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Diezanigate: Could this be madness, poverty of mind?

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Features of $80m Galactica Yacht Acquired by KOLAWALE ALUKO

Features of $51m Manhattan Property Acquired by KOLAWALE ALUKO Pent House One57 located in Manhattan Ï GƑƔƑƏƕ dƊƕ ƅƏ ƍƍƆƏ Ɛ Ɔ ƣÖƐ 0Ƌ Ə Ï ƈ Ɛ Ƈ Ƈ ƑƏ ƄƆƗƏ ƌ Ï 0 ƑƏ Ɨ ƋƇ Ƅ Ɛ Ï ÕèƾƿƠ ƎƑ ƏƆ ƇƆƆƐ Ï ƒƈƆƓ Ƈ ƅƆ ƐƏ Ƌ ƍ ƏƊ Source: New York Post

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Anambra State Governor Willie Obiano (2nd right); his wife, Ebelechukwu (right); President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, John Nwodo (left) and former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, during the burial ceremony of the governor’s mother, Mrs. Christiana Obiano at Aguleri, Anambra... on Thursday.

Corruption: EFCC heads for S/Court over Ngilari

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‘4,000 Nigerian girls arrive Italy for prostitution’ 7

I can’t be a Police officer –Kehinde Bankole P L2

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Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, July 22, 2017

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, July 22, 2017

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Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, July 22, 2017

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, July 22, 2017

Any attempt to Islamise Nigeria will lead to unending war- Oyedepo Esther Taiwo

Bishop David Oyedepo of Living Faith Church worldwide has warned that any attempt by any group to Islamise the country or any drive of Islamic supremacy will lead to unending crises.

The Bishop said this in his address titled The True Value of Education at the 12th convocation ceremony of the Covenant University owned by the Church in Otta, Ogun State.

According to him, for Nigeria to have peace there must be justice while maintaining that for Fulani herdsmen to abandon

their cattle and engage in gun shooting training, possess enough funds to purchase ammunitions, then something is wrong somewhere. “”I can’t imagine how herdsmen would abandon their cattle and go for training on how to use guns and other ammunitions they use to perpetuate their heinous crimes.

The forces behind this wanton destruction shall be exposed, Nigeria will not know war again and the land will stop drinking blood”, he said.

The Chancellor of the Covenant University stressed that the true value of education is in creat-

ing solution adding that no value in any education that does not add value to humanity and leave the world a better place.

“We are cumbered with economic challenges, poor educational infrastructure, unemployment, the only way to tackle these is to possess the contributors’ mentality and add value to humanity”, he said.

The key note address speaker, Ms Cecilia Akintomide, former Vice President and Secretary General, African Development Bank spoke on Leadership by Products: The Role of Universities.

She charged universities

to produce graduates, generate knowledge through research and disseminate knowledge all for the ultimate objective of improving lives.

The keynote speaker charged the graduating students to impact their society, see challenges confronting the country as huge opportunities and never to accept mediocrity.

“I urge Nigerian universities to engage in research for the purpose of speeding up the pace of development by exploring collaborations and partnerships with institutions and private sector because research is another product that defines a university’s leadership status”, she said.

News 5

Hate speech, disinformation, fake news, political tools to ÏÏÏThe

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said the growing cases of hate speech, disinformation and fake news in the country are being orchestrated by naysayers and their sponsors to discredit the government, destabilize the polity and make the country ungovernable The Minister made the statement at the Extra-ordinary Meeting of the National Council on Information (NCI), which has the theme ‘’Hate Speeches, Disinformation, Fake News and National Unity’’, in Jos, Plateau State, on Thursday. ‘’The campaign (to discredit the government) is a multi-million naira project and the people behind this string of hate speech, disinformation and fake news are not about to stop. In fact, they will become more vicious in the days, weeks and months ahead,’’ he said.

Alhaji Mohammed blamed the resurgent push for separatism as well as the rising cases of ethnic and religious disharmony on the ‘’growing phenomenon of hate

speech, as well as the disinformation and fake news campaign’’, and warned that hate speeches and incitement to violence set the stage for the genocide that left at least 800,000 people dead in Rwanda in 1994.

He traced the worsening cases of hate speech in the country to the period leading to the last general elections, when the then presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Muhammadu Buhari, was the target of a vicious campaign. ‘’Never in the history of electioneering campaign in Nigeria has such a quantum of hate speech been directed at any candidate. This did not stop even when he won the election and became President. For instance, the President had hardly left Nigeria for his vacation in London on 19 January 2017, during which he said he would have routine medical check-up, when these hate and fake news campaigners circulated the news that he has died. Between then and now, they have repeated similar fakes news times without number,’’ the Minister said.

LASIEC boss assures parties of level playing ground at today’s Patrick Okohue

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Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (left), receiving reports of the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), from Chairman, Osun Internal Revenue Service, Mr. Bicci Alli, during the submission of reports made by the Board Chairmen, IGR of six States comprising Osun, Oyo, Ogun, Kwara, Ondo and Ekiti to the Governor in Abere, Osogbo, Osun State… on Friday

Uduaghan tells political appointees to brace up to challenges ahead of 2019.

Nosa Akenzua, Asaba

ÏÏÏ

Former Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Ewela Uduaghan has warned political appointees on frivolous criticisms on the works of the past administration in the state, saying that it negates the ideology of unity.

The Former Governor who made this known in Asaba yesterday at an enlarged meeting of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) lamented the frequent attacks on his administration by the political appointees, adding that their action as political office holders speak ill, and unfair criticisms. He said: “political appointees should

stop criticizing works done my administration, when you are holding a position it is not for you alone, no matter what you earn, you should share with those not appointed, you are the image of the government, the party and not to embark on frivolous criticisms of the past administration”.

Noting that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa had done exceedingly well on road infrastructure, Dr. Uduaghan flayed hate speeches by politicians, According to him: “It is unfair to hear political appointees in their present administration saying I constructed wheel barrow roads, that you as appointees are not doing well at all” adding that several offers he al-

legedly made to Prof Utomi to join hands with his administration met a brick wall.

“I personally met Prof Pat. Utomi to discuss with to please come and help me develop the state when I was the governor, rather he gave promises he failed to fulfill, today he is saying the state will continue to be borrowing, it is unfair” he added.

Dr. Uduaghan however urged politicians, particularly political officers to brace up to challenges ahead of the 2019 election, stressing that the supreme court victory for the PDP clearly shows victory for the party come 2019” In his remarks, the State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa

warned against parallel meetings by the party members, especially those who claimed to be factionalized, adding that the new PDP will give back to the grass roots for formidable development, and sustainability.

He said: “political office holders who failed to attend this meeting today will forfeit his/her allowances, we will not accept excuses from any member” and called on aggrieved members of the party to retrace their steps back now that victory had come the party’s way.

“We welcome aggrieved members of the party back, even APC members willing to join the party. PDP will in 2019 shock many Nigerians with victory” he added .

Chairman, Lagos State Independent National Electoral Commission (LASIEC), Justice Ayotunde Phillips (rtd), yesterday assured that the commission is fully prepared for the local government election holding in all the 20 Local Governments (LGs) and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the state today.

Phillips who gave the assurance while addressing newsmen at the commission’s headquarters at Sabo, Yaba in company of top electoral officers and the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni, noted that the Saturday’s exercise was no doubt very competitive giving the large number of candidates participating which also engenders democracy, assuring that the commission under her watch would provide

a level- playing ground for all candidates.

This is as Owoseni warns against violence and disruption of the exercise by hoodlums, vowing that whoever dared to test the will of the police would be made to face the full wrath of the law, even as he disclosed that a total 30,000 policemen would be deployed for the poll, along with personnel from sister force.

According to him, the figure is excluding those officers and men that would also be deployed by the Nigerian Army and other security agencies in the country, disclosing that the security presence would commence from Friday night in some already identified places, through stop and search approach. Justice Philips said the commission was out to conduct a free and fair election, advising that nobody should entertain any fear.

News 6 ÏÏÏ Former Minister of

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, July 22, 2017

Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, needs no introduction. She was controlling largely the oil industry which even the former President Goodluck Jonathan dare not ask too much questions about.

Incidentally, most people referred to her then as one of the very powerful Jezebels in the former Jonathan’s administration.

She was untouchable, immovable and the irredeemable.

The once upon a time most powerful minister with her associates allegedly squandered funds from shady” oil contracts.

They were said to have become so intoxicated with acquisition of properties that most Nigerians began to wonder if it was something psychological or madness.

Diezani was so powerful during Jonathan’s regime that nobody could question her actions.

She was also said to have spend one night in one of the seized estates, raising the issue of what is the purpose of acquiring a property without usage On April 7, 2010, a day after her appointment as Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Alison-Madueke was alleged to have flown to Beverly Hills in Los Angeles to revel in a lavish party and fashion show put together by Christopher Aire, whom she met during her 15-month tenure as Minister for Solid Minerals and Steel Development.

Unfortunately, that has not been the case today. The world is a stage and no condition is permanent. Since the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government of the All Progressives Congress Party (APC) took over power on May 29, 2015, so many incredible things have been revealed about her.

One of things is how Diezani alleged business associate, Kola Aluko acquired $80 million yacht and a house in USA with Nigeria’s oil money.

The issue was brought to the forefront when the incredible

Diezanigate: Could this be madness, poverty of mind? documents filed by the US Department of Justice in Houston revealed that Diezani’s alleged business partner, Mr. Kola Aluko and another business partner, Mr. Jide Omokore, spent lavishly, including splashing millions of dollars on a yacht.

The yacht, a stupendous luxury on water, was once rented by Jay Z and his wife, Beyonce for close to a million dollars during a holiday last year. It also once hosted Beyonce’s 32nd birthday in 2013.

Aluko was also alleged to have acquired a house worth millions of dollars in the Manhattan, United States.

Both Aluko and Omokore are alleged to have paid bribes between 2011 and 2015 to Diezani

who ensured that shell companies owned by the businessmen received billion-dollar contracts to sell Nigeria’s crude oil.

The oil swap contracts were a controversial barter arrangement which saw Nigeria use middlemen to sell crude oil in exchange for refined products.

With local refineries underperforming, oil swap deals were used to shore up local demand for petroleum products. Between 2010 and 2014, under Diezani’s watch, Nigeria was estimated to have channeled over 352 million barrels of oil worth a total of $35 billion into oil swap deals.

But with the contracts mostly opaque, Nigeria reportedly lost more than $900 million in crude oil swap deals between 2009 and

2012.

Diezani was said to have used her position to secure contracts for Aluko and Omokore at the detriment of Nigeria and the laws of the land.

But the music has ended as the saying goes while the sordid details of their infamous act blew open in foreign land.

Prior to the revelations galore, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured interim forfeiture of humongous dollars and mind blowing properties linked to Diezani.

But the US government had filed a suit to recover $144 million in assets which were reportedly acquired with proceeds from a shady scheme in Nigeria’s oil industry.

The suit was reportedly filed by the US Justice Department’s kleptocracy asset recovery initiative.

Aluko and Omokore reportedly paid bribes between 2011 and 2015 to Diezani in exchange for contracts.

Diezani was also said to have used her position to secure contracts for Aluko and Omokore’s shell companies through a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

Although failing to abide by the terms of the contracts, the firms linked to her associates were reportedly allowed to sell $1.5 billion worth of Nigerian crude oil.

The proceeds of the contracts were laundered through the US.

Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose (left), and his son/graduating student, Ayorogbayimika, during the 12th convocation ceremony of the Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State… on Friday.

Beware of fake media houses, Lai Mohammed tells Nigerians

Kingsley Chukwuka, Jos

ÏÏÏ Minister of Information and Communication, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has enjoined Nigerians to shun media houses that churn out fake news.

Alhaji Mohammed stated this Friday at the opening ceremony of the National Council on Information held in Jos, the Plateau State capital.

He said it has become apparent that such media houses are out to destroy the country.

Addressing delegates drawn from the 36 states of the federation, Lai said “the theme of this meeting, ‘Hate speeches, fake news and National unity’, was well chosen to bring to the fore the

looming danger facing our country from what has now become the scourge of our time”.

“The fact that we have called an extra-ordinary meeting of the National Council on Information attests to the seriousness we attach to this issue. “Though I have repeatedly called attention, at many fora, to the dangers posed by the menace of the now pervasive hate speech, disinformation and fake news, no one gave the issue the attention it deserves until it started threatening the very foundation of our national unity”.

“In Nigeria today, the hate being spewed on radio stations across the country is so alarming; If you tune into many radio stations, you will be shocked by the things being said, the careless in-

citement to violence and the level of insensitivity to the multi-religious, multi-ethnic nature of our country. Unfortunately, even the hosts of such radio programmes do little or nothing to regulate the information dishing out.

“Oftentimes, they are willing collaborators of hate speech campaigners and this must not be allowed to continue because it is detrimental to the unity and wellbeing of our country”.

“Recently on Wednesday, 26 April 2017, after the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, I briefed State House Correspondents on what transpired at the meeting. I said, among others, that President Muhammadu Buhari did not preside over the day’s meeting because he decided to

work from home that day.

“In reporting my briefing, one of the correspondents quoted me as saying the President would work from home henceforth, rather than on that day only; the reporting generated a lot of uproar, until I issued a rebuttal.

“This is a clear case of disinformation, which is defined as false information deliberately spread to deceive the people and the following month, after I had briefed State House Correspondents on the proceedings of another Council meeting, another newspaper headline went thus: ‘’We do not know who will sign the 2017 budget - Lai Mohammed”, this is at variance with what I said.

“When I was asked a question relating to the signing of the 2017

budget, my exact words were: ‘when it is transmitted to the Presidency, a decision will be taken’, the reporting is another clear case of disinformation”.

“There is no doubt that the resurgent push for separatism as well as rising cases of ethnic and religious disharmony are all traceable to the growing phenomenon of hate speech, as well as the disinformation and fake news campaign”.

“Nigeria is a country of ethnic and religious diversity that should be a source of strength, if the fault lines are not deliberately being exposed and exploited by those who are bent on setting the people against themselves, using their new-found tools of hate speech disinformation and fake news”.

Continued on page 14

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, July 22, 2017

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News

Afenifere, OPC, Agbakoba, Falana, others mourn Onagoruwa ÏÏÏ

Yoruba socio-cultural and political organization, Afenifere, joined other Nigerians on Friday to mourn Dr. Olu Onagoruwa, a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

Afenifere’s spokesman, Yinka Odumakin, said that Nigeria had lost a prolific legal mind.

“We have lost a brilliant attorney and prolific legal mind.

“His death has robbed the country of one of its foremost jurisprudence giants.

“May his soul rest in perfect peace,” Odumakin said.

Similarly, the O’odua People’s Congress (OPC) described Onagoruwa’s passing as exit of a legend.

The founder of the OPC, Dr. Fredrick Faseun, said he would miss the former attorney-general.

“We were in the struggles together both in Nigeria’s military and post-military era.

“Onagoruwa laboured with us in the National Democratic Coalition for the emancipation of Nigeria.

“He toiled to free Nigeria from captivity. We will miss him greatly,” Faseun said.

Also, a former National President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Dr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) and human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, on Friday expressed grief over the death of Onagoruwa, describing him as a liberal lawyer and a fighter.

Agbakoba, who said he was saddened by his passing, described him as a compatriot and fighter in the struggle for democracy in Nigeria.

“The news of the death of Dr. Onagoruwa is indeed a sad one; he was a personal friend of mine,

who played a very crucial role in the struggle for democracy and had come across very turbulent times.

“For us in the legal profession this is indeed a sad loss, but like I always say in situations like this, it is the will of God to recall people.

“It is indeed a sad loss, but certainly the will of God,” he told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

For Falana (SAN), Onagoruwa was a liberal and an upright man, who lived for justice, equity and law and order.

He said: “Dr. Olu Onagoruwa

was a liberal lawyer, who believed in the bourgeois concept of the rule of law.

“When the late Gani Fawehinmi (SAN) and I were detained on several occasions by the military government, he always challenged our detention in court.

“His principled commitment to the defence of the rule of law made him to clash with the legal establishment, and at the time the system reluctantly admitted him to the inner bar, he had called it quits with the legal practice.

“He was convinced that a fascist and corrupt system (late Gen. Sani Abacha’s dictatorship) could

The International Organisation for Migration on Friday said thousands of Nigerian migrant girls brought to Italy were in great danger of being forced into prostitution in Europe.

The number of female Nigerians, many of them minors, often naive about their fate at the hands of traffickers, arrived by sea in Italy surged over the past three years from 1,454 in 2014 to 11,000 in 2016.

The organisation’s spokesman, Flavio Di Giacomo, said at a news briefing in Geneva that some 4,000 Nigerian girls had arrived so far in 2017.

The UN agency had said that based on data collected at landing sites, it was estimated that 80 per cent of the girls were “potential victims” of trafficking as sex workers.

According to Giacomo, the girls are often told the trip is free.

“These girls, who are increasingly younger every year, are brought to Italy and to Europe

“Each time Gani was incarcerated, he stood as his lawyer and vice versa. I recall that under the Gen. Ibrahim Babangida-led junta, it was a usual practice for him and Gani to have midnight phone conversations. Then, there was no GSM but land phones.

“Fully aware that their phones were wire tapped and their conversations being recorded by the security agencies, both Dr. Onagoruwa and Gani would deliberately spew forth expletives against the government. It was their ways of getting back at the government which had incessantly harassed them.

L-R: Guest lecturer, Dr. Timothy Adebowale; Ogun State Head of Service, Mr. Abayomi Sobande; Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun; his wife, Olufunso and Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Taiwo Adeoluwa, at the 2017 Public Service Day lecture in Abeokuta, Ogun State... on Thursday.

‘4,000 Nigerians arrive Italy for prostitution’ ÏÏÏ

be reformed from within; so, he accepted to be Attorney-General and Minister of Justice.”

Falana commiserated with the family and pray to God to grant them the courage to bear the loss.

Also, a veteran journalist and accomplished court reporter, Mr. Richard Akinnola, extolled the virtues of Onagoruwa, describing him as a brilliant lawyer.

“His intellectual fecundity was not in doubt particularly on constitutional law. For years, in conjunction with his then struggle soul- mate, Gani Fawehinmi, he was a thorn in the flesh of the various military governments.

for sexual exploitation.

“They are taken by traffickers and then they are forced to be prostitutes in the streets in Italy.

“And sometimes, as far as we know, these girls are also sent to other European countries such as Spain, Germany, France, and Austria.

“Many of the Nigerian girls are from poor families in Edo, who are psychologically manipulated during a voodoo ritual before leaving,’’ Di Giacomo said.

According to him, they are accompanied by a madam-linked to the traffickers on the long journey through Niger and Libya.

“The increasing number of minors arriving really do not have any idea even what prostitution is, what sex is.

“But, many of them understand the real purpose of this journey because many times they are forced to prostitute themselves in Niger, in Libya especially, in brothels there.

“So they understand they are

not going to work as hairdressers.

“IOM officials try to intercept the Nigerian girls at landing points and inform them about the prostitution ring and their right to protection,’’ Di Giacomo said.

He said that the agency which had helped those who decided to flee the networks reported the cases of 425 girls in 2016 to police.

“A few days ago, we had the story of this young girl, a 17-year-old girl.

“She has been told she was going to work at a hair salon; she didn’t have any idea she was going to be forced to prostitute herself.

“It was only when she arrived she found out that it was not real.

“The job was a lie and she was forced to become a prostitute, which was the only way to pay off the debt of the journey.

“She was forced to be out on the streets for 12 hours a day.’’

Corruption: EFCC heads for Supreme Court over Ngilari’s acquittal

Andrew Orolua, Abuja

ÏÏÏ The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has said that it will approach the Supreme Court to challenge Thursday’s acquittal of a former Adamawa State Governor Bala Ngilari by the Court of Appeal in Yola.

In a statement on Friday, spokesman of the commission, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, described the ruling as “a travesty of justice’’.

An Adamawa High Court in Yola had on March 6 sentenced Ngilari to five years imprisonment after he was convicted of a five-count charge of corruption.

He was found guilty of not following due process in the purchase of 25 vehicles at the cost of N169m.

But, the conviction was overturned by the Yola division of the appellate court on the grounds that the charges against the former governor lacked merit and sufficient proof.

The Daily Times recalls that Ngilari secured a suspicious bail after his conviction on the basis of a letter that cited his poor

health condition.

The EFCC spokesman added that the emergence of the letter was shrouded in suspicion and controversy as the Controller of the Nigeria Prison Service, Adamawa Command, reportedly expressed ignorance of the letter.

This subsequently incurred the wrath of the authorities at the prison, which issued query to officials involved, according to Uwujaren.

The EFCC spokesman said, “Pundits, consider the decision of the Appellate Court, which was read by Justice Folashade Omoleye, as shocking, and the last thing needed by the current war against corruption being spearheaded President Muhammadu Buhari.

“It is curious that Justice Omoleye, while delivering the ruling, alluded to the fact that Ngilari was not ‘a procurement entity’ and as such, a former governor could not be charged ‘as if he was an ordinary procurement officer’.

“The commission has therefore resolved to appeal the ruling because the EFCC believes that the judgment is a travesty of justice”.

8 News

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, July 22, 2017

Lawmaker commends Senate for passing whistle -blower protection bill A member of Osun House of Assembly, Mr Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, has commended the Senate for passing the Whistle-blower Protection bill, saying it would strengthen government’s efforts against corruption.

Oyintiloye in an interview with the press men on Thursday in Osogbo said the bill would serve as morale boosters for whistleblowers, since they are assured of adequate protection.

The lawmaker said the bill would also go a long way in assisting federal government in its fight against corruption and also protect faithful Nigerians who will be risking their lives in exposing corrupt practices.

Oyintiloye (APC-Obokun State Constituency) applauded members of the Senate for given the bill accelerated passage.

He said the way and manner the bill was passed by the lawmakers was another indication that the National Assembly was fully in support of fight against corruption in the country.

The lawmaker also commended the Senate for ap-

proving five per cent of loot recovered for whistle-blowers, saying it would serve as a source of encouragement.

Oyintiloye, who is the House Committee Chairman in Information and Strategy, however, sound a note of caution to whistleblowers.

According to him, since there is a punishment of a five -year jail term or N10 million against fake whistle blowing, whistle-blower should exercise caution by ensuring that the information they are providing to the government are genuine. “ I must commend the Senate for passing this bill. No doubt, it will help government’s campaigns against corruption. And most importantly, this Bill will protect the lives of those who risk themselves to expose corrupt practices in Nigeria.

Nigeria is a great country and we must move forward but for us to move faster, we must kill corruption and with the passage of this bill, corruption would no longer strive as before. “ Senate on Wednesday passed the Whistle-Blowers Protection Bill.

Emede Ibeku community to FG, Min of Agric: We are grateful, but….

Sunday Nwakanma – Umuahia

The people and traditional ruler of Emede Ibeku autonomous community, in Umuahia North LGA have appreciated the federal government and Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for their access road being constructed.

However, they have also pleaded that the roads be completed and also extended to neigbouring communities in the area.

According to the traditional ruler of the community, Eze Henry Ezekwem, the community will forever be grateful to the Federal Government and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for the access road that linked the community to their neigbhouring Umuagu community as well as Umueze community all in Emede au-

tonomous community The royal father however pleaded that the roads should be completed to give the community a sense of belonging and to enable their people who are mostly farmers to transport their products to the nearby urban city of Umuahia.

Also pleading is a farmer, Mr. John Uche, a native of Amasiri in Afikpo Ebonyi State and living in Umuakannu community in Emede said “My landlords are farmers and need the road to evacuate their farm products”, pleading with the federal government to as a matter of great concern look at the road and assist the community.

A cripple and immediate past youth leader of Umuakannu community, Mr. Obinna Anosike Ukanwa, alias Ijere while expressing his happiness that the gov-

ernment is doing the road, pleaded that it presents much difficulty for physically challenged people from the area to be mobile, stating that he cannot even move his wheel chair around the community before.

“But now, to an extent, we, the physically challenged in the area have hissed a sigh of relief, but the Federal Government and the federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development should please complete the road for us, from Umuagu to Umuakkanu, to Umueze and to Agbo Idide communities”.

For Mr. Chile Ogbonna who just returned from outside the country, the construction of the road shows the great regard the federal government and the federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development have for our people, calling on them to ensure the road is com-

pleted, promising the loyalty of the people to them.

It would be recalled that as a responsibility to the people of the country and to encourage rural communities, the federal government and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development have embarked on this rural access road to assist the community who are mostly farmers.

The roads have excited the rural community that has before now been grappling with the reality of immobility due to bad roads.

With this therefore, the community has expressed their gratitude to the federal government, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the contractor handling the job, promising them that the community would give the contractor the needed assistance to complete the job.

Police arrest 40 youths for alleged unlawful assembly in Delta Nosa Akenzua, Asaba

ÏÏÏ

No fewer than 40 youths were on Thursday arrested by a combined team of the anti-cult unit of the state police command in Asaba and the police in Ogwashi-Uku for alleged unlawful assemblage bothering on cultism.

Findings indicate that those arrested were 18 girls and over 20 boys who were in their rendezvous somewhere at Agidiase quarters by Nshiagu College when the police stormed their venue as they were at the pick of their cult activities.

As at the time of filling this report, the arrested suspects were at the police net, while a reliable source at Ogwashi-Uku Police Station hinted our reporter that the police authority in Asaba had directed them to screen the suspects and charge any found culpable to court.

The police source had further revealed that their preliminary investigation revealed that some of the girls may not be directly involved in cultism but may be having relations with the boys.

“These are part of the investigations we are conducting for now. “Those who do not have a hand in the cult activities will be allowed to go, but for those who are members, they will be charge to court in line with the law”, hinted our source.

It will be recalled that Delta state government recently signed the anti-cultism bill into law, thereby proscribing any such assemblage in whatever guise, but investigation so far revealed that despite the new law banning membership of such cult, the illicit assemblage still persist.

