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Matter will be resolved in a matter of days – ALTON Kogi Govt can do better –NATCOMS We have done no wrong, says MTN

Uproar as Buhari suspends CJN Onnoghen https://plus.google.com/+DailytimesNgr/posts

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2019

VOL. 3

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Swears in Mohammed as acting CJN, says no one is above the law NBA, SANs, PDP, others kick, demand reversal of Onnoghen’s suspension

Mathew Dadiya, Tunde Opalana, Andrew Orolua, Abuja and Peter Fowoyo, Lagos The suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeira (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, by President Muhammadu Buhari, on Friday, was greeted by uproar from many Nigerians including Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), other lawyers, and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) among others, who demanded the reversal of Onnoghen’s suspension.

Buhari, who announced the suspension on Friday at 4:51pm at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, immediately swore in Justice Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed as Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria.

He said the suspension followed the order of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) in a letter directing him to suspend Onnoghen, pending the completion of his trial.

Justice Mohammed, who hails from Bauchi State, is the most senior justice of the Supreme Court.

Speaking shortly before the announcement, Buhari said: “Justice Walter Onnoghen, since he has charges of corruption filed against him, would have acted smoothly to spare our judicial arm further disrepute by excusing himself

Minimum Wage: Labour to storm NASS Monday, rejects N27,000 benchmark g 8

Election rigging: UK, US corroborate our claim against opposition – FG 5 g

from superintending over it while his trial will lasted.

“I was served with an Order of the Code of Conduct Tribunal issued on Wednesday 23rd January 2019, directing the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Honourable Justice Walter Nkanu Samuel Onnoghen, from office pending final determination of the cases against him at the Code of Conduct Tribunal and several other fora relating to his alleged breach of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers.

“The nation has been gripped by the tragic realities of no less a personality than the Chief Justice of Nigeria himself becoming the accused person in a corruption trial since details of the petition against him by a Civil Society Organisation first became public about a fortnight ago.

“Although the allegations in the petition are grievous enough in themselves, the security agencies have since then traced other suspicious transactions running into millions of dollars to the CJN’s personal accounts, all undeclared or improperly declared as required by law.

“Perhaps more worrisome is the Chief Justice of Nigeria’s own written admission to the charges that he indeed failed to follow the spirit and letter of the law in declaring his assets, citing ’’mistake’’ and ’’forgetfulness’’ which are CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

Businesswoman in hot soup over alleged N4.5m g5 oilEFCC fraud arraigns 2 bank staff for £100,000 fraud

32,000 Cameroonians seeking refuge in Nigeria, says UN g 5

Kate Henshaw named International Judge in CBS talent g show, ‘The World’s Best’!

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Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, January 26, 2019

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, January 26, 2019

Uproar as Buhari suspends CJN Onnoghen Continued from page 1 totally unknown to our laws as defences in the circumstances of his case.

“One expected that with his moral authority so wounded, by these serious charges of corruption, more so by his own written admission, Mr. Justice Walter Onnoghen would have acted swiftly to spare our Judicial Arm further disrepute by removing himself from superintending over it while his trial lasted.

“Unfortunately, he has not done so. Instead, the nation has been treated to the sordid spectacle of a judicial game of wits in which the Chief Justice of Nigeria and his legal team have made nonsense of the efforts of the Code of Conduct Tribunal to hear the allegation on merit and conclude the trial as quickly as possible considering the nature of the times in which we live.

“Whether deliberately or inadvertently, we have all seen the full weight of the Chief Justice of Nigeria descend on the tender head of one of the organs of justice under his control. There is simply no way the officers of that court, from the Chairman to the bailiffs, can pretend to be unaffected by the influence of the leader of the Judiciary.

“Not only the trial court, but others have been put on the spot.

Practically every other day since his trial commenced, the nation has witnessed various courts granting orders and counter-orders in favour of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, all of them characterised by an unholy alacrity between the time of filing, hearing and delivery of judgment in same.

“The real effect has been a stalling of the trial of Justice Onnoghen, helped along by lawyers who insist that these orders, whether right or wrong are technically valid, and must be obeyed till an appellate Court says otherwise. No doubt, that it is the proper interpretation, but is it the right disposition for our nation?

“Nigeria is a constitutional democracy and no one must be, or be seen to be, above the law.

Unfortunately, the drama around the trial of the Chief Justice of Nigeria has challenged that pillar of justice in the perception of the ordinary man on the street. For it is certain that no ordinary Nigerian can get the swift and special treatment Justice Onnoghen has enjoyed from his subordinates and privies in our Judicature.

“In the midst of all these distracting events, the essential question of whether the accused CJN actually has a case to answer has been lost in the squabble over the form and nature of his trial. This should not be so.

“If Justice cannot be done and clearly seen to be done, society itself is at risk of the most unimaginable chaos. As a Government, we cannot stand by wailing and wringing our hands helplessly but give our full backing and support to those brave elements within the Judiciary who act forthrightly, irrespective of who is involved.

“As you are all aware, the fight against corruption is one of the tripod of policies promised to Nigerians by this administration.

Needless to say that it is an existential Policy which must be given adequate attention and commitment by all the three arms of government. The efforts of the

Executive will amount to nothing without the cooperation of the Legislature and especially the Judiciary.

“It is no secret that this government is dissatisfied with the alarming rate in which the Supreme Court of Nigeria under the oversight of Justice Walter Onnoghen has serially set free, persons accused of the most dire acts of corruption, often on mere technicalities, and after quite a number of them have been convicted by the trial and appellate courts.

“Since there is nothing the Executive Arm can do after the apex court of the land has spoken on any matter, several of these individuals walk free among us today, enjoying what are clearly the proceeds of the corruption which for so long has defeated the efforts of this nation to develop and prosper.

“It is against this background that I have received the Order of the Code of Conduct Tribunal directing me to suspend the Chief Justice pending final determination of the cases against him. It also explains why I am not only complying immediately, but with some degree of relief for the battered sensibilities of ordinary Nigerians whose patience must have become severely over-taxed by these anomalies.

“In line with this administration’s avowed respect for the Rule of Law, I have wholeheartedly obeyed the Order of the Code of Conduct Tribunal dated 23rd January 2019.

“Accordingly, I hereby suspend the Honourable Mr. Justice Walter Nkanu Samuel Onnoghen, GCON as the Chief Justice of Nigeria pending final determination of the case against him at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

“In further compliance with the same Order of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, I hereby invite Honourable Justice Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed JSC, being the next most Senior Justice in the Supreme Court, to come forward to take the Judicial Oath as Chief Justice of Nigeria in an Acting Capacity.

“Fellow Nigerians, we can only stand a chance to win the fight against Corruption, and position our dear nation for accelerated development when we stand together to contend against it.”

Some of the cabinet members present during the swearing-in of Justice Mohmmaed included the National Security Adviser (NSA), Inspector General of Police, NIA DG, ministers of Transport, Justice, Foreign Affairs, Finance, Minister of State Education, and the national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), amongst others.

In a sharp reaction, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) condemned the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, describing the President’s action as a coup against the nation’s Judiciary.

The NBA President, Paul Usoro SAN, who made the position of the association known in a statement, while stating that the body rejects the President’s action in its entirety, added that it amounts to suspending the nation’s constitution.

The NBA urged the Executive to avert what it described as a looming constitutional crisis precipitated by its ill-advised action by reversing Onnoghen’s suspension.

“The Nigerian Bar Association unequivocally rejects and

condemns this attempted coup against the Nigerian Judiciary and evident suspension of the Nigerian Constitution by the Executive arm of the Federal Government. The action of the Executive portends a slide into anarchy and complete deconstruction of the Rule of Law and due process. It amounts to an absolute breach of the Constitution and the usurpation of the powers of the Senate and the Nigerian Judicial Council.

“It is unfortunate that the Executive Branch of Government purports to suspend the CJN on the basis of an alleged ex-parte order of the Code of Conduct Tribunal – the same Tribunal that, to the knowledge of the Executive, had, only the previous day, Tuesday, 22 January 2019 adjourned its proceedings to Monday, 28 January 2019 and has before it a Motion on Notice that is yet to be argued, seeking the same reliefs as were contained in the purported ex-parte application, to wit, the suspension of the CJN, amongst others.

“We call on the Federal Government to avert the looming constitutional crisis precipitated by its ill-advised action. In particular, the Nigerian Bar Association demands the reversal of the purported suspension of Honorable Mr. Justice Walter S C Onnoghen, GCON”, part of the statement read.

The NBA however called on the National Assembly to assert its constitutional authority and powers and prevent what it says is a slide into chaos and erosion of the Rule of Law. Onnoghen: Agbakoba, Ozekhome call on Bar, Bench to gown tools Reacting, former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Dr. Olisa Agbakoba SAN, on Friday, called on both the Bar and the Bench to down tools in protest of the removal of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressive Congress (APC).

In an exclusive interview with The Daily Times, Dr. Agbakoba SAN, said: “The news has come to me as very shocking and initially unbelievable. I didn’t know we will come to see a day when Nigerian President will be the one that would most brazenly denigrate the Nigerian constitution, not even under Abacha or IBB had the gut to remove the CJN in a manner that he has been removed.

“It is shocking and I’m disappointed at the CCT because the CCT just last week adjourned the proceedings in respect of the CJN till next week to rule on whether it has jurisdiction, which meant that it has noticed there was a challenge to its jurisdiction only for the same CCT to now go back and take ex parte application by the Attorney General of the Federation and suspended the CJN. “There is a huge conspiracy here, very huge conspiracy and it makes me to wonder the stories floating around about the government determination to remove the CJN by all means is not true and whether they are doing this because of the elections, I don’t know but, all this has made me to rethink why will this CCT go behind and entertain an ex parte application to remove a person as high as the CJN in an ex parte method.

“That is incredible when the CCT has received an application challenging its own jurisdiction

Continued on page 18

3 News

PHOTO TIMES

President Muhammadu Buhari congratulating acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon Justice Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed, after he was sworn-in...on Friday.

R-L: APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; CEO, Oando Oil, Mr. Wale Tinubu; Lagos State Head of Service, Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola; the state’s APC Governorship Candidate, Mr Babatunde Sanwo-Olu, and the state’s Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Lands, Alhaji Bode Agoro, during the One Year thanksgiving Service for late Special Adviser to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode on Youth and Sport, Mr. Ayodeji Tinubu, at the Incubator Centre, Oniru Estate Victoria island.

L-R: Femi Odugbemi, MultiChoice Talent Factory Academy Director; Vikram Joglekar, Senior Manager, Content Relations Dolby Laboratories; Quinton Schmidt, Regional Manager, Africa Dolby Laboratories and John Ugbe, Chief Executive Officer, MultiChoice Nigeria during the MultiChoice Talent Factory - Dolby Masterclass Series held at MultiChoice headquarters, Victoria Island Lagos.

L-R: Senior Financial Sector, International Monetary Fund (IMF), Mr Ayman Alfi; Acting Executive Commissioner, Operations, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Mr Isyaku Tilde; Deputy Director, Collectives Investment Services, SEC, Mr. Efiok Ekpeyong Efiok, and IMF Delegate, Mr Lisbon Sullivan during a meeting between IMF delegates and SEC in Abuja.

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Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, January 26, 2019

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, January 26, 2019

5 News

Tax default claim: Anger, frustration as Businesswoman in hot soup over alleged N4.5m oil fraud subscribers knock MTN over shutdown EFCC arraigns 2 bank staff for £100,000 fraud Ladesope Ladelokun

Leading telecommunications company, MTN Nigeria, has come under heavy criticisms by its subscribers over a total blackout of its services in Kogi State and disruption of its services in neighbouring states.

The Kogi State Internal Revenue Service (KGIRS) had on Thursday shut down the facilities of the telecoms giant over its alleged failure to pay its N120 million tax obligations.

It would be recalled that KGIRS had on October 2018 shut down MTN facilities and its base stations in the confluence state after getting the nod of the State High Court to halt the services of the company.

The shutdown of the facilities has sparked outrage among its subscribers who have taken to social media to express their anger and frustration over the effect it has on their businesses and social lives.

A citizen of the state, who is resident in Kogi State, Kemi Sisi Eko, wrote on her Facebook page: “ MTN won’t pay tax and Government shuts them down, who loses, their subscribers ‘ lives depend on them, businesses depend on them and now MTN’s dereliction of duty is affecting us all. Since yesterday MTN has been shut down in Kogi State, this had made life and doing business very difficult. I have a backup Glo sim but Glo internet is the most useless on this side of the Milky Way. How do we protest this? she queried.

Another Kogi-based Nigerian, Henry Francis –Folaranmi, wrote on his Facebook page, “ MTN’s refusal to pay their tax and their eventual shutdown has scorched us to the

fierce fire of suffering!’’

Henry added in another post, “ Even though there is a way out of an escape from this MTN’s pain and sorrow, their bonds of evil and devilish perpetration must be broken!”

Reacting to this development in an exclusive interview with The Daily Times, the President of the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers (NATCOMS), Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, called for caution on the part of Kogi State Government.

Ogunbanjo, added that shutting down the facilities of the telecoms giant was not the best option the government could explore.

“I ’m sure they can do better. Kogi State citizens will not thank them for it at all. MTN and indeed some other telecoms companies have been complaining about multiple taxations. Government is looking at telecoms as a serious revenue earner whereas it should be looked at as an essential service. I’m not saying they shouldn’t pay tax. The regulators can come in and narrow down whatever taxes telecoms companies pay”, he said.

Also, commenting on the development, Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Mr. Gbenga Adebayo, said there was a need for digital national infrastructure to insulate telecoms companies from interferences.

He said ALTON was already in discussion with the Kogi State Government and other stakeholders in the state, stressing that the matter would be resolved in a matter of days.

Meanwhile, in a statement made available to The Daily Times, MTN has denied any wrongdoing.

The company claimed the state government was demanding immediate payment of Social Service Contribution levy, Employee Development levy, and annual rent for Right-of-Way on fiber optics cable.

According to Tobechukwu Okigbo, MTN’s Corporate Relations Executive, the Taxes and Levies Act which introduces the Social Service Contribution and Economic Development levies mandates the Joint Tax Board to recommend chargeable fees which will be subject to the Minister of Finance’s approval.

“To the best of our knowledge, the Minister of Finance’s recommendation as provided in the Act is yet to be issued, and as such, it is unclear if the imposition of the fee by the Kogi State Government is on a solid legal footing. As a responsible corporate citizen, we accord the highest priority to our sub-national tax commitments. We wish to state that we have met in full all our tax obligations to the Kogi State government and are not in arrears,” he said.

Going further, he said: “On request, we have furnished the KGIRS on multiple occasions with documentary evidence proving our full compliance with extant state laws on the matter. At this stage, the demands of the KGIRS, if honoured, amounts to multiple taxations and the arbitrary shut down of our base transceiver stations and harassment of our partners will stand in the way of a reasonable resolution.”

32,000 Cameroonians seeking refuge in Nigeria, says UN The UN has said that no fewer than 32,000 Cameroonians fleeing insecurity and violence are currently taking refuge in Nigeria.

UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Cameroon, Ms Allegra Baiocchi, while presenting the 2019 Humanitarian Response Plan for the country, described the situation in the country as “forgotten crisis”.

Baiocchi and Cameroon’s Civil Protection Director, Ms Yap Mariatou, warned at the launch in Geneva that there was a drastic increase in humanitarian need across the country.

The UN chief for Cameroon regretted that with attacks on the rise, around 4.3 million Cameroonians, mostly women and children, were in need of lifesaving assistance.

She said: “Insecurity and violence in these regions have uprooted 437,000 people from their homes and forced over 32,000 to seek refuge in neighbouring Nigeria. Four million people are affected by the conflict in Cameroon’s west.

“In addition, due to the deteriorating situation in northeast Nigeria, more than 10,000 new refugees arrived in Cameroon

in 2018, bringing the number of Nigerian refugees to 100,000,” she said.

“Humanitarian needs are likely to increase in coming years,” Baiocchi said, lamenting over underfunding in the 2018 Humanitarian Response Plan for the country.

“Underfunding means we cannot do all we can to make a difference in the life of most vulnerable people across Cameroon, whether it is the girl who is missing school due to violence, the displaced mother struggling to feed her children, or the father who has lost his entire family.

“Hundreds of thousands of people on Cameroon’s territory need urgent assistance and protection,” Baiocchi said.

She added that “attacks against civilians have increased and many conflict-affected people are surviving in harsh conditions without humanitarian assistance due to the dramatic underfunding of the response.

“Cameroon today can no longer be a forgotten crisis; it needs to be high on our agenda”.

With needs rising by 31 per cent in a year, the UN estimated

that around 4.3 million people in Cameroon – one in six people and mostly women and children – require lifesaving assistance.

The joint Humanitarian Response Plan 2019 seeks $299 million to assist 2.3 million vulnerable people, more than half of those in need.

In 2018, a $320 million response plan for Cameroon was only 40 per cent funded.

The aggravation of the conflict in western regions is the main driver behind the increase, with armed attacks in the far north, and new refugees coming from the Central African Republic also increasing demand for urgent aid.

The representative of the Cameroonian Government at the launch, Mariatou, said: “The Government of Cameroon is responsible for the protection and wellbeing of its people and has been at the forefront of the response with its national and international partners.

“We acknowledge the scale of the different crises we face, and we encourage all the actors to work in close partnership to address the needs of Cameroonians and of the people we host”.

Andrew Orolua, Abuja with agency report A businesswoman, Clara Mbazue, was on Friday brought before an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos for allegedly obtaining N4.4 million under false pretences.

