Wednesday, November 18, 2015 Edition by DailyPost Nigeria

More trouble for Lamorde as Senate threatens arrest

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Boko Haram hits Yola park market pg. 6

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SOUTH-EAST GOVs DECIDE ON BIAFRA

Wednesday, November 18 - Tuesday, November 24, 2015

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• Okorocha, obiano, others meet November 22 pgs.3, 6

• Buhari hired 2,000 persons to fight us - IPOB

I’m comfortable with my height – MI Abaga page13 interview Two decades of struggle:

Buhari breaths hope as Ogonis celebrate Ken Saro-Wiwa page19 Buhari orders arrest of Dasuki, others over arms procurement

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South-East Governors to Decide on Biafra Nov 22 By Emmanuel Uzodinma

midst rising tension in the South-East over the activities of pro-Biafran groups, the South-East Governors, Forum met in Enugu on Tuesday, calling on members of the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, and the Independent People of Biafra, IPOB to maintain peace in the interest of the zone. On the Biafra struggle, the governors said they would consult widely with the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, National Assembly members, ministers and other stakeholders from the zone towards achieving peace. The meeting, which lasted for several hours, was attended by governors Chief Rochas Okorocha, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu and Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Imo, Abia and Enugu, respectively, while Anambra Governor, Willie Obiano, was represented by his Deputy, Dr. Nkem Okeke. However, there are fresh indications of a leadership crisis among the governors. This is also as the Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi was not at the meeting. He also did not send any representative, fueling belief that the Forum was

Biafra protesters facing leadership crisis. The Forum has been without a chairman ever since the former Abia Governor, Chief Theodore Orji served out his tenure and was elected Senator. A source hinted that the meet-

ing, earlier scheduled to hold in Owerre, Imo State, was moved to Enugu as majority of the governors insisted that it must be held at Enugu, the political capital of the South-East. When asked about the vacu-

Presidency denies spending N6bn on Buhari’s air fleet T By Sylvester Ugwuanyi

he Presidency has debunked media report alleging that an outlandish N6bn has been spent on maintaining the presidential air fleet between May and the present. It clarified that what has so far been expended is only a little above N2bn, which included salaries and repayment of old debts. A statement, issued to the effect on Tuesday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, expressed frustration at what he described as a fictional report that has caused the government a lot of negative reviews especially in the online media.” The statement reads in part, “The government is focused on solving the many major issues our country faces in the areas of the economy, corruption and security. Yet almost every week, the Presidency has to also deal with the distractions which do nothing but distract from the task of government.” “Referring to documents he had requested from the Operational Office of the Presidential Fleet after his attention was drawn to the speculative report, Malam Shehu pointed out that the sum of N2.3 billion was released to the Presidential Air Fleet (PAF) by the office of the Accountant General of the Federation between May and November 2015. This includes releases for personnel cost, overhead and capital expenditure out of the sum of N5, 190, 381, 386.00 appropriated for PAF on the 2015 budget. “The documents also showed that the sum of N2,127,103,086.66 had so far been expended, leaving a balance of N172, 568, 912.34 from the amount released. “However, the sum of N149, 062, 791.12 was transferred from the PAG’s operation account to the Treasury Single

Account, following the President’s recent directive,” he said. He added that the sum of N23, 801, 122.17 remains unutilized out of the funds so far released, stating that during the period 31 May 2015 till date, the Fleet expended the sum of N1, 358, 910, 962.75 to settle outstanding liabilities carried over from last year till May 2015. Furthermore, the sum of N500 million was refunded to the office of the National Security Adviser, NSA for financial support rendered to the Fleet prior to release of funds from the OAGF. Shehu then noted that “the Fleet expended the sum of N449, 081, 037.25 within the last months comprising N98, 500, 218.00 for operations, N165, 373, 176.91 on training and N85, 500, 116.75 on personnel medicals and overhead. Additionally, the sum of N99, 715, 493.51 was expended on aircraft maintenance, spares, and subscription services required for operations. “Any of these documents could have been made available had the newspaper reached out to me or to any one of my colleagues. The damage to the image of government and the good management of the Presidential Air Fleet could have been avoided,” he said. The Presidential spokesman also put the number of aircraft on the Presidential fleet at 10, not 14 as cited by that report, even as he gave the inventory “in the spirit of openness as transparency instituted by the Buahri administration as made up of”: PAF-AIRCRAFT INVENTORY 1. 1× 737 BBJ 2. 1× G550 3. 1×G500 4. 2× Falcon 7X 5. 1× HS 4000 6. 2× Agusta139 7. 2× Agusta 101 Total aircraft holdings 10.”

um in the chairmanship position, Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, who read the communique said “we are all Governors from the South-East, anybody can be chairman; we are equal, we are all governors; so, I don’t think that is an issue, if there is need for us to come up with a chairman, we shall get into that.” The three point communique issued after the meeting read: “The South-East Governors met today, 17th November, 2015 and deliberated on a number of issues and resolved as follows: “To appoint a high level economic advisory committee to harness the economic potentials of the people of the South-East. “The Governors are concerned about the poor state of the Federal Government roads in the zone, namely, Enugu-Onitsha Road, Aba-Ikot Ekpene Road, Owerri-Port Harcourt Road, Enugu-Port Harcourt Road, amongst others, which need urgent intervention by the Federal Government. “On security, the issue of MASSOB/IPOB was discussed and they resolved to consult widely with Ohanaeze, traditional rulers, development unions, clergy and other stakeholders on how to

ensure lasting peace in the zone. In furtherance to this, the South-East Governors scheduled an emergency meeting of stakeholders on Sunday 22nd November, 2015 at Enugu. Attendance to the emergency meeting includes all National Assembly members, all honourable ministers and other invited stakeholders from the zone”. They, meanwhile, advised MASSOB and the IPOB “to continue to tow the line of peace as this is the only way to ensure economic development of the zone”. But it is left to be seen the Ohanaeze faction the governors will invite to the meeting. Earlier this year, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization faced a leadership crisis leading to the emergence of two factions. While one is being led by Chief Enwo Igariwey, another group is under the chairmanship of Chief Raph Obioha. Both groups have been working independently. However, when confronted with this question, Okorocha said, “whatever is available as Ohanaeze, we shall receive; we are not going into the crisis of Ohanaeze, if any”.

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Editorial

Team Buhari must rise above egos, past records “The other

stumbling block that may likely frustrate the Buhari’s government is the fact that much is expected of these ministers, apparently that they have been overrated”

igeria may not have achieved completely the idea of placing round pegs in round holes, but ‘where there is a will, there is a way’. Going by popular perceptions, President Muhammadu Buhari, has with his new appointments displayed what many have termed positive intention to transform the country. But, there are obvious challenges, just like intention alone cannot do the job. The challenges are how in the middle of the existing rot occasioned by our transgression, new ideas can transform to the change ideal we envision; how results can be achieved differently, devoid of the Nigerian quick approach that only lasts for few hours. The challenge is the ability of the new Ministers to rise above their past records, realizing that the new opportunity is a true test of their today’s ability. It is without question that President Buhari’s cabinet is basically formed by technocrats whose an-

tecedents put one in very little doubt as to what should be expected in few months from now. But there are, however, challenges associated with using someone’s past credentials to find solutions to today’s problems. Another challenge is when performance is relatively synchronized with individual’s name and fame; there will equally be a problem when expected results are affixed solely to big names and individual contributions to party’s success in an election. The other stumbling block that may likely frustrate the Buhari’s government is the fact that much is expected of these ministers, apparently that they have been overrated. The support these ministers enjoyed from the public and the media during the screening process is equally another challenge as, ‘’to whom much is given, much is expected. ‘’ Surpassing these challenges will ostensibly require that these new Ministers purge themselves of their

egos that stretched from their past. They must take a minute ‘rest’ to equally purge themselves of the intoxicant of their past achievements, with the realization that their past is merely a story, just as the present is their reality-our reality. This is to say that achievement cannot be found in the days they have already left behind; it will only be found and assessed only in whatever fortune places on their path each working day. Let the past talk about obscurity, and the present about governance. Governance is about today. It’s about new ideas and the new Nigeria we seek. It’s no longer about Rivers and Amaechi; not even about Fashola and Lagos, and far from being Fayemi and Ekiti State. It’s about Nigeria and Nigerians. Nigerians are yearning for today’s results, and each one will carry his own ministerial cross at the end of the race.

Opinion

Dasuki - DSS rascality and our journey back to the dark ages I

By Jude Ndukwe

n the wake of what we described as the simultaneous invasion of the homes of Col Sambo Dasuki (rtd), the immediate past National Security Adviser (NSA) in Abuja and Sokoto Gestapo-style by men of the Department for State Security (DSS), this writer wrote an essay titled “Dasuki: Are We Back to the Dark Ages?” which appeared in ThisDay newspaper of 25th July, 2015, wherein the writer expressed fears that the operations of the DSS against individuals possibly classified as political enemies of government was leading us back to the dark ages of citizens’ brutalisation, disrespect for citizens’ rights, flagrant disregard for our courts and the rule of law. Fast forward to today, rather than prove that notion wrong, the DSS has gone ahead to confirm the fears of Nigerians that they have made themselves an easily available tool in the hands of government for the hunting down of those marked as “State enemies”. Having charged Dasuki to court, the DSS embarked on frivolities and strange manifestation of its true intentions when it opposed the bail bid of the former NSA while also requesting for a secret trial for the retired colonel. One wonders why such a trial at a time we are deepening our democracy and advancing towards greater civility, a supposed responsible security agency is asking for a secret trial for one of its senior and respected citizens just to achieve

their premeditated goal of hamstringing the judiciary and probably harass and threaten the judges to do their bidding away from the glare of civilisation. It is a case of money laundering and illegal possession of firearms. One wonders why this case which is a bailable should warrant a request for secret trial if not that the DSS have a sinister motive of possibly extracting judgement in their favour. Their excuse among others that they wish to conceal the identity of their witnesses against Dasuki is spurious. Those who are ready to testify against the former NSA should do so without fear or favour if they know that the testimonies they would be bringing before the court are true and not procured; after all, Dasuki is no more in power and is as harmless as he has ever been. If not for his demeanour, goodwill and restraint while in power, there were genuine reasons why he should have moved against those who have ungratefully turned themselves to his traducers today. So, there is no reason for anybody to be afraid to testify openly against him. If he was harmless while in power except to carry out his duties as NSA, what harm can he possibly do to anyone now that he is no longer in power? On this score, the argument of the DSS betrays their true intentions towards the man. Let us leave that at that! More disturbing is the flagrant disobedience of the court order

which granted Dasuki leave to seek medical treatment abroad for which the court asked that his passport be released as according to the judge “a citizen’s health is very paramount in any trial case and before the law”. Justice Adeniyi Ademola also used that opportunity to remind the DSS that a person is assumed innocent until proven guilty by a competent court. It is in light of the above that one is left to wonder if the DSS is still basking in the demonic euphoria of a military dictatorship where the orders of courts are flagrantly disobeyed and judges humiliated to the detriment of harmless and helpless citizens with greater injury done to the fabric of society. Armed with his court permission to travel abroad for medical treatment, Dasuki attempted twice to travel out but was turned back at the airport by security agencies who obviously were acting on “orders from above”. He went back home and was greeted with a band of security men from the State Service who invited him to answer some charges in their office. Having been granted bail and permission to travel by the courts, a trip which was callously aborted by the DSS, Dasuki rightly refused to honour any other invitation by the security outfit as that would amount to acquiescing to contempt of court. The strenuous efforts made by the DSS to explain that the invitation extended to Dasu-

Dasuki ki was not related to the one for which the judge granted him bail was not only puerile, but was also jejune, facile and smacks of executive recklessness as being perpetrated by this administration. Like the judge reminded the DSS during his address to both parties, the affidavit filed before the court by the prosecution indicated that investigations on the matter had been concluded and that they were ready for trial. This goes a long way to show that the DSS were only interested in embarking on a fruitless journey of frustrating and scuttling the path of justice for Dasuki as the purported new investigation was only an after-thought to serve the sinister motive of denying him adequate healthcare and have him killed by instalments. Should anything untoward happen to Dasuki, Nigerians know who to hold responsible, and that would spell catastrophe for the young adminis-

tration of Buhari. Since the last judgement granting Dasuki leave to seek medical treatment abroad for just three weeks and return his passport to the courts within 72 hours of his return, the DSS have not only invaded the house of Dasuki, they have laid siege to his house and effectively put him under house arrest thereby further violating his fundamental rights as guaranteed by our constitution. We raise the alarm now because the actions of the DSS portend danger for us all and spell doom for our democracy. It is Dasuki today, it could be anyone else tomorrow. Impunity against anyone is impunity against everyone. One wonders why our ever vibrant human rights communities have suddenly gone quiet in the face of this brazen disregard for rule of law and violation of the rights of a citizen by an agency of government. It is difficult to think that they have either been threatened into submission or they have compromised their objectives. If not why the deafening silence despite the myriad of abuses of citizens’ rights by security agencies particularly the DSS? The international community should also take note of what is happening in Nigeria today. The democracy they helped to build and nurture is gradually caving in right before their very eyes. As Nigerians, we must not allow anyone no matter how powerful or highly connected, to derail our hard-earned democracy. We must not allow anyone to drag us back to the unpleasant days of the dark days of dictatorship. The time to speak out is now. Court orders must be obeyed, citizens’ rights must be respected and our democracy must be protected.

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Boko Haram hits Yola park market

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

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Senate adopts legislative agenda By Samson Atekojo Usman

By Sylvester Ugwuanyi

powerful bomb explosion on Tuesday evening ripped through a vegetable market at the lorry park along Jimeta bypass in Yola, Adamawa state, just as traders were locking up for the day. It was gathered that several people are believed to have been killed from the explosion, even though calls put across to the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, information officer by DAILY POST was unsuccessful as the number was switched off. A resident of the city, Gambo Ibrahim revealed that the explosion was deafening and widely heard, adding that “I am currently at the scene and we are helping to remove those injured to the hospital. Seriously, from what I can see here, there are dead bodies littered all over the place.” When pressed for casualty figure, an eyewitness disclosed that no fewer than 20 people must have died from the blast, believed to have been perpetrated by Boko Haram insurgents.

Residential Schemes: LASG threatens to revoke undeveloped plots

he Lagos State Government on Tuesday warned some people who acquired state lands to take physical possession and develop them on or before Dec. 14. The Permanent Secretary, Lands Bureau, Mr Bode Agoro, announced this in a statement issued by the Ministry of Information and Strategy in Lagos. He said that the directive was particularly for plot owners within the Victoria Island, Ikoyi, Lekki I and II, as well as Abijo residential schemes. Agoro said that the directive was in line with the policy thrust of the government in allocating lands to citizens in residential schemes. According to him, government allocated the plots to assist the residents realise their desire of owning houses of their own. He said that the terms and conditions, as stated in the state Land Law, mandated holders of Right of Occupancy to fully develop such plots within two years of allocation. Agoro said that this informed allocation of plots of lands on the schemes. He assured that building approval for those that were ready to develop their plots in compliance with the directive would be treated with utmost dispatch, urging affected persons to act without delay. The permanent secretary, however, advised the public to verify the status of any landed property before beginning any development on it. He also urged them to obtain information from the office of the Surveyor-General and ensure proper validation of Titles from the State Land Registry.

enate on Tuesday adopted a legislative agenda, an official document that will guide the activities of the Senate. Addressing a press conference at the National Assembly in Abuja, Senate Spokesman, Sabi Abdullahi noted that they understood the dynamic nature of the economy, hence, the legislative agenda would guide all the exercises of the Senate towards providing an atmosphere for good governance and by so doing, the Senate will be flexible, friendly and accessible in all ramifications. “The 8th Senate in its commitment to providing an atmosphere of good governance would be guided by a list of legislative agenda and they will be flexible and friendly,’’ he said. According to him, “Those things that are priority to the nation as they emerge will be addressed through legislation so as to legitimize whatever it is.” He added that such step will not undermine the Senate agenda, but stressed that they are all geared

P Senators adopting legislative agenda towards making the country great which is the core vision of the APC-administration. He also announced that some committees would be inaugurated tomorrow. He said the committees will include: Banking and Finance Committee Justice Committee Appropriation Committee Intelligence Committee Finance Committee Communication Committee Highlighting on the budget for

2016, he explained that the Senate was already set to receive the budget and begin deliberating on it, adding that when it comes, it has to go through administrative processes. “All the relevant committees that will study the budget once it comes will be inaugurated tomorrow and when it eventually comes, it has to first and foremost undergo administrative processes,” Abdullahi noted.

