.2 billion into law.

The bill, passed at the Assembly’s plenary, had a recurrent expenditure of N89.9 billion, while N99.2 billion was appropriated for capital expenditure.

The bill also had N11 billion for the servicing of pensions and gratuities in 2016.

News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, recalled that Governor Ibikunle Amosun, had on November 24, presented a fiscal proposal of N200.27 billion to the House.

Majority Leader of the House, Mr. Adeyinka Mafe, moved the motion for the third reading and it was seconded by Mr. Victor Fasanya.

The budget was passed after the chairman, House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Mr. Olusola Bankole, had presented the committee’s report to the House.

Bankole said the House reduced the budget estimate by about N74 million because some ministries,

departments and agencies (MDAs) could not convince the committee enough of their huge budgets.

He promised that the reduction would not have any negative effect on the MDAs, adding that it was made from the recurrent expenditure.

Bankole said heads of 112 MDAs appeared before the appropriate sub-committees of the House to defend the proposals of their various offices.

He said the Commissioner for Finance and the Accountant-General should ensure that revenues accruing to the state are paid directly into the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

Also, the session constituted two committees, including a Tenders Board and Inter-Parliamentary Affairs.

The seven-man Tenders Board Committee would be headed by the deputy Speaker, Mr. Olakunle Oluomo, while Mr. Mafe Adeyinka, the Majority Leader, heads the InterParliamentary Committee.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

South West

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

9

Oyo Police parade fake Army Colonel over N40m fraud KEMI OLAITAN IBADAN

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Ogunpa canal overtaken by refused discriminately dumped by residents, in Ibadan, yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

NSCDC boss vows to stop vandals KEMI OLAITAN IBADAN

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ommandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps,NSCDC, Mr. Abdullahi Muhammadu, has reiterated the determination of the corps to check activities of vandals of national critical assets, saying that they must be stopped before they destroy the country.

The commandant who said this during his endof-the year message to officers and men of the Asset Monitoring Unit of Zone F Command of NSCDC comprising Ekiti, Ondo, Ogun, Osun and Oyo states, vowed that there will be no going back on war against vandals by the corps.

Speaking through the

NSCDC acting Deputy Commandant General in charge of Critical Infrastructure, Mr. Godwin Agim, the CG while tasking men of the corps to rise up to the challenges ahead, said the vandals by their activities are becoming major threat to the economic development of Nigeria if not checked on time.

He stressed that the corps in its determination to tackle those specialising in vandalising national critical assets particularly oil pipelines, electricity and communication cables for personal gains, resolved into setting up the Asset Monitoring Unit “to step up its efforts in bringing the perpetrators to book”.

The CG in the message signed by the Asset Moni-

toring Commandant for Zone F, Mr. Solomon Olasupo, said as at the end of November, the corps in the zone had arrested suspects with no fewer than 40 trucks, some hundreds of petrol kegs and drums, motorcycles, pumping machines, various types of plumbing materials, generating sets, pipes as well as other sundry materials such as drilling and cutting implements.

The NSCDC boss added that about 100 cases were instituted against suspected vandals by the corps in various courts across South West part of the country, while about 10 cases have been concluded with the convicts forfeiting their seized vehicles to the Federal Government with some of the vehicles auctioned by the

appropriate authorities consequent upon court approvals.

While charging parents to monitor their children irrespective of their locations as many young people left home under the pretext of going out to do legitimate jobs, but end up working with saboteurs, he said the vehicles and other valuables used for such nefarious activities would be forfeited to the government while the same will be auctioned.

He then lauded the NSCDC personnel for their vigilance that led to the various feats recorded, assuring them of the Federal Government’s resolve to adequately reward commitment and loyalty while those found to compromise and corrupt would be punished.

Industrialist seeks speedy completion of Lagos-Ibadan express way ABIODUN NEJO ADO EKITI

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ndustrialist and Chairman of Orllar Group of Companies, Chief Olayinka Salaudeen Adebayo, has expressed concern over the slow pace of work on the reconstruction of Lagos - Ibadan Expressway, saying its speedy completion would boost investment in the axis and indeed other parts of the country.

Adebayo, the Mogaji Agie of Ibadanland, said the suffering on the road and the attendant risk to movement of goods and services were great disservice to investment.

Adebayo, who spoke at Iyin Ekiti, Ekiti State short-

ly after he was installed as the Aare Bobaselu by the Oluyin of Iyin Ekiti, Oba Justice Ademola Ajakaye, appealed to the Federal Government to expedite action on the road in view of its importance as link between Lagos and other parts of the country.

The Mogaji, who expressed delight at the honour from another land, described it as a wake-up call to him to expand the scope of his community development efforts and humanitarian services for betterment of the society.

He advised the Federal Government to tackle the problems of power, fuel and roads which he said, were central to the turnaround

of the country’s economy.

He also seized the opportunity to renew the call on successful Nigerians in the diasporas to come back home to invest, saying such would be great contribution towards diversifying the country’s economy and reducing unemployment.

Adebayo; Otunba Dele Awe, the leader of Nigerians in the Diasporas; and 12 other Nigerians were honoured with chieftaincy titles in recognition of their contribution to the growth of humanity, their communities and the country by the monarch on the occasion of his 10th coronation anniversary.

Otunba Awe, who was installed as the Otunba Bobakeye of Iyin Ekiti, lauded the

monarch for his quality leadership and contributions to the development of the community and eyes on the future with scholarship schemes for the youth.

Awe, who pledged support for the scholarship scheme and other development programmes, charged youths of the community to be inspired to excellence by the laudable achievements of eminent Iyin Ekiti sons and daughters.

He promised to do more for the community and youth empowerment in the incoming year to ensure unprecedented socioeconomic development of the town and a secured future.

yo State Police Command yesterday paraded a fake Colonel of the Nigerian Army, Babatunde Idris, aged 62, after the long arm of the law caught up with him in a hideout in the state.

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Leye Oyebade, while parading the suspect at the state police headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan, said Idris was nabbed for parading himself as a Colonel in the Nigerian Army and using the fake identity to defraud Yinusa Mustapha of the sum of N40 million.

He said the impostor was arrested after a petition was filed which exposed his criminal activity.

He said; “Following a petition received, alleging the fraudulent activities of Idris, the command’s Anti-kidnapping Squad swung into action and arrested the suspect who until his arrest had fraudulently obtained various sums of money from his victims.”

The police boss added that the suspect promised his last victim, Mustapha, that he would help him get certificate for oil

importation since 2012, but failed to complete the deal after the money was paid into his account.

According to him, Idris was however, lured out of his hideout and walked into the net of the police.

“The suspect forged various letterheads of the Nigerian Army which he issued to unsuspecting individuals and corporate organisations soliciting for assistance. He also had multiple identities under fake names all bearing the status of a colonel,” he stated.

The suspect while speaking with journalists said he collected the money from his victim in installments, but denied making up to N40m.

He said: “I collected N16m from him claiming to be a Colonel in the Army. I signed the form, but truly I am not a military man. One of my brothers is a General in the Nigerian Army.

One day, he gave me a letter to help somebody so I make a copy of it. Mustapha wanted me to help him collect certificate of oil lifting and because I know people who could do it, I took the money from him, but the deal failed”.

Alleged fraud: Court dismisses charges against Kads Farms boss WALE IGBINTADE

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Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting in Ogba, Lagos, has struck out a fraud charge filed against Chief Executive Officer of Kads Farms Limited, a livestock company, Ken Ogiamien, for want of diligent prosecution.

Ogiamien was arraigned on charges of obtaining money by false pretence following a complaint by a policeman, Agha Tobias.

The complainant claimed he bought a plot of land at Isheri North residential scheme in 2006 through Ogiamien, who is also a real estate agent.

When he discovered that the land was waterlogged, he asked for a re-

fund, but that Ogiamien refused to pay back the money.

But Ogiamien, who said he was already repaying the money, added that the land was affected by flood water, which was not the case when he sold the land.

Ogiamien had pleaded not guilty to the five-count charge of fraud when he was arraigned.

After his arraignment, he was admitted to bail in the sum of N300,000 with two responsible sureties.

The case was adjourned for trial and Ogiamien kept attending court.

But, the complainant failed to turn up to give evidence for the prosecution prompting the trial magistrate, Magistrate, A. T. Omoyele, to dismiss the case for lack of diligent prosecution.

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South East

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Ebonyi Police lose two rifles to hoodlums Aliuna Godwin ABAKALIKI

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wo policemen were yesterday confirmed to have been attacked by hoodlums and lost two AK 47 rifles to members of the gang in the process at Amofia Ngbo in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

The officers, whose names and ranks could not be immediately ascertained at the time of filing this report, were said to have been disarmed by the angry mob.

It was gathered that the officers had gone to

Arase, Police boss

the community to arrest a man who stabbed another man for demanding to be paid money owed him when they were surrounded by members of the community who refused the arrest of the suspect.

An eyewitness, who did not want his name mentioned in print, revealed that the policemen insisted that the suspect must be arrested and swooped on him.

Another source added that following the attack on the policemen by the youths, stern looking policemen in large numbers stormed the area late in the evening.

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP George Okafor confirmed the incident to National Mirror.

He said the policemen attacked are responding to treatment and that their AK-47 riffles snatched are still missing.

Okafor added that some arrest has been made in connection to the incident, although the community has been deserted.

Govt to increase water supply to Enugu residents —Commissioner

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nugu State Government says it plans to increase the supply of clean water to Enugu and its environs as part of efforts to ensure sanitation in the state.

The state’s Commissioner for Water Resources, Chief Charles Egumgbe, told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Enugu on Tuesday that government also plans to expand its rural water scheme in 2016 to integrate more people at the grassroots.

It would be recalled that the state government has earmarked N661 million in its 2016 budget for the State Water Corporation and the agencies under it in order to expand its water supply project to both urban and rural areas.

The commissioner, therefore, called on investors to invest in water production and distribution in the state.

He stated that the supply of clean water to all households in the state will go a long way to eliminate water and air-borne

diseases.

Most households in Enugu now receive water through the central public water supply system, which cannot get to all the nooks and crannies of the state capital.

Francis Ekpone ONITSHA

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ontrary to the recent appeal by the Anambra State leadership of the InterParty Advisory Council, IPAD, calling on Governor Willie Obiano to begin the process for the conduct of local government election in the state, some stakeholders and groups have however, urged the governor not to conduct the election in January to avoid hitting up the polity.

They therefore appealed to the governor to rather revert to the use of caretaker committees for the local governments when the tenure of the elected local government officials expires in January 2016.

L-R: Abia state SSA Media Ugochukwu Emezuo; Governor Okezie Ikpeazu; Chief Press Secretary, Godwin Adindu and Commissioner for Information Comrade Bonny Iwuoha, during a media parley with journalists in Umuahia recently

Imo budget drops by 28% …as Okorocha proposes N102.2bn for 2016

Chris Njoku OWERRI

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mo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, yesterday presented the 2016 budget proposal of N102.2 billion to the state House of Assembly for consideration.

Presenting the budget christened “budget of consolidation and continuity,” the governor said the 2016 budget is lower than 2015 budget by N41.11billion about 28 per cent.

The budget, according to him, consists of N44.043billion as capital expenditure, representing 43.1 per cent of the total budget, while N58.165billion was for recurrent expenditure

which is about 56.9 per cent of the total budget.

He further disclosed that the recurrent expenditure is expected to reduce from N63.03billion in 2015 approved budget to N58.17billion in 2016 fiscal year representing 7.72 per cent reduction.

The governor said the budget would be anchored on completion of all on-going projects while new projects of high priority rating will also receive attention in line with the state’s medium term expenditure framework.

He said that his administration would maintain prudent and judicious management of the state’s resources

particularly on the projects.

The proposed budget, according to him, would be focused on free and qualitative education which was allotted 51.15 per cent to cover education sub-sector.

Okorocha explained further that particular attention would be given to agrobased, small and medium scale industries that would be involved in massive food production and processing to support his plan to industrialise the state for employment generation.

To this end, Okorocha said his administration has projected the creation of over 50,000 new jobs for youth in the next two years, adding the government in-

tended to establish at least one small-medium scale industry in every Community Government Council in the state.

Aside from the normal taxes and fees collected by ministries, departments and agencies, Okorocha said his administration intends to generate over N522.55m through Imo Geographic Information Services, IGIS, while N2.5billion is expected from anticipated interest and bond proceeds from government investment.

He also said the budget would be funded from N5billion expected to be generated through ENTRACO and other revenue consultants set up by the government.

IPAD, group differs on Anambra LG poll The Assistant Chairman of IPAD, Prince Isaac Onuka and Secretary, Peter Okala, had said in one of the national dailies that the various political parties operating in the state were prepared for the election and urged the governor not to disappoint them by delaying the exercise, arguing that there was no justification to revert to the use of caretaker committees for the local governments when the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission, ANSIEC, can be funded to conduct the election when it is due.

On their own, a pressure group, House of

Assembly Aspirants Association of Nigeria, HAAN, yesterday, faulted the call by IPAD, saying that the campaign for the Anambra Central Senatorial district by all political parties will be intensified

by January, stressing that combining it with the local government election will definitely hit up the polity in the state.

The chairman of the group, Nduka Alor and another member, Nnaemeka Ezeaku (Dunukofia constituency) appealed to the governor to postpone the local government election to enable some of them, who have interest in the election to participate fully.

“We are appealing to His Excellency to suspend the issue of local government election for now. He should appoint a caretaker committee that will pilot the affairs of the local government pending when the senatorial election will be over. We really want to concentrate in this (senatorial election) to ensure that PDP did not manipulate the electoral process anymore.

“The governor has made a lot of sacrifices for the people in all ramifications that the only thing he needs now is our collective prayers and as well, watch our back against the evil doers who want to pull him down by all

means. This is the only opportunity that APGA has to cruise to victory after the day rubbery of PDP and their cohorts in the last general election which the Appeal Court has upturned,” they said.

Obiano

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

South South

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

11

Ijaw youths commend Buhari over NDDC’s re-structuring Osahon Julius Yenagoa

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jaw Youth Council, IYC, the umbrella body of Ijaw youth worldwide, has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his initiative in restructuring the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, with the appointment of an acting managing director for it - a former commissioner for information in Rivers State - Mrs. Ibim Seminetari.

President of the Ijaw Youth Council Worldwide, Comrade Udengs Eradiri, who stated this during a chat with newsmen in Yenagoa, however, regretted the role played

by Niger Delta people in the mismanagement of intervention agencies set up for the development of the region.

Eradiri said one of the biggest problems of institutions managed by Niger Deltans, is that such institutions become conduit pipes for stealing money by those responsible for managing them.

He noted that the President has begun the pro-

cess of reorganising Nigeria, the NDDC being a major key, adding that the appointment is geared towards that purpose.

The IYC president urged President Buhari not to allow the NDDC to be used as a tool for political battles, calling on the new acting managing director to ensure it is properly managed.

“I want to commend President Buhari for beginning the process of reorganising the NDDC. One of our biggest problems in the Niger Delta is the institutions run by Niger Deltans to empower the people.

“Rather than develop the region, they convert them into a conduit pipe for stealing money; we are our biggest problems; the NDDC is becoming a problem to us in the region.

“Since the President has begun the process of reorganising Nigeria, the NDDC is key to restructuring the Niger Delta; so if the appointment is geared towards reorganising the commission, we commend the President,” Eradiri said.

The IYC also proposed the decentralisation of the

NDDC for efficient productivity and better management of resources.

“The NDDC should be decentralised among the states concerned; the present situation where everybody is coming to the centre has destroyed the commission. When they get their budget, it should be according to each state’s production quota.

“So, projects in the states must be in line with their production quota, so

that if you are destroying your pipeline and you are not producing, it is your projects that will be affected.

“In that way you will see that states will begin to protect the facilities to optimise production,” he said.

Eradiri called for the rehabilitation of the prisons and also set up skills acquisition programmes for inmates.

He called on the NDDC and the Presidential Am-

nesty office to start the process of building facilities for the rehabilitation of inmates in the region.

“You go to a prison yard that is supposed to be a rehabilitation centre, you find that it has become a place where hardened criminals are bred.

“I went to the Okaka prisons in Yenagoa; it was so disappointing for a prison that is less than five years - no sports facilities, no training facili-

ties, the water is bad, no mattresses, no conducive environment for the inmates to live.

“I feel that the NDDC as an intervention agency should build skills acquisition centers in the prisons; the IYC has contributed its own quota - we have given them foods, materials and donated sports facilities like table tennis, footballs and we plan to establish and equip barber shops in the prisons,” Eradiri said.

Kidnappers of Bayelsa commissioner demand N40m ransom Cleric tasks FG on trial of corruption cases Participants at the annual Calabar festival in Calabar, Cross Rivers State.

Osahon Julius Yenagoa

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espite stern warning to kidnappers by the Bayelsa State governor, Seriake Dickson, abductors of the state’s Commissioner for Local Government, Madam Serefina Otazi, have demanded a N40 million ransom for her release.

Madam Otazi was abducted on December 20 in Otuoke at a gun point on her way to Ewoi community in Ogbia Local Government Area for a funeral.

Mr. Endurance Frank, a member of the family said during a telephone interview yesterday that the kidnappers have contacted the family and demanded a ransom of N40 million to free the victim.

Frank said the family was relieved to hear from Otazi and appealed to the kidnappers to free her unconditionally.

Otazi had served as Commissioner for Women Affairs and acting chairman of Ogbia Local Government Area.

Also, the whereabouts of Governor Dickson’s sister, Nancy Dickson, abducted less than 24 hours earlier than Otazi remain unknown as the duo spent Christmas in the kidnappers’ den.

Elo Ogwara Warri

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resident Muhammadu Buhari has been charged to prevail on the judiciary to speed up the trial of corruption cases so that it could recover looted funds quickly for the nation’s de-

velopment.

General overseer of God’s Ministry of Healing and Deliverance, Evan. Samson Mamamu, gave the charge at the church’s 39th ‘Feast of Ingathering’ in OgbeIjoh, Warri South West Council Area of Delta State.

Mamamu, a United Nations’ peace advocate, who also called for more strategies and decisive measures to end the Boko Haram insurgency in the North East, noted that the Federal Government is on the right track and should remain steadfast.

Contractors storm NDDC, protest non-payment Dennis Naku, Port Harcourt

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ontractors handling projects for the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, yesterday staged a peaceful protest at the entrance of the agency’s headquarters, along Aba Road, Port Harcourt, over alleged nonpayment of contract fees for jobs done.

The contractors converged under the auspices of Contractors Association

of NDDC. Addressing newsmen during the peaceful protest, president of the body, Mr. Joe Adia, said most of the contractors in the region are being owed for jobs done since the past three to five years.

Adia said some of the affected contractors have passed on out of frustration.

He added that the protest was to acquaint the new acting managing director of the commission

with their predicament.

He said: “We welcome the new acting managing director. We want her to know that the major problem is that contractors have been owed for about five years.

“Some, their Interim Payment Certificates, IPM, are now missing, all because of this delay in payment. We want Mr. President to know that our major problem is non-payment.”

The president of the as-

sociation appealed to the Federal Government to cancel all fresh jobs awarded by the previous board, saying it is no use awarding new jobs when jobs awarded several years ago had not been paid for.

While appealing to the Federal Government to effectively fund the commission, the contractors said government should also endeavour to release the exact amount in the budget to the commission annually.

He however stated that more efforts should be put into curbing electoral malpractice and other social vices such as kidnapping.

“We appeal that more efforts be engaged in attacking Boko Haram to minimise their capacity in the destruction of humans and properties,” he said.

He further advised President Buhari against selective handling of persons with corruption allegations, positing that to recover Nigeria’s stolen funds, the judiciary must be pressured against frequent adjournments.

“We read in the pages of national dailies of about 400 corruption cases in various courts.

Our looted funds must be recovered for development,” Mamamu stressed.

12

North

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Contractor abandons multi-billion naira dam in Katsina James Danjuma Katsina

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N4.3bn worth dam in Katsina State has been abandoned by the contractor handling it.

Dallaji dam, located in Bindawa council area, is Federal Government-owned, under the Sokoto-Rima River Basin Development Authority.

But the project was abandoned by the contractor after collecting N1.9 billion as mobilisation fee.

The project was

awarded in 2009 to provide portable water and irrigation for people living in Bindawa and Ingawa council areas.

Supervisory consultant of the project, Engr. Gambo Hambali, briefed committee members on water resources of the state’s House of Assembly during a visit to the site.

Hambali said the project is expected to provide 20 million litres of water per day and has capacity to provide water for about 700 hectares of irrigable land.

He said the contractor

abandoned the project in 2013 after attaining 40 per cent completion, and that efforts to trace it have proved abortive.

Hambali said several letters written to the Federal Ministry of Water Resources on the matter seemed not to have received the necessary attention.

He said all the equipment brought by the

contractor to the project site are not working with exception of one bulldozer.

He alleged connivance by powers that be at the Federal Ministry of Water Resources in sabotaging efforts to force the contractor to complete the project.

The consultant however called on the state House of Assembly to

initiate ways of completing the project in view of its importance to people living in the area.

Responding, a member of the committee, Hon. Ali Bindawa (All Progressive Congress, Bindawa) said the visit was to assess the level of work done at the project site, and modalities for its completion.

Bindawa said the state lawmakers, in collaboration with the National Assembly committee members on water resources, would work hand-in-hand to get to root of the matter.

He however commended efforts of the community members around the project for protecting the facility from being vandalised.

LP criticises Kwara’s plan to access N20bn loan

K

wara State chapter of the Labour Party, LP, has criticised Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed’s administration for planning to access a fresh N20 billion bond from the capital market.

The party made its position known in a letter addressed to the Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly, which was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Ilorin yesterday.

The letter, dated December 28, was signed by the state chairman of the party, Mr. Johnson Babalola, and secretary, Mr. Abdulkareem Onagun.

The letter was the party’s contribution to the public hearing on the plan of the state government to access N20 billion from the capital market.

NAN reports that the state assembly had scheduled a public hearing on the plan for December 18, but later changed it to December 19 for an interactive session with the governor.

During the interactive session, only the governor addressed the people on the need for the bond.

The party, however, expressed disappointment over the last minute-cancellation of the public hearing on the matter.

According to the party, there is no rationale for the state to access the fund, considering that the people are still suffering from previous loans obtained by the government.

It said: “LP sees the request for another bond as additional burden on the people of Kwara State, considering the fact that repayment of the previous bonds has not fully been settled.”

It advised the governor to adopt the strategy of President Muhammadu Buhari by blocking all revenue leakages and recover looted funds in the state.

The party said projects listed to be funded through the bond could easily be financed without throwing the state into another debt if government judiciously utilises its resources.

According to the LP, there is no reason for the state government to take a loan to finance federal roads and projects in the state.

One of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPS), Miss Aisha Modu (3rd r) teaching others how to knit cap at NEMA IDPS Camp in Fufore, Yola, yesterday. PHOTO:NAN

4 drown on Boxing Day in Katsina-Ala, corpses recovered Henry Iyorkase Makurdi

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orpses of four persons who disappeared at a picnic in River Katsina –Ala, Buruku Local Government Area of Benue State on

Boxing Day, have been recovered by fishermen and divers.

Our correspondent learnt that the deceased include one female and three males who drowned in the river on the fateful day.

The incident, it was

further gathered, caused panic and apprehension among people living in the riverine area, consequent upon which a team of divers was constituted to search for the missing persons.

Speaking on the incident, a former Bank

New Year bliss as 19 new Dangote Cement millionaires emerge

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ew year celebrations will be on a high note for some 19 persons whose status were at the weekend elevated to that of millionaires by Dangote Cement in the ongoing Dangote Cement Mega Million Dash promo.

The atmosphere at the Eliozu, GU Ake Road, venue of the formal presentation of the winners, was ignited when N1 million cheque was presented to each of the 19 winners - all end-users of Dangote Cement in the South South, whose entries were picked

during a draw held in Lagos.

Speaking at the cheque presentation ceremony, group chief marketing officer, Oare Ojeikere, said the ‘Dangote Mega Millions Dash’ was part of efforts by the management of the company to give back to end-users of the company’s products as a way of empowering, encouraging and thanking them for their patronage.

Ojeikere noted that the company usually have interactions with its agents and distributors, stressing that it felt the need to

go beyond its distribution value chain and reward end-users, mainly block makers, masons, bricklayers and builders.

According to him, “the idea is to move beyond meeting and interacting with our distributors and give something back to people who use our products every day. People like block makers, those working at the construction site and those building their homes.

The marketing officer said the promo started late November, and that “we have had three draws

already,” adding that the first draw was in November and the last draw would be at the end of February 2016.

Ojeikere said N300 million is up for grabs in the Dangote Mega Millions Dash promo, explaining that winners emerged after they cut out and collected five tokens from the top right corner of Dangote Cement bags.

He however disclosed that 42 millionaires have so far emerged and given their money while 420 others who won N50,000 have redeemed their prizes.

of the North branch manager, Mr. Paul Gbor, identified one of the deceased as 47-year-old Terdoo Nyitse.

When contacted, caretaker chairman of the council, Hon. Emmanuel Iorsue, described the incident as unfortunate, even as he enjoined parents and guardians to caution their wards against picnicking during the Yuletide.

“This accident could have been averted if only those involved did not go swimming and dancing nude with their friends in the water under the guise of picnic which has become a yearly occasion,” he said.

The state Police Commissioner, Mr. Paul Yakadi, could not be reached to confirm the incident as he could not be reached through phone despite several attempts.

Wednesday December 30, 2015

We’re prepared for Benue South senatorial re-run election –Yaro 14 What do you foresee for the states, giving the falling prices in crude oil?

Looking at what is happening globally and its impact on our economy, since oil is the mainstay of our economy you would agree with me that it is really time for the Federal Government and the states to step up their acts. From what we are witnessing, things are even getting worse, especially as the states continue to record declines in their subventions. I understand for the Adamawa state government, the last allocation it got was N1.6 billion while its salary bill is N2.4 billion. So if you look at it, this means some of the states have to go borrowing. I don’t know how they are going to pay December salaries not to talk of January salaries.

But the signals coming up are very good since most of the states are beginning to look at ways of improving their Internally Generated Revenues, IGR. However, in Adamawa, the Board of Internal Revenue is not also helping matters. Even though we have been hammering on its leadership to get its acts together, the signals from the board seem to suggest incompetence. In the last three quarters, the Adamawa state Board of Internal Revenue has shown an inability to meet up with the N6 billion target set for it. Instead it was only able to generate N1.3 billion as IGR. That said, there are so many avenues that if we can tap we can be able as a state to realize N1 billion as monthly revenues.

I fear that if something is not quickly done, the states may not be able to sustain themselves.

So with what you know, you think the Adamawa State Board of Internal Revenue can be able to realize the N1 billion monthly revenue target set by the state legislature?

Yes, it is realizable. The problem is there are so many loopholes.

Many still do not pay their taxes. So if we put stringent measures to really make people pay, they will pay. Taxation is perhaps the only major revenue earner for any government the world over. Most government makes a lot of money on Pay as You Earn, PAYE. Therefore, if the government sits up and ensures the enforcement of its tax code, generating N1 billion as monthly IGR is possible in Adamawa.

As a member of the opposition do you think we have started to see stability with the All Progressive Congress, APC- led government of President Muhammadu Buhari?

I have not seen any stability. In fact, I am foreseeing revolution.

Revolution in the sense that hardship will force the people into revolt. That’s how he started in 1983, the hardship was so pronounced that, he had to be overthrown. Today, again, that he is back in power, he wants to run the affairs of the country as a one man affair. He is not telling us anything about the economy.

So you think the economy is a big minus for the Buhari administration?

Yes, it is a very big minus. Nothing is encouraging an investor to come into the country. So tell me how do you encourage anybody to come in to invest. The openings are not there...

But it appears he (President) has been putting square pegs in square holes with his appointments.

Travelling, trying to recover monies stolen by past government. He is not even going deep into what happened in previous governments, but his only busy looking at former President Goodluck Jonathan. All the people that stole money, stole money from PDP and went into the APC. But he is not looking at them because they are the ones who financed the APC. The same people witch hunting the PDP today are the ones who took monies from the party (PDP) and left for the APC

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

13

Politics

Adamawa can generate N1bn revenue monthly –Dilli Hon. Lusambani Mijah Dilli, a seasoned banker turned politician, is representing Demsa state constituency in the Adamawa state House of Assembly on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. In this interview with LIVINUS MENDI, he emphasised the need for the state governments to improve their Internally Generated Revenue, IGR and criticised President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration saying it lacks human face among other issues of national interest.

Excerpt: is on ground or on the table for the poor man.

Dilli

since they could not fit in. This selective justice is very worrisome because the real looters are within the APC. Why is he not going up to them.

You said hardship will drive people to revolution. What informed this assertion?

When you are tired, and poverty continues to swell what would you expect. Look at the number of people daily thronging into offices for one form of assistance.

It tells you about the pervading spectre of poverty across the land. This is not only going on in the states, go to Abuja and you will see for yourself. Nothing is happening in Abuja and nothing is happening in the states.

Could this be the backlash of the administration’s austere policy of not frittering away our commonwealth as the APC alleged the PDP did in its 16 years rule?

That is what Nigerians were used to, not PDP government. You, also benefitted from it.

There’s no way you can run a state like a one man government. The truth is Nigeria is too big for one person if you are to make real impact. Look at the indices, the real sector of the economy, it is all looking dismal.

So what you are saying emphatically is that Buhari might fail if he doesn’t alter his direction?

PDP had pointed this out to him. That if he doesn’t retrace his steps the way he is going he would crash the economy and the country.

Because when people are pushed to the wall, they can revolt. This is what is happening here, people are hungry. Yes we want development, roads is something else. Yet nothing

But the APC government has highlighted its plans to address pro-poor policies in the 2016 budget. Aren’t you satisfied with its proposals to cushion the hardship?

They were the ones who cajoled people with the promise of giving N5,000 to 5 million Nigerians each year during their campaigns.

