Dtn 27 6 17

THE

DAILY

TIMES

NIGERIA INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER. EST. 1926 WWW.DAILYTIMES.NG https://plus.google.com/+DailytimesNgr/posts

dailytimesng

Fashola to NASS: Address slashing of key projects, not personal attacks

Ï Says Nigeria in trouble if lawmakers mistake budgetary appropriation as cash Mathew Dadiya, Abuja

ÏÏÏ Minister of Power, Works and

Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN, has berated the National Assembly members for their re-

www.facebook.com/dailytimesngr

course to personal attacks rather than addressing the critical issues raised on the key projects that were slashed by the lawmakers in the 2017 Budget.

The minister further expressed Continued on page 12

TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 2017 VOL. 3. NO. 395

N150

GLOBAL FINANCIAL/COMMODITY MARKETS

CURRENCIES/CBN: CBN: N305.85 PER DOLLAR, Parallel Market: USD N368 POUND N467 EURO N410 NSE: ASI 32,122.14 MARKET CAP 11.11tr FMDQ O/N 9.50 OBB 8.75 COMMODITIES: Wheat US $451.20/MT Rice US $11.12/MT Cocoa US $1,843.00/Bag Coffee US $122.75/Scoop Cotton US $72.82/Unit Sugar US $12.72/Ounce METALS: Gold US $1245.80/Ounce Silver US $16.43/Ounce Copper US $2.62/Ounce ENERGY: Brent US $45.44/PB, N/Gas US $3.01/CB

It’s time to restructure Nigeria –IBB Patrick Okohue

ÏÏÏ The renewed clamour for restruc-

‘Restructuring has become a national appeal as we speak, which time has come. I will strongly advocate for devolution of powers to the extent that more responsibilities be given to the states while the Federal Government is vested with the responsibility to oversee our foreign policy, defence, and economy’.

turing of Nigeria received a boost on Monday from a most unlikely quarter, as former Military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, said that restructuring Nigeria is a project whose time has come.

Babangida in a message to Nigerians titled, ‘I Am A Nigerian,’ said that at a time like this when emotions

Continued on page 6

Nigeria’s unity paramount 12 –Jonathan Customs generates N239.4bn in Q1 2017 7

26 states owe LG workers’ salaries, says NULGE 7

Fun seekers at Magic Land during the Sallah celebration In Abuja... on Monday

6 38 Nigerian varsities increase tuition fees – ASUU

2

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, June 27, 2017

3

4

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, June 27, 2017

4

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, June 27, 2017

News 5

Katsina to provide grants to two Emirates Segun Olaniyan, Katsina

ÏÏÏ Governor Aminu Bello Ma-

L-R: Omaiye Grace; Mercy Obaka; Aisha Mohammed and Elizabeth Ajaegbu, during the Movie Premiere themed: Tomorrow, by actress, Mercy Obaka, in Abuja… at the weekend. Photo: TEMITOPE BALOGUN.

Quit Notice: Hausa Community sues for peace, calls Arewa youth to order Esther Taiwo

ÏÏÏ

As diverse opinions continue to trail the ultimatum issued by a coalition of Arewa youths to the Igbo living in the North to quit on or before October 1st this year, some Hausa leaders resident in Lagos have lent their voice on the issue.

At the annual lecture and award organized by the chieftaincy council of Hausa community in Alimosho local government area of Lagos, Seriki Hausawa, Alhaji Ahmed Haruna Kuraja, spoke on the theme ‘Diversity: A Veritable Tool For Improved Peaceful Co-existence, Cultural and Socio-Economic Growth and Development.’

According to him, diversity symmbolises progress in the life of man if properly harnessed especially in the inclusion of different types of people of different races or culture.

“It is not controvertible that there is power in majority as it affects decisions making in the entire life of man. It is the ability of man to maximally utilize the strength of majority that will translaye into critical decisions that will transform man from vulnerability to fortitude”, he said.

The Seriki Hausawa stressed that God made up Nigeria with more than 240 tribes, wondering how Nigerians are advancing the course of man utilizing the above facts.

“Alimosho Hausa community is pleased to say a new dawn has come and we are pledging our support to drive for peaceful co-existence, cultural and socio-economic growth and development in Alimosho to compliment the efforts of our host and other ethnic groups that make up Alimosho”, he said.

He said the grouop is ready to pursue this goal vigorously using the numerous Hausa leaders in charge

of communities at various domains across the local government area as he seeks the cooperation of the government, traditional rulers and eminent persons as well as security operatives in actualizing the hallowed dream and vision.

A member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Bisi Yusuf also called for peaceful coexistence among Nigerians irrespective of wherever they might find themselves saying Nigerian unity is not negotiable.

“What we are witnessing today is history for generations to come because this is the first time such will happen in Lagos, and it is adding excellence to the City of Excellence.

There is no difference among all the tribes of this country, we are all one entity and we should see ourselves as such, ;et us talk to our brothers in the North to consider the Ibos in their midst as their brothers and sisters’, he said.

Crisis: Police Inspector, Sergeant killed in Allawa town’s disturbance in Niger State

Saka Bolaji, Minna

ÏÏÏ It was a black Sunday at Al-

lawa town of Niger state as a police Inspector and a Sergeant were killed in a disturbance that broke out between men of the vigilante and the police in the area.

Inspector Alfa Idris and Sergeant Joseph Peter were killed when they went to the town to facilitate the arrest of some suspects named in connection with those “picked up from the towns mosque almost two weeks ago” by men of the vigilante in the town.