Amaechi left huge debt burden for Rivers – SSG By Seun Opejobi

he Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Chief Kenneth Kobani, on Tuesday said the current administration of Chief Nyesom Wike inherited a huge debt burden from the immediate past government of Rotimi Amaechi. Kobani, while speaking with journalists in Port Harcourt the state capital, accused the former governor of leaving a state that is economically bankrupt. Speaking on the economy of the state, Kobani stated that Wike-led government had ‘diligently’ revived the economy of the state. The state APC had recently criticized the management of Rivers

Buhari has hired over 2,000 persons to make Biafran protests bloody - IPOB

Amaechi economy by the state governor, describing it as unacceptable.

But the SSG maintained that it was wrong for the opposition party to complain about the economy of the state, adding that the current administration worked hard to defray the huge debt and financial obligations left behind by the then APC government. Kobani also noted that APC’s claims on the current state of Rivers economy were false and baseless. “The indebtedness of the immediate past APC administration in Rivers State is what this administration is still grappling with. These APC people are jobless and they just want to hear their voices on radio,” Kobani said.

irate radio station, Radio Biafra, is alleging that President Muhammadu Buhari has pre-occupied himself with investigating the connection between the Indigenous People Of Biafra, IPOB, secessionist group and Niger-Delta militants rather than ordering the release of its detained director – Nnamdi Kanu, and call for a dialogue on how to conduct a Referendum. The secessionist group also claimed that confidants of the President like Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State have hired no fewer than 2000 persons who, it alleged, were paid heavily “to join the IPOB Global Peaceful Protest and turn it into a violent protest, because they have seen that the Biafran protesters are not going to stop anytime soon as against what some people earlier anticipated.” These allegations were made by IPOB in a news item published on its Radio Biafra website on Tuesday, where it claimed that Kanu “was arrested, secretly charged to a magistrate court, granted bail and he met his bail conditions.” The news item reads in part, “Remember that these protests have been going on in over 88 countries around the world, the protesters are unarmed and they have not caused any injury to anyone, instead the Nigerian soldiers have killed, intimidated and harassed them. “El Rufai and his cohorts have also paid billions of naira to some media houses to carry out psychological terrorism against the Biafrans. “These media houses are on standby, waiting for when the 2000 people Buhari’s lackeys have recruited to start causing mayhem, then they’ll unleash media blitz on Biafrans.”

Buhari has shown Nigeria can join ‘big league’ – Lai Mohammed

he Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said on Tuesday that President Muhammadu Buhari has shown that Nigeria had the capacity to join the “big league” of nations. Mr. Mohammed said this in Abuja in the course of his interaction with the directors and heads of units in the ministry. He said the president had leveraged his legendary personality, discipline, transparency, integrity, belief in the rule of law, and patriotism to put the country on the global map. “Since assuming office, President Buhari, the driver of change, has shown and demonstrated that Nigeria can join the big league. “He has leveraged his legendary personal discipline, transparency, integrity, belief in the Rule of Law, and unparalleled patriotism to put Nigeria on the global map, to show his compatriots that Nigeria can be great again and to show that what seemed impossible yesterday is

now possible, either in the war on terrorism, the fight against corruption, the determination to uplift the economy, to provide jobs for our teeming youths and to ensure life more abundant for all Nigerians,” Mr. Mohammed said. The minister, therefore, urged the directors and other management staff of the ministry to drive the change agenda of the Buhari administration “with the passion of champions of change“. According to him, in the days ahead, the ministry will be saddling the directors with heavier and newer responsibilities as part of efforts to effectively play our role as the champions of change. “Gentlemen, in the days ahead, gentlemen, we will be saddling with heavier and newer responsibilities as part of the efforts to discharge our roles as champions of change “Brace up, because it is going to be one heck of a ride. “We hope you will be part of the train of change, because many peo-

Lai Mohammed ple will like to be where you are today. This is a historic moment. “In the run up to the last elections, there were times that we did not have money to even run our adverts, whether on the radio, television or newspapers. We soldiered on all the same. “We were threatened, kidnapped and abducted by those who wielded the instruments of coercion. “But we remained undaunted. Not even the massive war chest of the ruling party then could

shake our resolve or deter us, until we rode to office on the wings of change.’’ “Such was the determination that propelled us then and such is the determination that can propel us now,” Mr. Mohammed said. He urged the entire workforce to draw its inspiration from the electoral success of the All Progressives Congress to march towards a greater nation. (NAN)

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

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Buhari orders arrest of Dasuki, others over arms procurement By ali adoyi

ollowing the findings of the 13 man committee set up by the Office of the National Security Adviser to audit the procurement of arms and equipment in the Armed Forces and Defence sector from 2007 to date as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari, the Presidency has ordered the immediate arrest of former NSA, Sambo Dasuki, and others. In a statement signed by Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President on Media & Publicity, the presidency said, though the committee which was inaugurated on 31 August 2015 is yet to complete its work, its interim report has unearthed several illicit and fraudulent financial transactions. The statement said that ‘’as part of the findings, the committee has analyzed interventions from some organizations that provided funds to the Office of the National Security Adviser, Defence Headquarters, Army Headquarters Naval Headquarters and Nigerian Air Force Headquarters, both in local and foreign currencies. ‘’So far the total extra budgetary interventions articulated by the committee is Six Hundred and Forty Three Billion, Eight Hundred and Seventeen Million, Nine Hundred and Fifty Thousand, Eight Hundred and Eighty Five Hundred Naira and Eighteen Kobo (N643,817,955,885.18).

Troops foil another attack, arrest 37 Boko Haram suspects in Borno

‘’The foreign currency component is to the tune of Two Billion, One Hundred and Ninety Three Million, Eight Hundred and Fifteen Thousand US Dollars and Eighty Three Cents ($2,193,815,000.83). ‘’These amounts exclude grants from the State Governments and funds collected by the DSS and Police. It was observed that in spite of this huge financial intervention, very little was expended to support defense procurement. ‘’The committee also observed that of 513 contracts awarded at $8,356,525,184.32; N2,189,265,724,404.55 and €54,000.00; Fifty Three (53) were failed contracts amounting to $2,378,939,066.27 and N13,729,342,329.87 respectively. ‘’Interestingly, it was noted that the amount of foreign currency spent on failed contracts was more than double the $1bn loan that the National Assembly approved for borrowing to fight the insurgency in the North East. It further divulged that’’The committee also discovered that payments to the tune of Three Billion, Eight Hundred and Fifty Million Naira (N3,850,000,000.00) were made to a single company by the former NSA without documented evidence of contractual agreements or fulfilment of tax obligations to the FGN. Further findings, according to the presidency, has revealed ‘’that between March 2012 and

By James Bwala

ine suspected Boko Haram militants, who sneaked into Maiduguri, the Borno state capital and armed with sophisticated weapons to attack the city were arrested on Monday, the Nigerian Army said on Tuesday. This development was revealed in a statement by the Acting Director, Defence Information, Col. Sani Kukasheka. The statement revealed that the military successfully foiled a planned Boko Haram attack on Maiduguri, as the militants invaded the city with sophisticated rifles and home-made bombs. DAILY POST correspondent

March 2015, the erstwhile NSA, Lt Col MS Dasuki (rtd) awarded fictitious and phantom contracts to the tune of N2,219,188,609.50, $1,671,742,613.58 and €9,905,477.00. The contracts which were said to be for the purchase of 4 Alpha Jets, 12 helicopters, bombs and ammunition were not executed and the equipment were never supplied to the Nigerian Air Force, neither are they in its inventory. The statement said that,’’Even more disturbing was the discovery that out of these figures, 2 companies, were awarded contracts to the tune of N350,000,000.00, $1,661,670,469.71 and €9,905,477.00 alone. This was without prejudice to the consistent non-performance of the companies in the previous contracts awarded. ‘’Additionally, it was discovered that the former NSA directed the Central Bank of Nigeria to transfer the sum of $132,050,486.97 and €9,905,473.55 to the accounts of Societe D’equipmente Internationaux in West Africa, United Kingdom and United States of America for un-ascertained purposes, without any contract documents to explain the transactions. ‘’The findings made so far are extremely worrying considering that the interventions were granted within the same period that our troops fighting the insurgency in the North East were in desperate need of platforms, military equipgathered that, the nine suspects had planned to attack military checkpoints and bases within Maiduguri city just to clear the ground for what would have resulted to heavy casualties. Our sources within the military also said that the insurgents are now in disarray with some of them planning to abandon the group while a few others are willing to continue the fight. However, Colonel Sani Usman, in the statement said, “Nine terrorists sneaked into Maiduguri, armed with AK-47 assault rifles and a Hilux vehicle laden with 20 improvised explosive devices, which was meant to be detonated at some

Kaduna Electric dismisses claims of unfair treatment of casual workers By Amos Tauna

T Dasuki ment and ammunition. Had the funds siphoned to these non performing companies been properly used for the purpose they were meant for, thousands of needless Nigerian deaths would have been avoided. ‘’Furthermore, the ridicule Nigeria has faced in the international community would have been avoided. It is worrisome and disappointing that those entrusted with the security of this great nation were busy using proxies to siphon the national treasury, while innocent lives were wasted daily. ‘’In light of these findings, President Muhammadu Buhari has directed that the relevant organizations arrest and bring to book, all individuals who have been found complicit in these illegal and fraudulent acts,’’ the statement said. selected targets in the city.” DAILY POST recalls that the Nigerian army had in recent months claimed several victories against the insurgents, pushing them out of captured territory, destroying camps and rescuing hundreds of people, mostly women and children who were earlier held captive. In a related development, the Army in Biu has arrested 28 fleeing Boko Haram suspects at various checkpoints. An eyewitness in Biu told our correspondent that, the suspects were identified by certain marks on their shoulders, apparently due to the weapons they have been carrying.

Senators Kabiru Marafa, Adamu Wakili in shouting match over committee By Samson Atekojo Usman mild drama played out between Senator Kabiru Marafa (APC), Zamfara Central who has been critical of Dr. Bukola Saraki’s style of leadership and a first timer, AdamuWakili (APC) Bauchi Central at the Senate Press Corps after Marafa walked out of the Chambers in protest that the Senate President ruled him out of Order when he reopened debate on how Senate Committees were formed. Marafa who rushed to the Press Corps, intending to address the Press on the matter was immediately interrupted by Sen. Wakili who followed him too. Wakili literally pointed at him and accused him of being somebody’s gadfly, urging him to stop distracting the Senate. He said: Senator Marafa, the way you are going about the issue of Committees, your experience as a ranking Senator does not help you at all and

Marafa

you are acting as somebody’s gadfly.” In reply, Marafa expressed that the Senate President lacked experience, having spent only four years in the Senate. He alleged that Saraki was always absent from plenary and that was why he didn’t know what to do having been saddled with Senate presidency’s responsibility.

Wakili

“Imagine that he created a new Committee illegally on Poverty Alleviation and Social Welfare and made you (Wakili) a first timer a Chairman; besides I am nobody’s gadfly,” Marafa fired back. Marafa, an arrowhead of Unity Forum had been critical of the processes followed in the formation of Senate Committees, and had been asking

for the dissolution of the various committees. He had cited relevant sections of Senate Standing Orders to buttress his point which had been referred to selection Committee. The Senate President ruled him out of Order in today’s plenary as he tried to stress on the same matter.

he Management of Kaduna Electric, the operators of Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company, has reaffirmed the Company’s unalloyed respect for both national and international labour laws and conventions. The Head, Corporate Communications of the Company, Abdulazeez Abdullahi who made the affirmation during a press briefing in Kaduna, also reaffirmed the company’s commitment to ensuring harmonious working relations with its staff and its utmost commitment in providing a conducive working environment to enhance productivity. Mr. Abdullahi who was reacting to a protest staged in Kaduna by a section of the former casual workers of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria, revealed that when the current Management took over the Company in December last year, “it discovered that there existed a large number of casual workers in the employment of the Company who were being paid peanuts. Kaduna Electric has taken every opportunity to reiterate the fact that it would not contravene the nation’s labour regulations by recognizing or employing casual staff.” According to him, “In compliance with the extant national and international labour laws and conventions, this category of workers were given the opportunity to apply for full and more dignified employment. Most of them applied and went through the recruitment processes and the successful ones among them were employed.” He described the protesters as those who failed to make the cut off mark in the recently concluded recruitment exercise. He said the process has been adjudged by many as fair, an opportunity given to both internal staff and fresh candidates to gain employment. He said only the best qualified candidates were recruited. “It is therefore factually incorrect and unfair to hold the current Management responsible for the plight of any group of people,” he asserted. He also stressed on the contribution of the current Management of Kaduna Electric to the on-going fight against youth unemployment in the country through the provision of 3500 direct employment and about 15,000 indirect employment. “The Company recently employed 3500 young men and women and shall create over 15,000 employment opportunities through third party vendor,” he stated. He called on the protesters not to allow themselves to be misguided and to desist from any action that would endanger the peace being enjoyed in the state, as the company would be compelled to take necessary steps to safeguard its property and staff against any intimidation by the protesters. He also assured the company’s esteemed customers that its offices shall be opened for them to continue to transact their businesses.

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Bayelsa Guber: Dickson, Sylva trade accusations over plot to rig election B By Sylvester Ugwuanyi

arely two weeks to the December 5 governorship election in Bayelsa State, the main rival candidates: Governor Seriake Dickson of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and his challenger from the All Progressives Congress, APC, Timpre Silva,on Tuesday accused each other of plotting to rig the election. The gale of allegations was started by the incumbent Governor, who through the Publicity Director of his campaign organization, Mr. Jonathan Obuebite, said that there was a plan by the APC to rig the election, stressing that the APC leadership was making efforts to infiltrate the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. According to him, “We have unearthed plan to compromise the INEC, Bayelsa office, to give authentic result sheets to APC leadership during the election, which will then be used to rig the election. “As we are talking, they are not relenting in the criminal proposition to manipulate some officials of the commission at the national headquarters and in Bayelsa towards actualising their evil plan to rig the election by all means.” The Governor further claimed that the APC had sewn both police and army uniforms for thugs to enable them hijack

Dickson

Sylva

materials in the course of the election. But the APC candidate, Sylva, in a swift reaction through his campaign organization, said the allegations raised by Obuebite were not only laughable but false and unfounded. Sylva, in a statement issued by Chief Nathan Egba - the Director of Media and Publicity of Sylva/Igiri Campaign Organisation, SICO, said it was shocking that the PDP quickly turned around to raise allegations the APC had earlier put forward to the security agencies to investigate against the Dickson-led government. According to him, “There

is of course no truth in the allegation that our party is planning to rig the election in connivance with the use of the security agencies and other institutions like the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). This is the thinking of a sinking ship and a loser. “Our reaction to what the PDP has said is very simple. Every single thing they are alleging against the APC is precisely what the campaign organisation of the PDP is doing. What they are trying to do is to divert attention from their plans after realizing that their plans have been exposed. “For instance, we have

called the attention of the security agents to the activities of a senior INEC official in Bayelsa State who is working closely with them to compromise the election. The said official was used to rig the last National and State Assembly election in the state. “We also have it on good authorities that tailors were brought into the guest houses in the Government House, where they are sewing military and police uniforms they want to use during the election. This is criminal and we have called on the police to invade the location to verify our allegations.” Sylva continued that his party had no intention to behave like the PDP, which he said had the track record of electoral violence and manipulation across the country. Expressing optimism that APC will resoundingly win the elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states, the former Governor said, “The case of Bayelsa State is very pathetic because dayby-day, members of the PDP and appointees of Governor Seriake Dickson, are leaving in droves and joining the APC. “It is clear that the APC does not have any plan to rig the election before winning the governorship election in Bayelsa State because Chief Sylva will win the election by popular votes.”