The accused, 35, appeared on a fourcount charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining under false pretences and stealing.

She, however, denied committing the offences.

The police prosecutor, Chinalu Uwadione, told the court that the businesswoman committed the offences on May 20, 2018, at Orile Iganmu, Lagos.

He said that the accused obtained N4.4 million worth of black oil from one Chizoba Ohazurike on the pretext that she would pay for it after two weeks, but failed to do so.

“The accused also issued a cheque which was dishonoured due to insufficient funds,’’ Uwadione said.

The alleged offences violate Sections 287, 314, 322, and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The Chief Magistrate, A.O. Adedayo, admitted the accused to N2 million bail with two sureties each in like sum.

Mrs. Adedayo directed that the sureties must have evidence of tax payment.

She adjourned the case until February 19.

Meanwhile, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Kaduna Zonal Office has arraigned three suspected fraudsters and their company before Justice Z.B. Abubakar of the Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna on a two-count charge for conspiracy and obtaining £100,000 by false pretence .

The suspects - Benjamin Soile, Okoro Junior, Abubakar Mustapha and Abueleven Limited, are alleged to have defrauded Sa’adatu Dasuki of the said sum.

They were arrested by operatives of the EFCC, upon receipt of the petition by Dasuki, who alleged that in September 2018, Okoro and Soile, officials of Access Bank Plc, Kwato Road Branch, Ungwan Rimi, Kaduna conspired with Mustapha to defraud her of £100,000.

Mustapha allegedly introduced the bankers to her as bureaux de change operators, and convinced her to transfer the money from her Access Bank account to his own account in the same bank with an understanding that he will credit her account with the naira equivalent.

However, the £100,000 was transferred to a Barclays Bank account of one Celestine Tagbo on the instruction of one Alhassan Habib both resident in London without the knowledge or consent of Dasuki.

Thereafter, sensing that she had been duped demanded for a refund of the money.

Okoro then credited her account with the sum of N11, 562,500 on September 12 and 13, 2018 but reversed the said transaction.

One of the counts reads: “That you, Benjamin Olayinka Soile, officer of Access Bank, Okoro Agwu Junior, officer of Access Bank, Abubakar Siddiq Mustapha, ABUELEVEN Ltd a liability company and others at large sometime in September 2018 in Kaduna within the division of the Federal High Court with intent to defraud the sum of £100,000 (One Thousand Pound Sterling) from one Sa’adatu Dasuki under false pretence that you will give her the naira equivalent a pretence you knew is false and thereby committed an offence contrary to 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offence Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Same Act”.

They pleaded “not guilty” to the charges.

Prosecuting counsel, J. Saidi, urged the court to fix a date for commencement of trial.

Counsel to the first defendant, P.I. Kalu, informed the court of his client’s bail application dated January 23, 2018.

In his ruling, Justice Abubakar granted bail to the defendants in the sum of N500, 000 each and two sureties in like sum, who must own a landed property within the jurisdiction of the Court. One of the sureties must be a civil servant not below grade level 9.

The case was thereafter adjourned to February 14, 2019 for hearing, and the defendants ordered to be remanded in prison pending the perfection of the bail conditions.

Election rigging: UK, US corroborate our claim against opposition- FG

The Federal Government says the statements by the US and UK on election rigging in Nigeria have confirmed its recent alert that opposition elements are working to scuttle the 2019 polls through widespread violence.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who said this in a statement issued in Ilorin on Friday, said the Government welcomed the statements from the US and UK demanding credible and peaceful election in Nigeria.

He said that Government also welcomed the threat of punitive measures against election riggers and perpetrators of electoral violence.

In the statement signed by his Special Adviser, Mr Segun Adeyemi, the minister said the Government was particularly delighted that the statements came after it alerted the nation to the plot by opposition to scuttle the polls. ”A few days ago, we alerted the nation to the plot by the opposition to orchestrate widespread violence in the country, using insurgents and criminal elements within and outside the country. ”Their plan is to scuttle the election and then push for an interim government, having realised they can’t win a free, fair, credible and peaceful elections. ”The fact that those statements came after we issued our red alert, which is based on credible intelligence, shows that the international community is closely monitoring events ahead of the election.

“We urge them to keep a close tab on the desperate opposition, whose language, actions and undisguised threats are antithetical to the conduct of peaceful polls,” he said.

The minister said Nigerians and the international community should take seriously the assurance of a credible and violence-free

election that has been consistently given by President Muhammadu Buhari, a tried-andtested democrat and a globally-acclaimed man of integrity.

He said the APC-led administration was very confident of victory in the forthcoming elections.

The minister stressed that a party that was not so desperate as to rig election while in opposition had no business rigging election or perpetrating violence now that it is in power and is enjoying massive support from the citizenry.

He called on the international community to keep a close eye on those who are spending more time on a dubious strategy of scuttling the polls than campaigning to win in a free, fair and peaceful election. ”As their campaign flounders and their strategies collapse, they have resorted to seeking power by subterfuge.

“That is why they are doing everything possible to discredit an election that has yet to be held by unleashing their attack dogs on INEC, the police and the entire electoral process. ”On our part, we have confidence in the electoral process and the institutions saddled with organizing and securing the election. ”That is why we have been busy campaigning vigorously across the country, attracting unprecedented, organic crowds everywhere we go. ”The party that has a history of rigging polls is well known to Nigerians. ”The party that has a history of using security forces to unleash violence in order to steal the people’s votes is well known to Nigerians. ”The party that organised an election that was later described as flawed by its own ‘winning’ presidential candidate is well known to Nigerians.

“That party is not the All Progressives Congress (APC),” he said.

News 6

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, January 26, 2019

Protesters storm NDDC, allege Ekere’s attempt to handpick successor, board’s tenure elongation Niger Delta leaders task Buhari on Commission’s Act

Patrick Okohue, Lagos Massive protest Friday rocked the headquarters of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) over the tenure of the present management board of the interventionist agency and the decision of the outgoing Managing Director, Mr. Nsima Ekere to handpick his successor.

Protesters took to the streets with placards, dancing and singing solidarity songs.

They are protesting the transfer of power to the Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Mr. Mene Derek by Nsima Udo Ekere, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship candidate for Akwa Ibom State as the Managing Director and Chief Executive officer.

The protest was organized by a coalition of groups, including Niger Delta Front, South-South Youths and other organisations.

They expressed disappointment that Ekere and his backers only seem to be interested in perpetuating themselves in power rather than the development of the region, saying that “The action is

capable of jeopardising development of the region”.

Leader of the Niger Delta Front, Chief John Harry, who addressed journalists in Port Harcourt, said the leaders and youths decided on the protest to stop the handing over, plan to extend the tenure of the current board and abuse of office.

He called on the National Assembly to wield the big stick to stop the crisis in the commission by dissolving the NDDC board.

He also urged President Muhammadu Buhari to use his good office and leadership position to maintain peace in the region by urgently appointing a sole administrator to oversee the management of the commission.

“The handing over is unacceptable.

It is illegal. Cross River and Akwa Ibom states have completed their four years term each as Chairman and Managing Director of the commission,” Chief Harry said.

He pointed out that the present board was officially appointed on the 4th of November, 2016 to complete the remainder of term of the previous board in line with the provisions of the NDDC Act.

Adding that, the present NDDC board tenure of Nsima Ekere, Ndoma Egba and others elapsed on October 31, 2018 in line with the terms of their appointment and the law establishing NDDC, which clearly stated that they were to complete their respective state’s tenures.

“Where a vacancy occurs in the membership of the board, it shall be filled by the appointment of a successor to hold office for the remainder of the term of office of his predecessor.

“There shall be for the commission, a Managing Director, and two Executive Directors who shall be indigenes of oil producing areas starting with the member states of the commission with the highest production quantum oil and shall rotate amongst member states in order of production “The NDDC Act 2000 provides for the rotation of the commission’s leadership amongst the nine member states.

The positions of Managing Director, Executive Director (Projects) and Executive Director (Finance) also follow the rotational policy under Part 4, Section 12 of the NDDC ACT,” he said.

He also urged President Buhari to implement the NDDC ACT.

Short News Abia NDLEA arrests 4 for illegal production of sedatives

State Commander, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Abia, Bamidele Akingbade, said that four men were arrested for illegally and secretly manufacturing Diazepam, a sleep-inducing anti-depressant drug.

Akingbade disclosed this while taking newsmen round the drug production laboratory at Omenihu Street, off Enugu – Port Harcourt Expressway, Osisioma Local Government Area, near Aba. Diazepam is the generic name for a controlled sleep-inducing, anti-depressant drug, also called valium.

He said that the company, which produced a brand of Diazepam, named DIZAPAM, was doing so without licence and in an unauthorised environment within a residential area.

Akingbade said that the company, without name, was operating in a warehouse and producing the substandard drug with the name of an Indian drug company, Shalina Laboratories, PVT, India.

The commander said the suspects were caught working in the laboratory when NDLEA men raided the warehouse.

He said that the owner of the factory, who is operating from Onitsha, Anambra, was on the run, while the agency had gone after him, after sealing off the warehouse.

Akingbade said that the agency had been gathering intelligence on the illicit drug production for some days before it materialised in the arrests.

“What they do here is compounding and making diazepam illicitly, because from the test that has been conducted, it proved positive for Diazepam but the production, registration is not controlled.

“So it is a clandestine laboratory. He has no number. He has nothing to show government why he is producing the drug.

“I want to add that Diazepam that is produced here is a controlled drug and if a drug is controlled, it means that it affects the central nervous system.

“And the use or abuse of it can lead to addiction or general damage to the user’s brain.

“It is a depressant and used for treatment of insomnia and anxiety. So we expect that it should not be produced by a single individual in this environment.” he said.

He promised that the man would be punished by the law when caught.

Akingbade urged persons buying diazepam in Aba or the South East, to check and ensure they got the authentic one.

He said it was suspected that some of the substandard products had been moved into the market.

He also urged residents in these areas, who had information on such unlicensed drug productions, to report to NDLEA for prompt action to save lives.

Proper production of diazepam must go through registrations with Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), NAFDAC and permit from NDLEA. Also, it must be professionally prepared and produced in a verified laboratory with fully employed workers, who must be certified pharmacists.

The unlicensed laboratory is equipped with one big Lister generator, two packing and sealing machines, two tablet-making machines, one mixing machine and a dryer.

27, 474 candidates apply for 2019/20 PTDF scholarship The DG of NAPTIP, Dame Julie Okah-Donli flanked by Le Mer Gerard and Cotelle Patrick.

Defection: Jim Nwobodo returns to PDP Moses Oyediran, Enugu Former Governor of old Anambra State, Senator Jim Nwobodo, Friday returned to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) from the All Progressives Congress, APC. Nwobodo, who rejoined his erstwhile party, said he has assumed the position of an elder statesman than a partisan politician.

Nwobodo was conspicuously absent as the APC flaged off of the presidential election campaign in the state on Thursday.

Nwobodo announced the decision to defect during a visit by some key leaders of the PDP in the Southeast at his Amaechi country home, in Enugu.

The stakeholders includes S.N Okeke, former chairman, Police Service Commission, Prof. A.B.C Nwosu, Chief Oseloka Obaze, the Secretary to the Abia State Government, among others.

The group during their meeting asked Nwobodo to return to the party which he co-founded in 1998.

“Why we are here is that a house you built has been vacant, we are calling on you to most respectfully step back to your house,” Okeke had pleaded.

Responding to the please, he said he was stepping aside from the All Progressives Congress, APC, chronicling various issues plaguing the nation.

He said prominent political leaders from the Southeast had earlier met him in Abuja few days ago over the same issue.

“It is difficult for me to ignore their call and I cannot do that.

He said being a democrat that he believed in democracy, adding that, “those around Mr. President should always tell him the truth.

He described the attempt to arraign the Chief Justice of Nigeria as a mockery and desecration of the judiciary and the rule of law, stressing “I will not be part of it.

“One of the tenets of democracy is the

division of power among the different independent arms of government, namely Executive, Legislative and Judiciary.

“The desecration of any of these arms of government portends danger to democracy.

“The ongoing attempt to arraign and prosecute the Chief Justice of the Federation in disregard to due process is a mockery of the judiciary, which is the last hope of the common man.

“It is even more worrisome to read in the papers that President was not aware of such moves.

“Now that the President is aware, he should please intervene and stop the desecration of Judiciary and restore respect for the rule of law.

“We are all aware of the implications of disrespect for the rule of law and its dangerous consequences.

“No genuine investor will take us serious and our image as country will seriously bruised”, he said.

The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) says a total of 27, 474 candidates applied for the various platforms of the fund’s scholarship scheme for the 2019/20 academic year.

The Fund disclosed this in a statement signed by Mr Kalu Otisi, Head, Press and External Relations unit on Friday.

He said the applications were for the Overseas Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme under PTDF Strategic Partnership with universities in UK, Germany and France.

According to him, the applications are also for the undergraduate, Masters and PhD Scholarship awards in Nigerian Federal Universities under PTDF Local Scholarship Scheme.

“The application window for the Overseas Scholarship Scheme closed on December 31st, 2018 while that of the Local Scholarship (LSS) expired on the 16th of November 2018,’’ he said.

He noted that 15, 822 candidates applied for the Overseas Scholarship Scheme in the MSc category, while three 3,501 applications were received for the PhD scholarship award.

INEC needs 11,000 security personnel for election in Adamawa – REC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it will require 11,000 security personnel for the conduct of the 2019 general elections in Adamawa State.

INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Adamawa, Mr Masim Gaidam, said this at a workshop organised on election security in Yola on Friday.

“We need no fewer than 11,000 security personnel to man the 4,102 voting points across the state.

“We need the security personnel to ensure free and fair elections; they are also expected to maintain peaceful atmosphere during the elections,’’ he said.

Gaidam said that during the elections, the security personnel would be deployed across the state to safeguard the lives and properties of the citizens, while maintaining law and order around the polling and collation centres.

He said that adequate security arrangements would be put in place to ensure the safety of election officers and materials during and after the elections.

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, January 26, 2019

7 News

2019 polls will test professionalism of Short News security agencies – INEC chairman Collapsed guests house: Synagogue Church

The Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof.

Mahmood Yakubu, says the 2019 general elections will test the professionalism of Nigeria’s security agencies.

Yakubu disclosed this on Friday, at the opening of a two-day workshop organised

by INEC, in collaboration with the European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES), for security personnel in Lagos.

The workshop, which had representatives of various security outfits in attendance, was tagged ” Election Security Personnel Training of Trainers for 2019 General Elections “.

At the workshop were representatives of the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Air Force, Police, Nigeria Customs Service, (NCS) Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

Others from the Department of State Service (DSS), the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were also in attendance.

Yakubu, who was represented by Mr Sam Olumekun, the Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC, Lagos State, said without security, there would not be free and fair elections, especially in Nigeria.

“This workshop is clearly an indication of the determination of the commission to conduct free, fair and credible elections in 2019.

“The commission in its efforts to meet international best practices, has consistently demonstrated its commitment to develop and sustain structures that support its deepening of democratic practices, including security. ” INEC is responsible for conducting elections, while the security agencies are responsible for protecting the entire process — from INEC officials, to observers, the media, civil society organisations, and the voters.

“Your professionalism will definitely be put to test in the 2019 general elections, putting into consideration the fact that we have the highest number of political parties

ever contesting in the elections. ” Also, with a voter roll of 6, 570, 291 in Lagos, we have the largest; it is going to be an arduous task in Lagos State,” Yakubu said.

According to him, as elections draw closer, at the front burner is the issue of security.

He said that INEC had taken a number of measures and initiatives to improve electoral security in Nigeria through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) set up in 2011.

The chairman said that he had no doubt that the security agencies would pass the test, putting their track record into consideration.

The INEC boss said that the workshop would equip the security personnel for effective policing during the elections and enable them to acquire broad knowledge of the electoral process.

“2019 general elections is another opportunity to prove to the world that the Nigerian democracy is on course and the bar of success achieved in 2015 can be raised if we get it right security-wise,” he said.

takes care of bereaved families - Survivor Peter Fowoyo, Lagos

A survivor in the collapsed Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) guest building, Mr TaiwoTemitayo Taiwo, has told a Lagos High Court, Igbosere that the Church has been responsible financially in looking after all the dependants of all the deceased persons.

The Lagos State Government had sued the Synagogue Church of All Nations over the collapsed building that killed 116 worshipers of the Church, on September 12, 2014.

The defendants are Oladele Ogundeji and Akinbela Fatiregun charged alongside their companies - Hardrock Construction and Engineering Company and Jandy Trust Ltd. They are facing 110-count charge of involuntary manslaughter while the Registered Trustees of SCOAN were charged with one count of building without approval.

The Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions accused the defendants of violating Section 75 of the Urban and Regional Planning Law of Lagos State 2010 as well as Section 222 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011.

Buhari’s visit to Ebonyi: PDP to lend 2,000 members to APC Charles Onyekwere, Abakaliki Apparently mocking Ebonyi state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Governor David Umahi says he will borrow 2,000 members of his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to APC to enable the party receive President Muhammadu Buhari who is billed to visit the State next Wednesday to canvass for votes ahead of the February 16th presidential election.

Governor Umahi who made this known at Ugbodo, the council headquarters of Ebonyi Local Government Area when his re-election campaign train visited the LGA on Friday, explained that it would be embarrassing for the president to come to the state without people to receive him since the people still in APC in the state were no longer more than 1000.

He said the gesture was to show the president the necessary courtesy so that he won’t come to Ebonyi and found no people to receive him.