However, it is surprising that it has to take a reminder from the PDP, for them to even plan to fulfill this campaign promise because they forgot about it. So it is just a second thought which is only on paper. We want to see the reality coming to the fore. But I don’t see it happening. What the government should be doing is to boost economic activities by encouraging entrepreneurs.

Giving people N5,000 will not turn our economic fortunes. We know in the western world like America, an average person who does not work has a kind of social welfare assistance giving to him. But we can’t start that in Nigeria because we are not yet buoyant. Therefore, what we need to do instead, is to support small and medium scale businesses by improving their access to funding and lowering interest rates on borrowings and making it cheaper to borrow. Use the village heads as guarantors, for small farmers and artisans who are seeking to borrow instead of the civil servants and increase access to funding for businesses to reinvigorate the economy.

What do you make of the seeming inability of the APC to meet the expectations which heralded its advent, especially as it regards the mood of members within your party the PDP? If actually the APC were running the government in a way that was entirely in conformity with their campaign promises, we would have witnessed massive defection of members from the PDP into the APC. However, that is not happening. At the moment nobody is worried within the PDP, that we are not in power. Rather, what the members are saying is let’s still be together. Because we are the architect of the fall of the party, and it is we the members who can rebuild the party.

In fact, the party has come out with a plan to reinvigorate the party.

Soon Congress will be held from the ward up to the national level to elect new leaders for the fight with the APC ahead of the 2019 elections. I also don’t think the court ruling sacking the acting national chairman of our party will create any hullabaloo within the party. I am one of those in support of the court judgement because there ought to have been a mini convention to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Adamu Muazu, by someone from the North East.

But, because the party has been silent about it, some people had to approach the court.

14

Politics

Wednesday December 30, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

We’re prepared for Benue South senatorial re-run election –Yaro Hon. Abba Yaro is the Chairman of All Progressive Congress, APC in Benue state and one politician who has fought many battles in the political arena. In this interview with HENRY IYORKASE, Yaro bares his mind on the determination of the party to defeat David Mark at the re-run election rescheduled for February 2016 among other issues. Excerpts. sure you.

Congratulations on the victory of your party, the All Progressives Congress, APC in your suit against Senator David Mark at the Court of Appeal. What was your reaction when you first heard that the Court has nullified the election of Mark and ordered for fresh election?

Thank you very much. The Court of Appeal decision to me represents victory for democracy. You see, I have been saying it that when the righteous rule, everything works for the good. I have worked for the party and now it is the time for God to compensate me and he has compensated me. This will show the Benue people that Zone C (Benue South Senatorial District) is not for People’s Democratic Party, PDP , Zone C is APC. We thank God for the judgment at the Court of Appeal. The judgment has shown that David Mark didn’t win the election and he will never win any election in Zone C any day any time we go into election.

What are those things that have given you the confidence that if the election takes place today, APC will carry the day?

I am 100 per cent sure that there is no PDP in Zone C. If you conduct election today or tomorrow, we are going to win. I will not disclose our strategies to the press but for your information, the strategies we used in winning him and have been vindicated in the court is what we will use to win him again in the fresh poll ordered by the Court of Appeal.

There is this speculation that the present government is tilted more towards Tiv nation than Idoma nation because the Idoma people were not APC. Are you telling the Idoma people that by way of appointments, this administration is also for them?

When you talk of appointments in this government as far as I am concerned, Zone C has benefitted a lot. We have not been cheated in any way. We have Special Advisers, Senior Special Assistants, Head of Service, the Deputy Governor, the party chairman is from Zone C, the minister is also from there so what again? There is no ethnic sentiments in this and David Mark should not resort to whipping ethnic sentiments. Let him come out and tell the people why he should be voted as senator, period.

Could you share with us the level of preparation of your party, the All Progressives Congress, APC ahead of fresh polls ordered in Benue South Senatorial District by the Court of Appeal?

I want to let you know that the APC is fully prepared for that election. There is nothing stopping us from winning that election except God. All the boasting by David Mark is a mere waste of his time because the former Senate President has never won election in Benue South before. This time around, he would be shocked by the votes we will get.

We learnt that he is preparing to use thugs and militia to win the election but I want to assure you that he will not be allowed to do that. We are going to match him words for words, action for action, money for money and for everything he has because we are going for an election that we want the people to know that David Mark has never won any election in Zone C. Across the country, the impression people have is that the battle is not just about APC, Daniel Onjeh and David Mark but that a few individuals in the APC are perfecting a long time agenda against the former Senate President and they look at Onjeh as a stooge to achieve the Tiv agenda. How would you react to this?

Onjeh is not a stooge. A former president of NANS (National Association of Nigerian Students) and the West

So you are very confident of victory?

We are 100 per cent confident of victory. We are going to win. I have never lost any election. I went for gubernatorial election and I won, senatorial election Gemade won, Akume also won because God is always behind us.

People are of the belief that Onjeh is only used as a stone that will hit the bird but eventually he will be substituted and another person will take over that place.

Look, look, let me tell you something. I am the State Chairman of the APC and I am assuring you that nobody can substitute Onjeh for any other candidate. Do you even think that INEC will even allow for substitution? How can you substitute in a re-run election? It is a constitutional matter; you can’t substitute, it is not possible. Onjeh is our candidate and I assure you that nobody will substitute him for another candidate. I, Comrade Aba Yaro on behalf of the State Executive Council of the APC Benue State will not and will never substitute Daniel Onjeh for any other person.

Yaro

I want to let you know that the APC is fully prepared for that

election. There is nothing stopping us from winning

that election except God African Students Union and you call him a stooge? The young man is intelligent and I know he can lead Benue South Senatorial District. If he cannot lead the district, the party would have not given him the ticket in the first instance. He went through the primary election and emerged the candidate of the party. If he is not popular, he would not have emerged as the candidate of the party. So I assure you that nobody; no selected few are behind to say they will use him as a stooge. How old is the Speaker of the House of Representatives? How old is Dimeji Bankole, the former Speaker House of Representatives? How old is Tambuwal? Gone are the days when they say youth are leaders of tomorrow. David Mark should not waste his time going into the contest again; he should simply sit back. If I were him, I will not contest this election because we are going to defeat him roundly. If I were him, I will not contest! The shame; it is just like David and Goliath. Onjeh is a Daniel turned David and will bring down the Goliath by the grace of God. How about the traditional institution? People say he is going to use the traditional institutions to protect the legacies if there is anything like that?

Which legacies and which traditional institutions?

What can they do? The traditional institutions is even tired of him. The traditional institutions have seen that for 16 years going to 20 years, David Mark didn’t do anything for them. Is it now that he is carrying rice about and money to share to people that would save him now that people’s eyes have opened? Everybody is rising to the challenge. For how long can an old man be like that and would not do anything for Benue South Senatorial District? The traditional institutions will work for us and that I can as-

How are you working to ensure internal party discipline so that the slackness here and there can be stopped?

You may recall that the members of Ogbadibo Local Government Area Executive Council of the APC were suspended sometimes ago because they erred. Now that they have realized that what they did was wrong and they have apologised, we lifted the suspension because it is said that to err is human and forgiveness is divine. There is discipline in this party and nobody is above the supremacy of this party. Even I, if I erred, let me be punished.

There is this outcry about the snail speed action of the present administration in terms of carrying out infrastructural development. What can you say about this?

We are together here in Benue State and we are aware of the debt profile left for the state by the immediate past administration of the PDP , N169billion . The money we get is just to take care of salaries. Benue people should be patient. A labourer deserves his wages. You will see so many infrastructural developments springing up by next year. What we are receiving now is very meagre compare to the days of the PDP but even at that, go to the Schools of Nursing and Midwifery and see what is happening there, go to Makurdi-Gbajimba Road and see things for yourself. Many other projects are also been attended to.

We have also ensured that our own Benue State University graduates are first set of Medical Doctors and many more positive strides of the Ortom administration; the amnesty, eradication of thuggery are among several other salient achievements of the APC administration in the state. Dr. Samuel Ortom is really trying and Benue people should be calm and be patient that more infrastructural development will come in. Above all, let’s give honour to whom honour is due.

There are accusations in some quarters by political pundits that even the little funds coming to the state are allegedly being swindled by some government officials.

How would you react to this insinuation?

That is a sponsored lie and statement by the PDP. Of course, you know that we cannot do that as a government that abhors corruption. We are ready to fight corruption and if anybody embezzles government’s money, government money will embezzles such a person. Therefore, nobody can temper with government’s funds and go scot free.

I can tell you categorically that such a rumour is malicious, a fallacy and is meant to discredit our government.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Abiodun Nejo ADO EKITI

T

he All Progressives Congress, APC in Ekiti State has described the state governor’s trip to Dubai during the festive period as a reckless insensitivity to workers’

KADUNA

F

ormer Deputy Governor of Kaduna state, Ambassador Nuhu Bajoga, has called on Peoples Democratic Party, PDP supporters in Southern Kaduna to forgive each other over the mistakes which caused the party defeat in 2015 polls.

Addressing PDP supporters in Kafanchan, Kaduna State during a one day conference organised by the Kaduna State PDP Youth Patriotic Front, Bajoga called on members of the party to reconcile and face the opposition.

Bajoga while commending the organisers of the event, said the mantle of the struggle of the Southern Kaduna people has now fallen on the laps of the youths to carry them to the promise land as the journey that was started many years ago, has to start all over again.

According to Bajoga: “Let us apologise to each other, let’s reconcile with each other, so that we can face this opposition. Without this, I don’t think we can go anywhere.

“We have been scattered

plight.

APC State Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, accused the governor of embarking on N250 mil-

after the elections; accusations here and there, to the extent that some of us are not even in talking terms with ourselves which is very unfortunate” he said.

“We must seat down, look at ourselves in the face, reconcile ourselves and see how we can forge ahead.

“Why you are very lucky is that there are very few of us left . We have our fallen heroes; people like Isaiah Balat, Ali Madaki, Steven Shekari, Col. Nyan, Col. Yohanna Madaki and Gen. Madaki, they have all fallen by the way side” he said.

“One man single handedly took us through the forest of the promised land, that is Sir Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa. For the past 20 years, we toiled and toiled to reach the boundary” “Even a few of us that are alive today, as somebody has just said, we have had our fair share of the cake already. What more do we want?

“So the mantle has fallen on your lap (the youths) to carry us to the promise land because we have to start the journey all over again, the journey we have toiled for all our lives “Bajoga said.

lion private comfort abroad while state workers being owed three months salaries live in miserable conditions during festive Yuletide season.

In a statement in Ado Ekiti, the state capital yesterday, the APC accused the governor of diverting the state resources to Middle East, saying: “He is owing Ekiti workers three months salary arrears, pensioners four months arrears and has not paid severance and furniture allowances of former political office holders”.

It called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC to invite

the state Commissioner for Finance, Accountant General and the Auditor General for interrogation on how the finances of the state including the N9 billion bailout fund were mismanaged on the alleged governor’s instructions.

The APC also reiterated its resolve “to institute a legal action against the governor over alleged financial recklessness and refusal to account for all the monies he collected from the Federation Account”.

It lamented that the governor “is dehumanising Ekiti people through antipeople policies, such as heavy taxes that cannot be accounted for,” adding that, “this was unlike in former

Governor Kayode Fayemi’s era in 2013 when workers collected their December salary, a week to Christmas in addition to 30 per cent of their annual basic salary as Christmas bonus”.

But the state Commissioner for Information, Mr Lanre Ogunsuyi, who said the governor was on holiday and not on official trip, said the APC allegation is following their usual ludicrous accusation and commentary.

Ogunsuyi said: “The governor is on holiday like every other worker who has worked conscientiously throughout the year, it is not an official journey and it means the governor will be responsible for all the expenses.

ONITSHA

M

embers of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Anambra state chapter yesterday re-united into one larger family to prosecute the re-run election of the Chairman Senate Committee on Petroleum, Downstream Sector , Senator Uche Ekwunife, whose election was upturned last week by the Appeal Court in Enugu.

PDP leader in Anambra state, former Governor Peter Obi in his speech, vowed that Senator Ekwunife will win the election landslide against

Chief Victor Umeh and requested all to join forces with her no matter anyone’s grievances to ensure PDP takes victory at the poll.

Obi warned those managing the resources of Anambra state to ensure they do not waste the state resources on the forthcoming re-run but to use the state resources for the good of the state as according to him, Ekwunife would beat Umeh over and over again in any future elections hence he thought Umeh would have accepted defeat than wait for a second disgrace at the polls.

According to Obi, “I am

“APC is talking having lost all relevance. Every worker in Ekiti has been paid October salary, unless the party has a different calendar, what is outstanding is November and December salaries and the people could understand the reason behind it.”

“The bailout was expended as instructed by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN. It is left for the CBN through its audit mechanism to say anything in response to what the APC has said. They are campaigning to gain some relevance they have lost.

“They should send their petition to EFCC, because they are the one with the power to probe and indict”, the commissioner said.

Gombe State Governor, Ibrahim Hassan Dankwombo presenting 2016 Budget to the State House of Assembly, yesterday.

Obi, Okwu-led APGA, others endorse Ekwunife Francis Ekpone

15

Ekiti APC faults Gov’s Dubai trip

2015 polls: Forget the past, Bajoga urges Southern Kaduna PDP supporters A za Msue

Politics

Wednesday December 30, 2015

supporting Uche because she will represent us well at the centre. This woman brought the last cheque I received from the Federal Government, N1.2 Billion. She facilitated its release, because she is a goal getter and whatever she focuses on, she gets it done. We don’t want long cap or distinguished or hon. , because it is not a family meeting but about the interests of Ndigbo and we want to retain the Chairmanship of Petroleum Downstream Sector in Anambra central. Uche Ekwunife is firebrand, she would get our benefits at the center. ‘’We don’t want a spec-

tator to watch the national assembly. Let us do politics of sense party or no party and get our fair share from the Federal Government because the 80 per cent of the resources of the federation is from oil. Victor has won long cap for years and there is nothing in that cap’’, he said.

This is coming as a stakeholders meeting across all political parties yesterday endorsed Senator Uche Ekwunife as their candidate of choice in the forthcoming Senatorial re-run in Anambra state, and pleaded with other candidates especially of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP who have in-

terest in the forthcoming PDP primaries scheduled for January 9 to shelve their interest for Senator Ekwunife as she is already a ranking senator.

Some members of the PDP present at a stakeholders meeting convened

by Senator Ekwunife include former Presidential Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan, Senator Ben Ndi-Obi; former Governor Peter Obi , Member House of Representatives representing Awka South and North , Hon. Anayo Nnebe, former lawmakers in the state and at the national level including former Majority leader, Anambra

House of Assembly, Hon Joe Dimobi, chairmen of local government and councilors as well state Chairman, faction of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Shedrack Anakwue , traditional rulers and captains of industry among others.

High point of the meeting was the moving of a motion that Senator Ekwunife be nominated unopposed as the PDP sole candidate for the re-run election.

The motion was moved

by Evangelist Kenneth Ginikanwa Enemuo and seconded by Hon. Chuba Oranusi before a voice vote moderated by Chief Joe-Martins Uzodike.

16

Politics

Wednesday December 30, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

APC’ll capture Cross River soon –Ndoma-Egba Richard Ndoma CALABAR

A

n All Progressive Congress, APC Chieftain and former Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma Egba yesterday said that the All Progressive Congress, APC will take over Cross River State especially now that the gale of defection has hit the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the state.

Ndoma- Egba made the remark while fielding questions from journalists in Calabar stressing that there are indices on ground to show that the APC is beginning to gain ground to form its strong hold and capture the state.

The immediate senate leader maintained that the agitation by the supposedly Biafrans for the creation of the Republic of Biafra is unjustifiable, insisting that someone might be using the platform for a secret agenda.

He however challenged those agitating for the Republic of Biafra to clearly explain to Nigerians the geographical extend of their agitation, “When Ojukwu declared the Republic of Biafra on May 30, 1957 if I remember very well, it was the then eastern region that was declared as the Republic of Biafra”, Ndoma -Egba siad.

“The then eastern region comprise the five states of the southeast and

four states of the SouthSouth that is today Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Bayelsa states but now where are these other states today which were initially part of the struggle”?, he asked.

“They should not presume that those of us who were part of the original Biafra are still sympathetic to the idea of the Republic of Biafra because a lot have changed. So they have to clearly explain to us the geographical expand of the Biafra they are agitating for and also they have to assure Nigerians that they have the consensus of the Igbos. I think those things are missing in that agitation “Is it that somebody is

using that agitation to pursue an agenda? Because everyone has the right to agitate but you must agitate within the confine of the law. The right to agitate is there but as long as is it within the confines of the law. I am not aware that the Igbo nation or nationality has had any conference where they arrived at a consensus that they want Biafra. So it is just the agitation of some people within the south east, it is not the agitation of everybody so until they show to us that they have established their geographical area of their perceived republic and reached a consensus and at which this consensus was arrived at, then I just think

it is the agitation of some people who are pursuing another agenda, the lawyer turned politician stated.

Ndoma- Egba who is a former member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP stated that he defected to APC. because the managers of the PDP shut him out for reasons best known to them. “I didn’t just move away from my former party. For three years, I was not invited to any PDP meeting, so I was constructively ejected from PDP. I have heard people say I decamped, no I was constructively ejected from PDP three years before my move, so at the time I moved, I was not in PDP I was standing by the road side, I just moved across to join another political party because I still have political life to live. Yes I am in APC

now and my responsibility is in two fold, one is to enable APC mobilize to become a cohesive political platform in Cross River and the other is to mobilize the people of Cross River to the choices that are available to them now because you and I will agree today that Cross River is no longer a one party state not from my experience from the last election. The results of the last election are still subject to debate you and I are witnesses to what happened in the last election.

It is no longer tenable that Cross River is a one party state, so if it is no longer a one party state, we must make sure that there is an alternative platform that is given to people for them to be able to make their political choices, that is all that I am interested in”, he said.

Protesters barricade Government House over carnival fees Henry Iyorkase MAKURDI

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L-R: Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed; Makama of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Oniye and Chief Imam of Ilorin, Dr. Muhammed Bashir, at the presentation of Holy Qur’an to the governor during his Birthday Prayer in Ilorin, yesterday.

You’re haunted by your past, Niger APC to PDP Priscilla Dennis MINNA

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iger State Government has said that the immediate past administration of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP) “gang raped” the state’s economy and finances and its being haunted by its past misdeeds.

Apparently, reacting to the allegation by the state PDP Deputy Chairman, Bar. Tanko Beji, that PDP members are being witch-hunted by the APC government through a ‘ Secret Committee’ set up

by the APC government of Governor Abubakar Sani Bello, the state commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Jonathan Tsado Vatsa noted that the PDP members are complaining because the APC government refuses to sweep their past misdeeds under the carpet.

He debunked claims that the APC is using a secret committee to witchhunt PDP members, adding that, the current government in the state had always adhered to due procedure and processes in its actions.

According to him, “ We are not doing anything secret, it is all about democracy and it is the government of the people, but why PDP are complaining is that, their past is haunting them. The PDP incubate on rotting eggs for eight years, they incubate on corruption, in local government corruption, corruption everywhere in the state and they said they want to sweep it under the carpet, no normal administration will allow this things to go free.”

“They are only being haunted by their own past, by their own corrup-

tion, look at the kind of scandal in local government pension fund, and so many others. They should not talk, because they have gang raped Niger state financially, economically, we are not surprise, because in Nigeria society when you fight corruption, corruption will fight back,” he said.

Speaking on the allegation leveled against the APC government by PDP accusing it of non performance, Vatsa said the party was not use to development, when it sees it, the party would turn a blind eye.

ouths numbering over 1,500 yesterday protested at the gate of the Benue People’s House over non- payment of their performance fees in a carnival which was held during the Yuletide season in Makurdi, the state capital.

The protesters who barricaded the entrance leading into the main complex insisting that until Governor Samuel Ortom come out and attend to their grievances they will not leave.

Speaking with National Mirror on the matter , a coordinator of one of the groups, Miss Elizabeth Ngunan Andza said they had concluded the carnival and were told to go home but they refused because they have not been paid the fee of N6million that usually attracted the programme.

“When we the coordinators of various groups communicated to the youths who participated in the programme that the parting package that is usually presented after the exercise was not forthcoming they resisted and embarked on the protest to recover their fees

whether by hook or crook resulting in the protest”, she explained.

Another member of the carnival who preffered to be anonymous said “this programme is not as if it is new and usually the former administration used to reward our efforts to the tune of N4million but this time, we were told that the Governor is not aware of the programme therefore our efforts will not be compensated.

“But ironically, the first day of the beginning of the carnival, Governor Samuel Ortom attended the prayer session, how come the people are now telling us that he is not aware of the show”, she volunteered.

It took the intervention of the Commissioner for Justice and AttorneyGeneral of the state, Mr. Michael Gusah who said government is not aware of the carnival and presented N3 million to the participants towards assuaging their feelings.

He said that,” as our attention is being drawn to the programme, we would get ready and do it subsequently, appealing to the participants to remain calm and never be panic with the outcome of the exercise.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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Wednesday, December 30, 2015

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The revelations of the damned AKINTOKUNBO ADEJUMO

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t is very difficult to absolve former President Goodluck Jonathan of any complicity in the alleged mindboggling rape of the country that went unchecked during his six year tenure.

The nation should be spared the displays of empathies aimed at convincing Nigerians that Jonathan should be absolved of any crime perpetrated under his now almost discredited government of mediocrity, nepotism, religious and ethnic bigotry, deceit, and undisguised hypocrisy.

How the people, who allegedly perpetrated the heinous crimes under this ignoble regime, concealed them for so long and further continuously consolidated these frauds is beyond the imagination.

The corruption is so massive, unfettered and unmanageable that there was no possible way the “shit will not hit the fan” sooner rather than later. But due to their singular mediocre minds suffused with greed, selfishness and idiocy, these alleged looters never ever gave a thought that their deeds will ever be revealed.

This proved to me that the PDP never expected Jonathan to lose the last March 28 presidential election. They were so confident they would still be in power to be able to conceal the heists. Some, however, foresaw the days of Revelation, and thought that by jumping ship from PDP to APC- they would be able to enjoy some form of immunity, or at least, protection from the revelations that will eventually burst open. Some saw the handwriting

on the wall, but still decided to ignore the signs.

Even now, the person that should engage our sympathy is President Muhammadu Buhari. He is in deep trouble, if he does not know it. If all these revelations are true, then his government has a real problem on its hands.

He has to see all these through to their logical conclusions – no sacred cows or untouchables because of political, religious and regional affiliations or loyalty. He must ensure fast, free and fair prosecutions, and if and when convicted, long jail terms for the perpetrators of such huge scams and frauds on Nigerians. It is getting more open and messier by the day.

But as it is, if all these revelations prove to be true, then our main concern should be our compromised, irresponsible and very corrupt judiciary; our greedy, morally bankrupt and ignoble attorneys and our stupid democracy that favours powerful corrupt politicians, the bastardised the rule of law, as well as the parochial and misguided partisan Nigerians that are holding hypocritical and sycophantic briefs for these corrupt, shameless, remorseless and nonchalant politicians and non-politicians in government. ’ However, the problem is still very much caused by us Nigerians. The outrage against Jonathan, Dasuki and the rest of these “exclusive sharers of our commonwealth” is our collective responsibility. Nigerians should be marching towards Aso Rock to demand full ac-

T HE A FRICAN

MIND

IS SO POLITICALLY PRIMORDIAL THAT IT ALWAYS BLINDS US FROM FAIRNESS AND TRUTH countability and justice, and if Buhari fails to act on our demands, he should be pushed out of the way. Unfortunately, us folks see it through the prism of party politics. But it’s bigger than that.

Before writing this piece, I have already been accused of basing my statements on speculations. For how long shall we continue to shy away from the revelations and continue to call them speculations? Even if the level of crime is not as massive as is being revealed isn’t the fact that such crimes are committed by so few a people heinous enough to be looked at dispassionately and condemned roundly by all?

Now, it is important to delineate revelations and speculations. Over the past few weeks, it has become the norm of some sections of the society to denounce these revelations as mere unproven speculations; but I am not surprised at such incoherent pronouncement from my people. I have always said we are our own problems. Even if the scale of the revelations are not as massive as we are reading and come with touches of hyperbolic sensationalism, the fact remains that massive amount of the country’s

money was distributed illegally with impunity amongst some chosen elite in both government, the PDP party, the media and business communities, including some who are now even in the ruling party APC. Nevertheless, as I wrote in my previous articles, the African mind is so politically primordial that it always blinds us from fairness and truth. And this has summed up the kind of mixed horde we have in Nigeria. For a person educated to a degree level to call the unfolding revelations, confession, and admission by the looters themselves to be “speculations” just confirms my suspicions about our people’s attitude to corruption. But then, didn’t former President Jonathan himself say stealing of public funds is not corruption? The pitiable thing is that majority of these unsolicited “pocket lawyers” and devil’s advocates suffered greatly as a result of the actions and inaction of the same person they are defending.

Unfortunately some of us are blind, guided by political, tribal, self-seeking and religious nonsense, who enthusiastically allow themselves to be used as injudicious missiles. One would think that every sane and sensible Nigerian will fall behind the present government in its anti-corruption crusade. But you just check out social media to the number of Nigerians carrying briefs for the thieves and criminals.

To be continued Adejumo wrote from Ibadan, Oyo State via akinadejum@aol.com

Still on the joy of Christmas

ADEMOLA ORUNBON Six day ago, Christians all over the world celebrated another Christmas.

It was the 2015th edition since the first Christmas heralded the birth of Jesus Christ. The stage for that was set in Bethlehem, a small town in Judea. The cast included Joseph, Mary, the shepherds and the angels. Baby Jesus, whose birth is synonymous with Christmas, is the central issue of Christmas. The message of Christmas is that of joy and peace.

That was the heavenly message brought by the multitude of angels, who appeared in heaven and overwhelmed the shepherds in the field.

The angel’s message was straight: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill towards men!” (Luke 2:14). That was the message from heaven that marked Christmas. Therefore, any other issue, concern, expectation that is not in tandem with this eternal message is not for Christmas. Any desire not geared towards giving God glory and in turn promoting peace and goodwill towards men on earth contradicts the spirit and purpose of Christmas.

On that note, it is right to ask what your expectations at Christmas were.

Were your expectations geared towards mundane things or focused on the message of Christmas? Many people have varied expectations at Christmas - some

THERE IS NO PARTICULAR CHRISTMAS THAT WOULD MARK THE END OF CHRISTMAS, OPPORTUNITIES…

good, some bad. Some expected gifts from someone; some wanted to go for exotic shopping spree. Some wanted a new car. Some wanted to complete their house. The expectations are many and varied. For many, unless their expectations are met, there is no Christmas in their subconscious.

If your expectations fall short of the central theme of Christmas, which is joy, peace and goodwill, you should retract it and have the right spirit. Remember that Christmas has no end. As long as the earth exists with human beings, there will be Christmas celebration. In a matter of 12 months from now, there will be another Christmas.

So, nobody should kill him or herself because of this year’s Christmas. Mellow down; take life easy. What will be will be, with or without you. Thank God specially that you were alive to celebrate another Christmas. That is the greatest gift.

One of the main features of Christmas is mass movement of people from one place to another. There are international travels across the continents, regions and countries. Over and above

that are the domestic travels within the country. In Nigeria, for instance, the traditional movement at this time is from the West to the eastern states and then north to the southern states. There is this air of hurry, hurry, hurry! Many people appeared to be in a hurry to reach their destinations, meet certain goals/ targets before the year ends. The event of Christmas, which comes on December 25, just six days to the end of the year, accentuates this haste.

Somehow, there is false feeling in some individuals of “if I don’t accomplish the set objective, meet a target or goal, there won’t be another chance”.

But that is completely fallacious. There is no particular Christmas that would mark the end of Christmas, opportunities, expectations and targets. Soon after Christmas, comes the New Year that opens a brand new world of opportunities. Those that lost their lives during Christmas “rush” don’t ever get another chance to celebrate another Christmas.

I am a bit hesitant to adduce “rush” to Christmas because there was nothing in the first Christmas that suggested “rush”, especially for mundane things.

The duo of Joseph and Mary, on their way to Bethlehem to get registered in a census ordered by Caesar Augustus (63 BC-14 AD), the Roman Emperor were travelling on a donkey that walked normally. The shepherds were in the field keeping night watch over their flock

under a serene atmosphere, when the multitude of angels appeared with the message of Christmas. It was only after the angels had departed into heaven that the Bible said the shepherds “went with haste” to Bethlehem to confirm what the angels had said. The rush was geared towards meeting Baby Jesus in the manger and not for any material purpose. I have dwelt on the issue of rush at Christmas because it is the cause of many deaths on the roads in Nigeria during this season. The high rate of road accidents that has become another nightmare in Nigeria worsens during Christmas. This is very sad.

As many embarked on travelling, partying, eating and drinking, nobody should forget the central message of Christmas, which is joy to the world and peace to men of good will. While the joy is to the whole world, the peace is only for men and women who have goodwill towards others. The only way to be a partaker of this peace is to eschew bitterness and rancor.

Orunbon, a political analyst, wrote from Oke-Posun Epe, Lagos State via orunbonibrahimademola@gmail.com Send your views by mail or sms to PMB 10001, Ikoyi, or our Email: mail@ nationalmirroronline.net mirrorlagos@ yahoo.com or 08164966858 (SMS only). The Editor reserves the right to edit and reject views or photographs.