So far, several youths are facing charges at Ogwashi-Uku Chief Magistrate Court for cult related offences, while many others are still deeply in it, revealed sources at Ogwashi-Uku. Investigation revealed that two youths who allegedly murdered one Mrs. Franca Nweke somewhere off Isah Road in Ogwashi-Uku in an attempt to rob the family were members of a cult group in Ogwashi-Uku who specialized in robbing and maiming their victims.

L-R: Non-Executive Director, Guinness Nigeria Plc, Prof Joe Irukwu; Managing Director, Guinness Nigeria Plc, Mr. Peter Ndegwa; Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Capital Limited, Mr. Funso Akere and Non-Executive Director, Guinness Nigeria Plc, Ambassador Sunday Dogonyaro, during the signing ceremony of Guinness Nigeria’s N40bn rights issue in Lagos… recently.

Parents, students hail College over academic performance ÏÏÏParents and students of

Africa International College (AIC), Abuja, have hailed management and staff over academic performance in recent external examinations.

The commendation was made in regards to the steady rise in ranking of the college for its performance in external examinations, which reflects on high scores made by students since 2013 including the recent West African Examination Council (WAEC) and Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examinations.

Speaking on the development, spokesman of the school, Mr Adekunle Bamigbala, said parents and students have been cooperating and committed to success, and added that the school will not relent to sus-

tain its current success.

The school’s graduation ceremony holding on Saturday, July 22, 2017, which is an annual activity in the college showcase students who are stars in the making to their parents and the world, as the college’s entrance exams holds on August 5, 2017.

Bamigbala said, “We appreciate the commendation by our esteemed parents and students over our effort and impact made on their future. We see them as very dear because we are out to mould the future of these young ones to enable them contribute and add value to national development and become sustainers of their parents.”

According to him, “Our theme for the year inspired

the faculty to do very well. We were happy to see a report from the WAEC naming the top thousand schools on the 2013/14 WAEC Examination.

AIC was listed as number 659 on the list. There were only a handful of schools from Abuja on the list. This set a precedent for us. We were happy that the 2014/15 WAEC scores were even higher and we anticipate seeing another list of the top thousand soon.

“We were also blessed when we received the JAMB scores, one of our students, Soludo Ozioma, received a score of 284, the highest score received at AIC up to that point. We thank the Lord for His grace.

Our PTFF President, Dr. Momoh challenged us to go higher every year.

“The year 2015/16 was quite challenging. Problems with the administration of the JAMB caused protests nationwide and our results didn’t seem accurate. Our worry turned to rejoice when we received the results of the 2015/16 WAEC. Again, they were the highest scores ever received at AIC. Two students in particular stood out, Nzogbu Ahunnaya, received all A1s and on B2, while Nnawuogo Chika received all A1s. This was a feat never before accomplished at AIC. He stated further that the 2016/17 has been very fruitful term and the Lord has truly poured out His blessing upon AIC, and we call it a year of boundless grace for excellence.

Our students’ score was between 211 and 297.

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, July 22, 2017

Politics

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If restructuring means true federalism, then am all for it –Hon. Ogun–P10&11

9

Stop fight over 2019 governorship candidate, empower members, M30 tells Rivers APC–P12

After successful National caucus, BoT and NEC meetings, what next for PDP? Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja When the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), held its 74th National Executive Committee (NEC), meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, July 18, this year, the list of who is who in attendance clearly left nobody in doubt that the party is set for a serious business.

Those in attendance at the NEC meeting, which held barely a week after the Supreme Court, the nation’s apex court, finally ruled on the protracted leadership crisis that had rocked the opposition party for almost a year and tore it into factions, were quite conversant that there are lot of work to be done within a short period if the party must be reckoned with again.

The meeting was preceded by the expanded national caucus meeting of the party, which took place on Monday night, as well as the national caucus meeting and that of the Board of Trustees (BoT).

Majority of the members in attendance were eager to get the party back on its feet again. They knew that time was of essence and that a stitch in time saves nine. They are not unaware that so many things needed to be done within a short period and that time waits for no man.

The list of those in attendance was not only impressive, but clearly showed positive sign or indication that the opposition PDP is very determined to rise again.

Among those in attendance at the NEC meeting of the PDP were; the National Chairman, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, National Secretary, Senator Ben Ndi Obi, Acting Chairman of the BOT, Amb. Aminu Wali, other members of the National Caretaker Committee, National Vice Chairmen and State Chairmen, Senate Minority Leader, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, House Minority Leader, Hon. Leo Ogor and other principal officers of the National Assembly.

Also in attendance were: Governors of Ekiti State and Chairman of PDP Governor’s Forum, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, Akwa Ibom State governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, his Cross River State counterpart, Prof. Ben Ayade, Delta State, Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, Taraba State, Arch.

Darius Ishaku, Gombe State, Dr. Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Rear Admiral John Jonah Gboribiogha and Deputy Governor of Abia State, Rt. Hon. Ude Oko Chukwu among others.

In his opening address, the National Chairman of the party, Sen. Makarfi congratulated all members of NEC and

MAKARFI

the entire members and supporters of PDP nationwide on their steadfastness leading to the resounding victory of the party at the Supreme Court on July 12, 2017.

Makarfi thanked Nigerians for standing strong with the PDP during the period of its crisis and specially, congratulated the PDP governors for remaining in the party irrespective of provocations and temptations from different quarters.

When the meeting eventually came to an end after some hours, the NEC resolved to convene a non- elective special national convention on August 12’ this year in Abuja.

The NEC similarly dissolved the various caretaker committees set up in some states, especially in Jigawa and Benue, under the immediate past leadership of

Senator Ali Modu Sheriff.

The NEC meeting further set up two standing committees on discipline as well as reconciliation. The two standing committees are to be constituted immediately.

The National Publicity Secretary of the National Caretaker Committee (NCC), Prince Dayo Adeyeye disclosed these while addressing Journalists on the outcome of the meeting.

Prince Adeyeye explained that the party’s decision to go for non-elective special national convention on the 12th of August is as a result of the long procedure involved in holding an elective national convention, which include giving a 21-day written notice to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in accordance with section 31

Taking into account the relevant statutory notice that we need to give to INEC and the requirements of the PDP Constitution 2012 (as amended), practically, it is going to be impossible to have an elective national convention before August 16 because we need to give certain statutory notices to INEC. And our own has some special provisions that we have to meet and there’s no time to meet up with those provisions.

(2a) of the party’s constitution among others.

According to the National Publicity Secretary, “We took a decision on the National Convention. I want to inform you that if you recollect, on May 21st last year, there was a national convention in Port Harcourt which set up a caretaker committee. That committee went about doing its work and convened another Convention for August 17 last year.

“That Convention in Port Harcourt could not elect new officers due to certain circumstances. The convention then asked the National Caretaker Committee to continue in office for 12 months, which will lapse in August 16, 2017.

“We have been in court since May 2016.

So, the prolonged litigation of the National leadership tussle ended only last week on 12th of July when the Supreme Court gave judgement in favour of the National Caretaker Committee, leaving barely one month for the conduct of proper elective national convention.

“Taking into account the relevant statutory notice that we need to give to INEC and the requirements of the PDP Constitution 2012 (as amended), practically, it is going to be impossible to have an elective national convention before August 16 because we need to give certain statutory notices to INEC. And our own has some special provisions that we have to meet and there’s no time to meet up with those provisions.

“Therefore, NEC took a decision that in view of all the circumstances, NEC invoking the powers conferred on it under Section 31 (2a), decided to convene nonelective national convention on August 12, 2017 in Abuja.

“People know that this party had been rocked by very terrible disciplinary issues, which nearly brought the party down completely. NEC decided to set up a standing Disciplinary and Reconciliation Committees. And the National Caretaker Committee has been directed to establish and inaugurate these committees immediately.

“On the issue of the removal of state caretaker committees, you will recall that immediately after the Court of Appeal judgment on the 17th of February and March n Port Harcourt, which gave our victory to Ali Modu-Sheriff, he set about installing caretaker committees in some states of the federation, particularly in Jigawa and Benue states.

“The Ali Modu-Sheriff group then in authority set up caretaker committees in both Jigawa and Benue states and tinkered with the executives of some other states. So, we brought a motion before NEC today and the motion was duly passed.

Politics 10

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, July 22, 2017

If restructuring means true federalism, then am all for it –Hon. Ogun Hon. Sergius Ogun is the member representing Esan North East / Esan South East Federal Constituency of EdoState in the House of Representatives on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Though a first termer in the National Assembly, he has distinguished himself in the House through his numerous motions and bills. He recently spoke with a group of journalists when he talked on issues agitating Nigerians.

He believes strongly in restructuring the Nigeria nation. EMMANUEL IRIOGBE and HENRY OMUNU were there.

Amnesty for looters The bill has just been listed for first reading, it has not gone through the second reading for debate, in any case, I learnt that my colleague, Hon. Linus Okorie is the sponsor of the bill. I didn’t indicate any interest in the bill until I got a call from South Africa from a lady who visits Nigeria regularly; she spoke about the bill, saying its not just enough to present the bill to the people but that the people should be educated on it, she added that it may be necessary for a team to visit countries like Indonesia, Malaysia or India where similar laws already exist. She spoke extensively about the benefits of the bill. This does not in anyway mean that when people steal money they can now come back and say I have stolen so much while they have kept some aside and want to give back a certain amount. She stressed the need to get the people on board to understand the meaning of the bill. From my understanding of the bill, some people are outside the tax net, they have stolen money and are not being investigated but given the opportunity they might take advantage of this law to avoid being investigated in the future. The bill envisages that more looters that are not currently being investigated or may not be investigated in the future will be captured in this net. This is not to say if they come to say they have defrauded the country to the tune of xyz you are just going to ask them for what is left and allow them to go. If you do that, the cycle will continue. But when someone says l am repentant, am sorry that I did it and this is the whole story, I think such persons should be listened to and whatever can be recovered from them quickly recovered. If you can grant a m nesty to militants who blew up pipelines and killed people and extend same to Boko Haram terrorists who killed defenseless civilians and say they don’t believe in western education, why not those that the system enabled to steal. From what i gathered, billions of Naira can be returned to the country.

Therefore, we should not see it in the light of a person who has stolen and you grant him or her amnesty because the person returned some money. In any case this is what plea bargain is all about which is practiced all over the world. In the case of a plea bargain the person is already indicted but in amnesty the person comes forward voluntarily. Hence the recovered funds become extra money to the government to fund critical infrastructural needs. The spirit and intent of the bill is that as amnesty is being granted the institutions are strengthened to avoid the cycle of stealing and availing themselves of amnesty.

Grazing Bill: When I came to the House of Representatives in 2015, one of my first motions was ‘Urgent need to curb the menace of Kidnapping in Esan South East Local Government Area of Edo State’. This motion had to be stepped down at the time because it was perceived to be highly sensitive. The motion identified the threat of herdsmen and recommended ranching as a solution to current grazing practices.

Herdsmen were killing and robbing people along UbiajaEwohimi Road on daily basis, even a serving State House of Assembly member was attacked then. You can’t over run people’s farms and not see anything wrong with it. Rearing cattle is a business and should be seen as such. If you must rear cattle, go to the community heads and acquire a place to do so. It’s a burning issue all over the country not just Edo State and when motions on this subject matter come up, you hear things like the need for increased policing/security.

But how many police officers do we have to provide the security and surveillance?

Since the days of former Inspector General of Police, M.D. Abubakar we have been reporting that we have 350, 000 policemen. Given that we have lost many officers in the line of duty, some died of natural causes and some have retired.

The last attempt at recruitment was only for 10, 000 policemen which fall short of the 3.5 million required to effectively police the country.

I will recomm e n d that we adopt t h e

OGUN report of confab 2014 which states c l e a rl y that those states North a r e dominant-

in the t h a t p r e ly

into livestock should practice grazing while other states practice ranching.

Confab report: If taking it piece meal is what we can get now, it’s ok. But the best option is for us to bring the whole report, debate it and collectively take a position which will become law.

That’s the beauty of democracy. The government spent billions on the confab report and should not allow it to gather dust in the villa. There are quality recommendations in that report that if implemented today can quell the current political agitations in the country.

My constituency: When I came into the House in 2015 my predecessor’s projects in the 2015 budget were for construction of 2 (set) blocks of classroom with furniture for one and provision of furniture for a third school. I was told there was no fund for these projects, I refused to take no for an answer, but aggressively pursued it and delivered all three projects. But in the 2016 budget due to the padding issues, what was thought would be in the budget was not. On my Constituency project which is agriculture, I had a town hall meeting with my constituents in both local governments that I represent. During my campaign, I told them that government alone can’t do it all, so they should learn trades, agriculture and become entrepreneurs. I gave them examples of some rich people in Esan land when I was growing up who were not educated but were traders and merchants. In my budget, I put agriculture there; today we have cleared a 100 hectares of land, though the plan was to clear 200 hectares. However, what the money in the budget could cover is 56 hectares, but we have cleared 100 hectares. I have tractors on site, planters are there and before the harvest time l will get harvesters. It’s 100 percent mechanised. We have 200 youths - 100 from each LGA who will be given an acre each; the proceeds from their one acre of farm land belong to them.

That’s my own way of creating employment for them, because when you tell them to go and farm, they are not inspired. In their estimation, their fathers did that and are still poor. We have started training them on mechanised farming. I also think government is paying lip service to agriculture. My constituency project is agriculture, but during the farming season funds and materials for farmers were not re-

leased until after the A n d

planting period. that is why we are where we are now.

Good enough when11I CONTINUED ON PAGE discussed with some-

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, July 22, 2017

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

one in Canada, he promised to build silos in the farm to enable the saving of maize to sell during the off season and we have off takers already. So, the thing now is to drive it into the consciousness of the youth that there is money in agriculture. People from my constituency embark a lot on the perilous journey to Libya and most of them die on the high sea. And when you tell parents not to support their children traveling to Europe through Libya, they are not happy. They will ask you if there is an alternative to keep them here. My prayer is that the farm can be expanded to engage Libya returnees. I want those lost to come back. Even across the value chain, the managing director of Bank of Industry has promised to assist in the value chain and so we have batched them into cooperative groups. Last week some CBN consultants gave them lectures on NIRSAL and the CBN anchor borrowers scheme to enable them key into it.

Clamour for restructuring: I am in support of true federalism. If that is restructuring then perfect, we claim we are a federation, but in the true sense of it are we practicing federalism? It’s just in name. If today, we say allow the federating states to be on their own and pay something to the centre, this country will be better for it. I have said it severally, that if we didn’t have to leave our house, but there is food to eat and money, we will be there, is there any incentive to leave the house? But that is what is happening in Nigeria. At the end of every month, the state governor sends his commissioner to Abuja to collect a cheque.

Which work did that state do, zero. That is why to see a governor sometimes in Nigeria is very difficult. Even if you are coming with business, but he does not need you, he is not interested, whether he gets the business or not, money will come from Abuja at the end of the month, for instance our strength in Edo State is agriculture, we have some oil and gas, we pay tax to the centre and the food we produce, we will sell to our neighbors in the South East because they don’t have too much land, then we will be a very viable state. In an ideal true federal system that is.

This will create competition among states.

Again some of the Northern states practice Sharia law, hence no sale of alcohol and no brothels, but you take VAT money from Lagos where they do all these and share to the sharia states, that should be blood money, this is not sustainable. We say Nigeria is a secular state, yet the government sponsors hajj to Mecca and pilgrimage to Israel. If we are practicing true federalism, the states should function as federating states and pay tax to the centre. We can cure these defects by a simple constitutional review, stagger the exclusive and concurrent list and we will have a constitution that is not only federal in name but in content and character.

Assessment of Buhari, APC gov’t: Its zero! I really sympathise with the President. The former President of USA, Obama on his visit to Africa asked Africans to build strong institutions and not strong men. If we can do that, it will checkmate so many things. For me, the President came in without a template to fight corruption; he came in with the 1980’s mentality to just throw people in jail and get funds to fund the budget, thinking everybody would be happy.

But we have gone beyond that. Though I see a man wanting to fight corruption but even within his inner kitchen cabinet, people are misbehaving. That will break any man’s heart. I sympathise with him. My prayer is that we can systematically check corruption in this country. For example, the millions of dollars (which has now been forfeited to the government) that was found in Ikoyi in Lagos State, we don’t know the owner till now, the simple thing EFCC should have done was to plant cameras on street light of

11 Politics

If restructuring means true federalism, then am all for it Some of the Northern states practice Sharia law, hence no sale of alcohol and no brothels, but you take VAT money from Lagos where they do all these and share to the sharia states, that should be blood money, this is not sustainable. We say Nigeria is a secular state, yet the government sponsors hajj to Mecca and pilgrimage to Israel.

If we are practicing true federalism, the states should function as federating states and pay tax to the centre.

OGUN

that estate, somebody would one day come for part of that money. Former police boss, Solomon Arase during the last year NBA conference in Port Harcourt, said that in other countries you investigate crimes before you effect arrest, but that is not the case in Nigeria. Even the cash found in a plaza in Lagos, the EFCC would have waited because someone must surely come for the money and then you can effect arrest or you even trail them and have a documented evidence; trail the person to where the money is going to. It is scandalous to say you saw monies running into billions of naira and you open it up and started counting it for the whole world to see. Lai Mohammed who is the government’s spokesperson said sometime last year I think, that a few persons stole over a trillion naira and he was quoted by the then U.S Secretary of State John Kerry a short while after and then you expect investors to come in and invest in an economy where all these are happening?

We are where we are today because investors are not coming. When President Obasanjo administration came in 1999, what was the price of crude oil, it was under 10 dollars, our foreign reserve was in single digit not up to $10 billion but we were not in a predicament like this. The dollar was not scarce, the exchange rate was not this messed up. These were mistakes of the past that we are paying for, so you can’t just wake up and say PDP caused this. Even with the capital flight before the 2015 general election because people were apprehensive and left with their money because they thought there would be war. The dollar was 218 naira to the dollar, after the elections the Naira further appreciated to 215 to the dollar.

Given the inconsistency in policies where you can’t withdraw dollar, you can’t pay in certain amount, you can’t take your money out, please who does that? J.P Morgan closed shop, left with 80 billion dollars, that kind of

money can’t leave your economy and you remain the same. George Soros moved £2 billion out of England I think that was in 1991 or 1992 the British Pounds has not recovered from that singular act till date. The only thing I can tell the APC government is that they should pack their things in 2019 and handover the keys of Aso Rock to the PDP. Regional mobilisation for restructuring: The South East commission bill that was stepped down before it was taken and eventually voted against in the House came up for 2nd reading that day because of the massive support from the South-South caucus. Agitation for resource control has been headed by the South-South, we have told the world our story, so let the South East and South West go on with it. We started the true federalism outcry.

Fashola on 2017 budget: Let me begin by saying that I have a lot of respect for the gentleman, more so there is an ad hoc committee in place to look into his claims, I don’t know if I should comment on this or wait for the outcome of the committee? I think he was very uncharitable, and made unkind statements about the National Assembly, but again that is the way they all are. They want to cast us in bad light, because he believes he should bring his budget and we rubber stamp it and give it back to him. That is what happens in the state Houses Of Assembly. We were told that under him as Lagos State governor, the Assembly passes the budget the way it is submitted, that happens in most state assemblies anyway. He leaves out most items in the same budget he signed into law and introduces new projects as “priority projects” and monies will be moved to this so called priority projects hitherto not budgeted for. That is

what I heard, I wasn’t there, you guys can investigate this, it might not be true, if that worked in the state it will not work in the federal level. I keep saying that when we fight with the executive it is for the good of Nigerians. If the executive brings the budget and we serve as rubber stamp we would have thrown the Nigerian people that sent us to the House under the bus, we would have broken the pledge and oath of office we took to defend and uphold the constitution.

So if the minister is talking about boreholes and all that, he is the minister of housing and this is part of his work, some of my colleagues domicile their intervention funds in the ministry of housing and some of the projects were sinking of boreholes in their constituency and the ministry has been faithfully executing this, he should go and check the records. Though, he is now saying it is not a personal issue, but the National Assembly has decided to take him up on all he said to set the records straight. You can’t put N20billion in the national budget without subhead and expect the NASS not to query it, now we have helped you to spread the money because most of it was concentrated in a particular zone to the detriment of other zones and you are crying like a baby. Sections 80 and 81 of the Nigerian constitution address these issues. The Constitution empowers the President to assign money to any part of the country in the case of an emergency; the Acting President just did that over the flood issue recently, he approved the release of N1.6 billion to NEMA, where did he get the money, from, the budget? The President has the powers to do that and thereafter send it to the National Assembly. So, why will a minister keep N20 billion for emergency in certain places in his ministry? All that is required in an emergency is to go to the person that appointed you to say look, we have an emergency, he will approve for you and then send the request and approval to the NASS for ratification. He is a lawyer, he knows. And I don’t even think he needed to go to the press. I don’t know what brought about that, but we will get to the bottom of it.

12Politics

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, July 22. 2017

Stop fight over 2019 governorship candidate, Lagos LG poll: Aspirants canvass council autonomy empower members, M30 tells Rivers APC Iniobong Iwok

Amaka Agbu, Port Harcourt A political pressure group within the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), operating under the aegis of M30, has called on the leadership of the party to empower its members rather than squabbling over who would be its candidate in the 2019 general elections.

President-General of M30, Ambassador Anosike Ordunwa, in a brief chat with some journalists, said it was disturbing that the APC in the state was not sensitive to the plight of its members who, he said, were hungry and incapable of paying their children’s school fees.

Ambassador Ordunwa said: “What we are saying is that the members of the party are hungry, especially the youths. The leadership of the party should concentrate on empowering the people. People are dying of hunger; people cannot pay their children’s school fees. You don’t want to address the issue of poverty and hunger in the party, yet you are talking about candidates for 2019.

He continued: “Specifically, people should be empowered through skills acquisition, contracts, and jobs.

Contracts should be given to youths.

Some of us risked our lives; some of us escaped death and they are not talking about the welfare of the members of the party. All they are talking about is the leadership of the party and governorship candidates and we are saying no, let the leadership of the party address the issue of the welfare of members once and for all.”

According to the M30 PresidentGeneral, the leadership of the APC should be concerned about the welfare of their members and not who would run for an election in 2019 and concentrate on how to empower members who have been very faithful and supportive to the party.

Referring to the on-going crisis in

AMAECHI

ABE

the party on whether a primary will be conducted to select its candidate for the 2019 gubernatorial election, Ambassador Ordunwa lamented: “You can’t come and be talking about who becomes the party candidate for 2019 when people are hungry. We have just finished a general election and people have not been empowered. We are saying as a group to the leadership of our party that the issue that has fuelled the crisis in the party should be kept aside.”

Ambassador Ordunwa declared that the M30 would resist any attempt to foist a governorship candidate on the party without subjecting all aspirants to a primary as enshrined in the APC’s Constitution.

He warned: “Our group will resist any imposition of candidate. I stand bold to be corrected, we will resist it. The party must do the proper thing. The party’s constitution must be followed and respected. 2019 is not 2015. Rivers APC must move forward. And we cannot move forward if we fail to do the right. We must learn from what happened in 2015.

We must do the right thing in 2019.”

Ambassador Ordunwa pointed out: “If I want to contest for governorship, or any position in the 2019 general elections, I should be allowed to contest in a free, fair, and credible primary. The leadership of the party must conduct a transparent primary election.”

The urgent need to restructure the country and grant the local government area ( LGA) full autonomy has been identified as the solution to the underdevelopment and neglect suffered by rural areas in the country.

This was disclosed by some chairmanship and councillorship candidates of some political parties at a Political Debate organised for the Chairmanship/Councillorship candidates contesting in the council election in Lagos State.

They stressed that the state was over burdened with responsibility with the current structure, adding that being the closest to the people the local government should be given full autonomy to administer the local government area.

The chairmanship candidates of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), for Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area, Hon. Chinedu Nwoye noted that while governors concentrate efforts at developing state capitals and other key projects, most governments in the country often suffer neglect leaving most riruals areas without social amenities.

The event which was held at the Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos was organised by the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC), Enough Is Enough (EIE) and the media.

Also speaking, the chairman-

ship candidate for Ikeja Local Government under the Accord Party, Busola Olorundipe advocated that for local government autonomy to be credible it should be enshrined in the constitution for proper implementation.

Presenting their manifestoes, the AGPA chairmanship candidate, Hon. Nwoye promised to rehabilitate, and empower women and the youths through skills acquisition, training programme, adding that he would partner with corporate organisations to achieve the programmes.

In her manifesto Olorundipe, promised to operate and open door policy, adding that she would work to remove restrictions on women in politics.

Speaking on the aims of the programme, the chairperson, Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) and the organiser of the event, Dr Abiola Akiode-Afolabi, in her address, said it was to afford the electorates information that will allow them to exercise their political choice.

She said: “The debate is to enable each individual to crystallise his or her autonomous opinion in the decision making process and to help promote credible and legitimate elections that are conducted in accordance with international standards,” Afolabi said.

Other candidates at the event include Hon Akeem Olayemi Apena, of Accord Party for Onigbongbo Local Council Development Area, Hon. Sunday Sodolamu for Ojodu LCDA, among others.

LG poll: Enugu disburses funds for non-sensitive materials to SIEC Moses Oyediran, Enugu The Enugu State Government has restated its readiness to conduct local government election in the state this year, and towards that end has approved the release of N25m to the Enugu State Independent

Electoral Commission (ENSIEC) to enable it carry out the exercise.

Speaking to newsmen in the state, the Commissioner for Information, Dr. Godwin Udeuhele, said the approved sum was part of the funds ENSIEC requires for the conduct

of council election in the state.

According to Udeuhele, “this money is to enable ENSIEC to purchase non-sensitive materials contained in their estimate as was obtained in other elections conducted in the state such as forms, papers, identity cards, among others.”

The Commissioner noted that the Council also approved the payment of this year’s accommodation and furniture allowances to ENSIEC staff, including the 2016/2017 accommodation allowance for the three members of the commission appointed earlier.