PDP faction of Ohaneze endorsed Atiku - BMO Tom Okpe, Abuja

L-R: NAFDAC, Public Relation Officer (PRO), Abubakar Jimoh, Chairman Women and Youth Presidential Campaign Team, General Buba Marwa (rtd). and Director General, NAFDAC, Prof. Moji Christianah Adeyeye during the WYPC support visit to NAFDAC on drugs abuse in Nigeria on Wednesday in Abuja.

Photo : Temitope Balogun

Ezekwesili to ACPN’s leaders: You are political entrepreneurs Denies allegations, promises to give account of campaign funding

Patrick Okohue, Lagos The presidential candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) for the 2019 election, Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili, who Thursday stepped down her ambition to rather pursue a coalition among other candidates to oust the duo of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the leading opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has described the action of the leadership of the ACPN in adopting President Muhammadu Buhari same day she stepped down her ambition as a confirmation of her realization in the divergence of values and vision with the leadership of the party which made it impossible for her to continue with them.

She said her decision to step out of the party and the race was borne out of the realisation that her vision and that of the leadership of the party was not aligned as according to her, “Nigeria and Nigerians deserve a New Order of ethical, competent and capable leadership. I had earlier assumed the ACPN was aligned with me to offer that, until it proved otherwise. The values and vision divergence with the party was a key

factor that triggered my withdrawal from the presidential race on their ticket prompting me to dissociate immediately in order to help build a coalition for Good Governance. It is why I was instant in sacrificing my candidacy to uphold my values by withdrawing.”

Ezekwesili in a statement she personally signed and sent from Cabo in Mexico where she is attending Albert Einstein’s Genius100 Visionaries meeting, noted that the “party’s decision to immediately today endorse the candidate of APC, which was announced by my erstwhile VP candidate who is also the Chairman of ACPN was their classic political entrepreneurship in full display for Nigerians to see. It is instructive.

“The party leadership’s transactional approach to politics began to manifest in their attitude following after the convention that adopted me as their presidential candidate.

All who know me can attest that I detest transactional mindset. I would have none of such and therefore extremely delighted to part ways after a tumultuous three months of hoping that the ACPN leadership would elevate to the new values of disruptive politics that one had desired for and preached within

the party.

“As for the defamatory statements made against my person by the ACPN leadership in their malicious statement, I want Nigerians to know that there is no iota of truth in any of them. Everything ACPN wrote or said of the campaign donations is fabrication and outright lies. Our campaign was conducted with the highest level of transparency and accountability with impeccable evidence.

“I know and can guarantee that at all times because, these standards firmly underpin my commitment to lasting values and professionalism.

“Only those who desperately wish to believe falsehoods would lend any credence to such puerile accusations by the leadership of ACPN. Only those who pretend ignorance of my legendary and uncompromising passion for accountability would give heed to such baseless statement.

“I have declined any interviews until my return to Nigeria upon which I shall hold a World Press Conference to engage Nigerians on the actions I shall take even as we present full report of our three-month old campaign for the 2019 presidential election to the public.

A group, the Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has maintained that it’s the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) faction of the Ohaneze Ndi- Igbo group that endorsed the party’s Presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in the forthcoming Presidential Election.

The Igbo social cultural group endorsed the PDP Presidential candidate in a communiqué signed by its leaders after rising from its meeting on Thursday.

BMO in a statement signed by its Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke on Friday however said that it was not surprising that several members of the group are already dissociating themselves from the purported endorsement.

It reads: “John Nwodo, the President-General of the faction has for some time now left no doubt about his romance with the PDP and is known to be a regular face at meetings convened by another PDP chieftain Chief Edwin Clark.

“Even his colleagues in Ohaneze have seen through him and were quick to disown the communiqué he issued after a hurriedly arranged meeting of Ime-Obi meeting (Ohaneze’s highest decision making organ) on the same day that President Muhammadu Buhari was in Anambra and Enugu State on campaign.

Ohaneze’s endorsement of Atiku/Obi courageous, constructive - PDP

The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) has lauded the decision of Ohaneze Ndigbo to endorse the Atiku-Obi presidential ticket.

Chairman of the Atiku/Obi Presidential Campaign Council, Anambra chapter, Mr Oseloka Obaze, made the commendation in Awka on Friday.

Ohaneze, the Igbo Socio-Cultural organisation announced its endorsement of the PDP presidential flag bearers after a meeting held in Enugu on Thursday.

Obaze described the position as `most profound, constructive and courageous decision’.

“The endorsement is historical and seminal gesture will serve Nigeria well,” he said.

Ohaneze had in a communiqué said its decision to adopt Atiku/Obi followed a critical and dispassionate appraisal of the issues.

It said the body analysed the election manifestos of the various contesting parties, especially with regards to the restructuring of the federation and continued relevance of Ndigbo in the Nigerian geopolitical space.

News 8

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, January 26, 2019

2019 Polls: Gov Emmanuel alerts US envoy of Short News APC plan to arrest PDP members in A’ Ibom Endorsement: You are on your own, Isaac Job, Uyo

The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel has intimated the international community of alleged plans by opposition All Progressives Congress Party (APC) to use security agencies to arrest members of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom during next month’s general election.

Governor Emmanuel said the use of the police by the opposition to intimidate key supporters of the PDP with spurious and cooked up charges, among other issues, could lead to breach of peace in the state.

Addressing the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Stuart Symington at Government House, Uyo, Governor Emmanuel said that America has its largest investments in Nigeria, located in Akwa Ibom state, and traced the successes of the companies to the peace currently enjoyed in the state.

Governor Emmanuel who is the first Governor produced by the core oil producing communities in Akwa Ibom, said only an unfettered participation of the people in free and fair poll, would guarantee the sustenance of the peace.

He said that the bulk of the country’s income is derived from the oil resources as such the consciences of the rulers should compel them not to sacrifice justice and fair play on the altar of partisanship but to bequeath the country with legacies, assuring that Akwa Ibom would maintain its pride of place as the most peaceful state in the country.

He explained that Nigerians, the South South and Akwa Ibom state in particular desire credible, free and fair elections, adding that the state aside from Lagos has the highest foreign direct investment due to the peaceful ambience and urged the Ambassador to caution the ruling party on the noticeable act of desperation by attempting to compromise security and other agencies of government in acting their script.

Earlier, Mr Symington had enjoined Nigerians to uphold the democratic norms of fair play and eschew acts that might truncate the forthcoming elections in the country.

He said that election is one of the democratic processes that enable citizens to choose their Leaders and called on all the candidates from the

various political parties to see their aspiration as a call to service not intimidation and rancour.

Mr Symington said that every citizen should be free to choose leaders of their own choice in a free and transparent poll and reminded the political class of the sacrifices of the past leaders to keep the unity of the country as a sovereign state whereby the fundamental rights of the citizens were respected.

The American Envoy said that the world is interested in Nigeria’s political development in view of its key role in Africa being one of the largest countries with abundant economic potential.

He said the global community is conscious of the fact that only the citizens of the country can determine their destiny and not political parties and urged the political gladiators to place the interest of the people above self rather than attempt to compromise the electoral body and the security services to their advantage.

Mr Symington said that every Nigerian should think of how to salvage the economic and security challenges and not further polarize the country on regional, religious or ethnic lines.

Igbo leaders tells Ohaneze, Nwodo Moses Oyediran, Enugu

Some notable Igbo leaders from the South East have described Thursday’s endorsement of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Alhaji Atiku Abubakar by the Ohanaeze Ndigbo as null and void.

Daily Times reports that Atiku was endorsed after a meeting of the highest decision making organ of Ohaneze (Imeobi) at the Nike Lake Resort, Enugu on Thursday.

Our correspondent reports that the endorsement has drawn the ire of some Igbo leaders, especially members of the All Progressives Congress, prompting a media briefing late Thursday night.

Leaders who briefed newsmen included Minister of foreign affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, the minister of Science and Technology, Chief Ogbonnaya Onu, minister of Labour, Senator Chris Ngige, former Senate President, Chief Ken Nnamani, former governor of Enugu State, Barr. Sullivan Chime, the DirectorGeneral of the Voice of Nigeria, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, Gen. J.O.J Okoloagu (Rtd.) and Prince Richard Ozobu.

Atiku will reactivate LG administration, says Gov Ahmed Kehinde Akinpelu, Ilorin The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar will reactivate local government administration if elected as the nation’s next president.

Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed gave this assurance yesterday at Isanlu Isin in Isin local government area of the state during the PDP campaign rally.

Ahmed said the PDP Presidential candidate would give the local governments a new lease of life to enable administrators at that level of governance discharge their responsibilities to the people at the grassroots.

He blamed the present dysfunction of local governments across the country on the insensitivity of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led federal government.

“Nigerians at the grassroots today are suffering because the local governments can no longer meet their obligations to the people.

Presidential election: Traders promise Buhari 10m votes Tom Okpe, Abuja

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Otunba Moses Adeyemol and others, during the inauguration of TraderMoni at Takie Market in Ogbomoso, Oyo State... on Friday.

Minimum Wage: Organised Labour to storm NASS Monday, rejects N27,000 benchmark Idu Jude, Abuja Leadership of the organised labour in Nigeria has said it will besiege the National Assembly Monday to press down demands and insistence on N30,000 minimum wage to Nigerian worker as agreed by the tripartite committee.

The decision to storm National Assembly Monday was reached Friday, while rising from an emergency Central Working Committee meeting on Abuja, in response to the turn of events and

decision of National Economic Council to approve the amount.

According to the President of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) Comrade Ayuba Wabba, the Central Working Committee (CWC) has refused the idea of N27,000.00 Minimum wage, the reason being that the figure juxtaposes the decision taken at the tripartite committee and as such has become out law.

Daily Times recalls that the National Economic Council in the cause of the week, approved N27,000.00 for States Civil Servants

and N30,000.00 for Federal Civil Servants.

Comrade Wabba said: “With this decision, we are saying no to it and we are mobilizing our union members across the country; we have also put all of them on notice to be ready for any eventuality. On Monday, there will be public hearing and we need to go there for a show down”.

He further explained that the initially agreed N30,000 is not within the context of economic realities in the country, stressing that the value is actually bellow $100 in as of today.

A group of Traders in the country, Nigerian Traders for PMB (NTFPMB) has charged its members to mobilise their households, neighbours, and friends to support and vote for President Muhammadu Buhari in the forthcoming presidential elections in order to exceed its 10 million vote target.

The decision to support the President’s second term bid was reached at the NTFPMB leadership meeting held in Abuja on Thursday.

In a statement made available to newsmen Friday in Abuja by the national coordinator of the group, Prince Paul Ikonne, the group indicates that traders were reminded that based on the achievements of Buhari ranging from road infrastructure, security of life and property especially the Trader Moni initiative among many others, there is need for the president to be re-elected for the second term in order to consolidate on his achievements.

Ikonne said: “President Buhari is a trader friendly president and as such traders will do everything within the law to mobilise support across board in order to exceed the 10 million votes they promised the president”.

NOA flags off Northwest voter education campaign Yakubu Salisu, Kano The National Orientation Agency (NOA) on Friday, kicked off its Northwest Zonal voter education campaign towards the 2019 general elections.

The Campaign, which took place in Kano had in attendance relevant stakeholders from across different fields, with the theme; Stakeholders Dialogue for Peaceful and Violence free 2019 Elections.

The Director General of the Agency, Garba Abari represented by the National Director of finance and account, Balarabe S Gambo said the Agency have embarked on peace building work in various communities across the country through its program platform tagged: “Building a people of peace” He said the Agency saddled with the statutory responsibility for sensitization, orientation and community peace building, deemed it necessary to organize such campaign for peaceful elections.

According to him, election period in Nigeria have come to be characterized with great anxiety, usually heightened by the reckless utterances and sometimes, actions of some politicians and their followers.

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, January 26, 2019

9 News

IGP Adamu seeks NURTW collaboration Short News for hitch free election Andrew Orolua, Abuja

The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu has appealed to the leadership of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) to take the assignment given to them by the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) in the forthcoming general election very seriously.

The INEC is collaborating with members of NURTW to ensure movement of some election materials for the February and March election are hitch free.

IGP Adamu who received the National and all the 36 States branch Chairmen of the Union in Abuja on

Friday on a courtesy visit, said that their involvement on the election duty also demand that they abide by the rules.

“With your huge membership across the country the Union owned the country responsibility to also work to ensure security.”

Adamu acknowledged that security challenges are here and there which must be addressed, and observes that any fight against crime which members of NURTW totally support the police are bound to be won. He enjoined them to report any crime during or after the election to the police.

Earlier, while expressing his views, the President of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Alhaji

Najeem Usman Yasin said the Union had resolved to collaborate with police to fight crime in the country.

He said although the enormity of the task before IGP is huge, and the union is confident that the new IGP has the capacity to deal with it and to protect all citizens.

Alhaji Yasin said that the Union will continue to assist the police with useful information that would help curb crime in the society.

On election duty, the President of NURTW said that the union have performed election duties credibly in the past and he assured that it surpass its records this time around.

“We did it in 2015 general elections and we are set to assist INEC,” he concluded.

2019 Election: European Centre urges security agencies to display high professionalism

Project Director, European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES), Enugu, Mr Rudolf Elbling, has urged security agencies to display high sense of professionalism before, during and after the general elections.

Elbling, gave the advice at the training of ‘Trainers for Election Security Personnel for the 2019 Election’, in Enugu, on Friday.

According to the project director, election, no doubt, is a sensitive and complex operation.

“It is however, our expectation that the security forces will display the highest sense of professionalism in handling issues of election security.

“They will maintain a friendly and non-partisan disposition that will inspire the confidence of the general populace in the electoral process.’’

“Security agencies have critical roles to play in securing the electoral process.

Kwara residents urged to vote during 2019 election Kehinde Akinpelu, Ilorin The State Director, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Kwara State, Mr Olusegun Adeyemi has urged the people and residents of Kwara to make their votes count by voting correctly and preventing void votes when the time comes.

He also charged them to shun hate speeches that can trigger violence, as we approach the 2019 elections.

The NOA Director made this call on thurday at the flag off a Statewide campaign, with focus on curbing invalid votes at Oke Oyi, in Ilorin East Local Government Area.

In his speech, Adeyemi noted that during the 2015 presidential election, over 850,000 votes were voided because some voters did not vote correctly which made their votes rejected.

He thereafter demonstrated to the audience, how to vote properly and urged them to teach others same.

According to, Barrister Tajudeen Lawal, the Chief Orientation and Mobilisation Officer of NOA, Ilorin East LGA emphasised that the sensitisation becomes imperative in order to educate the electorates properly, ahead of elections.

NLC donates relief items to 13 LGAs ravaged by flood in Jigawa

L-R: National President National Union of Road Transport Workers , Alh. Najeem Yasin; Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu; Deputy National President, NURTW Bayesla State, Mr. Elijah Uwumoko; Member NURTW, Mr. Joseph Alunya; Chairman NURTW Lagos state, Alh. AgbedeTajudeen; and a Member, National Trustee NURTW, Alh. Imam Karshi, during the NUTRW visit to the IGP on credible election in Abuja... on Friday.

Photo Temitope Balogun

This is election, not war - Gov Sylva Akam James, Yenagoa Leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State, and former Governor of the state, Chief Timipre Sylva, has appealed to politicians and candidates of the various parties in forthcoming elections in the state, to play by the rules and not hit-up the polity, noting that this is election and not war.

Sylva, who also called for safe and peaceful conduct throughout the electioneering period, said he was hopeful of greater chances of victory for his party in the State because of the credible and we’ll grounded filled but the APC. He stated this yesterday while addressing newsmen at the police headquarters in Yenagoa, briefly after his visit to the state commissioner of police.

Sylva, who accused the members

of the PDP in the state of stockpiling arms for the elections, added that he hoped and pray that they’ll not have opportunity to use those arms throughout this period.

“Campaigns are going on everywhere in the state and the country, as you all know APC is the dominant party in the State and we have better chances in this election, we are hoping everybody will give peace a chance, Bayelsans are naturally peaceful people but the unfortunate things is that the PDP have been stockpiling arms and we hope that they’ll never have the opportunity to use them” Sylva, who disclosed that the main reason why he visited the police boss in the state was to get assurances because of the recent criminal activities, murders, attack on APC members and pulling down of Bill boards, adding that he believes that the government of Bayelsa State has a direct hand in the several killings.

He also faulted Governor Dickson’s frequent complains about deployment and re-deployment of police commissioners in the state, noting that the reason why he didn’t shout about this recent change was because the current commissioner was in the state to do his bidding.

“We are here to visit the commissioner to get assurances because they are several killings and nothing’s has been done about it, a day ago, our presidential candidate’s bill board was brought down by unknown men and we know this are the kind of things that precipitate problems, if our members begin to react then they’ll crisis” One of the strategies is to interact with the police and INEC, so that they’ll know that we are very serious this time and will not condone any form of connivance between the two agencies and politicians like in 2015 when we ran elections with police and INEC.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has distributed relief items to victims of flood in 13 local government areas of the state affected by flood in 2018 rainy season.

The NLC Chairman in Jigawa, Alhaji Usman Ya’u inaugurated the distribution in Dutse on Friday.

No fewer than 21 persons lost their lives in flood that ravaged over 200 communities in the LGAs. NAN also reports that the items distributed by the NLC included; 250 bags of maize, 150 bags of millet and 150 bags of Guinea Corn.

The local government areas include: Ringim, Taura, Jahun, Miga, Auyo, Kaugama, Malammadori, Hadejia, Birninkudu, Guri, Birniwa, Kafinhausa and Kirikasamma.

