Oct 14 paper

Corruption’ll drive away investors unless tackled –Jimoh Ibrahim Boladale Bamigbola OSOGBO

Ibrahim

Vol. 6 N0. 1462

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illionaire businessman and politician, Barrister Jimoh Ibrahim, yesterday said no

nation would do business with Nigeria with the current high level of corruption in the country.

Barrister Ibrahim disclosed this while delivering a paper entitled: “Nigeria’s economy: The roles of

worshippers in the temple of justice”, at an event organised in honour of Emeritus Prof.

David Ijalaye by the Quintessential Equity Chambers, Obafemi

Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. The renowned businessman, who berated judges in whose homes local and foreign CONTINUED ON PAGE 2>>

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N150

Presidency releases names of freed Chibok girls

Shettima, BBOG, Tinubu commend FG

Rotimi Fadeyi, Inusa Ndahi and Adeola Tukuri

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wenty one out of the 217 remaining Chibok schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram terrorists were released yesterday in a suspected swap deal.

Although, Information and Culture Minister, AlCONTINUED ON PAGE 2>>

RELEASED CHIBOK GIRLS AT A GLANCE

Some of the Chibok girls after being handed over to Nigerian authorities, yesterday.

PHOTO:CNN

Mary Usman Bulama Jummai John Blessing Abana Lugwa Sanda Comfort Habila Maryam Basheer Comfort Amos Glory Mainta Saratu Emannuel Deborah Ja’afaru Rahab Ibrahim Helen Musa Maryamu Lawan Rebecca Ibrahim Asabe Goni Deborah Andrawus Agnes Gapani Saratu Markus Glory Dama Pindah Nuhu Rebecca Mallam

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Presidency releases names of freed Chibok girls CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

haji Lai Mohammed said the release of the girls by the sect was not by swap “but a product of painstaking negotiations and trust on both sides”, our correspondent, however, learnt that four Boko Haram prisoners were exchanged for the girls.

It was learnt that the swap arrangement took place early yesterday at Banki border town in Bama Local Government Area of Borno State.

Banki town shares border with Cameroon Republic and is about 130km from Maiduguri.

Indeed, the names of the released girls as disclosed by Presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu, are: Mary Usman Bulama, Jummai John, Blessing Abana, Lugwa Sanda, Comfort Habila, Maryam Basheer, Comfort Amos, Glory Mainta, Saratu Emannuel and Deborah Ja’afaru.

The rest are: Rahab Ibrahim, Helen Musa, Maryamu Lawan, Rebecca Ibrahim, Asabe Goni, Deborah Andrawus, Agnes Gapani, Saratu Markus, Glory Dama, Pindah Nuhu and Rebecca Mallam Sources said the released schoolgirls were first brought to the Air Force Base in Maiduguri at about 7a.m.

A BBC report, quoting security sources said most of the freed girls have babies.

Mohammed at a world press conference in Abuja said the release was effected based on confidence building between the government and the leadership of Boko Haram.

He said government viewed the release as a credible step in the eventual release of all the Chibok girls in captivity.

The minister confirmed that the 21 girls were released at about 5.30 a.m. and flown to Kaduna from the location of their release.

“We have been working on the safe release of the girls and following all the leads available.

“In this instance, the moment we had a credible lead, Mr. President gave the green-light to the DSS (Department of State Services) to pursue it.

“We can confirm that

the DSS pursued the lead in collaboration with a friendly European country and a renowned international humanitarian organisation.

“The DSS was supported by the military.

“As soon as the necessary confidence was built on both sides, the parties agreed on the date and the location of the release of the 21 girls.

“This is the most glaring manifestation to date of the unwavering commitment of Mr. President to secure the safe release of the girls and reunite them with their families.

“It is also a result of the round-the-clock efforts by the Administration to put a closure to the sad issue of the kidnap of the girls,” he said.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo also reiterated that there was no swap deal of any kind in the release of the girls.

Osinbajo spoke while briefing State House correspondents after visiting the freed girls at the medical centre of DSS in Abuja.

Osinbajo briefed in company of Daura, Lai Mohammed and Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Zanaib Ahmed.

He, however, reinstated that the Federal Government was still ready to explore all options for the release of the remaining girls still held in captivity.

Osinbajo also disclosed that one of the released girls has a baby.

“I met with the 21 Chibok girls who have been brought back and they are in good health considering the circumstances they have been held in and they are now being well taken care of in the medical facility.

“They will be staying there for some time until we are satisfied about their health condition.

Their parents will be coming to join them hopefully by tomorrow (today).

“There will be therapy, there will be counseling.

Of course, we can imagine what they have gone through. So we expect that a lot of psychological therapy and so much need to be done to get them back.

“There was no exchange of any kind. There

was no swap of any kind.

Even we started negotiations; we said we will consider all options available to us. Absolutely, there was no exchange of any kind.

“We must be sensitive to the fact that the government wants these girls back and alive, again, we must balance it against the security and safety of the country.

“In the process of negotiation, we will look at all options and we will weigh the options carefully and decide what to do. But what has happened and the process we have begun is one which has not involved any type of swap of Boko Haram commanders or any militant in any way.

“We believe that in the next few days and months,

we will be bringing in more of these girls using exactly the same kind of negotiation and the same template that we used,” he said.

Osinbajo said it was only the Swiss government that worked with Federal Government in the negotiation process, adding Red Cross was only involved in taking the girls back.

“Of course, we worked with the Red Cross because we were unable to take our own medical team.

“The Red Cross was not involved at all in the process of negotiation. It was the Swiss government, our own officials: the DSS, intelligence and the military that were involved,” he added.

Reactions have however, been pouring in over the release.

Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima in a statement in Maiduguri said the release had proved President Buhari’s sincerity in ending the Boko Haram insurgency.

The statement signed by the governor’s Special Adviser on Communication, Malam Isa Gusau said: “If any Nigerian had doubts about the sincerity and commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari to the rescue of our precious daughters abducted by Boko Haram insurgents at Government Secondary School, Chibok on April 14, 2014, as well as his sincerity in rescuing all other victims and ending the Boko Haram

insurgency, such doubts should be eliminated by the success of the negotiation that led to the release of 21 Chibok schoolgirls.

“As people of Borno State, troubled by the deaths and destructions of Boko Haram insurgency, one of our major sources of strength since May 29, 2015, has been the undiluted sincerity we saw in President Muhammadu Buhari based on his administration’s absolutely genuine commitment toward recovering our schoolgirls and thousands of other women and children held in captivity as well as ending the insurgency in order to secure the lives of our citizens and make way for reconstruction, resettlement CONTINUED ON PAGE 4>>

L-R: Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha; Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima; President Muhammadu Buhari and Minister of the Federal Capital Territary (FCT), Mohammed Bello, after the press conference held by President Buhari on release of the 21 Chibok girls shortly before departing for Berlin, Germany ...yesterday.

Senate extends JAMB’s result validity period to 3 years George Oji

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enate yesterday passed the bill approving the extension of the validity of the results of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations, UTME, being conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, to three years.

The extension was contained in the new amendments made to the Act establishing the board.

If eventually assented to by the President, the law will allow the life span of any JAMB examination result to operate for three years, meaning that any JAMB result obtained by any candidate would still be useful for admission in three years.

The bill entitled; “An Act to Amend the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board Act and for other matters connected thereof, 2016 (SB. 245):, passed third reading yesterday in plenary.

Chairman of the Com-

mittee on Tertiary education, Senator Jibrin Barau, (APC, Kano North), while fielding questions from newsmen after the passage of the bill, explained that the purpose of the bill was to amend the JAMB Act to increase the validity period of its examination from one academic year to three academic years.

According to him, the Board shall only conduct matriculation examinations as the sole examinations required for admission and entry into all Universities, Polytechnics

(by whatever name called) and Colleges of Education, to the exclusion of any other institution or body.

He said section 6 (1) of the new Act states that; “Any examination conducted by the Board pursuant to the powers conferred by this Act shall be valid for a period of three academic years from the date of the examination.

“A candidate meeting the requirements for admission and being duly qualified shall remain so CONTINUED ON PAGE 4>>

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Corruption’ll drive away investors unless tackled –Jimoh Ibrahim CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

currencies were recovered recently, noted that no country would want to do business with Nigeria if the level of corruption was not reduced.

He said: “One of the judges was said to be keeping N54m in his bedroom, others N137m and 20,000 pounds.

“Even we that borrow money to do businesses can’t afford to have such luxury of money in our homes.

“I think this is complete madness and things must be set straight. Such situation is unacceptable.”

According to him, challenges of weakened economy facing the country have presented her opportunity for growth, urging the country to emulate Iran.

“For instance, Matthew Spivack (2016) once maintained in respect to Iran; ‘This slow pace of a weakened economy, political tensions, market uncer-

tainty, and the lingering effects of sanctions, Iran remains an important opportunity for multinationals in emerging markets’.

“Nigeria must think outside the box to improve her revenue as the oil price plummeted.

“Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Melinda Marshall and Laura Sherwin (2013) posited ‘diversity unlocks innovation’ and if this is done, microeconomic stability can be achieved.

“Otherwise, the projections of the World Bank/ IMF of Nigeria becoming the 9th biggest economy in 2050 will remain a dream.

“The Nigeria economy is characterised by instructional void. Her economic prosperity is denied by corruption and lack of innovation.

“The policy spectrum is moving from free market to government intervention. The Keynesian model will work better in Nigeria if we allow market to operate and government

to provide the enabling environment.

“What government needs to do is to support policy regime of intervention to increase net export as suggested by Michael Porter, embrace a policy that promote industry rivalry, encourage “clusters of excellence”, supporting leading Edge technology and innovation, support industry specific education.

“We advise the Honourable Minister that regulation should endeavour

to be within the best of international practice, as the world is gradually becoming a flat; global barriers are reduced by impact of technology and globalization,” he said.

In his remarks, Mallam Yusuf Ali, SAN, condemned the invasion of the homes of some judges by operatives of DSS insisting that due process was not followed.

Ali, who aligned self with the position of Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, on the matter, said corrup-

tion should not be fought with illegality.

“Everybody knows what I stand for when it comes to the issue of corruption; there are laws to deal with that. You can as well sanction lynching, if that invasion is right. People lynch because they felt there won’t be justice.

“So, if we want to do away with the law, let’s all agree that lynching is legal. People can then show reprehension when they catch an armed robber now, they can now

lynch and forget the law. If lynching is wrong, the invasion of peoples’ homes in the middle of the night is not for any reason in accordance with the law.

“I expected that the individuals would have been invited, they would have refused and be declared wanted.

“It’s when you declare them wanted that they become fugitive of the law. It is then that you can take all remedial legal steps to ensure they are brought to justice,” Ali said.

EFCC ordered to return N10bn to NBC, says Modibbo–Kawu

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irector General of Nigeria Broadcasting Commission, NBC, Malam Is’haq Modibbo-Kawu, said Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been directed to return the N10bn seized from it.

Modibbo-Kawu, who announced this at a news conference in Abuja yesterday, said President Muhammadu Buhari gave the directive.

The money was seized

by EFCC during the tenure of former DG of NBC, Mr Emeka Mba. Modibbo-Kawu said the money was still in the custody of the anti-graft agency but that President Buhari had ordered that it be released to the commission.

He said EFCC was expected to give further details on the release process in due course as directed by the President.

Mba, Basil Udotai and his company, Technology Advisor LLP, were accused along with others by the EFCC of having a hand in an alleged diversion of N10bn from the N34bn paid by the MTN to NBC. The amount was part of the money meant for digital television broadcasting

in the country.

EFCC had also alleged that the money was transferred to a bank in breach of Federal Government’s directive on Treasury Single Account.

Although the EFCC said it had recovered the N10bn from those who took it, Mba and Udotai denied ever taking part in the diversion of the money.

They insisted that no such money was ever taken by them or those who participated in the digital switch process.

The denials were contained in two separate letters written on their behalf by their lawyer, Chief Ogwu Onoja, SAN. In the letters, Mba made it clear that the entire transaction was transparent and carried out in accordance with the approval granted NBC by former President Goodluck Jonathan and the Federal Executive Council.

Their lawyer maintained that no money was missing throughout Mba’s tenure as DG of NBC and that Mba was proud of his post as an outstanding public servant with over 25 years of experience in the communications and entertainment industry.

Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun (left) with Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, at a workshop on Cost Management on Overhead for Permanent Secretaries and Chief Executive Officers of Departments and Federal Government’s Agencies in Abuja, yesterday.

Presidency releases names of freed Chibok girls CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

and other development programmes and projects.”

In its own reaction, the BringBackOurGirls, BBOG, group commended the Federal Government and the Nigerian Army for the rescue of the girls.

Leaders of the group, Aisha Yesufu and Oby Ezekwesili, in a statement lauded the negotiated release of the girls.

BBOG also commended security services for

working tirelessly to ensure the release of the girls.

“We also thank the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Swiss government and all negotiators involved in securing the release.

“Following this development, we trust that our government will continue to work to keep the safety, security, and well-being of the other girls a high priority.

“We further urge the international community

to continue to support our government’s effort to rescue all other abducted Nigerians, so that parents, the Chibok community, the nation, and the world can finally put an end to this nightmare once and for all,” the group said.

All Progressives Congress, APC, National Leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu expressed delight over the release.

He congratulated the families of the girls, who he said, “have endured so much anxiety and pain on

account of this horrendous experience.”

According to him, with their freedom, the girls “now have the opportunity to again pursue their dreams and aspirations.

“I know there is road to recovery and readjustment ahead, but I am confident that the support of their families, our communities, and the assistance of our many collaborators at home, and internationally provide the tools required for this,” he added.

Senate extends JAMB’s result validity period to 3 years CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

qualified for the period prescribed in subsection (1) of this section.

“A candidate awaiting admission shall be given preference in the succeeding year over fresh ap-

plicants who shall only become eligible when the backlog had been cleared.”

The Senate had directed its Committee on Education to enquire into circumstances surrounding the JAMB policy, including all allegations of favouritism and generally review

the power of the Board visa-vis administration and submit its findings to it.

The red chamber, which order came following a motion entitled: “JAMB’s New Admission Policy”, sponsored by Senator Joshua Lidani (APC, Gombe South), which was debated during

plenary, also urged JAMB to consult widely with Parents Teachers Association, ASUU and all other stakeholders in the education sector with a view to coming out with a friendlier holistic, comprehensive and sustainable admissions policy.

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Senate approves 3% VAT deduction to rebuild North-East

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enate Thursday approved allocation of three per cent of Value Added Tax, VAT, accruable to the Federal Government in the next 10 years to the rebuilding of the North-East.

This was sequel to the adoption of the recommendation of the Ad hoc Committee on North-East Development Commission Bill, which also proposed that the commission be domiciled in Borno State.

It would be recalled that in June when the Bill came for third reading, two issues of allocation and headquarters of the commission stalled its

consideration.

The Committee on Special Duties had proposed that the commission’s headquarters be located in Abuja but Sen. Ali Wakil insisted that it should be sited in Bauchi.

Other senators from North-East states of Gombe and Borno, who also deferred, insisted that the commission headquarters be located in their own states.

Another contentious issue which the senators kicked against then was the proposal that 15 per cent of federal allocation to every state of the region be deducted at source for

funding the commission.

The proposal that 50 per cent of ecological fund meant for each of the six North-East states should be deducted at source for the funding of the commission was also rejected by the lawmakers.

Due to the disagreements, the upper chamber was forced to suspend the clause-b-clause consideration of bill, and therefore, formed a committee to look into the contending issues.

During plenary yester-

day, the lawmakers agreed with the ad hoc committee which proposed that three per cent of federal VAT be allocated to the commission for the next 10 years.

Presenting the report of the committee, its Chairman, Sen. Sam Egwu, said the committee agreed with all other funding arrangements proposed by the bill.

“The committee reviewed and agreed with the funding arrangement that was proposed in the Bill but for the aspect that

sought five per cent of the federal VAT without a time frame.

“Consequently, the committee reviewed the amount to five per cent of the federal VAT for the period of 10 years that will serve as intervention from the Federal Government,” he said.

With the adoption of the committee’s recommendation, the funding of the commission will also include 15 per cent of allocation to the six North-

East states.

Also forming part of the funding is a 50 per cent deduction of the ecological fund due to the six North East states.

After adopting the recommendations, the Senate referred the Bill to the Committee on Special Duties chaired by Sen. Murtala Nyako.

The committee is to effect the changes in the area of funding and location of the commission and bring the Bill back for final passage.

Bill to empower NJC on judges’ removal passes second reading in Reps Ubong Ukpong and George Opara

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bill to make the National Judicial Council, NJC, more involved in the sack of erring judges passed second reading in the House of Representatives yesterday.

The bill sponsored by Datti Mohammed seeks to alter Section 292(1)(A) of the 1999 constitution as amended and is title: “A Bill for act, pursuant to Section 9(1) and (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) to alter Section 292 (1) (A) and (i) (ii) to include the National Judicial Council in the procedure for the removal of heads of courts established by the Constitution under Section 6 (5).”

Leading debate on the Bill, Muhammad said the proposed amendment is aimed at ensuring “that judicial officers serving as heads of courts are not victimised through removal by executive fiat acting in concert with the legislature without any established or verifiable evidence.”

He also stated that the bill if passed, would ensure that judicial personnel serving as heads of

courts established under Section 6 (5) of the Constitution, would only be removed on the advice of the NJC. “On many occasions, judicial personnel have been removed from office on trump up allegations without recourse to a body charged with the constitutional responsibility to investigate and recommend appropriate disciplinary action. “Since the provisions in the Constitution did not give the National Judicial Council any role in the removal of heads of courts, it has left them at the mercy and whims of the Executive,” the lawmaker stated.

The bill, which enjoyed an overwhelming support of the House, presided over by Speaker Yakubu Dogara, was referred to the Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution.

L-R: Managing Director, Accenture, Mr. Niyi Yusuf; Managing Director, Nigeria Breweries Plc, Mr. Nico Vervelde and Executive Secretary Shippers Council of Nigeria, Mr. Hassan Bello. during the ongoing Economic Summit in Abuja... on Tuesday

$13.9bn MTN capital flight: Senate summons Emefiele, Enelama, others George Oji ABUJA

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o kick start investigation into the alleged violation of the nation’s foreign exchange act

by South African telecommunication giant, Mobile Telecommunication Network, MTN, Senate Thursday invited Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah, Central Bank of Nigeria,

CBN, Godwin Emefiele and 12 others to appear before its committee on banking, insurance and other financial institutions.

Besides the minister and the CBN governor, others summoned by the lawmakers are Dr. Pascal Dozie, Ahmed Dasuki, Gbenga Oyebode, Babatunde Folawiyo, Colonel Sani Bello and Victor Odili.

The corporate institutions that were summoned

together with the abovenamed persons are MTN, Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, FRCN, Standard Chartered Bank, Citibank and Diamond Bank.

Those summoned are to appear before the probe committee on Tuesday next week.

Chairman of the Committee, Senator Rafiu Ibrahim (APC, Kwara South) in a statement explained that the summons was con-

Adeosun says eliminating wastes is national duty

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inister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, yesterday said the Federal Government would soon issue a new template on approved expenses for state-owned enterprises.

Adeosun said this would be part of efforts to control the nation’s recurrent ex-

penditure.

A statement from the ministry said the minister disclosed this in Abuja at a workshop on “Cost Management on Overhead Expenditure for Permanent Secretaries, Chief Executive Officers of Departments and Agencies.”

The Efficiency Unit, un-

der the Federal Ministry of Finance, organised the workshop.

The minister said the Federal Government needed to create headroom to be able to invest in capital projects.

According to her, there is the need to control recurrent expenditure, especial-

ly overheads, a drive which necessitated the creation of the Efficiency Unit by the Presidency in 2015.

The minister said government was determined to plug all loopholes which were encouraging revenue losses and make stateowned enterprises productive and accountable.

sequent upon the Senate resolution on September, 27, 2016, entitled: “Unscrupulous Violation of the Foreign Exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous) Act.” The resolution to probe the alleged financial infractions by MTN was reached following the adoption of the prayers contained in the motion by Senator Dino Melaye to that effect.

Melaye had while presenting the motion claimed that, “Since inception, MTN had sought the collaboration of influential and unpatriotic Nigerians to assist them in looting our external reserves.

“These Nigerians, including Enelamah, who MTN used in moving $13.92bn out of Nigeria which is over 50 per cent of our External Reserves, floated and incorporated offshore SPVs in Cayman Island, Mauritius and British Virgin Island,” he said.

Photo

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Friday, October 14, 2016

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L-R: Group Chief Human Resources Officer, Airtel Africa, Roy Masamba; Director, Corporate Communication and CSR, Airtel Nigeria, Emeka Oparah; MD/CEO, Financial Derivatives Company Limited, Bismarck Rewane and Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Segun Ogunsanya, at the 5th Employee Knowledge Series at Airtel Headquarters, Banana Island, yesterday.

L-R, CEO Vlisco Group Mr David Suddens, Cluster Director Vlisco West Africa Mr Junior Ahodegnon and Country Manager, Vlisco Nigeria Limited, Mr Adebisi Adekunle during the celebration of 170 years and opening of Vlisco shop in Jabi Lake Mall in Abuja yesterday.

Photo: ROTIMI OSASONA

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Chief Executive Officer, Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), Captain Jari Olubunmi Williams (left) presenting a cheque, Certificate of Commendation and a gift to a cleaner with Spakleen Professional Cleaners of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 2, Mr. Abayomi Oluwole, who found a bag containing a huge sum of money and other personal items at MMA2 and returned them to the owner recently. With them is the Head, Human Resources, BASL, Mrs. IkeOluwapo ErinOluwa.

L-R: Executive Director, Technology Distributions, Philips, Adesuwa Igho-Orere; General Manager, Phillips HealthTech, Chioma Nweke and Consultant Dermatologist, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Dr. Ayesha Akinkugbe, during the launch of Philips Hair Clipper in Lagos, yesterday.

PHOTO: SAMUEL ADETIMEHIN

National News

Budget padding: Dogara blocks members from opening debate on allegations Ubong Ukpong and George Opara

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ouse

of

Rep-

resentatives Speaker, Yakubu

Dogara, Thursday, successfully blocked members from opening debate on the allegations of corruption leveled against the House and members by the suspended member, Abdulmumin Jibrin.

At the resumed plenary, one of the lawmakers, Ayo Omidiran, representing Aye d a a d e / I r e wo l e / Isokan Federal Constituency of Osun State, came with a point of order on matters of privileges, seeking to have the floor to address the House.

Coming under Or-

der 6 Rule 19 (1, 3), she prayed the House to listen to her complaint that her status as a bonafide member of the House of Representatives has been breached.

However, before she could finish, the Speaker asked her the privilege that was breached, and the relevant provisions of the law that protected that privilege, and she said that it was her privileges as contained in the Legislative House Powers Act. The Speaker however asked her to open to the Act and read the exact provisions, offering to give her the Act if she had none, otherwise, he would be constrained to rule

her out of order.

Sensing the clear attempt by the presiding officer to frustrate her point of order, Omidiran who had no opportunity to access the law book, and unable to cite the provisions too, said, “Mr. Speaker, it will be unfortunate if you rule me out of order on this matter.”

Having made it uneasy for her to come with that damaging point of order, the Speaker quickly relied on her inability to cite the relevant provisions of the Act and ruled her out of order, thus avoiding the debate on the matter.

Omidiran had last week come up with a point of order too, requesting for an execu-

tive session, stating that her privileges had been breached.

Speaker Dogara who was uncomfortable with that request quickly ruled her out of order, depriving her of the opportunity to be heard.

Omidiran who sounded very disturbed, quickly approached the Speaker trying to express her grievances.

Apparently unsatisfied, she came with the point of order of yesterday, which our correspondents gathered was aimed at getting the House to open up debate on the allegations leveled by Jibrin.

Her name was been mentioned by Jibrin as one of those who

was allegedly corrupt and defrauding the country.

Our correspondents learnt that all over the social media, Omidiran’s constituents had been abusing her and calling her unprintable names following her linkage with the allegations that have seriously tarnished her reputation as a legislator.

The allegations have done a great damage to the image of the House and members, to the extent that the investigative public hearings of the House have been affected negatively.

Sources among the lawmakers said members are willing to open up debate on the

allegations to clear their names and save the institution of the House, but that the Speaker in concert with some principal officers, are vigorously blocking every move in this direction, as it is threatening their positions.

Jibrin had, before his suspension, made attempts to open the matter for discussion on the floor, but he never got the opportunity.

Equally, Aliyu Madaki, had asked the Speaker to step aside for debate on this matter so that those accused could clear their names, but the Speaker asked him to resign first.

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Friday, October 14, 2016

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NNPC set for oil exploration in North East soon –GMD Ezekiel Titus BAUCHI

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roup managing director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru, said the corporation has concluded plans to mobilise heavy equipment to the North East (part of Bauchi and Gombe states) in expectation of oil explo-

ration which would begin soon.

The GMD who spoke to journalists yesterday at the Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa International Airport, Bauchi, said the corporation is intimating the citizens of the two states so they would not panic when they see movement of the equipment into the states.

The NNPC GMD who was received by a senior

officials of the corporation and the Bauchi State Chief of Staff, Audu Sule Katagum, said his mission to the two states was to sensitise the people about oil exploration.

He said: “We are here to signify our intention to sensitise the good people of Bauchi and Gombe states on our efforts to mobilise back into the Gongola Basin.

“Our intention is to start 3D seismic acquisition and cover as much of the basin as possible to continue the work in terms of exploring hydrocarbon in the North East. Of course, our activities in the Chad Basin will also be re-activated as soon as we get the clear sign.

“So, our mission here is to sensitise the people so that if they see the seismic crew moving about in

their farms and drilling some boreholes where we put our various geo polls and dropping seismic lines across the various areas they don’t get distracted or scared.

“We come specifically just to lay various equipment and take seismic data that will be analysed and we will see as much as 10 to 15 kilometers below the ground.”

On the prospects of

getting oil in Bauchi and Gombe states, Baru said “the prospects is good because already some of the exploration that was done in one of the wells which was just outside Yankari Game Reserve, showed interesting find although not in commercial quantity.

“Our intent is to probe with more definitive seismic data that will ensure we cover as much as possible,” he said.

Isesele Ezekiel

Before arriving at the Uzama palace where the Crown Prince is currently residing, members of the group converged at Aruosa N’Ogbelaka ceremonial shrine on Sapele road by Ogbelaka junction in Benin at about 11am They were dressed in white regalia, with beads and Ekasa which was wrapped with a brown colour paper Chief Obamwonyi of Ogbelaka community who spoke on the significance of the ceremony posited that “the Ekasa dance comes to an end immediately the Oba of Benin ascends the throne and thereafter retire back home until there is another coronation of a new Oba of Benin.

“Ogbelaka is a guild and we belong to the Iwebo Society, the most senior society in the palace.

We are affiliated to the Iwebo Society.

A legal practitioner, Chief Robert Ohuoba, the Ohuoba of Benin who participated in the exercise, said: “We have been preparing for this activity since the last six months.

“You have to be clean and forthright to be qualified to participate in the ceremony which is not for everybody.

“Some people call it the dance of the spirit. I am 51 years old, but in 1979, I was 17 years old and we hope to see more.

“In 1979, I partook in the exercise when the departed Oba of Benin, Oba Erediauwa was being crowned. Thank God we are alive to be part of the historic ceremonies again which is a rare privilege,”

Ekasa group in spiritual rites ahead of Benin monarch’s coronation BENIN

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An accident victim who was probably a passenger of a commercial motorcycle being evacuated by sympathizers and officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) at the scene involving the motorcycle and a commuter bus on the University of Abuja Specialist Hospital Road, Gwagwalada in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO:NAN

Group charges NBA to withdraw support for arrested judges Doosuur Iwambe

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ome Nigerians under the umbrella of the Nigerians United Against Corruption, NUAC, yesterday marched to the headquarters of the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, in Abuja, calling on it to withdraw its support for the arrested judges.

The group, led by Comrade Ogenyi Okpokwu, urged the NBA not to support corruption in any form In a protest letter submitted to the national president of the NBA, Mr. Abubakar Mahmoud, a senior advocate, the group also called on the umbrella body of lawyers to set up an independent body to investigate issues of corruption in the profession, with the aim of ex-communicating bad eggs, It would be recalled

that the Directorate of State Service, DSS, had last weekend arrested Justices Sylvester Ngwuta and John Okoro; the suspended presiding justice of the Court of Appeal, Ilorin Division, Justice Mohammed Tsamiya; Justice Kabiru Auta of the Kano State High Court; and Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

Others arrested were a former chief judge of Enugu State, Justice I. A. Umezulike; and Muazu Pindiga of the Federal High Court, Gombe Division NUAC in the letter demanded, “that the NBA withdraws all forms of support and sympathy for these corrupt elements who have most certainly tainted the image of one of the world’s most dignified professions.

“That you set up an independent body to investigate issues of corruption among members

with the aim of ex-communicating same, as deterrent to others who may have been enticed by the flamboyant life styles of these judases.

“All the judges so far indicted or arrested for corruption should immediately resign considering the magnitude of the case that the DSS has built against them.

“The cases of those that have been given lenient punishments amount to a slap on the wrist by the National Judicial Council, NJC, should be revisited with a view to dragging them before a law court.

“The arrested judges should be charged to court within the shortest time possible to that they cannot claim that their rights were violated.”

The protesters were armed with placard with various inscriptions such as ‘a corrupt judge is worse than Boko Haram;’

‘corruption must die in Nigeria;’ and, ‘we support more arrest of corrupt Nigerians,’ among others.