Don’t divert Paris Club refund, pay workers’ salaries, Abba Moro tells Ortom The immediate past Minister of Interior, Comrade Patrick Abba Moro, has given a strong warning to Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State not to apply the latest tranche of the Paris Club refund for any other purpose, except for the payment of salaries and allowances owed workers in the state.

The Federal Government recently released a state-bystate breakdown of another tranche of the Paris Club refund amounting to N243.8 billion where Benue State got N6.8 billion.

Moro, a top member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said the Ortom-led All Progressives Congress (APC) government in Benue State, cannot continue to misapply the bailout funds and Paris Club refunds released to the state for the payment of the backlog

of salaries and allowances of workers.

The ex-Minister who spoke in an interview in Abuja, noted that the non-payment of workers’ salaries have inflicted severe pains and suffering on civil servants in the state as they could no longer afford to cater for their immediate needs.

His words: “I would honestly advise Governor Ortom this time around to prudently and judiciously apply this latest tranche of the Paris refund that has been released to Benue State. By the records of the Federal Ministry of Finance, the N6.8 billion to Benue State must be strictly applied for the payment of salaries and allowances of workers of Benue State.

“I insist that Benue State is a purely agrarian state, a purely civil service state. And the concomitance of the non-payment of salaries and allowances to

public servants like I keep saying is that children of public servants cannot go to school. It means that public servants cannot pay their health bills and those of their children and family members.

“Like I said before and I want to repeat here, it means that common ailments can kill any one of them because they cannot afford the bills for hospitals.

So, I think that it is in the interest of the APC-led government of Benue State that this latest tranche of the refund is applied strictly for the payments of salaries and allowances of workers in Benue State and local government workers. This is about the third tranche of bailout now that Benue State is receiving. Previously various excuses have been advanced as to why salaries are not paid.”

The PDP chieftain wondered why Ortom was threatening to

ORTOM

MORO

sack workers as if that was going to solve the problem of nonpayment of salaries.

“It is unfortunate that the Benue State government having declared a state of emergency on salaries is still threatening to sack workers. Definitely, that is not going to be a solution to the problem of non-payment of salaries. Threatening to sack university lecturers, professors,

PhD holders, lecturers of various categories definitely cannot solve the problem of nonpayment of salaries because the allowances and salaries that people are complaining about are already earned.

“And so if you sack them you must pay them. So, you cannot run away from that. And besides you don’t pick professors of university from the street.

They are not there.

Page Thirteen

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, July 22, 2017

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Editorial

13

PHOTO TIMES

Nigeria’s polytechnics and development

I

t is painful to watch the continuing nonchalant attitudes of both the federal and state governments in giving requisite recognition to the place of polytechnic education in the country. Regrettably, this attitude is responsible for the continued ignorance on the place of polytechnic education to the overall technological development of Nigeria. For long, experts and scholars have called on the authorities to give polytechnic education its pride of place. Rather than heed such call, successive administrations have been too faint hearted in channeling adequate resources to technology institutions.

Result is that Nigeria continues to lag behind in the competitive race for technological advancement.

We are pained at this lack of foresight, especially when it is realised that no nation worth its salt and in quest of economic advancement can ignore the role of polytechnics in achieving it. It is a fact that polytechnic education places emphasis on practice-based learning and skills acquisition. Sadly, the dilapidated infrastructure in most of the country’s polytechnics do not arm them enough to impart such skills.

This sorry state of affairs make learning cumbersome, as students and academics find it increasingly difficult to access well-equipped libraries, up-to-date laboratories and modern technology gadgets.

Incidentally, the increasing number of polytechnics and decreasing government and private funding are adversely affecting the quality of academic staff.

This explains why no polytechnic in Nigeria is among those currently ranked in Africa. Moreover, the sorry state of these institutions is responsible for the lack of technological progress in the country. Is it

Publisher/Editor in Chief Group Managing Director Noel Anosike Publishing Executive Enyinne Onwunwanne Group General Manager Olisa Egbunike 08034004224 Head, Operations Isaiah Udo 08033230673

any wonder that even when Nigeria boasts of several polytechnics, her economy continues to stagnate? Observers posit that the reason is that the country’s polytechnics no longer attract bright students, as the latter continue to shun them for the universities, where academic learning is purely theoretical.

Moreover, the continuing disparity between university degrees and polytechnic certificates has not helped matters, because it is doing more harm to Nigeria’s educational advancement and economic development.

There is no denying that polytechnic graduates continue to suffer from disparities as reflected in their salary grade levels, particularly in the civil service where entry point for Higher National Diploma (HND) holders is Grade Level 07, and those with university degree is GL 08.

For long, HND graduates have found it harder to progress beyond GL 14 in their civil service career.

This dichotomy has been responsible for the lack of continuing enthusiasm among prospective students to apply for places in polytechnics.

With such unsavoury development, it is difficult to see how polytechnic education can really fulfill its goal of producing competent and resourceful personnel to drive the country’s technological and industrial development. It is interesting to note that Europe and America, including China and India owe their technological prowess to polytechnic/technical institutions. It is time federal and state governments implement policies that would give polytechnics their revered role in technology development.

Continuing delay would consign Nigeria to a technology backwater.

It is time for action to bring the country’s polytechnics to par with peers in other countries.

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Editor, Daily Tony Amokeodo 08038099089

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L-R: Governors of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal; Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano State) and Nasir ElRufai (Kaduna State), during the North-West governors meeting in Abuja… on Friday.

STATEMENTS BY THOSE WHO MATTER

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L-R: Chairman, Rivers Universal Basic Education Board, Ven. Fyneface Akah; Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike; former Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Austin Opara; former PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus and others, after the inauguration of the reconstruction of 175 Basic Schools by the Governor in Rebisi, Port Harcourt… on Thursday.

Words On Marble :

– Fidelis Anosike Group Head Finance/ Administration Tobi Oyeniyi 07060528139

L-R: Deputy Governor of Plateau State, Prof. Sonni Tyoden; Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and Acting Permanent Secretary, Federal Information and Culture, Mr. Hussaini Dayar, at the opening ceremony of the Extra-Ordinary meeting of the National Council on Information in Jos… on Friday.

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Muhammad Ali

Kanayo O Kanayo

Nelson Mandela

“It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it’s the pebble in your shoe.”

“You don’t have to be great to start but you have to start to be great.”

“The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”

14 News

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, July 22, , 2017

Man to spend 1 month in prison over phone theft Titilope Joseph

L-R: Sales Manager, AFP Furniture Production, Uche Uzoewulu; Head Public Relations Office, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc (JBNP), Barr. Moses Duku; Senator Osita Izunaso and former Attorney General, Cross River State, Mrs. Nella Andrew Rabeka, during the presentation of award to JBNP at the Abuja Housing Show Best Furniture of the year 2017 Award Night in Abuja… on Thursday.

Photo: TEMITOPE BALOGUN.

Kogi Court remands 2 men for forgery Idris Ahmed, Lokoja

ÏÏÏ

A Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Lokoja has remanded two. persoms in prison custody at Koton karfe for allegedly defrauding nine persons of N3 million with forged employment letters.

Thursday remanded two persons, Luka Samuel, 30 and Emmanuel Owobi, 33, in Federal Prisons, Konton-Karfe, for allegedly defrauding nine persons of N3 with forged employment Letters.

Luka Samuel 30 and Emmanuel Owoni 33 were said to have between 2016 and 2017 exploited the unemployment situation in the country to dupe the nine job seekers of N3 million and issued them with forged National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) appoint-

ment letters.

The Prosecuting counsel, E.S. Onu Esq. i told the court that the accused in the company of other accomplices including one Grace Owobi, now at large, fraudulently collected the money over a period of time totaling over N3 million from the nine job seekers.

Onu gave the names of the victims as Musa Nasiru, Isah Rabiu, Musah Abdulmalik, Zekeri Aishetu, Samuel Atabo, Yahaya Paul Idakwo, Zekeri Husain, Yahaya Husain and Ladi Nicholas Amedu.

“You intentionally forged several fake appointment letters for them knowing quite well that the said appointment letters were forged as you purportedly regularize their appointments into services of the NSCDC.”

They were charged with criminal conspiracy, forgery, wrongful gain and fraud contrary to and punishable under section 1(2)(c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap M17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

The offences according to the prosecutor also run contrary to sections 13, 97, 364 and 175 of the Penal Code.

Onu asked for Custodian Order for the accused to be remanded at the Federal Prisons, Koton-Karfe pending the resumption of the Federal High Court, Lokoja which had the jurisdiction to try the case in the first place.

Counsel to the accused, Deborah Itanyi Esq. objected to the application for the custodian order saying that though the court had no jurisdiction

to try the case, it had discretion to grant bail in line with section 341(1,2) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CP )In his ruling, Chief Magistrate Levi Animoku said one of the offences alleged against the accused was under a Federal law upon which he had no jurisdiction.

He said, ‘’I declined to admit the accused to bail irrespective of his undertaking to comply with the terms of bail under section 341(2) of CPC. They should therefore, be remanded at the Federal Prisons, Koton-Karfe, Kogi State. The offences alleged against the accused have become paramount and prevailing in our society’’, Animoku declared.

He adjourned the case to August 3, for further hearing.

PDP chieftain drags online paper to court over libel Sunday Nwakanma – Umuahia

An online paper based in Abia is in trouble as the immediate past Abia State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Chief Charles Ogbonnaya has threatened it with a N10 billion suit for alleged libel.

The online newspaper had on June 30, 2017, in a report titled “alleged highhandedness, financial misappropriation” claimed that Chief Ogbonnaya was involved in over N100 million financial frauds while serving as the state Com-

missioner for Chieftancy and Local Government Affairs in the state.

Irked by the publication, Chief Ogbonna says, he mandated his lawyers, Okey Amechi, SAN, and partners, to demand a retraction and apology from the online newspaper or be slammed with a N10 billion suit, and has therefore given the newspaper one week to publish a retraction of the alleged libelous publication and render an apology to him else he would proceed with a N10 billion suit against them.

In a letter to the Editor In-Chief of the online

newspaper, Emeka Iroegbu, dated July 5th 2017 and signed by Okey Amechi, he accused the newspaper of publishing “reckless and libelous allegations” which he said were “false and fabricated” against Chief Ogbonnaya.

“It is obvious from the tone and recklessness of the article that you serve some dark and hidden political clientele, who hired you to assassinate the character of our client in order to keep him out of their way politically”, the letter said and demanded a “retraction and unreserved apology”.

“We equally demand that you pay to our client the sum of N10 billion within the above given time as damages for libeling him in your said article and maliciously damaging his character and bringing him down in the opinion of the public who hitherto held him in very high esteem.

“We shall be compelled to take all necessary legal steps, both criminal and civil, to seek redress for our client”, the letter warned.

As at the time of filing of this report, the Editor could not be reached for his comments.

An Ikeja Magistrate Court has ruled that a 25-yearold unemployed man, Ayobami Micheal, will be spending the next one month in Kirikiri Prisons for stealing phone worth N60, 000.

The sentence was passed on the phone thief without an option of fine after he pleaded guilty to the charge and he had pleaded for leniency before his sentenced was pronounced.

While sentencing the convict, Magistrate , O.A. Layinka, who said:“Based on the facts of this case confirmed in the report and the plea of leniency, I hereby sentence you to one month in prison without an option of fine.’’

Earlier, the Prosecutor, Mr. Donjor Perezi told the court that Michael, whose address is unknown, was arraigned

and charged for stealing.

Perezi said the accused stole a mobile phone valued at N60,000 on May 6 at 2.00 p.m. at No. 22, Awolowo way, Ikeja, Lagos.

The accused, who entered the shop of the complainant, Obiora Chinyeaka, on the pretext of buying a mobile phone, stole the phone and ran away, he said.

“The accused had told the seller that he wanted to buy a Huawei P8 mobile phone and asked the complainant to bring out the phone to have a look before making payment.

“Within split seconds, Micheal absconded with the phone and was nowhere to be found until he was recently apprehended on May 22.”

Perezi further informed the court that the offence contravened Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

NBA raises alarm over alleged Lawyers misconducts Nosa Akenzua, Asaba ÏÏÏThe president Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Abubakar Balarabe Mahmoud has raised alarm over the professional misconduct of some lawyers in the country, saying legal profession must be held in high esteem.

The Association boss who disclosed this at the 2017 law week which started in Warri Delta state Thursday regretted that the number of petitions against lawyers before him at the national secretariat is quite alarming, and expressed worries that the value and honour attached to character are being eroded.

According to him “We must as a body continue to uphold the ethics of the profession. The senior members of the Bar should expectedly lead the way so that the juniors who are coming behind will have something to emulate.

The NBA boss who was represented by a former chairman of Warri branch, Barrister Ben Oji said recently a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) was stripped of his privileges after being found to have conducted himself in a dishonorable manner before the appellate court.

Guest speaker on the occasion Dr. Ogaga Ifowodo spoke on the rule of law which he described as a legacy for posterity, the ultimate guarantor of Justice, social or individual and of the peace of the realm adding that there can be no democracy without it.

“The concept of the rule of law is a great legacy of

the struggle for democracy: against the tyranny and oppression of federal lords; kings, queens and anyone else who would wield unrestrained power” posited Ifowodo.

According to him the doctrine also implies the equality of all before the law, thus no citizen, irrespective of his or her social status, may be exempted from the duty of obedience to the law which governs other citizens or from the jurisdiction of ordinary tribunals.

“In essence, the rule of law encapsulates the doctrine of respects for the innate dignity of all human beings resulting in what is popularly known today as fundamental or inalienable human rights; which in turn have been enshrined as a Bill of rights in every Nigerian constitution since 1979” remarked Dr. Ifowodo.

Former Deputy Governor of the state, professor Amos Agbe Utuama who spoke on state planning law posited that the principal of public planning law is to design the use of land at the regional level to produce more decent livable and socially inclusive communities for the benefit of all.

Prof. Utuama who is also the United Nations (POLAC) Ambassador for peace, noted that the law has established its own administrative organs with their respective functions in ensuring that the town and cities are liveable and commended the association for organizing such a laudable programme .

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, July 22, 2017

News 15

Computer based Test:UNIBEN deploys indigenous software Titus Akhigbe,Benin As part of efforts geared towards unlimited access to learning, the University of Benin (UNIBEN) has deployed the first indigenous software for the conduct of Computer Based Test (CBT) of internal and external examinations.

Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Osasere Faraday Orumwense made the revelation during the institution’s 2017 Information Communication Technology (ICT) Day. Orumwense also said that plans were underway to launch the Uniben Open Course wave which according to him, will make the University top the rankings in Webometrics.

This was contained in a press statement issued by the University’s spokesman, Mr. Michael Osasuyi.

Osasuyi, the Director of

Nigeria Research and Education Network (NREN), Abuja, Dr. Joshua Atah made presentation at the event through live streaming to audience.

He said the live streaming titled: “Unlimited Access to Learning for Everyone, Everywhere: ICT the Rostrum” was aimed at buttressing the efficiency of ICT in the 21st century .

According to him, Dr. Josha Atah in his lecture posited that learning has gone beyond gathering in a classroom as it can be deployed from different locations to a large group of persons.

The University’s spokesman further quoted the lecturer as saying, “I-LABS, E-Libraries, E-books, E-Resources, Repositories, Edu-roam and video-driven lectures like Youtube are some of the huge benefits of ICT which saves cost, as well as human and non human resources”.

Court discharged 33-year-old Mechanic after spending 7years in prison Titilope Joseph

ÏÏÏ

A 33-year-old mechanic , Saheed Akeem, has been acquitted of armed robbery and conspiracy by a Lagos HIgh Court , Ikeja for lack of sufficient evidence.

Akeem who had been in police custody since 2010 (seven years) for the alleged offence was charged of the two-count charge before Justice Raliatu Adebiyi.

While pronouncing her judgement, Justice Adebiyi said that the victim of the alleged crime, Miss Damilola Fashayi did not positively identify the defendant during the trial.

“The testimony of Fashayi did not positively identify the defendant to the court and the evidence was not cogent and was full of inconsistencies.

“The failure of the prosecution to call the Investigating Police Of-

ficer (IPO) was fatal to the prosecution’s case.

“The prosecution has failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt, the charges of conspiracy to commit armed robbery and armed robbery proffered against the defendant.

“The defendant is hereby discharged of the two-count charge,” the Judge said.

According to the prosecution, Mrs O.A Olugasa, Akeem committed the offence at 7.30pm on Nov. 19, 2010 with an accomplice who is presently at large at Zone 2, Onikan, Lagos.

He and his accomplice was said to have allegedly robbed Fashayi of her blackberry, Zain and Nokia mobile phones all valued at N15,000 as well as N12,000 cash.

The offence, according to the prosecution, was in violation of Section 402 (2)(a) and 403 (a) of the Criminal Code Law of Lagos State 2003.

Sterling Bank Ambassador, hip hop singer, Olamide Ogundeji (m), street sweepers, during the Sterling environmental makeover programme tagged: Skate and Clean Flash Mob, in Lagos… recently.

Business firm cry out over unlawful possession by LASURA Oguntade Ismaila

ÏÏÏ

Lagos-based limited liability company, A.J. Missri Nig. Limited has accused the Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency (LASURA) over unlawful acquisition of its landed property situated at No.23, Breadfruit Street, Lagos Island area of the state.

The property, a large building with 25 shops, occupied by traders, and the firm’s tenant, the company said, was built over 30years ago, but which the company said was demolished and acquired by the Lagos State Government.

Unhappy by this development, the company, while at a press parley with Journalists in Lagos on Thursday said the Lagos State government acted contrary to the law According to, Mr. Edozie Okafor, the Chairman and Managing Director of the company, situated in Ikoyi, Lagos, he accused LASURA of unlawfully taken possession of its landed property occupied by tenants.

According to Okafor,

“The General Manager of LASURA informed the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Zone 2, Onikan, Lagos, that the Agency acquired the property and assigned the same landed property to Molakee Holdings Nig. Limited, the company owned by one Akeem Kosoko, an indigene of Lagos State for 25years lease.”

“That LASURA boss claimed to be responsible for the illegal demolition of our company, which I considered to be an action bothering on criminal, trespass, intimidation and malicious damage.”

He said, “It is an act of impunity and a colour of ethnic marginalization, without minding that the property was occupied by 25 traders, who are selling and earning their legitimate living in the building.”

He also stated further that, “Mulakee Holding Limited is to build a 4 storied building Shopping Mall with an agreement with the Agency to take 1/3 of the Mall, while Mulakee Holding will possess 2/3 of it; and after 25years, the property will

revert back to LASURA.” He said, “While in LASURA’s office, during the interaction, the General Manager of the Agency, Mr. Lateef Solebo, asked us, why should the Igbo man want to acquire properties on Lagos Island, particularly Balogun and Breadfruit area of Lagos Island? “ He said LASURA has, in brazen violation of the law, since taken possession of the land there, “and it seems that nothing else anyone can do, it has the backing of very influential people in the state.”

He said, “The action of LASURA is purely an act of ethnic hatred, impunity, which was in contrast to the clamour of the Acting President, His Excellency, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, to avoid hatred and discrimination of any kind as well as, other negative actions that bother on ethnicity and religious intolerance.”

Okafor, stressed further that, the company had acquired the landed property on freehold since 21st of November, 1951, and has in its possession, relevant documents; with

registration N0. LO2059 issued by the Lagos State Ministry of Lands, Alausa , Ikeja since on 11th of April, 1964.

He said that, the Agency is aware that the company has legal title of the property, but was shocked that inspite of this knowledge and information at their disposal, the officials of LASURA, on Thursday, June8, 2017, suddenly swooped on the property with miscreants and demolished the property worth millions and erected a sign board claiming that the land belongs to the Lagos State Government.

He also lamented that, based on the information gathered, the unlawful and unconstitutional attempt on the part of the LASURA and its top officials to compulsorily acquire “our property is in breach of the provision of Section 44 of the Nigerian Constitution, by transferring the same to certain powerful individuals, who believed they are privileged indigenes of Lagos State, who are above the law.

Abeokuta to rock with 12 mega stars at Glo music carnival ÏÏÏBiggest

corporate promoter of entertainment in contemporary Nigeria, Globacom, will today hold the Abeokuta edition of its soar away music concert, the Glo Mega Music Nationwide Tour.

The Rock City edition, Globacom disclosed in a press statement, will parade six accomplished music artistes who will treat

the audience “to a night of unforgettable fun and entertainment”. They are Marvin Records’ Reekado Banks; dancehall king , Runtown; celebrated Igbo ethno rapper, Phyno; King of street lingo, Olamide and the Nabania crooner, Flavour.

The company assured subscribers in Abeokuta and its environs that all was set for the Glo Mega

Music Nationwide Tour billed for the Silver Jubilee Hall, Onikolobo, today, July 21, 2017.

Aside from the music stars, delectable Nollywood divas, Juliet Ibrahim and Ebube Nwagbo, will anchor the show, with the quartet of Bolaji Johnson Amusan, aka Mr. Latin, Odunlade Adekola , Funke Akindele and Richard Mofe-Damijo (RMD), as celebrity guests.

According to Globacom, the concert is its special avenue to delight and reward its existing and prospective subscribers. While urging subscribers to come out en masse to watch their music icons live on stage, they encouraged them to recharge to the tune of N2000 for voice and data within a month and send SMS “MUSIC ABEOKUTA” to the short code 207.

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Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, July 22, 2017

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, July 22, 2017

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Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, July 22, 2017

Crime

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Mywife used to grab, twist mytesticles when fighting, man tells court The 10-year-old marriage between Chukwuma Onwumere and Obianuju, his wife, may be dissolved over the wife’s penchant to always grab her husband’s testicles anytime they were fighting, if the Igando Customary Court in Lagos State should grant Chukwuma’s request.

Chukwuma who is the petitioner in the case told the court on Thursday that Obianuju, who bore him two children, was after his life.

“My wife wants to kill me by always grabbing my testicles during fight. Apart from twisting my scrotum, she was always hitting me with dangerous weapons over trivial issues.

“She once cut me with machete on my head during one of our fights,” he said.

The 43-year-old man said that

his wife was fond of going out and returning at will and, that whenever he cautioned her, she would turn it to a fight.

He begged the court to dissolve the marriage.

However, Obianuju, the respondent in the case denied all the allegations leveled against her by husband but alleged that her husband was a threat to her life.

“My husband was always beating me; all the scars on my body were as a result of his abuse.

There was a day he beat me and one of my teeth removed.

“There was also a night while sleeping that I saw my husband with a charm in his hand, moving round my bed and reciting some incantations.

“I quickly stood up from the bed, but he left my room and placed the charm at my door

post,’’ the 34-year-old woman said.

The mother of two said that her husband parked her load to her village claiming she was a witch.

“My husband carried my property to my parents saying that he was told by a spiritualist that I am a witch. He told my parents that he was no longer interested in our marriage,” she said.

She said that she never attacked her husband with a machete as they did not have machete at home.

Obianuju pleaded with the court to grant her husband’s wish and dissolve the marriage as she too was no longer interested in the union.

The president of the court, Mr. Adegboyega Omilola, adjourned the case until Sept. 12 for further hearing.

Bank manager in court over alleged theft of $110,000 A bank manager, Elliot Abiodun, who allegedly stole 110,000 dollars (N40 million) from Sterling Bank, was on Friday arraigned before an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.

Abiodun, whose residential address was not given, is standing trial on a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy and stealing.

The Prosecutor, Sgt. Friday Mameh, told the court that the accused committed the offences on June 3, at 10 a.m. in Lagos.

He said the accused stole the 110,000 dollars property of Sterling Bank Plc. The prosecutor said the offences contravened Sections

Alleged stealing: Court discharges 2 men for lack of diligent prosecution A Mararaba Upper Area Court, Nasarawa State, on Friday, discharged two men, Taminu Sani, 22, and Chinedu Ani, 30, docked for allegedly stealing a plasma television and N38, 650 cash.

The judge, Ibrahim Shekarau, discharged the defendants for lack of diligent prosecution.

Shekarau discharged them as the prosecutor, Cpl. Hamen Donald, could not produce witnesses, including the nominal complainant.

He struck out the case due to lack of diligent prosecution.

Prostitute fighting

Sister-in-law in court for allegedly beating brother’s wife A 52-year-old woman, Bunmi Akinyemi, who allegedly assaulted her brother’s wife, Ireti Obembe by beating her to a pulp, on Thursday appeared before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court.

Akinyemi, a resident of Ayobo area of Lagos, is standing trial on a one-count charge of assault.

The prosecutor, Insp. Raji Akeem, told the court that the accused committed the offence on June 21 at Power Line, Ajasa Command, Lagos.

Akeem said that the accused assaulted the complainant by

beating her to a pulp.

The prosecutor alleged that Obembe said the fight started as a result of an argument which ensued between her and the accused.

“The complainant said that she was at her shop when her sister-in-law dragged her out of the shop and started beating her.

“She said that the accused claimed she was beating her for taking her brother to court, instead of settling the dispute between them amicably.

“Obembe who was very angry about what her sister-in-law had

done, reported the matter to the police and the accused was later arrested, “Akeem said.

The offence contravened Section 173 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised).

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The Section 173 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised) prescribes three-year jail term for assault occasioning harm.

The Magistrate, Mr T.O Shomade granted the accused bail in the sum N10,000 with one surety in like sum.

The case was adjourned till July 31, for mention.

287(8) and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos, 2015.

The accused however pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Counsel to the accused, Mr. T.J. Agoro, urged the court to grant his client bail.

Agoro told the court that he would stand surety for the accused and ensure that he showed up in court till the determination of the case.

The Magistrate, Miss O. A. Olagbende, released the accused to his counsel on the grounds that the lawyer would ensure that the accused attends court’s proceedings.

The Magistrate adjourned the case until September 19 for mention.

The discharged persons, had earlier pleaded not guilty to the three-count charge of conspiracy, trespass and theft levelled against them, offences they denied committing.

They were alleged to have conspired and trespassed into a shop through the ceiling, stole N38, 650 cash, and 21 inch-plasma television and escaped, but were traced and arrested.

The offences contravened Sections 97, 349 and 288 of the Penal Code.