How corruption frustrates govt’s quest to provide infrastructure - Buhari P By Leke Akeredolu

resident Muhammadu Buhari today expressed his sadness over the attitude of some corrupt elements, whom he said were sabotaging government’s efforts to ensure infrastructural development. The President, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of Federation (SGF), Engr. David Babachir Lawal, stated this at the opening ceremony of Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) national conference held at the International Cultural and Event Centre in Akure, the Ondo State capital. Buhari assured that his administration would fight corruption in infrastructural projects execution. The President said by the virtue of the professional calling of Engineers, they were saddled with the responsibility of building world-class infrastructure for any society. But he noted that due to the infiltration of corrupt elements in the Engineering ranks, infrastructural projects have been crawling in the

country. Buhari said he was aware that in the recent times, government’s efforts in providing infrastructure have been sabotage. The President lamented cases of abandoned projects and poor infrastructure management. His words “As a nation, we have, over the years had daunting challenges in the achievement of sustainable infrastructure. We are currently grappling with huge cases of abandoned projects and poor infrastructure management and several reasons have been advanced previously to rationalise our current level of infrastructure development as a nation. “Fellow Nigerians, you will agree with me that in recent times, cases of sabotaging government’s efforts at providing infrastructure have become very rampant. We are also aware that population growth and urbanization exert considerable strains ob our infrastructure. “We therefore urge you to

skew proceedings in some of the sessions with a view to adequately address issues relating to protection and maintenance of existing infrastructure”. Buhari charged the NSE the conference to focus on strategies that would stimulate the financial resources to fund infrastructural projects, especially in the face of dwindling oil revenue. He commended the contribution of Engineers to the development of our democratic process, particularly in assisting the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deliver a free and fair election in March 2015 general elections. In his remark, the Ondo state governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko said the compelling challenges of physical and infrastructural development coupled with the dwindling resources in recent time. He added that it imperative for local engineers to brace up if they must remain relevant to their calling as major stakeholders and principal actors in

Buhari

the management, structural planing and implementation of the nation’s infrastructural development. Mimiko said his government has used engineering as a tool to enhance the material condition of the people. According to him,” Engineering has severally been applied in the conception and execution of many of our original ideas; it is employed in the design and building of some of our structures and put to use in the fast-tracking of processes for the teeming masses.”

Chinese govt’ll sanction companies disobeying Nigerian laws - Envoy By Sylvester Ugwuanyi ollowing complaints that some Chinese firms were not respecting Nigerian labour laws, the Chinese envoy to Nigeria, Ambassador Gu Xiaojie has assured that the government of his country would henceforth sanction any Chinese company that disobeys Nigeria’s local content and labour laws. Gu made the assertion on Tuesday while interacting with newsmen in Lagos, stressing that “As an Embassy, we have always urged our companies in Nigeria to be law-abiding, as well as engage in their Corporate Social Responsibilities in their host communities. “Specifically, I am not aware of these isolated cases of complaints that Chinese companies are not obeying Nigerian Labour laws. “We have always reminded our companies that they should not put profit above the well being and interest of Nigerians working with them,’’ he said. While disclosing that he was yet to get any report from relevant Nigerian government authorities of such companies that were violating the laws, the Envoy maintained that it was imperative for the companies to obey Nigerian laws, just as the Chinese government would want foreign companies and nationals in China to obey its laws. He observed that the existing relationship between Chinese and Nigerians was being hampered by language, culture and proper understanding of themselves, but disclosed that the Chinese government was working hard to eradicate the current challenges in the people-to-people interaction between Chinese and Nigerians. According to him, “Let me say that there is today much of Chinese companies presence across Nigeria which shows the existing relationship between China and Nigeria. “Chinese companies are today providing so much job opportunities to Nigerians in different parts of Nigeria. “Let me say that China’s policy for Africa is that of openness, transparency, friendliness and win-win cooperation.”

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

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More trouble for Lamorde as Senate threatens arrest By Samson Atekojo Usman

he Senator Samuel Anyanwu’s led Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions has expressed anger over the failure of former EFCC boss, Ibrahim Larmode to appear before it to hear a case of petition raised against him since 3 months ago. Against the expectations of his personal attendance at today’s hearing, he was represented by Barrister Festus Keyamo which angered the Chairman who pointedly told his representatives that Nigeria Senate does not accept talking to a proxy while also reminding Keyamo that they were not in the Court of law. “Please, Mr. Keyamo, you are representing the former EFCC Chairman who was expected to be here personally. It is our tradition that we don’t talk on his behalf because the case in question bothers on petition,” Anyanwu said. Citing section 89 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dino Melaye who is a member of the Committee expressed disappointment that the former EFCC boss was first

Larmode

invited on 28th August, 2015 and since that time, he has serially been evasive. Melaye added that the section has empowered the Senate to summon any Nigerian, be it private or public, while noting that from Lamorde’s antics, it has become very clear that he

Katsina Govt. condemns killing of people by cattle rustlers

he Katsina State Government has condemned the activities of cattle rustlers and armed bandits who are attacking communities and killing people in some parts of the state. The Secretary to the state Government, Alhaji Mustapha Inuwa, made the condemnation on Tuesday in Katsina, while addressing a news conference. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that a group of people from Kankara Local Government Area of the state had staged a peaceful protest over the incessant attacks on their communities by cattle rustlers. The protesters claimed that they had been left vulnerable to attacks, adding that the rustlers were taking their animals and raping their women, daily. Inuwa said that the state government condemned in strong terms, the heinous and unfortunate acts which had caused loss of lives and economic setbacks for the state. He said the raping of women, killing and maiming of innocent citizens had constituted a serious concern for the state government. ‘’No responsible government will fold its arms and

watch its citizens being killed and their property seized. ‘’The state government is funding various security operations being undertaking by security agencies in Rugu forest which is the hideout of these hoodlums that are committing all sorts of atrocities in the state,’’ he said. According to the Secretary to the State Government, the government has so far released N200 million to fund the joint security operations aimed at dislodging the criminals from their hideout in the forest. He also disclosed that 49 suspects had been arrested and 3,000 animals recovered from the criminals within the past six months. Inuwa assured that the state government would not relent in its efforts of fighting armed banditry and cattle rustling. ‘’The surveillance by the Nigerian Air Force can buttress the seriousness of the state government in fighting the menace of armed bandits,’’ he said. He called on the people of the state to remain calm, support the state government’s policies and pray to God to put an end to the menace. (NAN)

was disrespecting the Senate and that the Committee may have no choice than to issue bench warrant for his appearance. “I want to refer you to section 89 again that it has empowered the Senate to summon any Nigerian be it private or

public to answer cases that bother on petition and within the context of this, we have invited several others, why should Lamorde’s issue be different?,” Melaye asked. Speaking, Barrister Festus submitted that Mr Ibrahim Lamorde’s absence was not out of disrespect, but based on the fact that he was invited in his capacity as the substantive Chairman of EFCC, but now he was no longer the Chairman, hence, the question of competence to answer those Petitions was fundamental. “Distinguished Senators, Mr Lamorde’s absence obviously was not out of disrespect, but the invitation letter was to EFCC boss and since he is no longer the Chairman, that is the reason for his absence”, Keyamo said. The Chairman, however, ruled that he has to appear personally on Tuesday, 24th, November, 2015. It would be recalled that the Senate Committee had invited the former EFCC boss to appear before it on August 26, 2015, following a petition to the Senate from a certain George Uboh who accused Lamorde of specific instances of under-remittance and non-disclosure of

proceeds of corruption recovered from criminal suspects, including former IGP, Tafa Balogun and the deceased ex-Governor of Bayelsa, Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha. But on the set date for the hearing of the petition, the Senator Samuel Anyanwu-led committee walked out the representatives of the Commission, who came in the stead of the then Chairman. Anyanwu announced that the Director, Legal of the EFCC, Chile Okoroma, representative of Lamorde, Barrister Osuagwu Ugochukwu and other staff of the EFCC should leave the hall against the backdrop that having written to be given enough time, Larmorde ought to have been present at the meeting. This decision was taken when Okoroma made frantic efforts to respond to the petitioner, Mr. George Uboh who had alleged that Lamorde under remitted the money he recovered from some Nigerians as well as traded with the money. Lamorde was however absent as Chairman of the Committee read a letter where the EFCC boss pleaded for more time to respond to the issues raised by the petition.

Nigeria discovers 44 mineral deposits in 500 locations - Ministry official

he Ministry of Solid Mineral Development on Tuesday said 44 different types of minerals had been discovered in 500 locations across the country. Mr Sanusi Jubril, Head of Mineral and Metal Promotion Centre of the ministry, announced this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja. Jubril said the minerals could be used for industrial and domestic purposes, adding that more would soon be discovered as research continued. According to him, Nigeria is blessed with coppers that can be used for electrical appliances. ``We have the rare minerals mainly used for hightech and they are available in abundance in Nasarawa, Zamfara, among others. ``We have kaolin deposit across the country in abundance for industrial use; it is used for the production of papers, paints, rubbers, drugs, tyres and pen, among others. ``Gypsum is also a min-

eral meant for industrial use such as building plaster, prefabricated wallboard, cement manufacture and for agriculture. ``We have limestone, coal, lithium, platinum, granite and gold, among others,’’ he said. He said that coal could be converted to coal-briquette to warm the rooms during harmatan and could also be used for cooking, adding that it could generate heat higher than charcoal. ``Coal briquette is environmental friendly; it does not suffocate, smoke and it generates heat higher than charcoal.’’ He said all the minerals could boost the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Nigeria since President Muhammadu Buhari had planned to diversify Nigeria from crude oil to solid mineral. On Ajaokuta steel industry, he said it was the largest in Africa and could be revived because the size, population of Nigeria and its develop-

mental stage needed huge consumption of steel. `` With the size and population of Nigeria and being the largest economy in Africa, we have no choice but to revive all our steel industries. ``We have a comparative advantage within the West Africa sub region, if Ajaokuta steel company comes on board it will meet domestic needs and will exploit Africa sub regional market.’’ He, however, said the measure of industrial and developmental progress of any country depended on its level of steel industry. He assured Nigerians that the two ministers deployed to the Ministry of Solid Mineral Development came with wealth of experience and would move the nation forward through the sector. He said the ministry already had a road map and strategies for the development of the sector, adding that it would serve as guide for them to work with. (NAN)

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business Scarcity: NNPC to check sharp practices, begins publication of supplies

he Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, has commenced the publication of a daily petroleum product supply chart to check sharp practices by oil marketers across the country. Executive Director, Commercial, Pipelines and Product Marketing Company, PPMC, Mr. Justin Ezeala, on Monday described the kersosene subsidy programme as a ‘racket’ that provided an avenue for corrupt individuals to enrich themselves. According to him, despite the fact that the Federal Government subsidises the product, a number of dealers still sell above the regulated price, thereby, short-changing Nigerians in the process. He added that government was working towards addressing the irregularities in the kerosene subsidy regime and is looking at other alternatives to kerosene. On sharp practices in petroleum products supply, he said the Daily Dispatch Report, will detail all product deliveries and all the receiving stations across the country. He said the report would be uploaded on the NNPC website for easy access, adding that efforts are on to make the website interactive, so that Nigerians can make complaints and report sharp practices witnessed in filling stations across the country. He called on the media and the general public to join Government in the quest to curb sharp practices in the supply of petroleum products across the country, by monitoring and reporting illicit activities by oil marketers. He said NNPC has 513 retail outlets across the country, adding that it has adopted a strategy to ensure that the retail outlets have products to dispense to the public. He disclosed that NNPC had come to an agreement with other stakeholders that all the retail outlets operate on a 24-hour basis, while those that cannot operate round the clock due to security reasons, can operate on extended hours, from 5a.m. till about 10p.m. where possible.

Vandalism reduces power generation to national grid by 480MW - TCN

he Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) said vandalism of the tower number 62, along Okpai-Onitsha 330kV double circuit transmission line, had reduced the power generation by 480MW. This is contained in a statement signed by the management of TCN and sent to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja. According to the statement, the incident took place at Asaba Uchi, Ndokwa East Local Government and had resulted in the reduction of available power to the national grid by about 480MW. The statement stated that the construction of a new tower would cost TCN millions of naira which it would have used to build more tower lines. It stated that the transmission line was used to evacuate power from the Okpai Power Station in Delta to other areas. The statement stated that on November 10, the Okpai – Onitsha 330KV transmission line tripped and the fault was traced to tower No 62, which was found to have been vandalised. It added that the vandals cut the two of the four legs of the transmission tower which made it to hang dangerously. It said that the cutting was a threat to transmission grid integrity, adding that total collapse of the tower would bring down other towers along the transmission line route. The statement stated that TCN’s engineers responded to the incident and mobilised an engineering firm to fix the tower temporarily to avoid total collapse.

WITNESSES TAKING OATH BEFORE MAJ.- GEN ADENIYI OYEBADE (L),PRESIDENT OF THE PANEL OF INQUIRY TO INVESTIGATE INVOLVEMENT OF ARMY PERSONEL AND OFFICERS IN 2014-2015 PRESIDENTIAL AND GOVERNORSHIP ELECTIONS, DURING THE COMMITTEE’S SITTING IN KADUNA ON TUESDAY It said that TCN would soon energise one of the circuits on the tower to enable it to recommence partial power evacuation from the Okapi Power Station to the national grid. The statement stated that energising the circuit would be completed within two weeks, adding that TCN would construct new tower to replace the vandalised one. However the statement said

that due to the swampy site, TCN could only start construction in the dry season when vehicular access was possible. The management of TCN reassured its customers that it would continue to work towards a robust transmission grid in the country. TCN also appealed to its host communities to cooperate in fighting the activities of vandals in Nigeria. (NAN).

We didn’t pay N25bn TSA consultancy fee - CBN

he Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN), has cleared the air on the Remita saga. The apex bank stated that it does not collect and pay Remita, a consultancy outfit, N25billion a day for services as being widely circulated in recent time. CBN said it has in its custody all legitimate service fees earned to date by all commercial banks and platform providers in the country as per the engagement contract, adding that there is on-

going discussion with the Federal government to agree on revised fees indicative of current economic realities. In a document issued earlier in the week, CBN noted that attacks on Remita was a machination by a few group who previously took advantage of lapses in government revenue. The bank also said Remita represents a huge technology export potential which has delivered a true success story on a significant

national initiative. “Remita is not and cannot be a monopoly as any payment transaction on the Payment Gateway Infrastructure always involves other CBN licensed payment ecosystem stakeholders such as banks, payment switches, mobile wallets, POS, local and foreign card schemes, cash agents etc.”

FG to explore mixed energy sources for power

he Federal Government is considering a mix of energy sources for electricity sup-

ply. Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, stated this yesterday while receiving a delegation of the Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC) led by its Director-General, Dr. Erepamo Osaisai, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. “Besides working to improve power generation from the national grid, renewable energy is being pursued,” he said. The Vice President said: “The long and short of it is that we definitely need a mix of energy choices because in the next decade such a mix will be imperative.’’ The solar option, he said, is also being considered by the Federal

Government. Dr. Osaisai was in the State House to present a report on the Implementation of Nuclear Power Programme for Nigeria, conducted in partnership with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Director, Nuclear Power at IAEA, Dr. Dohee Hann, told the Vice President that Nigeria as Africa’s leading economy, needs to consider nuclear energy for electricity in order to address its power deficit. He said the presentation of the report to the Vice President was an important stage in the process, emphasising that the report had articulated how the nation can meet the infrastructural need for nuclear power programme for the

country. Dr Osaisai said Nigeria plans to make each of its nuclear power plants to generate power in excess of 1,200megawatts (Mw), adding that IAEA conducted an integrated nuclear infrastructure review mission in the country in June and that the nation’s nuclear power energy programme was on course to diversify power sources beyond gas and hydro bases. “Our nuclear power plants are huge machines. And what we are planning is, each of the power plants will be generating power in excess of 1,200 Mw. “Nigeria is signatory to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. We are a member of the IAEA and our responsibility as a country is to utilise nuclear power in the safest

way possible. “And what Nigeria is doing, as we can tell, is diversifying our energy generation base beyond gas and hydro to include other sources for which nuclear is also being considered.’’ The chairman said the United Nations (UN) nuclear watchdog made recommendations that could help Nigeria develop its nuclear power projects. “They (IAEA officials) have made a final report in which there are specific recommendations, suggestions and also identifying good practices in the implementation of our own nuclear power programme in the country. “That is the report they (we) came to submit to Mr Vice President.

Only 50% power gets to consumers - Nnaji

igerians only get 50 percent of generated power, a former Minister of Power, Prof. Barth Nnaji, told the Senate ad hoc Committee on Power. Nnaji, said the nation still experiences irregular electricity supply because the regulatory agencies have failed to carry out necessary enforcement and discipline. He said: “Even when you have installed capacity of 12,000 megawatts, you cannot release the same amount of megawatts to the end users. Nigeria can generate 7,000MW and make it available for consumption should there be no constraint in transmission where we have inefficiency in distribution. “Out of the amount of power that is distributed to the distribution companies, only about 50 per cent of it gets to the consumers. It is an incredible inefficiency in the power system that must be cured.” Nnaji, who superintended the deregulation of the nation’s power sector and the unbundling of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, in November 2013, said that despite huge resources channeled into the sector over the years, Nigerians are yet to get adequate electricity supply. According to him, the inadequate power supply could be attributed to poor transmission, which he noted was as a result of inefficient regulation by the concerned government agency. Nnaji explained that since the government was not producing power any more, only 5,500 megawatts out of the 12,000MW installed capacity of power generating plants in the country was getting to the consumers.