Meanwhile, the Senator representing Niger East Senatorial District at the National Assembly, David Umaru has called for restraint from all parties involved in the recent incidents at Allawa village and suleja town in Shiroro and Suleja local government areas of the state during which two policemen lost their lives, describing it as unfortu-

nate and condemnable.

Umaru stated this yesterday in a statement issued in Minna adding that he was at pains that the peace which had recently returned to the area after security agencies curtailed incessant cattle rustling attacks, is threatening once again to elude the Allawa village.

He said: “I am aware of the Allawa incident in my constituency and I am very concerned about this development. I think it was unnecessary because of the need for the people and security agencies to synergize in fighting criminals around the community. I hope that this isolated case will not repeat itself in future”.

Investigation revealed that men of the vigilante in the town believed to be members of “ a notorious gang” headed by one Lawal Kwali declared wanted by both the Niger and Kaduna state police commands had kidnapped seven people from the mosque and since they disap-

peared there had been no trace of their whereabouts.

It was learnt that two suspects arrested in connection with the kidnap of the seven people gave useful information to the police which led to late Inspector Alfa Idris and Sargeant Joseph Peter being put at the head of the five man team dispatched to arrest the suspects.

In the course of making the arrests, it was further learnt that men of the vigilante attacked the team resulting in the death of first, Sergeant Joseph Peter while injured Inspector Alfa Idris was rushed to the Kagara hospital for treatment.

Investigation further revealed that some military men believed to be from “special force” stormed the Kagara hospital and arrested five policemen leaving Inspector Alfa Idris to bleed to death because the hospital personnel also took to their heels.

sari of Katsina state has stated that the state government Will henceforth start providing grants to the two Emirates to free the accounts of 34 local governments in the state.

Masari was speaking when he received the Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmummini Kabir Usman, who paid him sallah homage known as Hawan Bariki at old Government House, Katsina.

The governor decried the over blotting of the staff of local governments with those who has nothing to do to help the system.

This, he said, made the state government on monthly basis come to the aid of the local governments for them to pay salaries adding that only five local councils are buoyant as to be able to pay salaries and execute some petty projects.

The Governor contended that the administration is considering convening a stakeholders summit on the way forward for local government administration in Katsina state.

He noted that the summit would help the administration to conduct local government elections and handover the finances to the will be elected officials in the 34 local governments.

Reacting to the need for return of Teacher Training Colleges by the Emir, the governor went down memory lane to recall how Katsina had produced eminent sons because of its educational advantage in the North then, but however lamented that Katsina had retracted back

from being a centre of learning to an educationally disadvantage state.

On hate speech, he said the country is facing hard times, adding that there is threat to peaceful coexistence of over one hundred years of Nigeria as a single entity.

Governor Masari therefore solicited for the support of leaders at all level in the state to be up and doing to forestall breach of peace.

He appealed for positive usage of social media as against the ongoing negative trend of promoting hate among the diverse ethnic groups.

Masari thanked the people for the prayers for the quick recovery of the health of President Muhammad Buhari and called for continuity in that regard.

On agriculture, the Governor asked the Emir to stop ward and village heads from aiding and abetting encroachment into grazing and forest reserves by farmers, stressing the need for farmers to accept new improved seeds and new farming techniques to grow more foods as against expansion of farmlands to meets family’s growing population.

Earlier, the Emir,Alhaji Abdulmummini kabir Usman thank God for reaching the eid-mubarak period and prayed Allah to accept the worship of people during the Ramadan fast.

Alhaji Abdulmummini said as is the tradition, the Hawan Bariki was for him, a time for traditional rulers and title holders to pay homage to the Governor.

The Emir told the gathering that the way the Ramadan was held had signified that time is too short for human beings, adding that it shows that a day will come when all those who attended the Hawan Bariki will find themselves in the grave.

I made mistakes that led to my arrest –Evans Oguntade Ismaiala

ÏÏÏBillionaire

kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeje Onwuamadike, alias as Evans, has blamed failure to follow his instinct for his arrest by the police.

Evans, who had managed to evade arrest for several years, was a few weeks ago apprehended in Magodo by a special unit constituted by the Inspector General of Police in conjunction with operatives of the Lagos State Police Command.

Speaking at the Lagos State Police Command Headquarters, Ikeja, where he is being detained said he regretted not leaving the country with his family.

Evans said: “The man, who gave me this information didn’t know that I was the one who the Police were looking for.

“I knew trouble had come. The next news I heard was that the Police had visited the place and my AK47 rifles, pistols and over 40 loaded magazines were recovered by the Police. ”I was worried and I called my gang members wanting to know what actually transpired. They all blamed Uche, who was in charge of the den. ”I told them that I was going to

deal with him. At that time, my mind started racing and I was trying to think of what to do because I knew that the Police would come after me with force. ”Five days later, I read a story in the Vanguard newspaper that the IGP had deployed, Abba Kyari and his men to Lagos State, to track my boys and I and they have also visited the den, where Mr. Dunu escaped from.

“That was about the same time they placed a bounty of N30million for information that could lead to my arrest.

“Some of my men who got news, started panicking, but I assured them that I was on top of the situation and that the police would not get me.

“My Second-in-Command, Felix, called me and expressed fears, but I assured him that the police can’t arrest me and I was also making preparations to kidnap one other person. ‘’When Suoyo, who lives in Beyelsa state, called me and expressed fears, I also assured him that nothing was going to happen.