A representative of the NBA president, Ezekiel David, received the protest letter from the group.

embers of Ekasa Dance Group yesterday performed rites of spiritual cleansing towards the ascendency of the Crown Prince, Ehenede Erediauwa to the throne of Oba of Benin The dance of the spirit was said to have started in 1504 during the reign of Oba Esigie and was last observed when the departed Benin monarch, Oba Erediauwa, was about to ascend the throne in 1979.

Members of the group were said to have been drawn from Eguadase and Ogbelaka communities in the present Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State who are also members of the Iwebo palace society.

Only male children who have been initiated into the guild and have performed certain rites are qualified to be enlisted into the membership of Ogbelaka Dance Group

Uniport hosts first edition of Glo Campus Storm

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n line with its forte of spreading joy to the greatest number of people, next generation network, Globacom, has firmed up plans to provide endless fun in the nation’s tertiary institutions as another season of its Glo Campus Storm concert begins today.

In a statement released yesterday, Globacom announced that several tertiary institutions across the country would be treated to worldclass entertainment and fun in the next 24 weeks “as 17 of the country’s best artistes,

including Wizkid, Flavour, Timaya, MI, Omawumi, Reekado Banks, Korede Bello, Di’ja, Runtown, Basket Mouth, Bovi and Gordons, have been contracted to entertain our teeming youths in the nation’s tertiary institutions.”

According to the company, “we have the pleasure of announcing that our rave youth concert, the Glo Campus Storm, will be hitting tertiary institutions across the country, beginning with the University of Port Harcourt, which will host the maiden edition of the 24-week show on Friday, October 14.”

Editorial

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Friday, October 14, 2016

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Still on Reps and CCTV project probe

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t’s getting to three years after the 7th House of Representatives’ Committees on Information and Communication Technology (ICT); Public Safety and National Security, probed the ‘failure’ of the National Public Security Communication System’s (NPSCS) $470m Abuja/ Lagos Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) project without making public the outcome of their findings. The Reps (under the 8th National Assembly), again early this year, raised an ad hoc committee to revisit the matter. Surprisingly, contrary to the widely held public impression that the Chinese company that handled the contract – ZTE Corporation of China – did not deliver, reports said the real reason the project got bungled was Federal Government’s failure to provide N11b as operational funds to run the CCTV project.

The contract was awarded in 2010 by the government of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua; at a time when the country was under the siege of Boko Haram insurgents and the menace of other violent criminals, especially kidnappers. The contractor, ZTE, was to finish the five main components of the project, namely: a Global Open Trunking Architecture (GOTA); Video Surveillance Subsystem (VSS) with a component of 1,000 cameras; Coalition Emergency Response System (CERS) to sup-

port the Police Call Centre for emergency callers; E-policing Subsystem to facilitate the deployment of E-policing databases; and a Video Conferencing Subsystem to facilitate video conferencing across all police commands nationwide with the Force Headquarters, Abuja; and among all police commands.To be installed by ZTE were 2,000 digital solar powered cameras (1,000 each in Abuja and Lagos); 37 switch rooms; microwave backbone; 37 coalition emergency response systems; 38 video conferencing subsystems; 37 e-police systems, six emergency communication vehicles; and 1.5 million phone lines for subscribers to generate revenue, among others.

In January this year, however, a former Director-General of the Nigerian Communications Satellite (NigComSat), Mr. Timasaniyu Ahmed-Rufai, told the Rep Ahmed Yerima-led ad hoc committee of the House of Representatives revisiting the matter that the project was duly completed by ZTE; and was properly verified and certified as far back as 2012; but that FG’s failure to provide operational funds to run it made the $470m facility worthless. “About N11bn was required as operational funding. I learnt it was later reviewed to about N5bn after I left office, but the funding still did not come. The situation with the

Nigerians are still waiting for the report of the

CCTV probe

project is like buying a new car and refusing to provide money to buy fuel. How will the car function? Nothing is wrong with the project, but a lot of people are not aware that this is the simple reason. When this project was tested and inaugurated, you could see the whole of Lagos from Abuja…”, . AhmedRufai stated.

The security system was intended to capture images round the clock for analysis by security agencies. Unfortunately, however, the security gadgets have been serving as mere ornaments since the completion of the project. Between 2010, when the project took off; and 2014, when the House of Representatives initiated its first probe of it, through 2015, the federal capital came under several deadly bomb attacks, which left scores of people dead, many injured and property worth billions of naira destroyed.

That the non-provision of N11b operational funds, which was later reviewed downwards to N5b, stalled the CCTV project, buttresses nothing but the resounding levity with which the FG treated the project; its

ON THIS DAY October 14, 1982 United States’ President Ronald Reagan proclaimed a War on Drugs. ‘War on Drugs’ is a term commonly applied to a campaign of prohibition, military aid and military intervention, with the stated aim being to define and reduce illegal drugs’ trade. This initiative includes a set of drug policies that are intended to discourage the production, distribution and consumption of illegal, psychoactive drugs.

Letters tothe theEditor Editor Letters to

Reps’

October 14, 1994 Palestinian leader, the late Yasser Arafat; Prime Minister of Israel, Yitzhak Rabin; and the Foreign Minister of Israel, Shimon Peres; received the Nobel Peace Prize for their roles in the establishment of the Oslo Accords and the framing of the future Palestinian Self Government. It was an attempt in 1993 to set up a framework that would lead to the resolution of the festering Israeli–Palestinian conflict.

non-commitment to it, despite the huge amount it committed to it; as well as the crocodile tears government was shedding about insecurity in the country between 2010 and 2014 especially. Ahmed-Rufai said he signed the $399.5m part cost of the project secured as loan from China EXIM Bank; while the Nigerian government provided the balance as counter-part funding to complete the $470m total cost of the project. At the completion of the project, however, he said the situation became so embarrassing that the contractor, ZTE Nigeria, had to provide operational funding for six months upon delivery of the project.

We think Ahmed-Rufai has volunteered enough information to guide the lawmakers do a thorough job. He has made the burden of their investigation lighter. The Reps’ probe ought to have by now unraveled whether or not money was voted as operational fund for the project, and proceed from there. For, no responsible government could afford to lavish $470m on a security project without providing funds for its day-to-day operation. The FG must not allow the project to rot; and the $470m to go down the drain. It should ensure that the security cameras are quickly put to use. Nigerians are still waiting for the report of the Reps’ CCTV probe.

x October 14, 2014 A snowstorm and avalanche in the Nepalese Himalayas triggered by the remnants of Cyclone Hudhud killed 43 people. The disaster occurred in central Nepal during the month of October and resulted in the deaths of at least 43 people of various nationalities, including at least 21 trekkers. Injuries and fatalities resulted from unusually severe snowstorms and avalanches on and around the mountains of Annapurna and Dhaulagiri

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South West

Friday, October 14, 2016

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Residents of waterfronts protest seven-day ultimatum Francis Suberu

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undreds of residents living in various waterfronts in Lagos State Thursday staged a peaceful protest against the state government’s decision to issue a seven-day ultimatum to them, saying the slums are what they are because of bad government policies. The protesters who arrived the state secretariat around 10am carried placards with different inscriptions such as ‘Lagos mega city plan no be bible, no be Koran, na handout,’ ‘government policies created the slum,’ ‘demolish over 100 waterfront com-

munities and you destroy over 50,000 lives,’ among others.

A member of the Centre for the Defence of Human Rights in Democracy in Africa, Professor Maurice Fangnon, who joined the protest, said the agitation was against the xenophobic order of the government, asking the people to vacate their birth places without adequate provisions.

He said there was no truth in government claim that kidnappers are using the area to carry out kidnapping, adding that the people who live on the waterfront are law abiding citizens whose occupation are mainly fishing.

Also, Nigerian Slum/Informal Settlement Federation, another group that joined in the protest, in a letter demanded the immediate retraction of the ultimatum.

The group in the letter signed by the various heads of affected communities, called on government to approach the issue

through dialogue with the people.

It explained that waterfronts across Lagos State are home to hundreds of thousands of hardworking law-abiding citizens whose labour adds to the economic development of the state.

The protesters appealed to the state government to

reconsider its decision on the eviction, saying eviction does not make Lagos safe; rather it pushed the urban poor into deeper poverty through homelessness and loss of livelihood.

They said failure of government to reverse its decision would force the affected people to embark on a mass protest across

the state.

Special assistant to the governor on Civic Engagement, Mr. Taiwo Ayedun, who addressed the protesters, said the governor was out to attend to other state functions but assured them that their request would be communicated to the appropriate quarters.

FG flags off independent power supply to 40 varsities Kemi Olaitan IBADAN

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ederal Government, in conjunction with the German Energy Partnership Project, Thursday formally flagged off its independent power supply initiative to all 40 federal universities with a ground-breaking ceremony of a 10-mega watts solar power plant at the University of Ibadan.

Present at the ceremony were dignitaries from all walks of life, including the ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, Mr. Bernard Schlagheck; Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole who is also the immediate past vice chancellor of the university; sitting vice chancellor of the institution, Prof. Idowu Olayinka; as well as the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji Ajeogungunniso I, among others.

While performing the ceremony on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari at the Ajibode Extension location of the university, Minister of State for Education, Prof.

Anthony Gozie Anwukah, described the event as an historic occasion in the life of the university and the Nigerian nation, adding that it is in line with the national energy policy.

He said, “That the project is commencing at

the University of Ibadan should not surprise anyone. This is where the story of university education in Nigeria started and the fact that UI, with its huge staff and student population necessitated a corresponding high energy requirement which is in the region of six to eight mega watts.”

He said the Federal Government, in its bid to replicate the gesture to all the 40 federal universities in Nigeria, envisaged that this should be achieved through the utilisation of off-grid Independent Power Plants, IPPs, which falls under the public-private partnership initiative.

He stated that it was in this respect that the Federal Government, under the leadership of President Buhari, recently launched the Energizing Education Programme Initiative, EEPI, a collaborative effort of the Federal Ministry of Education and Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing to ensure self-sufficiency in power to all the 40 federal universities in the country.

According to him, the EEPI is aimed at providing reliable power supply which, in turn, would promote economic growth and sustainable development in the nation’s universities.

L-R: Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Isolo Unit Commander, ACC Hauwa Olowookere; Executive Director, Highway Digital, Fahmy Omar; FRSC Lagos Island Unit Commander ACC Sodiq Abdulrahman (host) and representative of Lagos Sector Commander, ACC G.K Hamzat, at the FRSC Lagos Island Unit Command sentitisation workshop on speed limit in Lagos, yesterday.

PHOTO:ADEMOLA AKINLABI

How Rickey Tarfa lied about his age –EFCC Wale Igbintade

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prosecution witness with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Tosin Owobo, Thursday told a Lagos high court how Rickey Tarfa (SAN) allegedly falsified his age.

Tarfa is standing trial before Justice A.A. Akintoye on a 27-count charge bordering on offering gratification to public officer, alleged failure to declare assets and false statement of age.

Owobo, an operative of the EFCC, stated that there were discrepancies in the age declaration that Tafar gave while answering questions at the commission’s office.

Owobo said in the course of investigation, the antigraft agency wrote letters to three banks - Zenith, Fidelity and GTB - requesting information on Tarfa’s account.

The witness said upon analysis of GTB’s response, it was discovered that Tarfa was born on February 23

1962, while he claimed to the commission that he was 43 years old.

The witness further told the court that the GTB account of the defendant was a domiciliary account into which he made two payments.

He said the defendant paid a cash sum of $10,000 into his GTB domiciliary account on November 21 2013 and also a deposit of cash in the sum of $10,000 into the same account on January 29, 2016.

However, Justice Akintoye adjourned the matter till today for continuation of trial.

At the last adjourned date, Owobo revealed how Tarfa allegedly paid money into the bank account of two federal High Court judges, adding that the EFCC wrote letters to Zenith and Fidelity banks, requesting information on Tarfa and Awa Ajia Nigeria Limited’s account.

He also said the responses showed that the signatory to the company’s account was a justice which was later found out to be Justice

Hyeladzira Nganjiwa.

The witness said this while being led in evidence by the counsel for the EFCC, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo.

Also featured in the statement of account was one Mohammed Nasir Yunusa, another judge of the Federal High Court.

The witness gave a breakdown of some transactions in the account linking Tarfa and the two judges from the statement of account received.

According to the witness, several payments were made into the account at different times by the defendant.

He further stated that a cheque of N835,000 was paid to Nganjiwa on October 3, 2014.

Also on December 23, 2014, he received N500,000 which was cleared from Tafar’s account. Another cash deposit of N1.5m was made into that account at Awa Ajia by Tafar.

He added that on October 27, 2015, a cash deposit of N1.5m was made into the account of H. A. Nganjiwa by Tafar.

On December 30, 2015, there was also a cash deposit of N500,000.

A cash deposit of N500,000

by Tafar was made to Awa Ajia Nig. Ltd. on January 8, 2016.

Owobo alleged that on November 30, 2015, there was a transfer from Hauwa Nig. Ltd. to Yunusa of N200,000, as well as on December 15, 2015,when a transaction of N500,000 was made to Yunusa.

He added: “On February 9, 2016, a transfer from Hauwa Nig. Ltd. to Yunusa, of N300,000 was made.

Also on transaction tickets which were issued to the bank with instructions which the account should be debited and credited, they discovered that the signature instructions were signed by Tafar.

Also found in the transaction history was Justice Yunusa of the Federal High Court. Owobo provided detailed information of transactions emanating from Mr. Tarfa to the two judges from the statement of account received.

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South West

Friday, October 14, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Cynthia: Court forecloses defendant’s right to file final address Wale Igbintade

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fter several delays in the ongoing trial of suspected killers of Cynthia Osokogu, a Lagos high court Thursday closed the right of the second defendant, Ezike Olisaeloka, to file his final written address.

The trial judge, Justice Olabisi Akinlade, said the order became necessary in the interest of justice and rule of law.

Cynthia Osokogu was murdered on July 22, 2012 at Cosmilla Hotel, Lakeview Estate, Festac Town, Lagos, by her Facebook lover.

The defendants are Okwumo Nwabufo, 33; Olisaeloka Ezike, 23; Orji Osita, 33, and Ezike Nonso, 25; they were accused of the murder.

The defendants are facing a six-count charge bordering on conspiracy, murder, stealing, reckless negligence and possession of stolen goods.

At the resumed hearing of the matter yesterday, Justice Akinlade, ordered the prosecution, Mrs. Bola Akinshete, to file her reply to final written addresses of the defendants.

The judge observed that the court has given enough time for the second defendant to file his

written address but despite several adjournments he has refused to do so.

Akinlade said: “I am not going to wait indefinitely for the second defendant’s counsel to file his final written address; it is on record that the court has given the second defendant several opportunities to file his written address since June 16, the last adjourned date; up till now he has been unable to file.

“It is obvious that the counsel is not ready to file his final written address. I hereby foreclose the right of the second defendant to file his final written address and order the prosecution to file her reply on the final written addresses.”

However the judge adjourned the case to December 8, for adoption of the final written addresses.

Earlier, the prosecution had urged the court to foreclose the right of the second defendant from filing his final written address to enable her file her reply on the defendants.

Akinshete said: “Since 16 June, 2016, despite the order of your lordship for the second defendant to file his final written address, he has refused to

file. I therefore urge your lordship to foreclose his right to file the address to enable us make progress in this matter.”

It will be recalled that Justice Akinlade at the last adjourned date - June

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address the challenges posed by water hyacinth, adding that same was in line with the strategic implementation of Lagos master plan for the waterways.

In her welcome remarks, Managing Director of Lagos State Waterways Authority, LASWA, Engr.

Abisola Kamson, said the commissioning was a dream come true as the machines would go a long way in eradicating the menace of water hyacinth on marine ecosystems of the state particularly the Ikorodu, Ajah, Badagry, Lagos Island, Oworonshoki, Mile 2 and Epe axes.

She said aside negatively affecting the socioeconomic activities of fishermen and inhabitants of the riverine communities, water hyacinth, which is a seasonal threat, had

The court had accused the defence counsel of intentionally delaying the case, which she said, is of interest to the public.

She said people always think that it is the court that is delaying

the matter, not knowing that it is the defendants’ counsel.

The prosecution said the 25-year-old Osokogu, who was resident in Abuja, was lured to Lagos, where she was killed.

Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, (second left), addressing farmers during an interface on Agric Development at Okomaje, Oja Oko in Otan-Ayegbaju, yesterday.

Court strikes out Catholic suit against Ekiti education levy Abiodun Nejo ADO EKITI

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n Ado Ekiti High Court Thursday struck out a case instituted by the Catholic

Ambode kicks off removal of water hyacinth from Lagos waterways agos State governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, Thursday begun the process of ridding the state’s waterways of debris and hyacinth, with a view to boosting water transportation and positively scaling up activities relating to waterways.

Speaking at the commissioning of two Water Hyacinth and Debris Removal Machines held at Ebute Ero Jetty, the governor said for a long time, hyacinth which is otherwise known as aquatic weed, had been a major source of concern with attendant challenges to the waterways sector.

The governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare, said the machines were purchased by his administration to frontally

8, 2016 - expressed displeasure over the delay of second defence counsel in filing his final written address and threatened to award a substantial cost to the second defendant over failure to file.

brought about damages to propulsion system of boats, thus affecting water transportation.

Giving technical insight to the workings of the machine, Kamson said it acts like an underwater lawn mower and cuts the vegetation, as well as collects and store weeds and debris, while it is fitted with a pick up conveyor at the forward end which can be lowered up to six feet deep into the water for effective cleaning of the waterways.

Besides, Kamson said arrangement had been concluded with the Ministry of Environment to increase monitoring activities with a view to ensuring that those who disrespect the waterways through dumping of waste, pollution, defecation and other illegal activities are made to face the wrath of the law.

Diocese of Ekiti against the state government for imposing education levies on pupils of private and public primary and secondary schools in the state.

The government had mandated pupils of primary schools to pay N500; while those in the secondary schools were levied N1,000 for the 2015/ 2016 academic session.

The action compelled the church, through its counsel, Barrister Clement Akingbade, to drag the government to court, saying such contradicted the 1979 Nigerian Constitution as amended and the Universal Basic Education Commission Law of 2004 which guaranteed free education to all pupils and students in both primary and secondary schools across the country.

The church had claimed that the state could not impose any education levy without a validly passed law by the state House of Assembly and therefore urged the court to declare the action unconstitutional.

But in a counter affidavit, the state government

urged the court to strike out the suit, saying it was statute barred since it was not filed within the three months stipulated by law.

The claimant said the collection of the levy took effect in December 2015 while the claimant went to court in April 2016, four months after.

The defendant had also argued that the claimant should have approached the court by way of writ of summons and not originating summons and therefore urged the court to strike out the case.

Justice Cornelius Akintayo, in his judgement, said he agreed with the claimant that the suit had a “cause of action” but agreed with the defendant that the claimant should have approached the court by way of writ of summons and not originating summons.

Justice Akintayo said since the issue involved convocation of an education summit which the claimant participated, there was need for both parties to have come to the court with witnesses

for cross-examination to determine the issue at stake.

The judge agreed with the defendant that the claimant did not file the suit within the three months stipulated by the law and thereby struck out the case.

He said while the defendant had commenced the collection of the levy since December 2015, the claimant filed the suit against the levy in April.

Reacting to the judgement, both Akingbade and counsel to the defendant, Barrister Lawrence Babatope Ojo, commended the judge for his decision.

Akingbade, in his reaction during an interview with journalists, said there was hope since the motion was not dismissed, adding that “there is opportunity to come back.”

He however reminded the government that the education tax imposed was only for October 2015 to July 2016 session.

He warned that “we may come back under another name if the government continues to tax students.”

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South East

Friday, October 14, 2016

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Customs impounds N1.95b worth of contraband goods C hris N joku OWERRI

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igeria Customs Service, NCS, Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone C, Owerri has recorded a total of 231 seizures of contraband items with Duty Paid Value, DPV, of N1,957,529,375 in the third quarter of the year.

This is in contrast to the 379 seizures with a DPV of N2,224,245,797 impounded in 2015.

Speaking to newsmen in Owerri, the Imo State capital, Customs Area Controller, Haruna Mamudu, said the underpayment of N548,700,997 recovered this year amounted to an increase in the percentage of revenue generated by NCS

in contrast to that of N105,207,807 underpayment recovered in 2015.

According to Haruna, 22 suspects were arrested in connection with the seizures. They were made on the Benin axis, A s a b a - A g b o r- O n i t s h a Expressway, Calabar, Enugu, Owerri and Port-Harcourt, while 16 cases are pending in court.

He stressed that the feat was successfully accomplished as a result of the renewed determination of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd.) to rid the country of all forms of illegal importation.

The Customs Area Controller enumerated the items impounded to include 121 vehicles, 3,082 bags of 50kg rice,

1,454 cartons/set of furniture, 5,120 pieces of used foreign tyres, 625 cartons of fake medicaments and 2,600 pieces of imported school bags.

Also seized were 63 containers of log of wood, 97 pieces of 14 -stroke engine generator, 30,181 cartons im-

ported frozen poultry products, 1,148 bales of second hand clothing as well as 2,331 cartons of foreign detergents and creams.

The rest of the items were 1,339 pairs of foot wears, 142 pieces of used refrigerators and compressors, 155 cartons of plastic and

articles of plastics, 129 cartons of ceramics and articles of ceramics in addition to 803 bags of scrap metals.

Haruna, who expressed concern at the continued indulgence of some Nigerians in the nefarious act of smuggling despite stiffer penalties for

culprits, said the NCS would remain resolute and undeterred in its efforts to stamp out the scourge.

He warned smugglers, who are still trapped in the illegal deals to leave the business before the long arm of the law catches up with them.

Police parade boy for raping, killing 65 years old woman I fe anyi A shikodi UMUAHIA

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olice in Abia State have arrested Samuel Okorie, 23, accused of killing a 65 years old woman, Mrs. Antonia Dike after raping her.

Okorie was among 24 suspects, who were paraded Thurday by the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Adeleye Oyebade, at Police Headquarters, Umuahia for involvement in various crimes such as car theft, kidnapping, ar med robbery and vandalism.

Oyebade, while parading the suspects, said Okorie belonged to a three member gang that specialised in robbing passengers on highways.

He was arrested on 1st of October at Lokpukwu, Umunneochi Local Gover nment Area, when he and his gang members waylaid a vehicle coming from Jos. Operating with pump action gun, they raped and steal from their victims, while Mrs. Dike was shot at close range. She died

on the spot.

Okorie admitted to the robbery and the killing of Mrs. Dike, adding that they were three friends that carried out the operation.

He said: “Na me drive the Okada; we stop the vehicle, I no rape anybody, I dey inside bush dey wait for my friends, I no follow rape, I agree say na we kill the woman.”

Oyebade said his men also arrested another three-man gang that had been terrorising residents of Okezie Street, Umungasi, Aba, based on a tip-off.

The robbers, he said, dispossessed residents of valuables, including a Sienna car with the registration number AFM 249.

He noted that the Sienna, belonging to one Tony Okoro, has been recovered and handed over to the owner.

Among those arrested is one Ukachukwu Franklyn Uzochukwu, a third year Political Science student of Nnamdi Azikiwi University Awka, Anambra State, and two others Uba Agala and Onyekachi Michael.

A medical team of the FRSC checking the blood pressure of a commercial driver during the commemoration of the 2016 World Sight Day organised by the Anambra chapter of Nigerian Optometric Association in collaboration with the FRSC and Drivers Welfare Association at Nkpor Motor Park near Onitsha in Anambra, yesterday. PHOTO:NAN

Umahi tasked NCC on adequate regulation of telecom providers A liuna Godwin ABAKALIKI

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bonyi State Governor, Chief David Umahi Thursday tasked Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, to ensure adequate regulation of the activities of telecom service providers to reduce the increasing challenges faced by the service users.

Umahi made this known while addressing NCC officials and telecom providers at the 79th edition of the Consumer Outreach Programme, which took place in Abakaliki, the state capital.

The governor represented by the deputy, Dr Kelechi Igwe said the programme with the theme: “Information and Education as a Catalyst for Consumers Protection”, would afford stakeholders in the

industry to discuss way forward and contribute to the nation’s economic revitalisation.

He stressed that Information Communication Technologies, ICT, is key to knowledgebased-economy and will advance the growth and development of Nigeria.

Umahi said the state government had established Ebonyi Infrastructure Maintenance Compliance Agency, EBIMCA, and as well trained over 2,000 youths and teachers on ICT. “If the NCC as the ombudsman could properly regulate unsolicited text messages, ring tunes and arbitrary reductions of monies by service providers from users, it will be a catalyst for economic growth,” he stated.

The governor expressed dismay over the way and manner service providers treats their customers, most often

without apology, which he said poses great consequences to the growth of the industry.

He blamed ignorance on the part of the consumers for the alleged misconducts of service providers and expressed optimism that the gathering would address some of the issues affecting telecom consumers.

“So, I think that these complaints are what NCC as a body has to look at with a view to encouraging the service providers to resolve the issues,” he stressed.

The governor also tasked NCC to initiate special programmes for Nigerian students, especially those in tertiary institutions as well as open ICT Centres in Ebonyi State as in other states.

Earlier in a remark, Director, Consumer Affairs Bureau in NCC, Abdullahi Maikano rep-

resented by his deputy, Joseph Atoyebi said the commission has identified consumer education as one of the most-effective mechanism that provides and guarantees consumer protection.

He stated that telecoms consumers are well protected, informed and educated.

He added that the commission has developed series of initiatives with the goal of empowering consumers with appropriate information that will ensure that their rights are not only protected but services provided is commiserate with the value for money.

He further stressed that the commission recognises that the rights of every telecoms consumer must be protected and one of the fundamental rights of the telecom consumer is the right to be informed and educated.

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South South

Friday, October 14, 2016

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Stop destroying illegal refineries, lawmaker tells FG

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member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma, said rather than destroy illegal refineries in the Niger Delta, Federal Government should license and regulate them.

He told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Abuja Thursday that government should leverage on the skills of operators of the refineries to develop small outlets for refining crude oil for domestic use.

Agbonayinma who represents Egor/Ikpoba-

Okha Constituency of Edo State, said his advice to government became necessary following failure of persons given licenses to build refineries by previous administrations, to do so.

He also said it was because of the inability of government to fix existing refineries that had resorted to sustained importation of petroleum products.

He said the number of illegal refineries being destroyed and the rate at which they resurfaced was evidence that

the operators had some engineering skills that government should harness.

According to him, rather than destroying the so-called illegal refineries, government through the Ministry of Niger Delta, NDDC and Amnesty Programme should bring together the youths engaging in the illegal refinery and harness their technology.

He said the activities of Niger Delta youths were not the major cause of the low oil production

or its availability in sufficient quantity.

According to him, contrary to the claims by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, multinational companies which collude with some elite in the country to siphon Nigerian crude through the back door are the major problem.

“The NNPC is crying here that Niger Delta militants or avengers are the problem, whereas the real problems are multinationals that are the

core and real avengers.

“Go to the Niger Delta area and see the pollution and the degradation; the farmers can no longer farm, the fishermen can no longer fish, so the youth resort to ingenuity of refining crude which the NNPC has failed to do.

“The refineries are not working because NNPC has refused to solve the problem or fix them.

“They have a reason for not fixing them; they refuse to fix them because of their own self-

ish gains,’’ the lawmaker said.

Agboniyanma said it was only Nigerians that could help to put a stop to the stealing of the country’s crude oil.

The lawmaker also advised Nigeria to emulate the United Arab Emirate in the use of its oil sector for national development.

Agbonayinma said Nigeria could also negotiate with its oil for a period of four or eight years contract to develop the county.

Navy intercepts barge with stolen 120,000 litres of crude oil

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igerian Navy has intercepted a large metallic barge transporting about 120,000 litres of crude oil suspected to have been stolen from pipelines in Rivers State.

Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Naval Command, Rear Admiral James Oluwole, announced the seizure Thursday while inspecting the barge at Elem Kalabari, Akuku Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Oluwole said the barge was intercepted in the early hours of Wednesday by troops manning its house boat in the area.

“Naval troops manning our maritime security stations (house boat) on Wednesday, around 2a.m. intercepted and impounded a metallic barge laden with about 120,000 litres of crude oil suspected to be stolen.

“Troops were unable to arrest crew members on board the barge as they fled the scene on sighting advancing naval gunboats.

“This interception is a testament to the success of our choke point strategy which involves positioning of troops on flash points for quick response to situations.

“This strategy and other security measures recently put in place curtailed the spate of attacks on oil and gas installations, piracy and other criminality on our maritime environment,” he said.

Oluwole said more house boats and other military hardware would be

deployed to ensure drastic reduction in oil theft, especially on the Eastern Naval Command, ENC, area of responsibility.

He said four house boats had already been deployed with three positioned under the Central Naval Command Headquarters in Bayelsa State.

Oluwole said five house boats had so far been deployed within the command’s domain.

He said one of the house boats had been deployed to the ENC which enabled troops to identify routes used by illegal oil thieves to transport stolen petroleum products from the creeks.

Also speaking, the Commander of the Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS Pathfinder Port Harcourt, Commodore Kennedy Egbuchulam, said troops were specially trained to reduce the rising spate of attacks on oil and gas installations.

Egbuchulam, whose troops intercepted the barge, said advanced surveillance and tracking systems had been positioned to ensure effective coverage of the creeks and waterways.

“Aside the house boats, gunboats in their numbers patrol the areas day and night, using sophisticated surveillance system to spot illegalities on our maritime environment.

“Without the surveillance system, it would have been near impossible to spot the barge as it was highly disguised due to the darkness of the night,” he said.

Alaska group performing spiritual rites towards the ascendency of the new Oba of Benin to the throne.

Obaseki has nothing to settle with Ize-Iyamu, group tells Okunbor

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enin Progressive Front said Edo State governorelect, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has no rift to settle with the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Pastor Osagie IzeIyamu, in the September 28 gubernatorial election.