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dailypost property 07032259691, 08075752220, 08092259691, 08095886632, 08095886468 E-Mail: elijahogunsanya@yahoo.com Website: www.elijahogunsanya.com Head Office: Suit 4, Plot 1248, Standard Plaza, No. 2, Kutsi Close, Off Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse II, Abuja. DESCRIPTION: 5 units of 5 bedroom ter granite raced duplex with all rooms ensuite, and finished with granite tiles. Its situated in a secured & serene environment. LOCATION: Guzape by Asokoro Extension Abuja PRICE: N1.8 Billion. LAND SIZE: N4000sqm (C of O) FACILITIES: • Swimming pool of 12 by 18sqm • Ample parking space for minimum of 50 cars • Fitted Kitchens • Serene Green Garden Areas • Fitted Air conditioners in all areas • Standby 150k VA Generator and water treatment plant DESCRIPTION: 3 units of 5 bedrooms terraced duplex with all rooms ensuite, finished with marble tiles. It’s located in a secure & serene environment. LOCATION: Guzape by Asokoro Extension Abuja PRICE: N900 Million LAND SIZE: 1,450sqm (C of O) FACILITIES: • Swimming pool • Ample parking space • Secure & Serene • Fitted Kitchens • Standby Generator • Fitted Air conditioners in all areas • water treatment plant DESCRIPTION: 5 units of 5 bedroom terraced duplex with all rooms ensuite and finished with granite tiles LOCATION: Utako District Abuja PRICE: N750 Million LAND SIZE: 1,350sqm (C of O) FACILITIES: • Granite finished • Secure & Serene environment • Ample parking space • Fitted Kitchens • Standby Generator • Fitted Air conditioners in all areas

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• Water treatment plant DESCRIPTION: 6 units of 4 bedroom terraced duplex with all rooms ensuite LOCATION: Guzape by Asokoro Extension Abuja PRICE: N1.2 Billion LAND SIZE: 1,500sqm (C of O) FACILITIES: • Granite finished • Secure & Serene environment • Ample parking space • Fitted Kitchens • Fitted Air conditioners in all areas • Standby Generator • Water treatment plant DESCRIPTION: A MULTI-PURPOSE COMMERCIAL OFFICE COMPLEX LOCATION: ALONG AHMADU BELLO WAY OPPOSITE ROCHAS FOUNDATION, GARKI AREA 11, ABUJA. LETTABLE SPACE: 11,120SQM RENT: N45,000.00/SQM SERVICE CHARGE: N5,000.00/SQM CONDITION: LETTABLE SPACE FROM 300SQM ABOVE FACILITIES: • 2 Nos. left • Ample parking space • 2 Nos. 250 KVA Standby generator • Underground and over head storage tank • Well paved land scape • Secure and serene environment • Underground parking lot • Dedicated transformation DESCRIPTION: Nicely Finished Eight (8) Units Of Five (5) Bedroom Serviced Duplexes With Bq LOCATION: Mini - Estate, Behind Apo Legislative Quarters RENT: N5 Million/Duplex

S/CHARGE: N1 Million/Duplex FACILITIES: • Ample parking space • Dedicated transformer • Well fitted kitchen • Master bedroom fitted with Jacuzzi • Well landscape and interlocked premises • Carport • Well fitted Air conditioner in all rooms DESCRIPTION: FIVE (5) UNITS OF FIVE (5) BEDROOM TERRACED DUPLEX FACILITIES: • Swimming pool • Ample parking space for minimum of 50 cars • Fitted Kitchens • Serene Green Garden Areas • Fitted Air conditioners in all rooms • Standby 150KVA Generator and water treatment plant LOCATION: GUZAPE BY ASOKORO EXTENSION, ABUJA LAND SIZE: 400sqm (C of O) PRICE: N2.5 BILLION DESCRIPTION: 3 UNITS OF FIVE (5) BEDROOM TERRACED DUPLEX WITH ALL ROOMS ENSUITE LOCATION: GUZAPE BY ASOKORO EXTENSION ABUJA LAND SIZE: 1,450SQM (C OF O) PRICE: N1 BILLION FACILITES: • Swimming pool • Ample parking space • Secure & Serene • Fitted Kitchens • Standby Generator • Fitted Air conditioners in all areas • water treatment plant

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Wednesday, November 18, 2015

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with

Ameh Comrade Godwin comrade.ameh@dailypost.ng

We are not regarded as pioneers of Nollywood - Cock Crow at Dawn actress, Ene Oloja One of Nollywood’s pioneers, Ene Oloja, who became a household name in Nigeria of the 1980’s and 90’s for her compelling acts on the screen and stage and was famous for her appearance in a soap opera, Cock Crow at Dawn, has opened up on a wide range of issues including her turbulent but steady journey into the acting industry. In this interview with Betty Abah, Ene also speaks on the shabby treatment meted on veterans of the film industry and her plans to return to the Nollywood, among others. The mother of one, after moving to the USA in 1991, joined the non-profit sector and has starred in a few films there. She has however not left her root as she continues to follow the progress of Nollywood back home, of which she is undoubtedly a pioneer. EXCERPTS:

ou left Nigeria 24 years ago, yet you remain a household name because of the unforgettable roles you played in Cock Crow at Dawn and Behind the Cloud, two of Nigeria’s most popular soaps. Do you have plans of returning one day to the now world –famous Nollywood? I left Nigeria in 1991. And yes, I do plan to return to Nigeria and hopefully become fully engaged with Nollywood. My brain is teeming with production ideas l would like to bring to life that I believe Nigerians will enjoy. Now that my son is grown, I’m freer to fully immerse myself in the rigors of production once more. How would you compare Nollywood to the film industry of your time? Don’t you agree that we have moved some inches forward especially in terms of technology? Are there some areas that make you flinch watching our films now, and where you think we can do better? Nollywood has grown tremendously from my era and I’m proud to see the strides we’ve made. Though I must confess that I’m not an avid watcher of movies, but what I have observed is that we still have some ways to go with the technical quality of our productions. What makes me flinch is the kind of content being put out there. As artistes, we have a unique opportunity to get into the minds of people, shape opinions, attitudes, and mindsets. Content is therefore paramount. My observation of the kind of content prevalent in Nollywood movies focuses heavily on juju, witchcraft, ogboni, and things like that. And people believe seriously in such things. We have to remember that children are watching these productions, and I hate to see us entrench such ideas in their young minds. To me, it is a disservice to our children, we need to mold them better. Are we going to focus on such things and perpetrate the usual African concentration on black magic or are we going to uplift people by dealing with issues of everyday life challenges, and giving them suggestive tools to resolve such challenges? Not that these things don’t exist, where there is good there is also evil but must we concentrate on the bad and perpetrate the negative in our society? Remember, what you give great thought to becomes your reality. The more we focus on a thing, the more power and life we give it: It is the law of nature… We empower what we focus on, so content is paramount. The focus on voodoo, witchcraft and such negative things aid in entrenching those kinds of schools of thought in our lives. Soon, we will become afraid of our own shadows because so many people believe in those things and live their lives immersed along those lines. That is part of why I do not watch much of Nollywood movies: I refuse to entertain negativity around me, in my aura, and in my life; as if life is not challenging enough on its own, let alone adding such energies to your life! I stay clear of such energies in any form, be it in things, movies, or people and don’t entertain them around me, because they attach themselves to you, to your clothes, your walls, and everything around you, and they affect your aura! That’s why I don’t watch horror movies.There is a gamut of challenges in the everyday life of Nigerians, we hide so much of our lives and sweep a lot of things under the rug, and I would like our productions to take on those kinds of challenges, moving forward. Since leaving Nigeria, you have being involved in two highly critical productions, the theatre production Echoes from the Diaspora (1993) and the film The Brave One (2007). How easy was it breaking into Hollywood? What are they about,

and how was it going back on the stage and screen again? Do we expect to see you in other productions soon from the USA? Yes, Echoes from the Diaspora dealt with the immigration experiences of Africans and others of African origins to the United States. It was an authentic work pieced together by a group of five performers from various countries telling our stories. It was very well received in New York and New Jersey where we performed the final piece. Unfortunately, I had to relocate to Rochester in Upstate New York at the time and so kind of broke up the group before we had a chance to develop the concept further and produce it in other media formats. Hollywood is difficult to break into. Initially, I wanted to continue with my chosen profession but I found it a really uphill task and I had a little one to raise so I made the choice to concentrate on making a home for my son and providing stability for him: a very difficult task for me at the time as a single parent in a strange land without much help. The Brave One simply fell on my lap so I did it. Of course, if other projects come along that I like, I will work on them. Going back to the stage, the screen, will always remain my first love: I went through a lot of upheavals to become an actress, and even more upheavals because I was an actress, but I can only engage in projects that are meaningful to people, and to me. It won’t be a bad idea, too, if we see you back on the screen in Nigeria. Do you have such plans for the near future? Certainly! But nobody has invited me to participate in any projects in Nigeria. Except I think Jeta Amata? He once contacted me through Facebook for a project he was working on, but I wasn’t much of a social media buff then and didn’t see his message until well over a year. Of course it was too late by then. But, I am open to any kind of meaningful project and barring that, whenever I come home, I will certainly like to put some productions together: they’re already in the can, and God willing, they’ll come to fruition once I can source out good financial backing or sponsorship. Production is cost-intensive. Overtime in the USA, I noticed you have transitioned into the non-profit sector. Were there things in your background or trainings that prepared you for this later role? What are the basic differences between working in the non-profit and the make-belief world of the screen and or stage? My family, from my grandparents to my parents always kept an open door policy and fed anyone that walked through our gates. We always made more food than the immediate family needed, just in case someone came by, and people inevitably did. I think it is an imbedded fact in our culture generally. I kept the same kind of open door policy in my home in Jos, and I get reminded by so many individuals about how I fed or took care of them in Jos any time they lacked food or needed something: actions I barely remember myself. All I know is that everyone and anyone was welcome in my home and always felt free around me.And yes, I have furrowed into the Non-Profit sector for the past 16 years starting from 1999. It happened by accident when I was looking for work after relocating back to New York City from Rochester, NY. I registered to pick up some computer skills with the New York Urban League on Staten Island. The Director saw my resume and asked me to help them teach the General Education Diploma (GED), I didn’t even know what that was initially but after she explained, I said sure. It was supposed to be part-time for 2 months (the remainder of their contract) but I did so well within those 2 months that she scram-

bled around to find extra funds to extend my position for another year, so I ended up teaching the GED for 14 months total and graduated quite a good number of my students, some of whom have now gone on to achieve their Masters degrees and others to further their careers and set up their own businesses. After teaching the GED, the Director offered me another job as a Job Coach for another new program and within a couple of years, I was offered a position as Director For Youth and Community Development handling six different programs that were failing then. Luckily, I was able to achieve a quick turn around and saved those programs. The rest is history: I’ve remained in Non-Profit Social Services. The difference between those two worlds is that in the Non-Profit sector, you are dealing in real-time with real people, issues and crises that could be life-threatening, and need immediate solutions. With the screen or stage, you’re still dealing with life issues, only this time you can carefully craft the issues to be addressed in a particular fashion, played out by others: solutions are suggestive and might not work for every such situation since there’s a diversity of effective factors peculiar to each situation. However, the fascinating aspect of both career fields is that they both give you a unique opportunity to make a real difference in people’s lives. Whether make-belief or actual, to me, what truly matters in life is being able to provide respite for people in one way or another: and that goes for anything at all you’re doing in life: if what you’re doing does not help others, I believe you have not fulfilled your calling. Implicitly, that is what success is all about: that you use your unique gift/s to benefit others just as their unique gift benefits you. That’s the whole essence of life: to me, anyhow. Going back to the one of the productions which brought you to national prominence, you were the swift, stern and no-nonsense Zemaye in Cock Crow at Dawn. Are there similarities in the person of Ene Oloja and the persona Zemaye? As an actress/actor, I do believe that there are aspects of your personality inculcated into performances and characters. I do have a reputation for being strict, stern, and perhaps a bit rigid sometimes, though I am equally reputed to be very giving and kind too. I know for a fact that I have a thin threshold for nonsense; I tend to be a perfectionist and can be quite driven when I believe in something: I don’t give up easily. Are you still in touch with other cast members such as Sadiq Daba (Bitrus)? I know a few like George Menta have passed now. Yes, most of us have stayed in touch, both cast and crew. I talk to Sadiq from time-to-time and a lot of my other colleagues especially from Sokoto. We also visit each other whenever we can or we’re in the same town. We’ve all kept in touch, even up to our children sometimes. And yes, George Menta has passed, but some of his children are still in touch with me. Tola Awobode, (my daughter Lare in Cock-Crow) has also passed. We talked weekly when she was alive, even though we never did get to see each other here in the United States. Zainab Bewell, (Uncle Gaga’s troublesome wife Ene): we’re still in communication, even with her two lovely girls, and grandson Eli who visited me from England a few years back. And I do speak to her as well from time to time. Lantana Ahmed (Zemaye’s friend Afi): we’re in touch; Peter Igho, Director of the program: we’re in touch: still treats me like a child: him and uncle Idi Farouk gave me a couple of hundred dollars each for taxi fare after we all had dinner here in NYC last year!!! Lol!!! Husseini Baba Ahmed, our Cameraman passed. Alhaji Yusuf, our Director of Photography also passed: our last meeting was lunch at Shagalinku in Abuja in 2008 or thereabout. Beke’s daughter stays in touch with me through Facebook. Ihria Enakimio, one of the original writers, we talk often online. Maureen Egbuna (Uncle Gaga’s 3rd wife) we talk on the internet from time to time; Dan Emeni and his wife: we lived in NYC together and saw each other from time to time; Godwin Onwubiko (CockCrow’s Sound Engineer), we reconnected of recent; Bongos Ikwue (Cock-Crow Theme’s Songwriter), he’s simply the best: any time I visit with him in Otukpo, he literally wants to give me the world! He and his wife spoil me royally with so much food and drinks of all kinds, fattening me up the more! Senior Bongos Ikwue, his wife, and entire family gave my dad his last sumptuous supper in life! And I’ll never forget that, ever! They’re just awesome! We’re all still a close knit group. We shared eight years of our lives, through sorrows and joys: that counts for something. There have been allegations doing the rounds for several years now about sex-for-role in the film industry in Nigeria. How prevalent was that in your time? I’m actually taken aback to hear that. Are you sure those are not just ugly rumors? Our profession is often froth with some cruel and very ugly rumors, you know! I am a huge skeptic nowadays when it comes to whispers and unsubstantiated allegations. People’s imaginations can run so wild! Of course, even in Hollywood, there’s the proverbial ‘Casting Couch’ but I’m surprised at the suggestion that we have gotten to such a stage in Nigeria, if at all there’s any truth to the allegations. No right thinking Director should compromise artistic integrity for an easy lay. Production is serious business if the work is to be meaningful and I would expect Directors to choose a talent pool that can properly interpret the script. During my time, we could rarely find talent for our productions, let alone to have such a thing exist: hence, we recycled ourselves most of the time for the various productions because that was all we had. Don’t forget that in my time, acting was not yet that popular. Most of us in the profession suffered a lot of headache and heartache from our families. In my time, we could hardly find good artistes willing to act, let alone tag such a filthy notion to it.

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

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entertainment

I created ‘Gerrara Here’ outside the original movie script – Comic actor, Francis Odega

ave-making comedian, Francis Odega who has revealed how his slang, ‘Gerrara Here’ gave recognition. global him In a recent red carpet interview,, Odega said he, “honestly didn’t think it was going to become a global thing. In the script for real, that line ‘’Gerrara Here’’ was not included. I created it but not knowing it was going to blow. On how he came about the word, the comic merchant said, “The movie is about 3 or 4 years old but it started trending now which means that God’s hand is involved in it,’ he said. ‘I feel fulfilled really, I feel like a superstar that I am already anyway and I feel elevated now because I have gone a step higher right now.’ The Nollywood actor has now joined the millionaires’ league, enjoying commercial relationships with big brands.