“I told him I was making plans for another operation and needed him to go into the creeks and buy a new set of arms and ammunition for me.”

9

News 6

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, June 27, 2017

It’s time to restructure Nigeria –IBB Continued from page 1 are running high and tension in the country is reaching a boiling point, that it was only advisable to look at the things that have been done in the past that may be generating the tension and find a new way of doing it.

According to him, this was the right time for the idea of the devolution of powers and making the powers of the center less than what it currently is, because “If we have repeatedly done certain things and not getting the desired results, we need to change tactics and approach, and renew our commitment. It is our collective responsibilities to engender a reform that would be realistic and in sync with modern best practices”.

While calling for tinkering with the constitution to accommodate new thoughts that will strengthen the nation, Babangida noted that the idea of having Federal roads in towns and cities was outdated and need to be looked into along with

many other things that have been on the exclusive legislative list.

In the release which was personally signed by him, Babangida said: “Restructuring has become a national appeal as we speak, whose time has come. I will strongly advocate for devolution of powers to the extent that more responsibilities be given to the states while the Federal Government is vested with the responsibility to oversee our foreign policy, defence, and economy.

“Even the idea of having Federal Roads in towns and cities has become outdated and urgently needs revisiting. That means we need to tinker with our constitution to accommodate new thoughts that will strengthen our nationality.

“Restructuring and devolution of powers will certainly not provide all the answers to our developmental challenges; it will help to reposition our mindset as we generate new ideas and initiatives that would make our union

worthwhile. The talk to have the country restructured means that Nigerians are agreed on our unity in diversity; but that we should strengthen our structures to make the union more functional based on our comparative advantages.”

The former Military ruler also threw his weight behind the call for the creation of state Police, positing that fears that state governors will take advantage of the state Police to use it against their opponents was no longer relevant.

He said: “This desire is the need to commence the process of having state police across the states of the Federation. This idea was contained in my manifesto in 2010 when I attempted to contest the presidential elections. The initial fears that state governors will misuse the officers and men of the state police have become increasingly eliminated with renewed vigour in citizens’ participation in, and confidence to interrogate power.

“We cannot be detained by

Demolition of hide-outs of alleged kidnappers, Chinenye and Chigozie Iseal a.k.a. Ejima at Umuerim Nsirimo in Umuahia South L.G.A at Ndume Otuka in Umuahia North, Abia… on Sunday.

those fears and allow civilisation to leave us behind. We must as a people with one destiny and common agenda take decisions for the sake of posterity in our shared commitment to launch our country on the path of development and growth. Policing has become so sophisticated that we cannot continue to operate our old methods and expect different results.”

According to him, recent crisis across the country calls for deeper retrospection and good sense of judgment on the part of the leaders to ensure that the tension is doused, advising those fanning the embers of war to desist as it will do no one any good.

“Nigeria, my dear country, is not a stranger to crisis, nor is she immune to it. In a profound sense, she can be said to have been created out of crisis, a nation state that will continue to strive to subdue and transcend crises.

“In over a century of its formalised colonial architecture, Nigeria has grown and made remarkable progress in the midst of crises. The most tragic and horrendous episode in Nigeria’s history has been the 30 month Civil War of July 1967 to January 1970, in which many of our compatriots lost their lives.

“Indeed, many others also suffered terrible injuries of human and material dimensions. So, who really wants to go through the depth and dimensions of another Civil War in Nigeria again? Who does not know that that Civil War was preceded and started by intolerance and a series of hate pronouncements, hate speeches, hate conducts and actions that were inflicted upon one another by the citizens?

“Today, with a deep sense of nostalgia, I still carry within my body the pains of injury from the Civil War: there is nothing romantic about war; in any form, war is

bad, condemnable and must be avoided”.

He continued: “I need hardly say I am very worried by the current on-going altercations and vituperations of hate across the country by individuals, well-known leaders, religious leaders, group of persons and organisations.

“We need to remind ourselves that conflicts are not evidently the stuff of politics and governance, particularly so of democracy, hence we must apply caution in our utterances, body language and news reportage.

“The management of conflicts is the acid test of maturity, of mutual livelihood and of democratic governance. We cannot and we must not allow the current hate atmosphere to continue to freely pollute our political landscape unchecked.

“Personally, I reject the proceedings of hate and their dissemination and urge my fellow citizens to strongly condemn the scourge and orgy of the current crisis which, in my view, is an outcome of vengeful appetites within the multiple contexts of our democratic governance and the profound inequalities that have distorted our social relations.”

He said that despite the tension in the land, it was the responsibility of leaders to douse it and not further fuel it.

His words: “It is not the place of leaderships to fuel and hype conflicts nor should we allow losers and gainers of our governance regimes to make pronouncements and threats that exploit our ethnic, religious and geopolitical construct.

“Democracy, anywhere in the world, is a work in progress; and one that is subject to constant evolution and debate. The drums of war are easy to beat, but their Continued on page 12

38 Nigerian varsities increase tuition fees –ASUU ÏÏÏ No

fewer than 38 universities across the country have increased their tuition fees as a result of poor funding by the Federal and State governments.

The Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Ibadan Chapter, Dr. Deji Omole, made this known in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Monday.

The statement which assessed the two years of President Muhammadu Buhari in office, lamented that the current government had made Nigerians poorer.