Pseudonyms may be used but must be

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Editorial

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

All the Facts, All the Sides A PUBLICATION OF GLOBAL MEDIA MIRROR LTD BARRISTER JIMOH IBRAHIM, CFR PUBLISHER

SUNDAY OLAJIDE MANAGING DIRECTOR/CEO BEN MEMULETIWON ACTING DAILY EDITOR GBEMI OLUJOBI SATURDAY EDITOR AYO OLESIN SUNDAY EDITOR DOZIE OKEBALAMA COORDINATOR, EDITORIAL BOARD CALLISTUS OKE EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR OBIORA IFOH ACTING ABUJA BUREAU CHIEF AUGUSTUS IMEKAN ACTING HEAD, GRAPHICS

Aero’s ladder disembarkation scandal

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he embarrassing and riskladen spectacle, which Nigerians and the rest of the world witnessed on December 19 at the Bauchi International Airport, where a Nigerian airline operator – Aero Contractors – against global acceptable standards in the aviation industry, disembarked 34 passengers that flew into Bauchi State from Abuja with public ladder instead of conventional air stairs, cannot be explained away with the buck-passing that has been trailing the unusual business precedent. Reports said the Bauchi shame was not the first time the airline used ladder to disembark its passengers; it had done same even at the elite, local wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, just to save cost.

The airline has, however, exonerated itself from blame, claiming its officials in charge of the flight, prior to leaving Abuja, contacted the Bauchi Airport Manager to advise that the aircraft was flying over; and that the official confirmed their readiness to receive the flight. Mr. Simon Tumba, the media consultant to the airline, said Aero took adequate safety and other measures for the Bauchi operation, including the airport’s ground staff crew to handle the air stairs equipment in Bauchi; but that the equipment unfortunately became unserviceable at the point of disembarkation. This, no doubt, is no subtle

THE AERO PASSENGERS…DESERVE COMPENSATION FROM THE AIRLINE FOR THE SHABBY TREATMENT,

EMBARRASSMENT AND SAFETY BREACHES THEY SUFFERED indictment for the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), which is vested with the statutory responsibility of managing aviation security in the country’s airports.

The flagship ground handling company in the land, the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO), has also denied responsibility for what happened to Aero at Bauchi Airport, saying it wasn’t the ground handler that was supposed to provide the air stairs for boarding and disembarking the Bauchi passengers. Mr. Tayo Ajakaye, NAHCO’s spokesperson, said it was expedient to clarify insinuations and the belief in some quarters that NAHCO was supposed to have provided the equipment.

He said NAHCO doesn’t operate at Bauchi Airport.

About a week to the Bauchi Aero ladder scandal, however, the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on Aviation, after inspecting facilities at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Ikeja,

Lagos, and the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport (NAA), Abuja, had implored the Federal Government to urgently address the problem of infrastructure decay at the nation’s airports.

Chairman of the committee, Senator Rabiu Kwankwanso, advised that in order to prevent them from total collapse, government should make improved infrastructure at the nation’s airports a priority, especially the MMA and NAA. The import is that if infrastructural provisioning at airports in the nation’s capital, Abuja; as well as Lagos, the country’s foremost commercial nerve-centre and former capital, can be as decrepit as the Kwankwnso-led Senate committee observed, the condition of airports in remote areas of the country, Bauchi inclusive, cannot be anything but worse. This gives a semblance of veracity to Aero’s suggestion that poor facilities warranted the development at the Bauchi Airport.

Indeed, the airline says the result of its investigation into the ladder scam could lead to changes in its operational procedures. The Accountable Manager/Acting Managing Director of Aero Contractors in the country, Captain Russell B. Lee Foon, told the media a couple of days ago in Lagos that any further charter operation by the airline into Bauchi on B737 equipment had been suspended.

He said charters into the state would henceforth be on smaller Q400 or

ON THIS DAY December 30, 2006 Former Iraqi President, Saddam Hussein, was executed. Saddam Hussein (April 28, 1937 – December 30, 2006) was the fifth President of Iraq, serving from July 16, 1979 until April 9, 2003. He played a key role in the July 17, 1968 coup (later referred to as the July 17 Revolution) that brought his Ba’ath Party to power in Iraq. He was once the Vice President under the then ailing General Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr.

December 30, 2009

A suicide bomber killed nine people at the ‘Forward Operating Base Chapman’, a key facility of the Central Intelligence Agency in Afghanistan. The attack involved a suicide attack by Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi against the CIA facility inside Forward Operating Base Chapman. The FOB facility is located near the eastern Afghan city of Khost, which is about 10 miles northwest of the Pakistani border.

Dash 8-300 aircraft series.

The Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, had shortly after the scandal broke out, indicated FG’s interest in probing the incident with a view to determining the immediate and remote causes; as well as developing and implementing measures that would prevent a re-occurrence of the unsafe and unacceptable procedure that exposed passengers to high safety risks. “…

The act is inconsistent with Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (NCAR) and International Civil Aviation Organization Standards and Recommended Practices ((ICAO-SARPs).

He reiterated that if the airline is found culpable, the full weight of sanctions within extant laws and regulations would be applied”, the Deputy Director, Press and Public Affairs in the Aviation Ministry, Mr. James Odaudu, said.

Our thinking, however, is that the probe should not have Aero as its only focus, but all the key players that have turned the nation’s aviation industry into a laughing stock and a sector where anything goes. They are also deserving of severe punishment. In addition, and without contempt for the outcome of the FG probe, the Aero passengers involved in the ladder scandal deserve compensation from the airline for the shabby treatment, embarrassment and safety breaches they suffered at Bauchi Airport.

December 30, 2013 More than 100 people were killed when anti-government forces attacked key buildings in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The attacks were launched by supporters of a religious leader, Paul Joseph Mukungubila, against television studios, the airport and a military base in Kinshasa, the nation’s capital. The state security forces responded, first killing around 54 of the attackers; and another 47.

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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Health & Wellbeing Facts to know about food safety

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Lagos abolishes contract doctors, moves to resolve sector 21 crisis

FGM thrives despite ban …still shrouded in superstition, old beliefs FRANKA OSAKWE

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n Osun State Nigeria, a week old baby reportedly developed HIV/AIDS through Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). The “circumciser” had used an unsterilized knife she previously used on another baby, not knowing that the baby had Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) acquired through mother to child transmission.

Today, many girls and women in Nigeria are going through various health complications as a result of FGM. The 2013 National Demographic Health Survey NDHS report showed that 25 per cent of women in Nigerian undergo circumcision with 82 per cent having it before their 5th birthday.

21 year-old Ijeoma narrated her ordeal since her clitoris was cut off when she was just eight years-old. As a result of the mutilation, she developed a chronic pelvic inflammatory infection and sore on her private part that has refused to heal.

“I remember my mum handing me over to a nurse and another woman. She told me the nurse was going to correct something wrong with my body. They took me to a room with three other men. They were all staring at me like a prey. The nurse told me they were going to check my body but I didn’t like their eyes, and the way they held me tightly so I struggled but it was futile.

“They forced my clothes and pant off me, the two men pushed me down the mat, and held my legs apart, the other held my hands.

I felt as if I was being raped. They went after my private part and soon I felt a sharp pain down below. I was so wounded, both in my body and my emotion. That pain lasted for days”, she recalled.

Since then, Ijeoma said she has been treating one genital infection after the other. “I cannot remember a day I did not have either an infection or pain in my private part. After treating an infection, especially urinary tract infection, few days or weeks later, it will reoccur. I have taken lots of antibiotics that none seems to work again”, she said.

As she grew older, Ijeoma’s complications increased. Her one time experience of sex had been traumatic and only resulted in more complications.

But Ijeoma is not the only victim going through these reproductive issues. A survey was carried out by Otu Judith (Ph.D) and others from the University of Calabar, to determine the health consequence of FGM on Nigerian women. The report, published in International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, discovered that female genital multination

resulted in reproductive health problems in women in the area used. The study was carried out in Cross River State where over (85%) of the victims are forced into having the operation without prior knowledge of what it involves.

This situation according to the report, has caused health implications, socio and psychological damaged to women in the area. It has also affected the mental and emotional wellbeing of the women due to the fact that in most cases, it led to long-term consequences such as pelvic infection leading to sterility, difficulty in urinating and obstructed labour.

Findings from the study and several others also showed that the operation is usually carried out in mainly unhygienic conditions and instruments like razor blades, scissors, kitchen knives and even pieces of glasses are used without sterilization. Same instruments are used on more than one girl, which increases the risk of infection. Unhygienic salves used to heal the wounds also caused infection.

From the report, it was gathered that most operations are done without anaesthesia or a sterile instrument leading to septicaemia, tetanus or urinary tract infections. Some of the victims have reportedly died from the resultant pain and haemorrhage.

Some of the complications of FGM, according to World Health Organization (WHO)

include pain and haemorrhage, infection, acute urinary retention following such trauma, damage to the urethra or anus, Urinary Tract Infection, chronic pelvic infection, vulva adhesions, dysmenorrhoea, retention cysts, and sexual difficulties, among others.

Despite these experiences, none of the victims have been able to speak out or seek justice. Earlier this year, the Violence Against Persons prohibition law was established, banning the practice in the country. With the new law, the person who performs female circumcision and the person who aids the practice, could be imprisoned for four and two years respectively, if found guilty. Up till now, there is no record of any one that has been prosecuted or convicted for this crime.

Reports show that FGM remains an inevitable custom in most parts of the country. On why the practice still thrives despite the ban, Mrs Chinwe from Kwale, Ndokwa West in delta state, said female circumcision is safe because it is usually performed by a nurse in her place. “I did it in primary six, I was 11 years then. We travelled to my home town and a matron from my place took me to her maternity ward, and shaved me. Surgical blade was used, bleeding was not much, afterward, engine oil or penicillin will be applied. During three days it will be difficult to urinate but after that, you will be okay.

On the cultural belief she said, “In my

place, it is a taboo for a married woman to flirt; it will start affecting the husband. The punishment is going naked and walking round three villages”.

A TBA based in Osun State, Alhaja Sambiat, told National Mirror that the practice is deeply entrenched in their tradition.

“Government is wasting their time with that law. Who is going to sue us for doing the right thing?”, she queried. According to her, if you don’t cut the child, when she grows up, it will affect her. “If by the time she is giving birth and the child’s head touches the clitoris, the baby may die. It also prevents the woman from being promiscous”, she said.

However, Prof. Dupe Onadeko, a Consultant on Reproductive and Family Health, University College Hospital, Ibadan, had cleared the air on this notion. According to her, 99 per cent of prostitutes are also circumcised, going by the survey carried out among prostitutes. So, the belief that this practice curbs prostitution is erroneous, she explained during a workshop to eradicate female genital mutilation held at Osogbo, Osun State. Experts have revealed that Osun State has the highest prevalence rate of 7.6 percent, followed by Oyo state with 7.2 percent rate.

The UNICEF Child Protection Specialist, Mrs Roseleen Akinroye, at the workshop organized by UNFPA, said that culture remains a hindrance to the abolishment. “In some place it is believed that female circumcision will reduce sexual desire in females and curb promiscuity. It will also supposedly secure a woman’s virginity and initiate girls into womanhood.”

She said 30 million girls are still at risk of being cut over the next decade if current trends persist.

Akinroye also condemned medical professionals who engage in the practice, saying it is unacceptable. “This harmful practice is unacceptable and should not be encouraged by anybody under any guise. Total abandonment of the practice should be preached by all”, she said.

Although the violence against persons (prohibition) (VAPP) Act which has banned FGM is a good step, Director of Child Health Advocacy Initiative (CHAI), Lola Alonge, insists the Act is a mere paper document until it is passed into law by the 36 states of the federation.

“FGM is now a national concern in Nigeria and there is need to take action and implement the VAPP act to ensure perpetrators of FGM are convicted and most especially the culture and tradition that enable violence against women changes.

Government at all levels must show more commitment and work towards the total eradication of FGM. Civil society organizations must also lobby state house of assemblies to domesticate the VAPP Act and pass it into law.

“As we start a new global social change campaign, everyone must unite in a global movement to protect the next generation of girls from undergoing FGM,” she said.

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Health & Wellbeing

Nutrition for Health

Why you should drink water regularly

then flows over rocks before it is collected, resulting in a higher content of various minerals.

Different brands of spring and mineral waters have differing amounts of minerals depending on their source. In choosing the right type of water, aim for pH balance. Distilled water is too acidic and alkaline water is too alkaline.

The ideal pH of water should be between 6.5 to 7.5, which is neutral.

Studies have shown that spring water is in this ideal range. It is one of the healthiest water on the planet because it is “living water”. Living water, like “living food is in its raw, natural state. Some water like spring water has essential minerals and nutrients like magnesium, potassium, sodium, selenium, etc which are important for nearly every function in the body. Water aids maintenance of a healthy body weight.

A study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism found that “drinking water (about 17oz) increases metabolic rate by 30 percent in healthy men and women”. Water suppresses hunger and aids in digestion. The gastrointestinal tract

Chizoba Benson chizobanwobu@yahoo.com 08120807588 (sms only)

S

ome people don’t like drinking water, probably because of its taste or they may be completely ignorant about its health benefits. Similarly, a lot of people put their minds and bodies under intolerable unnecessary stress and become sick simply because they do not drink enough water. Do you know that unintentional dehydration leads to illnesses and degenerative diseases that can be prevented, treated, and cured simply by drinking plenty of water? Most times, some people wait until they are thirsty or have a dry mouth before taking water, by so doing, they must have been mildly dehydrated.

Water makes up 50 to 70 per cent of an adult’s total body weight. It is the single most important nutrient for our bodies.

There are two types of water: spring water and mineral water.

Spring water is natural water collected directly from its source where it is bottled. Mineral water emerges from under the ground,

requires lots of hydration to keep things flowing smoothly and prevent constipation. The skin regulates water by perspiration and absorbs lot of water by acting as a protective layer. Water aids decrease muscle and joint inflammation - it keeps joints strong, healthy and lubricated. Water detoxifies the body naturally. Most of the toxins produced or accumulated in the body is carried through cells by water fluids and flushed out.

The muscles produce lots of traction when they are in motion.

They require lots of hydration to function smoothly. Water protects our organs, keeps our tissues moist and dissolves minerals and other nutrients to make them accessible to the body.

Studies have also shown that, “in case of headaches and migraine problem, the first thing to

do is to drink plenty of water”. Research also shows that “staying hydrated can also reduce risk of colon cancer, bladder cancer, breast cancer and heart attacks”. Another question most people ask is: how much water should I drink daily? Knowing more about your body’s need for fluids will help you estimate how much water to drink each day depending on the climate, lifestyle, etc. If you are in a hot climate or engaged in strenuous activity, it is advisable to increase your water intake as needed.

As you age, your thirst mechanism works less efficiently, so older adults need to pay more attention to the colour of their urine to see if their water intake is adequate.

Some studies have shown that “to determine how much water your body needs you need to measure your body weight (in pounds) and divide it by two. That’s how much ounces of water you need a day unless you have congested heart failure or kidney failure, in which case you should consult a doctor”.

A lot of people drink lots of water during meal times without

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But the risk was then increased again through alcohol, preserved food and salt consumption.

The research, conducted by scientists at Zhejiang University in China, found that for every 100g of fruit eaten daily the risk of stomach cancer came down by five per cent.

The risk was reduced by

eight per cent for every 50mg of vitamin C consumed which is the equivalent of two potatoes.

In the report, the leaders of the study said: “The decreasing incidence of gastric cancer in developed countries may be partly the results of increased use of refrigeration, availability of fresh fruit and vegetables,

knowing its health implications.

Drinking too much water with meals washes away the hydrochloric acid, digestive juices, enzymes in the stomach and intestines and also, slows down digestion. Aim to hydrate about 15 to 20 minutes before you eat, and then try not to drink too much water until about 30 minutes to an hour after you have finished your meal.

Drinking cold water with meals can slow down digestion process and may cause cramping. Reduce intake if diuretics (substances that push out excessive salt and water from the body) because this can lead to dehydration. Always bear in mind that you do not consume all the water you need in liquid forms, water can also be consumed in other forms like in fruits and vegetables and some foods.

To encourage adequate consumption of water for those who do not like its taste- put lemon slices in your glass of water to enhance its taste. In general, water is the key to a longer, healthier, and more vigorous life; making water your go-to drink saves a lot of money in the long run.

Always take along with you a fresh bottle of water anywhere you go!

SCIENCE

Eating potatoes reduces risk of cancer new study has shown that eating potatoes and cabbage can help reduce the risk of developing stomach cancer.

It revealed that people who eat a large amount of white vegetables including onions and cauliflower were a third less likely to develop the disease.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Compiled by Franka Osakwe and decreased reliance on salted or preserved foods.

“Both fruit and white vegetables are rich sources of vitamin C, which showed significant protective effect against gastric cancer by our analysis.

“Furthermore… we found a strong effect of alcohol consumption, particularly beer and liquor but

not wine, on gastric cancer risk was observed compared with nondrinkers.

“This study provides comprehensive and strong evidence that there are a number of protective and risk factors for gastric cancer in diet.”

Rheumatoid arthritis: Fish oil pills may help this type of arthritis by halting development before symptoms appeared.

Two omega-3 fatty acids in particular, DHA and EPA, are thought to suppress an immune protein

C

onsuming more omega-3 fatty acids could lower the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to new research.

The fatty acids, found in fish and fish-oil supplements, are effective in halting the autoimmune response thought to cause RA. Health experts believe that auto antibodies mistakenly target the tissues

that regulates the intensity and duration of the faulty immune response.

The research team recommend incorporating fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids and 1-3 grams of fish

oil a day for those at risk from rheumatoid arthritis.

They also suggested that these fatty acids may help with other inflammatory diseases.

Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids include, anchovies, herring, mackerel, salmon, sardines, tuna, walnuts, flaxseeds, soybeans, tofu, Brussels Sprouts and cauliflower.

Sleeping pill aids stroke recovery

around the joints, causing them to get inflamed.

This inflammation causes pain, swelling and stiffness in the joints.

During the study, researchers discovered those with autoantibodies for RA were significantly more likely to have lower levels of omega-3 fatty acids.

The researchers were then led to believe omega-3 lowers the risk of

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tablet prescribed for insomnia could hold the key to people recovering from a stroke, a study found.

A Stanford University School of Medicine study found lab mice which had strokes rebounded significantly faster if they received low doses of the sleeping pill known as Zolpidem. The drug, works by dampening the electrical activity of the brain.

It is suggested that the drug helps the brain rewire itself after the stroke repairing the damage caused.

A stroke is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off.

The faster someone is treated the less damage is caused to the body which can cause brain injury, disability and possibly death.

If untreated after a few days tissue death continues

to spread to adjacent brain regions due to repercussions from the initial damage but the brain begins slowly rewiring itself and substituting new neural connections for those destroyed by the stroke.

Within three to six months, at least 90 per cent of all the recovery a stroke patient is likely to experience will take place.

Until now, no drug has been shown to improve re-

covery after the stroke But zolpidem enhanced a type of nerve-cell signaling activity whose role in recovery unexpectedly appears beneficial.

This signaling was bolstered even though the drug was given at doses well below those at which it exerts its hallmark sedative effect.

Nerve cells signal to one another by means of substances called neurotransmitters.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Health & Wellbeing

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

21

Lagos abolishes contract doctors, moves to resolve sector crisis STORIES BY FRANKA OSAKWE

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he Lagos State Government says it has abolished the contract doctors and health workers in the state.

Speaking during a media

parley held at the Conference Room of the Ministry, Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, revealed that the move was part of Governor Ambode’s effort to restore peace and abolish the incessant strike actions in the sector.

He said the administra-

tion is committed to ensuring improved and quality healthcare for Lagos residents.

‘As part of this effort, the governor has already procured power generating sets, ambulances and portable x-ray machines for distribution to public hospi-

tals, among other laudable achievements’, he said.

Aside this, the Commissioner said that the State would train and retrain its health workforce to empower them to deliver qualitative service to the teeming populace.

He further said that this

L-R: Managing Director, New Height Pharmacy, Omaruye Ochuko; Chairman, Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria, Lagos Chapter, Mrs Abiola Paul Ozieh; Managing Director, Pharmacy Plus, Emeka Obi; Lolo 1 of WAZOBIA FM, Omotunde David; Country Sales Manager, Reload Multivitamins, Joseph James, during Reload Multivitamins Raffle Draw held at Protea Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos recently.

administration would focus on addressing the intra-professional rivalries among health workers, as well as other issues in order to achieve effective and qualitative service delivery to the general populace.

According to him, it will no longer be business as usual as Ministry will no longer tolerate any act of indiscipline and is ready to mete out sanctions to erring workers and show impenitent ones among them the way out.

The Lagos Health Ministry boss stressed that the challenges in the health sector may seem insurmountable, but the administration of Governor Ambode is committed to solving the problems step by step and systematically.

He also said that, Ayinke House project which was abandoned by the former contractor had been reawarded to another contractor that is ready to deliver the project in record time of 12 months, contrary to specula-

tion that the project has been abandoned.

He said: “The contractors handling the renovation messed it up. They had internal problems and they could not meet with the completion date of the project. The former administration even tried to help them yet, they failed so we had to terminate the contract.

“As we speak, we are incurring demurrage on the equipment we imported for use in the facility. However, we have re-awarded the project to another contractor who has promised to complete it soon.”

The Commissioner said that a technical team was already studying the medical insurance scheme with a view to implementing it in public hospitals. On the seemingly industrial health crisis in the State, Idris stated that a new synergy with the Lagos State Health Workforce had been developed which is already yielding fruitful results.

Osun Village Health Workers decry non-payment of 19-month allowance 50,000 Nigerian children born “We have not been paid annually with sickle cell anaemia training workshop last lowances are supposed to KEMI BUSARI

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illage Health Workers under the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) in Osun State have accused the state government of non-payment of their allowances up to a tune of 19 months.

The arrears which range from 12 to 19 months are monthly allowance of N20,000 to which each of them is entitled to having worked under the MDG Village Health Workers Scheme in different local government areas of the state.

After undergoing the Village Health Workers

year, the workers reported to their duty post to undertake a contract which is to last for two years.

According to information gathered across the state, the allowances are not paid on a regular basis while some have not been paid since the beginning of the programme despite the fact that funds have been remitted to the state by the federal government.

Describing the situation as ‘pathetic’ Akinwumi Sunday, the Assistant Captain of MDG in Ayedaade Local Government of the state, accused the officials of insincerity since the take-off of the programme.

“We learnt that our al-

be more than this. Even our materials are not complete.

We are supposed to be given mobile phones, laptops and other gadgets but they don’t give us. They gave us laptop bag without a laptop.

“In Ayedaade, they owe us up to 380,000 each which is an accumulated allowance of 19 months. They paid us N100,000 last year for five months work and since then it has been meetings upon meetings with empty promises, they even threatened us at one time.”

In Boripe and Obokun Local Government, the workers disclose that they have not been paid since the beginning of the programme.

at all, we started last year December and we have not been given anything. I don’t even know how much our allowance should be because, there are many disparities already.” The MDG captain in Boripe Local Government Folasayo Asiyanbola lamented.

Also commenting on the condition of anonymity, one of the workers in Obokun where the workers are owed 13 months allowance accused the MDG officials of fraudulent acts.

“During the training, they told us we’ll be earning N20,000 monthly allowance but they’ve not given us 20 Naira up till now.”

Reload rewards customers ... Obi calls for daily multivitamins use

N

igerians need good multivitamin to cope with the stress of daily life, and complement with daily feeding, the Managing Director, Pharmacy Plus, Mr. Chukwuemeka Obi, has said. Speaking during The Reload multivitamin Christmas Raffle draw event, at Protea Hotel Lagos, Mr. Obi, explained that the importance of multivitamin cannot be

over-emphasised.

“We live in a very stressful environment. And, if you look at our eating habit, there is possibly no way you can get all your daily benefits out of your meals. You just have to supplement it with multivitamin”, he said.

On the event, he said it was aimed at encouraging more Nigerians to use Reload multivitamin for the nourishment of their health and to appreciate its con-

sumers. At the event, various prizes were given away through the raffle draw. 28 people emerged winners of consolation prizes while one one person won the grand prize. The gifts included; 10 units of iron, 10 units ceiling fan, two units Air-Conditioner, two units fridge, two Home Theatre system and two 32” TV set. The grand prize, an all-expense-paid five-day trip from Lagos to Dubai was won

by Iykemavian Pharmacy.

Mr. Obi expressed satisfaction over the whole outcome: “I must say the whole objective has been achieved. The event is aimed at rewarding people who have been there for us all this while, in the market places and reaching out to the consumers. The multivitamin is for all phases of life. It contains food and vegies blend. We have Colin for the children which helps with cognitive as well as eye development,” he said

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bout 150,000 children are born annually with symptomatic Sickle Cell Anaemia in Nigeria with many of them dying during infancy.

Speaking at the the 2015 annual celebration of the Sickle Cell Club Lagos Nigeria, the President, Mrs. Ayo Otaigbe, explained that the high infant mortality was due to lack of information on the disease and inappropriate care of patients. Although many advances have been made in area of treatment, Otaigbe said that the disorder is still not well understood and has not yielded to the various drugs being marketed in the country.

Recounting the severe pain crisis that sufferers undergo, she noted that more research is needed in order to find a rational therapy for managing the crisis beyond the use of analgesics.

“More importantly we will continue to show and advocate that affected persons can live a normal and healthy life if they are well managed, thereby dispelling the myths, rumours and misinformation surrounding the condition,” she said.

Also drawing attention to the issue of stroke in sickle cell children known to impede mobility, she called on

families to benefit from the Transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasound scan procedure which holds at the centre during week days.

Otaigbe said although SCD is not only an Africa condition, over 80 per cent of affected children were born on the continent, yet Africa had shown indifference in addressing the issue.

She called on Nigerians to make a difference and contribute/promote funding that will make meaningful research into SCD in Africa a reality.

She said that the club had, through its activities, continued to increase public awareness and knowledge of the disorder especially through the establishment of sickle cell clubs, partnering with the SCFN and other stakeholders.

According to her, the focus for 2016 would be to consolidate the successes recorded in 2015 and increase the level of awareness.

Prof.

Olu Akinyaju, Chairman, SCFN, reiterated the need for Nigerians to support people with SCD. “People should support persons with SCD; they should also support the centre and the clubs; there is a lot to be done in the area of SCD.

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Health & Wellbeing

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Facts to know about food safety Major foodborne illnesses and causes

Foodborne illnesses are usually infectious or toxic in nature and caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemical substances entering the body through contaminated food or water.

Foodborne pathogens can cause severe diarrhoea or debilitating infections including meningitis.

Chemical contamination can lead to acute poisoning or longterm diseases, such as cancer.

Foodborne diseases may lead to long-lasting disability and death.

Examples of unsafe food include uncooked foods of animal origin, fruits and vegetables contaminated with faeces, and raw shellfish containing marine biotoxins.

Bacteria: • Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli are among the most common foodborne pathogens that affect millions of people annually – sometimes with severe and fatal outcomes. Symptoms are fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea.

Examples of foods involved in outbreaks of salmonellosis are eggs, poultry and other products of animal origin. Foodborne cases with Campylobacter are mainly caused by raw milk, raw or undercooked poultry and drinking water. Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli is associated with unpasteurized milk, undercooked meat and fresh fruits and vegetables.

• Listeria infection leads to unplanned abortions in pregnant women or death of newborn babies. Although disease occurrence is relatively low, listeria’s severe and sometimes fatal health consequences, particularly among infants, children and the elderly, count them among the most serious foodborne infections. Listeria is found in unpasteurised dairy products and various ready-to-eat foods and can grow at refrigeration temperatures.

• Vibrio cholerae infects people through contaminated water or food. Symptoms include abdominal pain, vomiting and profuse watery diarrhoea, which may lead to severe dehydration and possibly death. Rice, vegetables, millet gruel and various types of seafood have been implicated in cholera outbreaks.

Antimicrobials, such as antibiotics, are essential to treat infections caused by bacteria. However, their overuse and misuse in veterinary and human medicine has been linked to the emergence and spread of resistant bacteria, rendering the treatment of infectious diseases ineffective in animals and humans.

Resistant bacteria enter the food chain through the animals (e.g.

Salmonella through chickens). Antimicrobial resistance is one of the

main threats to modern medicine.

Viruses: Norovirus infections are characterized by nausea, explosive vomiting, watery diarrhoea and abdominal pain. Hepatitis A virus can cause long-lasting liver disease and spreads typically through raw or undercooked seafood or contaminated raw produce. Infected food handlers are often the source of food contamination.

Parasites: Some parasites, such as fishborne trematodes, are only transmitted through food. Others, for example tapeworms like Echinococcus spp, or Taenia solium, may infect people through food or direct contact with animals. Other parasites, such as Ascaris, Cryptosporidium, Entamoeba histolytica or Giardia, enter the food chain via water or soil and can contaminate fresh produce.

Prions: Prions, infectious agents composed of protein, are unique in that they are associated with specific forms of neurodegenerative disease. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, or “mad cow disease”) is a prion disease in cattle, associated with the variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) in humans. Consuming bovine products containing specified risk material, e.g. brain tissue, is the most likely route of transmission of the prion agent to humans.

Chemicals: Of most concern for health are naturally occurring toxins and environmental pollutants.

• Naturally occurring toxins include mycotoxins, marine biotoxins, cyanogenic glycosides and toxins occurring in poisonous mushrooms. Staple foods like corn or cereals can contain high levels of mycotoxins, such as aflatoxin and ochratoxin, produced by mould on grain. A long-term exposure can affect the immune system and normal development, or cause cancer.

• Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are compounds that accumulate in the environment and human body. Known examples are dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which are unwanted by-products of industrial processes and waste incineration. They are found worldwide in the environment and accumulate in animal food chains. Dioxins are highly toxic and can cause reproductive and developmental problems, damage the immune system, interfere with hormones and cause cancer.

• Heavy metalssuch as lead, cadmium and mercury cause neurological and kidney damage. Contamination by heavy metal in food occurs mainly through pollution of air, water and soil.

Burden of foodborne diseases The burden of foodborne diseases to public health and welfare and to economy has often been underes-

timated due to underreporting and difficulty to establish causal relationships between food contamination and resulting illness or death.

The 2015 WHO report on the estimates of the global burden of foodborne diseases presented the first-ever estimates of disease burden caused by 31 foodborne agents (bacteria, viruses, parasites, toxins and chemicals) at global and regional level.

Food safety: a public health priority Unsafe food poses global health threats, endangering everyone.