Others are; 370 pieces of women wrappers, 330 yards of men’s textile materials, 200 pieces of blankets and 308 pieces of mat, as well as assorted plastic buckets, bowls and other containers.

Ya’u said the items would be distributed in collaboration with the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).

He said that they would be distributed based on severity of the disaster in each of the 13 LGA.

2019 polls: INEC, ECES, conduct training for security personnel in Gombe The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Friday organised training for security agents in Gombe, preparatory to the forthcoming general elections.

The training, being conducted in collaboration with European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES), will last two days and has the military, police, immigration, NDLEA, prisons, NSCDC and FRSC personnel in attendance.

Speaking at the occasion, Dr Saad Idris, Director-General of INEC institute, said his commission would sustain the improvement made during the 2015 elections.

Idris, who was represented by Malam Abatcha Bukar, the Administrative Secretary of INEC in Gombe, said the elections conducted in Ekiti and Osun states were hitch- free as such, same model would be applied.

“The stand alone elections in Osun and Ekiti were adjudged to be a great improvement on 2015 general elections, principally arising from the use of cascaded electoral security training that was employed during these elections in terms of the professional conduct of security personel on election duty,” he said.

News 10

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, January 26, 2019

Bayelsa 2019 elections: Uproar as aggrieved politicians, party leaders disrupt stakeholders forum with police commissioner, INEC Akam James, Yenagoa Some aggrieved party leaders, stakeholders in Bayelsa State disrupted the town hall meeting between the leadership of the Bayelsa State police command, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and major political actors in the state.

It was learnt that authorities of the state Police Command had summoned chieftains of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the All Progressive Congress (APC) and other stakeholders in the various political parties in the state to a meeting over the peaceful conduct of campaigns and elections in the state.

The meeting was held yesterday at the police officers mess in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.

The meeting which started few minutes after 11am was peaceful and coordinated for over two hours, not until some politicians from other parties stood up in protest against the convener over alleged non participation by others parties but only the two leading APC and PDP. According to one of the aggrieved persons, and Ekeremor/Sagbama Federal House of

Representatives candidate under the platform of Social Democratic Party (SDP), Hon John Keme, said its wrong for a meeting convene for all political parties in the state is been participated by just two parties, the meeting has to be re-scheduled.

“We are all here to participate to progress solution to the forthcoming elections in the state, and not just for the organisers of the meeting to recognize only two parties, the commissioner gives opportunity to only the leading two political parties and we are angry.”

Another House of representatives candidate from Ogbia federal constituency on the platform of the ADC, Hon. Rex Ogbuku, noted that every election year the security agencies call for peace pact meetings for politicians to come and reason together but little or nothing has been achieved, adding that if only the INEC and police can do what they are suppose to do Nigeria and Bayelsa will have a better election.

He noted that since all elections are local, the politicians should go to their unit, wards and constituency to campaign and buy the conscience of the people rather than resolve to violence and election manipulation.

The Bayelsa West senatorial candidate on

the platform of the APC, Captain Mathew Karimo, faulted the non appearance of 98 percent of candidates from the PDP and other serving lawmakers in the state, adding that he had a very important campaign but he shifted it to attend the peace meeting.

He accused the current administration in the state of condoning and sponsoring violence against oppositions in the state, noting that there are plans of his arrest and adoption until after the elections to frustrate his chances of winning by the governor of the state.

Earlier according to the state commissioner of police, CP Aminu Saleh, who called for calm and gave them opportunity to speak, said “It important we all call ourselves as stakeholders to stand discuss the way forward toward the forthcoming elections in the state, adding that that is the only way we can fashion out a way for a credible election in the state.

Saleh, who gave the breakdown of the voting centres in the eight local government of the State as 2246 voting centre, with the final collating centre in Yenagoa local government, while 44 candidates from the various parties will contest the three senatorial seats, and 84 candidates for the five House of representatives seats.

Short News NNPP pulls out of coalition, says proposal aims at favouring PDP Samuel Luka, Bauchi The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has declared that the party is no longer affiliated to the recent coalition by some political parties to wrestle power from the incumbent Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar of Bauchi State in 2019 general election.

The guber candidate of the party, Alhaji Shu’aibu Ahmed Adamu who stated this at a press conference on Friday said that the coalition was aimed at favouring the biggest opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Ahmed Adamu explained that, “Our campaign slogan is ‘People First’. We consider the interest of the people of Bauchi State as the prime mover of our actions and utterances. Recently, a group of politicians have approached us with suggestion of forming a coalition that will provide a single opposition front in the state. As listening politicians, we agreed to listen to the proposition”.

“We therefore decided to honour the invitation for the first meeting; moreover, it came from the people we hold in high esteemed”, he further narrated.

According to him, “out of the 21 persons invited to attend the meeting, 11 were from one political party. He did not take us long to understand that the proposal was orchestrated to favour the PDP which has clearly seen electoral defeat. A few other participants at the meeting had personal scores to settle in their vested interest. The proposal had little to do with the interest of the people of Bauchi State “.

NOA educates on curbing void votes, flags off voter education in North Central Kehinde Akinpelu, Ilorin As the 2019 general election draws near, Nigerians have been enlightened on how to vote correctly, thereby reducing the number of void votes to the barest minimum.

This was done at Voter Education programme organised by the National Orientation Agency (NOA) at the flag-off of its North Central Zone sensitization forum which was held at Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

The Director General of NOA, Dr Garba Abari, represented by Mrs. Ruth Ogun, Director Public Enlightenment and Mass Mobilisation at the National Headquarters, expressed the Agency’s readiness to always champion campaigns targeted at achieving credible, free, fair and transparent 2019 election, as part of efforts to prepare Nigerians for the forthcoming general elections.

Dr Garba, therefore charged Nigerians to vote correctly when the time comes by thumb printing within the space provided on the ballot paper; folding it correctly and dropping it in the appropriate box.

APC says Ohaneze’s endorsement of Atiku dubious Tom Okpe, Abuja

From right: Director, Diaspora Affairs, Dr. Mohammed Nasidi, National President, Buhair Youth Organisation, Mr. Abraham Olujonwo Obasanjo, and National Organizing Secretary, Buhari Youth Organisation, Mr. Haruna Madisca,during the United Nations International Day of Education in New York City on Thursday.

How police prevent girl child abuse, other crimes in A’Ibom Isaac Job, Uyo

It was another season for harvest of crime suspects in Akwa Ibom Thursday as the state commissioner of police Musa Kimo paraded those he described as “cursed people in their generation” for offences many considered a crime against humanity.

The crimes include sales of children, child stealing, child defilement and child kidnapping.

Addressing correspondents at the state police headquarters Ikot Akpan Abia, the police boss paused while pointing to a lanky young man Joseph Effiong 29, one of the suspects arrested.

Continuing, the police commissioner in an emotion laden voice said “ this man lured

little Miss Mfoniso Nse Okon 4 year old to an uncompleted building and defiled her.

Another pathetic incident as narrated by Musa Kimo was the arrest of one Joseph Sunday Essien of Ifa Ikot Obong in Uyo local government area who defiled his own step daughter Miss Patience Edet Eden.

The case that evoked sympathy was the incident that involved a ten year minor one Miss Mfon Sunday Okon from Use Offot in Uyo council area.

According to the Police commissioner, the minor was defiled by Edet Inyang Edem (now in police custody) and thereafter abandoned the victim at Use Offot market square in the pool of blood that oozed out from her private part.

Another incident that stunned all was the

arrest of Joseph Akpanowo who allegedly stole his one year and four months old daughter Miss Goodness Joseph and sold her to one Nyaknno Uwa residing at Port Harcourt.

Kimo said Akpanowo sold his daughter for the sum of One hundred and fifty thousand naira (N150,000). He said part payment of one hundred and twenty five thousand was paid, leaving the balance to be settled before police intercepted in the transaction.

Kimo assured the victims that all the suspects would be arraigned in court as the police would leave no stone unturned to ensure that the suspects are made to face full wrath of the law for justice to the victims.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that the endorsement of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is dubious, warning the Igbo race not to fall to the political wrangling of the opposition party.

The major Igbo social political group on Thursday released a communiqué after a meeting to endorse the candidature of the PDP Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

In reaction to the development on Friday in Abuja, the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu in a press conference said Ndigbo should not forget that it was during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Atiku as vice President that Nigeria’s political history witnessed the frequent manipulated changes to the Senate Presidency and setting Igbo brothers against one another for political gains.

He said: “Our observation comes against the backdrop of the now disputed ‘communiqué’ issued by some members of Ohaneze Ndigbo on the 2019 general elections.

2019: There will be no national, governorship elections in Rivers — Delisted APC candidates

The duly nominated candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers say there will be no national, state and governorship elections in the state if INEC fails to relist them.

APC candidate for Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni-Ahoada/West Federal Constituency, Mr Henry Odili made the assertion at news conference organised by the delisted APC candidates in Port Harcourt on Thursday.

Odili said that there was no court order stopping the primary elections that that produced them as candidates.

He alleged that Gov. Nyesom Wike and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had boasted that the APC would not have candidates in Rivers before the State High Court gave judgement that nullified the primary elections.

According to Odili, what has transpired between Wike, the courts and INEC is a manifestation of the boast and his fear of going into election against APC candidates in Rivers.

Daily Times Nigeria

Saturday, January 26, 2019

11

I’m fulfilled at 79 - Chief Rasaq Okoya Chief Rasaq Akanni Okoya is a billionaire industrialist and the Aare of Lagos. He had his only formal education at Ansar-un-deen Primary School, but today, he is one of those that are contributing to the growth and development of the nation through employment of labour. He is the owner and founder of Eleganza group of companies, which has a market spanning Western Africa. In this interview with ISAAC OGUNTOYE, the renowned philanthropist spoke on how it feels to turn 79 despite the challenges of life.

Despite your old age, you are still very active, what’s the secret?

It feels great to be 79, but you need a lot of medical services. I thank God for my life and that is why the birthday started with a prayer on Friday while Saturday was the birthday. I’m looking forward to be 80years and more.

At 79, you have achieved many things, would you say you’re fulfilled?

Yes, I’m fulfilled except the fact that, I’m still very busy at my age. I still go to factory every day.

Production is my life and still wants to see greater things coming out of the factory. I’ve done it many times but the economy now is making it tougher but we have to go through it and make sure we’re successful.

How early do you resume at the factory?

There is no specific time because right from home, you have started working. As early as 9a.m some of the managers, accountants will have come to you to get instructions and before 11a.m to 12p.m we’re already in the factory.

Talking about the economy been tough for business and the election is also around the corner, what’s your advice to government to make sure the economy is good enough for business?

The level playing ground for business is not yet there. We’re still facing power problem. Another thing is that, a lot of people are looking for work but they are not good enough. If you conduct interview for Fourty candidate, hardly will you get a certified candidate that is good enough to take up the job. We must go back and work on our universities and elementary schools. We must start training them. Those who want to become a professor should focus and become certified while those who want to focus on craft should perfect their craft because the industry is vacant. You hardly get staff to work with you. Competent hands are very hard to get.

In a matter of weeks, Nigeria is preparing for election, what is your advice?

Peaceful election, so that the

economy can be buoyant again.

At 79, do you still miss your mother?

The mosque in my Estate is donated to her that shows you how much I still miss her.

What fond memories do you still remember about her?

Up till tomorrow, I cherish her every seconds and every minute because the training she and my father gave me is what I’m still enjoying today.

You have two siblings, Dr. Taju and Alhaja Wosilat Okoya, How was it like growing up with them?

We all grew up in Lagos, and they are my obedient sister. My mother put us together and since then, we obey each other and we follow each other. We are very close and understanding family.

What has been the secret of the business, because some business doesn’t live long to this extent?

The number one thing is that, we cut our coat according to our materials. Sometimes it is good to take overdraft from bank but some bank interest rate can kill business.

Sometimes when you have problem to produce in the factory and your interest is growing, they close down the factory. But we try as much as possible not to over stressed things. We work more with our local market, daily sales and we gather the little we have on a daily basis.

A lot of business that the initiator have move on to the great beyond are no longer in existence, and you have vast business, what plans have you put in place to make sure your business continues after you?

That’s a big problem for me because a lot of my senior children are not interested, so I only hope on the junior ones now. And that’s why I’m still in the factory. If the senior ones had been interested, I shouldn’t be in factory at 79 but a lot of them are not and I don’t want the factory to die. So, I still hope on the younger one that someday they will pick up interest. And thank God I have an able wife, Sade Okoya who is very interested in the factory. She wake up 6:30 to 7 o’clock to go to the factory. She devoted a lot of time.

Sincerely, she’s one of the pillars that keeps the factory going.

Chika Ike

Gist 12

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, January 26, 2019

Between Tony Elumelu and Femi Otedola Nigerian billionaire businessman, Femi Otedola is a known fish in the business terrain while Tony Elumelu remains the great entrepreneurs Africans can be proud of. The most common trait between the duo is the fact that they are both dogged and vibrant industrialists that find joy in taking risk. But one thing you don’t know about Femi Otedola is his

undying love for all that has to do with his fellow compatriot, Tony Elumelu.

Femi, who through vision, hard work and entrepreneurship has attracted Forbes recognition could not curtail his feeling recently when he publicly revealed on social media his respect for Tony Elumelu and why he cannot bank with another bank except United Bank for Africa.

Kate Henshaw and some of other judges

Kate Henshaw named International judge in CBS talent show, ‘The World’s Best’!

Nigerian entertainment industry celebrates an laudable milestone as one of its icons, Kate Henshaw has been announced as the Nigerian Judge representative on the New CBS Global talent show, ‘THE WORLD’S BEST’!, the biggest talent show in the world. Kate, alongside 49 other international judges will make up the WALL OF THE WORLD. Hosted by Emmy Award winner James Corden, the series is a one-of-a-kind talent competition featuring elite acts from around the globe competing for a $1 million prize and the title of THE WORLD’S BEST. The acts not only have to impress the all-star line-up of American judges Drew Barrymore, RuPaul Charles and Faith Hill, but they will also need to break through the “wall of the world,” featuring more than 50 renowned experts from 38 different countries.The “wall of the world” is

comprised of experts from every field of entertainment, from Bollywood to ballet, K-Pop to comedy, martial arts to magic, and everything in between. These experts not only have fervent followings in their home countries but, in many cases, internationally, and will offer feedback during every round of the competition and be responsible for helping to decide which act is ultimately crowned THE WORLD’S BEST. “From Nigeria to Japan, from Switzerland to Samoa, our 50 world experts bring a true global presence to our stage,” said Executive Producer and Showrunner Alison Holloway. “Among them are champions, award-winners, international TV judges and even superstars in their native lands. They are knowledgeable, honest and, at times, outrageous. They bring an entirely fresh perspective to the talent show landscape.’

Elumelu

Quincy celebrates 60 years in grand style Quincy Ayodele, the delectable woman behind Quincy Herbals International, today, 26th of January, 2019 will be hosting creme-de-la-creme in classic birthday shindig.

The birthday that is said to have been organized by her children was meant to

Why I deserve to be re-elected -Lagos lawmaker, ‘Omititi’ Stories Mutiat Alli A popular politician in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon AbdulSobur Olawale Olayiwola, fondly called Omititi, has spoken about his achievements representing Mushin Constituency 11 at the State Assembly ahead of his re-election bid coming up March 2nd.

When he was asked why he wanted to be re-elected, he said: “We give glory to Allah because when I looked back, I know have served my constituents very well. Some of the things we did was Kick Malaria out of Mushin Project. Lots of people were able to benefit from this, I achieved this in collaboration with Rotary International. On education, we were able to cloth over 60 pupils from about 5 different schools in the constituency.

We did this to reduce the burden on their parents which they really appreciated. Not only that I have been

assisting my constituents in buying

Omititi

GCE forms for the past 4years now, every year I buy close to 200 forms and distribute to prospective students.

We equally give them training, that is coaching classes to prepare them for the exam. Another high point is the computer training programme for my people, it has been running for years,

we have over 2,500 graduands from that programme. We also did Makeup/Headgear tying programme to assist those that want to take that as their profession after looking for jobs for years. We trained them as well as empower them with the kits they will use. On my primary assignment which is legislative duties, I have done well, moving lots of Motions.

Hopefully my Bill will be passed at the 9th Assembly, its about how Bureau de Change operators in the state will be well registered and regulated by the state so that the state can benefits from there operation to increase the internally generated revenue of the state.. For representation, I have really fought for my people on several occasion, when Alamutu market was closed down, I intervened and consulted with the Governor to make sure it was reopened. When over 213 members of my constituency were arrested in Akala, I also intervened to make sure all of them were released,” he concluded.

Femi Otediola

celebrate her for her immense contribution in their lives.

It is on record that Quincy, a World Health Organisation expert on natural health, pioneered professional herbal slimming in Nigeria.

Home Affairs 14

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, January 26, 2019

Weight loss with just one spoonful Although Mary Poppins’ hypothesis ‘just a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down’ has yet to be scientifically proven, there are other spoonfuls that are guaranteed to help with weight loss alongside a healthy diet and regular exercise. A spoonful of...

By Eyola

Apple Cider Vinegar will keep you hydrated, gives you a feeling of fullness and stabilizes your blood sugar levels - a great way to maintain your weight and prevent you from adding extra pounds once you’ve reached your goal. Limit consumption to 1-2 tablespoons (mixed with water) per day.

2wo Rich in fatty acids, Coconut Oil contains saturated fats. So you can enjoy its delicious taste without worrying about pilling on the pounds. Use a teaspoon while cooking or take it orally to stop you snacking in between meals while also increasing your metabolism, which helps you burn fat naturally.