It would be recalled that the case was first mentioned on May 2, 2017.

Gombe recorded 40 rape cases from Jan to July - Police Gombe State Police command recorded 40 cases of rape between January and July 2017, the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Austine Iwar, has disclosed.

Iwar made the disclosure on Thursday in Gombe in his address at the 2017 Law week lecture organised by the state branch of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA).

He said that a fortnight ago, the police arrested a 70-year-old man, who committed rape.

He added that in the course of investigation, the police discovered that the old man had raped up to 10 girls in same environment.

The commissioner expressed concern at the increasing rate at which minors are raped in the state.

He called on the state government to as a matter of urgency,

“do something to curtail the crime.’’

In his speech at the occasion, Gov. Ibrahim Dankwambo, urged the NBA to look into the issue of inmates awaiting trial in order to decongest the prison.

Dankwambo, who was represented by his Deputy, Mr. Charles Iliya, commended the NBA for organising the event, saying it provided opportunity for lawyers in the state to interact.

In his address, the chairman, NBA Gombe state chapter, Haruna Sale, urged members of the association to maintain ethical standard of the profession.

He said that as part of its efforts to maintain ethical standard, the chapter had constituted a committee headed by a High Court Judge to look into petitions written against lawyers in the state.

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, July 22, 2017

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Prostitute stabs businessman to death over alleged unpaid bill in Delta Nosa Akenzua, Asaba A middle-aged prostitute (name withheld) who operates under a popular brothel around Abraka Quarters in Asaba, Delta State has allegedly stabbed a businessman to death over his alleged refusal to pay for “extra sexual” services.

It was reliably gathered that the incident which occurred on Thursday night at the brothel (name withheld) caused serious pandemonium to residents of the area who were reportedly taken by shock and bizarre act of the commercial sex worker.

Police Officers from the ‘B’ Division Police Station in Asaba who spoke to our reporter on condition of anonymity said the prostitute currently being detained allegedly attacked the businessman who came from across the Niger bridge over his refusal to pay extra for prolonged sexual intercourse with the suspect.

Eye witness said trouble started after the suspect encountered the businessman suspected to have been on hard drugs before meeting with her.

According to the eye witness, while having sex with the prostitute, he was said to have overstayed, a situation the prostitute allegedly demanded for more money, adding that upon

his refusal, the suspect allegedly broke a bottle to stab her customer in the stomach, leaving him in a pool of blood before security agents moved into the brothel.

“They, I mean the prostitute and her customers quarreled over “long stay” on her, and she asked for more money the victim refused, and was allegedly

stabbed in the stomach where he struggled and die before help could come his way”, the eye witness added.

But a high ranking Police officer at the State Police Headquarters who did not want his name in the print confirmed that the suspect had been transferred to the headquarters for further investigation.

Efforts to speak with the Police Image Maker in the state, Mr. Andrew Aniamaka were not successful as at the time of this report when he did not pick his calls.

Meanwhile, investigation revealed that security agents have sealed off the brothel with the Managers, including other prostitutes said to have fled for fear of the unknown.

Prostitute waiting for customers

Court dissolves marriage as husband abandons wife 2 weeks after marriage An Aba-la-Ohazu Customary Court in Aba South Local Government Area of Abia State has dissolved the marriage between one Juliet Igwe and her husband, Chibuzo, over abandonment and irreconcilable differences.

Juliet, the petitioner, told the court that her husband abandoned her after only two weeks of marriage and went back to Gabon where he resides.

She told the court that her husband took her to his home town and after two weeks of co-habiting asked her to go back to her father’s house and engage in a vocation.

Juliet said that her father rejected the idea and reported her husband to his foster father, one Pastor S.K. Ogbonna, who took her in.

The foster father, he added, later asked her to return to her father’s house since her hus-

band was no longer interested in the union.

Juliet said that they married on December 29, 2015 under the native custom and tradition in Akpugo, Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State.

She also told the court that since the second week of January 2016 when her husband abandoned her, he had not shown concern for her in spite of being told she was pregnant.

Juliet prayed the court to dissolve the marriage and grant her continued custody of her 10- month-old child pending when he would come of age.

Although Juliet was present in court without a lawyer, Chibuzo was absent and had no legal representation.

Giving his ruling, Senior Magistrate, Diamond Olewengwa, said Chibuzo’s refusal to

stop the planned dissolution indicated that the parties had consented to severing the union.

He said that the marriage, having broken down irretrievably as a result of lack of love and care, denial of sex, irreconcilable differences and abandonment, stood dissolved.

He granted Juliet the continued custody of their son until maturity, adding that Chibuzo had the right to see his son whenever he wished.

The judge also ordered Chibuzo to collect his N50.00 bride price through the court registrar and to pay Juliet N30, 000 monthly as upkeep allowance for their child.

Olewengwa further ordered him to pay Juliet N200, 000 in bulk for nursing the baby from birth till date since he never offered support since the marriage was contracted.

He said that the parties were free to remarry and enjoined them to maintain the peace.

The ruling of the court, he added, should be communicated to the foster father of Chibuzo to ensure compliance with the judgment.

Crime

Cyclist regains freedom after 5-years in kirikiri over bag snatching Titilope Joseph A commercial motocyclist, Mudashiru Shefiu, who has been in prison custody for five years over alleged handbag snatching, has been discharged and acquitted of the crime by an Ikeja High Court.

Justice Raliat Adebiyi, in her judgment, had noted that the sole prosecution witness, ASP Victor Aremu (PW1) who was the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) in the case, failed in his testimony to connect Shefiu to the alleged crime.

“In the evidence of Aremu, who is the sole witness in this case, there were no mention of the alleged accomplices, his evidence can be circumstantial at best.

“He gave no evidence of the items in question which were allegedly stolen; he only talked about only one handbag and not two handbags as contained in the police statements.

“There was no evidence to show that the bags and recharge cards were indeed stolen by the defendant.

“The defendant in his testimony said that his confessional statement was obtained under torture.

“In this case, the statement is not consistent or corroborative with the other facts in the case.

“The prosecution failed ‘woefully’ to prove it’s case to prove the essential ingredients in a charge of robbery beyond reasonable doubt.

“The defendant is hereby discharged and acquitted of the three – count charge of the offence proffered against him,” Adebiyi said.

Shefiu’s lawyer, Mrs. Ajayi laud court over judgment’ The state prosecutor, Mrs O.A Olugasa, had earlier informed the court that Shefiu and his accomplice who is presently at large, allegedly committed the offence on June 7, at the Chevron roundabout, Ajah, Lagos.

“While on a motorcycle, the men snatched a handbag from Mr Paul Essien which contained different types of mobile phone recharge cards valued at N157,400.

“At the same time they also

robbed Mr Barinaabie Baridam of his handbag containing recharge cards of various mobile phone networks valued at N69,100,” she said.

Aremu, the sole witness and IPO in the case had testified in the trial that police at the Chevron police station had received a distress call on the day of the alleged crime that a thief was caught by members of the public.

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Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, July 22, 2017

Features

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, July 22, 2017

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21

Circumcise your daughter or we all die! Ï M ƏƏ ƐƈƒƆ Ƈ Ƈ ƌƈƋƕ Ƒ ƐƆƗ Ƅƕ ƐƏ ƗƈƐƈ

ÏÏÏThis is a pathetic story of

Mr. Nwokoma Donald, a young Nigerian parent who is being hounded by his extended family for refusing to allow the circumcision of his daughter, an act that defies age-long tradition in the southeastern part of Nigeria, as narrated by Yusuf Odaudu in Lagos. His prologue began like this: I heard strange noise coming from his apartment at about 11:40 pm, as we share the same rented building located at No 7, Ikuomola Street, Cement Bus/stop, Dopemu, Lagos. I was alarmed because few days earlier, Donald called to tell me that he was going to travel with his family, that it was urgent.

I could feel his gasps intervening with his words as he managed to express himself. It was clear that he was in a hurry to catch up with a taxi or flight. It was quite sudden and unusual of him, but since I was still at my workplace, I couldn’t probe further. He hung up even before I could ask his destination.

I wanted to raise alarm but my instincts cautioned me not to put myself in danger. They could shoot me, if they were armed. I knew the noise couldn’t have been from the owner of the apartment who had already announced his journey few days earlier. I was transfixed in thoughts, trying to figure out the situation.

But the more I pondered and peeped through my windows in search of a familiar figure, the more the banging and screeching lingered until it disappeared faintly with some footsteps out of the compound.

The following morning, I was curious to know the cause of the noise. I went to his apartment only to find the place broken into and vandalised. I dialled his line but it was switched off. I saw a threatening note left at the threshold of the door with the words, “Anyi ka n’ebido ebido.

This is just a warning for your refusal to succumb to our age long family tradition of female

circumcision”.

I was horrified for a moment as I kept wondering what brought the strange visitors, and why they vandalised my neighbour’s apartment. Perhaps they were the group of people who kidnap people for money rituals. Weird thoughts kept popping up in my head but they weren’t close to the actual motive for that nocturnal visit. Some of our neighbours also joined in the lamentation and suggested that we should report to the police because the family might be in danger.

As we kept pondering what to do, I finally got across to Donald. I told him that his apartment has been vandalised by a mysterious group, though I wasn’t sure they took any property but they left a note; then I read out the note to him. He said the visitors came to circumcise his daughter, which was why he left the house. He narrated how the hunt to get his daughter circumcised started, and how it was an age long tradition he was running away from.

It dawned on me that Donald and his family may have been in trouble, had they not travelled a few days before the incident.

I have heard and read about female circumcision, also known as Female Genital Mutilation, and how it has gained deep roots in some cultures in Africa. No doubt, it is a barbaric practice inflicted on innocent young women. In its most extreme form known as infibulation, it can involve the removal of all external genitalia and the stitching up of the labia leaving only a very small opening for sex, urination, menstruation and giving birth. This often makes a later operation necessary to create a larger opening.

According to a report published by a non-governmental organisation on FGM – 28 Too Many, one in four Nigerian girls have undergone FGM. Some are cut as infants (16 per cent before their first birthday), and 82 per cent of women who have had FGM confessed that they were cut before the age of five.

Crude instruments of circumcision

Dr. Ann-Marie Wilson, founder of 28 Too Many, noted in the report that more than 200 million girls and women alive today have been subjected to FGM, which the World Health Organisation defines as “procedures that intentionally alter or cause injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons.”

She added that a particularly brutal operation can leave a woman with infections ranging from haemorrhage, abscesses and, sometimes, a lifelong loss of sensation during sex.

According to Dr. Wilson, “The report is a wake-up call about the reality facing grassroots activists in Nigeria.”

Other reports also indicate that there have been global objections to the practice of genital cutting by international organisations, especially as it involves circumstances that violate human rights.

Amnesty International, a human rights organisation, reports that the operation is often carried out using blunt tools -- penknives, fragments of glass or tin cans.

The Pan-African Committee on Traditional Practices estimates that two million girls in Africa undergo genital cutting each year which endangers both their health and their lives. The committee also reports that circumcised women experience chronic pain, chronic pelvic infections, development of cysts, genital ulcers, excessive scar tissue formation, infection of the reproductive system, decreased sexual enjoyment and psychological consequences such as post-traumatic stress disorder.

UNICEF has also estimated that more than 30 million girls are at risk of being subjected to FGM over the next decade.

All these human rights organisations have frowned at the fact that the victims of this barbaric practice are denied of their rights to make a choice on what affects their lives.

Those hounding Donald have attributed family mishaps, taboos and misfortunes to his refusal to FGM, and have threatened to take his life and that of

Ancient conspiracy against the girl child...

CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

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Features

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, July 22, 2017

Circumcise your daughter or we all die!

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18

his daughter whenever they are caught.

Donald has, since then, resorted to moving his family around different locations for fear of being tracked down by these predators and to avoid further contacts and anything that might endanger his life and that of his family.

The sad experience of Donald is one that would elicit pity and rage to any sentient being. Pity in the sense that he, though innocent of the customs, has been frustrated out of his country of birth. Rage in the sense that it involves an innocent young girl whose only crime is that she was born a girl.

Interestingly, the Nigerian government took a historic step in May, 2015, outlawing the practice of female genital mutilation, a move activists have described as “hugely important” in curbing the excesses associated with the custom. But until this enlightenment reaches the grass root, Donald’s daughter and other innocent young girls are still at the mercy of those predators.

There is an urgent need to increase grassroots enlightenment with a view to curb this menace, hoping that Donald Nwokoma’s daughter doesn’t become a victim of this ill wind that blows no one any good.

By ascribing mishaps, bad luck, deaths and all sorts of misfortune to uncircumcised women, the perpetrators are being driven by a strong illusion that is shrouded in falsehood and calumny, one that seeks to destroy the future of innocent young women.

Before and after circumcision changes in females Procedures used for partial or complete removal of the external female genitalia for nonmedical reasons fall under the category of female genital mutilation (FGM), also known as female circumcision or female genital cutting.

The procedures offer no health benefits and often lead to several complications. Traditional circumcisers perform these procedures, but more than 18% of these procedures are also performed by healthcare providers. The practice is illegal in most countries, but some communities still do it for many different reasons.

Although the practice is recognised internationally as a violation of rights of women, it is still practiced in more than 27 African countries, as well as Yemen and Iraqi Kurdistan, and in Asian and the Middle East.

Female circumcision before and after causes several changes in women and often create several health related issues as well.

There are different types of procedures used for female cir-

cumcision, such as clitoridectomy, excision, infibulations, and others.

Clitoridectomy involves removing the clitoris – it could be partial or complete removal.

Excision involves partial or complete removal of the clitoris as well as the labia minor.

Infibulation refers to the procedures used for the narrowing of the vaginal opening – it involves creating a covering seal for this purpose.

There are several other procedures in practice as well, including piercing, pricking, scraping, incising, and cauterizing of the genital area. There will be vast difference when you look at it.

Female circumcision before and after

Harms of female circumcision There aren’t any benefits associated with FGM; in fact, female circumcision before and after leads to several unwanted complications related to the natural bodily functions of girls and women.

Immediate effects The immediate effects include severe pain and bleeding. The girl could go into shock when no anaesthetics are used during the procedures. Female circumcision may also lead to wound infections, including gangrene and tetanus as well as bloodborne viruses such as hepatitis B, HIV, and hepatitis C. Other immediate effects include inability to urinate, damage to nearby organs, including the bowel and the urethra, and injury to vulvar tissues. FGM can also cause death.

Long-term effects Even if the girl survives the initial trauma, she has to deal with several long-term consequences of female circumcision, such as abnormal periods, chronic pelvic infections, kid-

FMG, a violation of child innocence

ney impairment, and possible kidney failure. Some other issues include damage to the reproductive system that leads to infertility, pain during sex with no pleasurable sensation, formation of cysts and scar tissue, and flashbacks during childbirth or pregnancy. In some cases, it becomes important to perform another surgery to open the lower vagina for childbirth and sexual intercourse.

Psychological harm Some women also face psychological issues, including depression, low libido, and anxiety.

FGM is an extremely difficult experience for girls and women and they carry the trauma throughout their lives. So many young women end up working with psychological counselors and often live with feelings of betrayal by parents. Even though FGM is illegal, many people still do it. Some parents take their children abroad for FGM, which is again illegal. If

caught, the offenders have to face a large fine with jail time up to 14 years.

Why is female circumcision done?

You can find several images of female circumcision before and after and understand the amount of pain women have to face during the procedures. The question is, “why do people opt for such gruesome procedures?”

People in different societies have different reasons to practice FGM, but these ‘excuses’ fall into five main categories: Psychosexual reasons: Many societies believe that FGM is a way to help women control their sexuality. Female circumcision changes how women perceive sex and intercourse. They believe that the removal of the clitoris is the only way to control a woman’s sexuality. It is also considered a way to ensure that a woman will stay virgin before marriage.

Sociological and cultural rea-

sons: Many communities think that FGM is a way to make a young girl a part of a community, and they believe that this is a step a girl takes to become a woman. Some myths in the communities also promote this practice – some believe that if left uncut, the clitoris will become as large as a penis is.

Hygiene and aesthetic reasons: Some communities believe that the external female genitalia is dirty an ugly, so they use FGM for hygiene.

Religious reasons: Many people use religious doctrine to justify this practice, but in reality, neither Islam nor Christianity sanctions FGM. Socio-economic factors: In some communities, it is obligatory for girls to undergo FGM before they could get married.

In societies where women are largely dependent on men, they have to follow the norms and go for the procedure in order to get married.

Two families feud over trader’s disappearance, fiancée, in-law’s deaths ÏÏÏTwo families – Audu and

Idenyemhin families – are currently at daggers drawn following the long battle for the return of a man believed to have fled his abode over alleged attempt on his life.

David Idenyemhin, a native of Uromi, Edo State, was reported to have fled his home in the wee hours of a fateful day towards end of March, 2016, when he reportedly sensed that his end was nigh.

It was gathered that David and one girl, Amina, were in love for some time before things went awry between the lovebirds. An uncle of David, Mr. Kingsley, who spoke with newsmen recently, claimed that the threat to David’s life compelled him to flee from the community over a year ago and no information about his whereabouts has been received.

The threat, Kingsley alleged,

emanated from the family of David’s fiancée, an allegation the later family denied.

Kingsley narrated the genesis of the feud thus: “David was dating Amina to the knowledge of everyone in the area.

But trouble started when David came home to inform us that he was having problems with his would-be in-laws.

“He said that Amina came to tell him that she was pregnant one day and that she wanted it terminated because her parents, who are Muslims, vowed never to sanction her marriage to David, a Christian.

“David told her to keep the pregnancy but the girl refused.

But on March 25, 2016, she visited David in his house. He later narrated to us that after they both had dinner, deep into the night, Amina started complaining of stomach pain. Unknown to David, the girl had, while

preparing the food, swallowed a drug meant to help her terminate the pregnancy. He saw the packet of the drug in the back pocket of her knickers.

“While David tried to take her to the hospital, the girl died on the way and the news got to her family fast. The people came to David’s house in large numbers destroying anything in sight.

David’s brother, who tried to calm them down, got a knife stab on his neck and he died moments later. They also burnt down David’s family house.

They insisted they must kill David who by then had fled the community.”

A family member of the Audus, who craved anonymity, while speaking to newsmen, rebuffed the claim that they threatened to kill David.

According to the middle-aged woman, David could not feign ignorance of Amina’s death,

David

“and naturally our family would not take that lightly. Our family knows nothing about the disappearance of David. What we want is justice,” she said.

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, July 22, 2017

Foreign News 23

Young Japanese people not having sex –Reports Bonny Amadi with Agency reports

ÏÏÏThe Japan’s National In-

stitute of Population and Social Security Research report has shown that nearly a third of Japanese people are entering their 30s without any sexual experience.

This may not be as a result of religious believe, but emotional and psychology that have taken the greater part of the populace.

Japan is currently facing a steep population decline as a growing number of youngsters abstain from sex and avoid romantic relationships, even as the Annual ‘Steel Phallus’ festival in Japan celebrates the penis.

Some men, according to the report, claimed they “find women scary” as a poll found that around 31 per cent of people aged 18 to 34 from the island nation say they are virgins.

One woman, when asked why they think 64 per cent of people in the same age group are not in relationships, said she thought men “cannot be bothered” to ask the opposite sex on dates because it was easier to watch internet porn.

The number of births dropped below one million in Japan for the first time last year, according to the country’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

Japan’s National Institute of Population and Social Security Research predicts that the country’s current population of 127 million will decline by nearly 40 million by 2065.

The fertility crisis has left politicians scratching their heads as to why youngsters are not having more sex.

Comedian Ano Matsui, 26, told the BBC: “I don’t have selfconfidence. I was never popular among the girls. “Once I asked a girl out but she said no. That traumatised me.

There are a lot of men like me who find women scary. “We are afraid of being rejected. So we spend time doing hobbies like animation. “I hate myself, but there is nothing I can do about it.”

Annual ‘Steel Phallus’ festival in Japan celebrates the penis Artist Megumi Igarashi, 45, who once made a 3D image of her own vagina, said “building a relationship is not easy”.

“A boy has to start from ask-

Japan’s Phallus-Festival celebrates the Penis ing a girl on a date,” she told the BBC. “I think a lot of men just cannot be bothered.

“They can watch porn on the internet and get sexual satisfaction that way.”

The shrinking of the country’s population – deaths have outpaced births for several years – has been called a “demographic

time bomb” and is already affecting the job and housing markets, consumer spending and long-term investment plans at businesses.

Other countries including the US, China, Denmark and Singapore have low fertility rates, but Japan’s is thought to be the worst.

Benin, Liberia lead Africa in ranking at maiden global robotics competition

ÏÏÏBenin and Liberia were

ranked highest among the 40 African countries that participated in the just ended first Global Challenge robotics competition held in the United States capital, Washington DC. The six-round maiden international robotics event saw 163 national teams including 6 continental teams made up of students from around the world competing with the common goal of increasing their knowledge of Science, Technology, Engineering, and

Mathematics (STEM).

At the end of the event on Tuesday, Benin ranked 7, followed by Liberia which ranked 12 out of the 163 participating countries for getting the most cumulative points over the course of the competition. Nigeria ranked 25.

All the participating students aged between 15 and 18 were recognised for their efforts while the top three ranked teams ,Team Europe, Poland and Armenia respectively were awarded gold, silver and bronze medals re-

spectively.

Their tasks were to build robots which will accomplish engineering tasks as a global society to solve water crisis.

Robot kits were delivered to each team in the first two weeks of March 2017.

The teams were organized into two competing alliances, each alliance composed of three national teams that rearrange into different alliances for each match.

These alliances are tasked with accomplishing engineer-

ing tasks such as the storing of drinkable water, filtering of contaminated water, and procuring of new sources water.

Among the African contingent that ranked behind Benin and Liberia were Nigeria (25), Mozambique (29), Mali (30), Zambia (32), Sierra Leone (37), Cameroon (43), and Equatorial Guinea (50).

The Gambian team – like the team from Afghanistan – were granted visa after initially being denied. They ranked 106.

Exiled South Sudan opposition chief refuses to denounce violence –mediator

ÏÏÏFormer

Vice President of South Sudan, Riek Machar Teny Dhurgon is a South Sudanese politician who served as the inaugural Vice President of South Sudan, from its independence in 2011 until his dismissal in 2013 Exiled South Sudanese opposition figure Riek Machar declined to renounce violence or declare a unilateral ceasefire and

instead demanded new peace talks outside the war-torn country, an international mediator told the United Nations on Thursday.

South Sudan descended into civil war in 2013 after President Salva Kiir fired Machar as his deputy, unleashing a conflict that has spawned armed factions often following ethnic lines.

Former Botswana President Festus Mogae, was reported to have told the U.N. Security Council that he visited Machar, who fled to Democratic Republic of Congo a year ago after fierce fighting in South Sudan. He is now being held in South Africa to stop him stirring up trouble, diplomatic and political sources told Reuters in DeRiek Machar cember.

Ethiopia’s two weeks Tax-hike protest spreads to Addis Ababa

ÏÏÏOngoing

protest in Ethiopia caused by increase in tax, has gradually spread to the country’s capital AddisAbaba.

Ethiopia is considered East Africa’s economic giant and a continental powerhouse. The government’s largely public driven investments continue to attract support from reputable international finance institutions.

Businesses in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa have been shut down as part of a tax-hike protest that has hit small and Medium scale business operators The “resistance” which started sometime last week in the wider Oromia region is said to have reached the capital with Addis Standard (AS) portal reporting that a hitherto bustling business district, Axena Tera was “eerily quiet as businesses have shut in protest of new tax hike.”

The new tax targets businesses with an annual turnover of up to 100,000 Birr (about $4,300), its is aimed primarily at boosting govern-

ment revenue. But business people insist it is over-estimated and the authorities are demanding too much.

AS described the situation which has been simmering over the past week as a case of ‘testing the streets again.’ The class of protesters are those in category ‘C’ of the taxation bracket.

The relatively peaceful and silent protest started in Oromia region which experienced some of the most violent anti-government protests last year. Reports indicate that there was security deployment in the wake of the protest Ethiopia is currently under a state of emergency rule, which is in its ninth month (it was declared in October 2016).

Its aim was to quell spreading anti-government protests in two main regions of Amhara and Oromia.

It is unclear whether there will be an extension when it expires this month. Addis Ababa, however, maintains that there has largely been a considerably durable return to peace.

Kenya August polls may be marred by over 300 lawsuits ÏÏÏIndications

have shown that Kenya’s elections scheduled to hold in August, may be marred by court cases as over 300 cases are currently before the country’s election body.

Kenya’s electoral body says it is facing more than 300 court cases from candidates, parties and civil society groups before elections on Aug. 8, raising concern about whether the disputes can be resolved in time.

President Uhuru Kenyatta will once again face his arch-nemesis Raila Odinga, a veteran opposition leader.

Kenyatta is the son of Kenya’s first president and the urbane scion of a wealthy family, while Odinga is the son of the first vice-president and a fiery populist.

Any doubts over the legality of the elections could spark protests by candidates contesting presidential, legislative or local seats. Odinga has said that the last two elections, both marred by irregularities, were rigged.

In 2007, he called for street protests, sparking ethnic violence that killed more than 1,200 people. In 2013, when Kenyan government leaders faced charges at the International Criminal Court, he went to court but much of his testimony was dismissed on technicalities.

Paul Mwangi, the head of Odinga’s legal team, said he had lost count of the number of cases they had filed against the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

They have demanded that electronic systems are foolproof and that results announced at constituency level are final to remove the possibility of tampering in Nairobi. They have also lodged a complaint saying the company printing ballot papers is too close to Kenyatta.

The first case will be decided on Friday, the second was lost on appeal and the third was won.

The government argues the legal battles are an attempt to delay the elections and pave the way for power-sharing.

“If that date is vacated, this republic will be thrown into a constitutional crisis,” Attorney General Githu Muigai said before the high court.

Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta

a

Gov. Obaseki will revive sports in Edo—Amanokha ISAAC OLAMIKAN

E

Obaseeki

do State Commissioner for Youth and Special Duties, Mika Amanokha, has given the people of the state assurance that the present administration will do all in

its power to ensure that the state returns to its hitherto pride of place in the sporting arena.

Amanokha gave the assurance in an exclusive interview with Extra Time in his office.

The commissioner averred that the Gov. Godwin Obaseki-led administration is very conscious of putting the state in the top spot of sports.

“Right before he constituted his cabinet, Gov-

Page 31

ernor Godwin Neghoghase Obaseki conducted a sports seminar where experts from all over the country and even in the diaspora contributed their input on the way forward for sports in the state.

24 “The various contributions will form the template on how the state can regain its prime position in sports.

“We are ready to face the assignment headlong to achieve the desired success, nothing will set us back.

“The sports commission is yet to be constituted, but we have an assurance that when it comes on board it will not Contd. page 25

Saturday, July 22, 2017

OKOCHA more skilful than Abedi says Weah ANDREW EKEJIUBA with Agency Report Okocha

A

ccording to Liberian legend George Weah, former Nigerian midfielder Austin Okocha is the most skillful player on the continent.

Weah compared Okocha to one of Ghana’s greatest players in Abedi Pele, saying Okocha is the most talented player on the African continent.

The former AC Milan and Chelsea

forward said ‘Jay Jay’ is more skilled and claims that he, himself, came nowhere close to the Super Eagles legend.

“Abedi is a strong player, he’s a creative player but Jay Jay is more skillful.

Even me, Jay Jay has more techniques than me,” said Weah.

“All the things that Jay Jay does on the field, we don’t even do one percent of it.

“So Jay Jay is a legend when it comes to that; he is very creative, he is very smart and he knows how to do tricks.’

‘’For me I don’t do tricks, I will score a good goal and when I am squeezed up, I know how to run around. But to put the ball on the ground and play with it, I give it to Jay Jay; he is an entertainer,” adds the 50-year-old.

Okocha, who garnered 75 caps during his illustrious career, never won the CAF African Player of Year award as he was a runner-upon two occasion.

The retired Weah is reportedly contesting to be Liberia’s next President.

Controversies trail federation elections Ben Nwachukwu, Abuja

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onsequent upon the too many confusion and incoherence in conducting elections into various boards of the sports federations in the country, athletes and managers of the game have continued in their unanimous call for the removal of Barrister Solomon Dalung as Minister of Sports.

The calls were repeatedly made at the Abuja National Stadium the supposed venue for the rerun elections onto four federations whose elections of June 13 were cancelled by Appeals Committee and Rugby Federation which did not have its election that day.

The four federations are Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Nigeria Weightlifting Federation (NWF), Taekwondo Federation of Nigeria (TFN) and Gymnastics Federation of Nigeria (GFN).

While Rugby was said to have held their election the other four federations were thrown into confusion as delegates arrived from their states only to hear without official confirmation from the ministry that there was a court injunction stopping the election without reference to the particular federation.

A board member of one of the federations, a lawyer who spoke with Extra Time on anonymity said no court will grant a blanket injunction to stop elections onto four boards as was peddled at the venue.

He said an applicant can only be granted an Order by a court in a case he is a party to which he has prayed the court to do, adding that if an applicant Contd. page 25

Minister of Youth and Sports, Barr. Solomon Dalung.

25

Controversies trail federation elections

Contd. from page 24 prays the court to stop elections onto a particular board the Order would not extend to the other federations.

“Something sinister is happening.

Minister and his directors are not here to tell us anything. Dalung himself is a lawyer but I am surprised at what is happening in his administration and in this change,” he said.

Reacting also, winner of the June 13 elections onto the Taekwondo Federation, Margret Binga, lamented what she described as wasteful spending the ministry is subjecting them to just because they want to give back to the society.

She said the money spent in the election which was cancelled without any tangible reason and the amount also spent to mobilise themselves to come

ANDREW EKEJIUBA

T

he CAF Congress on Friday in Rabat, Morocco put a seal on a number of changes proposed at a two – day symposium on African Football and which the Executive Committee approved on Thursday.

The symposium that took place on Tuesday and Wednesday at the International Conference Centre in Skhirat, outside Rabat crystallized a plethora of ideas for the African game going forward, including a 24 –nation Africa Cup of Nations finals, expansion of the youth competitions from the current 8 –team finals, moving the AFCON to June/July and a more inclusive CAF alive to, and abreast with, the dictates of new realities.

On Friday, at the Extra-Ordinary General Assembly at the Sofitel Hotel and Resorts in Rabat, CAF President Ahmad called on the African football family to unite and approach the future with determination and conviction, and to afford CAF full support in “this vast project of change.”

He also indicated that the new administration would always insist on global best practice in service, attitude and application, and in evaluating the preparedness of host nations for CAF championships.

CAF 1st Vice President Kwesi Nyantakyi, who is Chairman of the Statutes Amendment Committee, rolled out the amendments to the Statutes, which was the major business of the day, while revealing that the Executive Committee approved the introduction of a third vice president, the expansion of the Executive Committee from 16 to 23 members, the abolition of the practice of persons wearing multiple hats and the reduction in the number of standing committees from 20 to 11.

“Henceforth, the CAF Executive

for the rerun will be enough to sponsor one or two programmes.

“The judgement was really unfair because people spent time, resources and everybody is looking for a way forward. We are talking about Olympics but the year is already going. Countries have started preparing for Tokyo 2020 over eight years ago and Nigeria has not started doing anything.

Now just to get the elections of the federations done is not yet possible.

“For how many months will we continue doing this? Now people have come again, somebody has mobilised to be here and we are positive, they came again and said election has been cancelled. For what reason and nobody is here to talk to us. They want us to go back like that. I mean if we channel all these resources spent to come here to sports development in the country we will achieve something tangible,” she stated.

tee on its verdict on the former President, George Ashiru arguing that the Rules are clear about his case which bothered on his impeachment but the minister gave him another chance by asking him to meet with his board members and sort things out.

But Ashiru did not heed to the minister’s advice and never called for meeting of the board either by text, phone call or whatever means.

He accused the impeached ex-president of bad leadership that cumulated in his impeachment and added that his claim to secure the South Korea impeached sponsorship is false because the championship has been on for three years before he became president.

While Taekwondo was sulking their wounds, AFN could not hold back their call for the removal Dalung as minister of sports for wanting to impose Ibrahim

CAF endorses changes at Rabat symposium Committee will comprise of a President, 13 members, one woman, the six members of the FIFA Council (apart from the CAF President) and two co-opted members. The co-opted members, at the pleasure of the President, will also enjoy the same rights (including voting right) as the elected members, just as the FIFA Council members.

“Persons can decide to either be in the FIFA Council or the CAF Executive Committee, but cannot be in both, except for the CAF President who is automatically a FIFA Vice President. The FIFA Council will be decided this way: 2 from the Francophone bloc, 2 from the Anglophone bloc, 2 from the Portuguese/ Arabic/Spanish bloc and 1 woman, who can come from any of the blocs.

However, the bloc that produces the CAF President can only produce one more person.”

Nyantakyi also declared that the eligibility checks would now be extended to persons vying for CAF Executive Committee membership, and not only those vying for the FIFA Council. The position of CAF’s head of administration will now be known as General Secretary, instead of Secretary General.

The standing committees have

Gov. Obaseki will revive sports in Edo—Amanokha

Contd. from page 24 be found wanting.

“We’re assuring sports-loving Edo people! Our hands are on the plough and we can never turn back.

“We’re aware of the role of sports in the scheme of things. Moreover, the state is blessed with a retinue of top class sportsmen/women.

“Apart from its social value, sports also have its economic value, all of which we’ll tap on to as we go on,” he stated.

On the state owned Bendel Insurance FC, the commissioner stated that Governor Obaseki and his deputy are the number one fans of the soccer outfit “and we are confident that the players and officials of the club will tap in on this initiative to make all of us proud.”

He promised that the state will mobil-

In a related development, Olympic medalist and member of the Taekwondo Federation, Chika Chukwumerije, also lamented the attitude of organisers of the federation elections accusing them of disregarding their Elections Rules and Regulations prepared by them.

The ex-Olympian disclosed that the then Secretary General of the federation who was indefinitely suspended for anti-federation activities and there was no contrary documentation to show that it was lifted was declared ineligible to run by those in the screening committee. But when the Appeals Committee came up they said his name was wrongly substituted.

Chukwumerije insists that the decision of the committee was wrong because there was no way she could qualify to run even if she is the only candidate from the zone.

He also faulted the Appeals Commit-

ise all its materials and resources to ensure that it comes out tops in the forthcoming National Sports Festival.

CAF President Ahmad Ahmad.

BRIEFS

Al-Ahli sign Oboabona

Saudi Professional League club Al-Ahli SC have signed Godfrey Oboabona on a one-year deal. The 26-year-old Nigeria defender joins the Jeddah club after leaving Caykur Rizespor as a free agent after they were relegated from the top division in Turkey last season. Oboabona currently holidaying in Nigeria will leave to Jeddah to formally finalise the move in a matter of days. The former Sunshine Stars man spent the last four years with Caykur Rizespor. Oboabona was a member of the Nigerian men’s national team that won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.

Rivers Angels reclaim NWPL top spot

now been pruned to 11.

The Extra-Ordinary General Assembly approved the above and other amendments to the Statutes with a vote of 53-0. Tanzania was absent at the session, while Zanzibar, which

was admitted as a Member at the CAF Congress in Ethiopia in March, was stripped of its status as it was decided that the territory remains part of the country known as Tanzania.

Rivers Angels head coach, Edwin Okon has said his side have come to stay at the top-flight summit after a convincing win against neighbours, Abia Angels.

The Jewel of Rivers dismissed the Umuahia landladies 4-1 in Thursday’s Nigeria Women Premier League (NWPL) matchday 12 clash at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium in Port Harcourt. Okon said his attention has shifted to a successful completion of the season games at top-flights, Sunshine Queens next Wednesday in Akure.

Shame! LMC axe Chukwu FRANK JUMBO with Agency Report

T Obaseki

Gusau on them.

The delegates embarked on a protest march to the minister’s office but came back to the stadium disappointed.

In the same vein, Tafida Gazama leading the Northeast zone said Dalung cannot impose Gusau on them. He said Gusau has no constituency that should qualify him to contest for the president and no attempt by the ministry to impose him on the board would be accepted.

The Gymnastics Federation was not left out in the quagmire that engulfed sports federations’ elections. Supporters of Prince Kelvin Ehizogie pronounced winner of June 13 election in their war song reminded Dalung that he is minister today, somebody can be there tomorrow.

They said plot by the minister to impose somebody on them after they had conducted a free, fair and transparent election is not only undemocratic but portrays his administration in extreme bad light.

he League Management Company has suspended Enugu Rangers general manager Christian Chukwu from all Nigeria Professional Football League activities.

The order which takes immediate effect is coming a day after the club was sanctioned for the wrongful termination of Imama Amapakabo’s contract amidst reports that he was arrested.

Amakapabo who led the Flying Antelopes to win the NPFL title last season after 35 years of wait was

shown the exit door due to poor run of results - and had since demanded compensation.

“Rangers General manager, Christian Chukwu has been suspended from all NPFL activities with immediate effect pending his appearance before the Ethics Committee of the NFF,” LMC announced via twitter on Friday.

“The LMC had referred to the NFF Ethics Committee the matter of Chukwu’s conduct in the dispute resolution proceedings between Rangers and their former coach, Imama Amapakabo.

“LMC said the referral is pursuant to the provisions of Rule C17.5 of the #NPFL Framework & Rules,” it concluded.

Chukwu

Saturday, July 22, 2017

EXTRATIME

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INTERVIEW

We need sports revival in Nigeria—Omoro

Idowu Omoro is the wrestling coach in Rivers State Sports Council and in this interview with Extra Time’s ANDREW EKEJIUBA, he speaks on the just concluded federation elections and the chances of Team Nigeria at next year’s Commonwealth Games in Australia. Excerpts:

Q

“Since Eko 2012 National Sports Festival we have not had any sports festival to unearth hidden talents from the grassroots.

The Youth Games organized in Kwara State last year by the Sports Ministry was a sham!

Also, some coaches and athletes in states are on contract and these states have stopped paying them because there are no sports festivals in the offing.I want to appeal to the Sports Ministry to quickly organize the National Sports Festival to discover future Olympians in this regard.”

: Share with us your impression on the just concluded Sports Federations elections?

A:I cannot say I’m hundred percent happy but there some issues which came up in some federations which portends danger to the development of our sports. But I thank the Sports Minister for standing up to the occasion to make some needed corrections.

In Traditional Sports Federation for example, someone who never contested election as the President was declared winner, but I was glad the result was upturned and the rightful person won after a successful appeal.

In the South South Zone of the election also Dr. Manda Chidoke emerged winner but was surprisingly dropped and someone who did not win was chosen.

If we truly want sports to move forward in Nigeria, we should kick against such abnormalities. Dr. Manda Chidoke contributed a lot to the development of trado sports in the country and should be encouraged. He sponsored lots of our traditional wrestlers to many national and international competitions, so these are the people we need in TSFN. What are your expectations from the new boards of sporting federations?

I don’t have much to say about other sports but in amateur wrestling I must commend Hon. Daniel Igali for helping in the development of free style wrestling in the country.

No wonder he won his election in the Nigeria Wrestling Federation in a free and fair manner. His victory is a big plus to Nigerian sports.

Today Igali is a role model to our upcoming youths and I advise that our sports administrators should emulate him because he spends his hard earned money sponsoring our wrestlers to many national and international competitions.

Some board members of some sports federations only think of what will line their pockets and not what they can contribute to sports development.

Can you score the immediate past board of TSFN led by Mohammed Abdullahi?

I don’t want to say anything negative about the past Trado Sports board because I had a good relationship with Abdullahi’s led board. He is currently the President of Archery Federation and he supported me from 2007 till date.

He tried his best for Trado Sports and we are waiting for what the new President will do for TSFN after their inauguration.

What major changes do you expect in the organization of traditional sports in Nigeria?

I want the new board of TSFN to organize more competitions for the athletes at least to revive sports in Nigeria.

They should also reach out to Corporate Nigeria to help sponsor their programmes in this regard.

It is my suggestion that we must prepare

pay.

I want to also beg Governor Nyesom Wike to come to the rescue of our suffering coaches and athletes in Rivers State because we are ready to make the state proud in sporting competitions.

Why is it that Nigeria has remained a dumping ground for foreign sports?

The answer is simple; we are not developing and promoting our indigenous sports!

We are not serious in terms of sports development. Our trado sports supposed to be demonstrated at the All Africa Games. We should learn to transport our indigenous sports to other countries for them to be recognized.

Abula and langa are our traditional games begging for recognition worldwide.

our athletes adequately before taking them to international competitions.

Can you share with us the major problems confronting sports development in Nigeria?

We have bad administrators who are killing sports in the country with their bad and retrogressive policies and actions.

Go to South Africa, their administrators are working hard to develop their sports, but that cannot be said of Nigeria.

Since Eko 2012 National Sports Festival we have not had any sports festival to un-

earth hidden talents from the grassroots.

The Youth Games organized in Kwara State last year by the Sports Ministry was a sham!

Also, some coaches and athletes in states are on contract and these states have stopped paying them because there are no sports festivals in the offing.

I want to appeal to the Sports Ministry to quickly organize the National Sports Festival to discover future Olympians in this regard.

The Sports Minister should talk to Sports commissioners to kindly pay their athletes and coaches because a worker deserves his

Are you delighted with the efforts made by the Sports Minister, Barr. Solomon Dalung, to develop sports in Nigeria?

I’m not impressed because since he came into office our sports development is dying gradually and we need him to step up.

He should borrow a leaf from the Minister of Information, Alh Lai Mohammed who on annual bases been organizing National Festival of Arts and Culture. Everything is going on smoothly in that ministry and the same should be replicated in sports ministry.

Predict Team Nigeria’s chances at next year’s Commonwealth Games in Australia?

It will be difficult for Team Nigeria to excel because there are no competitions to unearth those athletes who will represent us well. So we should not expect any miracle!

Saturday, July 22, 2017

EXTRATIME

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ENGLISH PREMIERSHIP… ENGLISH PREMIERSHIP… ENGLISH PREMIERSHIP…

Conte hails fantastic Morata Stories by FRANK JUMBO with Agency Reports

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helsea manager Antonio Conte marvelled Friday at the “crazy” transfer fees demanded for players, though he praised 80-million-euro newcomer Alvaro Morata as a young but experienced striker with a bright future.

The Italian coach said Morata, 24, will be a “first choice” player for his squad in the upcoming Premier League season, a day after Real Madrid and Chelsea announced his transfer.

Conte hailed Morata’s experience playing with the Spanish giants and previously with Juventus in the Champions League.

“He’s a good striker.

He’s a player with the right prospect for Chelsea. He’s very young and for sure he can improve a lot,” he told a press conference on the eve of a pre-season game against Arsenal in Beijing.

Chelsea had long been linked to a move for Everton striker Romelu Lukaku but it signed Morata after the Belgian international joined Manchester United instead for a reported 85 million euros.

Asked whether the price paid for Morata was fair after he had previously warned about the spending power of Chinese clubs, Conte acknowledged that “for sure this transfer market is crazy”.

“I think if you want to buy a simple player, okay, a normal player, you have to start

Elneny turns down Leicester £10m offer

E

Morata

to think to spend 40-50 million euros, and I think this is incredible,” he said.

Reports reveal Morata passed his Chelsea medical and was expected to fly to Singapore to link up with his new teammates following their tour in China.

Arsenal had a tough week with several players hit by

Leicester reject Mahrez Roma bid

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Mahrez

Klopp hopes for Lucas return Jurgen Klopp wants Lucas Leiva to return to Liverpool at the end of his playing career. The Brazilian midfielder ended his decade-long stay at Anfield by agreeing a three-year deal at Lazio this week, having slipped down the pecking order on Merseyside. Lucas started only 12 league games for Klopp last season but the German is hoping he gets the chance to work with the 30-year-old again in the future.

Klopp confirmed Lucas requested to leave Liverpool in a bid to get more first-team football with Lazio, who finished fifth in Serie A last season.

ormer Premier League champions Leicester City have rejected an undisclosed bid from their Italian counterparts Roma for the signature of the current CAF African Footballer of the Year Riyad Mahrez.

The Foxes manager Craig Shakespeare has revealed that the club rejected the bid from The Giallorossi because it did not meet the winger’s valuation.

“I think I was quoted on the last press day that there were no bids,” Shakespeare said.

“There was a bid from Roma, I was told afterwards, so I would like to put the record straight on that one.

“It was politely declined on the basis that it was a low offer. Of what that offer is, don’t ask me how much because I don’t know and I don’t get involved in that.”

Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are also interested in snapping up Riyad Mahrez in the summer transfer window.

food poisoning in Shanghai, where they played under searing heat against Bayern Munich on Wednesday. The London team won 3-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger said 21 players were fit for today’s game, but he voiced doubts that Theo Walcott could play.

Arsenal defeated Chelsea to win the FA Cup in May, while the Blues won the Premier League title.

Stoke snap Zouma from Chelsea

S

toke City have secured the signing of Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma on a seasonlong loan deal, they announced on Friday.

The French centre-back is believed to have turned down a host of sides from around Europe, and has opted for the West Midlands club after completing a medical at the Potters’ Clayton Wood training complex.

“Kurt is undoubtedly one of the most talented young defenders in the game, so naturally his arrival will enhance our playing squad for the forthcoming campaign,” beamed Stoke manager Mark Hughes.

“He first caught my attention as a 17-year-old during his time at Saint-Etienne, and in fact, I actually tried to

Zouma

BRIEFS

Cahill: Terry is huge loss for Blues!

Gary Cahill is ready to step up and fill the leadership void left by John Terry at Chelsea, although he concedes the departure of the club great will be a “huge loss” for the Premier League champions. Terry signed for Aston Villa after leaving Chelsea upon the expiry of his contract, having made 717 appearances at the club, winning five Premier League titles, five FA Cups and the Champions League in 2012. Cahill regularly wore the captain’s armband for the Blues last season, with Terry playing a bit-part role in his final campaign, but manager Antonio Conte is yet to announce a new skipper.

gypt and Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny has turned down a move to Leicester City.

The Pharaohs midfielder has attracted interest from the Foxes and an agreement has been reached by both clubs.

However, despite a £10 million price tag that has been agreed upon, the 25-year-old player has turned down the offer opting to stay in London.

Reports reveal that Elneny is happy in London although he is not getting enough game time, but he insists he will fight for a starting spot under manager Arsene Wenger.

Arsenal initially signed Elneny from Basel for £5m in January 2016, with the right-footed midfielder making 40 appearances across all competitions for the Gunners.

However, the former Arab Contractors player is enjoying a delightful pre-season with Arsenal as they beat Bayern Munich at the International Champions Cup in Shanghai.

It is reported that the FA Cup champions are willing to part with Elneny for the right price as they have Francis Coquelin, Aaron Ramsey, Granit Xhaka and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain who can play in his position.

Newcastle complete Manquillo signing

Newcastle United have confirmed the signing of full-back Javier Manquillo from Atletico Madrid. The 23-year-old has signed a three-year contract with the Premier League club after passing a medical. Manquillo, who has travelled to link up with Rafael Benitez’s squad for their pre-season training camp in the Republic of Ireland, will reportedly cost £4.5million. Manquillo spent last season on loan at Sunderland, making 20 appearances in the Premier League under David Moyes. Manquillo follows Murphy, Florian Lejeune and Christian Atsu in joining the club in the transfer window.

sign him at that point in his career, but while that deal never materialised I am delighted to finally get the opportunity to work with him now.

“On his day he is one of the most impressive defenders in the league.”

Zouma – already a French international – has made 71 appearances for Premier League champions Chelsea and remains part of their long-term plans, but Blues boss Antonio Conte wanted him to get regular game time this campaign after suffering a serious knee injury in February 2016.

That injury – picked up against Manchester United – limited Zouma to just 13 appearances for the west Londoners last season.

Arnautovic hints at West Ham move Marko Arnautovic has seemingly confirmed his imminent transfer to West Ham by posting an Instagram message with the words “London here I come”. The Hammers confirmed that they had agreed a deal with Bayer Leverkusen to sign striker Javier Hernandez on Thursday, and are now accelerating their recruitment drive with a deal for Arnautovic. The Stoke City winger, who scored six goals and provided five assists in the Premier League last season, will join the Hammers for an initial fee of £20 million.

Arnautovic will sign a five-year deal, worth £100,000-per-week, and become the Hammers’ latest signing in a busy summer.

Saturday, July 22, 2017

EXTRATIME

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ENGLISH PREMIERSHIP… ENGLISH PREMIERSHIP… ENGLISH PREMIERSHIP…

Liverpool sign Robertson from Hull

Costa

Stories by ANDREW EKEJIUBA with Agency Reports

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‘Costa has no future at Chelsea’

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helsea striker Diego Costa was told in January that he would not feature in the Premier League club’s plans for the upcoming season, manager Antonio Conte said on Friday.

Costa scored 20 goals in 35 league appearances in Chelsea’s title-winning campaign last season amid local media speculation that he has an unfavourable relationship with the Italian manager.

The 28-year-old was left out of the Chelsea squad for the pre-season tour of Asia, starting with a game against Arsenal in Beijing today.

“In January, the Costa situation was very clear for the club, for him and his agent,” Conte told reporters.

“I don’t to like to talk about players that don’t stay here – for me the situation is closed.”

Following the game against Arsenal, Chelsea travel to Singapore next week for games against Bayern Munich and Inter Milan.

iverpool have confirmed the signing of left-back Andy Robertson from Hull City on a long-term contract.

The Scotland international has joined for an undisclosed fee that is reportedly in the region of £10million.

Robertson said: “It feels a wee bit surreal just now. Obviously I’m delighted. There’s been a lot of speculation over the last couple of weeks but I’m glad that the deal’s finally been done and I’m a Liverpool player.

“My family are proud of what I’ve achieved so far and they’re all over the moon with the move, as well as me of course. We’re all just looking forward to being part of the Liverpool family now.

“There’s not many, if any, more special clubs than Liverpool. When you grow up as a kid you dream of playing with big clubs such as Liverpool and to make that a reality is a dream come true for me.

“I just want to prove to people that I can do it at this level, and hopefully I manage to

Robertson

do that this season and go on to do good things for this club.”

Robertson made 33 Premier League appearances last season as Hull suffered relegation from the top flight.

The 23-year-old will provide competition for James Milner for the left-back slot, with the former Manchester City man having taken over as first choice for the role following Alberto Moreno’s erratic form.

Robertson is manager Jurgen Klopp’s third

Mourinho desperate for fresh blood at Man Utd

‘Benteke happy at Crystal Palace’

Benteke

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rystal Palace striker Christian Benteke insists he is “very happy” at the club despite reports Everton could try to lure him to Goodison Park.

Benteke, who struck 15 Premier League goals for Palace last season, is reportedly a target to replace fellow Belgium international Romelu Lukaku after his £75million move to Manchester United.

Everton have been one of the most active teams of the transfer window, with signings including Wayne Rooney, Jordan Pickford, Michael Keane and Davy Klaassen.

But Benteke is not planning to join Ronald Koeman’s revolution, as he is keen to stay at Selhurst Park and work with new Palace boss Frank de Boer.

“I’m very happy,” Benteke told reporters. “I want to be part of the project of the manager and I’m looking forward for this new season.

“I want to perform and to score more goals and to really help the team to reach where they want to be. Since we came back for pre-season I didn’t really want to talk, but I want to be here.

“There’s the World Cup and that’s an important aspect of being with the club and you have to perform to be part of that group.”

Mourinho desperate for fresh blood at Man Utd

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anchester United manager Jose Mourinho is desperate for reinforcements, even if it only means signing one player as the Premier League season looms large.

At the end of 2016-17, Mourinho revealed he wanted four new players, but Romelu Lukaku and Victor Lindelof are the only arrivals so far.