Infants, young children, pregnant women, the elderly and those with an underlying illness are particularly vulnerable. Every year 220 million children contract diarrhoeal diseases and 96 000 die.

Unsafe food creates a vicious cycle of diarrhoea and malnutrition, threatening the nutritional status of the most vulnerable. Where food supplies are insecure, people tend to shift to less healthy diets and consume more “unsafe foods” – in which chemical, microbiological and other hazards pose health risks.

The Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2), held in Rome in November 2014, reiterated the importance of food safety in achieving better human nutrition through healthy nutritious diets.

Improving food safety is thus a key in achieving Sustainable Development Goals. Governments should make food safety a public health

priority, as they play a pivotal role in developing policies and regulatory frameworks, establishing and implementing effective food safety systems that ensure that food producers and suppliers along the whole food chain operate responsibly and supply safe food to consumers.

Food can become contaminated at any point of production and distribution, and the primary responsibility lies with food producers. Yet a large proportion of foodborne disease incidents are caused by foods improperly prepared or mishandled at home, in food service establishments or markets.

Not all food handlers and consumers understand the roles they must play, such as adopting basic hygienic practices when buying, selling and preparing food to protect their health and that of the wider community.

Everyone can contribute to making food safe. Here are some examples of effective actions:

Policy-makers can: • build and maintain adequate food systems and infrastructures (e.g. laboratories) to respond to and manage food safety risks along the entire food chain, including during emergencies; • foster multi-sectoral collaboration among public health, animal health, agriculture and other sectors for better communication and joint action; • integrate food safety into broader food policies and programmes (e.g. nutrition and food security); • think globally and act locally to ensure the food produce domestically be safe internationally.

• Food handlers and consumers can: • know the food they use (read labels on food package, make an informed choice, become familiar with common food hazards); • handle and prepare food safely, practicing the WHO Five Keys to Safer Food at home, or when selling at restaurants or at local markets; • grow fruits and vegetables using the WHO Five Keys to Growing Safer Fruits and Vegetables to decrease microbial contamination.

Courtesy: WHO

Key facts • Access to sufficient amounts of safe and nutritious food is key to sustaining life and promoting good health.

• Unsafe food containing harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemical substances, causes more than 200 diseases – ranging from diarrhoea to cancers.

• An estimated 600 million

– almost 1 in 10 people in the world – fall ill after eating contaminated food and 420 000 die every year, resulting in the loss of 33 million healthy life years (DALYs).

• Children under 5 years of age carry 40% of the foodborne disease burden, with 125 000 deaths every year.

• Diarrhoeal diseases

are the most common illnesses resulting from the consumption of contaminated food, causing 550 million people to fall ill and 230 000 deaths every year.

• Food safety, nutrition and food security are inextricably linked. Unsafe food creates a vicious cycle of disease and malnutrition, particularly affecting infants, young children, elderly

and the sick.

• Foodborne diseases impede socioeconomic development by straining health care systems, and harming national economies, tourism and trade.

• Food supply chains now cross multiple national borders.

Good collaboration between governments, producers and consumers helps ensure food safety.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

23

Arts Lounge

Ogbunike Cave Carnival opens with Slow Dogg, others

Government should fund education of music teachers–Ogundipe

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Low patronage mars festive season in arts sector The entertainment industry is feeling the heat as they brood over drought in the industry this festive season.

Isiguzo Destiny

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comedian during the Rhythm Unplug show that saw the titillating performance of American singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor Tremaine Aldon Neverson mostly known as Trey Songz joked about it. He said things are no longer the same, to the extent well known corporate organizations are postponing their 2015 end of the year party to 2016. These companies known for their lavish parties with Nigerian artistes paid handsomely to perform according to this comedian are now cutting costs to the extent these parties are cancelled and even when they hold, they cautiously invite few and affordable artistes due to the economic crunch Nigeria is experiencing under the regime of the present Federal Government. For not inviting this comedian, he threw a comic jab at some of these companies’ inefficiencies.

It seems a widely accepted view that the entertainment industry is a little better than other sectors because that is the place people resort to in times of crises of all sorts. In these hard times, people are looking for comic relief and happiness which the entertainment industry has in abundance thus, people wonder that if the entertainers are complaining, it then means things are really bad. Most of the artistes Art Lounge spoke to acknowledged that it is no longer business as usual.

Olanrewaju Fasasi aka Sound Sultan in a phone chat with the reporter said things have changed him. Shows are still going on, and he has had his fair share this season though he complained there is a change in the patronage of artistes compared to the Christmas season of previous years. According to him, “the country’s present economy has not affected the industry so much. It has only affected it a little. Many artistes are complaining. So many organisations that give us shows pulled out at the last minute, I had ‘shows’ but it was a different from what I had last year”. M. C. Ice Water did not agree totally with hip-hop star. He seems to be smiling while his colleagues are grudging. He said in all sincerity, it has been better off for him this festive period though there are drums of complaints all around him. “I am not speaking like a Christian even though I am one. I am saying the reality. For me,

Chris Brown performing in Nigeria

my Christmas this season is better compared to last year, though it is the other way round for most of my colleagues in the industry. May be because I wasn’t around due to the burial of my dad or on the other hand, there were a lot of freebies and people were getting what they did not deserve or work for during the bumper period witnessed in the last administration. I didn’t get much of the freebies, I earned what I worked for from both APC and PDP through voice over and jingles I did for both parties.

Both mostly, every Dick and Tom was seeing money because there were reasons to party or do one event or the other, now things have changed. It is not as if things are worst, I would rather say things have normalized. But in all fairness, the economy has affected the entertainment as most of my colleagues complain”.

For Dr. Tunji Shotimirin, a stage actor, script writer, director and producer, the effect is obvious. Things are not as they used to be, most artistes are indoors and nothing much is happening. He told Art Lounge that “things are dry”. He also lamented that it is

worst for upcoming artists. “There is nothing going on. Even when some artists try to put up something, they don’t get sponsorship. Even the events that are organised by governments are not that lucrative for artistes any longer. In fact, I attended an event by Lagos State government and it was dry. Artistes are not participating because the pay is not encouraging. Even when they want to partner with organisations, they don’t really get the desired results, most of them are indoors and this dullness is the effect of the economy on the arts industry. I was at Lagos Television the other day and I said it. Things are really coming from a dry side”.

This is a bad sign as entertainment is not a seasonal market. People aspire for happiness and tend to acquire at all cost to use it as an antidote to the absurdities and numerous problems they face. The risk of a drought in the entertainment industry of Nigeria may have negative effect on the general wellbeing of Nigeria citizens as many allege. The complaints seem too high even by some of the most sought after artists.

On the Contrary, Segun Raphael the

It has only affected it a little. Many artistes are complaining. So many organisations that give us shows pulled out at the last minute

CEO of R. S Bay Productions, an art and entertainment event planning organization said it is not entirely true that the bad economy has affected the art and entertainment industry. He argued that several shows are ongoing irrespective of the dwindling circulation of money.

These shows are also well attended even at the usual ticket price ranges. He cited example of Ali Baba’s upcoming show on January 1st 2016, he said over 10 tickets was sold at the price of one million for a table just within 12 hours. And this does not include the sales of other categories of tickets. He however said the economy has affected the industry in a way because people are generally cutting costs. Companies are pulling out from entertainment are focusing on their areas of competence due to the cost of these events. They even prefer to partner or sponsor and give you the little they can afford. On the other hand, Segun is of the view that “entertainment is like food. Food sell more in crises because nobody wants to go hungry. So is entertainment which helps keep people going and delivers them from emotional problems and other challenges. So people would rather turn to entertainment just to forget burdens and sorrows.”

It is evident that no matter how little, the unstable economy has affected art and entertainment consumption and patronage. They however look towards the coming year with great hopes.

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Arts Lounge

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

VOICES

The Best Actresses of 2015 in Nollywood

she’s going to be staple in the industry and not only would I make her my Number 3, I would also endorse her as the ‘Best New Actress’for the year, notwithstanding if she might have done any other movie before this. Such was the breath of Fresh Air she brought to the scene.

Perhaps in 2015, more than ever in her career thus far, Ivie proved to everyone that she packs more than a punch. Her role as a beguiled Room Service worker in ‘Hotel Majestic’ is one which she obviously gives her all and takes the viewers into the psyche of her character. The viewers feel her pains, her indecisions, her minute happiness and all what the character has to show. Ivie dexterously IS that character; a pleasure to watch for the critics and one who is undoubtedly the backbone of the series. I predicted a few years ago after she won the AMBO reality talent hunt that she would go far in the industry. It ‘hasn’t taken her that long to cover a huge distance.

Charles Novia

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n what has now become an annual and personal reward system for actors of sorts, which I feel is needed for an ingrained development for Nollywood, my annual list of ‘Best Actresses and Best Actors’ in Nollywood for the year has been something for me to look forward to compiling as with what many readers of my critiques also look forward to reading.

This year, I must give special mention to some actresses who did not make my list in the top five category (and it was difficult making a final choice for this year, I must admit) but are surely in my top ten list which unfortunately cannot be expanded as the template is only for five persons annually. These actresses are FATHIA BALOGUN for the movie ‘Torera’ and HILDA DOKUBO for the movie ‘STIGMA’. I applaud these actors and wish them all the best.

Using the usual templates of Interpretation, Characterization, Internalization, enunciation and the actor’s visualization of the role portrayed, the following are my Top Five Actresses for the year 2015….

NUMBER 5: OGE OKOYE Sometimes, actors get to a curve in their careers which, when taken, becomes the catalyst for a resurgence in their artistry.

Having featured in perhaps hundreds of Nollywood movies, most of which might be termed second-bit in execution which helped in making her a stereotype, Oge found the right vehicle for the critiquing of her acting prowess in ‘Hotel Majestic’, the telenovela series on Africa Magic. In her role as a feisty Room Service Worker in the series, one can tell she energises her character with a passion and with nuances which are not overtly over the top nor in anyway under-interpreted. She makes the character both irritating and fascinating at the same time. Whatever it is she set out to prove in the series, I would say she has considerably achieved and might go on to achieve more if she is circumspect about taking another curve which might take her back to the ‘Asaba-esque’style of acting before now.

Novia

NUMBER 4: GENEVIEVE NNAJI In ‘Road to Yesterday’, her debut opus as a Producer, Genevieve strives to show the world a double intention of talent, one behind the camera and the usual in front of it. She plays the role of a self-tortured wife who goes through a distended stream of consciousness as she trudges a symbolic road to her personal anagnorisis. In her interpretation of the role, Genevieve gives her panache, which at times borders on wooden reactions to expressions of emotions which seem restrained rather than reactive. However, she gets the audience’s empathy in her portrayal which says a lot. There was a sublimal message in her acting this time; a ‘Bow down , Bitches’ underlying theme to her challengers and I would think she pulled it off somewhat to make her statement; that she’s back on

the turf.

NUMBER 3: WERUCHE OPIA It was a pleasant surprise to watch ‘WHEN LOVE HAPPENS’a few months ago and to note that a new stand-out actress had all the points for her interpretation and almost perfect portrayal of her character. Weruchie Opia, new to me and to many others on the scene, packs quite a punch and her portrayal of the character Mo Bankole-Smith was well-executed and I could see that she gave credible attention to the ‘Whys, Wherefores, Whats and When’of her character in every scene.

The movie is a romantic comedy and with Weruchie, there was no overt attempt to be over-the-top in exaggerations as directed or subtlety as required. This young lady is one to watch out for in Nollywood, if

Stephanie Linus’ portrayal of Dr Zara in her self-directed movie ‘Dry’, had some flashes of brilliance and intensity which showed a brilliance in interpretation and internalisation.

Memorable Reads Who is your favourite author?

My favourite author is Joyce Meyer, I like her because of the message, and her books are inspirational.

What do you look out for in books you buy?

When I buy a book, I look out for the message, I make sure that the book has a message; I can’t buy a book without skimming through it; so while skimming through it, I try to find a connection with the book, and the author and title of the book also helps me decide on the book to buy.

Grace Ama

Actress

How much is your annual budget on books?

I have no exact budget on books; I buy books if I like them. When I come across a book I like, nothing stops me from buying it.

Who influenced your attitude to reading?

I used to read different story books like Ralia, The Sugar Girl, The Wicked Step Mother and others but as I began to grow I started finding more intellectual books and generally, I read inspirational books.

If you write a book what would be your theme and why?

If I were to write a book, it would be on mind-building.

NUMBER 1. STEPHANIE (OKEREKE) LINUS Stephanie Linus would be my choice for the Number One spot in 2015. Her portrayal of Dr Zara in her self-directed movie ‘Dry’, had some flashes of brilliance and intensity which showed a brilliance in interpretation and internalization. Perhaps, the poignant theme of the movie, which borders on the stigma of VVF in the underaged females in Northern Nigeria added to the sympathy value for her character but that she was able to pull it off convincingly in my opinion speaks volumes about her attention to the intricacies required from the character. Stephanie perhaps merged her cause as an actress and director into the passion of the character and successfully blotted blurred lines about her artistry in the movie. What finally won it for me was the long scene where she gave a monologue in front of a large crowd at the National Assembly. She was sterling in that scene, a culmination of her character build-up and a great crescendo. Having been off the scene for a while, her comeback is deservedly a delight and it is likely she will get more laurels for this movie in 2016. *Charles Novia, a film director wrote this piece for charlesnoviadaily.com.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Arts Lounge

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

25

ARTISTE UNCENSORED

Government should fund education of music teachers–Ogundipe Funsho Ogundipe is the brain behind Ayetoro, a popular Afrobeat, Highlife band in Nigeria.

B

orn Olufunsho Alani Ogundipe, the Afro musician initially answered to ‘Ayetoro’as his stage name but since 1 July 2011 when he took up the position of the music director for the band, his stage name, officially, ceased to be Ayetoro. This master pianist is also a music writer who has written scores of songs both for the band and for other bodies, “I can bash the drums a bit but professionally, it is only the piano for me”. Funsho Ogundipe chose to become a musician in the Afrofunk genre due to the double life he led as a student during his University days. Once a stockbroker cum merchant banker, not for once did he leave his other life of music which started from his days of ‘escaping’ to the Afrikan Shrine during the 80’s, “there, I usually begged Fela to let me play the keyboard. I simply hung around there playing the piano at every given opportunity”. From taking solos and generally grooving, Ogundipe developed a knack for writing and composing Afrobeat music, “Fela played one of my compositions once. It was after his own show and I really begged him, he obliged me and when I saw the people dancing to my music that day at the shrine. I knew I was on the right track” he says of how he decided on the Afrobeat genre.

The Ayetoro band has five albums to its name. The last album was released in 2012. “I am always playing the piano” laughs the musician. He explains further that the main difference is that he has simply conceptualized the band, “The band started in 1996. If we get away with the conceptualization, it will be the first time in Nigeria that a band will transcend generations where we are handing over power at the front of the stage to a group of younger people”. Other professionals have also been invited to collaborate with the band, they are mostly talented youth, and one of such is Bukola Falaye.

She is an internationally respected sing-

er, dancer, and choreographer who is joining Ayetoro as performer and creative director.

She will in addition to performing, be responsible for choreography and the training of new talent. Falaye has performed with Femi Kuti , Manu Dibango, Roy Hargrove and was the first singer to perform the Fela Kuti/Roy Ayers joint song “Africa, centre of the world” at the London barbican for the world stage. Biodun Adebiyi one of the country’s great jazz trumpet players will also be joining the band.

On what to expect from the band which is putting structures in place to ensure continuity, “This is around the fourth group I am assembling as Ayetoro; each group has different strengths and styles even though our sound has remained the same” he says, “The band is now positioned to play a new kind of music. It is still Afrobeat but with more in the mix. Juju Highlife Blues, rock, classical et al will be played in addition to the Jazzy style Afrobeat which has been our trademark.”

In producing songs, Ogundipe says the element which is most important to him is the element of truth, “I stay true to myself and my feeling. Whatever I do will always be me, my compositions will always sound like me even if the content is different, it must sound the Ayetoro way”.

‘Love is my religion’ and it is based on Sufi poetry Ogundipe says. The Sufi is a mystical brand of Islam which many

In producing songs, Ogundipe says the element which is most important to him is the element of truth

Ogundipe

are not even aware of; they are called the ‘whirling dervishes’. “I am taking Afrojazz back to what I think should be its root, the African rumba, and this will be seen in the new album”. Ayetoro’s arty kind of music is able to maintain the band itself through hard work, “Live gigs help.

When I was in Ghana a few years back I was involved in developing concepts for corporate bodies. I also write music, am involved in films and we sell a lot of music online from Australia to Zimbabwe.” Ogundipe believes the older generation should stop complaining about the younger generation but rather seek to see things from their point of view of the current generation. It is general knowledge that arty material has not been totally accepted by the common man when compared with shallow forms which seem to have more acceptances; Ogundipe says “The artist will remain true to himself. When Fela was alive, he

was notorious but his music wasn’t really accepted in Nigeria, now his music like a nuclear bomb is exploding all over the world.” On future plans; he hopes to direct a number of movies, lobby more for theatre and to write his own book, “I think I have a good novel in me”.

In concluding Funsho Ogundipe expressed strong feelings about the music culture and thinks more should be done by the government, “Government should fund education properly. It should not fund education on the pages of paper. Placing piano’s and drums in every school is something government can do. Fund the education of music teachers. Confucius it was that said, ‘If you want to know a people, listen to their music’, if somebody comes from Mars to Nigeria and wants to know us by listening to our music, what music will such a being listen to? The arts should also be taught in local languages.”

MIDWEEK JUMP

Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Award opens Shorts stories invited for MaThoko Books

S

ubmissions are open for the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Awards.

The Awards are dedicated to “empowering young writers from across the globe, championing the adventure writ-

ing genre and the promotion of literacy”.

The Prize has three categories: • The Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize – for a published novel – The winner will receive £10,000 (15,120 US$).

• The Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize – for an unpublished novel – The winner will be offered the opportunity to complete a creative writing residency at a prestigious university and career guidance from Wilbur’s literary agents at Tibor Jones & Associates.

M

aThoko’s Books invites writers to submit short stories of 2,000 – 6,000 words on a queer African theme by 31 January, 2016. Stories will be selected and edited by Karen Martin and Makhosazana Xaba.

MaThoko’s Books welcomes entries of unpublished fiction in English, or your literary translation into English of a previously published story. Where necessary, the editors will work closely with writers to develop and refine submissions. Writers need not identify as queer, but do need to identify as African.

26

Arts Lounge

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

FAR AND NEAR

Ogbunike Cave Carnival opens with Slow Dogg, others

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Taduno’s Song gets German version

Isiguzo Destiny

Wale Igbintade

I

W

t is now confirmed that rap artiste Slow Dog will headline this year’s Ogbunike Cave Carnival (OCC) billed to open on December 30, 2015, with a one day Five-Aside Football Tournament.

However, the rapper is slated to perform on January 1 during the Ada Ogbunike Beauty Pageant scheduled for New Year Day, at the Ogbunike Town Hall, Ogbunike, Oyi LGA, Anambra State.

Known for fusing his native Igbo rhymes with English, the witty indigenous rapper is expected to treat guests to the best of his recordings at the event that will also witness the crowning of first ever Ada Ogbunike.

Speaking at a contract signing ceremony in his base in Enugu, the rapper urged fans and music lovers to keep a date with him at the carnival.

“It’s confirmed that I will be in Ogbunike for the Ogbunike Cave Carnival; we’ve just signed an agreement with the organisers. For my fans in Anambra, this is an opportunity to entertain you all; I’m looking forward to the event,” he said.

First hosted in 2013 by 90 Degrees Entertainment, Ogbunike Cave Carnival (OCC) is a three-day festival centered on Ogbunike Cave, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Billed to open on December 30, 2015 with a one-day Five –Aside Football Tournament, which will see eight teams slug it out for the carnival trophy. There will also be a Sport Parade, which will see football fans, clad in their different club jerseys, parade to the market square (Oyeolisa Market) with a traditional

slow dog

ogene music leading the train.

The day two of the event holding on December 31 will feature Ogbunikewalk4life (Street Carnival) starting from 7.30am.The carnival float will take off from the Ogbunike Town Hall, through the usual routes, to the Round Palace of Igwe Ogbunike, HRH John Ositadimma Umenyiora, where guests will pay homage to the King. From the palace, the train will move to the Cave, where visitors and tourist will have the opportunity of exploring the tourist destination that has put Ogbunike community on the world map. The day will wrap with the Carnival Concert/New Year Countdown by 6pm, at the Town Hall, with different musicians and comedians on parade.

On New Year Day, Ada Ogbunike Beau-

ty Pageant will take centre stage. The event, which will see pretty Ogbunike ladies contest for the Ada Ogbunike crown, will be spiced with musical and comedy performances.

This year, the carnival, which has the blessings and endorsement of His Royal Highness Igwe John Umenyiora, his Cabinet, and the Ogbunike Progressive Union (OPU), will honour some deserving individuals, who have contributed to the success of the project in the last three years.

According to the founder and creative director of the carnival, Chuks Nwanne, this year’s edition will set the tone for more innovations around the Cave, as well create platform for youths of the community and tourists to unwind during Xmas.

Cinema: Oxford Gardens excites holiday-makers

Scene in Oxford Gardens

Regina Otokpa

G

reat things are happening in Nigerian cinemas, across the country with the release of Obi Emelonye’s latest work, Oxford Gardens.

Information at our disposal indicate that many cinema lovers are thronging the

big screens across major cities of Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt to catch a glimpse of the film, which starred Ngoli Okafor, a two time Golden Gloves champion in the United States, Ngozi Igwebike Thompson , Savanah Roy and D’Richy Emelonye amongst others.

In Abuja, Halima Bello, who saw the film at Silverbird Cinemas, said she was

attracted by the trailer online. “I am an avid follower of Nollywood productions and have yet to see a Nigerian film with very convincing scenes. The accident and sky-diving scenes in Oxford Gardens will enthrall any lover of thrillers; the story line is emotional enough to grip romantics. I recommend it for the holiday season”.

In Lagos, the story is similar for Taiwo Ore, who said he was drawn to the Genesis Cinema in Lekki by the name behind the film. “I have followed Emelonye’s works like The Mirror Boy, Last Flight to Abuja and I know Oxford Gardens will not be different, which is why I came to see it, and it lived up to its billing”.

Set in London, Oxford Gardens is the story of a girl who was diagnosed of cancer and how she struck a bond of unforgettable memories with a retired boxer in a bid to satisfy her yearnings of having the best moments of her last hours on earth.

A joint production between Obi Emelonye’s company, The Nollywood Factory and Africa Magic, the movie is part of the Africa Magic Original Film, AMOF initiative.

ith the contemporary Nigerian literary landscape being so vibrant and productive, a Nigerian novelist, Atogun’s book, ‘Taduno’s Song’ is to be translated into German, Italian, Turkish and other languages Canongate Books had acquired world rights in Taduno’s Song, a Kafkaesque Nigerian tale by debut novelist Odafe Atogun.

Canongate which will publish in trade paperback in summer 2016 is expected to be translated into German, Italian and other languages, a feat described as sterling for a debutant writer.

Atogun, now a full-time writer based in Abuja, hails from Edo State and was born in Lokoja, a historical town in Nigeria where the Rivers Niger and Benue meets.

Louisa Joyner, Editorial Director of Fiction at Canongate acquired the debut as part of a two book deal from Toby Mundy at Toby Mundy Associates. Canongate will publish in trade paperback in summer 2016.

Taduno’s Song sees Atogun tackle major universal themes of resistance in the face of a dictatorship’s oppression, with a deceptively simple, gripping and haunting Kafkaesque narrative. In the background lie hints at the incredible life of Fela Kuti, human rights activist and Nigeria’s greatest singing superstar, who regularly clashed with the authoritarian Nigerian regimes of the 1970s and 1980s?

The novel follows African singer Taduno, who returns from political exile to the country of his birth to find that the dictatorship’s efforts to erase all trace of him have been so successful that he has been entirely forgotten, even by his closest friends and neighbours.

But one man remembers: the country’s dictator. And upon his return home Taduno discovers its leader has imprisoned the woman he loves and will murder her unless he performs in support of the regime.

Taduno must make an impossible choice: fight the power or save the woman he loves.

Taduno’s Song is a story of sacrifice, love and redemption, from an utterly fresh new literary voice.

Louisa Joyner, Editorial Director of Fiction at Canongate Books said: “Taduno’s Song is a story of one man and a community of people who have chosen to forget him. I realise I’ve become one of those people. I had forgotten that novels written and shared can make me want to determine the course of political events. They can make me want to save people.

Odafe Atogun sincerely believes this and it’s his sincerity I’m humbled to be publishing. I won’t forget again.”

Odafe Atogun was born in Nigeria, in the town of Lokoja, where the Rivers Niger and Benue meet, but hails from Edo State. Now a full-time writer, he is married and lives in Abuja.

Odafe

Business

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Fuel scarcity: Queues, price hike persist as Abuja supply 33 improves

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Why govt’s interventions in SMEs haven’t achieved desired results –ABUCCIMA boss 28

IMF foresees oil price slumping to $20 in 2016

FG bars freight groups from practice fee collection 30

…analysts list implications for Nigeria’s budget

SYLVA EMEKA-OKEREKE

I

exchange earnings as the country is projected to produce 2.2 million barrels of crude oil per day in 2016.

According to the experts, if the product is sold at $38 per barrel, it would generate about

$83.6 million daily or $30.51 billion in the whole year.

At $20 as predicted by the IMF, Nigeria will generate $44 million daily or $16.06 billion next year.

This would mean that the country would get at least 47.4 per cent less revenue from oil than what it projected, thus putting more pressure to the nation’s to borrow in 2016.

nternational Monetary Fund, IMF, has projected that crude oil prices may slump to an all-time low of $20 per barrel in 2016, indicating that the prices could drop by between $5 and $15 between now and next year.

In its Executive Board report, the IMF stated that currently, the price of crude oil in the international market averaged $37 as the price fell to $36 per barrel earlier.

Nigerian Government had predicated its 2016 budget on a benchmark oil price of $38 per barrel.

Analysts are worried that if the prediction of IMF becomes a reality, then Nigeria would be in serious fiscal crisis as there may not be any buffer for the budget.

They hinged this position on the fact that crude oil revenue accounts for about 90 per L-R: The Managing Director, Sterling Bank Plc, Mr. Yemi Adeola, and the Managing Director and Editor in Chief of Sun Newspapers Mr. Eric Osagie at the formal presentation of the letter of The Sun Banker of the Year Award cent of the Nigeria’s foreign to the banker at the bank’s head office in Lagos.

FG bars freight groups from practice fee collection FRANCIS EZEM

T

he Federal Government has barred freight forwarding associations in the maritime industry from collecting all forms of Practitioners Operating Fees POF, as part of measures to forestall the rancour among the members of the various associations arising from such collections and the sharing formula.

This may be part of the fallouts of the increasing disagreement between the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents ANLCA on the one part and the other freight forwarding associations led by the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders NAGAFF over the collection and sharing of POF collected from members.

ANLCA had sued the immediate past Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Transport, Mallam Mohammed Bashar; Council for the Registration of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria CRFFN and the Inspector-General of Police over the POF collections in which it asked the court

to compel the respondents from collecting the POF as approved by the CRFFN Act, 2007.

Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers Council, Mr., Hassan Bello, who handed the directive during a town hall meeting with stakeholders at the Eastern Ports, Port Harcourt, said such ban had become necessary to enthrone a regime of orderliness in the port industry.

According to him, the government recognises and appreciates the crucial strategic position of the freight forwarders and customs brokerage agents in the nation’s supply chain and so would not want any form of rancor among such important stakeholders.

Bello, who was represented by the Deputy Director in charge of Compliance, Monitoring and Enforcement of the council, Mr. Cajetan Agu, also disclosed that the decision to ban such collections was in response to stakeholders’ outcry at the ports against the Practicing Fee collection.

He also assured that the council will always strive to protect the interest of the

27

freight forwarders, especially given the strategic role they play in the supply chain.

Bello, who recalled the circumstances that led to the appointment of the council as the economic regulator of the ports, observed that though the appointment came only last year even when the port concession was completed in 2006, which gave rise to various challenges, he said that the council has been able to bring about sanity in the port system.

“In less than one year, we have been able to put in place approved standard tariff for freight forwarders, currently developing standard operating procedures for all operators at the ports, among several others are among the modest achievements we have recorded in the short period we operated as a regulator”, he said.

He however told the stakeholders that the council would continue to seek the support and cooperation of all the relevant stakeholders in the maritime industry. including the freight forwarders in its resolve to bring growth and development to the industry..

AIRLINES’ FLIGHT SCHEDULES Med-View Airline Lagos- Abuja (Mon-Fri): 07.00, 08.50, 12.00, 16.30. Abuja- Lagos (Mon-Fri): 09.00, 14.00, 15.00, 18.30. Lagos-Yola (Mon-Fri): 8.50am. Yola-Lagos (Mon-Fri): 13.00. Lagos- PHC (Mon-Fri): 17.00. PHC-Lagos: 19.00. Abuja-Yola: 11.00. Yola-Abuja: 13.00.

Lagos-Abuja (Sat): 08.00, 08.50.

Abuja-Lagos (Sat): 10.00, 15.00.