The socio-cultural group, in a statement signed by Mr. Osato Imadiyi, while reacting to a media report by a Bini-born billionaire, Captain Hosa Okunbor, calling on the governor-elect, Mr. Obaseki and Pastor IzeIyamu to close ranks in the interest of the Binis, said: “Mr. Hosa Okunbor should channel his energies at prevailing on Ize-Iyamu to withdraw his petition from the election petition tribunal because Obaseki has no personal rift to settle with

him, except on electoral matters.

It would be recalled that Okunbor said that “both candidates belong to me.

Pastor Ize-Iyamu is my very good friend; Obaseki is my family member; so both of them are my own. But I will not want to speak much about the election because as you know, I am no longer into partisan politics. I am now an elder statesman.

So, I just want the best and peace for the state.

“If that be the case, as an elder statesman Captain Okunbor should not be seen to be making political comments in the media.

“Rather, he should advise the PDP candidate to gallantly accept defeat as that is the honourable thing to do. There is nothing to reconcile! To close ranks, according to Okunbor is

to unite towards fighting a common course but IzeIyamu and Obaseki do not share any common course to pursue either as individuals or as representatives of their political parties.

“Even the Bini interest in question can hardly be said to be a common denominator to them as the Lucky Igbinedion regime which Ize-Iyamu was an integral part of, did not only fail to execute any meaningful projects in any part of Biniland, but also continuously disrespected, derided and denied the Oba his statutory allocations.

“What then can be adjudged as Bini interest in a man whose regime perpetually rivaled the palace which stands as the foremost symbol of Bini glorious history and present interest?

“On the other hand, even the blind can see the giant developmental strides wrought in Biniland by the Governor Adams Oshiomhole administration of which Obaseki was the brain box.

“The same Oshiomhole regime restored to the palace, all the statutory allocations denied it by the rapacious Lucky Igbinedion/ Ize-Iyamu administration.

“One wishes that Capt.

Okunbor had explained in detail what exactly he meant by ‘a Bini interest’ which Ize-Iyamu shares with Obaseki because the issue at stake here is Obaseki’s well earned electoral victory as against the inordinate ambition of Ize-Iyamu which Okunbor should prevail on him to withdraw from court.”

Friday, October 14, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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Politics

Forgery charges: CACOL condemns withdrawal of cases against Saraki, Ekweremadu Stories By Ayo Esan

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he Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, CACOL has said the recent withdrawal of the forgery charges against the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki and his Deputy,

Senator Ike Ekweremadu represents an embarrassment to the anti-corruption drive and its crusaders who have cheered the government on the crackdown on corrupt public officials and other persons found culpable in sharp practices thus far in the view of the foremost anti-

Osun Assembly advocates synergy on child protection

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sun State House of Assembly under the leadership of the Speaker, Honourable Najeem Salaam has called for synergy among stakeholders working on protection of girl - child to ensure their proper upbringing.

The Assembly made the call in a statement signed by the Chairman, House Committee on Information and Strategy, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, on the celebration of International Day of the Girl Child.

The parliament noted that efforts must be intensified to put a stop to flimsy arrangement that allows for loopholes in the matter that affects the girl child, saying, every girl child deserves balanced nutrition, affection, healthcare and quality education.

Stressing the need for collaborations among players such as Ministry of Women Affairs, Social Welfare, NGO, and faith based community organizations, the Assembly stated that child rescue operations from the claws of predators should not be left to NGO’s alone, but all residents in the community.

It also called for proper documentation of cases and enforcement of existing laws on offenders to serve as deterrent to others.

The parliament further advocated the need for leaders of thought to provide springboard for affirmative action against individuals or group who abuse children either by denying them education, inflicting assault on them physically, engaging them in street hawking, traffick-

ing and sexual abuse.

According to the Assembly, it was in recognition of the need to protect the Girl Child that Osun State Girl Child Marriage (Prohibition) Law, 2004, and Child Right Law, 2007 were passed in the best interest of the Child.

It specifically charged parents and guardians to step up their games as they were morally obliged to provide the first line of protection for their children.

“Child abuse is the mental, sexual or physical assault of a child either by the parents or guardians.

Child abuse, in whatever form, is a violation of the right of a child and it must be condemned by all.”

The legislature added that synergy among different organizations would fast track social development and re-integration especially of rescued child.

corruption crusader.

The Executive Chairman of CACOL, Mr. Debo Adeniran at an interview session with the media posited that there are political undertones to the forgery charges.

He opined that if there were no political undertones to the forgery cases against Saraki and his deputy, then they should have been willing to prove their innocence judicially and they can in turn sue the government for defamation of character and other damages if found not-guilty.

“It leaves a lot of doubts in the minds of the majority in terms of what could happen to the pending

corruption cases against Bukola Saraki with the withdrawal of the criminals charges bordering on forgery leveled against him by the Federal government. Most people expected the present government would do things differently and that the days of ‘nulle prosecute’ would be over where politically exposed persons indicted for corruption charges are concerned. It is indeed a negative signal,” he said.

With regard to the DSS arrest of some suspected Judges, the CACOL Leader believes that this was one of the very strong reasons the people voted for the ‘change manifesto’

because it was expected for the Buhari administration to do things differently from the last administration.

“There is nobody that is above the law, even the President, his Deputy and governors’ immunity lapse when they leave office. There is absolutely no part of the constitution that bestows immunity from investigations, probes, arrests and prosecution on Judges. All the hue and cry from quarters only panders corruption at the end fundamentally.

The DSS had explained that what it carried out was a ‘sting operation’, it means the operation

was under-cover, discreet or clandestine, that is what people need to understand.”

On procedure, method and rule of law in relation to the arrest, Adeniran stated, “Section 149 (1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) permits the law enforcement agencies to employ the manner of approach they did to arrest those allegedly corrupt judges.”

He also noted that the worse scenario for democratic principles, norms and values is a situation whereby the judiciary cannot be relied upon to deliver justice.

President, Africa Women Lawyers Association (AWLA), Nigeria, Mrs. Mandy Demechi-Asagba (left) presenting gift to the Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa during AWLA members’ visit to Obasa in Lagos on Wednesday.

Assembly to investigate Kwara Hotels over non–payment of staff salaries

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he Kwara State House of Assembly has directed its joint Committees on Public Accounts/Finance and Appropriation/Commerce, Industry and Cooperative to investigate the alleged mismanagement leading to non - payment of salaries of Staff of Kwara Hotels for six months.

The House took the decision in its sitting following a Matter of General Public Importance raised by a member represent-

ing Omupo Constituency, Hon. Moshood Bakare.

The Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Ahmad Ali while mandating the joint Committees to look into the book of the Hotel, noted with displeasure that the Kwara Hotels Limited which used to be the pride of the State had lost its glory due to alleged mismanagement thereby necessitating the spring up of mushroom hotels within Ilorin metropolis.

He said the Joint Committees of the House

should look into the causes of the dwindling fortunes of the Hotels and report its findings to the House in two weeks time.

Dr Ahmad Ali equally enjoined IF-K to invest its fund in ventures like Kwara Hotels to further improve the Internally Generated Revenue of the State.

Earlier, Hon . Bakare had while raising a Matter of General Public Importance disclosed that staffers of the Hotel had not been paid for six

months, due to alleged mismanagement of funds by the hierarchy of the hotel.

He therefore urged the House to wade in with a view to restoring the glory of the Hotels and ameliorate the plight of its workforce that had not been paid for months.

The Legislator, later updated members that Harmony Holdings had last night took over the management of the hotels but the House resolved that the joint committees should go ahead

with the investigation.

The House has also confirmed the appointment of Alhaji Mohammed A.Katsina as the new Clerk of the State House of Assembly, following his deployment by the State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed from the State Ministry of Energy.

The House unanimously confirmed his appointment following a motion without notice raised by the House leader, Hon. Hassan Oyeleke.

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Politics

Friday, October 14, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Nigeria not a total failure at 56 —Isong Dr Emmah Isong is a financial expert by training. He is also a clergyman noted for making prophesies that usually come to pass.

In this interview, Isong said that Nigeria will get out of its present economic woe given the fact that the country was tilting toward diversification of the economy. He stressed that the robust agricultural programmes being initiated by the federal and state governments, industrialisation and robust transport sector is enough pointer that government is willing to walk out of recession.

RICHARD NDOMA brings excerpts.

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igeria is currently facing economic recession, what do you think is the way forward?

Number one, with the little God has blessed us with we should thank God and that’s what the Government of Cross River State has done.

Secondly the rich should try and help the poor, if we can be our brothers’ keepers this recession will not last, it’s about living and let’s live. If every Nigerian develop that character of depending

Marcus Fatunmole ABUJA

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ll Progressives Congress, APC, National Chairman, Chief John OdigieOyegun, Thursday said it would be a daunting task for the party to win the next month gubernatorial poll in Ondo State.

This is even as the party on Thursday set up a campaign committee for the election.

Candidate of the APC, Rotimi Akeredolu, however derided one of the aggrieved aspirants for the party’s ticket, Olusola Oke, for failing to join hands with him to oust the incumbent Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state, but joined the Alliance for Democracy, AD, as its flag-bearer.

He said Oke would in no way constitute threat to his party’s bid to win in the state.

While inaugurating the election campaign com-

You are noted for making prophesy and such prophesies coming to manifest. Let us take for instance, two years ago, you made a prophesy that the world was going to experience a hand washing culture, behold Ebola came and people were advised by health experts around the world to be washing their hands with sanitizer. As they go about their normal businesses now, what is in the offing?

Two years ago on December 31 when former governor Liyel Imoke was in power, I spoke publicly and boldly about this man, the Moses that was coming to divide the earth for Cross River to enter.

I talked about the agricultural sector, transportation and indusralization sector and I spoke very boldly, on 31 December 2014, Gov.Liyel Imoke was still in government and I did said that a northerner is going to succeed Liyel. I thank God that it came to pass and today I have been vindicated. Prophesy will come to pass. But in front of the governor who benefitted from that prophesy it has come to pass.

Ntoh on government and until international organisations look at our shoulders and find out who has not eaten, whose child is thrown out of school, we can go very far in this kind of recession.

The government of Cross River State has organised prayers for the state, how do you feel about that?

We are very elated and excited. I tell you the entire body of Christ, in the hands of the ministers the government confessed today, and said ministers of God take over the land and advised us and pray for us. And that is the greatest thing any government can do and Governor Ben Ayade - led government has shown the way to other state gov-

ernments and federal government to follow. They are saying, God is the answer to this thing that we are going through and they are the ones wearing the shoes, they know where it pinches and pains.

And if you read the Bible, prophets work alongside with kings, so what the government has simply said through his Excellency ,the governor’s representative, his deputy governor, his exco and the entire government of Cross River State, is that God, take control. It was not about Emma Isong rather it was all about God take control. We hand over the state to God and we are saying watch out, you will see Cross River State expand, explode and flourished.

Nigeria is now 56, how would you assess Nigeria at 56?

At 56,Nigeria has gone very far. I defer from people who have pessimistic opinion about this country, Nigeria has gone very far. We simply made political and economic blunder that we seem to be paying for today. We did not do enough reserve, not do enough investment in basic infrastructure, our projects were wide elephant projects that did not benefit the common man. Nigeria now is not only diversifying in economic sector but also diversifying politically. We are beginning to see that elections should end so that governance will start. We are beginning to see that our voting system, electoral process should not only become free and fair but it should also have critical impact on the voters. I believed that Nigeria at 56 has gone a long way, of course many years of uninterrupted democracy.

The seeming peaceful environment that we had enjoy and of course skirmishes that we have in the Niger Delta and in the North East we can still say that Nigeria is better than several other African countries who perhaps are at the same level with us.

Winning Ondo ‘ll be difficult for APC Oyegun ... as party inaugurates campaign committee

mittee, Odigie - Oyegun said recent controversy that trailed the conduct of the party’s primary in Ondo State would make winning for the APC challenging, adding that the party would have to redouble efforts to enable it clinch victory at the poll.

His words: “I call it challenging because of the special circumstances that has brought us to this point today. Otherwise, Ondo state is ripe for the taking and added to the APC progressive family.

The challenge I am passing on to you today is the obvious challenge that arose at the primary. But I trust that you and your team will overcome those difficulties and deliver Ondo tongue APC family.”

Speaking with correspondents at the party’s National Secretariat in

Abuja after the inauguration, Akeredolu said: “Olusola Oke is not a threat to us. I mean if he chose to contest under a dead party, that is his

choice, there is nothing anybody can do about that but that is a threat is not possible. The dead does not threaten the living. We are a life party,

in APC we don’t fear any threat , we know that the contest probably might be between us and the PDP. “So we are sure footed in this election. So what we are saying is that our members who are aggrieved we have worked

though tirelessly to make sure all of us would work together as one if you talk about somebody like Senator Boroffice, he was one of those who filed petition as I am talking to you he is with us.

ing from the primaries as well as the way out.

“At all of those times, we were united on the fact that Ondo state people need help. And that public interest must at all times be above personal desires.

“It is therefore in the light of all these as well as the utmost desire to protect, preserve and develop our party that I Professor Robert Ajayi Boroffice wish to announce to you and all Nigerians today that I accept the decision of our party’s NWC affirming Mr. Oluwarotimi

Akeredolu (SAN) as the Ondo state APC Governorship candidate for the November 2016 elections.

My supporters and I view, accept and congratulate him as our party’s flagbearer.

“We will work with him and for him totally and patriotically to ensure victory for our party at the elections. This reconciliation is total and unconditional. Our party is supreme, discipline and integrity is supreme just as the voice of the people is,” he stated.

Boroffice supports Akeredolu’s candidature Robert Awokuse

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head of the Ondo State governorship election scheduled for next month, the All Progressives Congress, APC aspirant, Ajayi Boroffice , who lost the primaries has thrown his weight behind the party’s flagbearer, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.

Boroffice said although the primaries that saw the emergence of Akeredolu as the party’s governorship candidate was faulted by him and some

aggrieved aspirants, he however decided to concede defeat following the reconciliation effort put up by Akeredolu, the National Working Committee and in the best interest of the party.

He said: “Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN, his team and I and mine have met a couple of times after the primaries. We have been discussing our differences. Other great leaders of this party have also interacted with me and we have shared ideas about the issues emanat-

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Friday, October 14, 2016

Mother Teresa and her journey to sainthood Sunday Onyemaechi Eze

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ast September 4, all roads led to St. Peter’s Square, Vatican City where His Holiness, Pope Francis, after due consideration by the Catholic Church, proclaimed Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, famously known as Mother Theresa of Calcutta, a Saint. “After due deliberation and frequent prayer for divine assistance, and having sought the counsel of many of our brother bishops, we declare and define Blessed Teresa of Calcutta to be a saint, and we enroll her among the saints, decreeing that she is to be venerated as such by the whole church,” Pope Francis said in Latin.

An honour exclusively reserved for those who uniquely served God and humanity with their all; and the price for those who according to Saint Paul in 2 Tim 4: 22, “have fought the good fight, have finished the race and have kept faith.” No doubt this world acclaimed papal proclamation came on the heels of her good fight, a good race and a wellkept faith here on earth. Even before her demise, she had already carved a niche and earned herself that sobriquet with a dint of her diligence, perseverance and dedication. The world only waited for her transition for that to be accomplished. It was a solemn gathering of the faithful with the hosts of heavenly powers in attendance.

Mother Teresa gave hope to the hopeless, voice to the voiceless and life to the even the ‘lifeless.’ Her works of charity, love for the poor resonates throughout the world and cut across all colours, race, ethnic and religious divides. Her service to humanity broke down barriers and immensely opened up unimaginable frontiers. The lives and times of Mother Theresa was characterised by her unrelentless and unreserved life of giving.

Mother Teresa was born on 26 August, 1910 in Skopje (now capital of the Republic of Macedonia), but then part of the Kosovo Vilayet in the Ottoman Empire.

After having lived in Macedonia for eighteen years, she moved to Ireland and then to India, where she lived for most of her life. At the age of 18 she set out to become a catholic nun by taking up the cross of Christ, as she forsook the pleasures of the world to serve God and humanity. She joined the congregation of Sisters of Loreto in Dublin, Ireland where she adopted the name Sister Mary Teresa after Saint Thérèse of Lisieux.

In May 1931, Sister Mary Teresa moved to Darjeeling, India, for her novitiate period and afterwards she was sentto Calcutta, where she was assigned to teach at Saint Mary’s High School for girls, dedicated to teaching girls from the city’s poorest Bengali families. On May 24, 1937, after taking her final Profession of Vows to a life of poverty, chastity and obedience, she took on the title of Mother Tere-

Mother Teresa gave hope to the hopeless,

voice to the voiceless and life to the even the ‘lifeless’

sa. Through her kindness, generosity and unfailing commitment to her students’ education, she sought to lead them to a life of devotion to Christ. “Give me the strength to be ever the light of their lives, so that I may lead them at last to you,” she wrote in prayer about her students.

She taught in India for 17 years before she experienced a “new calling” in 1946 to devote herself to caring for the sick and poor. The school took off in an open space while the established home for the dying destitute came up in a dilapidated building she convinced the city government to donate to her cause.

She was the founder of the Order of the Missionaries of Charity, a Roman Catholic congregation of women dedicated to helping the poor. In October 1950, she won canonical recognition for the new congregation, which she founded with only a handful of members, most of them former teachers or pupils from St. Mary’s School. Her order established a hospice, centers for the blind, aged and the disabled. In 1971, Mother Teresa opened her first American-based house

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of charity in New York City. And in the summer of 1982, she secretly went to Beirut, Lebanon, where she crossed between Christian East Beirut and Muslim West Beirut to aid children of both faiths.

While there, she also opened Gift of Love, a home to care for those infected with HIV/AIDS. The charity was considered one of the greatest humanitarians of the 20th century. Over the course of the 1950s and 1960s, she established a leper colony, an orphanage, a nursing home, a family clinic and a string of mobile health clinics. By the time of her death in 1997, the Missionaries of Charity numbered more than 4,000 in addition to thousands more lay volunteers with 610 foundations in 123 countries around the world.

She was awarded the Jewel of India, the highest honor bestowed on Indian civilians, as well as the now-defunct Soviet Union’s Gold Medal of the Soviet Peace Committee. In 1979, Mother Teresa won the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her work “in bringing help to suffering humanity.” She died in September 1997 and was beatified in October 2003.

On December 17, 2015, Pope Francis issued a decree which recognised a second miracle attributed to Mother Teresa, paving the way for her to be canonised as a saint of the Roman Catholic Church.

Eze, a media and communications specialist is the publisher of thenewinsightng.blogspot.com.

Of confidentiality of patients, court and medical doctor

Victor Ifedayo A dekeye

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he medical practice is built on the express and implied trust between the medical practitioner and the patient, which allows the patient the confidence to disclose private and sensitive information about him/ her with the assurance that such information will be kept in confide by the medical practitioner. This trust plays an important role in medical practice, as the absence of it might lead to the concealing of information by patients; and this will subsequently lead to a detrimental or ineffective treatment of such patient thereby defeating the sole purpose of the practice of medicine.

The expediency of this trust has led to various medical ethical codes that guarantee the right of medical confidentiality to every patient in a medical practitioner-patient relationship.

In a definitive mood, medical confidentiality is the ethical principle that obligates medical practitioner to keep in confides and secret, information or data obtained in the course of treating a patient and not disclosing same under any circumstances except those allowed by law. This confidentiality duty runs throughout the lifetime of the patient and even after the death of such patient as any disclosure after death will amount to a breach of ethics in which action can be taken up by the beneficiaries to the deceased estate. It is also important to mention that the

The medical practitioner is legally bound to obey the court order on subpoena and give evidence as ordered by the court information protected by confidentiality is constrained to information received in the course of treatment and related to such treatment but not to those obtained outside the purview of treating such patient or disclosed to the medical practitioner when he is not acting in his professional capacity.

Medical confidentiality is not absolute as there are exceptions where medical practitioners are allowed to disclose sensitive information obtained during the process of treating a patient. These exceptions include but are not to disclosure to prevent harm to third party, disclosure to prevent crime, disclosure to protect public interest, disclosure at the request of a public authority and many more. The interest in this piece is focused on the disclosure requested by the court; and that will be the main thus of this piece.

The law court in the performance of its judicial duties has the power to compel the attendance of a medical practitioner who has within his knowledge facts and information about a patient to give evidence as witness in court if

such information will play an important role in doing justice and settling the disputes before it. The mode of bringing a witness to court is through a legal instrument called subpoena in which the witness is invited to give evidence about facts within his knowledge before a judicial siting. The medical practitioner can be brought to court either to give evidence (subpoena testificandum) or to produce a document or tangible evidence which was obtained in the course of treating the patient such as the medical record (subpoena duces tecum).

When this subpoena is received, it becomes germane for the medical practitioner to appear in court on the stated date as the failure to do so amounts to a contempt of court which is punishable therefore. At the receipt of this subpoena, the medical practitioner should contact the patient, inform him/her of the receipt of such subpoena and advise that the services of a legal practitioner should be obtained who will thereafter make ample legal attempts to protect the medical practitioner from giving such evidence on the basis of medical confidentiality or it irrelevancy. Admissibility of evidence in court is governed by relevancy and despite the expedient nature of medical confidentiality, if the evidence is relevant to the proceeding, the court has the power to bypass the confidentiality protection and order that such information be divulged to the court. However, the

burden of proving to the court that the information within the confines of the knowledge of medical practitioner is relevant to the case is on the party seeking to use such information as evidence in court.

However if the court fails to vacate the subpoena, the medical practitioner is legally bound to obey the court order on subpoena and give evidence as ordered by the court. If the medical practitioner is subpoenaed testificandum, he can be cross-examined but if subpoenaed duces tecum, he cannot be cross examined as he is only in court to produce tangible evidence.

It is important to state that this disclosure by the medical practitioner should be restricted to the information needed/ requested by the court and the court order should not be used as an instrument of full disclosure wherein the medical practitioner will disclose all the sensitive information disclosed to him by the patient. Any information disclosed in excess of the court’s requested information constitutes a breach of medical confidentiality in which the patient can subsequently claim damages.

Adekeye is a Lagos-based medical law practitioner 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 clearly marked as such.

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Friday, October 14, 2016

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Lagos Assembly seeks introduction of Yoruba for SEC meetings Patrick Okohue

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he Lagos State House of Assembly has called on the state governor, Akinwunmi Ambode to introduce the use of Yoruba language in conducting proceedings once in a month at the State Executive Council meetings, as part of move to prevent the extinction of the Yoruba Language in the state.

This was the centrepoint of a motion presented during plenary

yesterday by a member of the House, Hon. Olanrewaju Ogunyemi.

The lawmaker noted that when that happens it will encourage other persons to be more serious in the use of the language and help to encourage more usage.

It was also suggested that the state governor should direct the state Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture to set aside a day annually in Lagos State for the purpose of celebrating Yoruba, Arts and Culture Day with a

view to propagating the use of the Language as a means of communication and transaction.

The sponsor of the motion, Hon. Ogunyemi added that the governor should direct the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General to cause the State Law Reform Commission to commence the process of translating all existing laws of the state into Yoruba Language as stated in section 9 (4) of the Laws of Lagos State 2015.

According to him, the

commission will simplify and modify laws by making the laws clearer and more accessible by changing the language to enable the general public understand their rights and obligations.

“We should adopt Yoruba Language as a medium of conducting proceedings once in a month at the Executive Council meeting of the state.

“Mandate the Committee on Education and Egbe Akomolede Ijinle Yoruba to organise a Lagos State House

of Assembly sponsored quiz competition in Yoruba for Junior and Senior Secondary Schools in which overall winner will be honoured as One-Day Speaker with other winners from the state constituencies appearing as Honourable members in the hallowed chamber of the House,” he said.

It was also suggested in the motion that the Lagos State House of Assembly should spon-

… confirms Zubair as new LIRS chairman Patrick Okohue

T

Cuban Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Carlos Sosa and Governor of Nasarawa State, Tanko Al-Makura during the Ambassador’s visit to Government House in Lafia, yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

he Lagos State House of Assembly yesterday confirmed Ayodele Zubair as the Chairman Lagos State Internal Revenue Service, LIRS. The state governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode had sent Zubair’s name to the House for approval as the new LIRS boss.

Born in 1960, Zubaircould be regarded as a thorough bred accountant whose grandfather and father were professional accountants.

Zubair who is a graduate of Accounting from

Infrastructure Fund: KWHA urges Ahmed to comply with relevant laws

T

he Kwara State House of Assembly has called on Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed to comply with the requirements of the relevant laws on the establishment of Kwara State Infrastructure Fund (IFK).

The house made the call in its resolutions while considering the request of the governor on notification to establish the State Infrastructure Fund (IF-K) for the execution of capital projects under the Public Private Partnership structure.

The Speaker, Dr. Ali Ahmad while reading the resolutions said adherence to the relevant laws was necessary to ensure that the operation of IF-K is in compliance with the law establishing it.

He also urged the Governor to ensure that qualifications of scheme’s Director- General and

Chairman of the Board were also in compliance with the laws establishing the IF-K. The House also enjoined the Governor not to appoint any of his personal aides as Chairman or Director-General of the new scheme.

The legislature equally urged Governor Ahmed to ensure geographical spread of the Board members to ensure equity and fairness in its operations.

It however approved the letter of the Governor dated 13th of October 2016, withdrawing the letter of notification to establish the State Infrastructure Fund(IF-K) before the legislature to enable government implement the resolutions of the House on the establishment of IF-K. Meanwhile, the State House of Assembly has commended the Senate President, Dr. Bukola

Saraki for ensuring the reconstruction of IdiIgba-Alfa Yahaya road as approved in this year’s State Government budget .

This follow a Motion Without Notice by a member representing Ilorin North West Constituency, Hon. Abdulrafiu Abdulrahman on the commencement of work on the road project.

The legislature called on the state government to expend the earlier allocated fund in this year’s state budget on other roads within his constituency.

The House also directed its Committee on Energy, Works and Transport to invite the state Commissioner for Works and Transport, Alhaji Tajudeen Aro Yahyah to

sor a Yearly Award for the Best Yoruba Author; and the Best Yoruba Essayist among Lagos State Tertiary Institutions.

Ogunyemi also stated that prizes should be presented to best students in Yoruba Language in the yearly Junior Secondary School Certificate Examination (JSSCE) and Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE).

brief the House on the current status of Kaiama-Kisi road, to address the hardship facing by road users.

It also called on the state Government to fast track the release of N600 million approved by the Federal Government for the road and deploy same on the project to ensure its early completion.

Manchester Polytechnic worked for five years at Price water House before he later became one of the directors at his father’s firm, Hamzat Zubair Folami & Co. He is a fellow of some professional bodies in the country among which are Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICAN) and Institute of Taxation.

The new LIRS boss also told the lawmakers before his confirmation that he had worked as one of the pioneer directors at the state Lottery Board.

He promised to bring a new list of transformations to raise tax collection in the state, saying through computerization and collaboration, better results would be enhanced.

He added that his administration would beam his searchlight more on informal sector by incorporating them into the tax net of the state.

According to him, “informal sector is very significant for effective tax collection. We shall, for a start introduce presumptive tax at the informal sector and through this, we shall subsequently get additional information to raise more revenue.

Ministry cautions officials over fraudulent activities

T

he Ministry of Mines and Steel Development has reiterated its commitment and determination to plug all revenue leakages and improve revenue generation from the mining sector.

The assurance came against the back drop

of criminal activities of some officials of the ministry which was uncovered recently by the underground taskforce team set up by the ministry for that purpose.

The suspects have now been handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC for further investi-

gation.

To this end, the ministry has issued a stern warning to all concerned, especially perpetrators of illegal mining activities and their collaborators, within the industry and outside, that acts capable of jeopardizing the economic diversification efforts of Government

will be met with stiff penalties.

It warns that criminal activities bordering on revenue diversion, under-payment, underassessment and underreporting will be treated as economic sabotage and perpetrators would be visited with the full weight of the law.

17

Mail Mirror

Friday, October 14, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Gov. Ajimobi should read this

I Nigeria at 56: Hope not lost

L

ast Saturday, Nigerians celebrated the 56th anniversary of the independence of their country. We may not be where we ought to be, but there is hope for the country; we just need to chart a new course in our developmental agenda.

The current economic crisis in the country presents us with a great opportunity to start afresh. Over the years, we relied only on crude oil, which made our people lazy. As a result, we forgot agriculture, which we built the early years of our nationhood around. Then, we had cocoa in the West, groundnut and cotton in the North, palm oil in the East; and the Nigerian economy was thriving. In fact, there was a time Nigeria was the world’s largest exporter of cocoa. The biggest mistake we made was losing focus on developing through agriculture, as a result of the new focus on crude oil. Today, that crude oil that took away agriculture from us is now a curse to us.

We had over-relied on the black gold, and its crash in the global oil market has brought us nothing but economic woes.

However, I believe that we can still retrace our steps and return to agriculture. In fact, we have no choice than to return to agriculture. It is often said that agriculture is the largest employer of labour in the country, and it can absorb all unemployed people. So, if this is the case, why don’t we reorganise this sector to our advantage. We can begin to work towards overcoming Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana as the world’s largest exporter of cocoa; we can develop our cashew industry, thereby becoming one of the biggest cashew exporting countries in the world.

Therefore, as Nigeria celebrates its 56th independence anniversary, we should not lose hope, but believe that with more hard work, we can achieve our dream for a better country. We should see the opportunities in the challenges we are facing at the moment to restrategise on the right path to follow, which is unarguably agriculture.

Edwin Onome, Ikeja, Lagos

Letters to the Editor

owe it a social responsibility to draw the attention of Governor Abiola Ajimobi to one indigene of Oyo State in dire need and find a way to rescue him from his predicament.

Such a timely gubernatorial help would transform his life.