3hree Simply add a spoonful of

chopped or grated Ginger to your cooking or add it to freshly squeezed juice. This spice gives food and drinks a deliciously spicy kick and specifically targets fat - ridding the body of fat - while also improving digestion and metabolism, reducing joint inflammations and blood pressure, regulating cholesterol levels and boosting the immune system.

4our Thyme is perfect for seasoning and adding flavour to many dishes (chicken, turkey etc) but did you know that it also helps you to shed the pounds? Filled with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, cells in the body are kept healthy and protected. This herb helps the body to manage stress and also releases water weight and toxins from the body.

5ive Turmeric is jam-packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. Also a fat-burner and pain reliever, turmeric can be consumed in many ways. A spoonful will add flavour to your cooking or can be enjoyed as a hot beverage by simply mixing with water.

6ix Flaxseed (or Flax) contains antioxidants and is packed with omega-3 which prevents nutrient deficiency. There are lots of different ways to add flax to your diet.

Sprinkle a tablespoon over salad, soup, and yogurt or add to a glass of water. Flax also dissolves unhealthy fats in your digestive tract which would otherwise have been stored as body fat.

7even

Cinnamon helps you to maintain a healthy weight after weight loss. A tablespoon added to hot water will boost your body with the recommended daily intake of minerals including potassium, iron, zinc and magnesium. Add cinnamon to a small portion of your favourite dessert on your cheat days as a naughty-but-nice way to include it to your weight-loss dietary plan.

8ight An excellent source of Vitamin C, Lemon Juice cleanses the body and ensures that the immune system, colon, lymphatic system and digestive system are all functioning properly, while keeping bad breath at bay and giving your skin a healthy glow. Add a spoonful of freshly squeezed lemon juice to hot water first thing in the morning to get the best results.

BUSINESS TIMESg Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, January 26, 2019

15

China to overtake US as world’s retail market in 2019-Report Godwin Anyebe China is expected to overtake the US to become the world’s largest retail market this year, latest report that attributes the shift to the emergence of millions of new middle-class Chinese consumers has revealed.

Despite news this week that China’s annual growth rate slowed to 6.6 per cent last year, its lowest rate for almost three decades, research firm eMarketer forecasts that total retail sales in the country will increase7.5 per cent to $5.636 trillion in 2019.

That will surpass the US retail market by more than $100bn, as US retail sales are forecast to grow at less than half (3.3%) the Chinese rate to reach $5.529 trillion this year.

And the trend is expected to continue through to 2022, the end of eMarketer’s forecast period when total retail sales in China (excluding Hong Kong) are expected to reach $6.757 trillion compared with $6.03 trillion in the US. Monica Peart, senior forecasting director at eMarketer, explained that Chinese consumers have experienced rising incomes in recent years, “catapulting millions into the new middle class”. “The result has been a marked rise in purchasing power and average spending per person,” she said.

E-commerce is a major driver of China’s retail economy, eMarketer reported, noting that online sales are expected to grow 30 per cent to $1.989 trillion in 2019.

With more than a third (35.3%) of the country’s total retail sales expected to occur online this year, the eMarketer analysts forecast that China will account for 55.8 per cent of the world’s online retail sales this year.

That will far exceed even the US, where e-commerce is expected to account for 10.9 per cent of retail sales in 2019, giving the US a 17 per cent global share of e-commerce sales.

Alibaba is forecast to account for more than half (53.3%) of e-commerce sales in China this year, but its market share is declining in the face of competition from smaller players.

GLOIN60SECONDS: Globacom splashes prizes to new winners of online contest Motolani Oseni, Lagos A new set of winners in the GLOIN60SECONDS online talent competition by Globacom, among whom was a medical doctor, on Wednesday, received their cash prizes at several Glo outlets in the country.

The winners, who picked up their cash prizes in Surulere and Ikorodu in Lagos, Ibadan, Enugu, and Benin, expressed gratitude to Globacom for giving them opportunities to showcase their talents and for rewarding them.

In Lagos for instance, Doherty Leticia Moyosore, a 24-year-old medical doctor, and Ajayi Oluwadamilare, an aspiring comedian, collected their N50,000 cheques from the Gloworld in Surulere, just as 21-year old Adeuti Samuel Oluwatope, a singer, received his prize at the Ikorodu Gloworld outlet.

However, the fourth winner, Ojeabuo Ohikhuem Favour, was unable to make it to the presentation and would now receive her prize from the Surulere, Lagos shop at a later date.

Adepeju Ruqqayah Oyindamola, a National Youth Service Corps member serving in Enugu State, won in the singing category and received her cheque in Ibadan. Another winner who smiled home with N50,000 on Wednesday was Chuke Chinemelum.

The medical student of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, received his cheque at the Kada Cinema Gloworld in Benin.

The six winners were selected as the best entries out of the thousands of video uploads made by Globacom subscribers from various parts of the country in the third week of the competition.

GLOIN60SECONDS competition offers participants the opportunity to upload a one-minute video of themselves showcasing their talents on their social media accounts such as Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #GLOIN60SECONDS. The video could either be on music, dance, comedy, poetry or any other creative ability.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Otunba Moses Adeyemol and others, during the inauguration of TraderMoni at Takie Market in Ogbomoso, Oyo State... on Friday

CBN lifts FX market with injections of $289.76m, CNY 38.70m Restates commitment to improved economy growth Mathew Dadiya, Abuja Following its maiden Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting for 2019, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has injected the sum of $289.76 million into the retail Secondary Market Intervention Sales (SMIS) and CNY38.70million in the spot and short-tenored forwards segment of the inter-bank foreign market.

The Director, Corporate Communications Department at the CBN, Isaac Okorafor, on Friday confirmed the

figures, noting that the dollardenominated interventions were for transactions in the agricultural and raw materials sectors.

On the spot and short-tenored sales in Chinese Yuan, he said they were similarly for payment of Renminbi-denominated Letters of Credit for agriculture and raw materials based on bids received from authorized dealers.

While reiterating the Bank’s support to the inter-bank foreign exchange market, he disclosed that the Bank’s management was pleased with the level of stability

at both the Bureau-de-Change (BDC) and the Investors’ and Exporters’ (I&E) window of the foreign exchange market.

According to him, the CBN management was also satisfied with the current implementation of the Bilateral Currency Swap Agreement (BCSA) with the Peoples Bank of China (PBoC), coupled with a recent inflow of about US$2.8 billion Euro bond.

Mr. Okorafor expressed confidence that the foreign exchange market in Nigeria will continue to enjoy stability in the

coming months and beyond, given the marginal increase in the country’s external reserves.

It will be recalled that the CBN had on Tuesday, January 17, 2019, intervened in the wholesale, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and invisible windows of the inter-bank foreign exchange market to the tune of the sum of $210 million.

Meanwhile, $1 exchanged for N361 at the Bureau de Change (BDC) segment of the foreign exchange market, while CNY1 exchanged for N53.

Ikeja Electric cautions public against activities around power lines Joy Obakeye, Lagos In its commitment to high safety standards, electricity distribution company, Ikeja Electric Plc (IE), has cautioned the public under its network against building structures and engaging in social and economic activities under power lines.

The company said the specific clearance/distance which the public must maintain away from a 33/11KV lines is 5.5 meters (20ft) on both sides, while for 132KV lines the distance must be 15 meters (50ft) on both sides and 330KV lines must have a clearance of 25meters (60ft) on both sides.

IE’s Head of Quality, Safety, Health & Environment (QHSE), Engr. Jamiu Badmos, explained that carrying out social and economic

activities under power lines exposes people’s lives to danger, leading to the risk of electrocution. According to him, fatality within the energy sector can be prevented if the public religiously adhere to precautions and avoid activities close to electrical installations.

“As a responsible service provider, we are aware of our obligation to ensure that every resident within our network is kept safe, especially bearing in mind the hazardous nature of electricity so we are using this medium to remind the public that electrical installations are harmful and must be avoided as much as is possible. Our appeal to customers to avoid activities under power lines must be taken seriously, especially as the integrity of old cables cannot always be guaranteed” he said.

He revealed that even with the

huge resources IE has spent on enlightenment campaigns to sensitise the public on inherent dangers of lifethreatening activities, some of the people have remained adamant.

Badmos further called for the intervention of the government and relevant stakeholders in stemming this ugly development by declaring activities under power line as illegal and moving people and markets away from the danger spots to save lives and properties.

He added that customers can report cases of illegal structures under power lines, illegal connections and vandalism of equipment through Ikeja Electric customer care helplines numbers: 01-4483900, 0700-0-225543, 070-7000-250 or send mail via customercare@ikejaelectric.com.

As a company that places high prioritize to safety in line with

its Quality, Health, Safety and Environment (QHSE) policy, Ikeja Electric has consistently championed initiatives that entrench the culture of safety to ensure no life of staff, contractors or customers is lost through electrocution.

Recently, the company unveiled its Mission Slogan for 2019. The slogan, “Mission Zero-Take Ownership”, is a rallying cry for all stakeholders to take responsibility in ensuring that the network recording zero fatality in 2019.

The four-pronged Safety approach unveiled by IE’s safety team, Mission ZERO, focuses on four main areas: Zero Injuries to customers, visitors, contractors and employers; Zero Tolerance of unsafe behaviour and acts; Zero Compromise on Safety generally and Zero Impact on families and communities at large.

Business Times 16

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, January 26, 2019

NSE: Total Oil tops gainers’ table as indices up by 1.41% Temitope Adebayo Following gains by some blue chip on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) on Friday, Total Oil topped the gainers’ table for the day, as crucial market indices appreciated further by 1.41 per cent.

At the close of yesterday trading activities, market capitalisation increased by N161 billion or 1.4 per cent to close at N11.719 trillion against N11.558 trillion on Thursday.

Also, the All-Share Index rose

by 437.03 points or 1.41 per cent to close at 31,426.63 compared with 30,989.60 posted on Thursday.

Total Oil led the gainers’ table during the day with N19.5 to close at N214.5 per share.

Dangote Cement followed with a gain of N2 to close at N194, while ETI and GTB added 9K each to close at N15 and per share respectively.

Zen Bank improved by 85k to close at N23 per share.

On the other hand, PZ Cussons topped the losers’ chart, shedding 55k to close at N1.3 per share.

Unilever trailed with a loss

of 45k to close at N36.55, while NPFMCRFBK declined by 12k to close at N1.46 per share.

FLOURMILL was down by 1k to close at N19.5, while UAC-PROP lost 6k to close at N1.59 per share.

The volume of shares traded rose by 55.51 per cent, while value of shares transacted increased by 0.03 per cent.

The total invesment traded by the investors stood at 417.172 million shares valued at 3.144 billion in 3970 deals.

This was against the 268.255 million shares worth N3.145

billion exchanged in 3,756 deals on Thursday.

Diamond Bank was the most active stock, exchanging 89.76 million shares worth N204.82 million.

FBNH followed with 64.62 million shares valued at N492.49 million, while Access Bank traded 60.51 million shares worth N387.28 million.

Transcorp sold 36.620 million shares valued at N47.68 million, while Zenith exchanged 35.71 million shares worth N805.99 million.

37m commercial active Nigerians lack access to loans - BOI Mathew Dadiya, Abuja Executive Director, Micro Enterprise, Bank of Industry (BOI), Mrs Toyin Adeniji, has said that 37 million Nigerians are commercially active but have never had the opportunity to access loans.

Adeniji made the fact known in Abuja on Friday when she briefed newsmen on Federal Government empowerment programmes under the supervision of BOI. She said that the commercially active people, who were at the base of the pyramid, included traders, artisans, farmers, petty traders, among others.

She said data from National Bureau of Statistics and Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) report revealed the situation.

According to her, the group constitutes the highest per cent of the country’s workforce.

“According to the report, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) employ 84 per cent of labour force, contribute 50 per cent to our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and some also contribute seven per cent of our total exports as a country.

“However, despite their contributions to national development, these businesses often do not have access to the capital they need to grow.

“Of all the bank loans given in the last five years in Nigeria, less than one per cent has gone to this segment.

“These are understandably so because these groups, while extremely hardworking, have little or no financial track record.

“They have no collateral and some barely have formal identities, “she said.

Adeniji said that the Federal Government in 2016 introduced Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) to support and encourage the people to continue with their contributions to economic development.

She said that GEEP was developed for the over 37 million Nigerians at

the base of the pyramid.

“GEEP is a microcredit scheme and therefore, the more commercial of the social interventions of the Federal Government,” said.

According to her, many Nigerians at the base of the pyramid such as traders, farmers, tricycle riders and artisans, have benefited from GEEP loans.

The director added that the conditions for accessing loans were not as stringent as those of the commercial banks.

“The conditions include possession of a Bank Verification Number (BVN) and a membership of a certified market association or cooperative society among others,” she said.

Mobile Adspend to top TV across key markets this year Godwin Anyebe Research revealed that Fifty-two percent of the global population – 3.9bn people – access the internet via a mobile phone, and advertisers spent an estimated $137.9 billion to reach them last year.

Data from World Advertising and research Center {WARC}’s 12 key markets, which between them

account for some three-quarters of global ad spend (and 91.1 per cent of all mobile spend – $125.6bn), shows that mobile is the second-largest ad medium, and could overtake TV this year if current growth rates are maintained.

Of the 800 practitioners surveyed for WARC’s Marketer’s Toolkit, 71 per cent expected rise in mobile budgets this year, with most money

going to Google- and Facebookowned platforms.

Nearly all of Facebook’s 1.5bn daily users access the platform via a mobile – equivalent to one in five people worldwide – and the company’s ad revenues exceeded $50bn last year.

Google’s ad revenues topped $100bn for the first time last year.

The company accredits much of its

recent growth to rising income from mobile search, while mobile devices already account for over 70 per cent of all YouTube viewing.

This Data Point was drawn from January’s Global Ad Trends report, which focuses on investment and consumption trends within mobile advertising, in addition to ad performance, measurability and data privacy concerns.

L-R: Head, Credit Operations, Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN), Lanre Oginni; Head Corporate Services, DBN, Mr. Idris Salihu; MD/CEO, DBN, Mr. Tony Okpanachi, Executive Vice Chairman, Verdant Zeal Group, Dr. Tunji Olugbodi and Chief Economist, DBN, Prof. Joseph Nnanna, at a Media Interactive Forum held in Lagos.

How 1,000 communities benefit from StarTimes Satellite TV project Joy Obakeye Not less than 1000 Nigerian villages have benefited from the 10,000 African Villages Project, an initiative of the Chinese Government to provide digital TV access to rural communities across Africa.

This was revealed during the launching ceremony of the project in Kpaduma Village, a suburb of the Federal Capital Territory.

Speaking to journalists, the Chief Executive Officer, StarTimes Nigeria, Justin Zhang noted that StarTimes was contracted by the Chinese Government to deliver on the project across Africa, adding that no fewer than 1,000 villages in Nigeria will benefit from the project, an initiative which could help meet the ITU’s demand for African countries to achieve digital migration of TV industry before the year 2020.

According to him, “We have entered an advanced stage in the installation of satellite TV access to 1,000 Villages in Nigeria. The villages identified for this project will receive 2 solar power projector TVs for the community, digital TV sets, 20 Satellite dish and decoders where they can watch more than 100 international and local channels all free of charge, just as we have done in Kpaduma village.”

Also commenting, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed commended the Chinese Government’s initiative towards fostering a better ChinaAfrica partnership. He noted that the project would be an eye-opener to the villagers, many of whom prior to now have not had access to satellite TV or an opportunity to see the world beyond.

The Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Zhou Pingjian expressed China’s willingness to continue to bring projects that will better a lot of Nigerians and Africans at large, assuring that the friendship between China and Nigeria will be preserved via infrastructural projects that will uplift the people of the local communities who need it the most.

On December 4th, 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced at the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation that China would implement satellite TV programs for 10 thousand African villages.

The project, known as “Access to Satellite TV for 10,000 African Villages”, is part of China-Africa cooperation programs and is aimed at enabling African families in rural areas to have access to the digital signal with highquality images and rich TV programs.

Future Brand Idol unveiled in Lagos Godwin Anyebe In an attempt to deepen the concept of creativity in the advertising segment of the integrated marketing communications industry in Nigeria, a new creative contest has been launched. The contest tagged Future Brand Idol (FBI) is to discover and celebrate young creative talents in Nigerian Universities.

Speaking during the unveiling ceremony of this initiative recently in Lagos, Team Leader, Future Brand Idol (FBI), Ahmed Abdullahi, disclosed that, the platform was borne out of the need to provide capacity development for the huge creative talents that abound in Nigerian campuses.

According to him, “Our intent is to build a credible brand immersion platform for students of Communication, advertising, marketing and other related courses in Integrated Marketing Communication, through an annual creativity contest” Also speaking, Provost, 02 Academy, Ozone Mbanefo, described the initiative as laudable and timely especially at a time when the industry thrives on creative ideas that are relevant and impactful.

“Whether on the client or agency creative talents are valuable assets that help to positively project the image of the brand this is why a platform like FBI is laudable,”, he added.

The launch, which held at the Oxygen Academy Lagos, had in attendance key stakeholders from the integrated marketing communications sector and seeks to provide a viable platform for Nigerian students who are interested in Advertising and Public relations to be exposed and well-bred while on campus.

Speaking on the impact that FBI would have on the industry at large, Managing Director, Withoutabox PR (WAB), Theodore Nyingifa, pointed out that, well-bred talents from campuses will develop into competent and very creative brand custodians and consultants, adding, once we get it right from the campuses, learning on the job becomes even easier.