Lagos-PHC (Sat): 17.00. PHC-Lagos (Sat): 19.00. Lagos-Yola (Sat): 08.50. Yola-Lagos (Sat): 13.00

Dana Air Abuja-Lagos 9am, 1pm, 5.28pm daily Lagos-Abuja 7am, 11am, 1.23pm,3.30pm daily Lagos-PH: 7.20AM, Ph-Abuja9.54am, Abuja-ph: 3.30pm and Ph-Lagos: 5.28pm daily Lagos-Uyo: 9.20am, Uyo-Abuja: 11.07am, Abuja-Uyo 1.05pm, Uyo-Lagos: 3pm daily Weekends Lagos-Abuja: 7.02am, 9am, 3.30pm Abuja-Lagos: 9am, 2.20pm and 5.28pm Lagos -Phc: 11.07am Phc-Lagos: 1.05pm Phc-Abuja: 12.51pm Abuja-Phc: 10.50am Lagos-Uyo: 9.18am Uyo-LOS -3.03pm Uyo-Abuja: 11.07am Abuja-Uyo: 1.05pm

Aero Contractors Lag-Abj: 06.50, 13.30, 16.30, 19.45 (Mon-Fri/Sat/Sun), 12.30 (Sun) 16.45 (Sat) Abj-Los: 07.30, 13.00, 19.00 (Mon-Fri/Sat, 10.30, 14.30, 19.30 (Sun, 18.30 Sat) Lag-Benin: 07.45, 11.00, 15.30 (Mon-Fri/Sat/ Sun) 12.30 (Sun 15.30 (Sat) Ben-Lag: 09.15, 12.30, 17.00 (Mon-Fri/Sat/Sun) 17.00 (Sat) 14.00 (Sun)Lag-Owe: 7.45am, 2pm daily

28

Executive Discourse

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Why govt’s intervention in SMEs haven’t The President, Abuja chamber of Commerce and Industry (ABUCCIMA) Mr. Tony Ejinkeonye, is a key player in the nation’s drive towards boosting non-oil sector growth. In this interview with Olufemi Adeosun, he speaks on the nation’s challenging business environment, the Chamber’s plans for next year and reasons why some of the government’s loan schemes aimed at supporting Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, MSMEs, have failed to achieve the desired objectives. Excerpts:

H

ow would you rate the performance of the Organised Private Sector through the years in terms of its contributions to the nation’s economic develop-

ment?

The organised private sector has fared well if you rate them within the ambience of the nation’s challenging business environment. However, we believe there is room for improvement.

You will also realise that, within the nation’s business sphere, Nigeria has attracted Foreign Direct Investments than any other countries in Africa. Nigeria has the largest economy in terms of GDP in Africa, overtaking South Africa for the first time.

Ejinkeonye Returns on investment have also been quite attractive and that explains the influx of investments into the country. We have also witnessed an increase in local direct investment as investors. For us, perception is more shown in the volume of taxes collected important than reality. You can write from companies by the Federal Inland any kind of statistics, do all forms of Revenue Service What that translates computations, if anyone has a negative to, is that, companies profits have risen. perception about your economy, there There have been a lot of investments in is nothing you can do to woo them. our local economy, especially the very If you consider the anti-corruption large companies. This is also more outposture of the present administration put from the Small and Medium Entercoupled with the determination to reprises. I believe we performed well, but move all barriers to trade, you would there is still room for improvement. say the country may yet be on the path How would you describe the Nige- of economic rejuvenation. Another thing you will commend this governrian business environment?

It is challenging, but then a challeng- ment for is that while past adminising business environment makes you trations had constantly lived in selfthink out of the box. It is, however, the denials about the nation’s problems, challenging business environment in particularly the pervading level of corNigeria that makes its return on invest- ruption, it has openly admitted some of these challenges and expressed readiment, the highest in Africa. ness to tackle them head-on. For us In the year under review, would in ABUCCIMA, this is a very positive you also say the manufacturing sector picked up?

It has, but in an insignificant level.

There are still many constraints such as lack of adequate power, basic infrastructure and issue of multiple taxation. However, from the numerous engagements we have had with the present administration, and the recently passed budget, we have a very positive outlook. And one important thing this government has is goodwill. People have hope, both foreign and local

signal. On behalf of our chamber and the organised private sector, I sincerely thank this administration for this bold step.

All over the world, SMEs remain the mainstay of most economies in terms of contribution to the GDP. Would you say the country has provided the needed incentives to make Nigerian SMEs flourish?

We have had cause to engage the numerous government agencies in charge of provision of support for the SMEs. Like you rightly said, SME is the mainstay of any economy. For instance, 85 per cent of my membership is SME, they create the employment, not the big companies. Government, has in numerous ways, through its various agencies, namely: Bank of Industry, Central Bank of Nigeria, Bank of Agriculture, NEX-

If you consider the anticorruption posture of the present administration coupled with the determination to remove all

barriers to trade, you would say the country may yet be on the path of economic rejuvenation

IM Bank, come up with incentive plans for small business operators in Nigeria.

However, some of these interventions have not impacted on the sector. To make the desired impact, government should make an articulated and concise model of disbursing intervention funds. Take the case of the N200bn CBN fund, for the past one year, how many of the SMEs have been able to access the fund? The criteria to assessing the fund are so stringent that the SME operators cannot meet them. One of the criteria is submission of a business plan. To do a business plan cannot cost less than N250,000. How many of them can afford that? Again, when he does the plan, the method of disbursement is also based on the commercial banks’ model. CBN disburses the funds through the commercial banks and they still adopt the same parameters they use in lending to people, and this includes providing collateral. Between you and I, how many of the operators have landed property?

So the parameters need to be looked into. I read in one newspaper report that the CBN is planning to review the condition for assessing the loan. We had cause to pay a courtesy call on the CBN management early December, and that was one of the issues we discussed.

I will say it is the outcome of the meeting that is being implemented.

In coming up with some of these

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Executive Discourse

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

achieved desired results –ABUCCIMA boss loan schemes, one would have expected that the relevant agencies consult with stakeholders, such as NACCIMA. Are you saying your chamber was not consulted in the process of designing some of these schemes?

We were not consulted. However, that is why we have begun the process of engagement with some of these agencies. The offer we have made to them is to allow the organised private sector of which the chamber is their voice to screen their own members. We know them and we know which business they do. Doing this will produce a better outcome. For instance, one of the things we did last year for our people in the agricultural sector was to offer to do the business plans for them.

Even that also amounts to scratching the surface of the matter. What we are canvassing is that some of these loans should be disbursed through our various chambers.

About two weeks ago, the President presented the 2016 Appropriation Bill to the National Assembly.

A cursory look at the fiscal proposal shows that, for the first time in the history of budgeting in Nigeria, capital expenditure is slightly increased. Would you say this is bold attempt to address the nation’s perilous infrastructure situation?

I have not studied the breakdown of the budget in details. What I gathered from newspaper publications was that capital expenditure was increased from 20 per cent to 30 per cent. I do not actually agree with the people saying capital expenditure is higher. We can still make it higher. This is because if capital expenditure is 30 per cent, the remaining 70 per cent is for overheads and servicing of loans and salaries.

We have a dire need for infrastructure in Nigeria. We cannot compare ourselves with the advanced economies where capital expenditure in relation to recurrent is deficient. In our own case, we need to pump a lot of money in building our infrastructure. And if we fail to do that, our economy cannot grow. However, the journey of a thousand mile begins with a step; we commend our government for commencing the journey. It is our hope that the 2017 budget will be higher than that of the 2016. On our part, we are going to monitor very closely how the budget will be implemented.

Your Chamber’s parent body, NACCIMA, has begun the process of automation of the issuance of certificate of origin. What is the idea behind it?

The world has become a global village. For you to export any product to any part of the world, you must have a certificate of origin. The recipient nation must ascertain where the product is coming from. We have a lot of agreements with a number of countries and

In the index where Nigeria was rated about 170 out of 194 in the ease of doing business, I found out from a section of it that it takes 90 days for a new business to get connected to the national grid.

This is one of the things government must address not only to jack up

electricity bills.

There is so much

inefficiency in the system which they want to pass on to the consumers international agencies and there are obligations and incentives attached to such treaties. For instance, if my goods are leaving Abuja to Ghana, an ECOWAS country, we know that it is duty free.

Ghana needs to know it is from Nigeria.

So you need the certificate of origin to authenticate that. If it is going to the US, America must ascertain the country of origin. One of the report we got last year was that, 80 per cent of our products was rejected at the international markets. The rejection may be due to wrong certification of products, poor packaging and most importantly, fake documentation. The process of ascertaining the products base, when it was being done manually, was taking too much time. E-certification will address this time lag. It is good to say that the e-certification is one of the singular things Nigeria has taken a bold step on.

In Africa, Nigeria should be the second country that is taking this initiative.

Our parent body, NACCIMA is the only body saddled with the responsibility of insurance of certificate of origin. The system is integrated in such a way that each chamber will be able to log-in into the data base to produce the certificate faster. And this is recognizable anywhere it is presented.

As an organised private sector leader, your views are very critical on serious national issues. Going into 2016, two issues that will be hotly debated are removal of fuel subsidy and the purported hike in electricity tariff. What is the position of ABUCCIMA on these?

We in the oganised private sector have rejected the new electricity tariff.

However, if we can engage with government and get the assurance of increase in power supply, we can bear with that.

In the index where Nigeria was rated about 170 out of 194 in the ease of doing business, I found out from a section of it that it takes 90 days for a new business to get connected to the national grid. This is one of the things government must address not only to jack up electricity bills. There is so much inefficiency in the system which they want to pass on to the consumers. We believe

that consumers cannot continue to fund the inefficiency of government.

From the information we got, the DISCOs in the South-East have even refused to instal the pre-paid meters because they profit from the open billing system. On the subsidy issue, we hold firmly that it is still government funding some fat cats. Some people ripping a lot of revenues from the suffering Nigerians. I do not believe in subsidy, rather I believe in an open market system. Let the market determine what the price should be. It is better we remove subsidy that allows some few individual to feed fat and invest it in other critical sectors.

Again government has granted licenses to some companies for the building of refineries. It must ask questions why the refineries have not

Ejinkeonye

29

come on stream. Is there something that is preventing them? Is it government bureaucracy that is denying them from starting operations? Relevant government agencies must proffer answers to some of these posers.

We know that technology has moved to a level that we can have a refinery set up within a year. If those boys in the creeks without any form of technology can be refining petroleum products, what is preventing the Nigerian government with all the professionals, from having modular refineries.

Could you shed some lights on what would constitute the focal areas of ABUCCIMA in 2016?

It no longer news that oil is no longer sustainable to grow the nation’s economy. The present administration has accepted that and has set its eye on diversification of the economy. For us in the organised private sector, one of the things we want to achieve, come 2016, is to key into that agenda. We will encourage our members to explore the opportunities in the mining and agricultural. Our immediate goal Is to build the capacity of our members to maximize the opportunities in these critical sectors. The second thing is to shore up the capacity of small scale business operators. It is very critical to us. We have already set up training units in our chambers. We have signed MoU with both local and foreign organisations. And all these will be deployed to boosting the capacity of our SMEs.

30

Business News

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Banks, others spend 25% IT budgets on new technologies –IDC Isaiah Erhiawarien

F

inancial institutions spent more than 25 per cent of their IT budgets on just three transformative technologies during the ending year, 2015.

According to International Data Corporation, IDC, Financial Insights, Worldwide Financial Services spent $114 billion on mobility, cloud, and big data The new IDC Financial Insights Perspective, the financial services industry spent $114 billion worldwide on mobility, cloud, and big data & analytics (BDA) technologies out of a total worldwide finan-

cial services IT spend of $455 billion.

The report showed that these are three transformative technologies in 2015 adding that this will increase to almost 30 per cent by 2019.

“The advance of the 3rd Platform and its four pillars – mobility, cloud, big data and analytics (BDA), and social business – has caused a fundamental shift in how financial services companies are consuming and budgeting for IT and applications.

Furthermore, the 3rd Platform is creating the most significant opportunities for financial institutions in de-

cades,” said Karen Massey, Senior Research Analyst, IDC Financial Insights.

She stated: “Financial institutions are increasingly leveraging these four pillars to transform their businesses, with a keen focus on three of the pillars – mobility, cloud and BDA.” IDC asserted that mobil-

ity is increasingly seen as an enabler to increasing sales, improving productivity, and delivering customer and employee satisfaction noting that the mobility elements comprising topline forecast.

IDC said that financial institutions are embracing cloud for both efficiency gains in business processes and im-

provement in customer acquisition and experience.

On Big data and analytics (BDA), the report stated that it is instrumental in financial services in terms of accelerating innovation, driving optimisation, improving compliance, and engaging customers by using data-driven decision making.

Environmental compliance: NESREA seeks pact with telecoms, broadcast operators

Olufemi Adeosun, Abuja

T

he National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has called for closer cooperation with operators in the Telecommunication and Broadcast sector as part of its efforts to achieve environmental best practices in the country.

The call was made by the Director-General of NESREA, Dr. Lawrence Anukam in Abuja during an interactive forum with telecommunications and broadcast sector operators.

Representatives of the various telecoms and broadcast operators in Nigeria attended the parley.

Anukam noted the genuine efforts of the operators to render quality services to subscribers and went on to underline that this huge role could not be underestimated especially in improving access to information thereby boosting businesses, improved governance, security, commerce, health system, safety on the highways and tremendous job opportunities for the teeming unemployed youths.

The Director General however, expressed concern that the proximity of base stations to residential buildings and the concentration of base stations in some localities had resulted in specific complaints that bothered on noise and vibrations from power generating sets, oil pollution and indiscriminate disposal of waste, fear of collapse of

masts and health effects of electro-magnetic frequency (EMF) radiation.

According to him, this does only have negative impacts on environment, but also on human health.

He told the participants that although the Federal Government had put in place the necessary regulatory instruments, including the Environmental Impact Assessment Act CAP E 12 LFN 2004 and the National Environmental (Standards for Telecommunication and Broadcast Facilities) Regulation S.1 II 2011, with relevant provisions to address the environmental challenges, the problem did not in any way abate.

Anukam explained that the interactive forum was organised to enable the regulator and the regulated community have a rethink and reappraise the situation to foster a common front towards ensuring environmental control and sustainable development in the sector.

Noting that there are intelligence reports that showed that some operators connive with officers to flaunt environmental laws, he cautioned against constructing BTS without concluding the relevant EIA process with a certificate duly issued by the Federal Ministry of Environment.

The environmentalist warned against contravening Federal Government enforcement notices and falsification of environmental documents.

L-R: Movie producer and Chief Executive of Golden Effects Services Limited, Kunle Afolayan; Managing Director, Peugeot Automobile Nigeria Limited, PAN, Alhaji Ibrahim Boyi; and the representative of the Comptroller General of Nigerian Customs Services, Mr. Tajudeen Olarewaju at the official launch of re-modeled Peugeot 508 Sedan in Abuja recently

Group lauds Buhari on 2016 budget, seeks implementation inclusiveness JOEL AJAYI ABUJA

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oint National Association of Persons with Disabilities JONAPWD, has commended President Buhari for the timely presentation of the 2016 Appropriation Bill to the National Assembly.

JONAPWD, which is an

umbrella organization for all disability organizations in Nigeria, therefore urged the President to ensure that the budget implementation be inclusive for PWDs in all sectors of the economy.

While speaking at the briefing yesterday in Abuja, the association’s National President, Mrs. Ekaete Judith Umoh, how-

NAMA boss charges committee on accurate data Olusegun Koiki

T

he Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, Engr. Ibrahim Abdulsalam, has charged the Aviation Statistical Committee of the Federal Ministry of Transport to justify its existence by ensuring that data produced on Nigerian air transportation are credible, reliable and harmonised in order to meet international best practices.

Abdulsalam gave the charge in his keynote address delivered at the second meeting of the Aviation Statistical Committee for the year 2015, which was held in Otta, Ogun State.

He explained that a dynamic Nigerian aviation industry also

required timely, reliable and accurate statistical data for effective planning that would enhance safety of the nation’s airspace.

The NAMA boss also assured that the entire agency’s Air Traffic Management, ATM, systems are operating at optimal levels, stressing that the safety of the nation’s airspace had resulted in more airlines and flights operating in and out of the country in the last five years.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Mandu Adedoyin, advised members to come up with a mechanism that would enhance statistical development to effectively meet the needs of local and international users.

ever noted that the budget did not clearly reflect inclusiveness for the over 25 million persons with disabilities in Nigeria.

She said: “We want to commend the PMB led administration for its unflinching zest towards repositioning the polity for effective delivery of democratic dividends to the citizenry.

“And the drive towards fighting impunity which is fast eaten into the social fabric of the nation in a manner that portends grave danger to our hard won democracy.

“We however note with great concern that the 2016 Appropriation Bill does not in any way represent the interest of over 25 million persons with disabilities in Nigeria whose issues basically cross-cuts all sectors of the economy.

Umoh urged the government to ensure that the budget implementation be inclusive for PWDs such as in the recruitment of 500,000 graduate teachers as promised by President.

She also advised that government’s intention to vigorously promote and support small and medium scale businesses should be done in an inclusive manner to ensure that PWDs are involved in various SMEs are given equal opportunity to participate and benefit from the process.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business News

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

31

Practitioner seeks improved outdoor advertising practice David Audu Managing Director of First Class Productions, Mr. Yinka Adepoju, has called on outdoor practitioners to abide by the rules in the course of their professional practices in order to collectively improve on the face of outdoor practice in the country The former Managing Director of Oyo State Signage and Advertising Agency, OYSAA, speaking with National Mirror recently, acknowledge that practitioners in the country have made tremendous progress, but noted that the ever changing trends in technology and innovation have made it imperative that they keep pace with it and allow it to influence outdoor management and deployment of billboards.

He said that having served in different capacities within the Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria, OAAN, and the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria, APCON, of which he is a fellow, he said he is not tired yet but ready to work with all concerned to raise the standard of practice

in Nigeria.

“Before I became the DG of OYSAA, I have made modest contributions to the development of outdoor in Nigeria.

I did not only serve outdoor agency I also served APCON as a member of “it is like making a pledge, we have to continue to work to improve outdoor advertising; we will continue to put in our best to make sure that advertising gets better in this country called Nigeria Adepoju also called for unity among practitioners in Nigeria, the need for them to come together to promote the practice of responsible outdoor advertising.

He said the days of practicing advertising as a business alone is over, but said that it should be seen as a profession and must be practiced that way.

He also advised that we should not be tired of bringing new ideas to move outdoor in Nigeria to professional excellence, stressing that it is the only way to meet up with the rest of the world in terms of standards and class.

Adepoju also spoke against

franchising of outdoor sites and space in Nigeria, saying it is unprofessional and wrong.

Recalling some year back when agencies and individuals fight for space, he said the period witnessed the bad days of outdoor advertising in Nigeria.

“People started fighting for site, some were so greedy to the

extent of saying they wanted to franchise the whole stretch of the road. Imagine somebody saying that he wanted from Ojota to Western Avenue and possibly all the way to Costain round about in Lagos State’.

But the leadership of the association kicked against it and fought tooth and nail to stop

those involved in the move.

“They were prepared to take this particular company or individual to court. But somehow the issue was resolved and the association came up with a code of ethics where it was clearly stated that no corporate entity or individual would have the right to franchise any highway.

L-R: The Retail Head, Lagos & South-west Region of First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Funmilola Paseda; Divisional Head, Retail Banking, Mr. Olu Akanmu; one of the winners of the second draws of the FCMB Millionaire Promo Season 2, Funmilayo Odusanya and the Head, Consumer Liability Products of the Bank, Mr. Shamsideen Fashola, during the cheque presentation ceremony to the winner in Lagos, recently.

Banking sector income Natural disasters cost German impaired –AMCON Johnson Okanlawon

T

he Managing Director of the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON, Ahmed Kuru, has said that income from the banking sector to the corporation is below expectation considering illiquidity in the economy.

Speaking recently in Lagos, he said that the corporation projection about 55 per cent sinking fund from the banking sector, but was unable to achieve the target.

On how much it has in the sinking fund, he said, “We might not be able to achieve what we have set out to achieve because the banking sinking fund assumed that the industry will be growing at 20 per cent year on year. Now based on what we have at hand, the industry is growing less than 12 per cent so automatically the expectation from there is already impaired.

“So whatever we projected from that side may be like 55 per cent. On the company side also, we estimated that we will be able to sell quite a lot of our assets, but unfortunately with what is happening in the economy, with the liquidity situation, we have not been able to dispose our assets as fast as we hoped.’

According to him, the corporation used to do private bidding in disposing of assets but now do open competitive bidding.

“The response is very disappointing because of what is happening in the economy. If I call a valuer and they value the assets, that is what I will use in pricing the asset, on the bid opening day, those who want to buy will want to buy at a premium while we will want to maximize our returns.

“So that poses a lot of challenge for us in disposing our assets. Like I said we are changing our strategy and any assets that will be sold in AMCON now must be advertised.”

On the challenges of disposing the assets, he explained that some assets are specialized assets, while valuations of some were very high at the time we took them, but because of the state of the economy, there are valuation issues.

“On Marina there are two rigs, those are our rigs, and we took them at a very exorbitant rate at that time. That asset is not something you can hawk on the street unfortunately. It is a specialized asset. Nobody today has N100 billion to come and buy that assets,” he added.

insurers $2.3bn in 2015

G

erman insurers are likely to face damage claims totalling 2.1 billion euros ($2.3 billion) for natural disasters in 2015 compared with 1.6 billion euros in 2014, insurance trade body GDV said on Monday.

Windstorm Niklas, which hit Germany and surrounding countries with wind speeds of up to 192 kilometres (119 miles) per hour in March, caused 750 million euros in claims alone. Several tornadoes also caused considerable damage, GDV said.

The trade body - which represents insurers including Allianz , Munich Re Ergo and Talanx - warned that storms of an intensity that now occur every 50 years could become as frequent as every 10 years by 2100.

“In light of this challenge, the Paris climate agreement is a clear advance in the struggle against the effects of global warming,” GDV said in a statement.

The global climate summit earlier this month forged a landmark agreement in a bid to arrest global warming,

based on non-binding commitments by almost 200 nations to rein in rising carbon emissions.

“Only if the voluntary commitments bear fruit is there a chance that future weather

extremes will remain within a manageable range. Anything else would present great challenges to the insurance industry,” GDV said.

(Source – Reuters,com)

Brazil economists raise 2016 key rate estimate for 6th week

B

razil analysts lifted their 2016 year-end benchmark interest rate forecast for the sixth consecutive week, as the central bank reaffirms its commitment to slow inflation to target.

Policy makers will increase borrowing costs to 15.25 percent next year, compared to the previous week’s forecast of 14.75 percent, according to the weekly central bank survey of about 100 economists. Analysts expect inflation to reach 6.86 percent at the end of 2016, above the 6.5 percent upper limit of the central bank’s target range.

President Dilma Rousseff ’s administration is caught between the fastest annual inflation in 12 years and prospects of two consecutive years of recession. Central bank estimates

released last week showed consumer prices above target through at least 2017 even with the key rate currently at a nine-year high. Impeachment proceedings and an expanding corruption scandal have also stalled the passage of austerity policies aimed at bolstering public accounts and restoring growth.

Central bank director Altamir Lopes said on Dec. 23 the institution will adopt necessary policies to bring inflation to its 4.5 percent target in 2017.

Rising political and economic uncertainties threaten to keep consumer price increases above its goal for longer than initially expected, the central bank said in the quarterly inflation report released on the same day.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Commerce & Industry

32

Pulling the economy out of doldrums through real sector fiscal support Following the presentation of 2016 budget to the National Assembly by President Buhari last Tuesday, stakeholders have again brought to the front burner of public discourse the need for government to prioritise real sector development in the fiscal plan as a leeway to pulling the economy from macroeconomic precipice as oil prices continue to raise concern about the nation’s economic stability.

ABOLAJI ADEBAYO reports.

L

ast week, President Muhammadu Buhari presented the N6.1trillion 2016 Appropriation Bill to the National Assembly for consideration.

The Bill has been widely described as the first non-oil based budget in Nigeria as it seeks to generate funds to finance the budget majorly through non-oil sources.

The Presidency has also been commended for allocating more percentage of the budget to capital expenditure than ever before.

In the analysis of the budget, some few sectors of the economy were allocated particular amount of money, while many others were not clearly allocated definite amount. This eagerness and developmental expectation through the budget has erupted concerns in the stakeholders over the non-disclosure of the exact amount or percentage of the budget going into those sectors such as manufacturing and agriculture, being the ma sectors focused for the needed economic diversification.

They believed that non-provision for manufacturing and agricultural sector in the budget would undermine their potentials in job creation, foreign exchange earning, and economic diversification.

They said they were expecting the president to announce the percentage going into each sector especially the real sectors in other to raise the hope and further encourage the private sector.

They also expressed concern over the $38 per barrel of oil as well as N190 exchange rate benchmark for the 2016 budget, considering the economic and fiscal trend of the country.

For example, the former Chairman, Agric sector of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Prince Wale Oyekoya said the percentage going into agricultural sector should not be less than 10 per cent of the budget in accordance with the Maputo agreement.

In a chat with National Mirror, Oyekoya, said that if the 10 per cent is allocated to the sector, it would go a long way in developing the sector and consequently fast track the economic diversification craving for in the country.

He said that the sector should be given

Small scale farming

Saraki

Akande

TO FACILITATE PRIVATE CAPITAL FLOW INTO INFRASTRUCTURE BUILDING, THE GOVERNMENT HAS TO DEVELOP ATTRACTIVE POLICY FRAMEWORKS FOR PPPS. WE ALSO URGE THE FISCAL AUTHORITIES TO REVIEW AND MONITOR THE QUALITY OF CAPITAL EXPENDITURE AND ENSURE THAT FUNDS ARE DIRECTED TO THE CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDED TO DRIVE PRODUCTIVITY the priority it requires at this point in time of the nation’s economy if truly the government wishes to diversify economy.

He also said that government should work on the policy inconsistency, which has been one of the major problems confronting the all sectors of the nation’s economy.

Oyekoya, who declared that the country currently depends on 80 per cent importation, said that the situation has to be reversed - that the country should export 80 per cent of its products while depending on 20 per cent import. He explained that this could only be achieved if better allocation is made available for the manufacturing sector, while provision of infrastructure is prioritized.

He further advised the government to

encourage local content, making sure that values are added to the local produces in other to make them exportable.

The Director General of Manufacturers’ Association of Nigeria, MAN, Remi Ogunmefun, said it is necessary for the manufacturers to know what is budgeted for the sector, saying that it would sensitise the private sector to plan their investment in the coming year.

He declared that the timely announcement of the allocation to the sector would help in achieving the developmental objective in the sector.

The National President of Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mine and Agriculture, NACCIMA, Bassey Edem, said the $38 per barrel of oil benchmark for the 2016 budget is still high considering the fact that number of oil suppliers would increase in the international market in 2016 as America has lifted banned on some other oil producing countries.

He emphasized that there would be more oil exporters in 2016, noting that countries like Iran and Iraq will also put their oil into the market.

He added that the oil price would continue to fall rather than going higher.

He therefore suggested that the oil price for the budget should be benchmarked between $30 and $35.

On the exchange rate, Edem said the N190 to a dollar proposed in the budget was not realisable with the fact the current exchange rate stands at N280. He said that there is no certainty that the exchange rate

would reduce by N90 next year. He suggested that it should be between N200 and 230 to be on a safer side.

He declared that he foresaw no significant improvement in the socio-economic situation of the country as soon as 2016.

Also speaking on broadening of the tax base as presented by President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2016 budget as a way of generating more revenue, the NACCIMA boss said it is a welcome idea so far it does not affect tax rate. He said any attempt to increase the tax rate would affect the organised private sector thereby, worsening the economy of the country.

He advised that it would be better if the Federal Government could improve on the welfare of the people so that the number of the tax payers would be increased and also pointed out that the non-declaration of the percentage of the budget to be allocated to manufacture posed more concern and uncertainty about the developmental change to the sector in 2016.

The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and industry, LCCI, wanted the exchange rate benchmarked at N220 per dollar.

The President of the Chamber, Dr. (Mrs.) Nike Akande, charged the government to make exchange rate benchmark of N190 per dollar in the 2016 budget, which it described as being too conservative and at variance with prevailing realities, be adjusted to N220 per dollar threshold.

She also said that the draft budget benchmark for crude oil at $38 per barrel looked very fragile given the continued and projected boost of supply side of oil in the international oil market and its potential to impact on oil price, she therefore, advised that the benchmark be further reduced.

The LCCI boss declared that adequate provision should be made, within the context of the capital provision, for infrastructure towards addressing the huge infrastructure deficit, while manufacturing sector as well as small and medium enterprises, SMEs, should more focused to achieve reasonable economic development in 2016.

She said: “One of the effective means of covering the huge infrastructure deficit is Public Private Partnership, PPP, model.

To facilitate private capital flow into infrastructure building, the government has to develop attractive policy frameworks for PPPs. We also urge the fiscal authorities to review and monitor the quality of capital expenditure and ensure that funds are directed to the critical infrastructure needed to drive productivity.

“We reiterate our call for the deregulation of the petroleum downstream sector in order to reduce the pressure on government finances and the foreign exchange market. This will not only create savings for investment in priority sectors but also provide a great opportunity to attract more investment to the petroleum downstream oil sector.”

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

EnergyWeek Wednesday, December 30, 2015

FG to empower NERC for improved regulatory roles36

Group lauds Buhari on 2016 budget, seeks implementation inclusiveness 30

33

Oil exploration drops on low investment 35

Fuel scarcity: Queues, price hike persist as Abuja supply improves Despite the efforts of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC and others to end the lingering fuel crisis nationwide, fuel shortage has persisted in many parts of the country, leaving commuters and users of petrol groaning daily.

UDEME AKPAN who monitored the situation during the yuletide festivities, reports that the crisis is yet to abate as some marketers continue to exploit the helpless consumers.

T

here are indications that fuel scarcity still persisted in many parts of the country despite assurances by the government and efforts of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, to end the two-month old crisis.

National Mirror’s investigations in Lagos and its environs, including major cities in Oyo, Osun, Ogun states, showed that many filling stations were shut against motorists and other users.

A survey by the newspaper showed that only very few filling stations, including NIPCO had the product to sell.

While Oando, Total, Mobil and other major marketers and NNPC and NIPCO stations sold the product at the N87 per liter price regulated pump price, most others jacked up their prices, which ranged from N120 and N150 per litre, depending on the location.

The prices of illegal operators that hawk the product in ‘jerry cans’ at several locations in Lagos range between N700 and N1, 000 for four liters.