Ibru sister, Elvina not to marry till 75

ne of the famous Ibru sisters, Elvina Ibru, and mother of one, has stated that she’s not ready to get married any time soon. The Classic FM OAP took to her twitter handle recently to air her views on marriage and relationship. According to Elvina, ‘I have never had a desire to get married, so I am in a very happy place. “However, never say never because ultimately my destiny might not be in marriage NOW, but maybe when I’m 75years old. You never can tell’.

I’m not on the same level with Patoraking - Burna Boy

ave-making dance-hall crooner, Burna Boy, has warned his teeming fans against comparing him with colleague and reggae singer, Patoranking. The singer, while promoting his sophomore LP using the hashtag ‘OAS,’ was not happy with the comparison that was put up by a fan and had to describe it ‘ultimately disrespectful.’ A fan had asked, “Burna Boy and Patoranking, who do you prefer” but Burna Boy who felt embarrassed by the question replied, “Personally I find this type of sh.t ultimately disrespectful but, Naija will be Naija. You must find being nominated with other artists for awards also ‘ultimately disrespectful’. Quit being cocky.”

Olamide set to drop 5th album, ‘Eyan Mayweather’

I’m comfortable with my height – MI Abaga

igerian rapper, Olamide will drop his 5th studio album titled ‘Eyan Mayweather’ on Monday, November 23, 2015, The new album featuring no one, is a pure solo effort by Olamide with the

producers of each of the album Pheelz, B Banks, Young John and ID Cabasa. His name was included in the history book as the first Nigerian rapper to drop 5 albums in 5 years.

His debut album, Rhapsody dropped in 2011, his sophomore album, YBNL was released in 2012, while his third album, Baddest Guy Ever Liveth, followed in November 2013 and his 4th studio album ‘Street OT’ dropped in November 2014.

hocolate City boss and ace rapper, MI Abaga has stated that he is comfortable with his diminutive stature. In an interview with ace vjay, Kimani, the rapper said he was not in a rush to go into marriage but hopes to settle down with a woman someday. According to him, he sees nothing wrong with marrying an entertainer. Speaking on his closeness to God, he said, “Even as a rapper, I am still very close to God. I love God! And my Father is proud of me.” On his height, he said, “People who try to make me feel uncomfortable about my height fall short.”

metro

Police in Lagos replaces sunken gunboat at Epe Marine Police Post

he Lagos State Police Command says it has replaced the gunboat sunk by men of the under-world who invaded the Marine Police Post on Sunday morning in Epe area of the state. DAILY POST recalls that some suspected gunmen, at about 12.30 a.m. on Sunday, stormed the Marine Police Post in Epe and sunk the gunboat in the process. The command’s spokesman, DSP Joseph Offor, made the disclosure on Monday in Lagos. Offor disclosed that the gunboat used in replacing the boat was gotten from another division. The command’s spokesman noted that the gunboat had also been recovered from the Lagoon at Epe, adding that it was currently undergoing repairs. According to Offor, the security in all parts of the state, particularly on the waterways where suspected gunmen usually use to terrorize residents and banks have been beefed up. “We have foiled many attempts by the gunmen to attack banks and individuals in Epe. “It is one of their attempts again that they wanted to destabilise the Marine Police by attacking the General Purpose Machine Gunboat. “We believe that they were planning to attack some places but we foiled it again,’’ Offor said. He however stated that no arrest has been made yet, while adding that no life was lost in the incident.

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

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Seun Opejobi seun.opejobi@dailypost.ng

Three traffic robbers arrested in Lagos O peratives of the state Rapid Response Squad, RRS attached to the Lagos State Police Command have arrested three ex–convicts identified as Adekunle Mustapha, 21, Popoola Olumide, 20 and 20-year-old Femi Amusa, for allegedly dispossessing commuters of their belongings in Oshodi area of the State on Monday. According to a statement by the RRS, one of the victims was caught up in traffic around Bolade in Oshodi at about 6:30 am when one of the robbers, Adekunle Mustapha snatched a commuter’s blackberry phone through the window and ran away with it. The statement noted that the victim alighted at the next bus-stop and traced Adekunle, only for him to discover that Adekunle had regrouped with his friends. He immediately alerted the RRS who arrested Adekunle and his friends. Confessing to the crime, Adekunle said, “I am a bus conductor in Oshodi. I am from Ibadan and a secondary school dropout.... I am an ex–convict.

The suspects

I don’t want to go to prison again. Government should please have mercy on me. I was frustrated into traffic robbery. I won’t do it again.” The other suspects, Popoola Olawale and Femi Amusa who, however, denied been traffic robbers said they were bus conductors, adding that they

were in Lagos to make money so as to buy their working tools having completed their apprenticeship. Reacting, the RRS Commander, ACP Olatunji Disu, urged residents of the state to be vigilant wherever they find themselves.

Man rapes 11-year-old girl in Lagos

30-year-old factory worker, Peter Ekom, has been arraigned before a Lagos Magistrate’s Court sitting in Ikeja for allegedly raping an 11-yearold girl. Ekom allegedly committed the act on November 3rd, at 43, Ariori Street, Mafoluku, Oshodi area of the state. The defendant is currently standing trial on a one count charge of rape preferred against him by the police. Mr. Kingsley Eboh, husband to the victim’s aunt, Mrs. Elizabeth Eboh, told the court that Ekom got hold of the victim when she returned from school and was undressing, adding that after committing the act, the suspect warned

her not to disclosed it to anybody. Eboh said: “He followed her into the room, gave her N100 and asked her to meet him in the toilet but she declined. Ekom requested to collect his money back but she ran away. “On November 3, at about 2p.m., my 11-year-old primary 3 pupil of St. Paul’s Primary School, Mafoluku, Oshodi, came back from school at about after 1p.m. “She went to our residence to change her clothes so that she will come to stay with my wife in the shop. She then came back at about 2p.m., panting, with her dress rough. “She told us that when she got home, she went to the

public toilet to urinate and that the accused walked up to her, gripped her, removed her pant, closed her mouth with his hand and forcefully penetrated. She said he left her when he heard a voice.” Also testifying against the suspect, the prosecuting officer, Insp Simeon Imhonwa, urged the court not to granted Ekom bail until he tells the court his reason for the act. According to Imhonwa, the alleged offence was punishable under Section 137 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011. The presiding Magistrate, B. O. Osunsanmi adjourned the case till November 13, 2016.

NSCDC denies demanding bribe from tanker driver in Edo

he Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Edo State Command has downplayed the allegations that its officers are demanding bribes from drivers of a petroleum tankers, in Ekpoma area of the state. It was learnt that officials of the Edo State Command had Friday allegedly requested an undisclosed amount of money as gratification, after accusing the driver, identified as Zakari, of conveying illegal petroleum products. Zakari was said to have been

intercepted at by the security operatives on Benin-Auchi road and was asked to present the way bill of the product, which he allegedly did. Spokesperson for the command, Mr. Ogbebor Efosa, in his statement on Monday said the claim was an attempt to soil the good image of the security agency, adding that the command had established a case of diversion of petroleum product. According to Efosa, the truck was loaded for Lagos and was to offload at Ijora, according to the way bill, but was found in

Auchi. Efosa who denied the allegation that NSCDC officials shot at the tanker, however, admitted, that one of the tyres was deflated to prevent the driver from escaping with the vehicle. He said, “When the driver was stopped at first, he failed to stop. Later, the officers followed the truck and finally stopped the truck. The driver took to his heels and ran into the bush. “One of the tyres was deflated because it was getting late,

so the driver will not come later to take the truck away. Then, after several hours, he came out from his hiding place to meet the officers and when he was interrogated, they discovered it was a case of diversion,” the spokesperson said. The spokesman added, “No money was demanded; he was immediately brought to the command and he has been released and no one was beating or treated like an animal. Our duty is to check, monitor any truck which we suspect to be carrying illegal product or even diverting product.”

“Police is your friend. Whenever you are in any distress situation, draw the attention of any police operative you see around or call 767 or 112 on your phone. Ensure that police get hold of any criminal you come in contact with, whether you are the victims or not,” Disu said.

35-yearold man remanded in prison over armed robbery

35-year-old man, Yusuf Abdulazeez was on Monday remanded in prison custody by an An Ekiti Chief Magistrates’ Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti over alleged armed robbery. Testifying before the court, the prosecuting officer, Sgt. Bamikole Olasunkanmi, said the accused committed the offence on Nov. 12 at Ikole-Ekiti. Olasunkanmi told the court that suspect who was armed with cut-

lass and gun dispossessed one Olajide Ogunleye of his belongings. According to the prosecutor, the offence contravened Section 1(1)(2)(a) of the Robbery and firearms (special provision) Act 2012. He stated that the case file has been sent to the office of the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) for legal advice. Abdulazeez’s plea was however not taken and the defence counsel, Mr Taiwo Komolafe, sought for a new date for hearing pending the outcome of the DPP advice. Chief Magistrate, Idowu Ayenimo consequently ordered the accused to be remanded in prison custody pending the outcome of the advice from DPP. Ayenimo adjourned the case till Dec.18, for further hearing.

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

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metro

Physically-challenged persons fight over N15m NDDC largesse

andemonium broke out on Monday at the Rivers State Secretariat of the Nigerian Union of Journalist as a group of physically challenged persons engaged in a free-for-all fight over a N15m largesse from the Niger Delta Development Commission. The group under the aegis of the Niger Delta Coalition of Persons with Disabilities, were addressing pressmen at the secretariat located along Moscow Road in Port Harcourt on how they had been marginalised by government and the NDDC when the fight broke out. A member of the group, Friday Utobo, who hailed from Delta State and appeared to be the leader of a faction stormed the hall where the press briefing was held and slapped the President of the group, Mr. David Enogho. Some of Utobo’s supporters,

who also entered the conference hall, began to exchange blows with some executive members of the physically challenged group. Efforts made by the state NUJ Chairman, Mr. Omoni Ayo-Tamuno, to stop the aggressive physically challenged persons from fighting did not yield any result. The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Edo State Command has downplayed the allegations that its officers demanded bribe from driver of a petroleum tanker in Ekpoma area of the state. It was learnt that officials of the Edo State Command had Friday allegedly requested an undisclosed amount of money as gratification, after accusing the driver, identified as Zakari, of conveying illegal petroleum products. Zakari was said to have been intercepted at by the security op-

Woman in court for stealing grinding machine

Police arrest man for disguising as woman to defraud men

ne Mary Irabor, 38, who allegedly stole a grinding machine, was on Tuesday arraigned before an Oredo Magistrates’ Court in Benin, Edo State. The Prosecutor, ASP Sylvester Omor, told the court that the 38-year-old along with others now at large, committed the offence on August 22, at 741, East Circular road, Benin area of the state. He said the grinding machine valued at N35,000 was the property of one Janet Iria. Omor further stated that Irabor also obtained credit facility of N120, 480 under false pretext from one Evelyn Edobor. According to Omor, both offences contravened sections 516, 419 (1) (a) and 390 (4) (a) of the Criminal Code Cap. 48 Vol. ll laws of the defunct Bendel State of Nigeria, 1976, as applicable in Edo.

coaster bus conveying a group of batch B National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, members has been involved in an auto crash in Ogun state. The corps members, who just finished their 3-week orientation exercise, left the NYSC camp in Sagamu for their places of primary assignment in Abeokuta, when the

accident occurred at Ifo-Ota road. Report says the bus collided with an oncoming truck. It was learnt that the bus was damaged while the truck driver drove away with his truck. DAILY POST gathered that no one was injured and no life was lost.

he Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Joseph Offor, on Monday confirmed the arrest of a man, Hussieni Biyaya who allegedly defrauded men of various amount of money by dressing like a woman. Offor stated that the suspect was apprehended on Saturday at about 4.30 p.m. while attempting to defraud another man. The state police spokesman said the suspect, who went about bearing a woman’s name, Kadijat, was dressed in Muslim hijab when he met one Hassimu of No. 25, Iyana Street, Ajegunle and agreed to a relationship. According to Offor, Hassimu

eratives on Benin-Auchi road and was asked to present the way bill of the product, which he allegedly did. Spokesperson for the command, Mr. Ogbebor Efosa, in his statement on Monday said the claim was an attempt to soil the good image of the security agency, adding that the command had established a case of diversion of petroleum product. According to Efosa, the truck was loaded for Lagos and was to offload at Ijora, according to the way bill, but was found in Auchi. Efosa who denied the allegation that NSCDC officials shot at the tanker, however, admitted, that one of the tyres was deflated to prevent the driver from escaping with the vehicle. He said, “When the driver was stopped at first, he failed to stop. Later, the officers followed the

had wanted to take the supposed woman, Kadijat home, but the suspect refused, giving various excuses. Offor said, “While they were dragging themselves at the CMS Bus Stop, policemen from Lion Building who were on patrol saw them and intervened. “They were taken to the police station for causing breach of public peace. “At the station, Hassimu alleged that the suspect had collected about N15,000 from him with a promise to marry him. “Hassimu was shocked to hear the confession of the suspect

truck and finally stopped the truck. The driver took to his heels and ran into the bush. “One of the tyres was deflated because it was getting late, so the driver will not come later to take the truck away. Then, after several hours, he came out from his hiding place to meet the officers and when he was interrogated, they discovered it was a case of diversion,” the spokesperson said. The spokesman added, “No money was demanded; he was immediately brought to the command and he has been released and no one was beating or treated like an animal. Our duty is to check, monitor any truck which we suspect to be carrying illegal product or even diverting product.”

that he is a man disguised in women’s outfit to defraud men. “The suspect confessed that he has been into the business for about two years and that he had defrauded many men in Lagos of unspecified amount of money. “The suspect claimed that his real name is Hussieni Biyaya from Teke town in Kano State.’’ Offor further stated that the house of the suspect at Bode Thomas Street, Onipanu, was searched but nothing incriminating was found. The police spokesman noted that Biyaya would be charge to court for allegedly impersonating women.

10 feared dead in Ebonyi road accident

n accident involving an 18 seater bus and a crane truck, on Tuesday, claimed the lives of about ten persons, including a woman and her two kids, at Hausa quarters junction, along Abakaliki-Afikpo road, in Ebonyi State. The 18 seater bus belonging to Ezza South Local Government Area with registration number NKE 28LG rammed into the crane truck belonging to a Chinese company, with registration number DKA 17YF. Speaking on the incident, an eyewitness, Mr Favour John lamented over the constant accident at the junction. He said, “The truck was trying to turn all the way from Spera in deo junction but the bus driver, instead of stopping like others who saw it decided to drive past but unfortunately he rammed into it, It is due to over-speeding that he rammed into the turning truck.” John urged the state government to put up bumps at the junction so as to forestall further occurrence in the area. It was gathered that officers of the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, had last week warned the driver of the bus against over-speeding. Those who were at the scene for rescue operation had to use axe to break open the mangled bus in order to remove the bodies within. However, a pregnant woman who was pulled out of the carnage was still breathing and was immediately rushed to the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki for medical attention.

Ogun Corps members Two brothers arrested over death of involved in auto crash 48-year-old bricklayer in Lagos A A

The remain of the accident

developer and his brother are currently cooling their heels in custody of the Lagos State Police Command for allegedly killing a 48-year-old bricklayer, Musibau Alimi. The deceased who hailed from Ibadan, Oyo State, was said to have been killed in an uncompleted one-storey building at Olosa bus stop, along Agege Motor Road, Mushin area of the state where he had gone to work. It was learnt that Alimi was waiting to collect payment for the work he had done about two months ago when he met his death. Alimi’s corpse was removed from the scene of the incident and deposited in a public morgue in Yaba by police officers from the Alakara Police Division. Alimi’s wife, Bose while speaking on her husband’s death on Monday said the deceased did not disclose how much the developer owed him, adding that her husband usually lamented over the fact that he had not been paid any money. Bose said, “On that Thursday morning, I had followed him to that site because I wanted to collect some money from him. It was around 9am that we got there; we met some carpenters working on the roof, and he greeted them.