He is 18 years old Abiodun Adegoke with a height of 7 feet, 2 inches! In England, they lovingly call such tall people, Beanpoles. He has just been admitted to resume and complete

his secondary education at Segun Odegbami International College and Sports Academy (SOCA), Wasimi, near Abeokuta, Ogun State.

He should have finished his school leaving certificate and be in first Year at a university, but failed to do so following his inability to cope with the psychological effect of the taunting by the public, the bullying by school mates and the financial constraints he had to face.

So two years ago, he left school in SS1 and retired into isolation, remaining mostly indoors weeping for the ‘misfortune’ fate had dealt him. He admits he is facing psychological challenges because of his unusual height and is only trying to cope with the attention he attracts everywhere. All of that until Chief Segun Odegbami found and took him in to resume a more purposeful life.

At SOCA, he is to be well

President of the rotary club of Jos, Mrs Philomena Daduat speaking during the Rotary club of Jos’ Free Medical Outreach at the local Education Authority Dong in Jos, yesterday.

Attention Jos Electricity Distribution Company

W

e are writing this with the hope that the management of Jos Electricity Distribution Company in charge of electricity supply in Makurdi, Benue State, will act quickly before things get out of hand.

Before the privatization of PHCN in Nigeria, the officials of the national power monopoly were known for stealing component parts of transformers, accusing the people of being responsible in a sinister extortion game. Each household benefiting from such a transformer was made to pay some amount of money for replacement of stolen parts or they remain in darkness.

After collecting money from people, they quietly return those parts and fix them back, making fool of people. We were happy that with the privatization of PHCN the duping will end.

It saddens our hearts that this duping attitude of stealing parts from electricity transformers by the officials of the defunct PHCN and making it a case against the people with the aim of getting money from them illegally is being exhibited by some officials of the new owners of electric-

ity distribution companies in the country, and Jos Electricity Distribution Company is a case study in this matter.

As we write now, many residents at Akpehe community within Makurdi are living in total darkness and the officials of JEDC are to blame. These officials, having the keys to one of the fenced transformers at Akpehe, woke up a few days ago and announced that something had been stolen from the transformer and accused people within the area of being responsible, expecting them to contribute money and give them in order to purchase and replace the stolen parts.

The question is, who stole these parts if not the same persons who are having keys for that transformer in question. There is no single sign of somebody breaking into the fenced transformer and these officials are the people in possession of the keys. If not them, then, who did they gave the keys to and why?

Enough of this duping of our people by the officials of JEDC, if the ongoing hardship in the country is the reason behind this stealing habit, then the people of Akpehe are not responsible for

the hardship and they should not be punished for it. This is a complaint and a warning to the management of JEDC. They should do something now before it is too late.

Achiaga Richard and Onah Victoria Amaka, Makurdi, Benue State

schooled, trained and groomed to gain a very good education as well as sports excellence that would open up opportunities available to someone with his exceptional gift of nature.

Guess in what sport? Basketball, of course!

There is no doubt that he may be destined to be a great basketball superstar in the mould and background of the legendary Akeem Olajuwon. This is what SOCA is committed to steering him towards.

But there is a big challenge the finances to take care of the rest of his education. Interestingly, Abiodun is from Ibadan.

What will it take the Oyo State government to take up the financial commitment of supporting him to finish schooling in Nigeria? Being in SS2, he has less than two years left to complete his studies.

Undoubtedly, American College basketball scouts will soon be on his trail, and a successful future with the support of the Oyo State government will be a big plus for the people and government of the State.

Your Excellency, Governor Abiola Ajimobi, here is a challenge for you, and an opportunity to demonstrate goodwill and support for one of your children from the state. It will be a positive gesture by you that would reflect and reciprocate the kindness and benevolence of the good people of Ibadan and Oyo State.

I am sure you have Chief Odegbami’s phone number.

Contact him over this case.

Akintokunbo A Adejumo wrote via akinadejum@aol. com

Kudos to INEC on Edo election

I

want to commend the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the successful conduct of the Edo State gover norship election. I am happy that the success has justified the postponement by the electoral body, and I hope this achievement will be replicated in Ondo State next month when the citizens votes for a new state chief executive. I want INEC to start preparing for the Ondo State election now that it is done with that of Edo. It is important that the date for the Ondo State gover norship election is not tampered with so that losers in the election will not have

anything to blame their loss on. It is also important that INEC meet the security agencies that will monitor the election in order to fashion out ways through which this electoral assignment will take. We don’t want a situation whereby the electoral body and security agencies will be working at cross purposes.

I, therefore, want to urge Ondo State citizens to participate actively in the forthcoming election so that the new gover nor will be indebted to the people, as this will make him work hard towards taking the state to the next level.

Olajide Adebayo, Akure, Ondo State

Send your letters The Editor reserves thethe right letters or or mails mailsto toPMB PMB10001, 10001,Ikoyi, Ikoyi,or orour our Email: Email:mirrorlagos@yahoo.com mirrorlagos@yahoo.comand andinfo@nationalmirroronline.net info@nationalmirroronline.netoror08056180209, 08054103275,07033375481 07033375481(SMS (SMSonly). only).

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18

North

Friday, October 14, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Emir denies forceful conversion of Christian girl James Danjuma KATSINA

E

mir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmumini Kabir Usman, has denied reports of forceful conversion of 14-year-old Christian girl, Habiba Isah Tanko, to Islam at his palace.

The emir also denied allegation that the girl was forcefully married out to one Mr. Jamilu Lawal, who works as an aide in the palace.

Speaking through traditional ruler and Kauran Katsina, Abdulkadir Nuhu, the emir said the girl converted

to Islam on her own volition and was later married out according to Islamic rites.

He said the girl’s parents had come to the emirate where she was asked if she was in anyway forced to convert and marry, but she replied in the negative.

Habiba was also Thursday brought before members of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, and emirate council members where she was asked to speak on her conversion and marriage.

She maintained that she willingly converted to Islam from Christianity, married

on her own volition and was already seeing her menstruation before she got married.

But the state CAN chairman, Rev. Nelson Onyekachukwu, said the parents of the girl were not happy about her alleged conversion and forced marriage.

Onyekachukwu said the girl was married out with-

out the consent of the parents, and that she was not the first case of such incident in the state.

He said: “Our people are not happy with the conversion of Christian girls in the state. Some children in this category have recently been released to our Evangelist.

“There have been com-

plaints from several local governments that Christian girls were been forced to convert to Islam and married out without their parents’ knowledge.

“We want justice to be done on this matter. We trust the Emirate that it would do what is right regarding the girl.”

It would be recalled that

Habiba was reported to have been abducted on August 16, 2016 by Jamilu.

On Tuesday, Habiba’s family headed by her father, Mr. Isiyaku Tanko, through his lawyer, Yakubu Bawa, accused the emir of abducting the 14-year-old, forcefully converted her and married her out.

Adamawa CJ pardons 85, grants bail to 33 inmates in Jimeta prisons

A

damawa State Chief Judge, Justice Ishaya Banu, Thursday released 85 awaiting trial inmates in Jimeta Prison, Yola.

Banu, who released the suspects during a jail delivery at the prison, also granted conditional bail to 33 others.

The chief judge said the measure was part of efforts to decongest prisons across the state, adding that the open sitting would continue in Jada and Numan prisons on Saturday, October 15.

He lauded the Jimeta prison authorities for the support and cooperation, and tasked released inmates to be of good behav-

iour.

“You need to keep off things that will bring you back to prison, be law abiding,” Banu said.

Also, Assistant Controller in-Charge of Jimeta prison, Mr. E.B Bakari, lauded the committee for its commitment to decongest prisons in the state, and assured the chief judge and members of his committee of Prison Service support in that direction.

One of the released inmates, Abdulmajid Peter, who spoke on behalf of others, thanked the chief judge and prison authorities for the gesture, and promised that they would strive to be responsible members of the society.

FG develops therapeutic food for IDPs Regina Otokpa ABUJA

I

n renewed efforts to address malnutrition among Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, the Federal Government has developed ready-to-use therapeutic food.

Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, made this known yesterday in Abuja while receiving the African University of Science and Technology, led by its President, Prof. Kingston Nyamapfene.

Onu explained that the special food was developed strictly with local items by one of its agencies, the Fed-

eral Institute of Industrial Research, FIIRO, Oshodi Lagos State, to cut down the rate of malnutrition in IDP camps, especially in the North Eastern part of the country.

According to him, the ministry was charting a new course towards liberating the country away from resources based to a knowledge based economy.

Onu also noted that plans were underway to issue out grants to the Nigerian Academy of Science and the Nigerian Academy of Engineers for new and completion of new journals to further strengthen the nation’s science and technology sector.

L-R: Justice Salisu Garba; Chief Judge of the FCT High Court, Justice Ishak Bello; Head of Information and Media for the FCT High Court, Tabita Kangiwa and Controller of Prisons for the FCT, Mr. Daniel Odharo, at a press briefing after releasing six inmates from Suleja prison, yesterday. PHOTO:NAN

How Boko Haram strengthened Nigeria, France ties-Envoy

T

he emergence of Boko Haram sect played an important role in strengthening ties between Nigeria and France, the European nation’s ambassador in Abuja, Denys Gauer, has said.

Speaking in Sokoto when he paid a courtesy visit to Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Gauer said relationship between the two countries has improved greatly in the last couple of years.

“We were good friends in the past, but the outbreak of the Boko Haram conflict has brought our two coun-

tries closer. We understood the need to present a united front in order to enhance regional stability and improve global peace.

“It may interest you to note that Nigeria is our biggest trading partner in Africa. Your country is important in global politics and we are encouraging our companies to come here in invest.

“We have visible presence in the South of Nigeria and Abuja, but very minimal visibility in the North. So I’m here in Sokoto, a very historical city and state, to listen to you and ex-

plore how best we can work together for the progress of our peoples,” the envoy stated.

In his remarks, Tambuwal commended the efforts of the French government in bringing together Nigeria’s neighbours to establish the multinational joint task force, a move that ensured a coordinated onslaught against Boko Haram.

He urged the Ambassador to expand French investment to Sokoto, saying the state has abundant opportunity in agriculture and mining.

“We are willing and ready to work closely with your investors to develop our agricultural and mining sectors. We intend to make use of French technology in the preservation of onions. We also believe that we have enough tomato, wheat and sesame for French market.

“Sokoto is calm and peaceful, we have very accommodating populace and I want to assure you that should you decide to invest here, the return in your investment will be positive,” the governor said.

Over 1,000 rural dwellers get free medical treatment James Danjuma KATSINA

M

ore than 1,000 rural dwellers have received free medical treatment from serving corps members in Katsina State.

The treatment, which took place at Bakiyawa village, Batagarawa council area, is part of NYSC’s nationwide Health Week

outreach programme.

Speaking at the event, NYSC Director-General, Brig Gen. Sani Kazaure said the outreach is aimed at enhancing quality of life in the rural areas.

Kazaure said NYSC started the outreach two years ago with the use of the abundant human resource available to the scheme, to better the lives of the people.

Represented by NYSC state coordinator, Mr. Okpo John, Kazaure said the outreach was carried out simultaneously across the country, and would be a continuous thing handled by volunteer corps medical personnel.

Batagarawa council area chairman, Bishir Lawal said the outreach couldn’t come at a better time, being that there

was hardly a house where someone was not having one form of illness or the other.

Represented by the education director of the area, Abubakar Abdu, Lawal said many of the rural dwellers would avail themselves of the free treatment being that most of them didn’t have the means to pay for medical bills.

Your

FRIDAY

FELA at rehearsal abi, Bola Haastrup-Atitebi and Dolapo Philips to mention but a few, the musical is directed by tested names in the enterprise of theatrical productions -- Kenneth Uphopho (Director, British Council Lagos Theater Festival), Gbenga Yusuf (Director, STARS, Era of legends and Saro and Wakaa the musicals) and Ayo Ajayi (Artistic director at Declassical and Music director at Saro and Wakaa the musicals).

Ayo Ajayi, speaking for the directorial crew said: “Come join us as we lead you on this wonderful journey. It is not just a journey to watch Fela; it is a journey to watch yourself, a journey of self-discovery. You will dance. You will laugh. You

FELA at rehearsals will shift gear to sober reflection mode.

You will love the music. You will recognise the characters. You will enjoy this story of Fela as never told before - because this is not Fela’s story - this is your story. A story was told of how a band of

Fela was arrested that day...but not his music.

If the music was arrested, we wouldn’t be here today. It is more than 25 years from the day of the incident. The men in uniform have long gone. But Fela’s music is still with us

Arty News

T

he art world will always welcome new performances to honour legendary Afrobeat figure, Fela Anukulapo Kuti.

In line with this, ‘Fela.. Arrest the Music’: will be on stage from Friday 14th to Sunday 16th October at the MUSON Centre at 3pm and 7pm each day.

Produced by Declassical Arts and Entertainment Company in collaboration with MUSON Centre with the kind permission of the estate of Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Fela.. Arrest the music! is scheduled for the opening of the 20th anniversary of the MUSON Festival and to feature as part of the 2016 Felabration programme.

The creative piece written by Paul Ugbede, (winner of the Beeta Foundation Playwrights competition), expresses the daily struggles of an African man; how he is been subjected to the forces of suppression and humiliation from the western world, his own government, the society et al.

Fela: Arrest the Music! is not just another treatise on Fela (there is a catalogue of them); it is a reflection on our daily lives as Africans; it is a narrative of the lives we live every day and our struggle to rise above ourselves. It is not just a musical; it is a call -- for both leaders and followers to rise above primordial lifestyle drawing Africa backward to a more forward thinking continent where every man is free to express himself or herself. As Wole Soyinka, who incidentally is Fela’s cousin said, “The man Dies who keeps silent in the face of tyranny.’

Featuring an all Nigerian cast and crew, including popular and top-notch performers, such as Gideon Okeke, Arese Emokpae (The Voice), Kpeace (Nigerian Idol winner), Olumide Dada Joshua Al-

soldiers came to Fela’s Afro Club to arrest Fela. It was during one of Fela’s scintillating performances, one of his numerous abrasions with the men in uniform. Fela’s music was blaring from strategic horns.

And the soldiers came; loads upon loads of them, one thousand in all. As Fela crooned and danced away in ecstatic abandon, the soldiers, also in ecstasy of the potency of their weapons, jumped down from their vehicles in commando style - one thousand of them and swooned down on the club.

Their commander, who seemed to be the most fired up of all, came forward and bellowed in an erratic voice that boomed over the horn speakers; “Arrest the music!

Arrest the music!”

Well, Fela was arrested that day...but not his music.

If the music was arrested, we wouldn’t be here today. It is more than 25 years from the day of the incident. The men in uniform have long gone.

But Fela’s music is still with us. Lesson: No one can arrest music. Music is life. Music is living and we that are living must realise the role of music to shape our lives.”

P.24

NGOZI EMEDOLIBE

Inside FCT

MUSON Festival unveils life of Fela

P. 21.22

16 PAGES OF ARTS, REVIEWS, LIFESTYLE AND BUZZ TO START YOUR WEEKEND

P. 23

Friday , October 14, 2016

Flavour

Critics

VOL. 4 No. 827

19

WEEKEND STARTERS

A

s part of the desire to have a successful 2016 edition of Calabar carnival, the Governor of Cross River state, Prof. Ben Ayade has re-appointed travel expert, Ikechi Uko as the Consultant for the international aspect of the Carnival.

This is in line with the re-positioning of Carnival Calabar as the number one event in Africa; Mr. Ikechi Uko the Team Leader of The Team Africa is also the organiser of Akwaaba African Travel Market.

Mr Uko was appointed last year by the Governor to help birth the international version of the Carnival. The 2016 edition of the Carnival is expected to be bigger and better as last year’s event was the first carnival organised by the Governor.

Calabar Carnival crew

P.20

E

njoy the best of European and Nigerian electronic music at the closing concert of the second Electronic Soundscapes Workshop. Taking place in Lagos as part of Felabration 2016, the concert will feature live performances from the workshop participants, and facilitators from Germany (Daniel Haaksman) and Nigeria (DJ Afrologic).

Featured guest artistes are percussionist, Wura Samba and trumpeter Idowu.

It comes up today, Friday 14th October at Freedom Park in Lagos.

Electronic Soundscape

Uko named consultant for Calabar Carnival

Art Man

Electronic Soundscapes at Felabration

20

Art Man

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Friday, October 14, 2016

Sponsorship, major problem in entertainment industry –Musa Ahmed Okezie Musa is the man behind, Ahmedo Artistes Live Shows, which is a platform that harnesses talents in all forms of per formative arts.

He returned to Nigeria a couple of years back after a brief stint in the American entertainment industry and has been actively involved in the quest to transform the Nigerian entertainment industry. He talks about his career and platform in this interview with NGOZI EMEDOLIBE. Excerpts.

Y

ou are currently promoting a new group. Can you tell us about the group?

The group is called XSquad. The real names of the artistes are Onajobi Hakem who hails from Ogun State and his partner called James Umar, who hails from Plateau State.

What kind of music do they play?

They are into Afropop and RnB. They formed their group from a tender age as childhood family friends and have maintained very cordial relationship since then.

What attracted you to this group?

As a showbiz promoter I discovered them at an event where they performed and I picked interest in their performance and initiated them to my AHMEDO ARTISTE LIVE SHOWS’ where other upcoming artistes do come for monthly performance. I have confidence in them because of what I saw on ground as regards their performance; and it has never changed till date. They are a group you look at and know they have a lot of potential. Aside this, there is a song they did with Terry G, whom I also love a lot. That song drew them to me. If you hear that song, you will understand what I am saying.

Where do you hold the monthly Ahmedo Artistes Live Shows?

At the moment we have moved to a nice location at Ojota in Lagos. The show is presently taking place at 15,Taiwo Street, Ojota Ogudu Road. Ahmedo Artistes LIVE Shows is powered by Pero-Productions Global Entertainment Network( a division of Filiya Ventures International Agencies Ltd) in collaboration with Real Mummies Palace Ltd. The owner of the venue is Mr. Adeyemi Tope, a nice gentle-

man who is passionate about showbiz in Nigeria and has also shown that he is committed to making entertainment advance to the next level. Adeyemi Tope’s mother actually quit the business and he decided to go into it big time with his mother’s initial trade mark Is the venue only about the monthly shows?

No, there are several other activities there. Activities go on there; there is a restaurant, and accommodation, lodging and events also happen there. On my own side as a promoter and a filmmaker in Nollywood, auditions go on there. In all, we have talents coming there for one business or the other. We have, actors, comedians, dancers there, on weekly and monthly basis now. I must tell you that Friday to Sunday is usually action-packed there.

Will it be right to say that is how you discover artistes?

I discover artistes mainly on my free Artiste Live Shows. You know it is free for every upcoming artiste like actors, singers, dancers, and comedians. I also look out for talents when I attend other people’s shows as well.

Let us into the challenges of hosting this show?

Shooting a music video

Musa One of the biggest challenges we have is actually getting sponsors. It has not been easy for me to cope because in Nigeria we have little or no interest in spending money on things people cannot get their gain immediately, and it is also the difficult economic situation of our country and the African nations at large; that has worsened matters but I do get little support from my colleagues and partners abroad whom we do the same business with.

Of particular interest is Media Legend/Red Cable Entertainment USA Inc., Deedee Music Entertainment/Humanitarian Awards USA, Nollwood and African Film Critics Awards(NAFCA), Chima Movie Empire USA Inc. They operate in United Kingdom, France and Germany. These partners are the ones that help my organisation to get jobs in other parts of the world, that is why my network is strong, easy and yielding, with this global interest on African music especially Nigeria. I have worked with most big artistes, actors, comedians and dancers you may know, though I don’t want to call names, but on the 24th of this month, September, three of my artistes from Nigeria will be receiving and performing at an award ceremony in Maryland USA. I mean the Deedee Entertainment and Humanitarian Music Awards, namely.

Who are these artistes?

Margaret Madu is one od them. She is the main dancer of the Stepryders Dance Group; Jajo Mbadi is also a singer, Arok Hill an African American singer. They all were members of my Artistes Live Shows.

I still work and network with them Tell us about XSquad’s songs?

The first single is titled ‘’We Be the XSquad’, that opened ways for their popu-

My warm regards will go to the present

PMAN President, Pretty Okafor who has restructured so many things in the music industry

with the help of the present government larity, that made their name a household one in Nigeria and beyond. The second single is titled ‘’Bigbumbum Fine Girl, this is the remix they featured Terry-G and they are presently working on other singles titled Shayo and Eko Lo Showole, which have been making waves now in town, despite that they have not formally launched the songs.

What is your advice to upcoming artistes on how to get to the top with their art?

Whatever one is doing let the person be determined and be ready to do it well, trust in God that one day God will make a way where there is no way because only He can do it, the person will be discovered and assisted beyond what man can do for him or her.

Are there people you have come across who warmly affected your career as a showbiz promoter?

Yes, my warm regards will go to the present PMAN President, Pretty Okafor who has restructured so many things in the music industry with the help of the present government, so sponsors and promoters and equally possible investors should not fear to invest their money, they will get back it back in a large fold when they invest on meaningful singers and artistes.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Arty News

Friday, October 14, 2016

‘My Husband and I’ highlights thrills, perils of beauty NGOZI EMEDOLIBE

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ith so much going on in mass media platforms like television and Internet, where celebrities command cult following thereby dictating new fashion and beauty trends, some of the dangers of such options have been highlighted at the fifth edition of ‘My Husband and I’ seminar series hosted by St Theophilus Anglican Chapel, Ogba, Lagos.

During the event which took place on Saturday October 8, 2016 at the Archbishop Vining Memorial Cathedral, Ikeja GRA, Lagos, experts drawn from various fields of endeavour spoke extensively to an audience on health, social and religious implications of such options.

The speakers at the seminar which included experts like Prof Yetunde Olumide, Dr Reuben Abati, Ven Adeyemi Agbelusi, Susan Oyemade and Mobolaji Sagoe agreed that beauty made more meaning when it comes from the inside.

According to Prof. Yetunde Olumide, several chemicals used to fortify sundry

Adebajo beauty products are carcinogenic, which is why ‘My Husband and I’ series should be thanked for highlighting these dangers. “Carcinogenic substances are used by so many products as bleaching agents in the beauty products; and these agents seep through the veins of the mothers into those of unborn babies, sometimes the babies take them through sucking of the breasts and some of these processes account for the growing rate of cancer

in this generation. As a young woman in the medical school, cancer was seen to be occurring amongst elderly woman, but that is not the case today as younger woman are becoming afflicted.”

For Reuben Abati, his participation in the seminar must have stemmed from an article he wrote in a national newspaper a few weeks ago which cautioned females on the need to seek beauty the proper way. “Women should know that the real beauty stems from the strength of character, because that is what is needed to build a society”.

The chairman of the 2016 Organising Committee of the series, Dr. Sylvia Adebajo, explained the series, which is annual and in its fifth edition was designed to strengthen families, thereby the Nigerian society at large. “This year’s edition was borne out of a genuine concern about our present generation’s obsession and desire to fit into the stereotypical images of what is considered beautiful or handsome”.

The event also attracted dignitaries like: Canon S Adesoye, Lydia Odedeji, Dr. O Kolawole and Engr. Kunle Adebajo.

Mohammed lauds Abuja Int’l Film Festival OLUWASANMI FEMI

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he 13th edition of the prestigious Abuja International Film festival was concluded last Friday with the Minster of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed calling on Nigerian filmmakers to maintain the enviable standard of making the industry a reference point of a robust film sector in Africa.

Lai Mohammed who declared the festival which had over 38 countries in attendance open on Tuesday, October 4, commended the organisers for sustaining the festival which was first held in 2003.”I must first of all commend the team of this festival which is led by Fidelis Duker, the film festival has turned out to be a very good

tourism for people outside the country to come and see what we have as a country.

We are not only good at producing films but also good at making use of it. Film industry, I believe will soon become the cynosure for other countries. Nigeria film industry has and will always be a point of reference

to other film industries in Africa”.

Speaking on the theme of the festival titled “Connecting Global Audiences” Mr. Duker, said the festival is a way to get closer to the people via film showing. The 4-day festival, witnessed series of activities including screening of films, workshops and seminars.

In attendance to add glitz and glamour to the festival Nollywood icons like Richard MofeDamijo, Paul Obasele, Zach Orji, Segun Arinze, prolific director Lanceot Imaseun, and many A list actors and actresses outside the continent.

Mohammed and others at Abuja Film Festival

‘Probe disbursement of Nollywood Intervention Fund’ LIVINUS MENEDI

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he factional National President, Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Emeka Ike has called on the presidency to probe how the N3bn intervention fund released to the entertainment industry during administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan was utilised .

Ike made the call in Yola during an interactive session with journalists, alleging that the money had been misappropriated by the cabals of entertainment industry.

He said the Presidency had meeting with so called creative industry while genuine registered creative associations were not represented, adding that, the few beneficiaries of the fund had not invested

anything into the industry, but are rather buying houses in Abuja and Lagos.

Ike further said that most of the 247 actors said to have been trained at the cost of N899 million abroad from the fund, could not be traced. “Mr. President has to be careful as to whom he meets in the creative industry saying Kannywood ,ANTP and AGN which are the registered bodies of the entertainment industry in the county did not benefit from the fund. What these cabals do is to ensure these registered bodies are in crisis so that they can squander any intervention fund earmarked to the for the benefit of entertainment industry. These cabals are scavengers they want to drag Presidency to the mud; what they did in the last administration was terrible to the industry, they are scavengers, and I am begging us here today to expose them.”

Ike said he was in Adamawa to partici-

pate in a programme organised by the state’s Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, to encourage youth on self-reliance. He said that the film industry has the potential to boost the nation’s economy, if properly funded.

Emeka Ike

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Indian Princess scores another point

Indian Princess

IFECHI OKOH

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bolaji Adetoun otherwise addressed as Indian Princess because of her natural resemblance to typical Indian female movie dancers, has been stirring the excitements in die-hard funsavouring entertainment followers since she clinched the best 2014 Artiste Award of the Alimosho Local Government Council, believed to be the largest in Lagos state.

This award may have fired her spirit to work harder towards grabbing another one. Her efforts really came to pass when the she bagged the Most Outstanding Dancing Dueen award last year.

Early this year, somehow, the Alimosho LGA deemed it fit after a careful assessment of her versatility as a dancer with impressive, irresistible and magnetic stage disposition to make her their entertainment ambassador, pinning her choice to the fact that she had made them proud on many occasions during the Indian community social outings. It is therefore not surprising that the tale of her exploits has gotten to the royal fathers. The first she has been billed to thrill according to her manager, Prince Adegboyega is the Oba of Ikotun who has agreed to host her on December 10.

AMVCA set to announce judges ISIGUZO DESTINY

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he Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Award is set with the announcement of Judges and opening of entries. The Award saw Nigeria taking a lead role with Stephanie Okereke’s film, Dry and the legendary late Bukky Ajayi winning the best film and life-time achievement awards respectively. The stage is set again for the next edition of AMVCA and Nigeria is tipped to have a field day with the avalanche of new quality films which some of them made waves at international festivals.

The announcement was made recently in Johannesburg as leading South African filmmaker, Desiree Markgraff was officially unveiled as the Head Judge for the 2017 edition of Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCAs), the prestigious initiative that honours film and TV talents across the continent. The 5th annual AMVCA ceremony takes place in Lagos, Nigeria on 3rd and 4th of March 2017. Entry is open for films, made-for-television movies or television series broadcast or publicly screened between October 1, 2015 and 30th September 2016.

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Arty News

Friday, October 14, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

‘Retro Africa determined to shape art in Abuja’ Retro Africa is co-owned by Omodolapo Kola Balogun a graduate of Politics, Religion and Society from Kings College London and Abdullahi Umar, a young energetic artist and art collector. The duo talk about their love for art and their interest in helping young artistes showcase their talents in this interview with REGINA OTOKPA. Excerpts: Abdullahi:

H

ow did you come about the name Retro Africa?

Retro Africa to the general public means a style that is coming back from the past but we wanted to show different styles that resemble the past and are paving the way for the future because definitely in this environment we belong, our traditions plays a huge role of who we are and the influence artists create.

I wanted that to always be at the back of our minds, to never forget where we are coming from and have it in mind that we are looking towards contemporary and new ways of doing things. We should never forget your experiences from the past and what shaped who you are.

Are you the brain behind Retro Africa?

It started off as something I did for fun showing what Africa artists could do, as well as showing people that talents really exist. Where I come from its something I shared with my friends abroad and also my university. When I finally moved back to Abuja, I was missing the artistic field, the people that shared the same interest that I do. So I said why not just build it, educate people, get the interest going. Later we saw the picture and what it would become.

How long have you been into art?

I have been doing it for about 2 years, it took some time to really understand art work and how to push it as fun to create an atmosphere on how people can actually just be themselves and showcase what they really like and try to get people to see thing the way they do. It is not everyone that is open minded. So we try to push that, we don’t want people to sit down and tell us how things should be, we want to actually show them what can be, express possibilities.

Where do you see Retro Africa in the next two years?

The growth we have had so far was actually amazing with the amount of things we have achieved and how we have managed to reach out to our fans and connections of our university days that actually established us. We have been able to approach people and educate them towards African art. We have partners in the UK now as well as Paris. We

are working on collaborating with couple of friends in India. So the possibility to Retro Africa is endless and I still feel the Africa idea is yet to come. African Art is yet to be recognised compared to the European. The few that are recognised are hard to make it accessible to the average man, so we are yet to experience that but we are really hoping to be part of that for at least influence.

Omodolapo: Could you tell us more about yourself and how you became a part of Retro Africa?

My name is Omodolapo Kola Balogun.

I am 22 years old and born 16th May 1994.

I am a graduate from Kings College London, and have a BA in politics, Religion and Society. Retro Africa was actually set in a joint a year ago. I was interested in the idea of showcasing art and exploring Africa talent. So when the idea was brought to me I thought it was interesting and it needed to be done in Nigeria.