The situation also remained unchanged in other cities, including Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State and Ibadan, Oyo State. Investigations showed that these areas still witnessed long fuel queues, with prices hitting the roofs at between N300 and N600 per liter.

However, the situation appeared to

have improved slightly in Abuja and its environs because of increased supply from Kaduna refinery which upped its refining volume about a week ago.

A marketer who preferred not to be named indicated in a telephone interview that there wasadequate supply, saying that “the long queues have disappeared. It is now easy for motorists to buy fuel from any stations in the metropolis unlike before.

“Since Abuja is not too far from Kaduna, the restart of Kaduna refinery might have impacted on the supplies of fuel in the northern states, including the Federal Capital territory,” he

added.

The marketer attributed the development partly to improved monitoring. The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, had earlier ordered the deployment of NNPC personnel to filling stations for effective monitoring of the distribution system.

Kachikwu had maintained that though there were a number of challenges in the supply and distribution system that hampers efficient distribution of products across the country, it was time for NNPC to rise above the challenges by ensuring that the special intervention supplies are not di-

The Minister had urged the staff to work towards

achieving zero-queues at their respective stations as soon

as possible, adding that they should be ready to sacrifice their

Christmas break if need be

verted or hoarded.

“This calls for effective monitoring of the supply system, especially at the end points, to ascertain that what is trucked out from the depots is delivered at the designated fuel stations and dispensed to the public in the most efficient manner. We need you to be out there to help achieve this; we can’t be at ease while Nigerians are going through so much pain to get fuel.”

He had challenged staff to volunteer for the monitoring exercise, adding that standing up to provide creative solutions to challenges were what the new NNPC is all about.

The Minister had urged the staff to work towards achieving zero-queues at their respective stations as soon as possible, adding that they should be ready to sacrifice their Christmas break if need be.

The Group Executive Director, Commercial & Investment, Dr. Victor Adeniran, had also called on staff on monitoring duties to work closely with the Rapid Response Team by reporting any situation that needs urgent intervention such as low stock, delayed arrival of trucks or any underhand dealing.

Adeniran had said the Rapid ReCONTINUED ON PAGE 34

34

Energy Week

Wednesday, December 23 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Fuel scarcity: Queues, price hike persist as Abuja supply improves CONTINUED FROM PAGE 33

sponse Team is made up of PPMC staff and representatives of law enforcement agencies that can adequately handle any challenge, adding that so far, about 200 trucks of the special intervention stock have arrived Abuja.

He had called on the staff deployed for monitoring duties to be vigilant and ensure that all the petrol designated for their respective stations is delivered and dispensed to members of the public in a most efficient manner.

However, there are fears that the nation’s prolonged fuels scarcity would continue till next year because of some reasons.

A Port Harcourt-based energy expert, Mr. Bala Zaka maintained that the states of some refineries still pose serious concern to government. He indicated that the relatively poor states of some of the plants, especially Warri refinery have constrained the government from maximising domestic refining as well as flooding the market with more fuel.

Zaka explained that the demand for fuel has increased considerably as a result of poor power supply in many parts of the nation. He pointed out that based on the desire to generate power, many individuals, families, companies and government agencies have increased their fuel consumption, a development that puts pressure on marketers to increase supplies.

“This explains why it is not fair for the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR to stop the use of cans in procuring fuel in the nation. These people need the petrol to generate power in order to carry out various activities. It is not their fault and they should not be made to suffer in the process of buying fuel,” he said.

Analysts believe that the late payment of oil marketers hindered oil marketers from importing fuel. Major and independent marketers maintained that the inability of the Federal Government to settle their outstanding subsidy debts has constrained them from importing the product into the nation. The marketers who owe commercial banks various sums of monies maintained that it has gotten to a point where they cannot import product anymore.

Generally, prices have been relatively high in the past few months. For instance, in November, this year, Akwa Ibom emerged as the State with the highest fuel prices. The product was sold at N118.50, N 92.75 and N187.50 per liter in September, October and November this year respectively.

According to the latest report of the National Bureau of Statistics, Abia State came second with N91.88, N92.56

Buhari

Kachikwu

and N146.59 per liter in September, October and November this year respectively. The report placed Cross River State as the third State with N99.00, N105.80 and N140.40 per liter during the period.

It placed Benue State as the fourth state with N94.00, N90.80 and N138.57 per liter in September, October and November this year respectively. This is closely followed by Bayelsa State with N119.83, N111.00 and N130.00 per liter for the three month of September, October and November this year respectively.

The report placed Bauchi and Ogun as States with the least fuel prices. The Bauchi recorded N93.25, N87.00 and N91.33 per liter, Ogun recorded N87.00, N90.71 and N91.33 per liter during the period under review.

The situation was not different between January and October, 2015. For instance, Bayelsa residents had paid

N109.83, N103.40, N101.33, N108.50, N108.50, N155.00, N152.86, N132.43, N119.83 and N111.00 per liter in January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September and October, this year.

Abuja residents had paid N97.00, N89.50, N97.75, N93.60, N97.75, N97.20, N94.00, N94.60, N92.60, and N108.20 per liter in Jan¬uary, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September and October, this year. The report had indicated Cross River as the third State with high fuel prices, resi¬dents having paid N114.40, N98.09, N117.91, N117.00, N123.78, N117.70, N118.40, N97.32, N99.00 and N105.80 per liter in January, February, March, April, May, June, July, ,August, September and October, this year.

The NBS report had further placed Taraba as another State with high petrol prices, as residents paid N126.75, N113.78, N112.86, N132.86, N129.23,

Major and independent marketers maintained that the inability of the

Federal Government to settle

their outstanding subsidy debts has constrained them from importing the product into the nation.

The

marketers who owe commercial banks various sums of monies maintained that it has gotten to a point where they cannot import product anymore

N118.33, N130.00, N112.13, N124.63 and N104.57 per liter in January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September and October, 2015. It had identified Nassarawa as the next State with high fuel prices, residents hav¬ing paid N105.50, N90.83, N116.50, N105.56, N126.67, N 26.08, N110.57, N103.8, N94.20 and N102.50 per liter in January, Febru¬ary, March, April, May, June, July,, August, September and October, this year.

Expectedly, the current scarcity has attracted the comments of some experts. For instance, the Chairman of International Energy Services Limited, Dr. Diran Fawibe, indicated that the nation should look beyond massive fuel importation. He made a strong case for the construction of new refineries as the importation has assisted other nations to create many multiplier effects, especially employment and capacity building while creating massive unemployment and abject poverty in Nigeria. But many local and foreign investors would not likely invest as the sector is still regulated by the Federal Government.

Consequently, the government has been tasked to deregulate the sector in order to attract much local and foreign capital. The Executive Director of Spaces for Change, Mrs. Victoria Ohaeri, said the expected investment would not be realised without the passage of the nation’s Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB into law.

However, many Nigerians are waiting to see the options the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration will adopt to end the nation’s prolonged fuel scarcity.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Energy Week

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

35

Oil exploration drops on low investment T he world has recorded a significant drop in oil and gas exploration as a result of low investment.

The latest Baker Hughes Incorporated report indicated that international rig count for November 2015 was 1,109, down 2 from the 1,111 counted in October 2015, and down 215 from the 1,324 counted in November 2014.

It maintained that the international offshore rig count for November 2015 was 259, down 11 from the 270 counted in October 2015, and down 82 from the 341 counted in November 2014.

The organisation indicated that the average U.S. rig count for November 2015 was 760, down 31 from the 791 counted in October 2015, and down 1,165 from the 1,925 counted in November 2014.

It disclosed that the average Canadian rig count for November 2015 was 178, down 6 from the 184 counted in October 2015, and down 243 from the 421 counted in November 2014.

The organisation maintained that the worldwide rig count for November 2015 was 2,047, down 39 from the 2,086 counted in October 2015, and down 1,623 from the 3,670 counted in November 2014.

The Baker Hughes Rotary Rig Counts are counts of the number of drilling rigs actively exploring for or developing oil or natural gas in the U.S., Canada and international markets.

“Baker Hughes has issued the rotary rig counts as a service to the petroleum industry since 1944, when Hughes Tool

Oil vessel

Company began weekly counts of the U.S. and Canadian drilling activity. Baker Hughes initiated the monthly international rig count in 1975.”

“The North American rig count is scheduled to be released at noon Central time on the last working day of each week. Baker Hughes is a leading supplier of oilfield services, products, technology and systems to the worldwide oil and natural gas industry.”

“The company’s 46,000 employees today work in more than 80 countries helping customers find, evaluate, drill, produce, transport and process hydro-

carbon resources,” it added.

Meanwhile, the price of OPEC basket of 12 crudes stood at 31.15 dollars a barrel on Tuesday, compared with $30.74 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

The new OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Oriente (Ecuador), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Qatar Marine (Qatar), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela).

OPEC puts oil demand at 30.8 mb/d UDEME AKPAN

T

he Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC has put the demand for its crude oil at 30.8 million barrels per day, mb/d, showing an increase of 1.5 mb/d over the current year and unchanged from the previous assessment.

The organization noted that the global economy continued its moderate growth

in 2015 and is now expected to expand at 3.1per cent, adding that the OECD managed to accelerate its growth level again slightly.

Reflecting on economic trends in emerging economies, OPEC reported that India saw stronger-than-expected growth and China’s momentum moderated, while Russia and Brazil experienced contractions.

It maintained that lower oil prices provided support for consumers in the US,

Oil pipeline

Euro-zone, China and India, but the shortfall in investments and the lower income from the oil sector in major oil producer countries has offset some of these positive effects.

According to the organisation, monetary decisions have continued to play a key role in the global economy, not just in the OECD economies but also in China and India.

This is even as it stated that an expected interest rate hike by the US Federal Reserve has affected capital flows and currencies, but the full impact will only be seen once the decision is taken.

The cartel projected that in the meantime, the increase in monetary stimulus in the Euro-zone and Japan has not been as effective in supporting these economies as planned, pointing out that in contrast, China’s stimulus plans have achieved some success in supporting the country’s economy.

OPEC also reported a decline of about 10 per cent in its Reference Basket declined in November as lower refinery crude intake added to the oversupply in the market.

The cartel stated that the Basket lost $4.52 to stand at $40.50/b. Crude oil futures

Commodity

Units

Price

Change

% Change

Time(ET)

Crude Oil (WTI)

USD/bbl.

34.69

-0.04

-0.12%

14:11:45

Crude Oil (Brent)

USD/bbl.

36.34

-0.54

-1.46%

14:12:12

TOCOM Crude Oil

JPY/kl

27,170.00

-60.00

-0.22%

13:59:56

NYMEX Natural Gas

USD/MMBtu

1.92

+0.15

+8.49%

14:12:11

Source: Bloomberg as at December 21, 2015

also fell, with ICE Brent averaging $45.93/b and Nymex WTI $42.92/b. The Brent-WTI spread widened marginally to $3.01/b.

“World economic growth figures remain unchanged at 3.1% for the current year and 3.4per cent in 2016. With slightly stronger growth in the US and lower-than-expected growth in Japan in 3Q15, the OECD growth forecast remains at 2.0per cent for 2015 and 2.1per cent for 2016.”

“The 2016 growth forecast for China remains unchanged at 6.4per cent, following estimated growth of 6.8per cent this year.

India is expected to grow by 7.6per cent in 2016, unchanged from the previous report, while the growth estimate for the current year has been revised down to 7.3per cent.”

“World oil demand is anticipated to increase by 1.53 mb/d this year, averaging around 92.88 mb/d. These projections are 30 tb/d higher than last month’s estimate, mainly as a result of better-than-expected consumption in OECD Europe and Other Asia. For 2016, global oil demand growth is expected to increase by around 1.25 mb/d, unchanged from the previous report, averaging 94.13 mb/d,” it added.

36

Energy Week

IPMAN lauds FG’s intervention on lingering fuel scarcity

T

he Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN has endorsed the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC fuel intervention, targeted at increasing supply nationwide.

Mr. Mike Osatuyi, National Operation Controller of the association gave the commendation in Lagos when he received two trucks of 76, 000 litres at his stations at Akute through the intervention schemes.

Osatuyi who is also the Chairman, Nice Petroleum said that the fuel intervention was in a bid to ensure total eradication of queues from fuel stations across the country.

He said that station which was designed to sell about 28 vehicles at ago, adding that the station also operation 24-hours with capability of selling three trucks a day.

Osatuyi said that it is important for all IPMAN members to show case what government is doing about special intervention petrol supply to marketers which came to stations at no extra cost.

According to him, Federal Government, through NNPC/PPMC should be lauded for these special intervention schemes, this shows that government have the people at heart.

“The only way to ensure total eradication of queues in the country is when this intervention of petrol supply is sustainable. At my station, I was given two trucks of 76 million litres which payment would be remitted after sales,’’ he said.

Osatuyi urged NNPC/PPMC to ensure sustainability of the product so that marketers can sell at approved price of N87 litre He said that now that government have chosen to partner with IPMAN on effective fuel distribution, the association is also fully ready to support the schemes to ensure no member sell above pump price.

The IPMNAN boss said that about 300 trucks had been loaded from Apapa private depot by members to various locations of IPMAN outlets. ``I have also instructed my station manager to ensure 24-hours petrol sales until the product exhausted, which is the mandate of the minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachwuchu.

Osatuyi said that though there were a number of challenges in the supply and distribution system that hamper efficient distribution of products across the country.

He said that challenges which NNPC has rise above the challenges by ensuring that the special intervention supplies are not diverted or hoarded. ``This calls for effective monitoring of the supply system, especially at the end points, to ascertain that what is trucked out from the depots is delivered at the designated fuel stations and dispensed to the public in the most efficient manner.

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

FG to empower NERC for improved regulatory roles CHIDI UGWU ABUJA

T

he Federal Government has unveiled plans to strengthen the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) with a view to enabling it make power generation companies, Gencos and distribution companies, Discos fulfil their contract obligations to electricity consumers in the country.

The Minister of Power, Works and Housing who gave the hint in Abuja, however noted that work hard to effectively play its role of providing gas for power plants and expanding the transmission network.

“Government is now a regulator through the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) which is like the National Communication Commission (NCC) which regulates Telcos.

“We intend to strengthen this part of our responsibility so that we can hold the Gencos and Discos to their contracts with citizens.

“But before we do that, we must play our own role of providing gas and expanding the Transmission Network” he said.

According to the minister, there are a number of issues that beset Nigeria’s Gas sector such as the environmental issue and the availability of gas infrastructure such as pipelines and the issue of pricing which are all the responsibil-

ity of other Ministries.

He stated that subject to budgetary approvals and financing, the ministry of petroleum indicates their ability to build certain critical pipelines to transport gas to the power plants that will add another 2,000 mw to the country’s stock of power within 12-15 months.

In a related development, the Minister of Environment, Hajiya Amina Mohammed said the Federal Government will develop about 13,000 megawatts (13 gigawatts) of off-grid electricity from solar energy.

According to the minister, the Federal Government was working on the possibility of diversifying the country’s energy mix and laid emphases on renewable energy and efficient gas power in meeting the energy needs of Nigerians.

Mrs. Mohammed, according to a document she issued to the media, containing some of the highlights and agreements reached at the recently concluded Conference of Parties on Climate Change, otherwise known as COP 21, which was held in Paris, France, said that “in particular, we plan to develop around 13GW of offgrid solar power, delivering energy access to the poorest communities in a cheaper and healthier manner with less emission.”

The minister also noted that the government would increase the use of climatesmart agriculture through irrigation systems, climate-

Pre-paid meter

resilient crops and broader sustainable land management practices, “given the climate risks that Nigeria faces, this is the only way in which the government’s ambitious Agriculture Transformation Agenda can be delivered,” she added.

She disclosed Nigeria’s eagerness to take a regional lead by announcing a bold and courageous Intended Nationally Determined Contributions that seek to ensure that the Nigerian economy continues to grow while reducing its carbon emissions.

“Nigeria’s ambitious INDCs aim at reducing emissions by 20 per cent by the year 2030 with support from the international community. This will support the restructuring of the economy in a way that will facilitate inclusive growth with vast opportunities to diversify

the energy mix, with emphasis on renewable energy and efficient gas power.

“In particular, we plan to develop around 13GW of off-grid solar power, delivering energy access to the poorest communities in a cheaper and healthier manner with less emission. We also plan to create a more efficient, lower carbon oil and gas sector. By ending gas flaring and using the gas for commercial purposes, including power generation, we could generate as much as $7.5bn worth of benefits,” she added.

She noted that the government would substantially increase the use of climate smart agriculture through irrigation systems, climate resilient crops and broader sustainable land management practices.

“Given the climate risks that Nigeria faces, this is the only way in which the government’s ambitious Agriculture Transformation Agenda can be delivered,” she added.

Generated electricity rises to 3,913.63 mw

T

he electricity generation has hovered at 3,913.63 megawatts, mw, thus showing a little improvement against about 3, 600mw generated a few days ago.

The Presidential Task Force on Power, PTFP indicated in its latest report that of the 3,913.63mw generated, 3,839.50mw was distributed while the balance was con-

Power plant

served to stabilise the system.

The current level of generation remained over 6,000mw below the nation’s 10,000mw estimated national demand.

However, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC has granted licence to eight companies with a combined capacity to generate 1,648.25 Megawatts electricity and a distribution company. The event took place at

the Commission headquarter in Abuja.

The licences were a mixture of on-grid, off-grid, embedded generation and distribution of electricity. One of the licensees, Ossiomo Offistes and Utilities/ Ossiomo Power &Infrastructure, based in Edo state will engage in electricity distribution and in embedded generation of 55 Megawatts gas power electricity.

Meanwhile, Anambra state Independent Power Generation Company Limited, located in Onitsha, an on-grid gas-fired plant has the capacity for 528mw capacity. There is Cummins Power Generation, Nigeria Limited (NBC) Ikeja with a capacity for a 3.5mw capacity, off- grid. The company also has licence for a 1.7mw to serve A&P Foods, in Agege, Lagos.

NERC licence to Sinosun Investment Limited, based in Jibiya, Kastina state is for an on-grid, solar power generation of 100mw

capacity. In the same vein, LRAaron Power Limited, located in Gwagalada has licence for 100mw solar powered electricity generation.

Also licensed is Lafarge Africa Plc for an on-grid, gas-fired 260mw in Ewekoro, Ogun state.

For Azikel Power Limited, the on–grid licence is for 500mw power plant, located in Obunagha in Bayelsa state. While Middle Band Solar One Limited from Kogi State, was granted an on-grid licence for 100mw.

Summarily, on distribution licence we have one, technology; there are six gas-fired generation licence with a combined electricity capacity of 1, 348mw, as well as three solar generations for a combined capacity of 300 mw.

The licence falls into three category namely embedded generation (55mw), two off –grid generation(525mw) and six ongrid generation (1,588mw).

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

37

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

From The Civil Service Minister calls for return of schools to owners Joel Ajayi, ABUJA

T

he Minister of Youth and Sports, Barr.

Solomon Dalung, has called for the return of all schools taken over by the federal and state governments to their former proprietors in order to bring back inculcation of moral, spiritual and ethical discipline which such missionary and private schools were noted for in the past.

Dalung made the call while receiving a sevenman delegation of the executive members of the Church of Christ in Nigeria, COCIN, Recubelem Jos, led by the leading minister of the church, Rev. Yucaps Gwotts, who came to pay him a courtesy visit on Christmas Day. According to the minister, the nation profited from the all-round sound training which such schools provided for our founding fathers.

He noted that the takingover of schools by governments had not yielded the desired result.

He also appealed to the church to resuscitate youth programmes such as the Boys Brigade, Girls Guide, Red-Cross and help provide sporting facilities to complement government’s efforts as deliberate character-moulding and empowerment strategies for youths in order to produce patriotic and selfless leaders of tomorrow.

Towing the line of the president, Muhammadu Buhari, he apologised to the public for the untold hardship being experienced as a result of the current fuel scarcity, which he explained to be mainly caused by sabotage and greed of some stakeholders.

L-R: Minister of Women Affairs, Sen. Aisha al-Hassan; Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, and the Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed, at the Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja, yesterday.

He said a situation whereby large numbers of tankers loaded with the products left Lagos but never surfaced in Abuja destination seven days after left

much to be desired.

Saying that the practice was rampart, he however promised that the federal government was working round the clock to bring

an end to the unacceptable situation.

Dalung also reported that as the year was running to an end, the Boko Haram insurgents’ capac-

ity to hold any territory in Nigeria had been totally decimated; saying the major challenge now was how to convince the internally displaced people to return

to their settlements.

Earlier, the leader of delegation said the church leaders came to felicitate with Dalung on his appointment as minister and to thank President Buhari for appointing their son known for his passionate devotion to youths’ struggle and religious tolerance as Minister of Youth and Sports.

He also thanked the minister for the borehole he personally provided for the community and urged him to use his good office and influence to fix the bad road serving the community and assist in providing a playing ground for the youth.

The delegation could not hide their joy when the minister announced that another central location had been found where an additional borehole would be provided to further address the water challenge of the community.

NTDC partners Kano govt on domestic tourism Joel Ajayi, ABUJA

T

he Director General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, Mrs. Sally Mbanefo has reiterated the corporation’s commitment to the actualisation of partnership with Kano State especially in the area of marketing and promotion of domestic tourism.

She made this declaration when a four-man delegation from the Executive Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, paid her a courtesy visit in her office.

She maintained that Kano State was one of the tourism friendly states and also a major tourism hub and gateway in Nigeria.

Unemployment: Take advantage of biotechnology, OFAB urges FG

P.38

Mbanefo said: “This is why NTDC found it strategically important to establish the tourism information desk and travel portal at the Aminu Kano International airport.

“The centre would facilitate travel businesses and promote hospitality and tourism services in Kano and Nigeria at large.”

NTDC boss explained that Kano State and NTDC have come a long way together.

“I have embarked on domestic tourism tour within Kano metropolis to visit and identify major tourists attractions and the Jiga Dam is one of the very strong potentials of the state.

“I must say that lots of people are trooping into Kano. It is ideal for busi-

ness/conference tourism.

The tourism bond which will build structures around tourists sites to service the needs of the site will quickly come to bear in Kano State.

“I visited the Governor of Kano State and the Emir of Kano as well, it is clear that the governor is focusing a lot of attention to tourism and security in the state and Kano is indeed very safe for tourists.

“Tourism is one of the enablers behind the country’s developmental programmes of job creation and as people travel within Nigeria, it will create unity and peaceful harmony,” she said.

The NTDC boss commended the delegates and expressed her readiness to partner with Kano State in

Tasks ahead of Water Resources minister

P.39

2016.

Earlier in his speech, the Permanent Secretary, Kano State Civil Service Commission, Abdullahi H. Kwaru, who led the delegation acknowledged the role NTDC has been playing in projecting the image of Nigeria to limelight abroad.

He went further to state that the purpose of the visit was to seek collaboration with NTDC in the area of domestic tourism especially the Jiga Dam Project, women and youth empowerment, including other attractions in the state.

Also speaking, the spokesman of the delegation, Civil Service Commissioner of Kano State, Engr.

Bello Mohammed said: “NTDC is a reputable organisation; they have been able to brand Kano State

as a tourism friendly state and we are very happy with the Director General, Mrs. Sally Mbanefo, she has visited Kano State to open the NTDC Tourism Information desk at the Aminu Kano International Airport, we are proud of her passion for promoting domestic tourism even in the face of challenges in our country. We are pledging to support the efforts of the corporation in our capacity while soliciting for collaboration with NTDC.” The delegates however lauded the efforts of the corporation under the leadership of Mrs. Mbanefo, particularly the official domestic tourism visit NTDC paid to the state which afforded her the opportunity to identify major attractions in the state.

Normal activities resume at Lagos secretariat as workers return

P.39

38

Civil Service

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Unemployment: Take advantage of biotechnology, OFAB urges FG M rs. Rose Gidado, the Coordinator, Open Forum on Agriculture Biotechnology in Africa (OFAB), has urged the federal government to take advantage of the frontiers attained in biotechnology to address unemployment.

Gidado, who is the coordinator of the Nigerian chapter of OFAB, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday.

NAN reports that Burkina Faso and Brazil are already reaping the benefit of embracing biotechnology.

Burkina Faso makes 1.2 billion dollars yearly and Brazil two billion dollars yearly

from biotechnology.

According to her, biotechnology could provide 25, 000 job opportunities yearly in Nigeria if properly handled.

She said that Nigerian farmers and the country stood to gain from the adoption of biotechnology.

She said that biotechnology had great potential in promoting the production of high quality seeds for farmers for better yields.

“It is obvious that there is going to be direct and indirect employment and production of high quality materials for industries regarding the emergence of National Biotechnology Management Agency (NBDA) in the country,

“ she said.

The agency’s mandate is to ensure adequate level of protection in the field of safe transfer, handling and use of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) resulting from modern biotechnology that may have adverse effects on conservation.

It also ensures sustainable use of biodiversity, taking into account risks to human health, animals, plants

and environment.

She said that modern biotechnology as a term adopted by international convention to refer to biotechnological techniques for the manipulation of genetic material and the fusion of cells beyond normal breeding barriers.

She explained that the nation would earn more foreign income from exporting modern biotechnology products to interna-

tional communities.

She said that such would help to advance the national economy and open new frontiers.

Gigado said that the benefits of biotechnology would be evenly spread among biotech companies, farmers and consumers.

“GM technology makes quality seeds available to farmers, creates opportunities; increases crop yields; reduces losses to in-

sects, pests and diseases; post-harvest storage problems and enhances the nutritional value of some crops. ``It increases resistance to biotic stress such as drought and high soil salinity, resulting in increased crop production,’’ she said.

She added that that biotech would benefit Nigeria as it would ensure that more foods were grown with less money and labour.

NDLEA seeks collaboration in fight against drug trafficking

T

he acting chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mrs. Roli George, has called for collaboration among stakeholders in the fight against drug trafficking in the country.

George made the call in Kano on Tuesday while inspecting the seizures made by the agency in the area.

She said that the agency would continue to partner with other security agencies to ensure success in the fight against drug abuse and trafficking.

“All security agencies should work together in order to achieve the desired results,” she said.

George restated the commitment of the agency to fight drug barons in order to check the menace.

She commended the Kano State Government for establishing a joint task force on fake, expired and counterfeit drugs and other support given to the

agency.

Earlier, the agency’s Commander in the state, Mr. Hamza Umar, said that from January to date, the command arrested 676 suspected drug traffickers.

Umar said that the command confiscated a total of 12,365.8 kilogrammes of hard drugs from the suspects in the period under review.

Similarly, he said the agency secured 143 convictions in the Federal High Court, Kano while 214 cases were still pending.

In his remarks, the state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr Kabir Getso, said a task force that raided illegal warehouses had resulted led to the seizure of fake, expired and counterfeit drugs worth N4 billion from 2012 to date.

“Within the 100 days of this administration, the state government destroyed fake and expired drugs worth more than N80 million,” he said.

Workers resuming duty after the Maulud Nabiyyi, Christmas and Boxing Day holidays, at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

Normal activities resume at Lagos secretariat as workers return

N

ormal activities on Tuesday resumed at the Lagos State Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja, as workers of the different ministries and agencies returned to work after the Eid-elMaulud and Christmas holidays.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the federal government had on December 22 declared December 24, 25 and 28 public holidays to mark Maulud Nabiy, Christmas Day and Boxing Day respectively.

NAN reports that many workers were on Tuesday seen at their duty posts at about 10a.m., carrying out

different tasks, though the secretariat was still devoid of the usual crowd of people who throng the place.

At the Ministry of Rural Development, some workers were seen treating files, while others attended to visitors.

At the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) unit, officials were busy attending to people who came to sort out issues relating to fines and vehicle documentation.

The situation was not different at the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Minis-

try of Justice, Ministry of Information and Strategy and the Ministry of Housing as workers were seen in their offices.

An employee of the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, who simply gave his name as Monsuru, told NAN that work had commenced in earnest in his office but attendance had yet to be full. ‘’Work has started in my ministry. Things are going on fine. Most workers have reported for work, but some are still being expected. ‘’You know it is the first day at work after Christmas; so, it is not everybody who is here

now; by tomorrow, we expect full attendance, ‘’ he said.

An employee of the Ministry of Health who sought anonymity told NAN that the holiday provided his family an opportunity to relax. ``It was nice; I visited places with other members of my family. I am re-energised; the morale for work is high after the Christmas holiday,’’ she said.

A worker in the Public Service Office, who also pleaded anonymity, said although work had resumed, there was not much to do since it was the first day at work after holiday.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Civil Service 39

Tasks ahead of Water Resources minister

evant stakeholders in the water-related sectors should come together and establish a framework of co-operation for the exchange of data and information on water resource management, to ensure better planning and more efficient service delivery.

Also, it was expedient for the National Assembly to legislate on the National Water Resource Bill currently in draft form to empower the ministry carry out its statutory functions with ease.

The federal government’s intentions to partner with neighbouring countries to find solutions to the various incidences of flooding, drought and

Regina Otokpa, ABUJA

W

ater, as a resource is a vastly untapped phenomenon, it is so ubiquitous and indispensable, occupying a whopping 80% of the earth’s surface.

Besides it’s crucial role in irrigation and electricity generation, water also provides a veritable means for the exploration and exploitation of other natural resources such as oil and gas which form a substantial part of the revenue of some countries, Nigeria inclusive.

Given the importance of water to national development the federal government, through the Ministry of Water Resources, has undertaken the charge to set forth a road map to actualise its vision and mandate in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s agenda, even as it aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Goals Development (SDGs) initiative, specifically, goals number 2 and 6 which are directly related to water and food security.

Over the years, the merging and de-merging of the ministry by previous administrations, have affected the smooth functioning of this allimportant sector in the areas of policy formulation and implementation.

With a minister who has an admirable pedigree as an engineer with enormous working experience in the water-related sector, positive changes are expected in the sector, to set the ball rolling towards socio-economic development.