“I also saw the barber; his shop is opposite the site. I was asking Musibau for money to pay our kids’ school fees and other house expenses, but he lamented that he did not have money as the developer on the site had not paid him any wage since he began work. “After some minutes, I left him and came back home. In the afternoon, when my children came back from school, I sent one of them to go and see their father. When he got there, he told me he saw the barber standing in the doorway, and the barber shouted

at him, saying that Musibau was not working on the site. “I was calling his phone number in the afternoon but it kept ringing out. When I later rushed to the site, I met the developer and the barber at the entrance too. The barber was holding my husband’s phone.” Bose, a mother of four further stated that she had to call the attention of Alimi’s friend when she felt something was not right. The mother of four added that the deceased’s friend later discovered the 48-year-old’s mutilated body in the building. She said, “I asked him to give me the phone. The only thing the two of them said was that my husband had been attacked and he could not talk. They asked me to come inside and see him. I suspected something was wrong and I said no. I then called his friends on the phone to come around. When they came, we went in and discovered his mutilated body in the upper part of the building.” Confirming the incident, the Lagos State Police Public Relations, DSP Joe Offor, confirmed the arrest, adding that the suspects have been transferred to the State Department of Criminal Investigation, Yaba, for further investigation.

16 INTERVIEW

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

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President Buhari-led government lacks focus - Barrister Jacob Barrister Mark Jacob, a former National legal adviser of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) during the reign of former President, Olusegun Obasanjo’s sees no reason why PDP will not reclaim its mandate in 2019. He told DAILY POST’s AMOS TAUNA in Kaduna that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration lacks focus to usher Nigeria into the League of Nations. He addresses these and other sundry national issues in this interview. Excerpts:

he People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had a convention to appraise itself especially in the last general elections in the country. Most of its prominent members did not attend the convention; doesn’t this show that the party is in disarray? First of all, it was a one day conference; it was not a normal convention of the party. Secondly, the conference was supposed to be a programme just after the general elections that took place this year. It was something that would have taken place so many months ago. Several members of the party have been waiting for the meeting and before it was organized, it took some times and it took some members unawares. I am aware that several members of the party wanted to be there but because of the short notice and the timing, they couldn’t make it, but they sent their goodwill messages to the conference and their commitment to the PDP. Will you say the party has future in the politics of this country looking at its abysmal performance in the last elections? PDP is intact; they are facing serious challenge with regard to the present government in the country. The persons that are in the helms of affairs appear not have what it takes to run this country. The confusion within them, the absence of concrete plans, the absence of leadership, the absence of knowledge on what to do with issues that are begging for answers in the country, too much absence of capacity on their part that nobody really needs any miracle to beat them in the next general elections in 2019. PDP requires only strategies, be organized and then it will bounce back. Does this mean President Muhammadu Buhari did not start his administration on a sound footing? You are a witness to that; everybody knows that things are not working out right, the country is economically is going down, the issues that bedeviled this country some years ago have grown wider and the country appears to be going down in virtually every aspect, things are in shamble. And despite these things that are happening, the leaders are saying Nigerians should be patient. It is sad that this country will be run by people who are still asking for time to prepare to run the country after winning an election. If they were not

prepared to govern the country, they shouldn’t have contested the election. You don’t take power and begin to experiment by doing ‘trying and error’ with the lives and wellbeing of Nigerians. It is very scary that despite these numerous problems, the only excuse is that we should be patient. It is very embarrassing that the country is being governed through ‘trying and error’. It is terribly scary. With the ministers in place, don’t you see governance coming back in its right footing? Nigerians have not been waiting for ministers but they have been waiting for governance to take off. Nigeria as a country has been driven by a sheep that has no captain and that is exactly what Nigerians are waiting for. Let nobody make the mistake of thinking that it is just the appointment of ministers that is the solution to the problem. There must be a direction, when you talk of leadership. It shouldn’t be a difficult thing to know the policy and the basic principles of government. These things should be very clear without the ministers. The ministers come and fit into a focused programme; there should be a roadmap that anybody coming into government is supposed to follow. That is the problem; l have not seen the roadmap. I do not know what the policy trust of the present administration is. If we are waiting for the ministers to come and define the policy trust and the roadmap of the government, then, we are in trouble. Each one of them has his or her thinking and idea as well as approach to issues. If that is the thinking of the government, it means we are going to have another one year waiting for them to articulate and aggregate the ideas and convert them into a defined roadmap or programme of action for the country. For me, that is scary. We are not living in the Nigeria of the 1970s when you have to take your time and do things at a slow pace; we are in the digital era where time is moving and the whole world is now moving at that pace. Unless Nigeria is comfortable to be left behind, there is no reason why anybody should justify the long delay in explaining or revealing what the roadmap of the present administration is all about or unless we are just deceiving ourselves. Isn’t the country on the right path in fighting insurgency, cor-

Jacob

“They do not

understand the difference between propaganda before election and after election. Nobody around the world would understand what you are saying to describe your country as housing very corrupt people”

ruption and other social ills that have bedeviled the country? I don’t know what you mean by fighting corruption because if it is just the invitation of people to go to EFCC, calling people names, making allegations of billions of naira missing here and there that are not factual, then, that is not fighting corruption. If you to fight corruption, you don’t need all the noise from one place or the other. If you know those that have taken our billions for God sake, l want to see them in court; l am a lawyer, l will be happy to be a prosecuting counsel in any of the cases. I want to see people that have claimed that they can run this country to put things on the run

rather to have comic revelations or statements from people like Oshiomhole, who does not even have knowledge of finance giving figures. Every day, they wake up to say twenty billions of naira is stolen by one person and surprisingly, the Nigeria media just allows them to go away with such horrendous statements. Nobody insists on proofs, nobody insists on digging deep after the person of a standing governor makes such horrible statements about our country. It is also very clear that the people in government today have refused to understand that you do not attract direct foreign investment by telling the world that you have the most corrupt country in the world. I have travelled outside the country and have participated in international discussed on corruption and also participated in discussions attracting investment by foreign companies or individuals in Nigeria and l can tell you, you will meet business persons that are corrupt in their own countries, you will meet people that are happy but you will never hear their leaders describing their country as the most corrupt. What you are actually saying in essence is that Nigeria is not viable country for investment; that is wrong. We can talk to ourselves and chastise ourselves before we can send signals to the world that we are fighting corruption in the country and those found to be involved in corruption can be dealt with as required by our law, which could be internal. Outside the country, you don’t lampoon and demonized your people and then you expect that people will come and invest in your country that is scandalized. It can never happen, especially with the capitalist world where people believe that if they invest any dollars, they will make a hundred dollars at the end of their business. If you go outside the country and begin to tell these people that your countrymen,

system and everything that makes up the country is corrupt, then you are destroying yourself and you are telling them in clear terms that they should go away. To me, this is very clear that the persons in charge of the leadership of the country do not know what really they want to do with this country. They do not understand the difference between propaganda before election and after election. Nobody around the world would understand what you are saying to describe your country as housing very corrupt people. They don’t understand when you want to say you are talking about the past government that was corrupt but all the outside world understands is that you are talking about your country. Isn’t the steps taken by the present administration to bring an end of Boko Haram and other social vices a commendable thing to all Nigerians? The government of today has a responsibility to end insurgency or all other crimes. That is the primary responsibility of government and anybody doing that is just doing what he or she was elected to do. So there is nothing special about fighting insurgency; do they have a choice? They don’t have a choice but to fight corruption and other social vices that have bedeviled the country. Let’s talk Nigeria; this country is being destroyed by people from within. Insurgency is moving on, people are being bombed every day. Something is wrong somewhere in Nigeria, Nigerians were not aware in some years past that some Nigerians will commit suicide in order to pass a message across. The country cannot continue in this format where we will be having a reproduction of suicide bombers, that is the most dangerous form of terrorism - where one man can blow up a hundred people; it is not a problem that should be allowed to be discussed, it should not even happen. We can see that in the last four months or so; we have seen an increase in suicide bombings. So if anybody is trying to take the glory that he has been fighting insurgency, the insurgents have gone into the deeper stage of terrorism; they have moved into killing more Nigerians with fewer casualties on their side. That is the most grievous and scary stage of terrorism and unless that is stopped, we have not started anything like fighting insurgency in the country yet. Unfortunately, terrorism does not discriminate between parties or religion. Sometimes, Nigerians need to fight this thing head long, which was lacking in the last administration. Instead of fighting terrorism, Nigerians were divided. I can say very loud and clear that when Goodluck Jonathan was in power, many people brought this conspiracy theory all over the place that government was behind terrorism and that Boko Haram was Jonathan’s tool targeted in fighting the North; people said these things and they were allowed to work freely and luckily, they are the ones in government today. So perhaps, it should also be said that they are even using the terrorists now to discriminate and destroy the north.

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

special report

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Boko Haram:

Over 300 special forces to fight alongside the nation’s army in North East operations By James Bwala

he Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Abubakar has revealed that, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) had between July and October 2015 conducted a total of 1448 air sorties in support of the ongoing counter insurgency operation in the north east and also deployed over 300 ground troops from its special forces to fight alongside the Army in the front. He added that the Air Force was doing everything possible to see how peace could be restored in the troubled north eastern region in line with the December dateline given by President Muhammadu Buhari. The Air Chief, who was in Maiduguri, the hotbed of the Boko Haram insurgency, to promote some officers and men who distinguished themselves in the ongoing operations said, he is very happy with the progress so far made

in the operations , which he said pointed to the fact that, if sustained, they would be able to meet the presidential dateline. He commended the troops particularly the special forces that are helping the ground troops in the discharge of their responsibility of bringing peace to the northeast region, stating that, the authorities are not unmindful of the sacrifices and contributions made by the troops. According to him, the air component was fully integrated in the counter insurgency operation plans and as such, NAF was using different aircrafts in its arsenal including F-7NI, Alpha Jet, C-130 AC, Augusta 109 LUH, Mi-35, Mi24, Mi-17, Supa Puma Helicopters, among others to carry out logistics support, reconnaissance and combat operations. “Wherever the army is going in the battle field, we give them the air support, provide intelligence and clear

the ground for them to operate optimally. There are challenges no doubt, but God willing, we will meet the expectations of the people and the deadline given by the Commander-in-Chief. This is as the government is giving us necessary supports and encouragement, ” he stated. While in Maiduguri, Air Marshal Abubakar expressed his appreciation to the Centre for Crisis Communication for the important job they were doing in trying to streamline and harmonize crisis information in the country for effectiveness, noting that “information management is critical to success or otherwise of military operations especially the counter insurgency operation embarked upon by the Nigerian Armed Forces.” “If you manage information well, you kill the morale of the enemies,”he opined. He also disclosed that NAF had embarked on a number of

Abubakar

quick impact projects in the north east aimed at winning the hearts and minds of the people. According to him, they have provided medical facilities including clinics, medical laboratories, medical wards and drugs, adding that, the Airforce has sunk boreholes, provided 50, 000 liters of over-head tanks, constructed toilet facilities and shelters for internally displaced persons in the north east. While speaking on the promotion of the officers,

Abubakar said, the authorities will continue to look into the issues of their welfare, particularly their allowances and incentives and urged them to continue to put in their best. “We have recognized your efforts, and I want to tell you that those of you that were promoted to their next rank should keep the good work and those of you who were not promoted, it is not because you have not done well, but we are urging you to keep working hard as your promotion will soon come.” He said.

Ondo APC crisis worsens as minister for Niger-Delta shuns party members By Biodun Bedejo

here is an ongoing controversy over the failure of the newly appointed Minister of State for Niger Delta, Prof. Claudius Daramola to visit the All Progressives Congress [APC] secretariat in Ondo State, leading to disappointment among members and party leadership. DAILY POST was informed that they became disappointed not only that he was not able to meet the party members but for having allegedly initiated the meeting with the party members, and failed to show up. It was gathered that the latest development would be making it the third time Daramola would be allegedly calling up a meeting with the party members, but would at the end of the day not show up. Our correspondent observed that excited party members with journalists had gathered at the party secretariat along Oba-Adesida/Oyemekun road as early as 8 a.m on Friday, waiting patiently for the minister, who was expected at the party secretariat around11.am. Although, the party Chairman, Isaac Kekemeke was yet to arrive the state at that time, but it was learnt that he had directed his Deputy, Engr. Ade Adetimehin and other executive members of the party to receive the minister. Sources within the party, however, revealed that Daramola’s change of mind might not be unconnected with the division within the party ahead of the 2016 governorship election. But other sources told DAILY POST that there are factions within the party who are still aggrieved over the emergence of

Daramola Daramola as minister and desperately looking for means to bring him down. It was further gathered that one of the senators from of party in the state who is backing Daramola might have allegedly changed his mind over his earlier scheduled visit to the party secretariat, hence his failure to show up. A party member in Akure ward two said Daramola, later arrived the state capital around 6:30pm but refused to go to the party secretariat said, “I saw him at one of the party leaders’ house around the stadium road in Akure at about 8pm. I was also told that he visited few other APC leaders in Akure before travelling to his hometown, Ode-Aye in Okitipupa

local government” He said. Another party source, Mr. Igbekele Olayiwola said, “the minister will be spending his weekend in Ondo state. He was expected to meet APC members and he was also having an event at his home town, Ode-Aye on Saturday but we are disappointed that he has failed to show up. “This is the third time he would be initiating meetings with the party members and at the end of the day, Daramola will not show up. We don’t understand him and I think with his age and academic background, he should act as a rally point for the party.” A member of the party Exco said that the meeting was organized so that it could serve as an

avenue for the Minister to reach out to the members since his candidacy was not supported by majority at the initial stage. He said what got them angry was that he did not call or send any message to explain his action. “Some of these people travelled from far places to be here today and they will still go back, yet he did not even call and now his phone is switched off,” he said Director of Media and Publicity for the party, Mr Steve Otaloro, however apologized to journalists who were also there for hours, waiting to cover the event. But, Daramola, who spoke with DAILY POST on phone denied shunning the executives and party members. He said his visit to the state was private and not for any meeting with party members. He, however, said he holds the party members in high esteem and that he was preparing for a day that he would be celebrating with them. Daramola explained that he was in the state to visit his hometown’s monarch, his Majesty, the Halu of Ode-Aye, on the occasion of Layelu Day which held last Saturday, adding that he was also at Odigbo where the Orunja of Odigbo, held had his own celebration before he returned to Abuja on the same day. It would be recalled that the minister allegedly initiated a meeting with the party leaders and members at the party Secretariat along Oba-Adesida/Oyemekun road in Akure, last Friday, but did not attend. Party members who were already gathered at the secretariat as early as 8 a.m were disappointed when they were informed, that the minister would not be coming again.

It was gathered that Daramola later arrived the state capital in the evening and visited some party leaders in Akure before travelling to his hometown in Ode-Aye. But the minister said he did not direct or call for meeting with the party members, adding that he only informed the party Chairman, Isaac Kekemeke that he would be in the state during the weekend. Daramola said, “I informed the chairman about my coming to the state and arrived Akure around 10pm. I visited the chairman and the former deputy governor of the state, Alhaji Ali Olanusi before travelling the same night to my hometown, Ode-Aye. “The following day which was on Saturday, I only spent one hour in Ode-Aye with my king and also one hour with Orunja of Odigbo before leaving the state. “I should not have attended the event because I have just resumed office and the Permanent Secretary and Directors are still briefing us, but being an Ode-Aye man, I couldn’t afford to miss such an event. “The report that I have initiated meetings with the party members on three occasions is not correct. My visit is private and I can never disrespect or shun members of my party anytime they need my attention”. Also, a chieftain of APC, Prof. Raphael Akinfaderin urged the party members not to mis-interpret the visit of the minister, saying Daramola would never shun the party. Former Chairman of Irele local government, Mr. Nicholas Akinbiola equally assured that the minister would soon hold an inclusive fanfare with members and executives of the party.

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Wednesday, November 18, 2015

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Alleged rigging of Kogi election:

“In this regard, the new INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu must note that his legacy is at stake and that the Kogi election is for him, an iron test. Prof. Yakubu must immediately distance himself and the commission from this planned ‘coup’ against democracy or be ready to hold himself responsible should there be any breakdown of law and order in the state during and after the elections.” The party added, “Let it be known to President Buhari, the APC, INEC and security forces that no amount of force, intimidation and manipulation can bend the will of the people of Kogi state in their preference for the PDP and Governor Idris Wada, and that they will not accept any results that do not reflect their wishes and aspirations at the poll.”