POLITICS

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Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, January 26, 2019

Those blaming Gov Yari for insecurity in Zamfara are not fair to him – Prof Shinkafi Following its creation in 1996, Zamfara was named ‘the state of farming’, apparently because of the vast agricultural potential in the state. The state was also reputed as one of the most peaceful states in Nigeria. However, in recent times, the state was bedeviled with activities of bandits, abductors and cattle rustlers who have been terrorising the once peaceful state. In an interview with newsmen in Abuja the Secretary to the Zamfara State Government, Professor Abdullahi Shinkafi, gave a historical background of how it all started, why Zamfara is being attacked and the efforts of Governor Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari, to overcome the insecurity menace. TUNDE OPALANA was there for The Daily Times

In the past, Zamfara State was regarded as one of the most peaceful states in Nigeria; what went wrong on security.

That is one question we all seek answer to, the whole world was peaceful and gradually you can see insecurity and absence of peace has taken over at local, national and even globally. As you mentioned, Zamfara was known to be the most peaceful state, some say one of the most peaceful states in the country.

But from 2009/2010, we started witnessing banditry attacks in some parts of the state, which initially started for the first three years as an unfortunate annual trend, gradually after 2011, it became a biannual happening and unfortunately gradually also it became a quarterly, later a monthly, now almost a weekly, some time even daily affair. We are witnessing insecurity inform of banditry attacks, abduction of people for ransom. Sometimes villages are set ablaze. From historic background, it all started with farmers/herdsmen clash, which is a general trend all over Africa. Where ever you have common interest in resources you find people clashing over it. But then in 2011, presumably when we witnessed war in our neighbouring African countries, precisely Libya, Mali which brought about proliferation of weapons all over the place and also coming in of mercenaries, I think that was what changed the whole trend.

It is no more farmers/ herders clash, it is more of clear criminality and even the criminality has changed to something else. The emerging trend now it appears as if we are fighting ideology. You see elements of Boko Haram, you see elements of people fighting for unknown cause. Because the people bringing about insecurity it appears there is no clear vision of what they are fighting for.

These are people who don’t wear good clothes, who don’t eat good food, who don’t sleep in good place, so why do you fight after all? Why do you abduct people for ransom? So it appears sometime like I said some Boko Haram elements is seen in the whole process, where they chant the slogan of Boko Haram before attack. This is the unfortunate situation. The lack of peace is not only in Zamfara but world over.

We are concerned here because it is something very new to us, but this is the bitter reality.

This is how it all started from historical background, but then later changed to something else, just like you asked we are also trying to find an answer to this question through intelligence gathering and security what is really wrong and why are we under siege. of

A

sizeable number Zamfara people have

reportedly criticised the state governor, Abdulaziz Yari over this matter. How justifiable is their criticism?

Well, people are at liberty to say their opinion, but I want to tell you that it is only in Zamfara to me, it appears people share blame on issue of insecurity. Go to Maiduguri we are yet to be where they are, we don’t hope to be where they are, but go to Yobe, Adamawa, it happens all over the place, but nobody apportion blame, but is only in Zamfara here I see people apportioning blame. I don’t think any responsible leader will like his people to be attacked or abducted, otherwise who do you rule then? Who do you govern and what is the goodness about governance when there is insecurity, absolutely nothing.

The governor and all of us don’t sleep; sometime you will be receiving calls and making contacts. I think if you have something personal with someone, it is different. But t let us see insecurity as insecurity in its own merit and let’s forge ahead and cooperate in the spirit of partnership and see how we can get out of it.

The recruitment of 8500 civilian Joint Tax Force (CJTF) has also been criticised in certain quarters. What is your take?

In Zamfara State that is what sometime people do, that is what am telling you, we don’t need to politicize insecurity.

The genesis of engaging the civilian JTF and recruiting that number started from the Elders’ Committee of the state, headed

by Ambassador M Z Anka, with membership of renowned people like General Aliu Gusau and other elders. Sometime last year, they met and felt they will like to contribute and that is what we should be doing, instead of criticising. If you have an idea of the way forward bring it forward, we are ready to listen, accommodate and together we forge ahead. So the elders committee sat and thought one of the best way we can address insecurity menace is through a community based approach.

So they brought a memo to the government which was shared by the state executive council and other stakeholders and we simply adopted the submission of the elders committee.

The summary of the submission of the elders committee is that one, we should engage the community, let security affair become participatory, such that we should form committees at emirates levels, local government levels, state levels and ward levels, but we share intelligence and then advice government for onward sharing with security agencies. One of the major responsibilities

Prof. Shinkafi

of this committee is one, to share intelligence gathered and share intelligence in form of informants, in form of bandits location, in form of bandits themselves and submit report up to the state level and the state will now share this information with the security agencies. It is also part of the mandate of this committee to recruit sufficient number of JTF. You can see it is becoming very necessary to have the civilian JTF in place because of insufficiency of security personnel themselves.

Zamfara has one State police command, five Area commands, 15 divisions and only 25 outposts. We have 147 wards, 230 villages, with village heads, by right all these 230 should have outpost. But we have only 25, so it implies that a gap has been created and this gap must be filled, so one of the mandates of the emirate committee is to recruit sufficient number of the JTF, which they did themselves.

It is not the government that did it, it is traditional institutions who knows the people that were mandated to recruit competent, qualified and people with proven integrity and capacity to provide information. Secondly, assist the security agencies because some of the security agencies, especially special troops coming to the state do not understand the terrain and geography, if you don’t know the geography and the terrain you hardly can effectively attack, so you need a guide and one of the things the JTF do is to guide security agencies on demand, secondly serve as local vigilante where there is no presence of security. It is very clear now we have presence of security in only 25 towns in Zamfara and you cannot leave other places, so this is simple, there is nothing politics about it.

The governor did not know who has been recruited or not. I don’t

know who was recruited from my local government, I have no business with that, it is the sole responsibility of that committee under the emir of that emirate to screen and recruit the JTF and it has yielded a lot of good result. It is not political and is not an idea that emanated from the government, rather it was an idea brought forward by the state elders committee which was studied by state executive council and was found to be excellent and it was executed.

The governor has reportedly backed the introduction of emergency rule, does that mean the government is incapacitated?

The governor was lamenting what people in certain quarters were agitating. Some groups were agitating that emergency rule is the only way. The governor did not call for it, he was lamenting and he said if it is the only thing that can bring peace, so shall it be.

If today, I have to leave my office as SSG for example, and there will be peace, am ready to go. If you govern people and there is no peace and then someone says this is the way to achieve peace, as a good leader if that is the only way and everybody is convinced that it is the only way, so shall it be.

Closely related to that is an allegation that the state government initiated the emergency rule theory to buy time; because of crisis in the Zamfara APC and absence of candidates for the general elections.

That does not make sense to me because the issue is before the court. The APC is still hopeful that they are going to field candidates; I think people just want to talk sometime even when they have nothing to say. People should not criticise if actually there is nothing to criticise. If we are in an aeroplane as a community and

the aeroplane is gutted with fire nobody is safe. The best approach is to cooperate in partnership. If you are in aeroplane and it caught fire, will you share blame? I think it is better we share intelligence and come together and see how best we can address this issue.

Zamfara is the only state in the Northwest that the challenge of insecurity has escalated, could you give an insight?

You see, that is a question we should answer scientifically. We need experts to tell us why. We have had seven committees from the Federal Government to discuss this issue and try to seek an answer as to why this is happening and why here. Although, it is not only here, but it is more prominent here.

It has spilled over to Sokoto, it is happening in Katsina. You can recall the governor of Katsina has cried out. It is alarming in the Northeast.

It is not peculiar to this state, but one thing I can tell you from social angle is that criminals normally do look for a place that can give them a breeding ground.

Like I said in 2011 when this war started, Zamfara was one of the vulnerable states for certain reasons.

One, we are too accommodating.

If you go to other parts of the country, especially in the South, the level of accommodation we do have is different in the sense that from our culture we intermingle freely, if you come today I can give you my next house to stay. If you go to some states you cannot stay within indigenes. There is always a place set aside for none indigenes, there is a cultural value which we have lost, in the past even if you have to stay you have to be screened, but that is to a large extent, because of population explosion impossible.

Like I said we neighbour Niger Republic and you see it is easy because of the porous border for all these criminals to come in and more importantly because of the thick forest that surround the state. From the North we are neighbor with Niger Republic, and surrounded by forest linking up with Sokoto State, Birnin Gwari, so the state is surrounded by forest, so is easy for people to just come in. When in 2015 Boko Haram were dislodged from Sambisa, one of the places with a lot of similarities, it was easier under the cover of religion for some of these people to come here because of the forest, it was fertile ground for the bandits to come in and stay.

What is the way out of this challenge?

“

In clear terms as government and as people we are not responsible for the insecurity, we have been doing our best to arrest the situation, but as God will have it this is where we are, nobody will like Zamfara to be in peace more than us the indigenes and more than us in government. We have not relented efforts, between 2011 to date we have cooperated so much with the security agencies to see that we are out of this mess, we have done the best we can despite the fact that we are the least along with Yobe in terms of subvention from the Federal Government, we are also the least in terms of internal revenue generation because of our socio economic characteristics; but I can tell you that we provided nothing less than 477 brand new vehicles to the security agencies to fight the menace, we have also paid nothing less than N17billion as allowances and as assistance to the displaced, medication for the sick.

You know in 2011 up to 2013 when the problem became very prominent only the 1 Base Ammunition Depot was present in terms of army formations, it was the effort of this government in collaboration with the Federal Government that the 223 Battalion was established and this government provided office accommodation and residential of about 20 plots to the troops. These are some of the efforts we have done. In 2016 also the 607 Quick Response was formed, this government provided sites for the permanent residential and office accommodation of the Air Force and also provided another accommodation of about 20 flats worth over N1billion to the Air Force. Later in 2018, the 1 Brigade Nigeria Army was also formed. We provided another accommodation for them, about 24 flats supporting every now and then. The GOC unit, we also provided accommodation, we have been meeting regularly, we have been supportive. So I don’t know if people are expecting magic, otherwise I will like to say that we have done the best that can be done in the circumstance. We have three major responsibilities, cooperation with security agencies, coordinate their activities which we have been doing, secondly, sensitise, inform the general public of what is happening, that is dos and don’ts of insecurity situation which we have been doing. Secondly provide logistic support vehicles, accommodation, funds. We have done all that to the best we can.

The only thing the constitution did not allow us to do is to take guns and go to the bush and fight the bandits.

Some groups were agitating that emergency rule is the only way. The governor did not call for it, he was lamenting and he said if it is the only thing that can bring peace, so shall it be.

If today, I have to leave my office as SSG for example, and there will be peace, am ready to go. If you govern people and there is no peace and then someone says this is the way to achieve peace, as a good leader if that is the only way and everybody is convinced that it is the only way, so shall it be.

”

18 News

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, January 26, 2019

Uproar as Buhari suspends CJN Onnoghen

and when the appeal court has asked everyone to stay Continued from page 3 proceedings till it can hear the appeal and the order of the appeal court is binding on the President of Nigeria. He is well aware of the order of the appeal court.

“It leaves a very soar taste in the mouth. It’s the worst ever, in my view, denigration of our constitution. And for me, as I said in the meeting of senior legal entities, we should have taken strong actions when this happened but, people are saying let us toe a middle course now they see what has happened.

“I would expect that now that it has happened, the legal profession should be prepared to down tools. All Judges must withdraw from court beginning from tomorrow, until this is sorted out. All lawyers must withdraw from court beginning from tomorrow. Let us see if this country can survive without the rule of law and democracy.

“The last iota of respect I have for this President is gone if he can denigrate our constitution and expect us to vote for him in three weeks then he has another story coming.

Another constitutional lawyer and right activist, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, condemned the action of the President, stating that Nigerians must rise up in defence of democracy and the rule of law.

His words: “The alleged suspension from office of the CJN is the vilest, thieving, most despicable, ultravires, undemocratic and brazenly unconstitutional act ever carried out by any government in Nigeria, civilian or military, since 1st January, 1914, when the contraption called Nigeria was forcibly contrived through the amalgamation of Northern and Southern Protectorates.

“The desperate act of a sit-tight president constitutes a direct suspension of the Nigerian Constitution and the entire democratic process. It has finally removed the remaining veneer of pretension to democratic credentials

by Buhari and his all- conquering cabal. Welcome, Nigerians, to full blown dictatorship, absolutism, authoritarianism and fascism.

“Buhari has behaved worse than what he was as a military tyrant. Military juntas always only suspended parts of the Constitution they did not like. But, by torpedoing the entire judiciary, rule of law and due process, including four valid High Court/Federal High Court rulings and Thursday’s ruling by the Court of Appeal, all of them staying proceedings of the phoney and funny charges levelled against Onnoghen before the CCT, Nigerians now know that we have now become an endangered species.

“It means that the next election is nothing more than a ritualistic outing to illegally confer life presidency (not just 4 years) on Buhari. There is no known basis, legal, constitutional or moral, to hurriedly bypass courts of law, the judicial process and court orders, to illegally remove the CJN and swear in an Acting CJN. “The provisions of section 292(2) of the 1999 Constitution are quite clear on how the CJN can be removed from office. Aside sections 153,158 and parts 1 and 2 of the 3rd schedule to the Constitution which provide that a judicial officer cannot be removed from office until he has first been tried and dealt with by the National Judicial Council (NJC), section 292(2) makes it clear that the president can only remove the CJN from office before the age of his retirement, “acting on an address supported by two-thirds majority of the Senate.

“When did the Senate meet to donate this power to the president? Never. The president has illegally and unconstitutionally stripped both the judiciary and the Legislature bare of their constitutional functions, usurped their powers and enthroned maximum dictatorship over the affairs of Nigeria, like Louis X14 once did when he stood in front of parliament, beat his chest imperiously and declared,”l’est tat c’est moi”(I am the state).

“The ill-advised action does not only assault our noble sense of humanity and dignity as decent Nigerians, it also violently desecrates the principles of rule of law as espoused by Prof A.V. Dicey and the hallowed doctrine of separation of powers as ably propounded in 1748 by the great French Philosopher, Baron De Montesque.

“Nigerians should brace up, come out enmasse, to protest against this illegality. We are back to full Abacha era, as OBJ rightly noted three days ago in his patriotic letter to Nigerians. Nigerian lawyers and the NBA should shut down all courts in Nigeria until the CJN is returned to his seat. This was achieved even under military dictatorship in Pakistan, when former Pakistani president, Pervez Musharraf illegally removed from office, the then Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry on 11th March, 2007. All the lawyers went on strike, from 15th March, 2007, shut down the courts and protested on the streets for months, until a panel of 7 members of the Supreme Court sat and held that the removal was illegal and reinstated the Chief Justice.

“Nigerian lawyers should act now. The NASS should also shut down in protest and allow Buhari and his cabal have their jolly ride over cowed, hapless, vanquished and conquered Nigerians. There is no more democracy in Nigeria. It is as dead as ‘dodo’. The coming presidential election is but a mere charade to confer legitimacy on a pre-rigged, on-the-spot rigged and post-rigged election.

“The pretentious chicken has finally come home to roost. This recent act is a big scandalous shame on the Buhari government, assuming it still knows anything called shame. It has tainted it with the paint brush

of odium, oblique and international derisions. The international community should weigh in immediately to prevent Nigeria from burning”.

Reacting, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ahmed Raji, said while the President claimed he had relied on the ex parte order issued by the CCT, the question remains how did the order come about.

He further submitted that it is pertinent to ask whether the order was properly and regularly issued.

On the question on whether the said order can be reversed or set aside, Raji categorically emphasised that, “Any ex parte order can be set aside especially when Parties have already joined issues on the point and matter already adjourned to a later date”.

Another Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chukwuma -Machukwu Ume, said he received news of Justice Walter Onnoghen suspension with great shock, and asked, “When did the CCT give the order?

PDP, Atiku reject Onnoghen’s suspension Reacting to the Onnoghen’s suspension, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said the attempts by President Buhari to foist an illegal Chief Justice on the nation while the substantive Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, is still in office cannot stand.

The PDP firmly held that such impunity cannot stand, as Nigeria is a nation governed by law and not by the whims and caprices of a dictatorial leader, saying it will not allow President Buhari to ruin the country.

The party asked Nigerians to reject the incendiary move by President Buhari to forcefully suspend the constitution, annex the judicial arm of government and open the nation up for full-blown totalitarianism to achieve his self-succession bid, having realised that he cannot win in the 2019 general election.

In a statement by the Director of Media and Publicity, PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party said that President Buhari’s action in attempting to unilaterally appoint a Chief Justice and foist him on the country is a direct invitation to anarchy, national confusion and a monumental crisis capable of derailing Nigeria’s democracy and destroying its corporate existence as a nation.

He said: “It is now clear to the world that President Buhari, in his selfish self-succession bid, is out to cause mayhem in our nation and truncate the smooth conduct of the 2019 election, not minding the consequential human and material losses.

“There can be no two Chief Justices of Nigeria. Our constitution is clear on how a Chief Justice is appointed and removed as such does not lie on the prerogative of the President. As such, we urge all Nigerians and the international community to recognize only Justice Walter Onnoghen as the Chief Justice of Nigeria”.

The PDP invited the international community and particularly the United States and the United Kingdom to note that this assault on the judiciary is geared towards subverting the 2019 general election and as such immediately list President Buhari and APC leaders for proposed sanctions on election riggers and perpetrators of violence in the general election.

The party said it is a known fact that the Buhari administration has been trying to compromise the electoral process, including the refusal to sign the amendment to the Electoral Act, as well as the foisting of Mr. President’s relation by marriage, Mrs. Amina Zakari, to coordinate the collation of Presidential election results.