At the recently concluded retreat convened by the Ministry in Abuja, the Minister, Engr. Suleiman Adamu , declared that the retreat was “aimed at strengthening weaknesses in the delivery of the ministry’s mandate and to develop a road map that will enable sustainable positive impact in the water sector within a short period.”

The three-day retreat which was held in Abuja, was to address, amongst other issues, the repositioning of the Ministry of Water Resources in line with the vision and mission of the new government, charting a “Roadmap” for continuous management, development and enhancement of strategies for efficient water supply, availability and utilisation of water resources.

Heads of Agencies, Chief Executives of Parastatals brainstormed on diverse issues ranging from making the Water Resources sector a platform for extensive and all year round agriculture practice for food security, employment, economic restructuring, and diversification from oil to non-oil revenue, hydropower generation, water supply and sanitation improvement.

According to the minister, statistical findings indicate that while previous administrations had strived to raise the water supply accessibility from 58% to 69%, the remaining 31% translating to 52.7 million Nigerians are still being subjected to hazards posed by lack of potable water.

He said: “Significantly, the trend reveals that Nigeria has failed to reach the MDGs target of 75% for improved water supply coverage by 2015.”

Since being saddled with the new SDG framework benchmark of 100% access to water sup-

Minister of Water Resources, Engr. Suleiman Adamu

ply by 2030, it has become increasingly necessary to create a road map that would ensure a progressive improvement in water availability throughout this administration and beyond.

In this vein, the federal government has reiterated its commitment towards pursuing the long proposed Inter-Basin Water transfer project to replenish the Lake Chad from the Congo Basin, which would mitigate adverse environmental issues in communities living around the region.

It was maintained that restoring Lake Chad would not only improve the lives of over 40 million Africans, who directly depend on its water source, but that it would also forestall the desertification southwards of the Sahara.

This explains why President Muhammadu Buhari during the recently concluded Paris UN Climate Change Conference, made a clarion call to save the Lake Chad from going into extinction due to its current rate of recession.

While revealing the enormous potentials of the water sector at the retreat, the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Rabi Jimeta, observed that the myriad of challenges bedeviling the sector had hindered effective service delivery.

To this end, it was recommended that rel-

While revealing the enormous potentials of the

water sector at the retreat, the

Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Rabi Jimeta,

observed that the myriad of challenges bedeviling the sector had hindered

effective service delivery.

dam breakdowns, could be a viable opportunity for the Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative of government to thrive.

Home-grown industries and other indigenous innovations should be encouraged and supported to engender citizens’ empowerment, participation and growth of water-based Small and Medium scale Enterprises (SMEs).

Since the world has become increasingly globalised in this 21st Century, there have also been various challenges worldwide which Nigeria can learn from and leverage upon to find solutions to existing problems as well as prevent upcoming ones.

The recent floods in Chennai, droughts in Kenya and earthquakes in Nepal are examples of water-related catastrophes. Even the recession of the Lake Chad and Cameroun’s Lagdo dam breakdown directly impacts Nigerian territories.

The enormous potentials in proper water resources management can never be over-emphasized. Water is life and its ubiquity can be found in various areas of private, national and universal life. Power, Health, Agriculture, Transportation and other sectors owe their functionality to the availability and proper harnessing of water resources.

There is no doubt that the communique issued at the end of the retreat, would form part of the working tool to strengthen areas of weaknesses identified, as well as plug loopholes and other leakages which have hitherto constituted challenges in the water sector.

This would in turn enable the present administration’s drive for positive change to progress even more steadily in the right direction. Nigerians, especially the grassroots populace, so often the worst hit by the vagaries of water crises, will heave a sigh of relief as they start to enjoy the change they have always desired.

National Mirror National Mirror Wednesday, 30, 2015 47 Tuesday, February December 4, 2014 www.nationalmirroronline.net www.nationalmirroronline.net

40

Community Mirror Any agitation or movement for secession is not what Ebonyi State or the South-East zone is prepared to support because it is not a modern agenda for Nigeria and the South-East.

–GOVERNOR OF EBONYI, DAVID UMAHI

Dare Akogun

A

Robbery suspect and ex– convict, Wasami Dennis, 32, has made a confessional statement to the operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), that it was easier for him to operate in Ghana than Nigeria because Ghanians are not security conscious unlike Nigerians.

He made this confession when the Police arrested -him over the weekend in his hideout in Agbole Orile in Lagos.

The trans-border robbery suspect, who hails from Abraka town, Delta State, was released almost a year ago from Kirikiri prison after he was convicted for a break – in and run robbery incidence in Festac, Lagos, Nigeria.

He noted that he operated more in Ghana than Nigeria, stressing that Ghanians never challenged him in any of his operations .

In his statement, he said “I was an expert at break – in- robbery, I operated in Ghana, along west Africa Coast I breaking into people’s houses and making away with their properties and personal effects like mobile phones, laptops, jewelry and other personal effects.I used to bring the stolen items to Nigeria to sell.

I have a ready market for them in Lome and Lagos” .

Wasami pointed out that he has repented from his old ways emphasizing that he has turned new leaf shortly after he was released from the Kirikiri prison almost a year ago.

He maintained that his four

It’s easier to operate in Ghana G than Nigeria –Robbery suspect

TLCCRM holds crusade

L-R: Newly installed Agba Akin of Ayede Ekiti, Chief Kamorudeen Olaseni; Lamina Iyaloja of Ayede Ekiti, Mrs. Esther Aromadun; Attah of Ayede, H.R.M. Oba Mumini Adebayo Orisagbemi, Arojojoye Abolokefa IV and Yeye Agba Akin Chief Mrs. Sandra Lamina at the palace of the Attah of Ayede, Ekiti.

PHOTO: DARE AKOGUN

months imprisonment in Kirikiri opened his eyes to so many things.

“Those two machetes found inside my apartment in Agbole Orile belonged to Area Boys operating in a garage near by.

They kept them there for whenever there is crisis among them.

These boys are called Spartacus.

They are trouble makers. They are always at the junction. I don’t know anything about it and I never knew they were there.

“I decided to go into house breaking and stealing to survive, and I was into this for about six years. I have operated in more than five houses in Lagos here.

All the houses are in Festac area because I know much about the area very well.

“Amongst those I sold the items to one were Qudus, I.K, Hapier, Stanley and Kelvin”, he said.

PayWithCapture launches discount promo

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igeria’s leading innovative contactless payment solution, PayWithCapture launched its 12 days of Christmas’ discount promotion to reward its consumers this festive season.

The exciting promotion which ends on Friday, January 1, 2016, will give PayWithCapture con-

Group commends Ambode on grassroots development Abolaji Adebayo

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political group A+ Vanguard Mushin, under the chairmanship of Akeem Ogun, and woman leader Alhaja Basirat Alase has commended the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode and the Director of Account, Ministry of Agriculture, Chief Oyeyemi Ayoola for their continual support for grassroots.

The association commended the government during its annual distribution of food and clothing materials to the less privileged in Mushin area of Lagos state during the weekend.

The woman leader of A+ Vanguard Mushin chapter specifically commended the Director of Accounts in the ministry of agriculture for alleviation of poverty among traders and artisans

through various poverty alleviation schemes of the ministry.

In his remark, the Chairman of the association, Akeem Ogun pledged continue support for the state government in its bid to develop informal sector of the state economy.

He explained that one of the ways by which the association contributed to the socio-economic development of the state was the distribution of materials to the less privileged ones in the society.

Ogun added that the association is also set to support the small business owners in terms of training and capacity building.

He declared that the intervention of the state government has gone a long way in developing the grassroots socially and economically.

He therefore appealed to the

“If I have a large quantities of items I want to dispose. Qudus was always the right man for me to call. He would come to me, collect the items, sell them and return the money”, he narrated.

government to intensify its efforts geared towards the grassroots development.

He also urged the government make the issue of youths empowerment a priority in order to reduce the level of unemployment among the youths in the state.

sumers up to 50% off a variety of items ranging from airtime, movie tickets, food, creameries and transport fare, ensuring that they enjoy the best of the festive period.

The stores and merchants included in PayWithCapture’s ‘12 days of Christmas’ major discount are Domino’s Pizza, Cold Stone Creamery, Genesis Deluxe Cinema, Filmhouse Cinemas, Silverbird Cinemas, Ozone Cinemas, Sweet Kiwi Frozen Yoghurt, SPAR, Debra’s Grace, Easy Taxi, Bungalow’s Restaurant, Spice Restaurant, Traclist, PayPorte, Mall for Africa, Terra Kulture, LG, Edmark, SLOT, MedPlus, Addidde, Rhapsody’s Ikeja, and Bazaar Farm&Stores.

eneral Overseer of The Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministry, Pastor Lazarus Muoka has assured Nigerians of spiritual rebirth and surmounting of challenges confronting the country as they usher in a new year.

Muoka gave this assurance at a press briefing to announce the ministry’s annual 3-day Holy Ghost inspired international programme, which will hold from January 2-4, 2016 at Chosen International Secondary School, Oguta Rd, Mgbidi, Imo State, tagged “What God has determined shall be done.”

According to the GO, the interdenominational programme is designed to produce spiritual rebirth that will usher participants from all over the world into the New Year.

He said: “This year’s programme which is the 10th edition of the crusade is designed to produce additional spiritual backbone that will help participants and all citizens of Nigeria overcome the challenges of 2016.

“The theme, ‘what God has determined shall be done’ is expected to produce solution to the myriad of national problems.

It is no longer in doubt that the world is going through perilous times and this has given rise to despondency in the mind of the citizenry.”

He noted that the life of citizen and the nation is troubled at this time, adding that people are losing their jobs; stocks are crashing, natural disasters and other uncertainties keep occurring everywhere.

Muoka revealed that free transport arrangement has been made by the ministry to convey participants to the venue from any location within Anambra and Imo States. He added that provision has also been made for a digitalized security measure that will address any breach of order.

Otunba Lamina urges Nigerians to be mindful of their utterances Dare Akogun

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agos socialite, philanthropist and CEO of Omolamina Global Venture, Chief Kamorudeen Olaseni Lamina, has called Christians and Muslims in the country to use the occasion of the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, Eid–El-Moulud and the ushering in of the year 2016 to be mindful of their utterances and support the governments in the country to take Nigeria to greater height by praying and be law abiding.

Chief Lamina made the call at his coronation ceremony as the Agba Akin of Ayede Ekiti and his wife Chief Mrs. Sandra Lamina as the Yeye Agba Akin at the palace of the Attah of Ayede – Ekiti, H.R.M. Oba Mumini Adebayo Orisagbemi, Arojojoye Abolokefa IV on Saturday December 26, 2015.

He said that Nigerians must be mindful of utterances by always prophesying positively with their God gifted tongues and to also harness their creative energies towards the development of the country by aligning with our lead-

ers and the government both at federal and state levels for a better Nigeria.

He added that with the fear of God, mutual respect, collective efforts and love, the nation will enjoy the riches and goodness that Nigeria is blessed with.

The great philanthropist also appealed to the present government at all levels to do their best at providing necessary resources and facilities needed to help the development of the country so as to achieve the vision of a better Nigeria.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

CHANGE OF NAME

OSADEME:I, formerly known and addressed as OSADEME GLADYS IWEGBU CHIBUZOR, now wish to be known and addressed IWEGBU GLADYS CHIBUZOR. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

TIAMIYA:I, formerly known and addressed as TIAMIYA ABEEY, now wish to be known and addressed OJO TUNDE ABIODUN. All former documents remain valid.

GTB and general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

EZEANA: I, formerly known and addressed as EZEANA UCHE AUSTIN, now wish to be known, called and addressed as EZEANA IFEANYI AUSTIN. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

ALARAPE: I, formerly known and addressed as ALARAPE FATAI ABOLAJI, now wish to be known, called and addressed as AKINDELE FATAI ABOLAJI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly known and addressed as JONATHAN JOLAADE, now wish to be known and addressed as ILUYEMI JOLAADE. All former documents remain valid. General public, Skye Bank should please take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME This is to certify that Olanrewaju Sade and Adekunle Sade Arike refers to one and same person, but now which to be known and addressed as Olanrewaju Sade all former documents remain valid and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS OYENIYI BIDEMI AYISAT BOLAJI AND ALABA BIDEMI OYENIYI, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS BOLAJI BIDEMI OYENIYI. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. THE GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD TAKE NOTE.

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly known and addressed as Mustapha Nurudeen Kayode now wish to be known and addressed as Mustapha kayode Seun former documents remain valid general public take note CHANGE OF NAME OLADELE: Formerly known and addressed as MISS OLADELE AISHAT OLADUNNI now wish to be known and addressed as MRS USMAN AISHAT OLADUNNI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly known and addressed as ANIEBIET ANIEIIE OKON, now wish to be known and addressed as NSIKA ANIEFIOK OKON. All former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME This is to confirm that I, Akintola Oluwatosin is the same person known and addressed as Sunday Salawu. All documents bearing those names are mine and remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as PATRICK IROGHAMA PATRICIA. Now wish to be known and addressed as BAZUAYE ITOHAN. All former documents remain valid. First Bank Plc., Emure Ekiti and general public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, OJO FUNKE FAITH is the same person as AKINYEMI FUNKE RACHEAL. Now wish to be called and addressed as OJO FUNKE FAITH. All former documents remain valid. WEMA BANK Plc., ISE EKITI and general public take note.

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Wednesday, December 30, 2015

CHANGE OF NAME EMMANUEL: Formerly known and addressed as EJIKE CHUKWUEMEKA EMMANUEL now wish to be known and addressed as EJIKE CHUKWUEBUKA. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

MKPUME:I, formerly known and addressed as MKPUME NKIRUKA JOY, now wish to be known and addressed MKPUME DESTINY NKIRUKA. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

OKON:I, formerly known and addressed as OKON PHILIP, now wish to be known and addressed OKONKWO PHILIP. All former documents remain valid. Eco Bank and Diamond Bank and general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

EJE: I, formerly known and addressed as ABIGEAL EJI, now wish to be known, called and addressed as ABIGEAL EJE. All former documents remain valid.

General public and Authorities Concerned should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as Balogun Bola now wish to be known, called and addressed as Oyewole Deborah Abeke.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

This is to confirm and certify that Oluwafemi Babatunde Martins and Oluwanifemi Babatunde Martins is one and the same person and now wish to be known as Oluwanifemi Babatunde Martins. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Emenogu Ifeoma Vivian is same person as silvernus Blessing now which to be known and addressed as Emenogu Ifeoma Vivian. All former documents remain valid and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I FORMERLY KNOWN and addressed as BASHIRU ABASS KOLAWOLE NOW wish to be known and addressed as BASHIRU HASSAN KOLAWOLE ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID GT BANK, FIRST BANK AND GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE

CHANGE OF NAME

ADETUTU: Formerly known and addressed as MRS ADETUTU ADESHOLA MOTUNRAYO DEHINBO YEKINNI ONIFADE now wish to be known and addressed as MISS TITILAYO ESTHER EMMANUEL. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

AATREN seeks public holiday for tradition worshipers Abolaji Adebayo

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resident of Association of African Traditional Religion of Nigeria and Overseas, AATREN, who is also a whitecaps chief, Opemolua of Ikateland in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of

CHANGE OF NAME

CHUKWUEMEKA:‎ Formerly known and addressed as EJIKE CHUKWUEMEKA EMMANUEL now wish to be known and addressed as EJIKE CHUKWUEBUKA EMMANUEL. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME MUHAMMED: I, formerly known and addressed as SULEIMAN MUHAMMED, now wish to be known, called and addressed as ALEXOSAHO BIGMAN ALEX. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

WADO: I, formerly known as WADO FRIDAY now wish to be known and addressed as NNANDO ELOFU. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

ADEJARE: I, formerly known and addressed as ADEJARE OYETUNDE AFOLABI, and ADEJARE OYETUNDE OLOWU, now wish to be known, called and addressed as ADEJARE OYETUNDE AKANBI. All former documents remain valid. General public and Authorities Concerned should please take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, ILORI IDAYAT OLASUNKANMI confirmed that I am the same person bearing the underlisted names, ILORI IDAYAT OLASUNKANMI and ILORI IDAYAT OMOLABAKE. That all documents bearing the two names are mine and remain valid. But now wish to use ILORI IDAYAT OLASUNKANMI in my bank account. General public and Authorities Concerned should take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, GAPANI CHIROMA hereby attested that my name and date of birth were wrongly written as DAVID .G. MOSES with date of birth as 23rd day of March, 1993 on some of my documents instead of GAPANI CHIROMA with date of birth as 12th day of January, 1995. That my correct name and date of birth is GAPANI CHIROMA and 12th day of January, 1995. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

ALUGBIN: I, formerly known and addressed as ALUGBIN ESTHER OLUWASEUN, now wish to be known, called and addressed as FANIOMI ESTHER OLUWASEUN. All former documents remain valid. General public and Authorities Concerned should please take note.

AGUNBIADE: I, formerly known and addressed a AGUNBIADE OLUBUKANLA GRACE, now wish to be known, called and addressed as FADIPE OLUBUKANLA GRACE. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

LAWAL: I, formerly known and addressed as LAWAL BABATUNDE KAZEEM, now wish to be known, called and addressed as LAWAL OLALEKAN TAORID. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

This is to confirm that I, ADAGHA KENNEDY is the same person known, called and addressed as ADAGHA KENNEDY ONOLUNOSEN. All documents bearing both names are mine and hence remain valid.

General public and Authorities Concerned should please take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as miss Adebayo Kikelomo Aminat now which to be known and addressed as Mrs Sofowora Kikelomo Aminat Adebayo all former documents remain valid and general public take note.

NWOSU CHINAZITE MALACHI is one and same person known and addressed as CHRISTOPHER NWOSU. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as Bakare Hakeem now which to be known and addressed as Mrs. Abubakare Abdulakeem Dejiya all former documents remain valid and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as yusuf Babatunde now which to be known and addressed as yusuf Abdulwasiu Kola. All former documents remain valid and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly known as OYE RUKAYAT now wish to be known and addressed as FARUKU RUKAYAT. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as Agbenemu Syliva A, now which to be known and addressed as Kazeem Abiola Salimot, all former documents remain valid and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME FUNMIKE : Formerly known and addressed as FUNMIKE SHOLA SAMUEL now wish to be known and addressed as OBAFUNMILAYO FUNMIKE VICTORIA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note

CHANGE OF NAME ONYEKACHI : Formerly known and addressed as ONYEKACHI O. GINUS now wish to be known and addressed as ONUOHA ROBERT CHIJIOKE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly known and addressed as Veronica Ibo Inyangbe now wish to. Be known and addressed as Linus Veronica Inyangbe former documents remain valid general public note

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly known and addressed as Ladejobi Shefiu Babatunde now wish to be known and addressed as Ladejobi Shefiu Oladimeji former documents remain valid general public note

ANTHONY : Formerly known and addressed as ANTHONY IKECHUKWU now wish to be known and addressed as ANTHONY NWAFOR NAGBASEI .

All former documents remain valid.

General public take note

CHANGE OF NAME ZION: Formerly known and addressed as IKE ZION GIMA ITESSI now wish to be known and addressed as IKEGUIMA ITESSI . All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

BALOGUN : This is to confirm that BALOGUN ORELOPE TAJUDEEN and BALOGUN ORELOPE refer to one and same person, henceforth wish to be known and addressed as BALOGUN ORELOPE TAJUDEEN . All documents reflecting any of the Stated names remain valid. Banks and the general public take note

CHANGE OF NAME CHIBUZO: .Formerly known and addressed as MR. CHIBUZO SABISCO OZOREZI now wish to be known and addressed as MR. OLUA CHIBUZO .V. . All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME AKPEZI ; Formerly known and addressed as AKPEZI LAWRENCE now wish to be known and addressed as ALIMASUNYA LAWRENCE. . All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

Formerly known and addressed as Miss Elohor Joy Matthew now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. ELOHOR JOY OTHIHIWA. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I FORMERLY KNOWN and addressed as BASHIRU ABASS KOLAWOLE NOW wish to be known and addressed as BASHIRU HASSAN KOLAWOLE ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID GT BANK, FIRST BANK AND GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME MAMMUD : Formerly known and addressed as MAMMUD SARKI IBRAHIM TSAMIYA now wish to be known and addressed as MAHMUD IBRAHIM. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CORRECTION OF NAME /DATE OF BIRTH

I formerly known and addressed as miss Mmadukasi Philomina Oyibo, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Mmadukasi Philomina Iwuji. All former documents still remain valid .

General public should please take note

CHANGE OF NAME

OLUTUKASI: Formerly known and addressed as FATUKASI OLUROPO OLUSEGUN now wish to be known and addressed as OLUTUKASI OLUROPO OLUSEGUN. All former documents remain valid . Access Bank and the general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

ADAMU: Formerly known and addressed as ADAMU MUSA MUHAMMAD now wish to be known and addressed as ADAM MUSA MUHAMMAD. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

religion practitioner in the spirit of love, equity and fairness.

Elegusi, who commended the Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, for having declared August 20 as public holidays for traditionalist, appealed to the federal House of Representatives and Senate to pass into law that August 20 as a public holiday to enable the traditionists, who work in government parastatals and private establishment, have a day to celebrate their own festival as well as fellowship and merry among one another.

I formerly known and addressed as IFABIYI FOLAKE BUKOLA, now wish to be known and addressed as FABIYI FOLAKE BUKOLA. All former documents remain valid.

FCMB and the general public should please take note.

OYEWALE: Formerly known and addressed as OYEWALE COMFORT OYEKEMI now wish to be known and addressed as MRS ELEODIMUO COMFORT OYEKEMI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as Hannah Bukola Tejuoso, now wish to be known and addressed as Hannah Bukola Adebamowo.

All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

another and promote peace in the society as taught by the religions.

He said all religions were important and as such should be accorded the same recognition.

He therefore called on President Muhammad Buhari to declare August 20 as public holiday for traditional

JOSEPH: Formerly known and addressed as MRS LOLADE AYOTUNDE JOSEPH now wish to be known and addressed as MISS LOLADE AYOTUNDE. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

BALOGUN: Formerly known and addressed as MISS BALOGUN ZEYNAB OLUWADAMILOLA now wish to be known and addressed as MRS AKOLADE ZEYNAB OLUWADAMILOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as MARY ONYEMAECHI AKUJOR, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs.GOLD OLUOMACHUKWUM ENYINNAYA AKUJOR. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

Lagos State, High Chief Ifasegun Elegusi, has felicitated with Muslim and Christians on the just concluded annual religious festivals - Maolud Nabbiy and Christmas.

He said the festivals signified the importance of unity among the worshipers of various religions, urging them to be more tolerant of one

CONFIRMATION OF NAME This is to confirm that I, GARBADDEN OLAJUMOKE OMOLOLA is one and same person known, called and addressed as as ODEKU OLAJUMOKE OMOLOLA as appeared in my documents. That all documents bearing the two names are mine and rendered valid. General public and authorities concerned should please take note. i now wish to be known and addressed as GARBADDEN OLAJUMOKE OMOLOLA.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly known, called and addressed as AYO OJEABWO, now wish to be known, called and addressed as PHILIP AYO UAGBAOJE. All former documents remain valid. Authorities concerned and general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I FORMERLY KNOWN and addressed as MISS ADEYEMO ADEOLA NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESS AS MRS AJAGBE KUDIRAT MOTUNRAYO ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME This is to confirm that I, EMMANUEL JACOB and IYEKEKPOLO JOHN ONORIODE refer to one and the same person. All former documents bearing the above names remain valid. General public please take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME SAMSON: I formerly known and addressed as SAMSON MICHAEL, now wish to be known and addressed as OLUGA MICHAEL. All former documents remain valid.

Authorities concerned and General public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

EMMANUEL: I formerly known, called and addressed as EMMANUEL DISHONUM, now wish to be known, called and addressed as TARE DISEMOH. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

CORRECTION OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as AFOLABI MIKE SUNDAY. Now wish to be known and addressed as FAKUNLE MICHEAL SUNDAY. All former documents remain valid.

Wema Bank Plc., First Bank Plc. and general public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME OGEJUMA: This is to confirm that OGEJUMA PATRICK SOLOMON and OGEJUMA PATRICK USMAN refer to one and same person, henceforth wish to be known and addressed as OGEJUMA PATRICK. All documents reflecting any of the Stated names remain valid. First Bank, Eco Bank and the general public take note

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

ADEWALE: This is to confirm that ADEWALE ADELOLA and IDOWU FOLAKE ADELOLA refer to one and same person, henceforth wish to be known and addressed as IDOWU FOLAKE ADELOLA.. All documents reflecting any of the Stated names remain valid. Banks and the general public take note

CONFIRMATION OF NAME DADA: : This is to confirm that DADA DAMILARE DEMOLA and DADA DEMOLA refer to one and same person,. . All documents reflecting any of the Stated names remain valid. Banks and the general public take note

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Wednesday, December 30, 2015

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as GRACE UBURU. Now wish to be known and addressed as GRACE UKANDU. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

CORRECTION OF NAME I, formerly known and addressed as ISOGHE SIMEON OJE, now wish to be known and addressed as JOSEPH SIMEON OJE. All former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly Miss Olorunfemi Ramota Adunni Now Mrs Kusimo Ramota Adunni all former documents remain valid Ogun Subeb, Abeokuta-South LGEA and General public note

I, formerly known and addressed as Chioma Oliveth Kengood now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Egbueri Chioma Oliveth.

All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly Miss Ogunjobi Oluwafunbi Abiodun now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Banjo Oluwafunbi Abiodun all former documents remain valid NYSC and General public note

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly Akpakpa Ocholi Ademu now wish to be known and addressed as Ocholi Egwu,former documents remain valid general public note CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly miss Odumuyiwa Abosede Oluwakemi now wish to be known and addressed as mrs Animashaun Oluwakemi Ajoke All former documents remain valid General public note

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly miss Fadebi Funmilayo Ajoke now wish to be known and addressed as mrs Toriola Ifeoluwa Modupeola.

All former documents remain valid General public note

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I FORMERLY KNOWN AS MISS IDRIS HAWAH OLANIKE NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MRS. ABDULKAREEM IDRIS HAWAH. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. LAUTECH TEACHING HOSPITAL OGBOMOSO, NURSING & MIDWIFERY COUNCIL OF NIGERIA & GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

Formerly known and addressed as Agubuisi Oluchukwu now wish to be known and addressed as Eliaku Oluchukwu. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

That I, EESUOLA ODUNAYO ADEDAMOLA is the same person bearing EESUOLA ODUNAYO ADEBAYO. All former documents remain valid. FIRST BANK, GT BANK and General public take note.

I formerly Ibraheem Muyibi Ishola now wish to be known and addressed as Muyibi Ishola Adefowope, former documents remain valid general public note

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly Okegwe Ugochukwu Daniel now wish to be known and addressed as Chinoso Ugochukwu Daniel,former documents remain valid general public note

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME Ojetola Sesan Adigun is the same person as Ojetola Sesan Mutiu now mr Ojetola Mutiu Sesan all former documents remain valid First Bank Plc, General public note

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly Omisakin Temilade now wish to be known and addressed as Akande Temilade, former documents remain valid,Union Bank Plc and general public note

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as MISS AYINDE AISHAT AJOKE.Now wish to be known and addressed as MRS SAKA AISHAT AJOKE.All former documents remain valid.General public should please take note.

This is to certified that Abiola Toyin Hellen is the same one person as Akande Toyin Hellen, that henceforth wish to be known and called as Akande Toyin Hellen. All former documents remain valid, general public should please take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

This is to confirm that am the same person bearing Rasheedat Adenike Okedara and Raheem Rasheedat Adenike. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as SUNDAY OJO ZION.Now wish to be known and addressed as SUNDAY OJO ISRAEL.All former documents remain valid.General public should please take note.

Formerly known and addressed as MISS OJO OLUWASEUN FAITH. Now wish to be known and addressed as MRS OLADIPUPO OLUWASEUN FAITHIA.All former documents remain valid.UBA and the general public should please take note

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as Miss Adeyemi Adekunbi Deborah now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Fatoye Adekunbi Deborah. All former documents remain valid. Diamond Bank and General public take note

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly Known and addressed as Miss Ogunnaike Adeola Esther now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Majekodunmi Adeola Esther. All former documents remain valid. General public take note CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as RUFAI TAIWO ADIATU, now wish to be known and addressed as ATUNISHE TAIWO ADIATU. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as Miss Oladipupo Abosede Olabisi now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Muraina Abosede Olabisi. All former documents remain valid. General public take note

Formerly known and addressed as MURTALA ADEDEJI ADELEKE, now wish to be known and addressed as ADELEKE MURTALA ADEDEJI. All former documents remain valid; Nigerian Banking sector, general public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as ENEOJOH OGECHI LINDA, now wish to be known and addressed as OKEREKE OGECHI LINDA. All former documents remain valid.

UBA, FCMB and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and called as Miss Adebayo Mariam Adebukola now wish to be addressed and called as Mrs Ayowumi Mariam Adebukola. All former documents remain valid, general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME AJIMATI: I formerly MISS. AJIMATI DAMILOLA. Now wished to be known and addressed as MRS. TEMITOPE DAMILOLA. All former documents remain valid, the general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME OPEDARE: I formerly MISS OPEDARE OLUWAKEMI OMOLOLA. Now MRS. JOHNSON OLUWAKEMI OMOLOLA, all former documents remain valid. ECOBANK and the general public take note.

CORRECTION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME YERIMA: Formerly known and addressed as SHARIN YERIMA now wish to be known and addressed as SHARIN HELLANDENDU. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

I, OJO FUNKE FAITH is the same person as AKINYEMI FUNKE RACHEAL. Now wish to be called and addressed as OJO FUNKE FAITH. All former documents remain valid. WEMA BANK Plc., ISE EKITI and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as ATTA GILBERT OKO, now wish to be known and addressed as ATTA LAWRENCE AGI. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as Mary Agbo Odey, Now wish to be known and addressed as Sunday Alice Agbo. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

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‘This is to inform the general public that I, Akinsefunmi Oluwaseun is the next of kin to the late Mr Akinsefunmi Akinjisola Julius. First bank plc and general public take note.