Omole said that the public education was not taken seriously because most children of the rich and those in high offices do not attend school in Nigeria.

“The latest increment might be

attributed to poor funding by the federal and state governments as ASUU poorly rated the President Muhammadu Buhari in the area of funding of university education,” he said.

ASUU also noted that it would be difficult for any Nigeria university to effectively compete globally with the inadequate allocation of budgetary funding as prescribed by UNESCO to fund education.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that University of Lagos (UNILAG) which was paying N14, 500 would now pay N63, 500 as tuition fees.

Other institutions that increased their fees include Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), from N27, 000 to N41, 00; University of Nigeria (UNN), from N60, 450 to

N66, 950; Obafemi Awolowo University, from N19, 700 to N55,700.

Others are Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), from N20, 100 to N65,920; Bayero University, Kano, from N26,000 to N40,000; University of Abuja, from N39,300 to N42,300 and Usman Danfodiyo University, from N32,000 to N41,000.

National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), from N36,000 to N41,000; University of Benin (UNIBEN), from N12, 000 to N49,500; University of Ilorin, from N16, 000 to N75,000 and Federal University of Technology, Akura (FUTA), from N13, 560 to N83,940.

Also in the list are: Federal University, Minna (FUTMINNA), from N20,000 to N37,000; University of Calabar, from N30,500 to

N42,750 and University of Uyo, from N71, 000 to N84, 250.

Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka, from N16,000 to N40,000; Osun varsity, from N95,000 to N135,500; Anambra State University, from N76,000 to N139, 000 and Lagos State University, from N96,750 to N158,250.

Ibrahim Badamosi Babangiga University, Lapai, from N25, 000 to N52, 000; Imo State University, from N120,000 to N150,000; Plateau State University, from N50,000 to N100,000 and Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, from N57,000 to N75,000.

Others are: Ibadan Polytechnics, from N30,000 t0 N50,000; Abia Polytechnics, from N56,550 to N61,000; Auchi Polytechnic, from N14, 800 to N28,000 and Ondo State University of Science

and Technology, Okitipupa, from N70,000 to N80,000.

Enugu State University of Science and Technology, N104,900 to N124,900; Kwara Polytechnic, Ilorin, from N28,000 to N44,000; Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), from N65,000 to N72,500 and Tai Solarin University of Education, from N66,500 to N76,500.

Afe Babalola University, from N675,000 to N1,075,000; Igbinedion, from N540,000 to N820,000; Crawford university, from N400,000 to N600,000 and Redeemers University, from N545,000 to N605,000.

Also in the list are Covenant University, from N774, 500 to N814, 500 and Benson Idahosa University, from N284, 300 to N1, 150,000.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, June 27, 2017

7

News

26 states owe LG workers’ salaries, says NULGE ÏÏÏ

The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), on Monday, said that 23 states of the federation currently owed local government workers arrears of salaries ranging from one to 16 months.

National President of the union, Ibrahim Khaleel, stated this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

According to Kaheel, Bayelsa state was leading in indebtedness to local council workers with between 10 to 16 months, followed by Kogi between seven to 15 months; Delta State eight to 14 months.

“Kaduna 12 months; Oyo three to 11 months; Edo 10 months; Abia five to nine months; Kwara two to nine months; Benue nine months and Nasarawa seven months.

“Ondo, Ekiti, Imo with six months; Zamfara have not been implementing minimum wage, Adamawa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Plateau owing four months, Taraba and FCT three months.

“While Osun State has been paying half salaries for 24 months and few staff were owed few months in Enugu,” he said.

The union noted that Ekiti State has refused

to remit union dues for the past nine months and Ogun State has not also remitted its deduction for seven months.

The NULGE national president also said that 700 staff members were owed between one to three months in Cross River State.

He called on the governors of the states to offset the salaries and other allowances of local

Aggrieved APC members protesting against the nomination of Hon. Yusuf Suleiman as running mate to Hon. Tajudeen Ajide in the forthcoming Local Government election at the party’s secretariat in Surulere, Lagos… on Monday. Photo: EDOKPOLOR OSAYANDE.

rhythms are difficult to dance. Starting wars or political upheavals comes with the slightest provocation, but ending them becomes inelastic, almost unending with painful footages of the wrecks of war.

“I have been involved and its ripples are tellingly unpalatable, with gory details of destruction and carnage.

I am a Nigerian, a citizen, patriot and concerned stakeholder. It is my strong belief that Nigeria can attain greater greatness if we all nurture our minds in the direction of building a nation, and accepting responsibility for its successes and failures.

“We cannot deny or repudiate our progress at nation-building in spite of the limitations and challenges that we have continued to experience. As a people, we need a proper study and understanding of our history in order to correct the warped perceptions of our past so as to minimise the

dangers of badly skewed stories of our democratic experience in governance; and to regenerate mutual confidence and uphold the tenets of living together as one country.

“No one government or administration can provide all the answers to the myriad of problems and challenges confronting us as a country; no matter how determined, resolute, committed and motivated such a government is. The citizens have their roles to play, and their obligations to fulfill in order to motivate government in achieving its stated goals and objectives.

Governance is a function of the leadership and the followership. It is a two-way traffic that demands certain responsibilities from those involved.

“Of late, Nigeria has become so sharply divided with emotions running high on the least provocations. Once tempers are that high, the fault-lines become easily visible and with the slightest prompting, the

unexpected can happen.