What have been the reactions since you started showcasing your art?

We did our first exhibition called Afro Modernism few weeks back from the 16th to the 18th of September here in Abuja.

To be honest, I was quite daunted at the idea of showcasing art, keying into art in Abuja because I felt that the art wasn’t developed enough to really do justice to what we are trying to do. Basically the turnout was good and we had interest from the expert community and the local Nigeria community where people who had never even thought about contemporary Art and those just interested in seeing what was there developing a new passion and admiring the beauty of paint and photography. So it’s humbling to know that you are creating something

If your work is not yet given the recognition that it deserves time will come when they will be the best

Retro Africa duo different, you are actually shaping the Abuja art scene, which links us to the Lagos art which is already established.

It has a lot of growth, galleries and art shows. As far as Abuja is concerned, I believe that they are going to go up. But for now, I am very pleased with their reactions.

Do you paint?

No. I’m not a painter, but I have a passion for art and for those who are able to translate ideas on the canvass, because I think that’s ability a lot of people under estimate. They don’t understand the amount of genus it requires to be able to create something, visualise something and for it to become a work of art. I admire that and in terms of art, we have lit-

erature, music, painting etc. and as far as visual art is concerned, I’m not but I do play guitar and write as well.

What message do you have for young and prospective artists especially those who do not have the opportunity to showcase their art?

That’s what we are trying to focus about, the idea behind Retro Africa is to inspire hope in those who their Art is yet to be discovered, yet to be giving the value they deserve. I will tell anybody that feels that way to try and hold out. Art is something that is timeless, forever, not something that is just not appreciated or valued. If your work is not yet given the recognition that it deserves time will come when they will be the best.

BOOK

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Conquering the future

Sam Akinteye’s book explains how to have a grip of one’s future.

TAYO IRANTIOLA

T

FILM

he fear of an average man at whatever age is the fear of the future.

The future, for many, is a monster they don’t know how to confront”.

These are the words of Sam Akinteye in his bid to dispel the fear of the future entertained by many in his new book “Securing the Future: Applying the science of change to drive desired result” Sam, using simple, yet compelling words in this book, argued that the future of every man is not in the future but in him. “Everyone is a living magnet as well as a living transmitter. What anyone attracts and repel ultimately determines the type of future he will have”.

This three-part book contains depth of wisdom that the reader will definitely find useful for everyday living. The first

part broached on the subject of foundation for a great future. In this part, the author stressed that there is a key that unlocks the creative genius in every human being and when anyone discovers this key, the lid that is placed on his ability is pushed off. He went on further to say that what stops a man from having

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In the third part, the author discussed

a great future is not what he is, but what he thinks he is not. What a man thinks he is not is the thief that robs him of his potential and denies him access to a great future.

The author devoted the second part of the book to addressing the dynamics of change. He asserted that it is futile hoping for things to change. “Things don’t change because they don’t have intelligence; it is people that must change. The change you are looking for can only happen by changing on the inside. He further stressed that the weight of success does not rest on the tangible part of a man- the body, but on the intangible- the mind.

In the third part, the author discussed the subject of nation-building as a critical factor in safeguarding the lives and future of the citizenry. He enunciated on certain laws that make nation great and how the application of these laws provide enabling environment for individual to thrive. Law of definition, Law of integration, Law of engagement is among some of the laws discussed.

This book surely makes an interesting read and applies to people of all age, though it cannot be said to be without one or two typos.

the subject of

nation-building as a critical factor in safeguarding the lives and future of the citizenry For the records, Sam Akinteye is a conference speaker, writer and insightful teacher. The main thrust of his life assignment is to equip people for a purposeful, productive and responsible living. He does this by teaching Leadership, Purpose, and Destiny.

He is the Executive Director of Logos Equip, an organization committed to Leadership Training & Development, Human Capacity Development and Publishing. He is the host of “Take the future”, a conference organized annually to teach people practical principles to create the future they desire.

He is the author of a number of other books including Wisdom for success, Take the Future, Demystifying the supernatural, and more.

Sacrifice and heroism

The story of 93 Days, directed by Steve Gukas, highlights the ‘can-do spirit’ of the Nigerian people. How did a nation overcome an end time virus?

IREDE ABUMERE

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Critics

Friday, October 14, 2016

3 Days is a historic gripping documentation of the deadly disease starting from the day the day the Ebola virus came into Nigeria to the day the country was declared Ebola-free.

After watching two hours of the movie with my eyes welled up with tears, my mind immediately went to what could have been if this plague was not quickly diagnosed - it would have changed everything about Lagos and our lives as we know it. I am thankful for the sacrifices of the late Dr Ameyo Adadevoh and all who played a part in curbing what would have been a national disaster.

We all know that the virus was successfully contained in Lagos but we don’t know most of what happened behind the scenes? All we know is from information shared in the news. The film provides an even deeper insight into this and the actions of a team of professional welltrained Nigerians who held up their Hippocratic Oath and how it changed their

lives.

The movie director, Steve Gukas tells this story through the eyes of those who first came in contact with the virus.

Bimbo Akintola plays Dr Ameyo Adadevoh the Doctor who uncovered the sneaky virus. Adadevoh is a leading physician at First Consultant Hospital in Obalende. As a dedicated professional, Adadevoh pays attention to the details surrounding patient Zero from Liberia who she suspects could possibly be carrying the virus. She come against all obstacles that suggest it’s not Ebola and ignores the threats she gets for refusing to release the patient. It is to Akintola’s amazing credit, talent and seeing as it’s a true story that we immediately connect with Adadevoh, her selflessness and want to wish her back to life.

“93 Days” also stars Keppy Ekpeyong Bassey as Patrick Sawyer, Gideon Okeke, Somkhele Idhalama, Bimbo Manuel and veteran Hollywood actors, Danny Glover and Tim Reid, who play out moments who never would have imagined actually happened.

As I watched the film, I found I fell in love with Dr Ada Igonoh played by Somkele Idhalama. Igonoh is that ray of hope in the movie that reassures one that all battles can be conquered. Idhalama gives such a compelling performance, I found myself asking “where has Somkele been hiding all this time?” Her interpretation of Dr Igonoh is worth a Best Supporting Actress award.

The movie producers (Bolanle Austen-

Scene in 93 Days Peters, Dotun Olakunri and Gukas) pay a lot of attention to detail, not just with the story but also the locations based in Lagos. Locations such as the First Consultant Hospital where the index case was admitted and the actual quarantine unit in Yaba where the Ebola patients were

93 Days, a well researched documentary is a redefining moment of

Nigerian cinema. We always talk about telling our own stories first and not letting others do it for us - now we’ve done it

held in real life was used. The director and director of photography do an amazing job of giving us a visual overview of Lagos.

Watching the conceivable scenes in the movie, from cast selection, location, lightening, make-up, costuming and the stirring soundtrack, it’s no wonder millions of Naira was spent to ensure a high quality film was produced.

“93 Days”, a well researched documentary is a redefining moment of Nigerian cinema. We always talk about telling our own stories first and not letting others so it for us - now we’ve done it!

Soldiers do not have to be on the war field fighting to save one’s country. Activists do not have to protest and write letters to bring about social change. Heroic acts come from knowledge, dedication and selflessness.

“93 Days” is a story of sacrifice and patriotism.

•Abumere writes for Pulse, Lagos.

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Inside FCT

Friday, October 14, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Estate residents bemoan poor facilities JOEL AJAYI

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here is no doubt government’s intention is to ensure all citizens have roof over their heads; that was the reason why the mass housing scheme was initiated years back. And to enhance the objectives, government in its own wisdom conceded lands to certain developers to develop and sell those buildings for residents at very affordable rates but it seems the programme has died on arrival.

Before any settlement, town or community could be termed developed, there must be infrastructural facilities in place.

The Federal Capital Territory, being the seat of government is supposed to be highly developed and boast of infrastructures for its residents but in some estates in the city, the reverse is the case where infrastructure in many of the estate are nowhere to be found.

To make the city a model one, successive FCT Administrations had introduced various policies aimed at bridging the gap through the involvement of private investors.

But despite these efforts, residents especially those living in the affordable estates are lacking amenities like electricity, pipe borne water, access roads, schools and hospitals amongst others.

One of the estates lacking access roads

Estate being developed in FCT

in the territory is Favourland Estate in Life-Camp Area of FCT. The residents under the aegis, Favourland Residents Association told Inside FCT that they have been finding it difficult driving in and out of the estate for some time now.

House allottees in the estate have ap-

One of the estates lacking access roads in the territory is

Favourland Estate in Life-Camp Area of FCT

pealed to the estate developer to find a solution to the poor infrastructural facilities in the estate or face the wrath of their impatience.

The group in their numbers trooped out on Saturday to protest what many of them described as injustice.

While expressing his displeasure, the Chairman of Favourland Residents Association, Mr Eme Elonu, said the estate has been suffering the lack of infrastructure since the inception of the estate.

According to him, we have paid over 87% of money for infrastructure since 2009 and nothing was happenings and since then we have been driving on the road that can be described as deathtrap

and we are not happy with that.

“And we have levied ourselves to fixed many of them and before that we have informed the developer who is the CEO of Intergas Resources, Samuel Oladokun and he promised to pay us back any money spent on the estate. Over the years nothing has been done, that is why we mobilised ourselves today to express ourselves and appeal to Arch Oladokun to as matter of urgency refunds our money.

We have suffered enough and we will not allow any of his equipment to work” he vowed.

On his own Association Secretary, Jide Arowosegbe, revealed that the current state of the access road leading to estate is nothing to write home about.

He said the estate with about 250 housing units and 2,000 residents is also not connected to public water service.

Meanwhile, the FCT Director of Mass Housing, Engr. Umar Jibril told Inside FCT, that in most cases, cries of lack of infrastructure in many estates being directed at the FCT Administration, are usually the responsibilities of the private developers who built them in the first place.

When asked if there’s going to be any punishment for developer who fails to provide infrastructure for any land allocated to him or her he replied: “Sure anybody found culpable will face the wrath of the law,” he assured.

Africare, ExxonMobil mobilise against malaria MARCUS FATUNMOLE

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nternational non-governmental organisation, Africare, ExxonMobil, and National Basketball Association, NBA, assembled thousands of Abuja secondary school students to showcase how disease burden in the country could be drastically reduced through hygiene promotion and increased physical activities.

The groups use sports (basketball) and other learning skills to train students across the nation’s capital on how various strategies could be used not only to sensitize against, but defeat diseases.

Malaria was highlighted at the event as one of the ailments that contribute greatest threats not only to the performance of the students, but their relations and everybody in the country.

About 200 students turned out from each of the 10 schools shortlisted for this year’s event, while only 20 students represent each school in the basketball competition. The event took place at Package B, Indoor Sports Section of the National Stadium.

The three-year-old project is being funded by ExxonMobil, while NBA offers the sports component.

Africare, a partner that works on health component of the project, has contributed through health trainings across schools, distribution of mosquito nets

and conducted malaria tests for people within and outside the Federal Capital Territory, said Country Director, Africare Nigeria Dr. Orode Doherty.

Doherty said the project was yielding desired results and that it would be expanded to all parts of the country.

“Africare is working in 15 states in Nigeria. So, as an organization, scalability is not an issue for us. We are already working in multi-million dollar opportunities.

So, scaling is not an issue. We are ready to go. We are working with the ministry.

We’ve shown them what we are doing. this is an opportunity for them to come in and see what we do with this children so that we can expand it to other schools in the country, target children who are outof-school, targeting children who are in IDP camps, children who do not have opportunity to be educated among others,” she stated.

Director of malaria project, Africare, Dr Patrick Adah, said the organization implements different malaria projects in the country and helps to coordinate those projects in various locations in the country.

“Malaria is endemic. What that means is that the disease is with us here. Over the years, the disease has been ravaging, killing so many children, and even adults in a very large proportion. The Federal Ministry of Health under the auspices of the National Malaria Programme, with all the malaria partners in the country are

At THE Africare event in Abuja

putting efforts together to ensure that we burden of malaria, and even to eliminate malaria in the country. But, because the disease is endemic, it takes a long time and serious efforts to ensure that malaria is completely eliminated. But, over the years, efforts are being made to control malaria, and we are making progress,” he said.

The event featured former NBA player, Kelenna Azubuike and other notable figures in basketball in the country.

One of the students, Johnson Loveth, an SSS 2 students of Government Senior Secondary school, Airport, said she had observed improvement in her health

since the campaign was brought to her school “I wasn’t sleeping under mosquito net until the people came to my school.

Neither did I take hand washing and simple things that can improve my health such as regular exercise and eating good diet that serious. But, with this campaign, there have been great changes, and I think I’m doing better in school now.”

Speaking at the event, Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole, who was represented by National Coordinator, Non-Communicable Diseases, Dr Nnenna Ezeigwe, said the campaign would enable the youths know the right health habits that would help them healthy lives.

Friday, October 14, 2016 28th of Dhul-Hijjah, 1437AH

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

25

Call to Worship

On the authority of Anas bin Malik, the servant of the Messenger of Allah, the prophet said: “None of you [truly] believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself.”

RELATED BY BUKHARI AND MUSLIM

Congratulations to Nigerians at 56th Independence anniversary W

e congratulate Nigerians on the 56th Independence anniversary of the country. We commend our patience and forbearance in the face of the challenging times we are going through. We are confident that

by Allah’s grace, and our commitment to the principles of hard work, discipline, honesty and integrity, we are going to smile at the end of the day when our present challenges would have been behind us. But the challenges of the present time require that we must be steadfast and united in forging a nation of people who are united in thought and spirit. We must work towards and also have firm faith in our unity and progress. There is every need for Nigeria to remain a strong and united entity that is able to withstand the problems of nation-building and one that forges a land of peace, prosperity and progress for everyone.

This is where it becomes important that the positive changes we all desire are indeed achievable and they must start with each and everyone of us. Let us be the change we want to see. Let us work together irrespective of political, religious and ethnic divides to build a nation where one person is a friend to the other; where everyone feels safe wherever he chooses as his or her abode of residence; where we co-operate together while understanding and respecting our differences.

Nigeria is worthy of being celebrated. This is the only country we have and the only one we can confidently call our own.

We should be proud to raise our heads high anywhere we find ourselves. Nigeria is certainly undergoing challenges but the challenges are surmountable. At every time where we have reached a difficult cross-road, we are usually blessed with a divine intervention that provides a solution very much beyond our expectations.

Remember that a lot of doom was predicted for the last general elections in 2015, but it was largely peaceful and well-coordinated without anything near the gloom and doom that was predicted. Let

Be fair in labouring your girl child — NAWOJ

26

L-R:Amir of The Muslim Congress, TMC, Dr. Luqman AbdulRaheem with other TMC’s executives at their quarterly briefing in Lagos. us continue to love, cherish and work towards a nation that gives everyone the opportunity to peacefully and honestly pursue his or her legitimate aspirations.

We are confident that solutions will be found to the problems of Boko Haram in the North-East, the issues of environmental degradation and development in the Niger-Delta and the issues of development and inclusiveness in the East. The South-West is not without its challenges but all these are problems that will be solved in due time.

Happy anniversary to all Nigerians!

FELICITATIONS WITH ALL MUSLIMS ON THE NEW HIJRAH YEAR We felicitate with all Muslims as we witness another new Hijrah year. The new Hijrah year is an opportunity to commemorate our achievements as Muslims and to chart the way forward as we prepare for new paradigms in our existence as Muslims and as a nation. Muslims have always contributed their quota and continue to do so even as Nigeria demands greater sacrifice from each and every one of us.

As part of our contributions towards nation-building, we are

using the opportunity of the Muharram Get-Together holding at the Onikan Stadium in Lagos to discuss on The Muslim World and the Challenges of Leadership on Sunday, 30th October, 2016 at 9am. Some of the expected erudite speakers at the occasion are Professor AbdulHafiz Oladosu and Honourable (Dr.) AbdulHakeem Abdul Lateef.

GETTING OUT OF RECESSION AND GROWING THE ECONOMY The government should be ready to let the people know that everyone has got to roll up his or her sleeves for the great task ahead since there is a lot of hard work to be done to get out recession. The government will need to vigorously pursue the diversification of the economy so as to have multiple revenue sources. The multiple revenue sources would include agriculture, mining, manufacturing and tourism. There is the need to motivate companies in these sectors by making loans easily available and supporting them to access technical know-how and managerial competence. International investors who are serious, willing and experienced should also be sought through the provision of an enabling environment

Mystery in the Holy Quran 26

that is conducive and mutually beneficial.

We are making a good suggestion for the government to fully embrace a dual financial system by adding Islamic finance to the conventional system. This will enable us to have a robust economic system that is fully responsive and suitable to our needs as a nation.

We will realise that Britain and Germany are competing to be the Islamic finance hub of the world.

The two most important parts of the Islamic finance world are banking services and the Sukuk market (the Islamic equivalent of the bond market) which account for around 95% of the $1.8 trillion worth of Islamic finance assets as at the end 2013. There is therefore no reason why Nigeria should not be one of the leading countries in Islamic finance since there is a lot for everyone to benefit especially including protection from economic meltdown.

For us to grow the economy, the government must lift the excruciating cost of doing business especially by the SMEs. The SMEs, being the backbone of the modern economy and largest employer of labour, need special protection and motivation from the government.

The Bank of Industry (BoI) and all other banks and agencies that

cater to SMEs must be challenged to design and deploy products and services that are tailored towards improving the ease of doing business and reducing the interest rates paid on loans. The Islamic finance should be expanded to cater to those who would like to do business without paying interest rates to do so. In growing the economy, we would need to be broad-minded and to expand our pool of options so as to achieve our objectives quickly and efficiently.

There is the need for a good monetary policy to be put in place to lower the high interest rates and to ensure easy access to loans.

Coupled with this is a good fiscal policy since both monetary and fiscal policies interact to ensure stable growth in the economy. Related to this is a short-term development plan of three to five years which has to be implemented with vision and vigour. The three to five year plan will define the economic strategy we intend to deploy and the objectives to be achieved as well as the milestones.

The President needs to be given emergency powers to be able to quickly do all that needs to be done since time is of vital importance in the rescue of the economy. There has to be faster decision-making, faster release of funds and faster implementation of viable measures. We need to recover lost time arising from the delay in assent and implementation of the budget which in turn contributed a lot to the economic crisis.

Since the government cannot fund all of its activities by itself, it will need to develop an effective and efficient public-private partnership in driving its economic policies and ensuring long-term support from local business people and international investors. We need investors to bring in their money for investments in infrastructure, plants and machinery that will grow our industrial base rather than investments in highyield treasury bills and government bonds that provide high interest rates.

The government would also need to drastically cut the bogus salaries and allowances of CONTINUED ON PAGE 27

Progress in relationship with Allah

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Call to Worship

Friday, October 14, 2016 28th of Dhul-Hijjah, 1437AH

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Akinlade delivers guest lecture at MIMA’s event At the first anniversary and entrepreneurial exposition of Micro Investments Management Academy, MIMA, held recently at Oyo Town, HajiaSherifatAkinlade was the Guest Lecturer at the epoch-making event.

In a picture caption of one of the pictures used in the last Friday’s publication, HajiaSh-

erifatAkinlade was erroneously identified as the Registrar instead of as Guest Lecturer at the MIMA’s event.

According to the Founder and Chairman of MIMA, AlhajiFataiSalahudeen, for now, the role of MIMA’s Registrar will be performed by him in addition to serving as the Coordinator. “Since we already have

a Board of Fellows in place, the respected members in that cadre would appoint another personality as the chairman of MIMA Board of Fellows.

The members of the BoF shall produce the MIMA Governing Council via election into the office of the President and others. Recall that the office of the Registrar is not elective but professional establishment ap-

pointment.” He explained.

Also, MIMA is invited to participate In entrepreneurship exhibition by an Islamic Center in Port-Harcourt. AlUshrahInc is the largest Islamic Center in the South-South of Nigeria. It is organizing an empowerment exhibition for members running into thousands. MIMA is to deliver lecture on “Entrepreneurship,

exploring the agricultural sector opportunities, from small to large scale.” The portable flexible drier innovation shall be made available to drive the lecture on Sunday 16th of October 2016.

MIMA is a new baby professional SMEs membership organization driving excellence in entrepreneurship.

Be fair in labouring your girl child — NAWOJ

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s the World marks the International Day for the girl child, The Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) is calling on parents especially mothers to look out more for the girl child.

It is common practice in Nigeria to view the girl child as the assistant mother of the house, thereby putting her in charge of many chores sometimes more than they can handle.

It is unfair to the girl child that she has to work in the house for long hours while the boy child is allowed to play and engage in other recreational activities.

NAWOJ is worried by a new UN report showing that girls around the World spend as much as 160 million extra hours every day doing house chores and other unpaid work than boys.

Girls between the ages of five and fourteen spend 40 per cent more time performing such chores.

Two out of three girls cook and clean in the home, and almost half collect water or firewood.

They also perform less visible domestic work like childcare or looking after the elderly.

Some of the tasks such as gathering water or firewood put the girls in harm’s way and at the risk of sexual violence.

As mothers, we have a major role to play to ensure that the girl is not overburdened while the boys are allowed to be unoccupied.

This also has a negative effect on our boys who usually grow up very lazy and sometimes picking up certain negative traits..

“This unequal distribution of labour among children also perpetuates gender stereotypes and the double burden on women and girls across generations.”

We must all work to stop it.

Our children must be given equal opportunity and that must begin with fair distribution of chores in the home.

Unilag alumni optimistic of early exit from recession; rejoices with Muslims on Islamic New Year 1438ah

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he UNILAG Muslim Alumni (UMA) has expressed optimism that Nigeria would soon come out from the current economic recession with the sincerity of current Federal Government.

In a release by the Alumni, signed by the National President, Alhaji Akeeb S. Oladokun, it is the promise of the almighty Allah that ‘after adversity comes ease’.

While congratulating Muslims worldwide and Nigeria in particular on the occasion of the new Hijrah year 1438, Alhaji Oladokun urged Nigerians to be patient and hopeful and allow the government of the day implement the Change Agenda, aimed at turning the country around.

He said that human nature is usually initially averse to change, but the outcome of it is always more beneficial to all and sundry.

Annually, the Celebration of

the New Islamic Year reminds us of the landmark achievement of Islam when the prophet overcame all hindrances, hatred and acrimonies and Islam eventually ruled the Arabian Peninsula. Thus, to all Muslims, whatever thecurrent situation, it is always a passing moment.

The UNILAG Muslim Alumni is the umbrella body of all Muslim graduates from the University of Lagos, and is involved in several social responsibility activities including award of scholarships, entrepreneurial trainings, organization of socio-political programmes and spiritual activities.

Meanwhile, UMA holds its Sunday meetings at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos (CMUL), Idi Araba and hereby notified all members that the Annual Congress for the outgoing executives will hold at this venue in order for them to give accounts of their stewardship.

The Executive Secretary, Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate, PTAD, Barr. Sharon Ikeazor receiving handover note at PTAD Headquarters, Abuja recently

Mystery in the Holy Quran V ery interesting findings of Dr. Tariq Al Swaidan might grasp your atten-

tion: Dr.Tariq l Swaidan discovered some verses in the Holy Qur’an that mention one thing is equal to another, i..e. men are equal to women.

Although this makes sense grammatically, the astonishing fact is that the number of times the word man appears in the Holy Qur’an is 24 and number of times the word woman appears is also 24, therefore not only is this phrase correct in the grammatical sense but also true mathematically, I..e. 24 = 24.

Upon further analysis of various verses, he discovered that this is consistent throughout the whole Holy Qur’an where it says one thing is like another.

See below for astonishing result of the words mentioned number of times in Arabic Holy Qur’an Dunia (one name for life) 115.

Aakhirat (one name for the life After this world) 115 Malaika (Angels) 88 .Shayteen (Satan) 88 Life 145 ...... Death 145 Benefit 50 .. Corrupt 50 People 50 ... Messengers 50 Eblees (king of devils) 11 . Seek refuge from Eblees 11 Museebah (calamity) 75 ..

Thanks 75 Spending (Sadaqah) 73 .. Satisfaction 73 People who are mislead 17 ..

Dead people 17 Muslimeen 41 .. Jihad 41

Gold 8 .. Easy life 8 Magic 60.. Fitnah (dissuasion, misleading) 60 Zakat (Taxes Muslims pay to the poor) 32 .......

Barakah (Increasing or blessings of wealth) 32 Mind 49 .. Noor 49 Tongue 25 .. Sermon 25 Desite 8 .. Fear 8 Speaking publicly 18 .. Publicising 18 Hardship 114 ..... Patience 114 Muhammed 4 .. Sharee’ah Muhammed’s teachings 4 Man 24. Woman 24 And amazingly enough have a look how many times the following words appear: Salat 5, Month 12, Day 365, Sea 32, Land 13 Sea + land = 32+ 13= 45 Sea = 32/45*100q.= 71.11111111% Land = 13/45*100 = 28.88888889% Sea + land 100.00% Modern science has only recently proven that the water covers 71..111% of the earth, while the land covers 28..889%.

Is this a coincidence? Question is that Who taught Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) all this?

Reply automatically comes in mind that ALMIGHTY ALLAH taught him.

This as the Holy Qur’an also tells us this.

Notable dates Islamic Calender 1438 AH 2016 to 2017 1. Muharram 1st, 1438 AH - Sunday, 2nd October, 2016 - ISLAMIC NEW YEAR, 1438 AH

(1st Month) 2. Muharram 9th, 1438 AH - Monday, 10th October, 2016 Tasu’a - Fasting recommended 3. Muharram 10th, 1438 AH Tuesday, 11th October, 2016 - Ashura - Fasting recommended 4. Rabiul Awwal 12th, 1438 AH - Monday, 12th December, 2016 Maulud Nabiyyu SWA (3rd Month) 5. Rajab 1st, 1438 AH - Wednesday, 29th March, 2017 (7th Month) 6. Sha’aban 1st, 1438 AH - Friday, 28th April, 2017 (8th Month) 7. Ramadhan 1st, 1438 AH - Saturday, 27th May, 2017. Last ten days starts: Ramadhan 20th - Thursday, 15th June, 2017 (9th Month) 8. Shawwal 1st, 1438 AH - Sunday, 25th June , 2017. EID EL FITR (10th Month) 9. Thul Qadah 1st, 1438 AH Tuesday, 25th July, 2017 (11th Month) 10. Thul Hajj 1st, 1438 AH Wednesday, 23rd August, 2017 (12th Month) 11.Thul Hajj 9th, 1438 AH Thursday, 31st August, 2017. ARAFAT DAY - Fasting recommended.

12. Thul Hajj 10th, 1438 AH - Friday, 1st September, 2017. EID EL ADHA (KABR) Salaam. Please find above notable dates for the new Islamic year 1438 AH starting on Sunday 2nd October, 2016 In Sha Allah. Please consider the dates for planning purposes. Note the actual dates will be subject to moon sighting.

Happy New Islamic year in advance

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Friday, October 14, 2016 21th of Dhul-Hijjah, 1437AH

Congratulations to Nigerians at 56th Progress in Independence anniversary relationship with Allah CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25 principal government officers in both the executive and the legislature in order to free the much-needed money for revamping the economy. Medical tourism and foreign travels would also need to be cut especially where such spending has no value for our economic growth.

ON THE SALE OF NIGERIA’S NATIONAL ASSETS The challenges facing the nation simply mean that the Federal Government must do everything possible to ease the pains and sufferings that the people go through on a daily basis. This is what has led to the call for the Federal Government to sell some of our national assets, like the NLNG and refineries among others, in order to generate some money that will be used to stimulate the economy.

While this sounds good, it certainly needs to be looked at critically so that we do not find ourselves in a sorry state. Therefore, critical questions need to be asked and for which adequate and convincing answers must be provided.

Sale of assets has been a mixed bag of fortunes for us with some succeeding while so many have failed. For those that succeeded, we have had value for our money while the companies keep providing jobs for Nigerians.

In the cases of those that have failed, there have been job losses and the products and services that would have been enjoyed by the people are no longer there. Therefore, if we are to sell our assets, they should be the ones that are not performing well since the reasons for sale of assets are to reduce bureaucracy, eliminate bad management and corruption, increase profit, correct defective capital base and increase the quality of goods and services. These indeed are the objectives that a suitable process leading to any sale should achieve so that several years later the companies will still be there doing exactly what they are meant to do and providing employment for the people.

Rather, we should look in the way of companies that are not doing well at the moment and see how they can be sold to genuine investors who are willing to bring in the money and the expertise to revive them. This should happen in a transparent and open process that meets international best practices and with stipulated conditions that ensure that the new owners of the companies comply with the objectives for the sale. We should not allow a situation where a few unscrupulous investors buy assets and then turn round to strip the companies of their landed properties and other valuables.

We urge the federal government to look into the issue of the earlier privatised Nigeria Paper Mill Limited (NPM), the Nigerian Newsprint Manufacturing Company Limited (NNMC) and the Nigeria National Paper Manufacturing Company Limited (NNPMC) because of their abysmally poor performance. This has contributed to the unusually high importation of about 90% of papers

used in the country especially at a time of insufficient dollar earnings for the country.

This should be urgently looked into since the paper sector is capable of providing thousands of jobs to our teeming unemployed youths.

THE PRESIDENT AND HIS SUPPORT FOR AUTONOMY OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS The need to allow the local governments to fully discharge their duties and responsibilities is really an issue that has been on the front burner for some time now. What remains is the political will by all stakeholders to do the needful by untying the local governments from the apron strings of the states. When this is done, it will allow the people to assess, monitor and challenge the officials that are closest to them on issues concerning their development and well-being.