“The PDP wants President Buhari to know that this nation belongs to all Nigerians. Our nation is a democratic state governed by the constitution and the law and Nigerians will never allow anybody to appropriate rulership to himself outside the dictates of the law.

“President Buhari tried to forcefully remove the leadership of the National Assembly and failed. His attempt to annex the judiciary and impose a Chief Justice that will surrender the judiciary to him, is also already dead on arrival”.

The PDP called on the National Assembly to immediately reconvene and proceed with legislative actions against President Buhari for this gross misconduct.

Meanwhile, the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar described President Buhari’s action as an act of dictatorship taken too far.

Rejecting the suspension, Atiku charged Justice Onnoghen and the judiciary to resist the suspension with every legal and constitutional means that they can muster.

Atiku said: “The brazen dictatorial act is the latest action in the ongoing rape of our nation’s hard earned democracy by those who dined with anti-democratic forces, and is symptomatic of the increasing desperation that President Buhari and the cabal pulling the strings have as February 16, 2019 draws near.

“The fact that the unlawful suspension of Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen was announced just as it became public knowledge that the CJN was constituting the election petition tribunals is not lost on discerning Nigerians and the international community. This act of desperation is geared towards affecting the outcome of the 2019 Presidential elections. Indeed, it is not just the CJN that has been “suspended”, it is the Nigerian Constitution that has been infracted and, in effect, suspended, under the guise of the suspension of the CJN.

“The case involving the legality or otherwise of the charges against Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen is in court, as it should be. So far, the judiciary has ruled in Justice Onnoghen’s favour. So, why not allow the court to adjudicate on the matter? What is the pressing urgency?

“I want to seize this opportunity to call for unity amongst the judiciary. Do not let the Muhammadu Buhari administration divide you. Do not let this government turn you against yourselves. The judiciary is the last hope of the common man and the defender of our democracy.

“I also urge the international community to follow the commendable example of the United States and the United Kingdom by intervening to make those involved in this undemocratic act know that their actions will have consequences. Strong consequences”.

The former vice president called on the Nigerian electorate to save country from dictatorship by voting against President Muhammadu Buhari’s desperate war against the judiciary.

“Our country is falling apart under the leadership of President Buhari and it is time to stand up for democracy”, he said.

Saraki, CUPP, IYC react Meanwhile, Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has described the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Walter Onoghen by President Buhari as a coup against democracy and a deliberate attempt to endanger our hard-won democracy.

Saraki, in a statement personally signed by him, stated that the suspension was another act of desperation by President Buhari.

He noted that by the suspension of the CJN, Buhari has acted outside the provision of the constitution, and has exercised the powers which he does not have and that this action amounted to gross misconduct.

“This is an action aimed at undermining the nation’s judiciary, subverting the constitution, intimidating judges of all the courts of record, and creating uncertainty in the electoral process, thereby laying the foundation for influencing the outcome of litigations that might arise from next month’s elections.

“There are already the general belief that this hasty action was taken to pre-empt the already scheduled inauguration of election petition tribunals by Hon. Justice Onnoghen and to destroy national institutions that are perceived to be unco-operative in his bid to manipulate the electoral process leading to next month’s general election.

“By unilaterally suspending the CJN without following the provision of the constitution, President Buhari has taken an action which amounted to gross misconduct. He has simply sent a dangerous signal to the entire world that Nigeria is no longer a democratic nation and that we have returned to the old, jaded era of military dictatorship.

“Our constitution makes no provision for suspension of the nation’s highest judicial officer. The constitution provides a clear process for removal of the CJN and specify the roles of the three arms of government, beginning from the National Judicial Council (NJC), the National Assembly and lastly, the Presidency, have different roles to play in that process. There is no condition under which the President can usurp the powers of other arms of government. I do not know where the President and his advisers got this idea of suspending the CJN on the so-called order of the Code of Conduct Tribunal but this is novel, disingenuous and alien to our laws.

“The President and his team must have seen this socalled suspension as a short-cut to getting Hon. Justice Onnoghen out of the way since the appellate court has eventually stopped the CCT from continuing with the trial of the CJN. It is strange that President Buhari is claiming to be taking orders from a Tribunal which has been ordered by a superior court to halt all actions on the trial.

“With this action, President Buhari has initiated a process the consequence of which nobody can predict.

They have precipitated a constitutional crisis.

“At this point, all democratic institutions in the country, the international community and democrats across the world should rise against this blatant act of impunity. We should jointly condemn this retrogressive, uncivilized and despotic measure”, Saraki stated.

He however called on President Buhari to immediately reverse this decision and allow the due process of law to take its natural course in determining the guilt or otherwise as well as the suitability of Hon. Justice Onnoghen to continue as the head of the nation’s judiciary.

Also, the first national spokesman of the Coalition of United Political Parties, Imo Ugochinyere, described the suspension of CJN Onnoghen as a coup against the judiciary that must be resisted by all lovers of democracy.

Ugochinyere, who said this in a statement made to newsmen in Abuja, said Buhari had, by his action, overthrown the constitutional order.

He, therefore, called on the Senate to begin the process of removing the President from office.

He also called on lawyers and others to begin to boycott courts in protest against Onnoghen’s suspension.

The statement reads: “Buhari has finally overthrown constitutional governance. This factionalisation of the judiciary will not stand.

of

“As far as the

the law l a n d

Onnoghen is concerned, Onnoghen remains the CJN. We will not recognise any other person who may be occupying that office illegally.

“Justice Tanko Muhammed is a usurper. The NJC must sack him. Lawyers must ignore him as long as he remains on that seat.

“Onnoghen’s illegal removal was aimed at stopping the swearing-in of members of the 2019 general election petition tribunal.

“We have been vindicated on our earlier alarm that Buhari wants to appoint pro-APC CJN to help use the judiciary to affirm APC candidates in the 2019 pre- and post- election litigation.

“We hereby call on lawyers, judges and judicial staffs to down tool immediately. This is the last battle and it must be won.

“The NBA should immediately call out all lawyers. All courts must be shut now while nationwide protest against this impunity should also commence.

“The CJN must remain in office and disregard this announcement as the President has no power to suspend him.

“The Senate should reconvene now and start impeachment process against the President for acting against the provision of the Constitution he swore to uphold.

“Buhari has shown with this development that he is the most cruel and barbaric President Nigeria ever had.

“A man who rode to power on the basis of respect for the rule law and fundamental principles of democracy has chosen to play to the gallery of dictatorship to right elections. Let see how it goes.

“But we know that this is going to be the beginning of democracy in Nigeria. The democratic institutions will fight back. Trust me it is the beginning of democracy in Nigeria.

Out of adversity comes strength.”

In its reaction, the Ijaw Youth Council (ITC) described the suspension of Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen by President Buhari as a coup against the nation’s democracy and rule of law.

IYC, in a statement signed by its President, Eric Omare, on Friday, said the suspension of Justice Onnoghen and subsequent appointment of Justice Tanko Muhammed as the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria is a show of desperation and lack of respect for the rule of law.

Omare said: “This is desperation taken too far and the IYC in the strongest terms condemn this display of impunity by President Buhari. This is the height of lawlessness and the greatest threat to democratic rule in Nigeria. The IYC call on President Buhari to immediately reverse this illegal, despicable and undemocratic decision.

“We also call on Nigerians and all lovers of democracy, all over the world to rise up and defend our democracy in Nigeria. Anti-democratic forces who truncated democracy in the past must not be allowed to truncate democracy again.”

The umbrella body for Ijaw youths worldwide posited that President Buhari lacked the power to suspend the former CJN and called for the immediate reversal of the decision.

“This is a coup against democracy and the rule of law. Nigeria is under a constitutional democracy that is governed by the rule of law and the action by President Buhari lacks foundation in law.

“President Buhari lacks the powers to suspend the Chief Justice of Nigeria without the recommendation of the National Judicial Council and It is even unthinkable to suspend Justice Onnoghen in the light of the multiple valid and subsisting orders of the National Industrial court, federal high court and the court of appeal which bars the Code of Conduct Tribunal from going on with the trial of Justice Onnoghen.

“President Buhari claimed to have acted pursuant to an order of the CCT made on the 23rd of January, 2019, however, from the records of proceedings of the CCT, no such order was made. The pending motions are yet to be taken hence it is surprising for the President to be relying on a non-existing order,” the IYC stated.

FOR THE RECORD

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, January 26, 2019

g19

January 19, 2019 Presidential debate: APC/PDP - left the 3 on the block shouting Olisa A. Uzoewulu (WULUS) The All Progressives Congress (APC) was too busy to honour the invitation to debate, felt its presidential candidate – President Muhammadu Buhari Government has done enough.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar showed up but did not participate. He left because PDP wanted to debate President Buhari.

Kingsley Moghalu (YPP), Fela Durotoye (ANN) and Oby Ezekwesili (ACPN) the three were left at the debate starting block shouting and describing the Nigeria problems with ideas of what their parties will do if elected to govern. They were pretending that the debate will deliver votes. But most electorates vote from their guts than their brains. The majority that watched may readily not vote.

The two major political parties APC and PDP showed arrogance and neglect of the effectiveness of the other 3 parties. They felt rightly that no threat or benefit will come from such debate. The debating three political parties with no effective structure calculated from an intellectual height hoping to gain clapping support and get some votes. Their intention probably is not to win the 2019 presidential election, maybe to make some impact, negotiate into positions or maybe as Nigerians normally do-hope or expect a miracle. They lack the resources and structure to make a strong impact in the presidential election. They are very qualified, constitutionally backed but, it takes more than qualification to win a presidential election.

There are series of handicaps for the three debaters (YPP, ANN and ACPN). There is a zoning arrangement that makes the three debating political party candidates contesting out of zone.

This arrangement renders their contest ineffective and winning difficult. This approach may be ignored by other political parties like the three but the political situation in Nigeria currently makes the PDP & APC (the two major political parties) as leaders and others followers. Moreover, the Northern section of the Nation is supposed for 2019 to produce the candidates for the president. A much better strategy would have been for the other political parties to unite, present a qualified candidate from the North, put their resources together and accept individual responsibilities in their areas of strength with a division of labour approach.

Presidential candidates of YPP, Kingsley Moghalu; ANN, Fela Durotoye and ACPN, Oby Ezekweisli at the 2019 Presidential Debate

This would have presented a stronger force to upset the status quo and present a new direction of leadership for the nation. The contest approach in pieces is not mustering any strength to upset the failed leadership status quo.

It is because each one of them thinks as the messiah hence each stands alone rather than setting selfish interest apart for the common good of the nation. The drive would have been to unite with a common force to muster resources together with division of labour rather than each smaller piece without strength. The outcome will certainly be that most of these parties may not win councillorship, state assembly or house or senate positions and non will even be close in the state Governorship elections. Hence effort probably in the media without effective grassroots support will be wasted.

One should hope the process to contest will not end in personal pursuit as most of the other political parties are just tagging along-without regional influence rather projecting national interest without structure.

For the survival of the Nigeria nation the process is not making a piece meal effort because time is lapsing as other nations are rapidly moving fast ahead. There is no longer a catching up time. The outcome of

a catching up is poverty. Poverty is the situation the nation is located hence no time to experiment.

One should hope when they fail most of their leaders will not talk about the formation of a national government and accept Board positions and turn around to argue that it is better to be inside and contribute than staying out. It has been the action of our political leaders without shame and believing in nothing but accepting everything in chameleonic clothing. The problem is not the three political parties that showed but the two that never. The three which should have been one kept making mockery of the whole process. Time is running out as the leaders have refused to develop.

As our leaders argue about visit to the United States of America and celebrate that as achievement it confirms the acceptance of failure, inferiority and inability to lead. If the political leaders fail in 2019 as most likely the course and impact will be tremendous.

One presidential candidate on CNN talked about crude oil gift of nature as the doom. Not so at all. It is our leaders that are the doom for failure to manage even twenty five percent effectively the oil sector. Twenty five percent effective management of this sub sector will get the nation out of poverty. But this sub

sector is terribly engulfed with inefficiency and corruption. Still on the debate the same candidate talked about the private sector driving the economy. Which private sector one may ask? Is it private sector of the PDP for over 15yrs or almost 4yrs of APC? Is it the private sector without structure undefined, or the one of civil public servants or political office holders and politicians with multiple roles or the mechanics or traders? Is the problem one of private sector driven or that there are no private sector in the real sense. Most public sector players are the same private sector drivers.

This concentrates wealth within few percentage of the population and creates excessive poverty-the extreme rich and extreme poorhence incurable poverty cycle.

The important issue is to make distinction to effect a separation and rationalize roles and equalize living wages to aid effective separation for the public sector to be strong and minimize multiple roles. The three presidential debaters are the left over as the APC and PDP carry on their business of same tales of trying to overwhelm each other. So far no presidential candidate have given cohesions to our mirage of problems and the instruments that draw us as a nation backward, into the hell of poverty and under

development.

The debate deserves no clapping as the audience in a student debate ceremony usually does.

Such a behavior is an extension of mockery and lack of knowledge and shameful. Nigeria needed solid, tough, leaders to dig into the numerous problems handicapping development. Most other poor nations have long left us at the starting block. Our leaders are yet to come up with the tough solution and plan of execution.

Most shamefully African Continent that Nigeria claim to be leading appears to be the only continent in the world that there in not one nation that is developed or really among the medium income growing nation. Is it genetic or what is actually wrong with us?

The nation has all it takes but our leaders keep pulling her down.

2019 may be the last period to get it right but the signs are not visible. Our worries should come with difficult solutions.

The biggest handicap to growth, development and nationhood is that all levels of leadership no one seems to be working for Nigeria, but for tribe, ethnic, religion and self.

Olisa A. Uzoewulu (Wulus), Economist, President, Awakening The Sleeping Giant Leadership Initiative.

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Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, January 26, 2019 FAGUN OLUWOLE

MRS. KHADIJAH FAIBO-OLAORE

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ARTS & CULTURE TIMES g21

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, January 26, 2019

Ooni appoint Prince Adegbola as Special Assistant on History and Culture Stories: Chris Onuoha Arole Oodua, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, the Ooni of Ife has appointed Prince Adelegan Adegbola as a Special Assistant on History and Culture to House of Oduduwa, Ile-Ife. In a statement from the Ooni’s palace, Oba Ogunwusi while endorsing his appointment, extols the virtues of Prince Adegbola as a cultural scholar and custodian of Yoruba heritage who has done well in preservation of the Oduduwa cultural heritage through his publications and research works.

“It is my pleasure to appoint you as a special assistant on history and culture to House of Oduduwa, Ile-Ife. You have proven to be selfless individual who has gone to great length to protect the history ADDITION OF NAME

THAT I WAS FORMERLY CALLED AND ADDRESSED AS ABIOYE ABIGAIL.THAT NOW WISH TO ADD EWAADE TO MY NAME. I NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS ABIOYE ABIGAIL EWAADE. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID GENERAL PUBLIC AND AUTHORITIES CONCERNED SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE

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of Yoruba culture. It is a belief that you will handle this role with utmost care and protect the integrity that comes along with the office. I charge you with noble appointment to do more in creating awareness about the Yoruba culture well as protecting our heritage and advocating for its sustenance,” says Kabieyesi Ogunwusi.

The astute cultural scholar has been in the forefront of promoting and propagating Yoruba cultural identity and African values as a cultural researcher for decades. He was endorsed by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Ogunwusi as a custodian of Oduduwa heritage studies that comprises information, education, promotion and preservation of Yoruba culture, arts, history, literature, science and technology and its heritage.

Prince Adegbola is an author, communicator of history and tradition,

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EVWIERHURHOMA SUNDAY

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CHRIST VISION APOSTOLIC PRAYER MINISTRY

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY INFORMED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT OF 1990.

TRUSTEES: PST. ALAKE GABRIEL SUNDAY ELDER. AKINOLA-ELEWUDE EMMANUEL AIM AND OBJECTIVE REVIVAL, HOLINESS AND DELIVERANCE.

ANY OBJECTION TO THE REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: AKINOLA-ELEWUDE EMMANUEL

ESTHER YEMISI

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founder and president Oduduwa cultural foundation (OCF), center for the Yoruba Cultural, History, Tradition and Documentation. Among the books he published are “Ile-Ife: The source of Yoruba Civilization” launched in 2012 by the former Ooni of Ife, late Oba Okunade Sijuwade and a recent one, “Ooni Obalufon Alayemore: The father of Efon-Alaaye Kingdom” published in 2017 among others. He is also the publisher of a monthly magazine called ‘Oduduwa Heritage Magazine’ a production of the Oduduwa International Communication that focuses on culture reports and events in Nigeria and in diaspora.

According to Prince Adelegan Adegbola, “Reasons to establish a standard cultural magazines is to create an enduring legacy as the mouth piece of the Yoruba people; OBIJURU WISDOM

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS OBIJURU SAMUEL CHINAZA NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS OBIJURU WISDOM CHINAZA. MY CORRECT DATE OF BIRTH IS 10TH. NOVEMBER 1997 INSTEAD OF 1ST JAN 1989. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. THE GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD TAKE NOTE.

OKEAHIALAM DORIS

Prince Adelegan Adegbola

to make Yoruba culture a source of pride to all Yoruba people all over the world and to spread Yoruba enviable culture of honesty, integrity, equity, accommodation and sense of justice all over the world, and also to showcase Yoruba cultural as a point of reference all over the world.”

Speaking further, he explained that the cultural foundation, OCF, is a non-forprofit organisation established to research into the antiquities and the primacy of the Yoruba people; to showcase the cultural supremacy and quintessential position of Yoruba people in Africa.