But I want to believe that Nigerians are still their reasonable selves’, highly endowed in various skills and intellectually empowered to compete anywhere in the global arena.

“As a Nigerian, I have had the rare privilege to benefit from robust relationships from different people across the socio-political divide; East, West, North and South. I have also immensely interacted with persons from all the numerous tribes, cultures and ethnic configurations dotted across the entire gamut of Nigeria’s expansive lands.

“I have made friends, built alliances, nurtured relationships and sustained linkages amongst Nigerians of all shades and opinions. In fairness, Nigerians are great people. In those hours, moments and duration of friendship and camaraderie, no one talks about origin, geopolitical zones or even states. The issue of religion does not dictate the flow of discourse.

We deal with ourselves based on our character and content, and not the sentiments of what part of the country we hail from.

“The inalienable fact that Nigerians can live in any part of the country to pursue their legitimate aspirations is a strong indication that we have accepted to invest in the Nigerian project, and are no longer driven by mutual suspicion but mutual respect.

“That we have not fully realised our potentials as a great nation is not enough reason for us to want to demolish the foundation of our nationhood or rubbish the labours of our heroes past; both of which are borne out of our collective efforts to build a truly great nation, and great people”.

The Minna born retired Army General also cautioned the media on news reportage, advising that they must always weigh the security implications of the contents of the news story before going to town with screaming headlines.

arrears of promotion benefits, arrears of annual increment and non-implementation of minimum wage most especially in Zamfara State are resolved and paid.

“We, therefore, use this medium to appeal passionately to the State Governors to use this 2nd Tranche of Paris club loan refund to clear the backlog arrears of outstanding salaries.

“This is in order to ameliorate the untold hardship they are currently passing through due to this ugly situation,” he said.

He added that the union will not tolerate a situation where any state governor will hide under any guise to deny Local Government workers their legitimate salaries and allowances.

Khaleed commended the 14 states including Lagos, Ogun, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Sokoto, Kebbi, Bauchi, Borno, Yobe, Gombe, Cross River, Niger and Anambra that were up to day in the entitlement of local government workers.

Customs generates N239.4bn in Q1 2017 ÏÏÏ The Nigerian Custom

It’s time to restructure Nigeria –IBB Continued from page 6

government workers with the second tranche of the Paris Loan Refund released to them.

He said that failure to do so, the union would be forced to mobilised and shut down all local government councils in the country.

Khaleel called on the state governors not to divert or tamper with the second tranche of Paris Club Loan refund but use it to offset the entitlement of the workers.

He, however, said the union was aware that some state governors were already claiming that the amount released was not in conformity with the published figure.

“We want to state in strong term that no governor should either divert or tamper with the fund.

“This should be an avenue where the backlog of arrears of salaries owed the Local Government workers and some other welfare packages should be settled.

“Such as leave bonus,

Service generated a total sum of N239.4 billion in the first three months of this year, figures obtained from the Federal Ministry of Finance have revealed.

The amount is contained in a document obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday in Abuja, showing the activities of the ministry of finance in the last two years.

The NCS, according to the document, stated that its revenue performance for the first quarter of this year exceeded its target of N193.2bn.

This, the service added, was achieved through a reform programme aimed at restructuring the agency, re-orientation of its officers, removing defects and adopting simplified procedures in its activities.

“The NCS collected N904.07bn in 2015 against a target of N944.4bn; the total collection in 2016 was N898.67bn against the target amount of N973.3bn.

“Between January and March 2017, the NCS was able to generate N239.4b,

thereby exceeding the target of N193.22bn set for the period,” it said.

The service also said it had complied with a Presidential directive to deliver all seized perishable goods to the Internally Displaced Persons affected by the insurgency in Borno, Yobe, Adamawa and Benin camps.

It said the reforms embarked upon by the government has started yielding results as there is a strict compliance with rules governing the operations of the NCS, adding that a standard operational procedure has been developed to ensure transparency and accountability.

The service also said it has strengthened international engagements with the World Customs Organisation and the World Trade Organisation for trade facilitation and optimum revenue collection.

It added that a compliance team has been set up to ensure conformity with trade regulations, adding that this would help to block all illegal routes for smuggling.

News 8

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Ambode restates commitment to freedom Boki people in C’River hold rally for Gov. Ayade of worship, peaceful co-existence ÏÏÏ

Lagos state governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, has reiterated his commitment to freedom of worship and peaceful co-existence amongst the people of the state, irrespective of faith, ethnicity or political affiliation.

Speaking at a predominantly Muslim gathering, at Evans Square, Ebute Metta, to mark the end of Ramadan, Ambode lauded the Muslims for their show of love, care and brotherhood during the period, which aided the cause of peace.

He called on them to press on, in a post-Ramadan period, with fervent

prayer for orderly progress of development.

The Evans Square gathering, said Ambode, was one in all the 20 local governments, hosted by his administration, to identify with Muslims.

He called on Lagosians to co-operate with security agencies, so as to reduce crime and, so, make the state attractive to local and foreign investments that would strengthen the economy and generate employment.

The Commissioner for Home Affairs, Dr. Abdulhakeem Abdullateef, said, on the occasion, that the Ambode administration’s

initiative to reach out to the people of the state was not only the first of its kind in Nigeria, but, also, a conscious effort to run an inclusive government.

He said that the gathering was to enrich the content and delivery of good governance – and, so, make democracy meaningful and beneficial to the people of the state.