How ‘destruction of national institutions’ can be avoided By Sylvester Ugwuanyi

espite Professor Yakubu Mahmood’s pledge in the hallowed chamber of the Senate that he cannot be intimidated in his service to the country as INEC Chairman and that he has what it takes to do the right thing, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has come out with the allegation that his commission has been ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari to use all means necessary to ensure victory for the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the November 21 governorship election in Kogi State. This allegation is also coming in defiance of President Buhari’s solemn pledge to defend the requirements of the constitution while taking his oath of office on May 29, 2015 and his more recent commitment during the swearing-in of the INEC chairman and five national commissioners at the presidential villa in Abuja to respect the independence of the electoral body and “not interfere with the operations of INEC.” The PDP which also claimed that, “the Presidency directed security officials to ensure that the forces

are maximally used to intimidate the people with a view to pave way for compromised INEC officials to manipulate the process, alter ballot figures and announce doctored results,” discountenanced recent effort by the Nigerian Army in constituting a f ive-man panel of inquiry to investigate and make appropriate recommendations on the alleged involvement in partisan politics by some soldiers and officers during the 2015 general elections.

The allegations In an eleven-paragraph statement issued on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, the PDP claimed it had incontrovertible records of separate meetings coordinated last week by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Engr. Babachir Lawal, where the Presidency allegedly ordered the new INEC leadership as well as top security officers to employ both official and unofficial means necessary to ensure victory for the APC in the Kogi poll. The PDP alerted “all to be aware of this planned ‘coup,’ against democracy again, by the now ‘new sherrif,’ who though, being the

biggest beneficiary of free and fair election in the history of Nigeria, is now out to corrupt the electoral system and destroy our democracy, all in the obsession to foist a one-party state in the country. “Intelligence information available to us shows that at the meeting with the new INEC leadership under Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the commission was given orders regarding the posting of compromised personnel to strategic areas in the state to manipulate the card readers as well as the actual voting process in favour of the APC, with assurance of adequate protection by government security agencies, particularly the Directorate of State Services (DSS). “We are aware that in another meeting also held in Abuja, the Presidency directed summoned security officials to ensure that the forces are maximally used to intimidate the people with a view to pave way for compromised INEC officials to manipulate the process, alter ballot figures and announce doctored results. “To kick off the rigging process and underscore the desperation to take over Kogi state, the President

Mahmood himself is billed to be in the state on Wednesday to endorse the APC candidate, Alhaji Audu Abubakar, a man facing charges of corruption. “It is to say the least, an embarrassing miscarriage of justice that the same President who rode to power on much publicized anti-corruption credentials, would not only superintend over plots to corrupt the electoral process, but also endorse a man facing corruption charges as his governorship candidate. “Whereas majority of Nigerians have seen through the cosmetic anti-corruption stance of the President Buhari-led APC government, the PDP wishes to state in the strongest possible terms that the people of Kogi state love their Governor and are fully in support of his re-election bid. We therefore caution the President and the APC to watch their steps as their plots have not only been exposed, but will also be stiffly resisted by the people.

Presidency refutes allegation The Presidency did not allow the weighty allegations raised by the PDP to become a notorious fact. A statement promptly issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu clarified that the meeting alluded to by the PDP was the one President Buhari used to warn “the INEC and the Police to prepare to give the nation a credible election.” Noting that the said meeting was straight to the point and ended after five minutes, Shehu maintained that his principal only used the meeting to make it clear that “he expected nothing short of a free, fair and credible election. “He (Buhari) said he had suffered election manipulation in 2003, 2007 and 2011 and would not like to have any Nigerian go through that again. “He (Buhari) also warned against the intimidation of voters in any way and vowed that he was prepared to move with all the forces available to him against anyone

Continued on page 19

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

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Two Decades of struggle: Buhari breaths hope as Ogonis Celebrate Ken Saro-Wiwa History has it that the Ogonis in Rivers state are strong advocates against oil exploration in the Niger Delta. The events that led to the agitation of the Ogonis cannot be sequestered from the huge availability of crude oil in the area. The culprit is oil giant, Royal Dutch Shell who were accused of exploring the crude oil in Ogoni which led to the pollution of major parts of the area. The Ogonis have accused Shell of deliberate neglect that led to the shutting-down of oil activities in the area for 20 years now. The people of Ogoni, blessed with a die-hard activist, Kenule (Ken) Saro-Wiwa saw the overwhelming damage being done to Ogoniland by Shell’s unrestrained petroleum dumping during the crude oil extraction process. In a society then controlled by the military regimes which ran Nigeria in the 1990s, Ken Saro-Wiwa was one of the few who dared to openly criticize the terrible harm done to his homeland by the unregulated energy industry. In October 1990, the Ogonis presented The Ogoni Bill of Rights to the Nigerian government. They were seeking political and economic autonomy. Until his death in 1995, Ken Saro-Wiwa sponsored and led series of non-violent protests against the multinational oil company with the group, the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP). He was murdered during the ruthless military administration of General Sani Abacha. In 2011, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) assessment found that groundwater in the area contained 900 times the recommended amount of the carcinogen benzene. These estimates suggest that it will take twenty to thirty years of sustained effort to restore the land to its former state from this major ecological disaster. The UNEP report marked the indictment of Shell in the pollution of Ogoni land. The report justified the struggle of Ken Saro-Wiwa. 20 years down the lane, the people of Ogoni in Rivers state are yet to recover from the ecological degradation of the land and the destroyed waters caused by Shell. In an interview with DAILY POST’S VICTOR EZEAMA in Port Harcourt, a foremost crusader of the Ogoni people, a renowned voice in the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, (MOSOP) and the Coordinator of the Ogoni Solidarity Forum, (OSF) CELESTINE AKPOBARI gave an insight on how life has been for the Ogonis after more than two decades of persistent struggle. Excerpts:

ell us how it has been with the Ogonis in the past 20 years. 20 years in the life of a man is a very long time. But I have to say that things have really gone worse for the Ogonis because before now, we never had a scientific auditing of our environment. What we have always had were guess work from people who didn’t know what they were saying. But now, we have scientific proof that our environment is dead already. And that is a death sentence. I am not happy that the government of Nigeria will receive that kind of report and will not up till now, put pipe-borne water considering the fact that there is a cancer causing content in everything we are taking. That should make any

right thinking government provide portable water for the people. So the last twenty years has been years of pain and misery, I can tell you. If Ken were to come back to Ogoni today, he would have returned back to his grave. But I believe that at the end of the day, we will be able to achieve what is in the Ogoni Bill of Rights. If Ken were alive, what would he have done differently? If Ken were alive, everything would have been fast-tracked . By now the clean-up would have gone very far. By now some of the amenities we are asking for would have been provided. There would have been negotiation over the marginalization of the Ogoni people in the political terrain of Rivers state. It is very sad that since the creation of

this state, no Ogoni has been Governor, no Ogoni has been Deputy Governor, no Ogoni has been Speaker of the House of Assembly and no Ogoni has been Chief Judge. It is an insult. If Ken was alive, we would have settled that issue long ago. If Ken was alive, the issue of culture and language would be paramount. We would have had people studying Ogoni just like they study other languages. What has Shell been doing with regard to the UNEP report? The agreement they reached in the London Court was that they will pay compensation and they will also clean up Ogoni using international expertise. But I am told that one INKAS, a local company is being used to start the cleaning process. When I checked INKAS

Saro-Wiwa on the internet, it is an automobile company that has nothing to do with the environment and we are also aware that Lamour is an international company that knows what to do and we cannot see any reason why Shell will see a company with international expertise and be contracting a local company that will mix fertilizer with sand and pour it there and tell us they have cleaned-up the place. Most of the contractors that Shell has given cleaning job have never even travelled from here (Port Harcourt) to Lagos. The earlier Shell genuinely begins the cleaning process, the better for our people. Shell should leave politics aside and begin what is right because they cannot escape from cleaning up Ogoni. We will follow them anywhere. Do you believe in the commitment of the Federal Government to aid the people of Ogoni? What do I say; I was fortunate or unfortunate to be part of the stakeholders that the Jonathan government set-up. We could not do anything. I am also part of the stakeholders set up by this government on the implementation of the UNEP. The difference I have seen is that this President Buhari government is willing to do something. By now, we should be talking about training the people that will plant the mangrove. By now we should be talking about setting up the Ogoni Centre of excellence that will take charge of a lot of things.

How ‘destruction of national institutions’ can be avoided Continued from page 18 who undermines the rights of any citizen.” Stressing that the President is ready to accept the outcome of the election, the presidential spokesman advised Nigerians to be wary of PDP’s fruitless attempts to destroy the national institutions which President Buhari was determined to rebuild, including the “one-week old INEC”. Allegations of rigging as tactics for winning elections In the main, the PDP seem to have taken recourse to the manner of opposition as played by the APC just before the 2015 general elections. Unfolding events suggest that following Lai Mohammed’s offer to take his then counterpart, Olisa Metuh, on a 6-week crash course that would make him an effective opposition spokesman; the PDP may have altogether taken a similar course from

their predecessor - the APC. This is as they appear to be rehashing same stories Nigerians were regaled with, in the buildup to the 2015 general elections. It would be recalled that the then opposition party, the APC, cried to high heavens and alleged that it had uncovered various plots by the PDP-led federal government to compromise the elections through the massive deployment of military officers for the polls. It went as far as spinning yarns of how then President Jonathan had resolved not to have the then APC Candidate, Buhari succeed him. The APC at that time appeared justified with its storyline following settling revelations of how the Jonathan government purportedly used the military to rig the 2014 Ekiti governorship election in what has come to be known as “Ekiti rigging tape” revealed by an Army captain. However, in the present instance, the opposition party seems to have no previous electoral malfeasance on APC

By now we should be talking of how to provide pipe-borne water in every Ogoni community as we agreed but there are a lot of interests. Do you think the appointment of Amina Mohammed, the new Minister of Environment who is a product of the United Nations is an advantage to the Ogoni struggle? We know that Amina is a decent woman. She is not ignorant of that magnitude of report credited to the UN. Besides that, even the Senate President, Bukola Saraki was the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment under the last administration. And he came to Ogoni to see for himself. And now he is the Senate President. If we don’t get anything from Saraki as the President of the Senate and from Amina as the Minister of Environment, then Ogoni will never be cleaned up again. Sincerely, are Ogonis ready for this clean-up? Yes, we are ready. If Shell and the Federal government are waiting for a perfect time, then the clean-up will not be done. There are problems everywhere. Even in heaven. Definitely, there will be disagreements but we must move on. But the mere fact that the disagreements has not allowed us to give out our oil to any other oil company 23 years after Shell was sacked shows that the Ogonis can move on with this clean up.

a party which wants to be taken seriously to do.” Failure to make its evidence public will vindicate Garba Shehu’s claim that the party is seeking to destroy national institution.

with which to back up its claim other than some “incontrovertible evidence” it is yet to make public. It is for this reason that many would want the opposition PDP to publish whatever evidence it has to back up its claim, even if it means “leaking it to the media”. This, a pundit who gave his name as Ahmed, believes “should not be too hard a thing for

Conclusion While it may seem that the allegations are made up by the PDP to whip up public sentiments in its favour by playing the victim, some analysts believe that the President should not have played into the party’s hands by holding ‘close-door’ meeting with the INEC leadership and security agencies that is likely to be blown out of proportion by a watchful opposition. Others argue that even if there was the need for such a meeting, the attendees ought to have been enlarged to include representatives of major political parties. Assuming that the President is not favourably disposed to the above options, a radio caller who identified himself as Edwin reasoned that what the President should have done in order not to give the opposition something to bite was to hold the purported meeting in the full glare of television cameras and journalists; this is in view of Garba Shuhu’s position that the meeting afforded Buhari an opportunity to issue a benign order that the forthcoming election must be credible.

INTERVIEW

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

dailypost.ng

Why I’m on a different page with Governor Shettima - Grema Terab Alhaji Grema Terab is the former Chairman, State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, Borno state, who is known to have been one of the strong pillars of APC led Kashim Shettima’s administration in the state. In this interview with DAILY POST James Bwala, the former ace man to governor Shettima explains the sudden change of perception and his campaign in support of truth and good governance. This interview was granted before the by-election. Our Correspondent, MAINA MAINA sends excerpts:

ou came out with a new slogan for Borno ahead of the by-election, as you did during the Presidential election, and being a strong member of the APC in Borno, the new move seems to be against your party. How is your party taking this move or are you telling us that you are not satisfied with the way and manner your party, the APC is handling the issue of governance in the state? The new slogan is not about whether it is good for the party for which we belong or not. The slogan “Borno Tafi Jam’iyya” has nothing to do with this administration. We are part of this administration because we brought it to power and as you rightly mentioned, most of us are part of the APC, but nevertheless, whether in the APC or in another party, what matters to us is Borno state and if the people of Borno are satisfied with all the candidates in all the political parties. Our move was informed by our resolve as stakeholders in Borno to sensitize our people to vote for the most credible candidate and not party. Whether in APC, PDP or any other political party that field candidate for election, all we are trying to do is to right the wrongs of the past, especially now when candidates with questionable character, candidates who are not qualified to hold any political office are being asked to occupy such offices. We want to stand against a situation where internal democracy is not practiced in a party, where some few people hijack the party and feel the party belongs to them or is their own property, where primary elections are being conducted in a stage managed manner, where delegates are on the proxy. There is no delegate in APC, nobody is a state executive or ward executive in the APC, it is only written on the paper and whenever they want you to be a delegate today, you will be a delegate or whenever they want you to be a ward executive, you are a ward executive and when they want you out tomorrow, indeed you are out. That is how APC is being run at least, in Borno state. This is not how a party should be run. The APC has been a hindrance to the emergence of better candidates, as such, we have taken this bold step despite challenges here and there to come out with a new slogan where we hope to keep our people informed that, Borno is supreme. So, if the APC as a ruling party is not doing the right thing in choosing the most credible candidate, we have to encourage other parties to do so because what matters to us is Borno and not any political party. We want the best for Borno state even as we are coming out of our dark days of Boko Haram and other difficulties. People are saying that, APC in Borno state now has different factions based on what you are trying to explain?

Terab Of course, there are many aggrieved persons in the APC as a result of threats and intimidation among party stakeholders with the government not doing the right thing because a lot of things are coming from the side of the government and people are not happy, but they cannot express their views and grievances. People like us must sacrifice to be the voice of others who cannot voice out their grievances. I still belong to the APC, but like President Buhari, I am standing for the truth that the most credible candidate must always emerge. What is your strength as a group? What are the challenges as you go out sensitizing the people of Borno to do the right thing by electing the most credible candidate for the by-election and how do you hope to keep this vision for Borno state in the future? Well, I am one of the strong pillars of this movement, “Borno Tafi Jam’iyya”. For me, being part of the government and APC, I feel I have a duty to strongly support this movement to right the wrongs. Sometimes, when you are in government, you do not seem to have the voice to challenge any wrong doing because you are answerable to some people who feel they own everything. Now we have come together as like-minds and say we have to stop this wrong doing even though we are part of the government as well as the party. We are growing and we shall attend to our goals despite challenges. Recently, the PDP candidate, Kaka Bolori granted an interview with one of the leading newspapers in this country, accusing the Borno state government of using the Boko Haram insurgency to loot the state. Do you think this man is saying the truth and what are your comments? Recently, the Army spokesman said, some leaders of Borno want to prolong the fight against insurgency or they do not want the fight against insurgency to end. Well, my position here is that, sometimes when you try to go against the government particularly in Borno, they call you names and sometimes you are termed ‘A Terrorist’. They always use such accusation to shut people who can open wide their mouth to speak against them. These are issues that need to be addressed and this is one of the reasons that inform the move to create an organization, which we now call “Borno Tafi Jam’iyya”. If anybody is saying the truth about government, such one is a terrorist that is why for instance, nobody wants to challenge the government on the Lagos Street contract. How many years has that contract been there? This contract took the government a whole for years and above, you cannot even talk about the Bullumkuttu project that is now death trap and still the government is not able to finish the death trap project. You cannot talk about the reason why children are out of school for over three years

and the government does not care. In Yobe state, where the insurgents have been attacking schools, the government never shut a school. The only school attacked in Borno is Chibok, why has government closed all the schools in Maiduguri? Adamawa state has never closed schools for one day. All government officials and their families do not live in Maiduguri. Are they closing the schools to protect the children of the poor who cannot afford the luxury of sending their children to Abuja because there is problem in the state? And why is the problem of Boko Haram lingering? Nobody would want to speak about that, which is why we have to make sacrifice for Borno and for our people who are always the innocent victims. As worrisome as this could be, whenever these government officials come to Maiduguri, they would find ways to speak to the media and start calling the oppositions Abuja politicians and want people to know that they are on ground and speaking on ground while in the actual sense, give them few hours, their plane is waiting at the airport to take them back to Abuja or wherever they might have come from. It is as bad as that, and you cannot speak against it. Look at how flood destroyed some communities within Maiduguri, the people