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CONFIRMATION OF NAME

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Ekiti State Teaching Service Commission and general public should take note.

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Dankwambo presents N76.5bn 2016 budget proposal Williams Attah GOMBE

G

ombe State Governor, Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, has presented the state’s 2016 budget proposal of N76,546,912,032.94 billion to the Gombe State House of Assembly tagged “budget of consistency and transformation”.

Presenting the proposal yesterday at the chambers of state house of assembly, Dankwambo, said the budget is made up of N42,565,070,000,00 as recurrent expenditure while N34,443,759,658.47 is for capital expenditure.

He said the policy thrust of the budget would include consistency of efforts at providing the enabling environment for functional development, sustaining reforms in the education sector and promoting agriculture to boost economic growth.

Other policy thrust of the government in the 2016 financial year according to the governor would also include continued provision of physical infrastructure as catalyst for rural and urban transformation, providing sustainable livelihood for youths, women, the vulnerable, people living with disabilities and the poor rural people.

He said government would also pursue broadbased approaches to address environmental chal-

North

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

lenges, improve service delivery through human capital development and strengthening institutions, implementation of poverty reduction initiatives, projects and programmes as well as strengthening development cooperation and partnership that will attract investors into the state and strengthening peaceful coexistence and participating in regional cooperation and development.

He added that the estimated expenditure is to be financed from an expected recurrent revenue of N42,565,070,000.00 billion and capital receipts of N34,091,917,625.53 billion while it anticipates a budget deficit of N351,842,032,.92 million.

Dankwambo stated that the 2016 budget estimate is a realistic budget based on the expected earnings of the state government, stressing that the focus of the budget is essentially to complete ongoing projects. ‘’No new project will therefore be started during the year unless it is absolutely necessary”.

Accepting the proposal, the Speaker of the Gombe State House of Assembly, Abubakar Nasiru Mono, commended the focused leadership style of the governor, especially his concept of development. He therefore assured that the house will ensure that the appropriation sees the light of the day.

43

Taraba gunshot victims seek assistance Justin Tyopuusu JALINGO

V

ictims of recent gun attack in Bali Local Government area of Taraba State has called on the state government and public spirited individuals to come to their aid and assist them in settling their medical bills.

Miss. Sulum Tersoo, Terese Mtemaga, Mrs. Mercy Tersoo and her seven month old baby

were badly shot Tuesday last week by unknown gunmen in a night raid at Agbadorough village, near Bali town in Taraba State.

A relation of the victims Mr. Kwaghkor Tersoo, while conducting journalists round the wards of Santa Maria Catholic Hospital in Bali, said the family and community efforts were not enough to foot the bills of the injured victims and called for

help.

“We rushed them to this hospital after the attack and we have since been footing their medical bills. It’s unfortunate that we have run out of funds and the hospital need money to continue with the treatment.

As you may be aware, we just return to our villages after the attack on us last year and we don’t have anything.

We are just managing

to cope with the reality of life, so government and spirited individuals should help us and take over the bills and save the life of this innocent women and the child,” he appealed.

He lamented that a week after the attack, no arrest has been made by the police in connection with the attack, which according to him killed two and left the four in the hospital injured.

L-R: Emir of Dass, Alhaji Othman Biliyaminu; Galadiman Bauchi, Alhaji Ibrahim Jahun and former Deputy Governor of Bauchi State, Alhaji Garba Gadi, at the inauguration of Murtala Muhammed way-CBN roundabout-railway roads in Bauchi, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

Wada presents N74.9bn budget for 2016 ... as embattled Speaker begs members to sheath swords

Wale Ibrahim LOKOJA

K

ogi State Governor, Captain Idris Wada, has presented an appropriation bill of N74, 996, 241,381 billion for the 2016 fiscal year.

The budget was tagged “budget of consolidation”.

Wada while presenting the budget at the Kogi State House of Assembly in Lokoja yesterday, stated that the total budget outlay was N74,996,241,381 billion , adding that includes a recurrent expenditure of N45,337,756,341 billion representing 60 percent and capital expenditure of N29,658,485,040 billion representing 39.55 percent.

He pointed out that the 2015 budget was 88,617,070,857 billion higher than the 2016 budget.

The governor disclosed that the sectoral breakdown of the capital expenditure are road development, N7,617,166,535 billion (25.68 percent), health, N3,376,625,000 billion (11.39 percent), education, N2,365,500,000 billion (7.96 percent), law and justice, N2,245,750,000 billion (7.57 percent), water, N2,133,000,000 billion (7.57 percent) and agriculture, N1,189,500,000 billion (4.01 percent) He stressed further that the 2016 budget have a total estimated recurrent revenue of N49,474,000,000 consisting of N7,854,000,000 from internal generated sources, N33,700,000,000 as the state’s share from the federation account and N7,920,000,000 from Value Added Tax, VAT. Wada stated that SURE-

P, excess crude and budget augmentation were not captured in the 2016 fiscal year for reason of dwindling price of crude oil, said the fund available for recurrent expenditure in the budget stands at N49,474,000,000.

According to him, the estimated personnel cost for the period was N34,759,082,633billion, saying N10,578,673,708 billion represented over cost, giving a total recurrent expenditure for the 2016 as N45,337,756,341.

While reviewing the 2015 budget performance, the governor noted that out of the N65, 280, 529, 470 approved by the house of assembly as recurrent revenue for 2015, N40,332,487,906 was collected as at the end of September, 2015, representing 61.8 percent performance.

He added that a total sum of N45,779,963,3319 was approved for recurrent expenditure in 2015, saying a total of N36,450,623,898 was spent as at September of the same year representing 79.62 percent performance.

Meanwhile, the embattled Speaker of Kogi State House of Assembly, Momoh Jimoh Lawal, has assured that the house would leave no stone unturned in ensuring that they attended to the budget on time to ease its implementation.

He, however, admonished members of the assembly against rancour, saying bickering and heating the polity cannot move the state forward.

According to him:”Now is the time to unite and not the time to divide. The state is our collective patrimony, we must not allow our-

selves to be used by any external forces to jeopardise the peace and stability of our dear state” The embattled Speaker also appealed to members to sheath their swords and close ranks to move the state forward.

He described the members as elder statesmen and patriots who should not sacrifice the interest of the state on the altar of selfish interests.

“As elder statesmen and patriots, I wish to appeal that we sheath our swords and close ranks to move the state forward. As members of one house and one family, we cannot do without having misunderstanding among ourselves.

“What we must always guide against is a situation where we allow rancour and bitterness to linger on

and our differences unresolved.

“As trustees and representatives of the people, much is expected of us by the electorate. We cannot afford to sacrifice the interest of the state at the altar of personal and selfish interests.

“Rather than bickering here and there and heating the polity, we should rather unite and work together to ensure that the unity of the state is maintained,” he added.

Lawal explained that it was time to unite rather than divide describing the state as a collective patrimony as he urged members to guard against being used by external forces to jeopardise the peace and stability of the state.

44

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

World News

Germany cannot receive refugees from everywhere at the same time. We simply can’t cope that.

–GERMAN CHANCELLOR, ANGELA MERKEL Afolabi Gambari

WITH AGENCY REPORT

B

elgian authorities have arrested two people on suspicion of being involved in a plot to attack “emblematic sites” in Belgium’s capital during New Year’s celebrations, the Belgian Federal Prosecutor’s office said yesterday.

The plot appears to have been inspired, but not directed, by the ISIS terror group, a senior Belgian counterterrorism also said on condition of anonymity.

The prosecutor’s office said the arrests were not linked to November’s deadly Paris terror attacks, which authorities said involved a number of militants who had been living in Belgium.

The arrests were connected to an alleged plot that was to target several prominent sites in Brussels during the end of the year/ New Year’s celebrations, but no further details about the alleged plot were released.

The arrests came as investigators conducted several searches in the Brussels area, as well as the surrounding province of Flemish Brabant and the eastern

Belgium foils ISIS’ New Year attack plot

were not released. One of them was arrested on suspicion of playing a leading role in the threat of attacks, participating in the activities of a terrorist group as a leader and recruiting to commit terrorist offenses as

author or co-author,” a statement said, adding, “The other was being held on suspicion of playing a leading role in the threat of attacks and taking part in the activities of a terrorist group as an author or co-author.”

Ebola: Guinea gets WHO’s clean bill

T

he World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the end of the Ebola outbreak in Guinea, two years after the epidemic began there as Guineans are expected to celebrate the landmark with concerts and fireworks.

The disease killed more than 2, 500 people in the West African state, and a further 9, 000 in neighbouring Liberia and Sierra Leone.

But Liberia was declared Ebola-free by the WHO in September, and Sierra Leone in November, although Liberia has had new cases since the declaration.

A country is considered free of human-to-human transmission once two 21-day incubation periods have passed since the last known case tested negative for a second time.

“It’s the best year-end present that God could give to Guinea, and the best news that Guineans could hope for,” Ebola survivor, Alama Kambou Dore, said yesterday.

Local health workers however echoed a warning from the WHO that vigilance was still vital despite the mood of celebration.

“We have to be very careful, because even if open transmission has been stopped, the disease has not been totally defeated,” a Guinean health worker and Ebola survivor, Alpha Seny Souhmah, said.

Meanwhile, the WHO has congratulated the Guinean government and people for showing what the body called extraordinary leadership in fighting the epidemic.

“The coming months will be absolutely critical,” Dr. Bruce Aylward from the WHO’s Ebola response team warned.

“This is the period when the countries need to be sure that they are fully prepared to prevent, detect and respond to any new cases,” he added, stressing that WHO would maintain surveillance and outbreak response teams in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia throughout 2016.

T

Targeted US-led coalition air strikes have killed 10 Islamic State commanders in Iraq and Syria in the past month, a US military spokesman, Colonel Steve Warren, has said.

Some were linked to last month’s attacks in Paris and planning further attacks on the West.

Warren named one as Charaffe al-Mouadan, who he said had a direct link to Paris attack cell leader Abdelhamid Abaaoud.

“Another was a UK-educated Bangladeshi computer systems engineer,” he said.

The US-led coalition has been targeting IS in Iraq and Syria for over a year. Russia recently began its own air attacks against armed opponents of the Syrian government, including IS.

A suspected suicide attack at a government office in north-west Pakistan has killed at least 22 people, police said yesterday The bomb went off outside the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) office in the town of Mardan.

A faction of the Pakistani Taliban said it carried out the attack, which left more than 30 others wounded.

The attack is one of the deadliest since last December’s massacre of 150 pupils and teachers in Peshawar.

The bomber in Mardan reportedly arrived on a motorbike and blew himself up when stopped by a security guard outside the Nadra building which is usually crowded with people lining up to get ID cards.

Paris attacks: French dog, Diesel, to get award

Baby Noubia, Guinea’s last Ebola patient, was released from hospital in November

Erdogan criminalises autonomy plea urkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has condemned as treason a call by prominent Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtas for Kurdish autonomy.

“What the co-leader has done is treason, provocation,” Erdogan said yesterday, referring to Demirtas, who is co-leader of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP).

The HDP and other pro-Kurdish groups had at the weekend called for self-rule in Turkey’s mainly Kurdish south-east.

Mine collapse causes suicide

Pakistan bombing claims 22

Two Belgian soldiers standing guard at a street in Brussels, yesterday Belgian city of Liege, on Sunday and Monday, the prosecutor’s office also said after investigators seized computer equipment, military-type training outfits and ISIS propaganda material.

“The names of the suspects

WORLD BULLETIN

Turkish prosecutors have launched an investigation into those comments.

The Turkish military has stepped up operations against the rebel Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is fighting for Kurdish self-rule. The army said it had killed more than 200 PKK militants in the latest fighting.

The PKK is regarded as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US and EU. The HDP won 59 seats in Turkey’s 550-seat parliament in the

1 November elections. It came third, behind Mr Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Republican People’s Party (CHP).

After 30 years of fighting between Turkish security forces and PKK militants, there has been little progress on the Kurdish issue.

The PKK has been battling the Turkish military for three decades, in a separatist conflict that has killed more than 40, 000 people.

A French police dog named Diesel who was killed by terrorists in the aftermath of last month’s Paris attacks will be awarded the prestigious Dickin Medal for gallantry.

The People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA), a British veterinary charity, instituted the medal in 1943 to honor animals that fought for the British Empire during World War II. Considered the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross military decoration, the medal is widely seen as the highest animal honor in the world.

“The extreme circumstances in Paris and the way that Diesel led from the front when the French authorities were trying to uncover the terror cell following the attacks was a prime example of an animal who was put into harm’s way and in doing so paid the ultimate sacrifice,” a spokesperson for PDSA, Deryck Wilson, said yesterday.

Wednesday December 30, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

45

Sport

I feel Chelsea management has been too hasty to sack Jose Mourinho. But that is not to say Guus Hiddink can’t lift the club

Ikhana, Enyimba settle rift

47

–Chelsea legend, Frank Lampard

Salami may shun CHAN for Euro move

Wrestling league to kick-off March in Nigeria –Igali Joel Ajayi ABUJA

N Salami

W

arri Wolves striker, Gbolahan Salami, is likely to opt out of next month’s African Nation championship in order to sign for a club in Europe.

Salami is the only player missing from the Eagles training camp in Abuja with officials suggesting he is in the process of completing a transfer overseas.

“We have 25 players in camp now with Salami the only player yet to rejoin the camp. It’s likely he is working on a transfer abroad,” a team official said yesterday.

Salami was top scorer in the Nigeria Professional Football League this past season with 17 goals, but he has not hidden his desire to play in Europe.

NFF reconstitutes emergency committee T he Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has announced the constitution of its Emergency Committee, with other standing committees and judicial bodies to be reconstituted in due course.

As prescribed by the Statutes, NFF President Amaju Pinnick is the chairman of the Emergency Committee, with 1st Vice President, Barr. Seyi Akinwunmi as deputy.

According to a press release made available to National

Mirror, the membership of NFF Emergency Committee is drawn from across the geopolitical zones, with Chief Felix Anyansi-Agwu (Chairman of the Technical and Development Committee) representing the South-East; Alhaji Yusuf Ahmed Fresh (Chairman of the Referees Committee) representing the North-Central; Alhahi Babagana Kalli (Chairman of the Players’ Status Committee) representing the NorthEast and; Ibrahim Musa Gusau

(Chairman of Chairmen) representing the North-West.

NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, is the Secretary of the Emergency Committee.

It would be recalled that NFF President Amaju Pinnick announced the dissolution of the body’s 18 standing committees and two judicial bodies immediately after the 71st Annual General Assembly which took place in Abuja on December 16.

Pinnick

igerians will begin next year to witness nonstop Wrestling action as plans to kick-start all round wrestling league have been put in place.

The President of Nigeria Wrestling Federation, NWF Daniel Igali who disclosed this in a telephone chat with National Mirror, said that the proposed league would begin March/ April 2016.

He explained that the federation had in the past faced several challenges over the years in the quest to keep Nigeria Amateur and professional wrestlers busy.

According to him, “the problem we have is sponsorship. And the federation cannot replicate what India and other countries are doing without sponsors.”

Continuing, Agali said: “we have to get People and corporate organizations that are willing to partner with us. The government can’t do it alone. So we need to act fast to ensure this dream comes through.

“We all know that in organising league competitions a lot of things are involved. Sponsorship, price money and other things must be put in place.

“However, sometime in March or April, we will be able to start with U-13, U-15 and U-18 tournaments.

This is to enable us discover young talents that can take over from the elderly ones and do the country proud in future. We can do better if we have regular competitions.”

Igali however, commended the performance of Odunayo Adekuoroye for her outstanding display which saw her win the just concluded maiden India Pro-Wrestling league.

46

Sports

Wednesday December 30, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Russia ‘unlikely’ to return for Rio Olympics

R

Paralympic sports to shine in 2016

T

he Rio Paralympics are fast approaching and Britain’s leading elite disabled athletes are hoping the coming year can bring success.

The Games, which run from 7-18 September, will see about 4,350 athletes from more than 160 countries travel to Rio to compete in 526 medal events in 22 different sports.

Britain enjoyed a hugely successful London Paralympics in 2012, winning 120 medals, including 34 golds, to finish second on the medal table

behind China and Russia.

GB athletes have already secured more than 120 unnamed slots, across 15 sports, with a team of more than 200 expected to be named for the Games.

BBC Sport takes a look at some of the competitors who will be hoping to make an impact in their respective sports in 2016 on the biggest stage of all.

Despite being only 17, Moore has been playing wheelchair basketball for eight years and is now a key part of the GB women’s squad who will be playing at

Norwich agree £8m deal to sign Naismith from Everton

N

orwich City have agreed a deal in principle to sign Everton midfielder Steven Naismith for £8 million, according to reports.

The Canaries are following up on interest they registered in the summer.

Naismith was open to a move

Naismith

next year’s Rio Paralympics.

The Counden Court student has a hectic life, combining her first year of A Level study in Biology, Chemistry and PE with training alongside the rest of the GB players who are based at the University of Worcester.

In 2012 Moore, who is also a talented wheelchair racer, was part of the Paralympic Inspiration programme and after London made getting to Rio her goal - and she is well placed to achieve it.

The teenager, who was left paraplegic by a form of can-

away from Goodison Park in the last week of the summer transfer window but Roberto Martinez said that he was too important to leave.

A hat-trick in the 3-1 win over Chelsea in September suggested that Martinez was right and that Naismith would be a key player for the club this season. However, he’s made only five further Premier League appearances since then.

The move to Norwich could still be derailed by a rival club as there are a number of top flight rivals sniffing around the Scot.

Championship outfit Middlesbrough have also made their interest known.

Known for his knack of scoring and his hard tackling, he 29-year-old is often described as an underrated player.

cer when she was just three months old, enjoyed double medal success in 2015, first helping the GB Under-25 Women to the world title before securing bronze at the European Championships, losing by one point to eventual champions Germany in the semi-final before recovering to beat France for third place.

She also had the honour of being named in the tournament’s All Star team.

“Having so many others on the team around the same age as me has been really good,” she said.

Laura Massaro beat Nicol David in the fifth game at the US Open in October

L

aura Massaro will have more reason than most to enjoy the countdown to New Year on Thursday night as it will bring with it the last major prize in squash.

The 32-year-old from England, who won the British Open in 2013 and became world champion in 2014, will become world number one for the first time on 1 January.

“Having already won a British Open and a World Championship, it was probably the last box to tick, so for me it is abso-

ussia are unlikely to return to international competition in time for next year’s Rio Olympics, says European Athletics president Svein Arne Hansen.

Russia’s athletics federation was banned by the International Association of Athletics Federations for alleged involvement in widespread doping.

An IAAF inspection committee is due to visit Russia in January.

“For the moment they have to fulfill the conditions, but I cannot really see them competing in Rio,” Hansen said.

The committee is likely to report back to the IAAF Council at the earliest at its meeting in Cardiff, Wales, on 27 March, less than five months before the Olympics.

“They must have a cultural change,” Hansen told Athletics Weekly magazine.

“They must get rid of all those people from before.

“We know some good people in Russian athletics and I’m sure they will be elected.

We hope that some new people will come in who really understand that this must be changed.”

The IAAF voted to suspend Russia’s federation (Araf) on 13 November after the publication of an independent World AntiDoping Agency report that alleged “statesponsored doping”.

Massaro ‘ticks last box’ with number one squash ranking

lutely massive,” said Massaro.

“There’s nothing planned but, as it will be New Year’s Eve, I’ll be with friends and family and can celebrate as the clock ticks down.”

Massaro, from Chorley, will be England’s third female number one and the first since Cassie Campion in 2004.

But just eight months ago her form was so poor she decided to take a break from squash for the first time.

‘When I lost in Chicago I thought it can’t get any worse

than this’ Defeat by compatriot Emma Beddoes in the second round of the Windy City Open in March brought matters to a head.

“My disappointment had nothing at all to do with the quality of my opponent and I didn’t feel unmotivated,” said Massaro.

“I was just losing matches and didn’t know why.

“I was giving 100 percent, I just wasn’t able to play the level of squash that I wanted.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sports

Wednesday December 30, 2015

Ikhana, Enyimba settle rift

Midweek League with PAUL EREWUBA 08032138738

…Emeka Nwana (aka) ‘Ayaya’, others axed

C

oach Kadiri Ikhana, yesterday, said he had accepted Enyimba’s decision not to extend his contract, saying he is leaving the Nigeria champions a fulfilled man.

“I will tell you that I am not at war with any one over the decision to hire a new helmsman in Enyimba.

I was there before and won the league and CAF Champions League in 2003 and left, to me there is nothing new with what happened between the management and myself.

“I will continue to pray for the club’s success while I await God’s next move for me.

“I love coaching and challenges and wherever the tide takes me to, I will do my best as always.”

He also said that the new coach who would be hired will get the best of result in Aba if only he is focused, saying, “Aba is a good place for many good

Ikhana

coaches to succeed.

“My piece of advice to whoever they will engage is that he should be focused and Meanwhile, the People’s Elephant have continued to re-organise for the new year by dropping defender Bright Esieme, Chimeze Amanfor and Emeka Nwanna ‘Ayaya’.

Last season, Esieme struggled to pin down a first-team place after he featured at the 2014 CHAN in South Africa.

Enyimba loaned out the league’s first million Naira signing ‘Ayaya’ to local rivals Abia Warriors till the end of the season in August.

Chima Uluocha has ended his loan move with Enyimba to return to Abia Warriors where he was captain.

Coming in the opposite direction is Warri Wolves hard man Mine Ojo, who has played for Enugu Rangers and Heartland.

Govt. pays troubled FC Taraba two months’ salaries T araba State Government yesterday paid troubled FC Taraba players two of their 11 months salaries.

It was learnt that government could not getr enough cash to offset the bill as agreed with the governor last week, but pleaded with the players to come back yesterday for the February and March 2015 salaries.

The Commissioner for Youth and Sports, it was gathered, personally supervised the cash payment to the players with some ministry personnel in attendance.

The women football team, FC Taraba Queens, were also paid r two months salaries.

It would be recalled that the players slept in the open for 11 days while peacefully protesting over the nonpayment of their salaries.

However, only players who played a full season in the 2014/15 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season received the two months’ salaries as opposed to those who joined the

Jalingo outfit mid-season who got just one month worth of salaries -- the same as players who played the first round before they sought for greener pastures.

A source close to the team hinted that the players were however not told when the outstanding salaries would be paid as they left for their respective homes.

A player who pleaded for anonymity said they were helpless in the whole situation, but happy that at least there is little cash in

FC Taraba

their hands now.

“The truth is that everybody needs the money; no matter how small it is, at least it’s better than nothing so the issue of whether one is happy or not does not arise at the moment.

“We would have been very happy if the government had paid at least half of outstanding salaries as the two months’ worth of salaries cannot go far to

47

clear the accumulated debts.

“Nothing has been mentioned on the outstanding nine months whether it will be paid or not or if so, when,” he said.

FC Taraba were demoted to the second tier league -- Nigeria National League (NNL) -- together with Kwara United, Sharks and Bayelsa United at the end of the outgoing NPFL season.

Table Teams

P

Pt

1

Enyimba

38

70

2

Wolves

38

66

3

Nassara

38

63

4

Wikki

38

63

5

Giwa

38

63

6

Sunshine

38

61

7

Heartland

38

56

8

Pillars

38

55

9

3SC

38

53

10

Abia

38

53

11

IfeanyiUbah

38

50

12

Rangers

38

49

13

Lobi

38

47

14

Akwa

38

47

15

El-Kanemi

38

46

16

Dolphins

38

45

17

Sharks

38

45

18

Kwara

38

42

19

Taraba

38

37

20

Bayelsa

38

34

‘We will give our fans the best this season’

T

he Captain of Heartland FC of Owerri, Chinedu Efugh, yesterday assured fans of the club that they would return to their winning ways in the 2015/2016 Glo Premier League Championship.

Efugh said this in an interview with newsmen in Lagos.

The captain of the club added that training would begin January 5, 2016, adding that the team will ensure that they leave no stone unturned.

“We will resume training in January and we intend to return to our winning ways with the support of our fans and management; our dedication is a hundred per cent.

“Coming seventh last season was not what we wanted but we are forging ahead and we hope to make our fans proud of us

by God’s grace,’’ Efugh added.

The captain of the club added that training would begin Jan. 5, 2016, adding that the team will ensure that they leave no stone unturned.

“We will resume training in January and we intend to return to our winning ways with the support of our fans and management; our dedication is a hundred per cent.

“Coming seventh last season was not what we wanted but we are forging ahead and we hope to make our fans proud of us

by God’s grace,’’ Efugh added.

The club finished in the seventh position on the league’s log with 56 points from 38 matches played in the last season.

WORLD RECORD

Largest cooking vessel Vol. 05 No. 1274

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

N150

The largest cooking vessel has a volume of 23,616 litres (5,194.79 UK g al; 6,238.69 US g al) and was constr ucted by Union Energ y Corporation Pte. Ltd. (Sing apore), in Sing apore, on 1 August 2015.

Army/Shi’ite clash: Let justice prevail Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are –Benjamin Franklin

T

he ancient city of Zaria was recently in the news for a wrong reason. On December 12, the city witnessed yet another unavoidable crack in the militarycivilian relationship, when defenceless consisting f members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria otherwise known as “Dan Shi’ite”, were mowed down by the bullets of the Nigerian Army over allegedly denying the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, who some reports say was in Zaria on an official assignment, the right of passage to public road.

As reflected in one of Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s popular rendition, the encounter left in the wake destruction, sorrows, tears and

Guest Columnist blood. It was ludicrous that an attempt by the army to preserve the right and life of one man has ultimately led to the untimely and premeditated deaths of about 300 precious lives, according to Human Right Watch.

The needless crack-down launched on the same defenceless group resulted to the senseless demolition of Hussainiyya Baqiyyatullah, the residence of the sect’s spiritual leader, Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky with the resultant manslaughter of his wife, son and some top echelons of the sect. The unwarranted demolition of the Hussainiyya Baqiyyatullah and Zakzaky’s home is condemnable. “Peace is not the absence of conflict, it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means”- Ronald Reagan.

Even the military knew there was no justification for such premeditated action.

It was at best one braggadocios show of power and might taken too far. The Army later issued a phony statement claiming that the Chief of Army Staff survived an assassination attempt by the Islamic Movement. The Movement had since issued a rebuttal. The game of wits and war of words between the two on this matter has already split the piazza of public opinion.

The army’s angle to the story of an assassination attempt on their boss is preposterous. It was tantamount to a face-saving and crisis management effort aimed at concealing the obvious truth. The statement to say the least is incredulous. How possible could the COAS be assassinated by a group

Cech eyes another title with Arsenal

A

rsenal’s Petr Cech is hoping to provide the perfect platform for the club to win the title after the goalkeeper celebrated a record by keeping his 170th Premier League clean-sheet.

Sunday O. Eze

The 33-year-old surpassed the 169 shut-outs recorded by former England international David James as Arsenal beat Bournemouth 2-0 on Monday to go top of the table.

Cech joined the club in the close season following a

EVEN THE MILITARY KNEW THERE WAS NO JUSTIFICATION FOR SUCH PREMEDITATED ACTION of angry people wielding only sticks, cobblers and machetes. Could it be that the intelligence around the COAS failed even before coming to Zaria only for it to spring to life on the spot of the incident? Those who understand the rudiments of intelligence gathering could attest to the fact that if the life of the COAS was in danger that day, stringent security measures would have been taken several days before his arrival to avert any attempt on his life.

The Nigerian Army, in my view, does not lack intelligent personnel capable of nipping any assassination plot against the COAS in the bud or frustrating any attack against the military institution for that matter. There are numerous rank and file, who would have been stationed at strategic places in and around Zaria, several days to ward off any danger or imminent attack on the army boss.

There is no gain saying the fact that the Islamic movement in Nigeria has no regard for constituted authorities. In fact, Zakzaky is notably and constantly on a collision course with the constituted authorities for his intransigence and inciting

messages. The Shi’ite symbolic Arba’een trek, where major parts of roads are seized in defiance of the law and convenience of other road users, is the height of Shi’ites’ disdain and insubordination to the constituted authorities. The penchant for blockage of access to public roads or restriction on free movement of people by the Shi’ite sect in whatever circumstance is unruly, uncalled for and in contravention of the law. It is condemnable also. However, this cannot be a licence for the army or anybody for that matter to send innocent citizens to their early graves.

It would be recalled that there was no love lost between the army and to some extent the military and the Islamic Movement in Nigeria before and after the massacre of the three sons of Sheikh Zakzaky and some Hussainiyya faithful on that same spot during Pro-Palestinian protest known as Quds Day Procession in July, 2014. The recent clash is another unforgettable scar in the life of a religious group, who sees the army as their arch enemy and has accused them of extra-judicial killing of its members.

The number of casualties recorded in this mayhem has rubbished the claim by the army that it applied minimal force to ensure the safety of COAS. If the army could not apply restraint in the face of minor provocation; who else would? There is an alternative route for the COAS to pass aside of that contentious one. The number of lives lost would have been preserved if he had taken advantage of that route. The fact that one bent down to greet a dwarf does not make one a dwarf either.

The blood of innocent citizens is crying for justice and it is only justice that can heal the wound. An independent panel of inquiry should be constituted to unravel the remote and immediate causes of this mayhem.

Eze, a Media and Communications Specialist wrote via sunnyeze02@yahoo. com and can be reached on 08060901201

Sport Extra

trophy-laden career at Chelsea, having kept 162 league clean sheets over 11 seasons at Stamford Bridge.

“I have to confess that I started thinking about the record. The most important thing was to win the game

and once we got the 2-0 lead and it was going towards the end of the game,” Cech told reporters.

“In the last 10 minutes, I was checking the clock.

“I feel really proud because I believe that this is

the best league in the world and one of the most difficult leagues to play for a goalkeeper, and so to have achieved such a record is a great personal achievement,” the Czech Republic international added.

Cech

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