As he put it, “the Ambode administration is focused on development programmes that will benefit all, and will not leave anyone behind. It is committed to the avowed objective of sustaining peaceful co-existence and

harmonious relationship amongst the diverse religious, political and ethnic groups in the state.”

On behalf of the Muslim community, two clerics; Alhaji Abdullahi Shuaib, leader of the Conference of Islamic Organisations in Nigeria; and Alhaji Sabitu Akanni, Chief Imam of Lagos Mainland Central Mosque, lauded the Ambode administration for its transformation of the state through the provision of infrastructure like roads, health centres, state-of-the-art ambulances, water and security, amongst others.

Edem Edem, Calabar

ÏÏÏ

The people of Boki local government area of Cross River state have held a mega rally in Biakwan community in support of the administration of the state governor, Prof. Ben Ayade.

The Chief Press Secretary to the state governor, Mr. Christian Ita, said in a press release that the rally was organized to rally support for Governor Ayade to also sensitise and mobilize the people on the need to participate in the ongoing Continuous Voters’ Registration exercise.

The state Commissioner for Works, Engr. Dan Osim-Asu, who led the supporters of Ayade in the rally, said the governor had transformed Boki through massive award of road construction and electrification projects.

Osim-Asu noted that the governor had awarded the construction of Boki EastBoki West road that have divided the people of the local government area for

ages. According to him, the 27 kilometer stretch road was awarded at the cost of N4billion, adding that 30 per cent mobilization money has been given as direct labour to the state Ministry of Works and work is ongoing.

“We decided to hold this mega rally today in appreciation of what Ayade has done for the people of Boki.

Ayade has given no fewer than 189 political appointments to Boki sons and daughters. Beside, the governor has awarded the construction of Boki East-Boki west road project valued at N4billion. This road when completed, will link Boki East and West together.

“Boki local government area stand for Ayade is 100 per cent. Considering all he has done for us, our collective interest should be that Ayade is elected and returned as governor in 2019,” he said. Also speaking, the State Commissioner for New Cities Development, Mr. George Ekpungu, stressed the need for people in the area to participate in the ongoing Continuous Voters’ Registration exercise.

Kogi dep gov commends royal fathers over war against crimes Mathew Dadiya, Abuja

ÏÏÏThe L-R: Ag. Managing Director, FBN Capital Limited, Margaret Baale; Deputy Managing Director, FBN Merchant Bank, Taiwo Okeowo; Country Manager, SDP Services, Vikram Singh, at the 6th FBNQuest Investor Conference in Lagos… on recently.

Lagos upgrades 40 primary health care centres to handle sexual assault cases Benjamin Omoike

ÏÏÏ

In a renewed effort to ensure that victims of all forms of sexual assault receive adequate medical assistance, the Lagos state government has upgraded 40 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) across the state to cater for all related cases.

This is just as the state Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT), in partnership with the Ministry of Health and the Primary Health Care Board, has stepped up efforts to implement the already launched Sexual Assault Standing Order and Sexual Assault Evidence Examination Kit also known as rape kits.

Coordinator of DSVRT,

Mrs. Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, who spoke at a recent training session for health workers of PHCs, said the Centres have been empowered to render 24-hour service, laboratory testing, HIV Counselling and Testing, and Maternal and Child Health Services.

She said participants at the training were drawn from 10 areas including Agege local government area (LGA), Orile Agege local council development area (LCDA), Ajeromi Ifelodun LGA, Ifelodun LCDA, Apapa LGA, Apapa Iganmu LCDA, Badagry LGA, Olorunda LCDA, Ibeju Lekki LGA and Lekki LCDA. She said the continuous trainings and upgrade of health facilities was in furtherance of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s desire to

ensuring that all survivors of sexual assault, irrespective of class or means, can receive comprehensive medical care at no cost.

She recalled that the rape kits, also known as Sexual Assault Evidence Examination Kits were launched in 2016 and are currently available at all comprehensive PHC Centres.

“The Rape Kits contain the necessary instruments used for evidence examination some of which include microscope slides, saline water, swabs, materials for blood samples, comb, paper sheets for evidence collection such as clothing fibres and hairs, nail pick, and gloves. The documentation forms which include the con-

sent form and Patient History/ Sexual Assault History are also included in the rape kit,” Vivour-Adeniyi said.

She expressed optimism that the training would ultimately improve the quality and documentation of evidence collection for sexual assault patients.

According to her, the training was organised by the Lagos State DSVRT with technical support from United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

“In the unfortunate case of a sexual assault, members of the public are advised to go to the closest comprehensive Primary Health Care Centre to receive optimal care,” the DSVRT coordinator said.

deputy governor of Kogi state, Elder Simon Achuba, has commended traditional rulers across the state for cooperating with the Governor Yahaya Belloled administration in the ongoing fight against crime and criminality in the state.

Achuba made the commendation during his sallah visit to the Attah of Igala, His Royal Highness, Michael Idakwo Ameh Oboni 11 at his palace in Idah.

The deputy governor said the effort of the traditional rulers in the fight against armed robbery, kidnapping and other social vices in the state has yielded positive result, urging them to continue the good work for the achievement of a better Kogi state.

In a statement on Monday, by his Chief Press Secretary, Akor Sylvester, Achuba noted that there were still some characters that have not changed from their dubious and criminal act.

He warned that the government’s search light was on them and would track them down and bring them to justice.