The President Muhammadu Buhari’s support for the autonomy of the local government has further raised the stakes but there is a lot to be done before this can be achieved. His intention has to be backed up with concrete legal instruments and the political will of the stakeholders to allow this third tier of government regain its freedom.

What we see at the moment is that the states only release a part of the money belonging to the local governments in such a way that it becomes hard to pay the salaries of the local government staff let alone try to provide the necessary infrastructure for the people. This is one of the reasons why the local governments are not effective in discharging their duties. We therefore urge the members of the legislature to put the necessary legal instruments in place so that the local governments will have the power and freedom to serve the people in their jurisdiction in a proper and acceptable manner. The legislature is a very important link in this initiative because the position of the local governments as the third tier of government is not expressly supported by the 1999 Constitution (as amended). Even when the roles were defined, the Fourth Schedule of the constitution did not expressly state whether local governments stand on their own or they are a part of states.

The states have for long enjoyed the control they have on the local governments.

They control their allocations and conduct elections into local governments if and when they wish to do so. Even when they conduct the elections, the posts are usually filled by their cronies whom they then sack at any time they so wish. This has weakened the local governments to such an extent that they are unable to provide primary health care services, collect revenue, provide adult and vocational education, maintain cemeteries, and register births and deaths among others. This is why the states and federal government have taken up the responsibilities of the local governments.

Place your adverts here for optimal reach Zakat Is 2.5% Of Your Total Wealth, Known As Nisab.

After Having Fulfilled All obligations, pay your zakat

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he true essence of our Ijtemas is to progress in the relationship with Allah and with another. The spirit of these religious and sport competitions should be with the thought that we have to progress in knowledge and make it a part of our daily lives. There are some sport events too which are essential to be healthy in order to fulfill our duties towards Allah and towards the people. Otherwise, neither it is the age of the Ansar’s to indulge in such sports nor the women of this age have interest in such activities. However, these exercises are important in order to keep oneself in a healthy shape and be conscious about one’s health. And later on must include healthy exercises such as walking in their lifestyles to be active. However, the actual purpose of these Ijtemas is to focus towards our religious and scholastic skills. The Sadar Sahib of MajlisAnsarullah UK requested me to advise the Ansar’s concerning this in the sermon. At the age of an Ansar, a person becomes mature and thus they themselves should be well aware of their responsibilities. Furthermore, they should concentrate and fulfill these responsibilities. Firstly to have a mature age and then secondly the name of the group ‘Ansarullah’ of the group of men who are above the age of 40 years is itself enough to make a realization in them. The responsibilities that these men should fulfill have been summarized in the oath of Ansarullah.

Firstly that every man included in this group of Ansarullah should try with his purest heart to make Islam stronger and be a faithful follower of Ahmadiyyat. And in order to try to make Islam stronger cannot merely happen with one’s strength and knowledge. Islam is the religion from Allah and it is a complete religion of teachings. No individual can change the faith or teachings of Islam but one has to reform themselves to form a bond with this faith.

And you cannot achieve this without establishing a strong relationship with Allah that every Ahmadi should strive for. The standard of the Ansar in their relationship with Allah and their faith should be the strongest. A true bond with Allah cannot be established until one forms a true relationship with Holy Prophet (Peace be Upon Him) for which Allah has commanded us to convey the Salutations of Peace and invoke blessings upon our Holy Prophet (Peace be Upon Him). Thus it is very important.

Then it is to fulfill the rights of the pledge that we have made to the Promised Messiah. When we realize the duty to fulfill these rights that are essential upon us, only then can we become true followers of Ahmadiyyat. In today’s world, Allah has sent the Promised Messiah to spread the message of Islam.

Our true attachment to Ahmadiyyat will only be evident when we take part in the spreading the teachings Islam and the word of Ahmadiyyat. Then another pledge Ansarullah members perform is to form a bond of loyalty with Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya which can only be achieved when the members strive to spread the words and programs of Khilafat and try their best to help in this work. This can only be made possible when Ansaar members will pay

Call to Worship

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Every Friday with

Khalifatul Ahmadiyya great heed to the Khalifa of the time. For this, Allah has blessed us with the MTA through which we can hear the Khalifa despite the long distances. You should also connect your children to the institution of Khilafat along with other spiritual teachings so that the connections of faithfulness to Khilafat are transferred from generation to generation. Also this would help in the propagation of Islam as after the Promised Messiah it has to be taken forward through the institution of Khilafat. Thus for this, keep a look out on every pledge that demands sacrifice. May Allah help you all to achieve these goals.

LajnaImaillah also has a pledge that they should always be aware of ! It is indeed a great blessing of Allah that by His grace, majority of the Lajna Ma shaa Allah are following the religion with utmost sincerity. They are strong even when it comes to their beliefs. But every Lajna member and every Ahmadi women should elevate their spirituality as per the commandments of Allah and the Holy Prophet (Peace be Upon Him). Lajna members also have a pledge that they repeat on their functions and programs which states that we are ready for any kind of sacrifice for the sake of our religion.

Thus the first sacrifice that the religion demands is that the practical conditions should be according to the code of Islam and they should be preferred over all the worldly desires. An Ahmadi woman should have high standards of truthfulness; she should follow all the commandments associated with it, should be fair in conduct and fulfill important teachings on pardah. If any Ahmadi woman is weak in any of these above mentioned requirements then unfortunately she is not practically living up to her pledge. Therefore, neither the fear of the society nor the selfvolition should drive an Ahmadi woman away from her religion. Instead every Ahmadi women’s life should be according to the teachings of Allah.

Another important pledge is related to the truthfulness. Every one of us needs to self-audit ourselves as whether we are truly following the commandments or not. Likewise, there is a pledge about the upbringing of children which should be fulfilled with the utmost abilities. The best teaching institution for a child is his/ her mother. Thus mothers should work very hard towards it. If all our women or as said by HazratMusleh Maud that if 50 per cent of the women ensure righteous up brining of their progeny then this could confirm the protection of the generations and societal reforms. They will be sources of decorating their religion and be the ones who connect to Allah.

Likewise it is the duty of the mothers to develop the seed of sacrifice for one’s nation/country in their children. They are also responsible to shape their children’s minds towards all obligations and needs to obey the laws. Also it is essential for them to help their children differentiate between right and wrong and to help them realize about their role towards the country’s development. Also help them connect to the institution of Khilafat.

Therefore, every mother should work towards fulfilling her responsibilities and May Allah gives them the strength to do so (Ameen).

To be continued next week

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Friday October 14, 2016

17 migrants missing after late-night Mediterranean rescue

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t least 17 migrants are missing after a nighttime rescue of more than 100 others from a partially submerged rubber boat off the coast of Libya, the CHANGE OF NAME

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Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) said yesterday.

Italy’s coastguard received a distress call from the vessel on Wednesday evening and alerted the privately funded MOAS ship Phoenix, which used remote-controlled drones to locate the boat, a statement said.

The Phoenix crew

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pulled 113 to safety, but survivors said it had set out from Libya with 130 on board. Among those missing was a Nigerian toddler who was about to turn 3 years old, his mother told rescuers.

“The sea was rough and the boat was taking on water. At one point some people started to panic.

The next thing I knew I

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FORMERLY KNOWN AS OJO TAIWO ARIKE, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AS MRS. BADMUS TAIWO ARIKE. NYSC AND GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD TAKE NOTE.

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AS FABUNMI YEMISI ELIZABETH NOW KNOWN AS OYENIYI ELIZABETH YEMISI. FIRST BANK PLC AND GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD TAKE NOTE.

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was pushed into the water and I lost my son in the chaos,” the boy’s mother told the Phoenix crew, MOAS said.

A young man said five of his friends were missing, and another man said a 16-year-old girl also had disappeared.

Photographs posted on the MOAS web site show that many migrants were

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CONFIRMATION OF NAME This is to confirm that ANYAOHA CHIKWADO MUOMARA , MUOMARA CHIDIEBERE ANYAOHA, ANYAOHA CHIDI MUOMARA, ANYAOHA CHIKWADO MMOR, MUOMARA ICHEKUGBURUIGWA ANYAOHA that is the same person as ANYAOHA CLEMENT MUOMARA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

This to confirm that OLASUPO KUNLE and OLASUPO NURUDEEN KUNLE refer to one and same person. Henceforth i wish to be known and addressed as OLASUPO NURUDEEN KUNLE. All former documents remain valid and should be treated as one person. Banks and the general public take note.

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PUBLIC NOTICE

GATE OF SUCCESS INT’L MINISTRY CHERUBIM & SERAPHIM This is to inform the general public that the above named body has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under the part C of the Company and Allied Matters Act 1990.

TRUSTEES 1. ADELOBA ADEWALE DAVID - GENERAL OVERSEER. 2: ADELOBA OLUFUNKE - VICE PRESIDENT 3: SIMON RONKE

- SECRETARY. AIMS AND OBJECTIVE TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST TO ALL NATION. Any objection to the above registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Trigis Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street,Maitama, Abuja,within 28 days of this publication.

SIGNED: ADELOBA ADEWALE DAVID - GENERAL OVERSEER.

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This is to inform the general public that MR. AIYETIMIYI KOLAWOLE TAIWO is no longer in the employment of SANDDRIANA & CO LTD. The above named person left our Company without notice, hand over note, and also without discharging his indebtedness to the company .

Take note that anybody who deals with him in respect of SANDDRIANA & CO LTD does so at his or her own risk.

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in the water and clinging to the boat when rescuers arrived. A search for the bodies had to be abandoned due to rough seas, the statement said.

Many of those rescued suffered burns caused by leaking fuel, and one woman was in shock with first-degree burns on a third of her body, MOAS said. A medical evacuation for her had been blocked by bad weather.

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operated by MOAS and Save the Children rescued a total of 470 migrants, an Italian coastguard spokesman said.

The central Mediterranean route between North Africa and Italy is the deadliest border in the world for migrants.

More than 3,100 have gone missing or died this year while trying to use this route to reach Europe by boat, the International Organization for Migration estimates.

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Business News

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Friday, October 14, 2016

CBN plans cheaper funds for non-oil export businesses Niyi Jacobs

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entral bank of Nigeria’s Director, Research and Development, Dr. Uwatt Uwatt, has hinted that the apex bank is planning to introduce cheaper funds for operators on the agric-value chain, in order to reduce the high cost of accessing funds for non-oil export businesses.

Uwatt who gave this hint in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, recently noted that there was the need to reduce the cost of loan able funds to non-oil exporters as such would raise production volumes and boost the country’s foreign exchange earnings.

He explained that to check this trend, the apex bank canvassed for improved cheaper credits to everyone on the agricvalue chain and also introduced the NIRAL scheme to de-risk agric lending.

The finance expert also said that the N200 billion Commercial Agricultural Credit Scheme and N220 billion Micro, Small and medium Enterprises (MSMEs) were also instituted to enable small businesses access cheap funds.

Uwatt who spoke on the theme ‘Overview of non-oil sector in Nigeria’, pointed out that the drop in prices of crude oil

in international markets had renewed the need to revamp the non-oil sector.

“Declines in global crude oil prices have triggered major headwinds for the economy.

Continued dependence on oil poses a big threat to economic stability. The nation is now trying to retrace its steps from over

dependence on oil for major part of its revenues,” he said.

The CBN director explained that the nation is now trying to retrace its steps from over dependence on crude oil which has not yielded positive results.

He said between 2011 and 2015, the contributions of oil sector to Gross Domestic Products (GDP)

stood at 12 per cent while the federal allocations reports for August this year, showed that non-oil contributes 57.5 per cent to federally-collected revenues.

Uwatt said government had adopted protectionism policies, trade liberalisation, export promotion policy and privatisation to drive non-oil export.

Rwand Air introduces Airbus 330-200 on Lagos route Olusegun Koiki

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wand Air has deployed its newly acquired Airbus 330-200 on the Lagos route from its base in Kigali, Rwanda.

The aircraft landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos over the weekend.

Speaking at MMIA, Rwand Air, Country Manager, Ms. Ibiyemi Odusi said that the newly acquired aircraft would enable it to capture the African air transport market more, adding that more brand new aircraft would be added to its fleet before the end of the year.

Odusi explained that the arrival of the aircraft was one step taken by the airline to consolidate on the Nigerian route with attractive packages that would make the carrier the preferred choice by passengers.

She said the configuration of the Airbus with Flat Bed on the Business Class, luxurious space at the Premium Economy Cabin and other seats in the Economy Cabin made the 244 passenger seat aircraft the best on the Nigerian-Kigali and others the best.

Odusi called on Nigerian passengers to continue to patronise Rwand Air to destinations within and outside Africa to enable the airline resolve the lingering challenge of flight connectivity within Africa.

She said Rwand Air would in December take delivery of another new aircraft to enable it actualise its plans to open new routes within Africa into Middle East and Asia as well as open new routes into Europe in 2017.

Also speaking at the event, the Rwandan High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ambassador Stan-

islas Kamanzi described the arrival of the Airbus into Nigeria as a milestone by the East Africa carrier, saying the aircraft is part of efforts to improve the national carrier of the country in offering seamless connections into and out of Africa.

He supported Odusi when he said that the airline would take delivery of another aircraft next month to enable the airline contribute its quota in growing air transportation in Africa.

“We have to thank Nigeria for accommodating Rwand Air and for allowing our airline develops Lagos as a hub over West Africa.

From Lagos, we have expanded our operations into Ghana, Conakry, Abidjan.

“There is necessity for Africa to be inter connected by air.

A situation in which African countries still have problems of

L-R: Kebbi State Governor, Abubakar Bagudu, Minister of Agriculture and rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, during a courtesy visit to the Minister in his office in Abuja on Tuesday

Over reliance on oil stagnated Nigeria’s economic growth –Expert Ben Umuteme Abuja

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he Special Adviser to the President Muhammadu Buhari on Economic matters, Dr. Oluyemi Dipeolu, has warned that except the country reduces its dependence on oil

the economy will not develop.

Dipeolu, who said this at the Abuja Policy Debate organised

by Friedrich Ebert Stifting, FES, to mark its 40th anniversary of the organization explained the situation made the country susceptible to all the shocks of commodity volatility.

Union Bank launches UnionFuture Account, eyes informal sector Leonard Okachie

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n a bid to promote saving culture for future investments, especially among its customers in the informal sector, Union Bank has launched the UnionFuture account. .The UnionFuture, which was launched recently at the bank’s ASPAMDA branch, is an account which provides a simple savings plan for customers who are not under a formal payroll scheme and also allows them save a minimum amount which they can access in the future to meet any obligation.

Speaking at the launching of the new product, the Head, Retail Products, Mr. Sheahan Arasaratnam, noted that many

Nigerians are self-employed and do not have savings kept aside to cater their needs after active service and this problem can be addressed with the UnionFuture account.

He said: “The UnionFuture is a savings account designed to assist customers, especially those in the informal sector, in saving for and securing their future.

Customers enjoy seven percent interest on their UnionFuture account each month, until the person decides to close the account.

“We want to encourage both existing and prospective customers in the informal sector to leverage on the product, which can go a long way to help them when they become inactive.

Besides the regular seven percent interest, when a customer saves up to N100,000, Union Bank will provide them an Insurance cover of N100,000, which can be accessed anytime it is necessary”, Arasaratnam added The bank’s Group Head, Retail Banking, Mr. Ayuba Isaya, restated the bank’s commitment to excellent and effective customer service and how the bank will continue to offer simpler and smarter packages.

“The launch of this product signals a new phase in the savings culture of Nigerians as we set our sights on superseding customer’s expectations while remaining focused on providing smart banking solutions to all our customers,” he said.

The Presidential aide, who is a former Director at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, UNECA, noted that presently, the Nigeria has an economic policy that makes it difficult to implement the much needed reform that will diversify the economy, adding that “Nigeria should diversify into high yielding activities.

He said there was need for a structural change in order to move from primary to secondary activities through introduction of innovative policies to address the ease of doing business in the country.

This is even as he disclosed that the government was working on ways of reducing the barriers to access to finance by Small and Medium Enterprises, SMEs, including several efforts to tackle the shocks in the system though numerous social intervention programmes.

President, Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Ayuba Wabba, identified policy inconsistency and lack of interest as being responsible for the country’s present challenge.

He therefore urged the government to create the right environment by creating the right policy.

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Friday, October 14, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

New template for civil service expenditure underway Ben Umuteme Abuja

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he Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, says the government was developing a new template that would compel accounts officers of Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, to disclose details of their expenses to auditors.

The minister, who disclosed this at the cost management workshop for senior government officials in Abuja on yesterday, said that the new template was part of efforts by the government to block leakages Adeosun, noted that with the lean resources at the government’s disposal, it was important to control recurrent expenditure, especially overhead cost saying it was building a systems to ensure that people are held accountable.

She said: “SOE’s are a key risk area and we have draft audit report for a sample of them. Funds are leaking through a loose framework. AGF sending a new template for allowable expenses and disclosures that must be made in audited accounts as well as external audit selection processes.”

The minister, who also doubles as chairman of Efficiency Unit steering committee added that in-

sisted that the days when 99% costto-income ratio were the norm are over saying those expected to generate operating surplus must do so.”

Established in 2015, the Efficiency Unit is one of the reform programme of the Muhammadu Buhari administration to ensure effective management of Nigeria’s finances in order to achieve a more appropriate balance between Capital and Re-current Expenditure, Value for Money and eliminate wastages in government.

The Minister said that the Unit was part of government’s strategies for resetting the economy by cutting down on recurrent expenditure and plowing the amount saved into capital projects and other investments that will revive the economy, create jobs and reduce costs of living for Nigerians.

“Essential to releasing this headroom for capital investment is the control of recurrent expenditure,” she said.

She, therefore, warned accounting officers of MDAs to always ask questions before they sign any document.

According to her, don’t just sign”, ask questions. Yes is an answer, no is an answer. When it comes to public money...why is an

NACAN decries inadequate manpower at nation’s airports Olusegun Koiki

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embers of the National Air Traffic Communicators Association of Nigeria, NACAN, have decried the inadequate number of its personnel to man the country’s airports.

NACAN disclosed that there was no employment into the department between 1989 and 2012, a situation it said had created serious gap in the system.

Speaking during the opening ceremony of NACAN 4th Annual General Meeting, AGM, in Lagos, over the weekend, its President, Mr. Nkambo George declared that there were only 97 trained and licensed communication personnel nationwide, saying it was grossly inadequate to cover operations across the airports in the country.

Nkambo, who also stressed the need for the provision of aeronautical fixed telecommunications network, a ground to ground operation for safe, efficient, economic air navigation, disclosed that some stations like Kebbi, Bauchi and Dutse lacked good facilities.

He explained that the non-employment of personnel into the

department for 23 years created a huge gap in the system and appealed to the management of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, to approve the basic training at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, NCAT, Zaria for officers to be properly integrated into the mainstream to boost the acute manpower shortage in the department.

He noted that NAMA as an air navigation service provider had the responsibility of rendering its task with high sense of professionalism, but said it was sad that certain elements in the agency were hell bent to merge or integrate two operational departments saddled with distinct functions as outlined by Annexes of International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO. The NACAN chief disclosed that the department was constantly threatened to the extent that all mandatory local and foreign courses ought to have attended for currency and provision of safety service to the flying public have been put on hold for more than five years even when there was budgetary allocation for such courses.

answer? Convince me is also an answer.

“Treat public money as if it were your own money, squeeze the toothpaste, small losses and wastes add up, she said.

In her brief remarks, the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, disclosed that her office is developing an En-

terprise Culture and commercial for the Service.

According to her, the aim is to transform the Civil Service from being perceived as a cost centre to revenue earner.

The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation said that the process will “enhance value for money in government expenditures,

eliminate leakages and wastages in the public financial procurement system, ensure less dependence of MDAs on subventions/ appropriation from government, and ensure that the civil service and MDAs become idea generation powerhouses thus complementing the private sector in creating business opportunities.”

Founder and Chairman, FATE Foundation, Mr. Fola Adeola; Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, Mrs. Sola David-Borha; and Executive Governor, Borno State, Alhaji Kashim Shettima; during the closing session of the 22nd Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja on Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Oil exploration investments dip on unattractive prices Udeme Akpan

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nvestors have not yet been encouraged to invest more in oil and gas exploration as a result the lull in the international market.

Baker Hughes Incorporated disclosed in its September, 2016 report that the international rig count for September 2016 was 934 down 3 from the 937 counted in August 2016, and down 206 from the 1,140 counted in September 2015.

It indicated that the international offshore rig count for September 2016 was 221, down 7 from the 228 counted in August 2016, and down 47 from the 268 counted in September 2015.

The report disclosed that the average U.S. rig count for September 2016 was 509, up 28 from the 481 counted in August 2016, and down 339 from the 848 counted in September 2015.

It noted that the average Canadian rig count for September 2016 was 141, up 12 from the 129 counted in August 2016, and down 42 from the 183 counted in September 2015.

According to the report, the worldwide rig count for September 2016 was 1,584, up 37 from the 1,547 counted in August 2016, and down 587 from the 2,171 counted in September 2015.

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 Company began weekly counts of the U.S. and Canadian drilling activity.

The North American rig count is scheduled to be released at noon Central time on the last working day of each week.

The development has impacted

negatively on many economies, including Nigeria and other members of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC. The cartel had noted in its September, 2016 report that the world economic growth was revised down to 2.9% for 2016 and remains at 3.1% for 2017.

Weak 1H16 growth caused a downward revision to the US growth forecast for 2016 to 1.5%, while the 2017 forecast remains at 2.1%. Growth in Japan was also revised down to 0.7% given weak 1H16 growth.

Norway to cut corporate income tax

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he Norwegian Government plans to cut corporate income tax and increase the tax contribution of the finance industry as part of its 2017 Budget.

In line with a parliamentary agreement on tax reform, the Government announced on October 6 that corporate tax will be cut from 26 percent this year to 25 percent in 2017. The parliamentary agreement also calls for corporate tax to be further reduced, in 2018, to 23 percent.

However, the corporate tax cut will not apply to companies operating in the financial sector. They will continue to pay income tax at 25 percent. Furthermore, the Government has proposed a new five

percent Financial Activities Tax based on gross salary payments.

The Financial Activities Tax is intended to compensate for the industry’s exemption from valueadded tax.

The Government stressed that the 2017 Budget is focused on encouraging economic growth. To encourage investment in businesses, the Government is proposing to reduce the net wealth tax. This will be achieved through a 10 percent reduction in the valuation of shares, operating assets, and associated debts for wealth tax purposes, and an increase in the wealth tax allowance to NOK1.48m (USD173,000), from its current level of NOK1.4m.

(Source – tax-news.com)

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CHANGE OF NAME

NWOKPOKU: I, formerly known and addressed as NWOKPOKU VERONICA, now wish to be known and addressed as NWEKE VERONICA. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

This is to confirm that ADEBAYO BOLARINWA JONATHAN and ADEBAYO ADEBAYO JONATHAN refer to one and the same person. Henceforth, wish to be known and addressed as ADEBAYO BOLARINWA JONATHAN. All former documents bearing both names remain valid. ECOBANK and general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly known and addressed as JONATHAN JENNIFER IKPE. That I want to change my name from my step father’s name who is from Akwa-Ibom State as JONATHAN to my real father’s name who is from Ondo State as ADEYAN. I now wish to be known, called and addressed as ADEYAN ADEOLA JENNIFER and change my former State which is Akwa-Ibom State to Ondo State. All former documents remain valid. General public and Authorities Concerned to take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly known as FATAI RAMOTU ARIKE, now wish to be known, called and addressed as OYETUNJI RAMOTU. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known, called and addressed as AYINUOLA TITILAYO OLUWASEYI, now wish to be known, called and addressed as AMAVI TITILAYO OLUWASEYI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as ADEMIJU TAIWO, now wish to be known and addressed as AKOSILE TAIWO ADEMIJU JEREMIAH. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly known and addressed as ALABI MOSHOOD AJANI, now wish to be known and addressed SALAWUDEEN MOSHOOD ALABI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly known and addressed as JAMES OKPE, now wish to be known and addressed as ABU ALI. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as LUKMAN ADEWALE ADENEKAN, now wish to be known and addressed as LUKMAN ADEBOWALE ADENEKAN. All Former documents remain valid.

Banks and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly known as Miss OKUNADE TOLA THERESA now to be known and addressed as MRS. AFOLAYAN TOLA THERESA. All former documents remain valid, general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as IBRAHIM MOHAMMED, now wish to be known and addressed as ACHUKU SUNDAY DANIEL. All Former documents remain valid.

Banks and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly addressed and known as DOYINSOLA WEALTH now wish to be called and addressed as SODEEQ DOYINSOLA RASAQ. All former documents bearing the above names remain valid, Access Bank Plc and general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as MISS OJO OLUWATOYIN SULIAT now wish to be called, addressed and known as MRS ADEYEMO OLUWATOYIN SULIAT. All former documents bearing the above names remain valid, general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

AFFAH: I, formerly known and addressed as MISS UDEME ABEL AFFAH, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS NWIGWE UDEME CHUKWUDI. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

32

Friday, October 14, 2016 CHANGE OF NAME

ONYEMA: I, formerly known and addressed as MISS ONYEMA AMARACHI SUSSAN, now wish to be known and addressed asMRS ALAOMA AMARACHI SUSSAN. All former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

OKOH: I, formerly known and addressed as MISS OKOH JUDITH NGOZI, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS NWAFOR JUDITH NGOZI. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

UGWUANYI: I, formerly known and addressed as MISS UGWUANYI CHARITY OLUMA, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS EZE CHARITY OLUOMA. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

ONWUATUEGWU: I, formerly known and addressed as MR ONWUATUEGWU INNOCENT IKECHUKWU, now wish to be known and addressed as MR ONWUATUEGWU INNOCENT CYRIL. All former documents

LOSS OF DOCUMENT This is to inform the general public of loss of Power of Attorney belonging to ENGR OKORO BENNETH NDUBUISI Registry asNo 17/17/1390 land situates at Plot 6 Royal District Independence Layout, Enugu. All effort to trace the said document proved abortive. If found kindly return to Ministry of Lands Enugu.

Formerly known and addressed as BAKARE KAREEM OLAKUNLE, now wish to be known and addressed as HABEEB SULAIMAN OLAYINKA .

All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CORRECTION OF NAME

This is to certify that my correct name is OLISA FREDRICK OKPOROPO not OLISAH FREDRICK NWABUASO henceforth my name will be spelt, called and addressed as OLISA FREDRICK OKPOROPO. Eco Bank Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known, called and addressed as AGBOOLA FAYEUN AJAYI now wish to be known , called and addressed as FAYEUN AJAYI GBENGA. All former documents remain valid. F.C.M.B Plc, Eco Bank Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly MISS FAFUNMI OMOLARA LABAKE, now MRS. AKOMOLAFE ISRAEL OMOLARA. All former documents remain valid. Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as MISS AKINYEMI OLUTAYO OLUBUSAYO now wish to be known and addressed as MRS SALIMON OLUTAYO OLUBUSAYO. All former documents remain valid.

Bank and General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as AJAYI MODINAT now wish to be known and addressed as AKINLEYE MODINAT IYABO. All former documents remain valid.

Wema, First bank and General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as OGUERI CHIDOMERE, now wish to be known and addressed as CRIS OGUERI. All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as SULAIMON OLAMIJI ENIOLA, now wish to be known and addressed as AZEEZ OLAMIJI ENIOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

MALTIDA: Formerly known and addressed as MBAEGBU IFEOMA MALTIDA,now wish to be known and addressed as MBAEGBU LILIAN CHINASA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS OJOMU TEMITOPE OLUWAFUNMILAYO OJULARI, HENCEFORTH WISH TO STATE THAT I AM ALSO THE SAME PERSON KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MRS. OJOMU TEMITOPE OLUWAFUNMILAYO. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC, PLEASE TAKE NOTE. CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as KEMI OLATUNJI now wish to be known and addressed as IBERU KIKELOMO KEMI. All documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as MUHAMMADU SULEIMAN now wish to be known and addressed as MUHAMMADU SULEIMAN DANTANI. All former documents remain valid, general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly known and addressed as BALE PETER OGHENETEJIRI now wish to be known and addressed as MEGACHAIR BALE OGHENETEJIRI PETER. All former documents remain valid. General public to please note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly known and addressed as OLUKOYA BEATRICE OPEYEMI, now wish to be known and addressed as OLATUNJI OPEYEMI BEATRICE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MISS SOMOYE ADEBIMPE JOSEPHINE NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MRS LONGE ADEBIMPE JOSEPHINE. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE. CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as MISS. BOLANLE RASHEEDAT ADEDO now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. BOLANLE RASHEEDAT AGBE-DAVIES. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as MISS ADEGBUYI ADEOTI ADESOLA, now wish to be known and addrssed as MRS BELLA ADEOTI ADESOLA. All former documents remain valid.Banks and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as BULUKU ANNS, now wish to be known and addressed as ABUBAKAR HASSANA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

This is to confirm and certify that l am the same person bearing EZE CHIDINMA and EZEUDU CHIDINMA GOODNESS. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

LUGARD: I formerly known and addressed as LUGARD BEKENAWEI GOLLY JOE, now wish to be known and addressed as EFE OBI LAWRENCE. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly known and addressed as SAMIAT OYEYEMI GBAJUMO now wish to be known and addressed as SAMIAT OYEYEMI GBAJUMO-AKARIGIDI. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHUKWUEZIE: I, formerly known and addressed as MISS CHUKWUEZIE VIVIAN ADAKU, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS NOSAKHARE VIVIAN ADAKU. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

EKOLI: I, formerly known and addressed as EKOLI INNOCENT EJIOFOR, now wish to be known and addressed as OGBOBE CHRISTOPHER OBINNA. All former documents remain valid. Banks and General public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as MISS TAIWO AJIBIKE, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS TAIWO OMOTAYO AKINBUNMI. All former documents remain valid, general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I FORMERLY KNOWN AND CALLED OMAGWU MARY ENECHOJO, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND CALLED ODAUDU MARY ENECHOJO. All FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. N.Y.S.C, FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC IDAH, AUTHORITY CONCERN AND GENERAL PUBLIC TO TAKE NOTE. CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS. OTAYEMI ODUNLAMI FUNMILAYO OLUWEMIMO now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. ONABOTE OLUFUNMILAYO ODUNAYO. All former documents remain valid. TASUED, Ijagun and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as MISS ADELEYE ADEOLA TEMITOPE now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. EGUNLUSI ADEOLA TEMITOPE. All former documents remain valid, general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS OGUNLAJA ADENIKE ABIDEMI NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS ADERIBIGBE ADENIKE ABIDEMI. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. FIRST BANK AND GENERAL PLEASE TAKE NOTE. CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as MR UMEH CHUKWUGEKWU MICHAEL, now wish to be known and addressed as MR UMEH CHUKWUGEKWU JOSHUA. All former documents remain valid.