United have been heavily linked with Inter winger Ivan Perisic, Tottenham utility Eric Dier and Nemanja Matic, while Paris Saint-Germain full-back Serge Aurier has emerged as a possible target.

Asked about United’s transfer plans following Thursday’s 2-0 International Champions

signing of the transfer window, following the arrivals of Mohamed Salah from Roma and Dominic Solanke from Chelsea.

The club also confirmed that midfielder Kevin Stewart has moved to Hull on a threeyear deal.

The 23-year-old joined Liverpool from Tottenham in 2014 but struggled for first-team opportunities and was sent for loan spells with Cheltenham Town, Burton Albion and Swindon Town.

Cup win over Manchester City in Houston, Mourinho said: “I don’t know, I don’t know. I’m not in control of that, the credit of Lukaku, Lindelof to be here on time, the credit is not mine, it’s Ed Woodward and I thank him for that fantastic work to bring us two very important players for us.

“But we need a bit more and when you see the other teams in the Premier League, the way they get players and good players and you see the champion to buy three fantastic experienced players, City go to the market, Liverpool and West Ham get Joe Hart, Javier Hernandez and Marko Arnautovic, West Ham wow, they play to win the Premier League too so the teams

are fantastic in the market and I’m waiting for a bit more.”

Lukaku and Lindelof both impressed in the derby win against City in the United States.

Belgium striker Lukaku, who joined from Everton, made it two goals in as many matches after breaking the deadlock before Marcus Rashford doubled the lead minutes later. Lindelof – an arrival from Portuguese champions Benfica – was also assured in defence against Sergio Aguero and others.

Mourinho continued: “When I look to the team and Lukaku, Lindelof, I would like my squad to be here, my whole squad, if you manage to get one more player – I’m not even crying for two – if we get one player as soon as possible.

Ibrahimovic sends message to Red Devils

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anchester United manager Jose Mourinho said he was open to resigning Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

And the Swedish star is determined to repay the faith, sending a message to the United boss as he steps up his recovery from a serious knee injury.

Despite scoring 28 goals in all competitions, Ibrahimovic’s contract was not renewed by United after his injury in April.

But the 35-year-old striker is looking strong after posting a video lifting weights on Instagram.

Former Paris Saint-Germain frontman Ibrahimovic has also been linked with MLS side LA Galaxy as well as AC Milan and others in Europe.

Ibrahimovic

Saturday, July 22, 2017

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29

EURO TRANSFERS… EURO TRANSFERS… EURO TRANSFERS… EURO TRANSFERS…

Eremenko doping ban upheld by CAS

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SKA Moscow’s Roman Eremenko’s two-year doping ban has been upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Finland international Eremenko was banned last November after he tested positive for cocaine and its metabolites following a 2-2 Champions League draw against Bayer Leverkusen on September 14, in which he scored the equaliser.

And his appeal was rejected by CAS on Friday, meaning Eremenko will remain suspended until October 5 2018. He will be 31 when his ban expires.

A CAS statement read: “The CAS Panel found that a two-year period of ineligibility was the appropriate sanction and since the UEFA AB decision did not specify the date of

commencement of the suspension, found it proper to clarify the point and modify the UEFA AB decision accordingly, in order to confirm that the Player is suspended for a period of 2 years from 6 October 2016.”

Capped 73 times by Finland, Eremenko joined CSKA from Rubin Kazan in 2014 and helped them to the Russian Premier League title in 2016.

BRIEFS PSV defender Willems joins Eintracht

Eremenko

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I can replace Messi, Ronaldo — Rodriguez

Stories by Ben Nwachukwu with Agency Reports

N Zidane

Ronaldo staying at Real, says Zidane

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inedine Zidane has moved to draw a line under speculation Cristiano Ronaldo wants to leave Real Madrid.

The four-time Ballon d’Or winner inspired Madrid to LaLiga and Champions League glory last season but reportedly wanted out in June after Spanish prosecutors accused him of tax fraud amounting to €14.7million.

Ronaldo denied the allegations via a statement from his management company Gestifute, although his relationship with the Santiago Bernabeu fanbase – he has been singled out for boos on numerous occasions during home matches – could also be viewed as strained.

The 32-year-old is yet to join Ma-

Popoola

drid on their International Champions Cup pre-season campaign in the United States, as he rests up following Portugal’s third-place finish at the Confederations Cup. However, when Ronaldo returns, Zidane expects it to be business as usual.

“He is on vacation. He is resting and deserves it,” Zidane said.

“We will wait and when the vacation ends, he will return with us and that’s it.

“Talk to Cristiano? No, because in the end Cristiano is at Madrid and is going to stay with us and that’s it.”

Madrid will face Manchester City, Manchester United and Clasico rivals Barcelona during their time in the US.

ew Bayern Munich signing James Rodriguez has outlined ambitious plans to take over from Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as one of the world’s foremost footballers.

The Colombia international joined the Bundesliga champions this month on an initial two-year loan deal, with the option to make the move permanent in 2019.

James joined Real Madrid for a reported €70million from Monaco

Rodriguez

after lighting up World Cup 2014, but he struggled to convince Carlo Ancelotti, Rafael Benitez and Zinedine Zidane that he was worthy of a regular place in the starting line-up.

However, having rejoined Ancelotti at the Allianz Arena, the 26-year-old is now determined to establish himself as one of the game’s greats and even take over from Messi and Ronaldo, who have dominated European football for much of the last decade.

Asked if he could succeed the Barcelona and Madrid stars, James said: “Why not? They are big players. I’ll be ready for what happens in the future and improve in world football.”

James made only 13 starts in LaLiga last season, but he accepts that he is not guaranteed a place in the Bayern lineup given the talent at Ancelotti’s disposal.

“We have big players at Bayern and the competition for the team is very intense,” he said.

“I have to win my place through training hard every day. I want more minutes and more success than last season.

“It’s a unique club, with the obligation of winning trophies and I hope it continues next season.”

etro Willems has joined Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt after being cleared to leave PSV. The left-back had been given the green light to depart from the Eredivisie club’s pre-season training camp amid reports he could sign for Roma.

But it is DFB-Pokal finalists Eintracht who have snapped up the 23-year-old Netherlands international for a reported fee of €9million. “I really wanted to change to a club that gives me a good perspective and where I can play regularly,” Willems said after signing a four-year deal.

“I had very good discussions with the club management and the coach and I am convinced that I can make the next step at Eintracht Frankfurt.”

Mendy left out of Sporting friendly

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enjamin Mendy has been omitted from Monaco’s squad for their friendly match against Sporting CP as talk of an imminent move to Manchester City gathers pace.

The full-back has not been included in the 23-man group for the meeting with the Portuguese side at Estadio Jose Alvalade.

Mendy has not yet featured for the Ligue 1 champions in their pre-season matches, with the club citing his recovery from a thigh injury he suffered while on France duty in June.

However, his latest omission from the matchday squad is likely to encourage speculation that he will complete a transfer to City in the coming days, with Monaco not offering a reason for his absence.

Saturday, July 22, 2017

EXTRATIME

EURO TRANSFERS… EURO TRANSFERS… EURO TRANSFERS… EURO TRANSFERS…

30

Schar makes Deportivo switch Stories by Ben Nwachukwu with Agency Reports

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eportivo La Coruna have confirmed the signing of centre-back Fabian Schar from Hoffenheim.

The Switzerland international has joined on a four-year deal for a reported fee of €4million.

Schar is Depor’s fifth signing of the transfer window, following the arrivals of Guilherme, Gerard Valentin, Federico Valverde and Zakaria Bakkali.

“Fabian Lukas Schar has this morning, pending medical tests, become a new player for Deportivo for the next four seasons,” Depor confirmed via their official website.

“The Switzerland international plays as a central defender and comes from Hoffenheim of the Bundesliga.”

Schar joined Hoffenheim from Basel in June 2015 and was a regular starter in his first season in Germany’s top flight.

However, the 25-year-old made only seven appearances in all competitions under head coach Julian Nagelsmann in 2016-17.

Schalke hold Inter in Changzhou!

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Fans attack Serbian midfielder

S Sparta Prague bring in Mavuba

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parta Prague have completed the signing of long-serving Lille captain Rio Mavuba, who has signed a three-year deal with the club.

Mavuba had been at Lille since January 2008, with an initial loan deal at the Ligue 1 side converted into a permanent move from Villarreal at the end of the season.

The 33-year-old helped Lille to claim the Ligue 1 and Coupe de France double in the 2010/11 season, but only made 14 Ligue 1 starts last term.

New Lille coach Marcelo Bielsa has allowed Mavuba to leave the club but the former France international, who won 20 caps for his country, is already planning to return.

“We have agreed together with the Lille directors that one day I can return to play a future role within the club,” Mavuba said.

“I am really glad that the club offers me this opportunity to give back everything it has given me.”

erbian midfielder Nikola Trujic was attacked by his own supporters in the dressing room after his FK Vojvodina side lost a Europa League qualifier earlier this month, according to global players’ association FIFPro. FIFPro also demanded that Uefa open disciplinary proceedings against Vojvodina and their opponents Ruzomberok of Slovakia.

“FIFPro has today made a formal request that Uefa opens disciplinary proceedings against two clubs,

FK Vojvodina (Serbia) and MFK Ruzomberok (Slovakia), after FK Vojvodina player Nikola Trujic was attacked at a Uefa Europa League qualifying match,” Fifpro said in a statement on Friday. “Immediately after the July 6 match, in which FK Vojovdina was eliminated from the Uefa Europa League, a group of the Serbian club’s supporters was able to gain access to the away team’s changing room at MFK Ruzomberok’s stadium before intimidating and physically assaulting the player.”

Bonucci Juve move important sign—Abate

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gnazio Abate believes it is an “important sign” that AC Milan managed to snare Leonardo Bonucci from Juventus.

Bonucci’s shock €42million from Juve to San Siro was made official on Thursday, with the Italy centreback unveiled by Milan on Friday.

And speaking ahead of today’s International Champions Cup clash with Bayern Munich, full-back Abate said of Bonucci: “He’s a great player, the fact we’ve taken him from a team like Juventus is definitely an important sign.

“I’m sure he’ll give us a big hand, both with his personality and his qualities.”

In addition to Bonucci, Milan have signed striker Andre Silva and midfielder Lucas Biglia among a host of other acquisitions as they plot a return to the Champions League.

Andrea Belotti, Nikola Kalinic and Renato Sanches are some of the latest names to be linked with the club.

Coach Vincenzo Montella said: “We’re a team under construction, but not yet complete.

“I talk about this every day with the club. They’ve already had a fantastic transfer campaign.

“We have to aim for the Champions League places.

It will be long work, but we have to run quickly toward creating a team with the principles of play I have in my head.”

nter’s mixed pre-season continued on Friday as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Schalke in Changzhou.

A second-half strike from Daniel Caligiuri looked enough to give the Bundesliga side the win, but Jeison Murillo’s thunderbolt earned a draw for Luciano Spalletti’s side, who start their International Champions Cup campaign against Lyon in three days’ time.

Manchester United target Ivan Perisic played the first 45 minutes of the match, despite the persistent speculation over his future, but made little impact as a still-disjointed Inter made it a win, a defeat and a draw from three friendly matches.

Spalletti named Perisic in a strong starting line-up at the Changzhou Olympic Sports Center as he sought a response to last week’s 2-1 loss to Nurnberg.

There was little by way of goalmouth action in the opening 45 minutes, though, with Caligiuri denied perhaps the clearest opportunity by Yuto Nagatomo’s timely intervention from Weston McKennie’s cross.

Spalletti made a handful of changes at half-time, including replacing Perisic with Joao Mario, and Inter certainly looked the stronger of the sides in the early part of the second half.

Stevan Jovetic fired a shot straight at Alexander Nubel from point-blank range before Marcelo Brozovic rippled the side-netting with a free-kick from 20 yards out.

Just before the hour mark, however, Schalke snatched their lead.

A fine run from Bernard Tekpetey ended with him sliding the ball into the path of Caligiuri, who cut inside past Nagatomo’s sliding challenge and fired low past Samir Handanovic.

Gabriel Barbosa swiped at thin air when attempting to reach a promising throughball but Inter found their equaliser soon afterwards thanks to some brilliance from Murillo.

Nubel made a brilliant save to stop Pablo Insua turning Nagatomo’s cross into his own net but, despite continued Inter pressure, there was to be no winner.

Saturday, July 22, 2017

EXTRATIME

31

SPECIAL FEATURE

CAF: Rebranding Africa’s women football!

Samuel Ahmadu

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Super Falcons’ goal poacher, Desire Oparanozie in action during the 2016 AWCON tourney in Cameroon.

“African female sides hardly attend local, let alone international friendlies due to lack of funds, and its little wonder that many ultimately fail to impress at major tournaments. The decline has had its consequences, with a drop in participating nations - from 24 to 19 - for the U20 Women’s World Cup qualifiers this term.”

even months ago, the 12th African Women’s Nations Cup took place in Cameroon. The women’s game appeared to have made a huge leap on the pitch, but with prize money negligible, the players are still competing for little more than pride.

African players are still facing stigma and misogynistic abuse.

Players abandon the African leagues for overseas’ clubs owing to cultural factors and neglect, and that “the problem is lack of sponsorship, motivation, poor welfare, and belief that we can never make a difference with our talents,” says Tobiloba Windapo, an Equatorial Guinea international based in Nigeria.

African female sides hardly attend local, let alone international, friendlies due to lack of funds, and its little wonder that many ultimately fail to impress at major tournaments. The decline has had its consequences, with a drop in participating nations - from 24 to 19 - for the U20 Women’s World Cup qualifiers this term.

The participants of the African Women’s Nations Cup in Ghana gets a paltry $250,000 – in contrast to the $16,400,000 the men’s winners will receive for the next AFCON in Cameroon in 2019.

It’s an ugly trend which, as South Africa’s Hilton Fran Smith said, could be best fixed by “making it a yearly event, not every two years, and the organising of the women’s club championship - where the best clubs in each country can compete like the men’s CAF Confederation Cup and CAF Champions League for attractive prize money.

“FIFA gives CAF

a lot of money for the development of women’s football which should be used to support national teams, national leagues, and continental women championships.”

Seconding Smith, Nigeria Women Football League chairperson Aisha Falode affirmed that Africa’s football organising body must fulfill their broader responsibilities towards the women’s game.

“CAF can greatly help the women’s game by creating a distinctive version of Africa’s U17 and U20 tournaments - as is the case with the men’s - and there must be an expansion of the AWCON beyond the present eightteam tournament.

“CAF must work hard to reverse the trend that has seen no African country host a Women’s World Cup at any level to date, and we are the only continent without any age-grade championships for women.”

In addition to the shortage of investment, alleged looting at the FA level also appears to be a problem.

The state of grassroots football is nothing to write home about, with a Cameroonian magazine - to cite one example - arguing that the stagnation of their women’s game was due to internal wrangling within FECAFOOT officials over the use of FIFA’s $250,000 (120 million CFA) annual grant. Like Cameroon, Nigeria, considered to be the destination for players in the sub-Saharan region, has endured years of financial starvation over the last decade.

This is one major reason for the decline of the women’s game in Nigeria, as a “lack of appropriate funding and sponsorship appear to be at the heart of the impediments to run a virile women’s league in the country,” added Falode.

There is one ray of hope on the

horizon, however, with Falode’s board recently securing 10-million naira’s worth of Aiteo sponsorship for the women’s Federation Cup “Transparency and proper process, as well as well-defined league calendar and structure, are now in place and we’re convinced that, with sponsors, the league’s rebirth will be completed.”

Likewise, Isha Johansen, Sierra Leone FA president and chairperson for Africa women’s football committee, is leading by example.

Apart from reviving the neglected age-grade national teams and domestic league, she has pledged to lead the campaign for gender equality on the continent.

Like Lewes FC of England, Johansen, the only female CAF executive member, is fast banishing gender inequality by disbursing 30million leone to each regional FA for the inauguration of a regional women football league.

“I want to use the next few years to actually place women at the forefront of decision-making in the game, in a manner that will acknowledge the impact and potential that women have,” Johansen said during the 2017 International Women’s Day. “I want to pioneer that voice.

“FIFA has given us a voice. CAF is giving us a voice. A voice is good, but an effective, meaningful voice is what I crave,” she added. “Isha Johansen stands for a loud voice for the interests of women en route to building a veritable football culture in Africa.”

Ultimately, as some of the aforementioned figureheads demonstrate, women’s football stakeholders ultimately desire respect, more sponsorship and key administrative roles from Africa’s patriarchal continental and national football bodies.

Culled from goal.com

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Business Times Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, July 22, 2017

Dividends: What investors need to know

Page B2

Galadima Abednego emerges as NAAPE new President Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo Engineer Galadima Abednego of Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) Zaria, has been elected as the new president of the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) in an election held yesterday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital.

Engr Galadima beat Engr Roland Ahmed Maikudi of Aero Contractors with 41 votes, scoring 56 while Maikudi scored 15 votes. The third contestant for the President position scored 2 votes and 3 votes were void.

Engr Adebayo Oluyemi was also elected as the new Deputy President while Richard Allison and Captain Yakubu Ducas were elected as National Vice President (Engineers) and National Vice President (Pilot) respectively.

Speaking shortly after the inauguration of the new exco in Port-Harcourt, Engr Galadima said that by the grace of God, he would become a good servant leader of NAAPE, adding that he is going to hit the ground running.

The new President said issues affecting NAAPE members will be immediately resolved.

“I want to appreciate each and everyone who participated. I congratulate the out going President and the planning committee of the delegate conference. We are going to promote excellence in the industry through NAAPE Voice. We will also use it to generate revenue for our union.

We will continue with the great works of the past exco”.

Galadima who immediately announced the appointment of Mrs Kyola Dyaji as the new women commission leader said the lady will see to the affairs of female Pilots and Engineers.

BUSINESS TIMES Business Editor Ganiyu Obaaro

Deputy Business Editor Azubike Nnadozie Asst. Business Editor Simon Ugwu Capital Market Editor Bonny Amadi

Exploring Nigeria’s tourism potential Page B3

Motolani Oseni The sharp drop in the country’s oil revenue, which has forced the Federal Government to continue raising money in the nation’s local debt market, has contributed to the 1.6 per cent recorded in the market’s total assets in May, 2017; figures obtained from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) latest economy report for May has revealed.

In our fact findings, Daily Times notes that the FG recorded no less than N2.5trillion, in a bid to fund its 2016 budget deficit through effective tax revenue, local and international borrowings.

According to the report, the total assets rose to N11.5 trillion for the month under review, as against a 3.3 percent decline in April.

The growth in money market

Nigeria playing leadership role in aviation world – ICAO President Page B8

How local borrowing hiked FG’s debt by 1.6% in May – Report assets, according to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in the May monthly economic report, was equally fuelled by outstanding commercial papers (CP) in the financial system.

“The total value of money market assets outstanding at end-May 2017 stood at N11,540.84 billion, showing an increase of 1.6 per cent, as against the 3.3 per cent decline in the preceding month.

The development was attributed to the 1.4 and 1.7 per cent increase in FGN Bonds and commercial paper outstanding, respectively,” the report stated.

Total amount offered, subscribed to and allotted were N140.00b, N161.9b and N110.00b,

respectively. There was no maturity and allotment on a noncompetitive basis in the period.

The bid rate ranged from 15.75 to 18.56 per cent, while the marginal rates for the 5-, 10-, and 20-year bonds were 16.30 per cent, 16.30 per cent and 16.30 per cent, respectively. The bid-to-cover ratio was 1.97.

Commercial Paper (CP) outstanding held by commercial banks stood at N0.49 b at end-May 2017, indicating a 1.7 percent increase above the value of N0.48 billion at the end of the preceding month.

The development reflected the increase in investment in CP by the merchant banks during the re-

view month. Thus, CP constituted 0.0042 per cent of the total value of money market assets outstanding during the review period, same as in the preceding month.

Growth in monetary aggregates for the month under review relative to the levels at end-April is despite the tight monetary policy stance of the Nigerian economic regulator.

The report indicated the narrow money supply (M1), which includes currency in circulation with nonbank public and those in current accounts, rose by 4.4 percent, on a month-on-month basis, due to increase in current accounts deposits in the month under review.

L-R: Chief Marketing Officer, Sterling Bank, Mr. Henry Bassey; Acting Head, Consumer Protection Council, Lagos Office, Susie Onwuka; National Lottery regulatory Commission Manager, Ita Calix and Manager, Akintola Williams Deloitte, Vincent Omobolaji, during the first draw of the Sterling Savings Reward Scheme, in Lagos on Thursday.

Why AMCON took over Gateway Portland Cement

Azubike Nnadozie

Hon. Justice A.T. Mohammed of The Federal High Court Abeokuta Division, Ogun State, on Wednesday granted an injunction against Gateway Portland Cement Limited and Dr. Olumuyiwa Odegbami on the application of Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON).

As a result of the court order, AMCON’s Receiver, Mr. Charles Adeogun-Phillips has formally and successfully taken possession of Gateway Portland Cement Limited factories and facilities located in Abeokuta and Mowe areas of

Ogun State over a debt profile of nearly N3billion. The debt has been a subject of litigation for some time now.

The court in the ruling restrained the Gateway Portland Cement Limited and the promoters whether by themselves, their agents, privies, or whosoever howsoever from moving, into the firm, withdrawing money from or with any bank or financial institutions that hitherto does business with the cement company excluding in Nigeria pending the hearing and determination of the suit to be filed by the applicants for recovery of its outstanding debts.

The order also restrains Gateway Portland Cement Limited and the promoters by themselves, their agents, servants and, or their privies from interfering with or otherwise obstructing or frustrating the Receiver appointed by AMCON in performing his duties. Gateway Portland Cement Limited and the promoters were therefore directed to deliver to the Receiver appointed by AMCON all the charged assets of the company in their possession forthwith.

To ensure that the court order is carried out as directed, Hon. Justice A.T. Mohammed directed the Inspector General of Police,

the Assistant Inspectors General of Police, the Commissioners of Police in charge of any location where the pledged assets of Gateway Portland Cement Limited might be found to assist the bailiff and the AMCON Receiver, Mr. Charles Adeogun-Phillips in the enforcement of the order.

AMCON under the current management team lead by its Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Ahmed Kuru, has continually maintained that there would be no rest for recalcitrant debtors of the Corporation like in the case of the promoters of Gateway Portland Cement Limited.

Business News B2

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, July 22, 2017

Dividends: What investors need to know Bonny Amadi There is no doubt that investors in the Nigerian capital market are currently enjoying the euphoria of harvesting from their investments in companies through payment of dividends and issues of bonus shares in some cases.

However, some investors are caught unawares in the distribution of dividend payments, such investors buy shares of companies that have declared dividend with the aim of benefiting from the dividend, but before end up selling same shares before the ex-dividend date.

Others have hopes of receiving the dividend from a dividend paying company, but when dividend pay cheques are released, their cheques would be missing.

Dividend declaration, dividend payment, closure of registers and ex-dividend dates have been identified as some key issues that have been identified as source of concern to many investors.

In its review and prospects for the capital market in 2017, released recently, Nigeria’s leading investment company, Afrinvest West Africa remained optimistic on earnings from investments in the capital market.

“We remain optimistic on corporate earnings for 2017” the investment outfit forecasts Earnings Per Share (EPS) to grow by 18.5 per cent for companies within its coverage” the company pointed. These earnings are tied to both price appreciation and dividend payments.

Meanwhile, some challenges identified in reaping from investments include, Buying shares before dividend payment and selling after closure of companies registers Market expert, Jack Maverick writing for Investopedia gave insight into this practice, said that such dividend chase is not rewarding to the investors, hence the dividend paid is also deducted from the company’s equity price after payment, as marked down price.

He narrates that many years ago, unscrupulous brokers engaged in a sleazy sales tactic where they bought stock for their clients just before the dividend was paid and sold right after. These brokers would tell

dividend. If you sell your shares on or after this date, you will still receive the dividend.

Mounir Gwarzo their clients to purchase shares in a particular investment that would supposedly offer profits from an upcoming dividend.

In theory, he said, this may seem like a sound investment strategy, but it is nothing more than an illegal marketing scheme. For example, if Company A is trading at N20 a share and is about to offer a N1 dividend and you hurry to buy a share before the ex-dividend date, you would receive the dividend on the dividend payment date and make an easy 5 per cent return.

In actuality, however, the company’s stock price would decrease on the ex-dividend date by about the same amount of the dividend to eliminate this form of arbitrage. So, if you purchased stock before the ex-dividend date, you would get the $1 cash dividend, but this would be offset by the simultaneous $1 drop in the stock price.

Thus, buying a stock before a dividend is paid and selling after it is received has absolutely no value except a partial return of the capital invested in the stock in the first place.

To make things worse, Maverick said, dividends create a tax liability, meaning you’ll have to claim the dividends as

taxable income on the following year’s income tax return. Waiting to purchase the stock until after the dividend payment may be a better strategy because it allows you to purchase the stock at a lower price without incurring dividend taxes.

Buying stocks before dividend date and selling afterwards Some investors buy shares before dividend declaration date and shortly after declaration, sell their shares. In such case, the investor recorded increase in the share prices which caused by higher demand for the shares in order to benefit from dividend declared.

In some instances, gain made on price growth is higher than dividend declared and not subjected to withholding tax. Some investors have made great wealth from this form of speculative investing, it is however risky.

But for a dividend targeted investors, if you sell before the ex-dividend date you will not receive a dividend from the company. The ex-dividend date is the date that the company has designated as the first day of trading in which the shares trade without the right to the

If a shareholder is to receive a dividend, he or she needs to be on the company’s records on the date of record. When you purchase shares, your name does not automatically get added to the record book- this takes about three days from the transaction date.

Therefore, if the date of record is August 10, you must have purchased the shares on August 7 to receive a dividend.

This would make August 8 the ex-dividend date, as it is the date directly following the last date on which you could get a dividend.

However, this is not necessarily a negative thing. Remember that a company’s shares will trade for less than the dividend amount on the ex-dividend date than they did the day before.