The deputy governor used the forum to advise the youth to desist from any act capable of dragging the good name of the state to the mud, while

commending Governor Yahaya Bello for what he described as his purposeful governance in the state.

Speaking earlier, the Attah of Igala and the president, Kogi Traditional Council, HRH Michael Idakwo Ameh Oboni 11, described the deputy governor as a progressive and pragmatic leader, praying God to continue to guide and protect him in all his activities in life.

He also commended Governor Bello for piloting the affairs of the state in a fair and transparent way, urging him to continue the good work for the development of the state.

In a related development, the deputy governor has urged the youth in Ibaji local government area of the state to maintain the existing peace in the area for the good of the people.

Achuba gave the charge when he hosted the former councilors and supervisory councillors in Ibaji local government at his Idah residence during the sallah celebration.

He said that no meaningful development would strive in an area where there is no peace and unity, urging them to do only what is right and just.

Over 2,000 youths, apart from some APC stakeholders, celebrated sallah with the deputy governor in his Idah resident.

Politics

s

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Restructuring will enhance rapid development of country - Olatujoye –P10

9

Lagos council poll: Group warns Gbajabiamila, oppose imposition in Surulere–P11

Edo development: Obaseki, slowly but steadily, restoring the peoples’ hope Kevin Okunzuwa When Gov. Godwin Obaseki, on Nov 12, 2016, during his inaugural acceptance speech, promised Edo people all round development of the state, not many cynics and doubting Thomases believed him in the least.

And like Coleridge’s description of William Shakespeare’s character, Aigo in `Othello’, of his motive to hurt the protagonist, the brave Othello, he found none to justify his obsession for wanting him dead.

No wonder Coleridge described Aigo’s obsession as that of ``motive hunting of a motiveless malignity. In other words, looking for a motive where none exists to justify his desire to harm Othello.

Obaseki’s firm and true desire to develop all aspects of the state has been questioned by some cynics and doubting thomases, describing his promises as the usual political propaganda to subject the people to the usual political rhetorical perturbation.

However, with less than one year in office, Obaseki’s true and genuine intentions are becoming clearer by the day.

And because of Gov. Obaseki’s strong conviction that only strong institutions could bring about assured developments, he wasted no time in organising workshops for the designs of coordinated blue-prints that will ultimately strengthen every sector of the economy of the state.

And to ensure that access to all nooks and crannies of the state is unhindered to attract investors, the governor, in January, flaggedoff the 29-kilometre Agbede Awai-Idegun road in fulfillment of part of his electioneering campaign promises to the people.

Recalling his unpleasant experience during his visit last August, “When I came around August 2016 during our campaign and I wanted to go to ward 8 for campaign at Idegun, we left around 7am. I got to Idegun around 8:30 or 9:00am and I asked what kind of suffering is this in the state and during this time, our vehicle was losing balance.

“Then, I promised that if God made me governor, the road would be one of the first that I will construct.”

Obaseki assured the people that the road was strategic to his

OBASEKI

administration’s plan to open up the area for the proposed 40,000 hectares of land for mechanised agriculture in fulfilment of his electioneering promises.

The state government’s partnership with the AG Dangote Company in the construction of roads using concrete technology, is a testament of his avowed desire to make major roads with Benin city motorable.

Already, the governor has inaugurated the reconstructed 500km Nevis street, which links four major roads in Benin City.

At the occasion, Obaseki restated his commitment to completing 3000km of roads within his first four years in office, adding that more youths would be trained in road design and construction using concrete technology.

The newly reconstructed Nevis Street is the first road to be reconstructed in the state, using concrete technology to facilitate durability.

Governor Obaseki stated that with the success recorded in the use of concrete technology, he would, in the next few weeks, award contracts for the construction and reconstruction of 45 roads across the state, explaining that he would construct the roads with raw materials sourced from the state.

When an arm of government continues to appropriate to itself tWhen I came around August 2016 during our campaign and I wanted to go to ward 8 for campaign at Idegun, we left around 7am.

I got to Idegun around 8:30 or 9:00 am and I asked what kind of suffering is this in the state and during this time, our vehicle was losing balance.

Then, I promised that if God made me governor, the road would be one of the first that I will construct.

The governor noted that the state did not need to depend on foreign exchange for road construction as all materials and human capital could be found locally, while he also urged the youths in the state to register in the Edo Jobs Initiative to be gainfully employed.

He said, “I have come to change the face of politics in Nigeria.

“The construction of this Nevis Street within seven weeks showed that this government can make promises and fulfil them.

This is a revolution in our road construction.

“We will design our roads, and we will train our youths on roads design and construction without

waiting for foreign exchange. We have all the raw materials here,” he said.

Corroborating Obaseki’s submission, Mr Ashif Juma, the Managing Director of AG-Dangote, said the road was constructed in compliance with the governor’s directive that the materials must be sourced locally.

He continued that his company had proved that concrete roads could be built within a short period and that it was durable and cheap.

“Concrete has always made the most sense in the long run.

No other paving materials match concrete’s strength and durability in standing up to heavy usage and truck traffic.

“Concrete lasts longer without the need for resurfacing, patching or surface sealing. Concrete delivers structurally, financially and environmentally,” he said.

Drainage projects at the Benin Water storm to combat erosion in the city is in progress as Obaseki is getting very prepared to fight erosion ahead of the rainy season. This is lofty and commendable.