OLABODE RUKAYAT

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VICTOR ANI.

ADEYEYE OLUSUNBO

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NOTE.

PUBLIC APOLOGY

FOLLOWING THE DISAGREEMENT THAT RESULTED FROM THE VISIT OF OPERATIVES OF THE EFCC TO ONE OF OUR FACILITIES IN SEARCH OF A CLIENT, THE MANAGEMENT OF HWP GROUP REGRETS ITS ACTION. KNOWN FOR OUR UPRIGHTNESS IN BUSINESS AND IN OUR DEALINGS WITH THE PUBLIC, WE WISH TO APOLOGIZE TO THE EFCC OPERATIVES OVER THE UNFORTUNATE INCIDENT. SIGNED: UYI OGBEBOR; FOR MANAGEMENT.

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AYODELE JOHNSON

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FOR THE RECORD

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, January 26, 2019

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ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY, MUHAMMADU BUHARI, PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, ON SUSPENSION OF HONOURABLE JUSTICE WALTER NKANU SAMUEL ONNOGHEN AS CHIEF JUSTICE OF NIGERIA AND SWEARING IN OF ACTING CHIEF JUSTICE, 25TH JANUARY 2019 Fellow Nigerians, A short while ago, I was served with an Order of the Code of Conduct Tribunal issued on Wednesday 23rd January 2019, directing the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Honourable Justice Walter Nkanu Samuel Onnoghen from office pending final determination of the cases against him at the Code of Conduct Tribunal and several other fora relating to his alleged breach of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers.

2. The nation has been gripped by the tragic realities of no less a personality than the Chief Justice of Nigeria himself becoming the accused person in a corruption trial since details of the petition against him by a Civil Society Organization first became public about a fortnight ago.

3. Although the allegations in the petition are grievous enough in themselves, the security agencies have since then traced other suspicious transactions running into millions of dollars to the CJN’s personal accounts, all undeclared or improperly declared as required by law.

4. Perhaps more worrisome is the Chief Justice of Nigeria’s own written admission to the charges that he indeed failed to follow the spirit and letter of the law in declaring his assets, citing ’’mistake’’ and ’’forgetfulness’’ which are totally unknown to our laws as defences in the circumstances of his case.

5. One expected that with his moral authority so wounded, by these serious charges of corruption, more so by his own written admission, Mr. Justice Walter Onnoghen would have acted swiftly to spare our Judicial Arm further disrepute by removing himself from superintending over it while his trial lasted.

6. Unfortunately, he has not done so. Instead, the nation has been treated to the sordid spectacle of a judicial game of wits in which the Chief Justice of Nigeria and his legal team have made nonsense of the efforts of the Code of Conduct Tribunal to hear the allegation on merit and conclude the trial as quickly as possible considering the nature of the times in which we live.

7. Whether deliberately or inadvertently, we have all seen the full weight of the Chief Justice of Nigeria descend on the tender

President Muhammadu Buhari

head of one of the organs of justice under his control. There is simply no way the officers of that court, from the Chairman to the bailiffs, can pretend to be unaffected by the influence of the leader of the Judiciary.

8. Not only the trial court, but others have been put on the spot. Practically every other day since his trial commenced, the nation has witnessed various courts granting orders and counter-orders in favour of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, all of them characterised by an unholy alacrity between the time of filing, hearing and delivery of judgment in same.

9. The real effect has been a stalling of the trial of Justice Onnoghen, helped along by lawyers who insist that these orders, whether right or wrong are technically valid, and must be obeyed till an appellate Court says otherwise. No doubt that it is the proper interpretation, but is it right disposition for our nation?.

10. Nigeria is a constitutional democracy and no one must be, or be seen to be, above the law.

Unfortunately, the drama around the trial of the Chief Justice of Nigeria has challenged that pillar of justice in the perception of the

ordinary man on the street. For it is certain that no ordinary Nigerian can get the swift and special treatment Justice Onnoghen has enjoyed from his subordinates and privies in our Judicature.

11. In the midst of all these distracting events, the essential question of whether the accused CJN actually has a case to answer has been lost in the squabble over the form and nature of his trial.

This should not be so.

12. If Justice cannot be done and clearly seen to be done, society itself is at risk of the most unimaginable chaos. As a Government, we cannot stand by wailing and wringing our hands helplessly but give our full backing and support to those brave elements within the Judiciary who act forthrightly, irrespective of who is involved.

13. As you are all aware, the fight against corruption is one of the tripod of policies promised to Nigerians by this administration.

Needless to say that it is an existential Policy which must be given adequate attention and commitment by all the three arms of government. The efforts of the Executive will amount to nothing without the cooperation of the Legislature and especially the

Judiciary.

14.

It is no secret that this government is dissatisfied with the alarming rate in which the Supreme Court of Nigeria under the oversight of Justice Walter Onnoghen has serially set free, persons accused of the most dire acts of corruption, often on mere technicalities, and after quite a number of them have been convicted by the trial and appellate courts.

15. Since there is nothing the Executive Arm can do after the apex court of the land has spoken on any matter, several of these individuals walk free among us today, enjoying what are clearly the proceeds of the corruption which for so long has defeated the efforts of this nation to develop and prosper.

16. It is against this background that I have received the Order of the Code of Conduct Tribunal directing me to suspend the Chief Justice pending final determination of the cases against him. It also explains why I am not only complying immediately, but with some degree of relief for the battered sensibilities of ordinary Nigerians whose patience must have become severely over-taxed by these anomalies.

17.

In line with this administration’s avowed respect for the Rule of Law, I have wholeheartedly obeyed the Order of the Code of Conduct Tribunal dated 23rd January 2019.

18.

Accordingly, I hereby suspend the Honourable Mr. Justice Walter Nkanu Samuel Onnoghen, GCON as the Chief Justice of Nigeria pending final determination of the case against him at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

19.

In further compliance with the same Order of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, I hereby invite Honourable Justice Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed JSC, being the next most Senior Justice in the Supreme Court, to come forward to take the Judicial Oath as Chief Justice of Nigeria in an Acting Capacity.

20. Fellow Nigerians, we can only stand a chance to win the fight against Corruption, and position our dear nation for accelerated development when we stand together to contend against it.

Thank you and may God bless our country.

SPORTS TIMES Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, January 26, 2019

Taekwondo federation extends registration for Nigeria International Open

The Nigerian Taekwondo Federation has extended the registration deadline of athletes for the forthcoming Nigeria International Open competition from January 22 to 29, 2019.

The Technical Director of the Federation, Chika Chukwumerije, said the decision was taken due to “popular demand” for the completion of athletes’ online registration on the world Taekwondo registration portal.

“Athletes wishing to compete in other international events are advised to register and participate in the Nigeria international open competition,” Chukwumerije said.

The African Games gold medalist noted that over 50 athletes across the globe have so far

completed their registration processes.

He said: “The athletes are from Nigeria, United States of America, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, among others.”

The Olympic bronze medalist noted that widespread consultations with states in the country are ongoing, to fine-tune the final NTF event calendar with regards to grassroots activities.

He said: “The calendar would be unveiled at the end of January, including the 2018 reports of activities.

“The Nigerian Army has registered six competitors and two coaches for the competition.

“Niger Republic, which won several laurels in

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the competition’s first edition, including the best team trophy, has registered eight athletes.

“We are wondering if Niger Republic can repeat the feat with the competition presently a World Taekwondo (WT) event.

“The new generation of Nigerian taekwondo athletes who are home favourities, are expected to step up and defend the ‘National pride’ on home turf, “The Nigerians would be looking-up to athletes such as superstar Uzoamaka Otuadimma, the defending African champion, for glory.”

The competition runs from February 8 to 10 at the Velodrome, Package A, National Stadium, Abuja.

NFF condoles Ahmed Musa on mother’s death The Nigeria Football Federation has condoled Super Eagles’ deputy captain, Ahmed Musa, on the death of his mother, Sarah Moses, on Thursday afternoon.

Mrs Moses died at a hospital in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, after a brief illness.

The President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick, said the generality of Nigerian football fraternity was taken aback by the death.

“This is a huge shock. It is always a thing of grief and pain to lose either of one’s parents, no matter how old they were before they passed on. We share in Ahmed Musa’s sorrow at this period and we pray that God will enable him to muster the courage and give him the fortitude to bear the loss. We also pray

for the repose of the soul of the departed.

“Ahmed Musa has always shown a high level of dedication and patriotism in all the matches he has played for Nigeria. Everyone is in sympathy with him at this period.”

On a day that Nigerian ball fans were happy that Super Eagles’ captain, Mikel Obi had secured a return to England having agreed terms with Championship side Middlesbrough, came the sad news of the passing of his deputy’s mother.

The electrifying forward, thenff .com learnt, was on his way to Jos, Plateau State on Thursday night to brief family members and commence preparations for his mother’s final rites of passage.

NFF president, Mr Pinnick, added: “I have spoken to the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports, Barr. Solomon

Dalung, who directed that I should ensure that the player was provided with adequate security at this period, especially his night movement to Jos. With the assistance of the minister, I was able to get across to security operatives in Jos and they assured me of adequate security for Ahmed.”

Ahmed Musa remains Nigeria’s highest goal scorer at the FIFA World Cup, having scored four goals in each of the last two finals (2014 and 2018).

He was also a member of the Super Eagles’ squad that won the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa in 2013.

He had been the Super Eagles’ on-field captain since the end of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. He led the team to earn qualification to this year’s Africa Cup of Nations finals with a match to spare.

Mikel Obi set for Middlesbrough debut Paul Aigbogun laments friendly matches cancellation John Obi Mikel has announced his readiness for his Middlesbrough’s debut against Newport County in Saturday’s FA Cup tie.

The Chelsea legend returned to England after two-year stay with Chinese Super League side Tianjin Teda to sign a shot-term deal with the Championship side.

The 31-year-old immediately joined the rest of the squad for his first training session on Thursday after enjoying a warm welcome from the fans and has heralded his preparation for their meeting with the League Two outfit.

“Thrilled to announce I’m back to England and I’ve joined Middlesbrough football club,” Mikel posted on Instagram. “[I] had a fantastic first day training with the team and getting to know everyone. Thanks for a warm welcome.

Let the challenge begin!”

Mikel spent 11 years with Chelsea

before his departure from Stamford Bridge in January 2017, winning two Premier League titles, three FA Cup, Football League Cup, Community Shield, Champions League and Europa League.

He will hope to use his experience to help fifth-placed Smoggies return to the Premier League at the end of the season.

He added, that the team has shrugged off the disappointment of the cancellation friendly games and are turning up for training in high spirit.

“You should know that the boys want to market themselves and get good offers abroad and some who are playing overseas now want to move to a better club.

This championship is important to everybody and to me especially because I want to win it and qualify for world cup. I have no fear because I know my boys are battle ready,” said Aigbogun.

The team will depart Nigeria for Niamey next week for the 15 day tournament.

Eden Hazard says he is a leader for Chelsea after win over Tottenham

Leon Balogun enjoys learning religious songs while on Super Eagles duty Brighton and Hove Albion defender Leon Balogun says he enjoys the atmosphere of the national team so much that he quickly adapted to the team’s traditions of singing religious songs before matches.

The former Fortuna Dusseldofr, Darmstadt and SV Mainz of Germany star was born in West Berlin but decided to play for Nigeria and made his debut against Mexico back in 2014.

Balogun admitted he was not used to singing religious songs during his growing up

Paul Aigbogun is confident that his team will do well at the Africa CAF U-20 championship in Niamey next month despite the cancellation of the proposed international friendly matches against Saudi Araba, Egypt and Tunisia.

Although Aigbogun wasn’t ple with cancellation of the friendly matches because he might have no further chance to correct the lapses in the team before the tournament in February.

While speaking to press on the readiness of the team for the team for the championship, The former Enyimba coach said his boys are motivated to show the world what they are capable of doing.

days in Germany but said he has adapted well to the tradition he met since 2014.

“God is a very very big thing in Nigeria and for the players also. In Nigeria, it’s like a tradition, and they start to sing the song.” ”I don’t know most of the songs from Germany, though I got to know some few words I enjoy it very much.” ”Sometimes I get to sing along and clap, but I don’t know the complete songs. I always get hyped, and I always enjoy it, because I’m a camp guy”.

Eden Hazard believes he showed he is a leader for Chelsea in their Carabao Cup win over Tottenham, after Maurizio Sarri questioned his ability to perform such a role for the team.

Sarri said Hazard was “not a leader” ahead of the match, suggesting he is more of an individual in the aftermath of a 2-0 Premier League at Arsenal.

Hazard’s response was to score the winner against Tottenham, with the 2-1 victory on the night forcing penalties. Chelsea won the shootout 4-2 to set up a final with Manchester City.

Sarri singled the Belgium international out for praise

afterwards, describing his display as “wonderful” and attributing it to a change in mentality.

Asked if Chelsea delivered the kind of performance his head coach would be happy with, Hazard said: “I hope so. “[In] the meeting we had before the game, we talked about going through and playing in the final. Now we are in the final so we are just happy.

“My job on the pitch is to do what I can do. Today I did so I am just happy. I always say that on the pitch I’m a leader. I think I’m a leader.”

Hazard’s comments came after an earlier Sky Sports interview alongside David Luiz, in which he had played down the impact of Sarri’s criticism.

“To be fair, I don’t care,” Hazard told Sky Sports. “I just play my football, it doesn’t matter what the manager said. I just focus on this team and I always want to do the best for this team. Today I did and I’m just happy.”

Hazard had been in line to take Chelsea’s fifth penalty in the shootout but the successful conversion of the first four meant he did not need to step forward.

They now face City in the final on February 24 and Hazard knows it will be a tough encounter.

He added: “It’s always hard [against Man City]. With Liverpool, I think they are the best team in the Premier League at the moment.

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2019

VOL. 3

NO. 861

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From beginning, only Nigeria loves itself In spite of the preachments for patriotism which is the love for one’s country, it has continued to be very difficult to find individuals or groups that truly love this country called Nigeria.

When a group of people, be they the so called cabal, ethnic or religious kindred occupy Nigeria’s seat of power, especially at the centre, they, and their cronies, clap-trappers, hangers-on and necromancers that are benefitting from the droppings of power would begin to speak good of Nigeria. That is when you begin to hear them say fancy talks like, “Nigeria is the only country we can call our own,” as if some others don’t have dozens of reasons to hiss them.

There have been times, severally, when those you thought were very patriotic ended up betraying themselves by acting in ways that deviate from the basic instincts of country lovers. That is when they are out of power. Then you begin to hear them curse Nigeria. Curse Nigerian leaders, vehemently too.

Today, many people in government are preaching how important it is to love Nigeria; how we should all put hands on deck to salvage the nation, for the good of all. You hear them on radio and watch them on television tell us to change our characters, to endure the bitter experiences we are facing today and join hands with government to build Nigeria.

They rightly are educating us not to apply hate speech in addressing ourselves and our leaders. They are right. But who and what were they, just yesterday? Father, mothers and grandparents of hate speech. Do they think we have forgotten?

From the beginning, Nigeria has been a cake that individuals and groups want to cut and share.

Nigeria is shared every day by individuals in vantage positions in government and by privileged groups. It has always been for self interest, self aggrandisement.

Sixty Nine (69) years ago on this day, 26th January, 1950, Daily Times exclusively reported that a conference for the review of the constitution of Nigeria which started the previous day was deadlocked because of agitations bothering on regional boundaries and number of people to represent regions at the centre. The conference took place in Ibadan.

In a speech, the Emir of Zaria declared using Hausa language that if the demand of his people for 50 percent representation was turned down, the northerners would be ready to separate from other regions and revert to their position before the 1904 amalgamation.

According to the report, “When Prince Adeleke Adedoyin moved

that the matter on regional boundary be moved to His Excellency the Governor to examine, Mallam Balewa moved a counter motion that the conference was not competent to discuss regional boundary and as such he opposed Adedoyin’s motion. Prince Adedoyin’s motion was put to vote and while 26 delegates voted in favour, the entire 18 delegates from the Northern region solidly voted against it. The motion was therefore carried.

Reading the report above, one would wonder why all the delegates from the Northern region voted along same line. But it is also obvious that the 26 delegates that supported the motion i the

first place were from the other regions, East, West and Lagos.

From beginning therefore, agitations in Nigeria have continued to be about regions, about tribe and about religion. At the national assembly, debates are based on ethnic and other mundane consideration. When you look at the appearances of senators and representatives on plenary, they are as diverse, as non-cohesive and as segregated as they have made Nigeria to be.

At plenary, the Ibo lawmaker is wearing ‘Ishi Agu,’ the Hausa ones are putting on ‘babaringa,’ the Yoruba is dressed on ‘buba and iro’ while Tivs, Ebira, Ijaws, Nupes, Fulanis, the rest of

them try to impress their colleagues with their local attires. Like Nigeria, the chambers of the two arms of Nigeria’s legislature epitomise commotion, confusion, disorderliness and therefore disorganised.

Even before the 26th January, 1950 deadlocked conference to this day, agitations and debates on Nigeria are not based on ideologies or mental orientation rather on how to share the cake and share the money but never on how to build the nation. And with what is happening currently, there seems to be no hope that things will change for the better in Nigeria, at least, not very soon.

Published by FOLIO COMMUNICATIONS Plc. Corporate Office: 9 Osun Crescent, Maitama, Abuja Email: info@dailytimes.ng; DTNcontent@gmail.com Managing Editor: BONAVENTURE MELAH, Tel: 08036062975. Ag. Editor: SAM NZEH, Tel: 08050220692, Email: samnzeh2015@gmail.com