For example, imagine shares in a company are trading at $50 and the company announces a dividend of N5. Investors who hold the shares past the ex-dividend date will receive the N5; investors who sell before the exdate will not.

But all is not lost: shares in the company will fall by roughly the amount of the dividend, to N45, or there will be an arbitrage opportunity in the market. If shares didn’t fall as a result of dividend payments, everyone would simply buy the shares for N50, get the N5, and then sell their shares after the ex-dividend date, essentially getting N5 free from the company.

Dividend Declaration date The first date of importance when it comes to dividends is the declaration date. This is the date on which a company makes an announcement specifically to shareholders, as well as to the market and the general public through financial news outlets,

that the company will be paying a dividend .This date is usually several weeks in advance of the scheduled dividend. The announcement ordinarily reads something like, “On April 1, 2014, the company will pay a dividend of $_ to shareholders of record as of March 15.”

Ex-dividend Date The ex-dividend is the date that actually determines which stockholders receive the dividend payment. To qualify to receive the dividend, stockholders must have purchased the stock prior to the ex-dividend date.

On the ex-dividend date, usually at the market open, the stock is declared as being without dividend. The stock’s closing price quote from the previous day and any pending buy or sell orders for the company’s stock are reduced by the amount of the dividend.

Date of Record The date of record, which occurs two business days following the ex-dividend date, is the date when the company examines its records to determine all stockholders who are officially eligible to receive the dividend payment.

The time between the ex-dividend date and the date of record exists to comply with the three day settlement rule governing stock transactions. It is the ex-dividend date that actually determines who qualifies to receive the dividend.

Since the date of record is stated in the announcement of the dividend, the ex-dividend date can be determined by looking for the date two business days prior to the record date.

The ex-dividend date can also clearly be identified by an X appearing next to the stock symbol on that date.

The dividend payment date, the date when the company actually dispatches the dividend payment to stockholders, is typically within two to four weeks after the date of record.

Summary of trading activities on NSE ASI

34,020.37

DEALS

4,516.00

VOLUME

378,187,544.00

VALUE

5,112,133,920.18

CAP

11,725,144,418,686.4

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, July 22, 2017

B3 Tourism

Exploring Nigeria’s tourism potential Stories By Ebere Chibuzor Summer is here again, and Nigerians are expectedly already visiting foreign embassies in large numbers in their quest to obtain visas to overseas’ countries for one reason or the other.

While changing their wardrobes is the priority of most of these Nigerians, also catching some fun at the tourist attractions of their destinations is another vital item of their trips.

Interestingly, they pay to visit the tourist sites, which in Nigeria, are free of charge and to a large extent, neglected.

Consequently, while these foreign tourist centres and their owners are smiling to the banks, their Nigerian counterparts are begging for funds, as well as, attention.

However, there are indications that huge patronage for the local tourism industry could happen if only the sites could be developed to meet international standards.

With the advent of oil boom in Nigeria, the focus of revenue generation in the economy had shifted from cash crops to the “ black gold”,- crude oil.

This created a mono-product economy. But with the fluctuation in the oil market and attendant fears that Nigerian’s wells might dry up soon, the authorities decided to look for alternative sources of revenue generation.

Luckily, this campaign has been taken to the next level by President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration. The government’s campaign for the diversification of the economy so as to generate more money in the econ-

omy, has besides agriculture and mineral resources, emphasized Tourism.

Tourism would place Nigeria at par with other African countries like South Africa, Ghana and Kenya, which are already boosting their reserves from the product.

Recently, the Chairman of the Airline Operators of Nigeria, Mr. Nogie Meggison paid a courtesy visit to the Director General, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Mr. Folorunsho Coker at the Tourism Corporation’s headquarters in Abuja, in a bid to promote domestic tourism in Nigeria; and encourage Nigerians to spend their holidays or weekend breaks within Nigeria.

Coker expressed his readiness to form a strong synergy with Airline Operators of Nigeria to ensure development and promotion of the Nigerian Tourism industry.

NTDC boss said the key component to tourism, which according to him are travel, accommodation and entertainment/ hospitality, would be explored with the airlines, hotels, car hire services, tour operators and others to bring out affordable package tours to encourage Nigerians to tour Nigeria.

The NTDC boss, who also called for a conscious investment in the promotion of domestic tourism, however appealed that in the value chain of tourism, state and local governments and the private sector should work together and be ready to drive the market with a new brand: TOUR NIGERIA. Sadly, lack of funding by the government has been advanced by critics as reason the vast natural and cultural heritage

Lai Mohammed, Information minister remained hampered for several years.

However, observers say that tourism deserves to be given the same attention as oil and gas for the diversification for Nigeria product project to be meaningful.

For some people, if the hidden treasure in the Tourism sector were to be to maximum potential, they would not only generate revenues, but create jobs for the army of unemployed youths, and curb crimes.

For instance, if the numerous tourist sites in the northern parts of the country were developed enough to create gainful employment for the locals, perhaps insurgency would not have been an option for the youths.

They reasoned that the government has started the campaign in earnest for Nigeria to advance it’s economy by emulating countries, such as ,South Africa and Ghana in patronizing domestic tourism. Ghana and South Africa have both immensely invested in tourism, after which they handed it over to the private sector

to manage, to ensure that these natural endowments are harnessed.

Today, it was learnt, these two African countries have started enjoying the dividends of their Tourism adventures.

The former Director General, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Mrs. Sally Mbanefo has pointed out that, although, Nigeria has a better advantage over many other countries, but it is not fully benefitting from her tourism potential.

Mrs. Mbanefo, who made the observation in

Enugu, Enugu State capital during the 2015 World Tourism Day tagged: “1 Billion Tourists, 1 Billion Opportunities,” was optimistic that the sector would get its needed attention in years to come.

With population advantage and 10 per cent contribution to global economy, Mrs. Mbanefo stated that, for tourism to thrive in Nigeria, government should lay more emphases on privatisation.

The then NTDC boss had said that, the corporation, under her administration, would ensure practical development and promotion of domestic tourism, explaining that such step would propel job creation, develop the nation’s economy, as well as, raise social awareness on cultural preservation among others.

Today, the Nigeria government has provided an enabling environment for interested foreign investors and private individuals to invest in the country’s tourism industry for sustainable and profitable returns. To that effect, the government has adopted a number of incentive, strategies and is ready to provide infrastructure fa-

cilities.

Historically, Nigeria has about 700km of unpolluted sandy beaches, eight national parks and about 10 game reserves. The National Parks include, Chad Basin located in Borno and Yobe, which covers about 2,258 square kilometres; Cross River Bashi-Okwongo and Oban Forest Reserves, which cover about 4,000 square kilometres; Gashaka- located at Adamawa and Taraba States, about 6,731 square kilometres-known as, Nigeria’s most ecologically diverse conservation area. Kainji located in Borgu and Zuguma Game Reserves in Kwara and Niger States, as well as, the Kainji Dam, located on about 5,382km2 area. Furthermore, there is a Kamuku Park located in Kaduna, about 1,121km2; Okumu, in Edo state-about 2,513km2; Old Oyo, located in Oyo and Kwara, which covers about 2,512km2: it is easily accessible , rich in plants, animals and cultural resources; and Yankari Game Reserves in Bauchi, covering about 2,244km2.

Yankari is the most popular Reserve in Nigeria, because of it’s beauty, size and accessibility.

Zuma Rock

Akwaaba ‘2017’ set to honour top 100 African women in tourism As part of its efforts to encourage women in tourism, 100 African women in tourism will be recognized at the forthcoming 13th Akwaaba African Travel Market.

This was disclosed by the organizer of Akwaaba African Travel Market, Mr Ikechi Uko in Lagos recently. According to Uko, nominations officially opened on the 12th of July for the world to nominate best female promoters of travel and tourism in Africa, the pioneers, the leaders and the stars.

The women in tourism recognition will take place at the 13th AKWAABA African Travel Mar-

ket at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island Lagos.

Tourism is the biggest employer of labour globally and as Africa with its large female population seeks to grow in tourism, there is a need to grow the population of women in Tourism Business.

The session, themed: ‘Women in Tourism; Challenges and the Future’ will discuss the various challenges facing women in tourism and moves towards curbing these challenges for now and the future.

According to UNCTAD reports, ‘’an interesting fact revealed in the report, is that more than 30% of businesses in Africa are run by women, and 36% of the con-

tinent’s tourism ministers are women, the highest number in the world’’ globally, the proportion of women participating in tourism at decision making level is low, especially considering the high number of women working in the lower and entry levels.

Recently, the South African Tourism Minister launched a campaign to increase the proportion of women in tourism management positions to 30% in the next five years, as it currently stands that less than 20% of women in tourism business are in management positions. Saying “Women need to be exposed to professionals and entrepreneurs

that have become a success in the industry, In order for more women to be involved, support structures need to be established, guest’s speakers shared business tips and urged women to rally behind a common goal in order to strive in the industry’’.

In Nigeria and Ghana there have been a rising number of female operators in the tourism environment, with the rising population of women over the male population in Africa, a lot can be achieved when they come together, this session will serve as mentorship and empowerment for women in tourism to learn skills and ways to thrive in this

very challenging but lucrative business of tourism. With the rising population of women over the male population in Africa, a lot can be achieved when they come together.

The Women in Tourism Conference is therefore going to deliver; mentorship, empowerment, networking and partnership within the tourism business environment. Expected participants are; Women in tourism business from all over Nigeria and various countries such as; Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, Gambia, Togo, UAE, Tanzania, Liberia, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa among others.

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, July 22, 2017

B 4 Tourism Personality

How my father promoted religious Stories By Ebere Chibuzor

What are the effect of contact with Europeans on your family?

Chief Sunday Chiadiaro Nnochiri is the PresidentGeneral of Uzuakoli Ancient Kingdom which is made up of eight autonomous communities in Abia State. In this interview with Ebere Chibuzor, the retired Superintendent of Police relates how his father brought Christianity to Uzuakoli, which gave him the rare privilege of being the first Uzuakoli man to step into the European soil as far back as 1925. Excerpts: You are the PresidentGeneral of Uzuakoli Ancient Kingdom. Can you tell us a little bit The story of advent of Christianity in Nigeria and the abolishment of evil practices of traditional worship and rites could not be complete without the mention of my father-the late Chief Peter Nnochiri Alabeke of Ndagbo Eleuoma Uzuakoli.

He paved his way to affluence, high repute and super-stardom when he chose to embrace the early European missionaries.

The British Missionaries founded the Methodist Church of Nigeria, which today is known as Dodd’s Methodist Church Uzuakoli in 1910. My father became one of the first converts and distinguished himself and led others to establish the Methodist Church of Uzuakoli. Providence and dint of hard work smiled on him as the trader found favour with the contacts from the United Kingdom(UK), a destination he sailed to in a steam ship, and the journey took him one and a half months while his contemporaries roasted in scotching sun in the farms. By the adventure, Chief Nnochiri became the first man to travel to Europe in the whole of old Bende area of now Abia state as far back 1925, immediately after the end of the slave trade. The man’s early contact with Europeans changed his outlook to life, taste

The late Alabeke

and lifestyle and thinking. The custodian of law and order on his returned from UK brought all the materials, from slate to ceiling with which he built his brick house in rare aristocratic architecture, the first of its kind around to keep alive the memories of the Europe business and religious tourism. His exposure to the British way of life and new belief system worked him into the hearts of most colonial leaders and he was installed as customary court Judge in the whole of Bende. The customary court judge in 1914 married his first spouse the late Ma Ruth Nnochiri but he had to take on more wives by design and default as his popularity and authority soared. The church later gave birth to some other Missionary schools such as Dodd’s nursery and primary school

Domestic Tourism Destinations

Alabeke’s son and others.

How about the church, is it still functioning now?

From what my late fatherChief Peter Nnochiri Alabeke who was one of the first converts said and from what I read in the literature on the church, the church was founded in Uzuakoli around 1910. The Methodist Church was founded in the United Kingdom, and spread and came into Nigeria. But now the Nigerian team has carved out Methodist Church Nigeria.

However, the Headquarters of the Church around this area is called Dodd’s Cathedral Uzuakoli and that is where I worship and it has branches all over the place.

The Church was actually brought to Uzuakoli by the early

British missionaries led by one Rev Dodd. But when they came down here my father was one of the first converts and he stood out to lead the others to actually found the church. So my father was one of the major pioneers, if not the principal pioneer of the Methodist Church in Uzuakoli in 1910.

Apart from church, what else does your father do?

Well, apart from my late father’s activities and exploits in the church, he used to be the most prominent trader during his days in the early 1920s when he was trading with Europeans who had shops all over here. His relationship with the European encouraged him to travel to the United Kingdom precisely in 1925, immediately after slavery.

We are known as the children of Nnochiri Alabeke. We stand out in anything that is being done in Uzuakoli. We are looked at as Aristocrats. There are two prominent Nnochiri Families in Uzuakoli: the Nnochiri Alabeke and Nnochiri Ulo-elu. My father was the first person to go to Europe in Uzuakoli and in fact then old Bende; and the other Nnochiri was the first person to build a storey building in Uzuakoli. So my family is outstandingly known as the Family of Nnochiri Alabeke .

Now by virtue of being associated with Nnochiri Alabeke, we stand out in anything that is being done in Uzuakoli, in the society we standout, we’re quite distinct, we are looked at as Aristocrats. Nnochiri Alabeke died on June 2. 1980,at the glorious age of 97 years, He had about 22 wives and was blessed with so many children who are all educated and successful in varied fields of endeavour, living in Nigeria and Diaspora. We the children of late Peter Nnochiri Alabeke, we are known as the Aristocrat family. We are standout. We are known with integrity, and I have chaired so many positions in my town. I have never lived abroad in my early days but I do travelled and come back. But for my children they all lived abroad and these stated from the early exposures from my father which I and my siblings still want to maintain. We are kings makers but not kings. Personally, I have been honoured with four traditional titles: Nnanyereugo I of Uzuakoli Ancient Kingdom; Ochiaghia-Ochiulo of Eluama Autonomous Community; Ebubechinyere I of Ndiagho Ozuitem Autonomous Community (grandfather’s place) and Ezi Enyi of Elugwu Akanu Item

“To ensure true and rapid development and promotion of tourism in Nigeria, with domestic tourism as a catalyst, we must consciously infuse tourism interest in the minds of the young ones, right from their primary school days.

SULTAN BEACH: A breath-taking relaxation centre for lovers Sultan Beach is located in the heart of Badagry, a suburb area of Lagos. Despite the availability of beaches such as Lekki Beach, Bar Beach, Tarkwa Bay, Elegushi Beach located in the high-brow Victoria Island and Lekki axis; Sultan Beach has been able to attract quite a number of visitors in recent times.

Visitors to Sultan Beach will, no doubt notice the difference between the beach and other beaches in Lagos State. First is the environment, as the beach is located in the coastal town of Badagry, west of Lagos. It looks clean, homely and is attractively set in an area surrounded by and the Republic of Benin, Sultan Beach is accoconut trees, giving an ambience of a coastal area. cessible through the Lagos-Badagry expressway.

Lying about 20 miles towards the border of Nigeria

FARM CITY CENTRE: A Haven for tourists, shoppers with Class Farm City is one of the hospitality centres that are making waves in Lagos State. It is not only recognized as attractive but one of the well patronized spots in the city due to the serenity of its environment.

Located at a good vantage point at Lekki Phase 1, by Admiralty Way, near Lekki Roundabout in Lagos State.

A unique place for tourists, Conferencing and Entertainment: New Berries Park

Despite all the Parks in Enugu City, New Berries Park remains standout. It is located at Enugu Museum Centre; New Berries Park has been able to attract quite a number of visitors and customers in the recent times.

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Business Review B5

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, July 22, 2017

Local content, others, as priorities in ICT industry development

The Information Communication Technology sector has been growing in leaps and bounds up until 2017, with government and stakeholders clamouring for local content development and buy made in Nigeria products, among others, writes TONY NWAKAEGHO Despite the economic recession that the country is contending with at the moment, there has been divergent views on the leeway to get the nation from this logjam. One of the sectors which the government has envisioned for this task is the Information Communication Technology (ICT) sector which has been viewed as the next cash cow for the development of the nation’s economy and Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

ICT stakeholders believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel if certain critical measures are put in place by government to drive development of the industry.

Government on its part has identified that the ICT sector can only grow when it factor on the development of Nigerian Local Content and full patronage of made in Nigeria goods, among others by both private and Ministries Departments and Agencies,(MDAs).

The Nigerian local content law in ICT The President, Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Mr. Olusola Teniola, said local content must be a priority in 2017 for the ICT industry in general and that government should further collaborate with industry, civic society and academia to find the best fit for Nigeria in ensuring that capital flight is minimised in the areas of software, digital content and data hosting.

Stakeholders at different fora have also expressed their discontent over importation of items like switches and routers by telecoms operators, insisting that such items could be manufactured locally in the country, if the right policies are put in place, and supported with proper implementation strategies for them to be patronized in the country.

Dr. Danazumi Ibrahim, Director General of NOTAP, recently disclosed while inaugurating the workshop committee comprising of teams from NOTAP, NITDA and CWG in Abuja aimed at sensitizing Nigerians and various stakeholders on the need to build capacity to develop software locally that can favourably compete with foreign software, that this would drastically reduce dependence on foreign software and capital flight, which is one of the bane of Nigeria’s seemingly poor economy.

The DG NOTAP said that before Nigeria can reduce the hold of foreign partners, the country must be prepared to develop more capacity by pulling resources and competences together productively.

The Chief Executive Officer of Teledom Group, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem remarked that “the economy is down with recession and the best way to move Nigeria out of recession is for government to develop her local content law by encouraging locally developed products and their patronage. If this is achieved, it would not only create jobs, but also boost GDP growth as well as the Nigerian economy.”

He therefore insisted on patronage, protection, projection and promotion of the Nigerian local content development. To achieve this, Ekuwem said government must put the right policies in place and ensure full implementation of such policies across boards.

“What Nigeria needs at the moment is a general consumer content law that will drive local content development in the ICT sector,” Spectrum licensing Commenting on the issue of spectrum allocation and sales, Teniola said the ICT industry needs further allocation and utilisation of spectra that would contribute to the growth of mobile broadband penetration in rural areas of the country and that the options presented at the Spectrum Trading Forum hosted by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in 2016, should be explored and implemented in 2017, specifically in consideration of the Nigerian terrain.

He added that the migration of analogue TV to digital TV should be a major focus during 2017 and this should free up more broadband type spectra that will allow high speed or superfast broadband to be easily rolled out.

“Until these are achieved, 2017 may witness more ‘refarming’ of spectrum usage amongst the mobile network operators (MNOs) and a gradual push to 4G type speeds with NCC having to put in place more enforcement to ensure spectrum is effectively being used to meet service quality standards across the industry,” he added.

Ekuwem remarked that the Digital Switch Over (DSO) plan by the federal government to migrate the country from analogue to digital broadcasting, should be given serious consideration, since the successful migration will free up spectrums that would be used for broadband penetration.

Broadband penetration Suveer Ramdhani, Chief Development Officer at SEACOM, opined that the priority for the telecoms industry this year should be to quicken deployment of true broadband services so that

MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS, Adebayo Shittu African users can benefit from the enormous power of the Internet.

“In Africa, we have seen some progress in increasing Internet penetration, but the goalposts keep shifting. Many, perhaps even most, Internet connections on the continent are sub 1 mega bites per seconds (sub-1Mbs) connections that do not meet the insatiable demand among businesses and consumers for fast and plentiful bandwidth,” Ramdhani said.

He added that one major factor driving demand for high-performance bandwidth in Africa is a growing and youthful population that sees connectivity as a fundamental right.

In the area of broadband infrastructure and penetration, Teniola called for implementable programmes to be put in place to ensure that the National Broadband Plan (NBP) of 30 per cent penetration by end of 2018 is achieved.

He canvassed that the ICT industry would need all the government agencies in charge of and responsible for infrastructure at state level to work with and support the roll-out of much needed fibre optic metro infrastructure that supports the whole eco-system to deliver on the promises made in the National Broadband Plan.

“Furthermore, the industry needs government policies in place that will attract much needed investments to support the capital expenditure programmes that should be undertaken to realise the country’s vision of a digital transformation through smart cities, e-Government and Internet of Things (IoT). The in-

frastructure that is rolled out for support broadband services needs to be fully protected from vandalisation, theft and destruction and therefore the enforcement of the Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) under the Cybercrime bill needs to be enacted without any further delay,” Teniola said.

Ekuwem harped on the fact that the country’s broadband plan ought to be robustly pursued and implemented further in 2017, since several factors in ICT development revolves around broadband.

The Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, said NCC would intensify action to ensure deeper penetration of broadband infrastructure, using its 8-Point Agenda.

“Our decision to focus on facilitation of broadband penetration was guided by the empirically proven, and globally acknowledged potentials of this service to promote socio-economic transformation, citizen empowerment, and ease of governance.

This is why we have taken very practical steps to actualise the Open Access Model of infrastructure required to drive broadband penetration. This is why we are currently inviting bids for broadband infrastructure deployments in five geopolitical zones of the country, having licensed two operators for Lagos and North Central Zone of the country for the same infrastructure.

We have also issued licenses in the 2.6GHz Spectrum Band and allocations of spectrum to service providers in the 5.4GHz Band began in the first week of December 2016. However, the auction

sales format is still being pursued through stakeholders’ forum.

The good news is that some service providers are already rolling out these services, including the Long Term Evolution, LTE-based services to boost consumer’s internet experience.

ICT University The Ministry of Communications under Barrister Adebayo Shittu has identified the establishment of an ICT University as one of the ways to move to the next phase of the nation’s ICT growth by the enhancement of ICT learning environment that is geared towards the stimulation of creative thinking.

According to him, “Research and development, human capacity building is key focal areas critical for the full development and harnessing of ICT toward fasttracking socio-economic progress in Nigeria.

“Research and Development propels innovation while human capacity building helps to equip the people with necessary skills and literacy to innovate and use ICT for further development,’’ he added.

Licensing of InfraCos Stakeholders opined that if the issue of local content development and patronage are full addressed, it would take care of all other factors that needed to be addressed in the ICT sector in 2017 ranging from broadband development and penetration; spectrum management; protecting ICT infrastructure; licensing of additional InfraCos; regulatory framework; quality of service and data floor price.

ICT policies and regulations The minister said that the ICT sector has come to play a critical role in the sustainable growth and development of this nation, adding that at the rate of 24.42 per cent, the ICT sector is currently the fastest growing in the Nigerian economy.

The demand for ICT products and services in the country, the minister said increased rapidly with the emergence of digital economy, the demand for ICT skills was expected to also grow exponentially.

In the area of ICT policies and telecoms regulation, Teniola insisted that telecoms regulation would need to balance Over the Top Technology (OTT) presence alongside the current industry setup of strong MNOs and a few Internet Service Providers (ISPs) against the uncertainty of the Nigerian economic situation visa-vis infrastructure investments and capital deployed to achieve it.

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, July 22, 2017

With more than 11% of its leisure travellers from India originating from Chennai, South African Tourism kicked off a roadshow and training for travel and tour agents in the city to promote experiential tourism with a focus on tailor-made itinerary options. South Africa aims at attracting around 1 lakh travellers from India this year.

South African Tourism country manager, India, Hanneli Slabber said leisure tourists and incentive travellers form a good percentage of visitors from Chennai and other parts of India to South Africa.

“Most of the visitors are family and individual travellers in their 30s. We are holding the training programme for the travel agents to encourage them to sell experience-based packages for tourists from Chennai,” she said.

The new destinations that will be in focus this year will be Oudtshoorn, Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, Port Elizabeth and Drakensberg region. These are picturesque areas where travellers can pack in a lot of action in shorter time span.

South African Tourism roadshow begins in Chennai

Elephant in the South African Park The programme will focus on how to roll in six experiences in one day, how to cater to the

young traveller, the family market and to make the tours and destinations commercially vi-

Ghanaian culture, creative arts, promotes domestic tourism

Kakun Canopy walkway in Ghana In a bid to boost domestic tourism through Ghanaian culture and creative arts, the Ghana Tourism Authority under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture and its partner agencies has outdoored the “See Ghana, Eat Ghana, Wear Ghana, Feel Ghana.”

The campaign which was launched in the gardens of the Christiansburg castle, a former slave holding and administrative seat of colonial government in demonstration of Ghanaian ownership of her heritage and destiny, seeks to invoke the spirit of nation-

B6 Tourism

alism through sounds, distinct sights and the fusion of traditional food drawn from each of the 10 regions of Ghana.

The multimedia integrated campaign is expected to provide a platform for existing cultural and historic events such as traditional festivals and new initiatives like PANAFEST. It is also to identify and engage entrepreneurs whose innovation in providing goods and services supports domestic tourism with value chains for small and medium size companies.

The campaign will revisit viable and stalled previous efforts to re-

brand historic sights and market Ghana as well as become a one stop shop for where one can find what he/she needs in the tourism space.

In her keynote address, Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Hon. Catherine Afeku noted that the campaign was to mark the beginning of a re-awakening of a sense of national pride adding that the feeling of believing in ourselves should reaffirm our individual conviction and thus inform our contribution towards the development and promotion of Ghanaian tourism.

able.

“The young travellers have become more choosey. They do not

want to pay for things that they do not use. So hotel tariffs were revised after stripping down the services many of the travellers may not need.”

April to July is the best season to travel. Majority of the travellers from Chennai prefer to travel to Durban while the rest go to Cape Town, Johannesburg and Pretoria.

Slabber said there was a 21% increase in travellers from tier II and tier III cities. “This trend has encouraged us to focus our campaigns on regional languages.”

She said Chennai had been a rapidly growth source market that was driving tourist traffic to South Africa. “We are keen on attracting Chennai’s travel enthusiasts and the potential is brimming as the city boasts of 6,600 millionaires, four billionaires according to the New World Wealth Report,” she added.