Zenith Bank and General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS ORESANYA ADIJAT ADERONKE NOW WHICH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS IBRAHIM ADIJAT ADERONKE. FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC NOTE. CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as EMMANUEL AGUZIE AGWU, now wish to be known and addressed as EMMANUEL AGUZIE AGU. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

This is to confirm and certify that OLOYEDE KAMORUDEEN KUNLE is the same person as OLOYEDE KAMORUDEEN. Documents bearing either names remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

PIUS: I formerly known and addressed as ELIZABETH PIUS DAVID, now wish to be known and addressed as ONAKPOMA ELIZABETH OMAMU. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

l, formerly known and addressed as MR NWAOGWUGWU MARTINS KINGSLEY, now wish to be known and addressed as MR SUNDAY MARTINS KINGSLEY. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

UDEH: I, formerly known and addressed as MISS UDEH ESTHER, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS OGAMMA ESTHER. All former documents remain valid. Banks and General public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

OKEREKE: I, formerly known and addressed as OKEREKE FIDELIS UDEH, now wish to be known and addressed as OKEKE FIDELIS UDEH. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known, called and addressed as JANET FASOLA OMONIYI and JANET FASOLA FEMI-OMOBOYOWA now wish to be known, called and addressed as OMONIYI JANET OLUWASOLA. All former documents remain valid. Ondo State Teaching Service Commission, Authorities concerned and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

MY FORMER NAME IS WRONGFULLY WRITTEN AS S. ELIZABETH KUKU IN ECO BANK INSTEAD OF FASORO ELIZABETH FOLASADE WHICH IS MY REAL NAME.NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AS FASORO ELIZABETH FOLASADE. FORMER DOCUMENT REMAIN VALID.ECO BANK AND PUBLIC NOTE. CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly known, called and addressed as IBHAZOBE IVIE EDNA, now wish to be known, called and addressed as MRS. EDNA IVIE HAYBLE. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly known and addressed as OMOVWERHA FRANKWIL OGHENETEGA, now wish to be known and addressed as OMOVWERHA FRANK OGHENETEGA. And my date of birth is 2ND of February 1987. All former documents remain valid, banks and general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly known and addressed as MUHAMMAD MURHTAR SAIDU, now wish to be known and addressed as MUHAMMAD MUKHTAR SAIDU. All former documents remain valid; Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as MISS OLUWAJE JULIET ADA, now wish to be known and addressed as MISS OLUWAJE JULIET MARY. All former documents remain valid.

Diamond Bank, Access Bank plc, general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as AGBONFI JOHN OBI, now wish to be known and addressed as JOHN EMEKA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as OLUWATOYIN OLAITAN DADA, now wish to be known and addressed as OLUWATOYIN OMOWUMI DADA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as AHANONU MONICA CHIDINMA, now wish to be known and addressed as OSUJI MONICA CHIDINMA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note CHANGE OF NAME

AWETU: I formerly known and addressed as KATE AWETU, now wish to be known and addressed as KATE AWEYO OKPORO. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

This to confirm that AHMED RASAKI ARO and BADMUS RASAKI ARO refer to one and same person.

Henceforth I wish to be known and addressed as AHMED RASAKI ARO. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net CHANGE OF NAME

NNAJI: I, formerly known and addressed as NNAJI EJIOFOR, now wish to be known and addressed as PRIEST, NNAJI SOLOMON EJIOFOR. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

UDEH: I, formerly known and addressed as UDEH CHINYERE DORATHY, now wish to be known and addressed as AGU CHINYERE DORATHY. All former documents remain valid. Ebonyi State University and general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known, called and addressed as AKINWALE JOSEPH OLALEKAN, now wish to be known, called and addressed as OGUNWOLE OLALEKAN OLUWASEUN. All former documents remain valid. Authorities concerned and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as ABUBAKAR ABDULLAHI JEGA now wish to be known and addressed as ABUBAKAR NASARAWA.All former documents remain valid, general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly known as AFOLAYAN LUKUMON now wished to be known and addressed as LNUOLAJI AFOLAYAN LUKUMON. All former documents remain valid. F C M B, Wema Bank and the general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly known and addressed as BISIRIYU KEHINDE OLUWAKEMI, now wish to be known and addressed as OGUNBADE KEHINDE OLUWAKEMI. And my date of birth is 13TH of March 1978. All former documents remain valid, banks and general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS ADEYOMBO SULIAT BOLA, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. SOKANBI SULIAT BOLA. All former documents remain valid, general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known as ABUBAKAR HAWAU GLORY now wants to be addressed as OWOLABI GLORY. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as MIKE JOY OLUWAKEMI, now wish to be known and addressed as VICTORIA ISAAC OGHOGHO. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as ATU IRUMEKHAI, now wish to be known and addressed as ATU PAUL IRUMEKHAI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

EZE: I, formerly known and addressed as MISS EZE CORDELIA OGBA CHINASA, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS ITUMA CORDELIA CHINASA. All former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

ADDITION OF NAME

That I was formerly known and addressed as CHIKA CHUKWUDI that I now wish to add MACPHERSON to my former name that I now wish to be known and addressed as CHIKA CHUKWUDI MACPHERSON. All former documents remain valid. Banks and general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly JOHNBOSCO MICHAEL, EZEOBI UCHE, MICHAEL UCHENNA, now wish to be known, called and addressed as OZOEMEH MICHAEL UCHENNA. All former documents remain valid. Banks and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly known and addressed as NGOZI NWODO now wish to be known and addressed as NGOZI CHUKWUDI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS ADEKUNLE SOLAPE CHRISTIANAH, now MRS. MIKANJUOLA SOLAPE CHRISTIANAH. All former documents remain valid. Ekiti State Local Government Service Commission and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as MISS OJO IBIRONKE OMOLOLA now wish to be known and addressed as MRS OREAGBA IBIRONKE OMOLOLA. All former documents remain valid. Oceanic, GTBank and General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly known and addressed as MISS PATRICK FELICIA ANNA Now wish to be known and addressed as MRS JAKLE FELICIA ANNA. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS. ISAIAH RUTH OHUNENE. Now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. CLETUS RUTH OHUNENE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as WILLIAMS MODINAT ABOSEDE ADEJOKE, now wish to be known and addressed as WILLIAMS MODINAT ABOSEDE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as SOLU JULIET ISHIOMA, now wish to be known and addressed as EWAH JULIET ISHIOMA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

LOSS OF TITLE DOCUMENT

The General Public is hereby informed that the Original title documents to Wit: Survey plan, Deed of Assignment and other documents pertaining to the petrol station at opposite NDLEA Barracks Lagos Badagry Expressway, Ibereko Badagry Lagos state.

Belonging to NAMOS OIL NIG LTD is lost and all attempts to locate it have proved abortive.

Whoever deals with the document other than the directors does so at his or her own risk.

If found please contact the solicitor A. E Bamidele & Associate at 79 Hospital road Badagry or call 08034107824 KAZEEM AMOSU. DIRECTOR NAMOS OIL NIG LTD

ADDITION OF NAME

I, formerly known and addressed as FAIDUMU DAVID, now wish to add ODI to my former name. Henceforth now wish to be known and addressed as FAIDUMU ODI DAVID. All former documents remain valid. Diamond Bank Plc and General public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

FORMERLY KNOWN AS MRS. ALIMAT OGUNDOTUN OMONIJE, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MRS. OGUNDOTUN ALIMAT OMONIJE. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

CHANGE OF NAME/CORRECTION OF DATE OF BIRTH I formerly known and addressed as ONIOVO GABRIEL ONIOVO, now wish to be known and addressed as ONIOVO GABRIEL. Also my correct date of birth is 5th July,1960 and not 8th April,1963. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, FORMERLYKNOWN AS MISS ADETUNJI KEHIDE, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MRS OLASIJI KEHIDE. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

33

Agri Business

Friday, October 14, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

FG to distribute 900m palm seedlings to farmers Stories: Abolaji Adebayo

T

he Federal Government is set to distribute 900 million seedlings of high yielding palms to farmers in the coming weeks to boost palm oil production in the country.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh disclosed this on Monday, when the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development paid him a visit as part of its oversight functions.

He explained that currently, there was a shortage of 250,000 tons of palm oil to meet local demand, adding that the planned distribution is to meet and surpass the current shortage.

A statement by the Director (Information) of the Ministry, Tony Ohaeri, quoted the minister as saying also that the price of rice would begin to fall from November this year, as more Nigerians are responding to the call to return to agriculture, as a result of Government’s policy on importation of rice.

He emphasized that Government could not be involved in rice importation, as being speculated in some quar-

ters, adding that his Ministry would not encourage such a thing that would be detrimental to local production.

L-R: Secretary to Oyo State Government, Alhaji Olalekan Alli; Managing Director, Agbowo Mall and infrastructures Ltd, Mr. Tunde Shonekan; Executive Director, Mr Seyi Ajasa and Legal Adviser, Mr Obafemi Oluwayemi at the Signing of MoU on Agbowo Shopping Complex in Ibadan, yesterday. PHOTO:NAN

“We will not encourage rice importation, and there is no way our Ministry or Government can be involved in importing rice, when we are working hard to be self-sufficient in local production.

By November, when full scale harvest starts, rice prices will fall”, the Minister said.

Ogbeh further told the lawmakers that the late passage of this year’s budget had slowed down budget implementation, saying however that about N80 billion would soon be disbursed for already awarded capital projects This is even as he urged the Senators to impress it on state governors to encourage agriculture in their States to complement Federal Government’s efforts in the sector.

“You may be surprised to know that only six to seven States in Nigeria are showing enthusiasm in agriculture.

Some by nature don’t seem interested, while others just can’t connect with what we are doing at the federal level”, the minister said.

IITA advocates local research solutions for agric devt Plastic crates key to curbing opment. Government has a lot the theme of the conference was post-harvest produce losses, GEMS4 he Federal Government of

T

Nigeria has been advised to seek local research solutions in enhancing agricultural development in the country.

The Director, Research Development, Institute of International Tropical Agriculture, IITA, Ibadan, Dr. Robert Asiedu, who gave the advice while delivering the keynote address at first international conference of the faculty of science of the Lead City University themed, “Applied Sciences: Tools for National development”, said many researches conducted outside the country were not applicable to the Nigerian situation.

He said: “We have brilliant scientists that trained locally and internationally who are citizens of Nigeria with indigenous experience but are not supported to contribute to research devel-

of answers to current problems we are facing in the country like providing technology that can address present agricultural challenges.

“Agriculture employ largest sector of the economy but the problem is that most agricultural practitioners are subsistent farmers. And as a result, they can’t employ and produce much food”, Asiedu added.

The researcher noted further that in order to achieve agricultural development, there must be modern tools, provision of infrastructural facilities, financial resources, protecting environment, people, commodities and involvement of private sector.

In his opening remarks, the Chancellor and Chairman Board of Trustees of the university, Prof. Gabriel Ogunmola, said

important because despite many scholars in the country, there had not been much development occasioned by lack of applying the research works to address problems.

He said it was on this note that Lead City University named her faculty an Applied Science, which had enhanced her with a giant stride in research to bring innovations and enhance high productivity.

Corroborating him, the Dean of the Faculty, Prof. Olusola Ladokun, said the faculty was committed to pursue Innovation, standardisation and interdisciplinary research to fulfil her role as a transmitter of knowledge that extends the fruits of its creative research and development to all sectors of society which is the reason for the conference.

NAAJ rallies agric stakeholders on economic recession

N

ational Association of Agriculture Journalists, NAAJ, is set to engage stakeholders in agricultural sector during its workshop on how to tackle the ongoing economic recession through agriculture in the country.

In a statement signed by its Chairman, Stanley Ihedigbo, the association indicated that this year’s workshop, slated to hold on the 27th of this month in Lagos, aimed at addressing

issues concerning the sustainability of agriculture amidst economic recession and how the sector can be effectively utilised to rescue the nation’s falling economy.

With The theme ‘Sustainable Agriculture under Economic Recession’ the workshop would proffer viable solutions and strategies for the government and other agricultural stakeholder and farmer as communique would be issued after the

workshop.

Seasoned resource persons, drawn from various aspects of the sector expected to deliberate on the theme of the workshop include the Chairman of Nigeria Agribusiness Group, Alhaji Sani Dangote, President, Nigerian Association of Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, NACCIMA, Commissioners of Agriculture for Benue and Abia states, among others.

A

n economic development project jointly funded by the World Bank and DFID/UKaid hasconfirmed that the use of plastic crates could help in effectively minimizing perishable produce losses in the country.

The project indicated that perishable produce supply chain, Returnable Plastic Crates (RPCs), are missing because of lack of clear product offering and a route to market strategy by the existing identified manufacturers.

According to the Media Officer of the agency, Mr. Ekoja Michael, the packaging and transit material utilised currently by the local market actors is the Raffia Basket (RFB) which, he claimed, was contributing largely to the damage done to fresh produce in transit, which currently stands at 41 per cent.

He explained further that research had shown that replacing Raffia Basket, RFBs, with Returnable Plastic Crates, RPCs,was clearly the best approach when the waste reduction and savings resulting from its usage is put into consideration.

“A reduction from 41 per cent (when RFB is used) to 5 per cent (when RPC is used) is too significant to be ignored thus, establishing a need for the utilisation of RPCs in the supply chain as a means of ensuring quality as-

surance and increasing incomes hence, sustaining the gains of early harvesting.

“In partnership with GEMS4, The MasterCard Center for Inclusive Growth is providing a returnable plastic crate, RPC, initiative.

It is hoped that, with this seed procurement and distribution of 26,400 RPCs to GEMS4 partners in the sector will trigger continuous uptake and utilisation of RPCs to prevent losses”, he said.

He explained that for RPCs to be readily handy there was need to have a clear strategy on product offering, which entailed product quality, meeting customer expectations, availability and sensitisation.

“This very activity is currently being embarked upon by GEMS4 through its “market storm” exercise in order to help the local market actors cut losses in the perishable produce value chain,” he said.

He noted that the first batch of RPCs was being distributed by the GEMS4 agribusiness team at “market storm” exercises in markets across the country.

One of these events, he said was held at the Eko farmer’s mart in Ajah, Lagos state, where the participants were not only educated in Good Handling Practices (GHP) and the use plastic crates but they received free plastic crates as well.

34

Friday, October 14, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business Maritime

Concessionaires seek review of Guaranteed Minimum Tonnage Stories: Francis Ezem

M

ore than 10 years after the completion of Nigeria’s port reform programme, the concessionaires under the aegis of Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria STOAN, have made a strong case for the review of the entire concession agreement, including the Guaranteed Minimum Tonnage GMT. The GMT is the projected minimum volume of cargo the concessionaires are expected to handle per annum, which would form the basis for the payment agreed fees and levies to the government through the Nigerian Ports Authority NPA, which include the lease fee and royalty, among others.

Chairman of the association, Princess (Dr) Vicky Haastrup, who spoke in an exclusive interview, noted that a downward review of the GMT was imperative to reflect the current situation of things in the country.

According to her, due to the policy summersault of the Federal Government, most of the dynamics that informed the projections for the GMT have all changed significantly, a development that necessitated an urgent downward review.

She said: “We look forward to a downward review of the GMT because most of the cargo that we put in our technical papers that were submitted to the government in the course of the programme and which we were handling then have currently been banned by the government” Haastrup, who doubles as Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of ENL Consortium Limited, the concessionaire in charge of terminal C and D of the Lagos Ports Complex, Apapa noted that the importation of products such as cement

Amaechi

Haastrup

have been banned while fertilizers and fish have been reduced drastically.

It was gathered that at inception, ENL was handling 1.5 million metric tonnes of cement per annum, which has been totally banned.

She disclosed that the terminal currently operates at less than 43 per cent installed capacity, as the cargo throughput has declined by more than 57 per cent, not because the company lacks the capacity but because of inconsistency of government policies.

The STOAN boss also said that despite the sharp drop in the volume of cargo, most of the container terminal operators and their general bulk counterparts, have fulfilled and have also exceeded their requirements in terms of development of their terminals as enshrined in the concession agreement.

While assessing the performance of NPA in terms of fulfilling its obligations in the agreement, Haastrup said that as much as she would not want to make excuses for NPA, like most other agencies

of the government, the authority is being bugged down by government bureaucra-

Sulphur Cap Law to save 200,000 lives –Study

T

he implementation of a global low-sulphur fuel law for ships in 2020 would prevent 200,000 premature deaths globally, a health study by a group of leading researchers from the United States and Finland reveals.

The announcement was made after the international shipping association BIMCO raised concerns over data on available fuel ahead of Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) decision on the 0.5 per cent global sulphur cap implementation date, reportedly0 with an aim to delay the measure for five years.

“Delaying this action for five years would contribute to 200,000 extra premature deaths due to the toxic fumes, mainly in coastal communities i0n the developing world that barely benefit from global trade,” NGOs Seas at Risk said, adding that on-time implementation of cleaner ship fuel could avoid 134,650 premature deaths in Asia, 32,100

in Africa and 20,800 in Latin America.

“A delay would ensure that health impacts from sulphur emissions will persist in coastal communities that are exposed, where shipping lanes are most intense and communities most densely populated,” Prof. James Corbett of University of Delaware, one of the leading authors of the study, said.

In 2008, the IMO unanimously adopted a global sulphur cap requiring all ships to use fuels with a maximum 0.5 per cent sulphur content as of January 1, 2020. In late October, the organization will decide whether to stick to the earlier agreed date.

The 2020 implementation date was made dependent on the results of a study to determine whether sufficient low sulphur fuel would be available then. That study, commissioned by the IMO and published last August, shows that under all scenarios and sensitivity options considered, there will be sufficient clean fuel available in 2020.

cies, which do not help port operations.

She cited the perennial late passage of the budget of the authority, which she said leads to delays in executing policies and programmes that would enhance port efficiency On the way forward, the ENL boss said that the government should grant the authority a measure of autonomy to enable it perform its duty efficiently with a view to enhancing efficient port system in the country.

Investigations showed that under the concession agreement, NPA is supposed to provide water, maintain common user facilities such as access roads and also provide electricity, which it has not been able to fulfill, as the terminal operators huge sums on procurement of generators and Automotive Gas Oil AGO, also called diesel.

Nigeria assures U.S govt on full ISPS’ implementation

T

he Federal Government has said that Nigeria would stop at nothing in ensuring that all the port facilities fully comply with the requirements of the International Ship and Port Facility Security ISPS, Code.

Minister of Transport, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, who made the commitment during a visit by some officials of the government to the United States Coasts Guard USCG in Washington DC, united States, said the Nigerian government is committed to maritime security.

The visit which was at the instance of the USCG, is expected to serve as an exchange programme for the Nigerian delegation with a view to exposing them to the implementation strategies adopted by the United States in order to replicate same in Nigeria.

According to the Minister, following the appointment of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency NIMASA as the Designated Authority DA for the implementation of the ISPS code, the country’s level of compliance with the code has grown from nine per cent n 2013 to 79.3 per cent in 2016.

He however acknowledged the support of the USCG in the country’s quest towards effective implementation and assured the international shipping com-

munity that the government and people of Nigeria would maintain this tempo in ensuring full implementation of the code, as part of efforts of the country to ensure safety and security within her maritime domain.

“Nigeria appreciates the efforts and support of the United States Government in encouraging a cordial bilateral relationship with Nigeria not only in the area of maritime security but also in other areas.

I want to assure the US Coast Guard and indeed the international shipping community of Nigeria’s commitment to the full implementation of the ISPS code to further promote adequate security within Nigeria’s maritime environment”, the Minister assured.

He, however, called on the US government to revisit the Condition of Entry COE earlier placed on vessels that have called at some port facilities in Nigeria which were not compliant with the code, disclosing that over 80 per cent of such facilities have since complied with the code and needed to be removed for the COE list.

Meanwhile, Assistant Commandant of the USCG, Rear Admiral Paul Thomas, who hosted the Nigerian delegation, promised that the US would continue to support Nigeria in her goal of attaining full implementation of the ISPS code.

UK detained 3 foreign ships in Sept –Report

T

hree more foreign flagged vessels were detained in United Kingdom ports last month after failing Port State Control (PSC) inspection, the country’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) informed.

Apart from the three newly detained ships, four ships remained under detention from previous months.

Vessels detained earlier include Malaviya Twenty, Sea Trident, Southern Star and Cien Porciento.

Three out of seven vessels were released by the end of September, while four ships remained under detention, ac-

cording to the MCA. The ships detained in September include Crown Opal, Partagas and Paquis.

The Panama-flagged reefer vessel Crown Opal was detained on September 24 in Portsmouth and released a day later.

Another vessel, the Malta-flagged bulk carrier Partagas, was detained also on September 24 in Port Talbot.

The third ship, the Panama-flagged bulk carrier Paquis, was put under detention on September 27 in Immingham and released two days later.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Capital Market

Friday, October 14, 2016

35

FG raises N95bn in bond with mixed yields Johnson Okanlawon

with agency report

T

he Federal Government said it raised 95bn in bond, at an auction of local currency bonds on Wednesday.

According to the Debt Management Office, DMO, the 2021 maturing debt attracted higher yield, while the 2026 and 2036 paper

fetched lower returns.

The debt office sold N10 billion of 2021 paper at 15.29 percent at the auction, compared with 15.14 percent at the previous auction last month.

The debt office had initially offered N35 billion of the 5-year bond It also sold N45 billion of 2026 debt at 15.47 percent, lower than 15.53

percent, and N40 billion of 2036 debt at 15.48 percent, compared with 15.59 percent.

The debt office sold more than the initially advertised amount of N35 billion apiece for the 2026 and 2036 paper at the auction.

Investors had demanded yields ranging between 1217 percent for all the debt on offer, but the debt office

was not willing to pay more for the debt, one trader said.

The country has said it would borrow about N900 billion locally to finance part of the N2.2 trillion deficit in its 2016 budget, to plug shortfalls.

It issues local bonds as part of measures to finance the government budget deficit and also to help manage liquidity in the banking system.

Index sheds 0.62% as investors hunt for profit Johnson Okanlawon

T

rading in equities continued on a negative note on the Nigerian yesterday, as profit taking by investors persisted in the market.

The lead indicator, All Share Index shed 172.45 absolute points, representing a decline of 0.62 per cent to close at 27,854.78 points.

Similarly, the market capitalization shed N59 billion to close at N9.568 trillion.

Stock market analysts said that the market will remain soft, as shown by persistent weak breadth

for the remainder of the week in the absence of more earnings releases.

Market breadth closed negative with 11 gainers and 27 losers.

Diamond Bank led the gainers table by 4.39 per cent to close at N1.19 per share. NAHCO followed with a gain of 4.10 per cent each to close at N3.30, while Dangote Sugar went up by 2.85 per cent to close at N6.50 per share.

Champion Breweries gained by 2.75 per cent to close at N2.62, while livestock appreciated by 2.33 per cent to close at 88 kobo

per share.

On the other hand, ETranzact led the laggards’ table by 4.99 per cent to close at N5.14 per share.

BOC Gas trailed with a loss of 4.86 per cent to close at N3.52, while Forte Oil declined by 4.82 per cent to close at N152 per share.

Also, Pharamdeko declined by 4.81 per cent to close at N1.78, while Guaranty Trust Bank shed by 4.75 per cent to close at N22.86 per share.

Meanwhile, the total volume traded went up by

G

and exports dropped by a sharper-than-expected 10 percent.

The disappointing trade figures pointed to weaker demand both at home and aboard while deepening concerns over the latest depreciation in China’s yuan currency, which hit a fresh six-year low against a firming U.S. dollar.

“If the Chinese economy is struggling it is a problem for the global economy and you’re seeing that reflected in the capital markets, whether it

be the strength in the dollar or the volatility in equities,” said Michael Arone, chief investment strategist at State Street Global Advisors in Boston.

A hard landing in China, if that were to occur, would pose a bigger problem to the global economy than a “hard exit” by Britain from the European Union because of China’s greater economic size and trade profile, Arone said.

China concerns could also deter the Federal Reserve from raising U.S. in-

Switch to large caps from mid caps–Morgan Stanley

M

umbai: Morgan Stanley in a note on Thursday advised switching from mid caps to large caps. The brokerage said earnings are on a recovery path, but the broad market may be disappointed in the near term given what is priced in.

What is worrying especially about mid caps is that the market cap to GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth ratios suggests

that the broad market may already be anticipating a recovery in macro growth.

“The gap between broad market performance and share of profits suggest that mid-caps may be pricing in an earnings recovery,” said Morgan Stanley.

Morgan Stanley said the rally in mid caps has been led by high beta stocks, which is an indication of exuberance.

Also, the co-relation

with emerging market equities has increased, which makes Indian equity markets more sensitive to global market movement, said Morgan Stanley.

“The caveat is that flows have yet to breach danger levels. Our recent survey shows that investors continue hold bullish positions, albeit are turning cautious,” it said. (Source – indiantimes.com)

Exchange Rate

Naira

US Dollar

$1

304.75

Gainers and Losers Start Date 12/10/2016 Date 13/10/2016 Market indicators Gainers and Losersthrough End

Print DateDate 13/10/2016 Start 12/10/2016

through End Date 13/10/2016

All-Share Index 27,854.78 points

Print Date 13/10/2016

144.73 per cent to 380.75 million shares, valued at N1.83 billion, and exchanged in 2,954 deals.

Transactions in the shares of Access Bank topped the activity chart with 158.10 million shares valued at N887 million.

Diamond Bank followed with 79.56 million shares worth N91.58 million, while Fidelity Bank traded 28.81 million shares valued at N24.53 million.

FBN Holdings traded 19.40 million shares worth N58.41 and Transcorp transacted 12.85 million shares valued at N12.94 million.

Weak China trade data hits equities, US dollar

lobal equity markets slumped to a three-month low yesterday while the dollar and benchmark sovereign bond yields slipped, after a sharp decline in Chinese exports revived concerns about the health of the world’s second-largest economy.

Stocks on Wall Street fell almost 1 percent, and in Europe a bit more, following data that showed Chinese imports in dollar terms were back in contraction territory

Source: NSE

Market capitalisation 9.57trn Gainers for Equities S/N 1S/N 2 1 3 2 4 3 5 4 6 5 7 6 8 7 9 8 10 9 1110 11

Symbol DIAMONDBNK Symbol NAHCO DIAMONDBNK NAHCO DANGSUGAR DANGSUGAR CHAMPION CHAMPION LIVESTOCK NBLIVESTOCK NB HONYFLOUR HONYFLOUR MOBIL MOBIL FLOURMILL FLOURMILL GUINNESS GUINNESS VITAFOAM VITAFOAM

2016-10-12 Gainers for2016-10-13 Equities Closing Price(N) Closing Price(N) 2016-10-12 2016-10-13

1.14 Closing Price(N) 1.19 Closing Price(N) 3.17 1.14 3.17 6.32 6.32 2.55 2.55 0.86 0.86 147.98 147.98 1.29 1.29 185.00 185.00 20.05 20.05 79.74 79.74 2.78 2.78

3.30 1.19 3.30 6.50 6.50 2.62 2.62 0.88 0.88 149.20 149.20 1.30 1.30 186.00 186.00 20.13 20.13 80.06 80.06 2.79 2.79

Gain(N)

% Change

0.05 Gain(N)

4.39 % Change

0.13 0.05

4.10 4.39

0.13 0.18

4.10 2.85

0.18 0.07 0.07 0.02

2.85 2.75 2.75 2.33

0.02 1.22 1.22 0.01

2.33 0.82 0.82 0.78

0.08 0.32 0.32 0.01

0.40 0.40 0.40 0.36

0.01 1.00 1.00 0.08

0.78 0.54 0.54 0.40

0.01

0.36

Losers for Equities Losers for Equities

S/N S/N 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 1010 1111 1212 1313 1414 1515 1616 1717 1818 1919 2020 2121 2222 2323

Symbol Symbol ETRANZACT ETRANZACT BOCGAS BOCGAS FO FO PHARMDEKO PHARMDEKO GUARANTY GUARANTY UAC-PROP UAC-PROP WEMABANK WEMABANK WAPIC WAPIC STANBIC STANBIC CCNN CCNN PZPZ TRANSCORP TRANSCORP FCMB FCMB WAPCO WAPCO ETERNA ETERNA FIDELITYBK FIDELITYBK 7UP 7UP AIICO AIICO SKYEBANK SKYEBANK UBA UBA FBNH FBNH STERLNBANK STERLNBANK ACCESS ACCESS

terest rates in December as minutes released Wednesday from a September policy meeting suggested, he said.

The FTSEurofirst 300 index of leading regional shares fell 1.1 percent to 1,321.50, while MSCI’sPublished all- by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © country world stock index of equity performance in 46 countries declined 0.84 percent to lows last seen on July 12.