“As soon as

that is over, they would never see these people again. They also asked me why I was telling people to vote for the right candidate in the coming by election. I was surprised that the Nigeria Police could ask such question”

have been crying for government assistance and nobody is getting any assistance. Even as part of the government, when you are trying to put the government on track, you are considered as an opposition within. Could that be the reason for sudden change in the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) where you work last as chairman, and what about the truth on the spendings on IDPs by the state government? Exactly, that is the reason because they feel I am not playing the game the way they wanted to use me to play. We were termed oppositions from within. Even as we speak, some people within the government, who try to go the right path, are termed opposition within. But the truth must be told now or sometimes in the future, the truth would always come out. Is it not shameful that because there are no schools in Borno, some parents are now taking their children to schools in Gombe? There is no better condition for people to operate in Borno because of crises and our people are moving to Gombe for greener pasture while the solution to the crises is right in the hands of the government. I believe we can do better to restore peace back in Borno. We can do better to give our people a better opportunity by creating enabling environment in Borno and people have to voice it out. In fact, what even made us to start talking is that, the Borno Elders Forum are no more talking, the former big time politicians are no more talking and impunity has become the order of the day. In Borno, when you are with the mantle of leadership, you have the heavens and the earth. So, whosoever goes against the government or tries to criticize the government or tries to put them on their toes, is termed ‘a terrorist’, you are termed an enemy of the state, but some people must sacrifice their lives and their resources to create awareness so that Borno will also reach the ‘promised land.’ We learnt that the government is already arresting some of your foot soldiers; those boys who are pasting posters of your new slogan and trying to sensitize people on the need to put Borno first above every other thing. Have you also been arrested? If yes, for what reason? (Laughs). Yes, I have been arrested by the Nigeria Police Force for no reason. When I demanded to know the charges for which I was arrested. They told me that, I have been instigating people against the government. But what did I say about the government? I have not open my mouth to say or speak of the sins of the government, which if I do or say as our governor would say, heads would roll. Actually, I was at Moromti in Konduga local government area, one small community where I distributed some relief materials to some IDPs and advised them to

be self-reliance. These are victims from Bama. I know why I was telling them to be self-reliance because. I know nothing actually would be coming from government. I know the tactics, I know the manipulation and I know the little care they seemed to be getting is because of the by election. As soon as that is over, they would never see these people again. They also asked me why I was telling people to vote for the right candidate in the coming by election. I was surprised that the Nigeria Police could ask such question. I was not telling the people to vote this or that candidate, I only told them to vote for the most credible candidate whether from my own party or from the opposition. That is our stand now as an organization. I was not speaking as a politician but as an organizer for a better Borno and we are not taking sides. One of the policemen asked me that somebody said, Borno state received about 13 Billion Naira every month and Borno state have no reason to be poor, why should somebody say that in your occasion? And I asked him (the Policeman) whether it is now a crime in Borno for people to express themselves. I told him that if it is a crime for people to know what Borno state is receiving every month, then the Revenue Mobilization Commission must have been committing crimes for publishing money allocated for every state in the federation. In fact, they have nothing against us only that we believe they were working for some politicians. I think it is very unfortunate that the Nigeria Police could behave so, in this Buhari era where institutions and society are trying to change for the common good of the country. For those that are pasting posters with our slogan, they are being targeted by thugs and members of the civilian JTF. And this is the same government that has refused to institutionalize the civilian JTF because of their political reasons. The LASMA in Lagos are like the civilian JTF and they are doing very well. The Karotas in Kano are like the civilian JTF. The Osun youths empowerment scheme is where the Borno state government gets the idea to establish the Borno Youths Empowerment Scheme, but here in Borno the scheme has no formal office. They don’t have a formal board, they don’t even know what they are doing or what future they have and the government is only trying to use them aspolitical thugs. They want to revive the era of thuggery in the state after we have suffered so much in the hands of the insurgents. This is very unfortunate. What do we hope to see of your new organization in the future. Are you likely to initiate a move to recall some of the unqualified politicians as you said, occupying space at the National Assembly as well compel the government to address the issue of underdevelopment in the state? Many youths in Borno are tired of the way things are going on in the state. I am a mobilizer, that is why the government is yet to have a good sleep when I nurtured the idea of this organisation, “ Borno Tafi Jam’iyya”. The youths in Borno want to see change and are eager to go with anyone that will rise to the occasion and speak on behalf of the youths in Borno. If you go to Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms and call on every youth in the state today to demand what is due to us, no youth will be left out because they only need a spark for the occasion. They are looking for a medium to bring about the needed change in the state. We would present the platform for that change. The truth is that, we have an agenda to recall some legislators because some of them are totally incompetent. The reason some of them got to where they are now is because of the canker worm in our party and also because our people have been misled into following one party. If you belong to the APC, even if it is a dog, you will vote for. That is why some members of the National Assembly, since their inauguration, cannot go back to Abuja, but prefer to remain in Borno Government House because they have nothing to offer. So, we said, it is better that such people be nominated as local government chairmen; at least they would not go out to disgrace Borno or APC if they are confronted, especially by reporters in Abuja.

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

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dailypost.ng

Lifestyle

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

with Danielle Ogbeche danielle.ogbeche@dailypost.ng

Ripped jeans: How supposed working uniform became fashion staple S

hredded jeans, that was once considered absolutely inappropriate for most occasions, have undoubtedly upgraded from the working man’s uniform to a street style-fashionable dressing. If you are going to wear ripped jeans for a smart-casual occasion, try and make the rest of your outfit smarter so you don’t look like you just came out of a building site. A ripped jean is a simple and stylish look. You don’t need to put much effort to enhance the look as the torn jean gives you the tough manly look. Wear ripped jeans with style and carry the yo-yo rock look! In the early 2010, ripped jeans came back in style, as a 90’s revival, but were sometimes introduced as distressed. For most ladies and men, it’s a way to show off their mischievous sides by teaming these jeans with a casual shirt. An over-sized knit that flatters is ideal, especially in deep grays, which complement every colour. The more rips you have on your jeans, the less accessory you should wear so you won’t overload your outfit. The smarter you are on top, the less, attention it attracts to your scruffy yet stylish ripped jeans. You can also wear ripped jeans with a shirt. Team up with a pair of boots or sneakers to get the casual and formal mix. Ripped jeans make you look rugged and stylish all at the same time. It brings a manly tough look to your overall ensemble.

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

sports

dailypost.ng

matches you must not miss this

weekend Man City vs Liverpool

ast week, Jurgen Klopp experienced his first defeat in charge of Liverpool. Alan Pardew’s men came to Anfield and claimed all three points. On Saturday, Klopp will be plotting how to overcome Manchester City, who are currently top of the Premier League.

Maradona undergoes gastric bypass surgery again D

iego Maradona has undergone gastric bypass surgery for the second

time. The Argentine legend, 55, is looking to lose 30 to 35 kilograms over the next year and according to Dr. Carlos Felipe Chaux, he will lose 75 kilograms in total. Chaux has conducted both surgeries for Maradona. The first operation was done 10 years ago in Colombia and

Following a two-week lull of the international week, that threw up friendly matches, Euro 2016 play-offs and 2018 World Cup qualifiers, the European Leagues are back. From the Premier League to Serie A, to the La Liga, it’s back to business and there will be key games this weekend.

Real Madrid vs Barcelona

he first El Clasico of the season comes to town this weekend. As usual, it promises to be a spicy and spiky affair. Lionel Messi is back in full training for Barcelona and you expect him to feature even for a few minutes, while Ronaldo has not been in great form recently.

Schalke vs Bayern

chalke o4 have not been in great form recently. The last time out in Bundesliga, they were defeated in the Revierderby against local rivals, Borussia Dortmund. Bayern on the other hand, are absolutely flying and will be seeking to continue their procession towards another title.

Chaux says the latest one was needed “because he had gained weight, and to correct a gastrogastric fistula.” He told AFP: “He told me he was feeling fine, that he wasn’t in any pain. He is walking and in good spirits. He’s in very good physical condition and very good health. His heart is very well and all his vital signs are normal.”

Juventus vs AC Milan

n years past, this fixture used to be a top-of-the-table clash. But these days, it is a meeting of two teams desperate to climb up the log. Juve go into this game having won their last two Serie A matches, while Milan failed to score the last time against Atalanta.

Mitchell Johnson to retire from international cricket

NPFL: Sharks, Bayelsa United, Kwara United relegated, Akwa United escape

harks, Bayelsa United, FC Taraba and Kwara United were all relegated from the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) on Sunday. It was a battle between Sharks and city rival, Dolphins to stay in the top flight, with Sharks needing a straight win against Abia Warriors. Instead, they lost 1-0, while Dolphins drew 2-2 with Shooting Stars in Ibadan. Akwa United survived on the last day of the league, after recording a 1-0 victory over Lobi

Stars at the Nest of Champions in Uyo, with Abdulafeez scoring the all-important goal. Rangers also beat Bayelsa United 3-1. Meanwhile, Enyimba won their seventh league title last week, drawing 0-0 with Warri Wolves. They also recorded another goalless outing against Sunshine Stars on the last day.

Fury wants to fight Vitali next

yson Fury says Vitali Klitschko will come out of retirement to fight him, after he has ‘flattened’ out his younger brother, Wladimir. The British heavyweight challenger, was speaking on The Gloves Are Off, ahead of his November 28 bout in Dusseldorf against Wladimir. Fury is confident that the age difference will be an added advantage against Vitali, who is five years older. “I’d beat both of them,” Fury told The Gloves Are Off. “Give me a couple of weeks, I’d prepare for both of you [Wladimir], no problem. “I am sure that once I’ve flattened you, your brother might come out of retirement and fight me as well. “So who knows where this journey takes me? But first off it’s Dusseldorf and Wladimir Klitschko. He’s going to sleep.”

ustralian fast bowler, Mitchell Johnson, is set to retire from all forms of international cricket, after the current Test against New Zealand ends in Perth. The 34-year-old, who is Australia’s fourth highest Test wicket-taker behind Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Dennis Lillee, has decided to quit after 73 Tests. He said: “I feel now is the best time to say goodbye. I have been lucky enough to have had a wonderful career and enjoyed every moment of playing for my country. It’s been an incredible ride. “But the ride has to come to an end at some point and to do so here at the WACA is very special. “I’ve given the decision a lot of thought. Beyond this match, I’m just not sure that I can continue competing consistently at the level required to wear the Baggy

Green. “My career has certainly had its ups and downs but I can honestly say I have given it my all and am proud of everything I have achieved. To win an Ashes series and a World Cup is something I will treasure forever.” Cricket Australia chairman David Peever added: “Dennis Lillee was certainly right many years ago when he identified a young Mitchell Johnson as a future great of Australian cricket. “I am sure there are many batsmen around the world breathing a sigh of relief right now, knowing that they no longer have to face him. “We thank Mitchell for his outstanding service to the game and wish him, wife Jessica and daughter Rubika the very best for life beyond cricket.” Johnson was the ICC player of the year in 2009 and 2014.

daily post sports Yakubu disappointed to miss out on CAF ticket

ifreke.inyang@dailypost.ng

“The Euro final draw will go ahead as scheduled on December 12 at the Palais des Congres in Paris and the final tournament will be played in France from June 10 to July 10, 2016.” - UEFA dailypost.ng

N100

Cescsational slump by ‘Ifreke Inyang

f Roman Abramovich wakes up on the wrong side of his bed today, it is Jose Mourinho who will not be sleeping in London; not Cesc Fabregas; not Eden Hazard; not even John Terry. Chelsea’s miserable start to this season is hugely inconceivable. It is almost incredible that these same players under the same manager were crowned champions of the toughest league in Europe. The Blues now sit only three points about relegation places. Every chance of retaining their title has evaporated and it will take a miracle to finish in the Champions League places. A lot of fingers have been pointed in Mourinho’s direction. The Portuguese manager is enduring the worst period in his otherwise fine career. In recent press conferences, he has been irritable, rude and claustrophobic. But maybe the fault is not entirely his. Key men like Fabregas, Hazard,

Lewandowski’s agent denies Madrid contact R obert Lewandowski’s agent, Cezary Cucharski, has denied any contact with Real Madrid, concerning a possible transfer for the player. Cucharski had earlier told Marca that Madrid were interested in signing the Polish striker. “Since Robert signed a contract with Bayern Munich, [we] have not talked with representatives of Real Madrid on his transfer to the club,” Cucharski told

‘Ifreke Inyang

Wednesday, November 18 - Tuesday, November 24, 2015

ikki Tourists’ striker, Victor Yakubu, has expressed his disappointment over his team’s failure to win a CAF Confederation Cup ticket, in the just concluded Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) campaign. The Bauchi club finished the season in 4th place with 63 points, the same as third placed Nasarawa United, but lost out on goals difference. “We are disappointed with the realisation that we could not grab any of the tickets to the continent at the end of the season,” he told SuperSport. “Nobody is happy that all our efforts and sacrifices did not yield the desired goal at the end of the day. “Though we won our last day match against Kano Pillars thereby finishing the season on high and same points with third placed side, Nasarawa United but the Lafia side beat us for the Confederation Cup ticket on superior goals. “However, we still thank God that we were able to keep our position in the Nigerian top flight in our first season. “Notable and traditional teams went down to relegation but we are keeping ours so it’s somehow a consolation. “I’m certain that should the players stay intact we will be able to challenge for the league shield as well as continental ticket.”

with

WP SportoweFakty in Poland. Lewandowski has been in fine form for the Bundesliga team this season, scoring 19 goals in all competitions so far. The

27-yearold is under contract at the Allianz Arena until 2019.

Matic, etc. have all connived to lose form at the same time. There is even talk that Fabregas is leading the revolt against Mourinho - a story he has since debunked. But for all the public protestations of loyalty, nothing is working. In “The Special One”, El Pais journalist Diego Torres, claims that at Real Madrid where Mourinho coached for three years, “the players didn’t mind losing because it meant that Mourinho lost.” It’s de ja vu in England. BBC journalist Garry Richardson, said on 5 Live’s Sportsweek that he was aware of divisions inside the Chelsea dressing room. He said: “Let me tell you what I know on the Chelsea story. My information comes from a Chelsea first-team player. “The information was actually passed to me by a football contact. I was told that Jose Mourinho’s relationship with many of his players is at rock-bottom.” A look at some stats, suggests there might be some truth in this. Fabregas was Chelsea’s creative hub as they started last season

on fire. So far, he is yet to register any goal and has provided only one assist. Hazard has not scored any goal this season and has provided only two assists. The reigning PFA Player of the Year, has become a parody of himself in this campaign and the butt of social media jokes and memes. Their top scorer last season, Diego Costa, is more interested in picking up fights with defenders, rather than trying to score for his team. Others like Matic and Terry, have suffered the indignity of being substituted at half time. Willian has been the real spark in the team and appears to be on a one-man mission to keep Mourinho at Stamford Bridge. At the end of the day, it will take more than one player’s efforts to keep Mourinho at the club. More senior players need to perform better, if they really want to ensure Abramovich does not wake up one morning and ask the most successful coach in Chelsea’s history to go for a second time.

Super Eagles defeat Swaziland 2-0

imon Moses and Efe Ambrose scored for Nigeria, as they beat Swaziland 2-0 in Port Harcourt, to progress into the next round of qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Sunday Oliseh’s team failed to score in the first leg of the tie last Friday in Lombamba and needed an outright win at the Adokiye Amiesamaka Stadium. The Super Eagles failed to break down the visitors in the first half, but in the 51st minute, Simon scored the first goal. The AAA Gent forward stepped up and sent an excellent free-kick over the wall and into the net. Ambrose Efe made it 2-0 with three minutes left, as Swaziland’s resistance melted away.

I am not Enyeama’s replacement - Ikeme

uper Eagles goalkeeper, Carl Ikeme, has made it clear that he is just being himself and not replacing former captain, Vincent Enyeama. “I wouldn’t say it was difficult. I was always aware that Vincent’s been the No1, captain and been an unbelievable goalkeeper for Nigeria, probably one of the best African keepers to ever play the game,” Ikeme told FIFA.com. “I don’t really want to try and emulate someone else. I want to do it my own way and be the best I can be. I know people always want to compare goalkeepers to each other, but I’m just trying to concentrate on what I do and do the best for Nigeria.” The Wolverhampton Wanderers stopper, also revealed his decision to play for Nigeria has brought pride to his family. Barcelona forward, Lionel Messi, has officially returned to full training on Monday, five days before they face Real Madrid in the first Clasico of the season.

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