Zimbabwe: How Gold hunters enriched a small town with spending on hospitality THE normally quiet and poor surroundings of the Hunyani area just outside Chinhoyi was temporarily turned into a hive of activity following a gold rush triggered by Zanu PF meddling at the gold rich Eldorado mine, which is under curatorship.

Sex workers flocked from Chinhoyi town to the usually quiet mining compound after hundreds of illegal gold panners who had found their way into the mine tunnels struck gold and went on a spending spree which at times turned violent.

A bar lady at the compound, Gloria Mhindu, said sales of opaque beer went up and commercial sex workers worked over time as illegal panners mostly from Kwekwe and Shurugwi hit gold.

“Our sales were amazing. There was a lot of activity here, the panners would drink throughout the night and they also bought cars. This community had less than five cars but now they are everywhere like wheelbarrows,” she said.

Nicknamed “Mashurugwi,” the illegal gold panners from Shurugwi

and Kwekwe often clashed over women, after getting drunk or over gold ore extracted from dangerous mining tunnels at Eldorado.

“These guys are dare devils. they are violent and are not afraid of doing the impossible to get money, they would beat up people and many here were hacked with machetes,” said Bigboy Chitare.

Pole and dagger structures that surround the mining compound had turned into lodgings with panners paying around $3 a day just to rest and entertain girls.

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, July 22, 2017

B7 Tourism

tourism in Uzuakoli – Nnochiri autonomous Community. Recently I was given two appointments by the church. They made me a member of the Education Board and Chairman of the Governing Board of Uzuakoli High School. The church has series of institutions.

You seem to enjoy your retirement from Police, can you tell us about life in retirement?

Well, life after retirement is interesting; sometimes you meet ups and down. But I have been enjoying it. It has not been most pleasant but it has not been terribly uncomfortable either. This is because immediately after retirement I went into politics and have held so many political offices. I have been chairman of several political parties. Though I started with Nigeria Republican Congress ( NRC) after which I became a state Vice-Chairman in Abia State. I joined politics in 1991; then I was Orji Kalu’s campaign manager. I was responsible for his going to the House of Representative before becoming a governor for four years, after which I traveled abroad.

ing money they would just alight from the bus as if they are ordinary passengers and before you know it, they would have surrendered you and arrested you. If you are at the police station and someone is in custody and you demand some money, if they report to them they would mark money and rub powder on it and claim to be relation of the person and offer you the money and once you take it they would arrest you. The fear of S-Squad was the beginning of wisdom at that time. So we were very careful and scared of these people, but today what happens?

For instance if you are traveling from Uzuakoli to Umuahia, there are two or three checkpoints and a policeman would ask a driver for money and he would say I have no change and the police man will say bring it I will give you change. I have witnessed it. The other day, we were travelling and when we got to somewhere and there was

such a long queue of vehicles.

So I asked to know what was the matter, and they said soldiers.

When we crawled inch by inch until we got there, two young soldiers just looked at us without even searching the booth they said carry on. What have you checked? What are we doing? You don’t know who we are, nor checked the vehicle and you say go. We could have been carrying heads of human beings or explosives and there were no detectors and they looked at us and just said go. I told my driver look at that, there is no more security check now. Security check is completely gone. What we were doing during our time was that there were two occasions you had to be on the road: either you are doing security check or traffic check. You are satisfied. But it does not happen now and this is the time we have more security threats all over the place. But then the means and system of conducting it is

almost at zero level, I feel distressed.

Do you mean the new breed police officers are not doing their jobs?

I would almost say that there is no police, but I won’t say so.

Well, the new breed police are going by what they see in the society just like in computer they say garbage in garbage out.

They are going by what they see in society and what their own handlers handed over to them.

We were trained by the colonial masters. My instructors, my commandant were all white; they showed you principles of policing as per what is obtained in their home (country) and that was what we brought to bear, that was what we had in our mentality and that was what we tried to hand over to all the people who passed through me.

Some of them are commissioners of police. They come here

As a former security officer, what can you say about the security situation in Nigeria?

Security was a far cry to what we have now he urged. Then, there was discipline in the forces with very serious- minded people at the helm of affairs in the armed forces and police. In the police in particular, there was a set known as S-squad.

This S-Squad are faceless people. If you are a member of the police force, you won’t know that they are your colleagues.

They did not wear uniform; you are not allowed to go to their office; they work under cover.

When you are a traffic police and you are on the road tak-

Inner view of Methodist Church, Uzuakoli, Umuahia

and they bow down for me. They know the type of person I am.

Whenever they talk, they tell you whatever they got from us.

But now, are they handing the same thing down to these chaps, these chaps are half-baked. Police men do whatever they want now. It is very sad. But then I can say that the society is to be blamed for it. Look, you have corruption all over the place.

Look at the politicians, we have now, who is more corrupt than the politicians we have here now? Who do they emulate?

That is why most of the ti As a former police officer, what can you say about Boko Haram?

In 1960 I went to Cameron and I just joined the force. We went to contend a conflict situation there. Other of my colleagues were sent to Gboko and we were able to contend the situation.

Incidentally, this Boko Haram has been on for some time but governments were treating them with kidgloves and they kept waxing stronger until they have now become a frank instinct.

The main problem today is that members of the forces, l’m talking of all the forces are not as determined as the Boko Haram chaps. The Boko Haram chaps come to fight and they are prepared to die, but our people go to fight and they are not prepared to die. At the slightest danger to themselves they retreat and say it is tactical. This is because our soldiers are interested in a good life, building good houses, having bevies of girl-friends and some are even in politics. The soldiers are not interested in the job; because when you signed to be a soldier you signed to die, to live in the bush and to live a rough life. Do soldiers live in the town? But it is not the case here.

Eleko Beach: The alluring tourists’ destination

New Berries Park:

It is is located along the Lekki-Epe Expressway on Lagos Island. It is one of the most popular tourists’ destinations in the state.

With its impressive scenery and clean beaches, the Kaiyetoro-Eleko beach always attract visitors, tourists during the year; and, especially, during the Yuletide.

Popular with local families, the beach offers sporting activities for everyone. Indeed, the beach stands out, as one with remarkable scenery, friendly environment and also a business potential for tourists to engage in purchasing art works, among other materials.

There are also lots of eating joints and bars within the beach area. For visitors,, entrance fee is cheap and affordable, as they have to pay around 100 naira to be admitted.

Despite all the Parks in Enugu City, New Berries Park remains standout. It is located at Enugu Museum Centre; New Berries Park has been able to attract quite a number of visitors and customers in the recent times.

The strategic location of the Park with up to 90% guaranteed security and spacious environment gives it an edge as it is a unique place for tourists who visit Enugu.

The different between New Berries Park and other Parks in Enugu is glaring. However, it is the spacious environment as the Park is situated at Enugu Museum centre. It looks clean and there are flowers in the surroundings. The Park is accessible through personal cars, commercial buses and Keke ago and its serves as an attraction centre for Marwa. tours or tourists to compare with some other New Berries Park was established nine years Parks.

A unique place for tourists, Conferencing and Entertainment

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B8 Business

Interview

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, July 22, 2017

Nigeria playing leadership role in aviation world – ICAO President How do you see the future of the Remotely Piloted Aircraft System in Africa?

I think the phenomenon of RPAS, the expansion is taking place all over the world and I am sure in Africa, it will be the same situation. I see a lot of enthusiasm during the symposium and the workshop. The hall was filled with people asking many questions. It is an indication that there is a lot of interest. Particularly that you can use the technology for different things, either private initiatives or government initiatives such as border patrol, in agriculture, in education, in photography. So, it is left literally to the ingenuity of people on how they want to apply the technology. And the expansion is so rapid that we can barely catch-up. This is why it is important that every country should develop a framework to regulate this activities in a manner that you can still take advantage of it to ensure safety, security and efficiency, the sustainability, even the issue of privacy have to be looked into. So, it is a challenge for regulators to be able to catch-up in order to put such a framework in place.

During your speech, you encouraged Africa on harmonized framework, as far as RPAS is concern. Do you think this is attainable giving how difficult it is for African states to key into the Yamoussoukro Decision, YD? As far as RPAS is concern, most of the use is domestic. Normally, ICAO does not get involve in domestic aviation matters, we regulate international civil aviation. But because of the need to harmonise regulations among our member states, decision was taken during the last assembly that ICAO should go into this domain and develop template, for international regulation that can be applied domestically by states, so that

ICAO President Dr Olumuyiwa Bernard Aliu explains the future of Remotely Piloted Aircraft System, RPAS, in Africa and other issue after inspection of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja terminal and the runway, saying that Nigeria is playing a leadership role in the aviation world. Our correspondent, CHUKWUEMEKE IWELUNMO reports‌

Aliu the commonality of the regulation of the activities globally. Now you are talking about the Yamoussoukro Decision, focus on

schedule services among African states. It is a pity it has not been implemented adequately in the past twenty years. I know also

Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja runway.

that there is a lot of effort under the leadership of African Union and African Civil Aviation Commission, to get to enhance

the implementation of the Yamoussoukro Decision. Since it was passed in 1999, many of the states are yet to implement it.

There is an adverse effect on the development of civil aviation in Africa, because the liberalization of market access facilitates the growth of traffic and ensure that member states derive full benefit of from air transport.

How would you describe the symbolism of Nigeria hosting the first African discussion on RPAS? It means Nigeria is playing its role as a regional leader. We are pleased that Nigeria offer to host this event and by far Nigeria has the largest population, the young generation that are growing will want to take advantage of it, so, we are pleased that Nigeria is at the forefront of using the technology and you are ready to put in place the national framework to regulate its proper use. So, it is part of the leadership role that

we expect Nigeria as a regional leader to play.

You just toured the NAIA Abuja terminal and the runway what do you think?

From the briefing we received, it is a work that was well done and timely too because it is important for safety operations. We also inspected other facilities. The work on the runway that was done- the markings and all that, are also part of the process to enable the aerodrome certification. The certification of Abuja airport.

We see that the agencies are working towards that.

What is important at the end of the day is that that work is completed and the aerodromes are certified in accordance to ICAO standards.

At the meeting with airport certification team, you said the success will be used as a model, how do you mean?

ICAO has put in place a project to support African states in the certification of aerodrome because many of their airports were not certified. Our regional offices are working on this. There is a specific project under our AFI Comprehensive Plan, to assist African states in the certification of aerodromes. And our office in Dakar which is responsible for West and Central Africa region has picked a number of candidate airports under this project.

Lagos and Abuja are one of those airports. So, as we expand our operations to assist, if the airports in Lagos and Abuja are certified, then, the lessons learned from that process and the best practice established can assist the effort in other African countries in the certification of their aerodrome.

Life&

TIMES Saturday, July 22, 2017

Kehinde

Bankole:

I can never take up job as a Police Officer

L2&3

P

Interview L2

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, July 22, 2017

Stage is a much disciplined art –Kehinde Bankole When it comes to top-notch acting and bringing a character to life, Kehinde Bankole knows her onions. The former Miss Lux who also had a stint in modeling has starred in countless soap operas, movies amongst others. With her acting prowess, Kenny as she is sometimes called has equally won laurels for a job well done. Cornered at the set of a new movie “Cross

Life&

Daily Times Nigeria

Saturday, July 22, 2017

Simplicity is what make you stay away from trouble –Kehinde Bankole and that drives me a lot.

a stage performer or a normal actress?

Both of them are challenging, stage is very

Do you still have dream roles? have a second take, there is no rewind and let with so many of them, I still want to play a drug me take it again and so, what you give at that addict, I want to play the serial killer, I want to play the time is what the people are going to get, it is physically active woman who has action, there is so important you make your decision for stage like much I want to do, I have just started, am very eager. in fraction of a second, you have to decide how you want to deliver that role within a fraction of In the course of you going into theatre, were your parents in support? back, it helps you to focus, people think acting Yes, because I started through the church drama, a movie is simple but it is not, it is also equally they use to see it like am spending so much time, challenging, the opportunity you have to act a there is church service, there is choir rehearsal, drama rehearsal, they were interested in me doing might have to re-do like 30 times, think about time because they were concerned for other things, rewinding a particular emotion, the stress of WAEC exam was coming then, jamb and other things, having to put yourself on the same level of that they were really concerned, but once I got into the emotion for about 30 times, especially if there university and they saw that I have crossed that is a crowd in a scene and you have to re-do hurdle, the rest was easy for them and they accepted. a scene plenty times and have to sustain the same level of energy, if you have to remember You have a twin sister, people get to wonder why something bad that made you be in the mood, you have to remember that over and over if is not showing interest or you are not carrying her you are ask to act the scene over again, so it is along?

She is not an actress, she is an event planner, she hard work. started out acting before me, as her career grows she made decisions to focus on her event planning business, but that is not to say if she wants to come What do you look out for in a script before you consider the script worthy?

The direction the story is going, there Which will you consider more challenging, being are some stories you will see and you will

what I look out for, I want a good story, apart from the story being good I should be able to understand the direction, there is a theme, a message the story is trying to pass, whatever be happening to the people watching at home, we serve as the bridge between the people at home watching the movie and the person writing the story.

How have you been able to keep off scandals?

I keep things simple; simplicity is what makes you stay away from trouble, when you keep everything simple it makes whatever comes back at you simple.

Take acting from Kehinde who is Kehinde Bankole in real life?

I joke a lot, I like to laugh, when am in the mood we crack jokes and laugh and also have a good time, I love to cook, I love spending time with family, loved ones and friends, I like to make people happy, and I can be very strict.

Interview L3

Society Gist L4 Ajibade Alabi

owned her own church “Though I was crowned as Queen of gospel music in Nigeria on 18th of June, 2017 but I am planning for 3 in 1 celebration which birthday bash, musical launching and

Saturday, July 22, 2017

Ace Saxophonist, Kunle Ajayi, Pastor Adeboye’s son Leke speak on importance of sound in music

Queen of Gospel Egbin Orun in 3 in 1 celebration Newly crown Queen of Nigeria gospel music, Queen Egbinorun Prophetess Morenikeji has disclosed to Daily Times that she will roll out the drums to celebrate her been crown as a queen of Nigeria gospel music,

Daily Times Nigeria

celebration of my been crown as the Queen of gospel music which will come up on 12thof December, 2017 ” Though a medical practitioners, Egbinorun who hails from Ondo town in Ondo state, has to her credit 3 album the last one which is titled “Ajo Ogo” video will be two albums are Arise my glory and Authority of deliverance, with my third one Ajo ogo video ready to be released” disclosed the beautiful gospel artiste

Interesting times are here for all ardent followers of gospel music as “One Halleluyah Records”, a record label by the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) is initiating training for sound engineers across various denominations in the country.

According to the son of the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Worldwide, and Pastor Leke Adeboye at the opening session of the workshop, he said, “Sound is the key aspect of worship in any organization both in church and outside. The role of sound and sound engineer are key and vital, therefore the need to train those in charge of sound cannot be over emphasis” Also, speaking at the event, ace saxophonist, Pastor Kunle Ajayi, said, “Sound is the origin of music and those handling sound in various places must be skilful because it could make or mar any aspect of music. The Artiste who is currently

pencilled as an ambassador for Yamaha saxophone opined that more still need to be done in the area of training with modern technique in sound management The workshop is an initiative of One Halleluyah records, the baby of the General Overseer of the church, Pastor Enoch Adeboye who at the inauguration of the record label said, “in the world of joyful noise that goes for music and in the absence of people with meaningful songs have caused the world to accept the only alternative that is available, but the Almighty God like songs, hymns that can calm nerves, send out demons and can draw the soul of men and women closer to God, but unfortunately people with such talents do not have a platform to excel and that is the purpose of RCCG setting up “One Hallelujah Records” so that those that can actually sing meaningful songs and bring down the presence of God will have a platform…”.

Kunle Ajayi

Therefore, “One Hallelujah Records” being unveiled is considered as a viable platform to showcase, nurture and project the abundant talented gospel music ministers within the body in Christ in general and RCCG in particular.”

Yinka Idowu set for her father’s 11 years remembrance

One of Lagos big gal who does not like publicity but well known in social circle, Yinka Idowu Daily Times can late father, Otunba Idowu Kolawole

Egbin

on Sunday 23rd of July, 2017 at the family house of the late Idowu at Shagari Low Coast hosing Moshalashi, along Ipaja road, Lagos will be attended by Yinka Idowu siblings some who are coming from UK, Canada and USA “I don t wan t any noise over it, it is just to remember him nothing much, my people are all coming, so no big deal, I don t just to make noise out if it, that is it” Yinka told daily times when she was asked during an event in island last week Otunba Idowu Akolawole was an ex-soldier man that retired from pan African airlines before his demise on 22nd of July, 2016.

Yinka Idowu

Leo Club district 404B1& 2 reel out plans for the year As part of its activities yearly, The Leo District 404B-1 Nigeria is the youth activity of the Lions Club International, a foremost charitable, for humanitarian services in communities worldwide. It is an organization whose major aim among other things is to serve the needy in our society.

According to the District President 404B1, Leo Quadri Tijani in a statement available to Life & Times, disclosed that his core objectives for the tenure under review is outlined under what he tagged SLIDE which means Simplicity, life, integrity, dynamism and excellence as his district will embark on youth enhancement

through its coming leadership boot camp, agricultural summit, provision of an E-Library, empowerment of widow farmer amongst others.

In the same vein, the district president 404B2, Leo Eunice Matthew also noted that her plan for the year will focus more on the education of the girl-child and promotion of quality education to mention but few.

Speaking further, Leo Quadri envisage that one of the core values of the club is to provide a conducive environment for raising principled and disciplined leaders that will help in enhancing our organization brand in order to attract more quality members that will uplift our district to a greater height.

District president 404B1, Leo Quadri Tijani, District president 404B2, Leo Eunice Matthew

Daily Times Nigeria

Saturday, July 22, 2017

Kate Henshaw in low key celebration And still talking about celebration, Nollywood actress Kate Henshaw who came into public consciousness in 1993 after auditioning for a role in the movie “When The Sun Sets” was another celebrity that celebrated her birthday early this week Born about 46 years ago in Cross River State, Kate decided to celebrate in low key even as she was looking younger than her age Henshaw has featured in over 60 movies. In 2008, she won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for the movie “Stronger than Pain”.

Society Gist L5

Toke Makinwa true life confession Toke Makinwa without doubt is no doubt a very big Media personality and author, but the beautiful media gal has disclosed one of her ever kept secret in recent time in an Instagram post, she described the kind of woman that she is. From being sharing her man and friends with people to being a prayer warrior, Toke revealed her attributes. this baby girl for life… Miss TM, child of

you till the wheels come off type of chick.

Kate

A very close source disclosed to Daily Times that Kate has decided to go solo in celebrating her birthday.

Possibly planning for when she will clock 50 in 4 years when she will celebrate her golden year.

Socialites Joko Oni back on track!

everywhere in my home), Laughs without

put out, a city set on a hill a goal getter, the type of chick you go to war with and

yet but take me back to Ibiza .

Toke

How Temi Otedola celebrates musician, Eazi birthday That

Afrobeats

artiste

on 19th of July, 2017, is no more news but how Temi Odetola the oldest daughter of Billionaire whose relationship has become talk of social gossip was what that was well pronounced The fashion blogger celebrated him with a

Joko Oni

In her hay days as a socialite, Jokotade Oni the brain behind Gold Rush, Lagos glittered like a million stars Then it was simply impossible for her to be absent at major social events as she basically turned the party circles to her oasis However, she suddenly disappeared and people assumed that she had either left the party scene when her

ovation was loudest or age has caught up with her and she was leaving partying for a much younger and emerging generations But Joko Oni proved at the wedding of senator Ibikunle daughter wedding that she is back on track! She was with her signature make up when she appeared. She was effortlessly charming while exchanging pleasantries with who is who in the society.

Temi,”, there has been a lot of rumor that both are dating but with what Temi did recently then it could be are a love net sparked dating rumors with the music star in January this year, went out of her way to celebrate him on his the dating rumors could only birthday. spread but neither of them dating rumors earlier this year.

Considering sparked dating rumors earlier the number of times they this year. Considering the

number of times they featured dating rumors could only spread or denied the speculations .led the speculations.

T s v w f s is n p g m w if g

Gist L6

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, July 22, 2017

Mutiat Ali

Meet Londonspec ...Set to release new video ‘Hiya’

Londonspec is a Nigerian London based song writer, artiste and performer. He started playing music at the

includes the multiple awards winning act, Gigg, Stainless D and a whole lot of others.

Presbyterian Church, Abiriba.

He plays the guitar, piano and conga. His creative in The Republic of Togo before traveling to the United Kingdom to study music and sound engineering. As a musician, he has released many songs and featured with several acts in the UK which

A testament to the global appeal

released in South Africa on September 15, 2017. names, Kingsley Inyiri George, born on a Christmas day in 1987.He is set to release a

struggle to restore sanity to their matrimonial home features Ramsey

Sambasa Nzeribe. very well on YouTube and local television in the UK.

AFRIMA receives 4,816 entries for 2017 submission …Eastern Africa has the highest entries The 2017 edition of the All

My wife and I gets international release date

with the trials and tribulations of the duo who are successful in every other aspect

to Pastor Theophilus, who is responsible for putting them through a series of (un) writer says.

at the high number of entries in Advisor and member of the

is convinced that the other is the reason for the disintegration of their marriage.

after receiving nearly 5,000 entries from African music artistes and music professionals at the close of the two-month entry submission

news, indicative of an increasingly healthy music industry across Africa, particularly from a creative

The African Union and the International Committee of

in to the aspirations of the African continent, providing a platform for

8 giving opportunity to African music artistes, record producers, songwriters, video directors and music journalists to enter their website www.afrima.org and the awards social media platforms.

The overwhelming response to this call putting the total number of entries received for 2017 at 4,816 is an astronomical increase from the 2,714 number of entries received in 2016 which amounts to a whopping 77.25% increase compared to last year. Analysis reveals the regions with the highest entries as entries and Western Africa, with 30%. This immense progress is satisfaction from the African Union, the International Committee of

and at the urging of their parents, they decide to give their marriage one last chance. After a visit to a famous Pastor,

as each other until a solution can be found. They they save it as each other?

Set for an August 25 release in Nigeria, The movie

bodies. Is it a miracle or a curse? Who

music and a source of inspiration and encouragement for its

of 2017

songwriters, producers, sound engineers, distributors, publicists,

Seyi Law, Adekunle Gold, others set to perform at Kenny Blaq’s Show tomorrow

videographers, stylists, journalists,

Veteran Nigerian comedians Alibaba,

world, acting as ambassadors of their countries and their culture, the eyes and ears of that wider world are opening and turning towards Africa as the source of much more form, as will be evident amongst winners, they provide an antidote to negativity and cynicism, offering a healing form for ailments of heart

up of entertainers to perform at Kenny

Island, Lagos.

The aforementioned comedians will be performing at the show alongside the hottest musicians in the industry including

and Small Doctor among others Kenny Blaq, who has been in the comedy industry for some years and has performed on some of the biggest entertainment stages in Nigeria, has

anything he has done before. has become a special favourite of top

to show up for the event.

Kenny Blaq

Daily Times Nigeria

Saturday, July 22, 2017

AMAA 2017: African Filmmakers’ Night of Glory in Lagos

Winner List

L7

Relationship L8

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, July 22, 2017

Nwaokocha Daniel

Ladies, 5 major signs your boyfriend is possessive Hi guys, so we decided to take our discussions to a wider audience. Here, we would be addressing relationship issues, giving advices on solving relationship problems and answering questions.

So if you have any questions or issues you need to talk about or topics you would want us to talk about, feel free and hit us up on twitter @ danylcaesar or send us an email @danylcaesar@ gmail.com or SMS only (07067612256) Today, we begin with the ladies. things your boyfriend does that makes him come off as jealous and overly possessive but just as

his behavior. While jealousy and possessive are they are even cute. But the line is crossed when it moves from being a sign of love or an indication of your partner discomfort some inappropriate behavior between you and someone else to a tool of dominance and control that your partner

or go somewhere without seeking his approval, Then it is time to hit the road and be done with him.

3. All Your Friends Are Not Good Enough If in any way, your boyfriend is always findings fault with all your friends, always pointing out their flaws and all the ways he thinks them not good enough friends. He always seems to be pouncing on their shortcomings to tell you that no one can be trusted except him. Then he is not the one girl. are criminals and he is the only saint. No. Your man should be friends with your friends. If he is not, then you should tell him bye-bye and move on from him.

If you feel like you guys are just beginning to

easy to discern between what a momentary act-up is and what a major red flag is. So we decided to

about you. He wants to know all your passwords, he wants you to declare to him everywhere you

remain stuck in that relationship. So, Ladies, here are five major signs that help you know if your boyfriend is the jealous and possessive type:

if things naturally and gradually, he blackmails and threatens until you reluctantly or guiltily give

1. He Stalks You When you find out that your boyfriend or your partner is always trying to find out where you

killers think. Why would he want to know all of your passwords and secrets? No. In a relationship there should be trust and he should be able to trust you and you should be able to trust him.

unnecessary attention to background sounds

Whenever you get a disappointment or someone

specifics of where you are, who you are with and

you and try to lift your spirits up, it can be cute.

But if for somehow you get a nagging feeling

showing to pick you up from places when you have clearly told him that you have other plans.

your disappointment as an occasion to let you know that no one in your life or the world can be trusted, except him of course. Then it is not cute.

Whenever you have conflicts with your friends, trying to encourage you to make up with them

2. He Wants To Be Involved In All The Decisions You Take If you find out that your boyfriend or your partner feels he must have a part in every decision you take to do something on your own without him getting seem to have any boundaries where you are before telling what should be done on every without telling him first and before you know it the dynamics of everything have so changed that you find yourself asking him for permission over almost everything. And when you do something

trust or have too much to do with them. Then you should run girl. He should be your rock and your he is not the one.

It is worthy to note that there is line between what is tolerable and what dangerous behavior is. There is a degree of this kind of behavior that is harmless irritation and what is indicative of major insecurity in your partner. If your boyfriend is constantly jealous and possessive, then it is behavior that must addressed immediately. Do not, in anyway overlook it. Because when the time have done our jobs.