2016-10-12 2016-10-13 2016-10-12 2016-10-13 Closing Price(N) Closing Price(N) Closing Price(N) Closing Price(N) 5.41 5.14 5.41 5.14 3.70 3.52 3.70 3.52 159.69 152.00 159.69 152.00 1.87 1.78 1.87 1.78 24.00 22.86 24.00 22.86 3.58 3.41 3.58 3.41 0.65 0.62 0.65 0.62 0.52 0.50 0.52 0.50 17.10 16.50 17.10 16.50 5.70 5.50 5.70 5.50 18.64 18.00 18.64 18.00 1.03 1.00 1.03 1.00 1.12 1.09 1.12 1.09 46.81 45.60 46.81 45.60 3.05 2.98 3.05 2.98 0.88 0.86 0.88 0.86 158.00 154.50 158.00 154.50 0.61 0.60 0.61 0.60 0.62 0.61 0.62 0.61 4.31 4.25 4.31 4.25 3.02 2.99 3.02 2.99 1.05 1.04 1.05 1.04 5.65 5.60 5.65 5.60

Loss(N) Loss(N) -0.27 -0.27 -0.18 -0.18 -7.69 -7.69 -0.09 -0.09 -1.14 -1.14 -0.17 -0.17 -0.03 -0.03

% Change % Change -4.99 -4.99 -4.86 -4.86 -4.82 -4.82 -4.81 -4.81 -4.75 -4.75 -4.75 -4.75 -4.62 -4.62

-0.20 -0.20 -0.64 -0.64

-3.51 -3.51 -3.43 -3.43

-0.02 -0.02 -0.60 -0.60

-0.03 -0.03 -0.03 -0.03 -1.21 -1.21 -0.07 -0.07

-3.85 -3.85 -3.51 -3.51

-2.91 -2.91 -2.68 -2.68 -2.58 -2.58 -2.30 -2.30

-0.02 -0.02

-2.27 -2.27

-3.50 -3.50

-2.22 -2.22

-0.01 -0.01 -0.01 -0.01

-1.64 -1.64 -1.61 -1.61

-0.06 -0.06 -0.03 -0.03

-1.39 -1.39 -0.99 -0.99

-0.01 -0.01 -0.05 -0.05

-0.95 -0.95 -0.88 -0.88

Page Page

Rate (%) Inflation

16.46

MPR

14

Crude oil price

$45.85

NITTY Tenor

Rate (%)

Change (%)

1M

15.0878

0.05

2M

15.2232

0.18

3M

15.4293

0.23

Exchange

Rates (N)

WAUA

423.9029

USD

304.75

EURO

340.0401

CFA

0.5071

YEN

2.9462

Tenor

Rate (%)

SWISS FRANC

310.1465

O/N

13.4917

POUNDS STERLING

377.5853

1M

17.2815

3M

18.3151

SDR

422.414

NITTY as @ October 12, 2016

NIBOR

6M

20.2651 NIBOR as @ October 12, 2016NIBOR FAQs

11 ofof

44

36

Friday, October 14, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

World News

“We can’t allow terrorists to use people as human shields and blackmail the entire world. It will not happen”.

–RUSSIAN PRESIDENT, VLADIMIR PUTIN

Portugal’s Guterres appointed new UN Secretary-General

T

he 193-member United Nations General Assembly unanimously appointed former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres yesterday as the ninth secretary-general of the world body for five years beginning January 1, 2017.

Guterres, 67, will replace Ban Ki-moon, 72, of South Korea.

Ban will step down at the end of 2016 after serving two terms.

Guterres was Portugal’s prime minister from 1995 to 2002 and U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees from 2005 to 2015.

“He is perhaps best known where it counts most: on the front lines of armed conflict and humanitarian suffering,” Ban told the General Assembly after Guterres was appointed. “I have long valued his advice, and long admired his spirit of service.”

“His political instincts are those of the United Nations: cooperation for the common good, and shared responsibility for people and the planet,” he said.

UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres

“He recognises the crucial importance of women’s empowerment, from peace tables to the halls of this house.”

The 15-member U.N. Security Council last week unanimously recommended that the General Assembly appoint Guterres. He beat out 12 other candidates, seven of whom were women, amid

a push for the first woman to be elected.

Diplomats were watching to see who Guterres appoints to senior U.N. positions amid speculation by diplomats and U.N. officials that China would like one of its nationals to head peacekeeping and that Russia is keen to lead political affairs.

Currently, a French man runs peacekeeping, an American man leads political affairs and a British man is in charge of humanitarian affairs.

A senior U.N. Security Council diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said several people had insisted that Guterres did not do any deals to win Russia and China’s votes. “(Guterres is) the sort of person who will pick a strong team around him, appointment on merit,” said the diplomat, adding that, while he had not heard it directly from any Chinese diplomats “it is clear (China is) making a significant challenge for the Department of Peacekeeping.”

When asked earlier this month if Russia had an interest in one of the senior U.N. positions, Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told reporters: “We do believe that Russia should be properly represented in the Secretariat.”

Gulf crisis: US retaliates, hits Yemen radar sites Afolabi Gambari

WITH AGENCY REPORT

T

he United States has hit radar sites in Yemen after one of its warships in the Red Sea came under missile attack for the second time in days.

The Pentagon said the sites were on territory controlled by Houthi rebels. But the rebels denied firing the missiles.

It marks the first time the US has fired at rebel targets since the start of the Yemen conflict in March 2015.

The US said initial assessments showed three radar sites involved in the recent attacks had been destroyed.

It said the US strikes had been authorised by President Barack Obama.

They were carried out using Tomahawk cruise missiles fired from the destroyer USS Nitze, ac-

The USS Nitze has been under attack twice in recent times

cording to US officials.

“These limited self-defence strikes were conducted to protect our personnel, our ships, and our freedom of navigation in this important maritime passageway,” Pentagon spokesman, Peter Cook, said yesterday, adding, “The United States will respond to any fur-

ther threat to our ships and commercial traffic, as appropriate.”

The Houthi-controlled news agency quoted an unnamed rebel official as saying neither the movement nor its allies were involved in any of the recent missile attacks.

The group has been fighting pro-government forces and a Sau-

di-led coalition since March 2015, after forcing the Yemeni president and his government into exile.

Two attacks against a US naval vessel within the past four days prompted the cruise missile strikes against radar sites located in what the Americans say is Houthi-controlled territory.

Bongani Ngqulunga, said yesterday.

Madonsela, who questioned Zuma for four hours last week as part of her final investigation before her seven-year term tenure as public protector concludes this weekend, has been hailed for her diligent work exposing official misconduct, including allegations that the president used taxpayers’ money to build a cattle enclosure, amphitheatre, swimming pool, visitor centre and chicken run at his home in Nkandla.

South African media has quoted sources within Madonsela’s office as saying that her latest report cannot be released until a court has made an order in relation to Zuma’s request for it to be blocked.

On Monday, Zuma asked her not to report her findings until he has been given an opportunity to question witnesses and review any evidence that implicates him.

Madonsela argues the president was supplied with all the evidence he needs earlier this month and has urged him fully to co-operate with her inquiry.

Zuma blocks graft inquest

S

outh African President Jacob Zuma has taken steps to prevent the release of a report into the alleged political interference by him and his supporters.

The South African Public Protector, Ms. Thuli Madonsela, is due to release her preliminary findings on today.

Madonsela has been examining allegations that Zuma allowed a business family undue influence over his administration.

The president denies any wrongdoing, although a court ruled in March that he had failed to repay taxpayers’ money used to upgrade his private residence.

“I can confirm that the president has applied for a court interdict,” Zuma’s spokesman,

South African President Jacob Zuma

WORLD BULLETIN Sankara: Lawyer demands documents in France Burkina Faso has asked France to declassify military documents about the killing of ex-president Thomas Sankara, a lawyer for his family, Benewende Stanislas Sankara, has said.

A judge had made the request because efforts to get them through political channels had failed, the lawyer also said.

France, the former colonial power, has not yet commented on the request.

Sankara’s widow and supporters have repeatedly accused France of masterminding his 1987 killing because he was a Marxist revolutionary.

He was killed by soldiers in a hail of bullets shortly before a meeting of his cabinet in Burkina Faso’s capital, Ouagadougou, leading to his second-in-command, Blaise Compaore, seizing power in a coup.

‘Trump, a revolting slug’ The parliament of New South Wales, Australia has passed a motion calling US presidential candidate Donald Trump revolting slug unfit for office.

It condemned what it described as the misogynist, hateful comments it said had been made by Trump about women and minorities.

The statement followed the release of a 2005 video last week in which Trump makes remarks about groping women.

Trump has since apologised for the remarks, which he described as as “locker-room talk” and has also denied touching women inappropriately.

“It’s clear that all reasonable and decent people find Donald Trump’s behaviour obnoxious and that the world is hoping American voters reject his politics of hate,” the parliament also said.

World’s longest reigning king dies Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world’s longestreigning monarch, died yesterday, aged 88 years.

Adulyadej was widely revered but had been in poor health in recent years, making few public appearances.

He was seen as a stabilising figure in a country hit by cycles of political turmoil and multiple coups.

Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn will be the new monarch, according to state officials.

After two days of speculation and rumours surrounding the king’s deteriorating health, the palace announcement confirming his death finally.

“His majesty has passed away at Siriraj Hospital peacefully,” a statement said, adding that he had died at 15:52 (08:52 GMT).

Friday, October 14, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

37

Sport

I’ve always said I wanted to leave on a high and have no regrets.

Retiring now is right – British heptathlon Olympic gold medallist, Jessica Ennis-Hill

British heptathlete, Jessica Ennis-Hill, retires 38

Super Eagles Assistant Manager and Rangers coach, Imama Amapakabo renegotiates his contract

2018 W/Cup ticket

NFF launches ‘Operation Stop Algeria’

...solicits more govt, corporate support

Everest Onyewuchi

T

he Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has launched “Operation Stop Algeria” aimed at defeating the Desert Foxes when they clash with Super Eagles in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State next month in the second Africa Group B 2018 World Cup qualification match.

NFF president, Amaju Pinnick, said yesterday that the federation and the Eagles have put behind the victory in Zambia and already fully focused on next month’s Matchday 2 clash with Algeria, who like Nigeria played at the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cup finals.

“We have three points and lead the group, but we do not have the World Cup ticket yet.

We must keep our heads. Picking three points in the encounter with Algeria next month is paramount,” Pinnick said.

He praised the Federal Government and NFF sponsors for the successful prosecution of last Sunday’s Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup African Qualifying Matchday 1 encounter against the Chipolopolo of Zambia in Ndola.

“We cannot thank the Federal Government, and the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports enough for their kind gestures. We also cannot appreciate our sponsors enough, particularly Supersport. Their good intentions made everything possible, and made the victory even sweeter.

“Aware of the challenges at hand, major partner Supers-

port paid the charter cost of the 148-seater Arik Air plane that conveyed the delegation to and from Ndola, in addition to paying ticket refunds for the overseas-based players.

“We also want to use this opportunity to appeal to other corporate organisations to join

and assist the NFF with more financial support to help the Super Eagles land safely at Russia 2018, as Government alone cannot afford the huge cost of prosecuting these games, with so many other sectors in need of support,” the NFF boss said in a statement.

Two first half goals by England-based Alex Iwobi and Kelechi Iheanacho steered Nigeria, three-time African champions to a 2-1 win, three precious points and early leadership of the so-called ‘Group of Death’ in the World Cup qualifying race.

lion Naira monthly.

“Rangers will begin talks for a new contract with Imama on Friday (today) as his contract ended with the final game of the season at home against El Kanemi Warriors,” disclosed a top official.

Kano Pillars and promoted Gombe United have already sounded out the former Sharks goalkeeper, who is also an assistant coach in the Super Eagles.

But top officials including Enugu State Commissioner for Sports, Charles Ndukwe, have made it clear they are ready to match whatever offer tabled for the young coach.

“Whatever any club looking for him want to pay, we can better it,” maintained a confident Ndukwe.

Rangers will represent Nigeria in next year’s CAF Champions League.

Rangers open new contract talks with Imama

V

ictorious Coach Imama Amapakabo will today open discussions with Enugu Rangers FC over a new contract.

Imama, 43, led Rangers to win the 2015/16 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) earlier this month to end a 32-year wait for a major trophy.

It was in his first full season in charge of ‘The Flying Antelopes’.

He took a huge pay cut to earn a mil-

C

o t a

t a A N

38

Sports

Thursday, March14, 5, 2015 Friday, October 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Kroos defends under fire Zidane Real Madrid’s World Cup-winning German midfielder Toni Kroos yesterday defended coach Zinedine Zidane as “very important” for the La Liga giants despite a series of draws.

“I don’t read the newspapers or opinion pieces but it’s obvious that Zidane is very important for Real Madrid,” the 26-year-old told a press conference after the extension of his contract until 2022.

“I think the coach is fully involved. His qualities are not in doubt and he acts correctly faced with this situation.”

AFP reports that after a dream start as Real Madrid coach, winning the Champions League last May, former France World Cup winner Zidane has has come under fire in recent weeks, with four draws in as many matches.

“Having a string of draws is not a good thing,” said Kroos.

“Maybe during the second half against Eibar (1-1) we didn’t play well and the criticisms were justified.

“But in Dortmund (2-2) or Las Palmas (2-2) we clearly played well, even better perhaps than certain matches which we won.”

Real Madrid are currently second in La Liga equal on 15 points with leaders Atletico Madrid, and travel to Real Betis on Saturday.

“This match is very important for us to say - ‘we’re still there’,” said Kroos.

“I don’t think we’re on the wrong path. The atmosphere is good in the team. It’s not easy to always win and we should perhaps give more of ourselves to achieve this.

“We’ve had three or four important players injured but that mustn’t be an excuse.”

Jessica

British heptathlete, Jessica Ennis-Hill, retires

J

essica Ennis-Hill, who won heptathlon gold for Great Britain at the London 2012 Olympics, has retired from athletics.

The 30-year-old had hinted at retirement after winning a silver medal at the Rio Olympics in August.

BBC Sport report that in a post on social media, Ennis-Hill - also

a double world champion - said it was “one of the toughest decisions I’ve had to make”.

“I’ve always said I wanted to leave on a high and have no regrets,” she added.

Ennis-Hill’s heptathlon gold was one of the most iconic moments of London 2012’s ‘Super Saturday’.

But the London 2012 Team GB

Poster Girl missed out on retaining her Olympic title in Rio by 35 points to Belgium’s Nafissatou Thiam. Speaking afterwards, she said she would not rush a decision over ending her career.

In her statement yesterday, she said “retiring now is right”.

“I want to thank my family and incredible team, who have spent so much of their time supporting

me and enabling me to achieve my dreams,” she added.

“Also, a huge thank you to all those people who have supported and followed my career over the years.”

After winning Olympic gold in London, Ennis-Hill had her first child, Reggie, in 2014 and won a second world title just 13 months later.

safely and would begin preparation immediately. The team is hoping to retain the title it won last year in Benin Republic.

The 16 players that made the trip are point guard, Upe Atosu, Regina lornumber, Chioma Udeaja, Chidinma Deborah, Titilayo Adebayo, Bukky Daniel, Queen Ulabo and Nkechi Akashili. Others are Nkem Akaraiwe, Josset Anasweh, Magdalene Udoka, Tina Odion, Juliet Chinyere, Aishatou kondo, Idoko Patience from Benue Princess, Empress Abera from sunshine Angels,

while Togolese Kodjo Negede, former Dolphins player completes the list.

Adeniyi said the players were selected based on their current forms, while those invited from other teams have shown they have the mental and physical strength to make the final list of 12 players.

She noted that the technical crew headed by Peter Ahmedu has resolved to do everything pos-

sible to retain the title and also use the FIBA Zone Three championship to prepare the team for the African championship slated for November/December.

Men and women teams from eight countries comprising hosts Togo, Burkina Faso, Cote d’ Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Benin Republic, Niger and Nigeria makes up the Zone. Kano Pillars are defending champions in the men’s category.

FIBA Africa Zone 3 Championship: First Bank arrives Lome

F

irst Bank Basketball Club arrived in Togo in the early hours of yesterday as the team continue its preparation ahead of the FIBA Africa Zone Three Club Championship, which takes place in Lome from October 21 to 30.

The Nigerian champions are hoping to perfect strategies for the championship and acclimatize in the Togolese capital before the championship dunks off.

Team’s assistant coach, Taye Adeniyi, told National Mirror that the team arrived in Lome

Kroos

Tyson Fury’s boxing license revoked

T

yson Fury has had his licence to fight temporarily revoked the day after he gave up his world heavyweight titles to focus on mental health problems.

Fury, 28, has not fought since beating Wladimir Klitschko in November 2015 and has twice withdrawn from rematches.

The British Boxing Board of Control confirmed his licence was

suspended “pending further investigation into anti-doping and medical issues”.

Fury was charged with a doping offence by the UK’s anti-doping body in June.

On Wednesday, Fury vacated his WBO and WBA world heavyweight titles, saying he was unable to defend them because of his health.

He will now have to meet with the BBBofC before a decision is taken on

whether he can fight again.

He has an appeal hearing for his doping offence scheduled for November.

Earlier this month, Fury appeared to announce his retirement on Twitter, before backtracking several hours later.

He later revealed in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine that he was taking cocaine to help deal with

First Bank Basketball club women’s team

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sports

Friday, October4,14, 2016 Thursday September 2014

39

Cook becomes FIFA Chief Member Associations Officer

A

passionate advocate of equality and inclusion in sports, Joyce Cook will take up the role of FIFA Chief Member Associations Officer on November 1, 2016.

The world soccer governing body said in a statement yesterday that the position was created as part of the restructuring of FIFA’s administration and entails the delivery of a key goal in the recently established FIFA vision: investment in football development through FIFA’s 211 member associations under the FIFA Forward Programme.

It said the Englishwoman will

Joyce Cook

report directly to FIFA Deputy Secretary General (Football), Zvonimir Boban, and she will be part of the FIFA Management Board.

“Joyce has a proven record of developing and delivering far-reaching and sustainable diversity and inclusion projects at both national and international levels, with a broad knowledge of football structures and governance. She is the founder and managing director of the Centre for Access to Football in Europe (CAFE) and internationally recognised as expert adviser on accessible stadiums and the built environment for sports events and services, including handbooks developed by FIFA and UEFA for their flagship events.

“At FIFA, she was part of the jury for the first FIFA Diversity Award, which was presented to Indian NGO Slum Soccer on 26 September. During the 2014 FIFA World Cup, she supported FIFA in making the event more accessible to disabled people and was involved in the project that offered audio-descriptive commentary for partially sighted and blind fans. Currently, she is also a board member at FARE, a director at Women in Football and a board member at the Sports Grounds Safety Authority,” the statement said.

Kanu endorses Dakinda Football Penalty Game Joel Ajayi ABUJA

F

ormer Super Eagles skipper, Nwankwo Kanu, has endorsed the Dakinda Football Penalty Game, and called on Nigerians to be part of it.

The former Ajax and Arsenal FC prolific striker who was at the corporate office of the Dakinda football for every home in Abuja recently, took a facilities tour of the game and expressed satisfaction with the level of preparedness, while promising to grace the flag off in Abuja in the upcoming weeks.

Papilo, as he is fondly called by his admirers explained that the penalty game is not only for the youths but also for all families, therefore, he urged football loving Nigerians to come out and participate actively in it and enjoy the fun attached to it.

According to him, “it’s a good concept whereby all our families have to participate and the most important thing is that a portion of whatever comes out from the Dakinda Penalty Game is going to go to sickle cell foundation and Kanu Nwankwo Heart Foundation which means we are trying to give back to the society by doing what we are doing, so it is very important that families have to come and enjoy it. This is all about football penalty kicks.

“I always hear people saying that penalty is the easiest way to score goals by kicking the ball when you have a penalty shootout. But to me I think it is the hardest way to score a goal because sometimes it is very difficult to score from there but all the

same the game is all about people to come and have fun and when they come they will enjoy it. From there they will know if penalty kick is hard or easy, win or lose you qualify for the monthly raffle draw.’’

He added, “In critical moment of Nigeria’s history, only those who are creative and can think outside the box will benefit from the ongoing reforms”, adding that what Dakinda is bringing to the people will cushion the effects of the recession for those who will key into the game. ‘’It is very important at this state of our country to begin to think outside the box by being creative, so what Dakinda is doing is so wonderful because they are giving future to the people, and the other aspect is that they are helping these foundations to make sure that those having sickle cell and heart problems will be cured in one way or the other.

“For me that is why I am part of this game because I need to give back to the society and Dakinda’s game is set to do that as well.”

Kanu

2016 Total Charity Golf draws 80 players to Lakowe Everest Onyewuchi

T

his year’s annual Total Charity Golf Tournament will take place tomorrow, with about 80 golfers teeing off on the Lakowe Lakes Golf Course in Lagos.

The tournament which has been sponsored for 21 years by the NNPC/ Total E&P Nigeria Joint Venture tees off by 9am.

In a statement, the organisers said the tournament is designed to raise funds to improve the infrastructure for selected charities in one of our three locations in Nigeria.

“The funds raised are to be rotated between the charities every year,

as part of Total’s social responsibility. The locations are Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja.

“This year, two charity homes, which provide care for abandoned, motherless and vulnerable children in the society, will benefit from the special fund. They are Olive Blooms Orphanage Home Ajah, and Friends of Jesus Orphanage Home, Badore both located in the Eti Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State,” the sponsors said.

The Managing Director/ Chief Executive of Total E&P Nigeria Limited said, “We are happy to make this societal contribution in a way different from our core business.”

National Mirror learnt that all

players are expected to make voluntary donations as participating fees.

The amounts raised will be added to a special fund set aside by Total and presented to the selected charity organisations.

In 2015, TEPNG donated proceeds from the tournament to the Zaamar Institute, Abuja, a learning ability centre for children with autism.

Zaamar Institute utilised the funds for the provision of one-on-one classrooms; two toilet facilities; a store; and some play ground equipment for the children.

This year’s competition will follow the Stable Ford format (Short Gun) and will be played over 18 holes.

ITTF African Senior: Quadri, Offiong to challenge Egypt dominance

N

igeria’s Aruna Quadri will challenge Egypt’s players heading the seeding list in the Men’s and Women’s Singles for the for the bragging rights of the 2016 ITTF African Senior Championships, with defending champions, Omar Assar and Dina Meshref aiming to retain their titles at the Morocco event.

Egypt, a team that dominated the 2015 edition in Cairo, will be hoping to continue their dominance in Agadir but with the disappointment of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games still fresh in the memory of Assar and Meshref, they will surely face a stiff competition from Quadri, whose performance in Rio became the rallying point for the continent.

With just few days to the commencement of the tournament on October 24, Egyptian players dominated the seeding list in the men and women singles.

Assar, whose fine form in the

continent was halted in Khartoum, Sudan during the African Top 16 Cup

by Quadri Aruna will be hoping to secure his status as the continent’s best male player.

With Assar seeded number one in the men’s singles, Quadri remains the only player that stood between Assar and his compatriots – El-Sayed Lashin, Mohamed El-Beiali, Ahmed Saleh and Khaled Assar, who made the top six seeding in the list.

Meshref who equaled her 2015 second round record of the ITTF Women’s World Cup at the 2016 edition in United States, tops the list of seeding in the women’s singles alongside her compatriot – Nadeen El-Dawlatly, who will be conspicuously missing from the tournament after a knee surgery recently.

Chinese-born Congo Brazzaville star, Han Xing and Nigeria’s Edem Offiong also made the top four seed-

ing list in the women’s singles of the championships.

According to the Technical Director of African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF), Mokhtar Toukabri, the seeding is based on the points amassed by the players in continental tournaments.

Aruna Quadri

WORLD RECORD

Largest Peruvian folk Vol. 06

No. 1462

Friday, October 14, 2016

N150

The largest Peruvian folk dance consisted of 1, 247 couples and was achieved by the Municipality of Arequipa (Peru) in celebration of the city’s 474th anniversary on August 24 2014.

Judiciary as Buhari’s nightmare (I)

Y

ours truly must confess that I am not surprised about the raid and arrest by the Department of State Security (DSS) operatives, between last Friday and Saturday, of some Nigerian judges on whom the security outfit levied allegations of corruption. The ominous cloud was there, as was reflected in my piece: ‘Judiciary as Buhari’s nightmare’ published in two parts last February. Looking at President Muhammadu Buhari’s government’s exasperation towards happenings in the nation’s judiciary and the legal profession, vis-à-vis the President’s avowals against corruption in the country, the recent DSS raid on judges was no surprise. It may, perhaps, be better appreciated if we again read through my aforementioned February piece before brooding over the trending DSS’ simultaneous late night ransack of the residences of the affected judges last weekend.

I hereby serve the piece again, hoping you will enjoy it: Nigerians have been

C

helsea announced yesterday a longterm partnership with Nike from next year in a deal that media reports suggested could be worth 60 million pounds ($74.61 million) a season.

Reuters reports that without giving financial

FRIDAY WITH Dozie Okebalama

dozieokeama@yahoo.co.uk 08164966858 (SMS only) making copious references to the recent judiciary corruption bust by Ghanaian investigative journalist, Mr. Anas Aremeyaw Anas, which has cost many judges implicated their jobs. ‘Wikipedia’s and others’ accounts of the judiciary failure, which is slightly edited here, tell the story better. On the 23rd of September 2015, Anas premiered before over 6500 people at the Accra International Conference Centre an undercover film: “Ghana In The Eyes Of God: Epic Of Injustice”, which exposed widespread corruption within that country’s judiciary; and graphically showed court workers, like clerks and bailiffs, connive with a number of respected judges to influence court cases through bribes.

Thirty-four judges and magistrates were caught on a hidden camera receiving enticements of money, goats, sheep and even foodstuffs. As a result, presumed robbers, murderers, drug traffickers, rapists and litigants in land cases were set free. The film effectively created deep and destabilizing crises of conscience in Ghana. A disciplinary committee of the Judicial Council was set up to probe the allegations of bribery and extortion against the judges and magistrates implicated. More than 100 members of staff of the Judicial Service were then investigated after Anas submitted a petition and videos showing the affected staff receiving bribes to compromise cases. Anas asked for the dismissal of the affected culprits. The Judicial Council quickly commenced in-

Omale says judges (in Nigeria) are corrupt, inept and lack the will-power to uphold the law, even after

swearing to an oath vestigations and suspended the indicted judges as a first step; and then Anas was given protection from prosecution. By December 7, 2015, reports said 21 of the 32 judges involved had been sacked by the country’s Chief Justice.

Why did the leadership of the Ghanaian judiciary take the swift decision to give the boot to such a number of judges in one fell swoop? It is because Ghana’s essence as a nation and as a democracy is doomed with corrupt judges as the types caught by Anas on tape holding court.

One believes it is for the same reason President Muhammadu Buhari remarked at a town hall meeting he held with Nigerians living in Ethiopia, when he visited the country recently, that the Nigerian judiciary constituted a huge hindrance to his administration’s campaign against highbrow graft and its effervescence. “On the fight against corruption vis-à-vis the judiciary”, he stated, “Nigerians will be right to say that is my main headache for now…”, talking about the Nigerian judiciary.

Sport Extra

Not veiled by Buhari’s remark is the exceptional delay in justice dispensation by Nigerian courts, not necessarily for responsible purposes most times, but strictly to ambush and pervert the course of justice. ‘Justice delayed is justice denied’, goes a popular saying coined from past experience and knowledge. This wise saying applies not just to the visible, in this case - protracted litigation and the legal abracadabra canvassed in court by unethical lawyers to buy time and delay the speed of justice. It also connotes the unseen and the invisible – like corrupt manipulations of justice by dishonest judges, complicit lawyers and their gobetweens behind closed doors.

Should a referendum be conducted on the moral uprightness or infirmity of the Nigerian judiciary at this time, the most probable chances are that citizens will return a verdict that will generously vindicate Captain Daniel Omale in his recent piece: ‘The injustice of Nigeria’s judiciary’, published by an Abuja-based daily last October 17. Omale says: “Judges (in Nigeria) are corrupt, inept and lack the will-power to uphold the law, even after swearing to an oath. The ‘get rich quick syndrome’ that has plagued this country for over 25 years has destroyed the fabric of our society; and the judiciary has joined the bandwagon.

Justice is for sale in Nigeria. Ready-made judges are available for sale to the highest bidder. This is Nigeria’s reality”. The utterances of many past Chief Justices of Nigeria (CJNs) on corruption in the nation’s judiciary will merely seal the coffin of the public verdict.

Indeed, if judicial corruption can be so evident in neighbouring Ghana presently, despite the bloody revolution of 1979 led by Jerry John Rawlings, then a Flight Lieutenant in Ghana’s Air Force, which led to the execution of three Generals Fred Akufo; Ignatius Acheampong; and Akwasi Afrifa, all former heads of state – as well as scores of other military chiefs and Supreme Court justices docked for their roles in corruption-related acts, the height of the graft pyramid in Nigeria, a country whose prodigal political elites, whether military or civilian, give no thought to the lessons of history, can only be imagined… (To be continued).

Nike becomes Chelsea new kit supplier details, Chelsea said it represented the largest commercial deal in the Premier League club’s history.

“Nike will produce strips for the first team, academy and ladies teams, as well as a full range of clothing for

Chelsea’s millions of supporters around the world,” the club said in a statement.

Chelsea’s current kit is produced by adidas, which said in May it had reached a mutual agreement to end its deal on June 30, 2017, in-

stead of in 2023 as originally agreed, allowing the club to enter a new agreement with another competitor.

Media reports have indicated adidas were paying Chelsea an estimated 30 million pounds ($43.38 million) a

year, with the Nike deal likely to be double that figure.

Adidas agreed in 2014 to pay 750 million pounds ($1.1 billion) to replace Nike as sponsor of Manchester United for a decade.

Antonio Conte

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