To fulfill his promise of generating 200,000 jobs, in the next four years, no fewer than 170,000 youths of Edo State have been physically captured while online registration continues in the Edo job registration data collection.

The Managing Director of the Edo State Government’s Information Communication Technology Unit, Mr Lambert Ugorji, who disclosed this, said several persons had been hired already from the database.

Ugorji said the physical registration has captured 170,000 persons while registration online continues.

“So far we have taken over 5,103 persons to be specific. In the pipeline right now, is the Benin Technical College renovation, where about 800 people are expected to come out from the project,” he said.

“Mr Governor is not doing this for any jamboree as is very evident. He is doing this to put people in jobs so that people will contribute more to the growing Edo GDP. “For the government, this database is also an avenue of tracking its progress on its promise of providing two hundred thousand jobs,” he said.

Having also keyed into the Federal Government’s agriculture revolution policy in reviving the ailing economy, Obaseki held an agribusiness workshop where he said “Our strategy will be to focus on the key crops that are best adapted to our local environment for competitive large-scale production.

“We have mapped Edo State across key crop lines and will develop Crop Enterprise Zones in the different areas based on comparative advantages and availability of land.’’

He said the state government would work in synergy with the Federal Government to revive and reclaim the nation’s arable lands, which have not been put into optimal use over the years.

The governor at the occasion unveiled some economic strategies which according to him include some key areas such as making land accessible for usage, providing security and infrastructure, driving agriculture with the best modern farming technologies.

While Obaseki’s administration believes in well trained workforce to deliver on his mandate, he has started to put smiles on the faces of pensioners in the state with the payment of backlog of gratuities.

He has, in addition, streamlined the pension process by ensuring that workers are moved into the contributory pensions scheme in line with the Pencom law 2004, as amended.

In his effort to improve and upgrade traffic management in the state, to complement the reconstructed roads, no few than 1,000 Edo youths are currently undergoing training programme on traffic control management in the state.

Mr Dennis Oloriegbe, the Managing Director of the Edo State Traffic Control and Management Agency, said that the first phase took place in May this year where 1,025 applicants were screened and 852 successful applicants were selected.

He added that the aptitude test was the beginning of a two-week training/induction exercise, after which 500 candidates would complete the training process and receive employment.

He said: “We are going to have a take-off of 300 people, who will CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

Politics 10

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Restructuring will enhance rapid development of country- Olatujoye istration having regard to the crucial role it plays in industrial and technological development and its direct impact on the lives of the average Nigerian. More efforts should be made to increase power generation by safeguarding and upgrading existing installations for better power supply. The government can give attention to alternative source of power generation e.g. Solar Energy, Biofuel etc. as these newer sources have capacity to not only complement existing sources in order to meet the power needs of the people.

In addition, the administration of justice since the enactment of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) has experienced marked improvements under this government though there are question marks on the continued incarceration of a few suspects in spite of pronouncements by courts. The judiciary should be encouraged to dispense justice quickly and where there is insufficient evidence to justify putting defendants in custody, such persons should be promptly released to engender public confidence in the judiciary.

Prince Anthony Olatujoye is an Abuja based Attorney and former Director, Legal Department, Central Bank of Nigeria. In this interview with journalists, he speaks on the two years administration of President Muhammadu Buhari saying it is a work in progress. He also speaks on other sundry issues. PATRICK OKOHUE reports.

President Muhammadu Buhari recently celebrated two years in office. How will you assess the administration?

My humble assessment of the Buhari administration so far is that it is work in progress which is gathering momentum considering the fact that it took the President six months to appoint his cabinet for the purpose of governance. Be that as it may, this government has taken bold steps in the areas of the economy, security and the fight against corruption. So the last two years was not so bad, but we hope the next two years will be more productive. So far so good, it is evident that the President has good intentions and I believe he will pull through some of his intended programmes in the remaining two years.

Buhari and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), promised change in the affairs of the nation, have you seen any change?

Obviously, many things have changed. First, the style of governance has changed as a renewed sense of seriousness is seen in the day-to-day business of government. Second, the fight against insurgency is on the front foot as the military is being properly motivated resulting in the many instances of victory and recovery of former strongholds of terrorists within the country. Third, the economy is gradually being revamped through initiatives and developmental programmes such as the CBN Anchor Borrowers programme, the NPower and Social Security Programmes. Furthermore, the government has taken commendable steps in supporting Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) through funds (allocated by the CBN) to Commercial and Microfinance Banks and other financial institutions for the benefit of small businesses and startups with proven capacity. Also in the area of Education, an initiative such as the School Feeding Programme embraced by some states is also in motion as well as the Government’s Social Security Programme which pays the sum of 5,000 naira to the vulnerable.

Fourth, it is instructive to state that the war against corruption has been quite successful; and with the advent of whistle blowing, anti-corruption agencies such as the EFCC have received further needed cooperation from members of the public which is vital for the decimation of corruption in the long run.

Also, it is noteworthy that the Senate has come alive to its law making responsibility by passing the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Bill, 2017 which will forge cooperation between Nigeria and foreign states in war against corruption.

Furthermore, in the area of Agriculture, laudable steps have been taken by the government to ensure that food security is sine-qua-non. I am aware that majority of the states in the country are now producing rice as well as other agricultural products which will in turn minimise the cost of importing such foods from other countries.

Efforts in the area of transparency and accountabil-

OLATUJOYE

ity have been boosted by the introduction of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) which has hugely stymied misapplication of funds by agencies of government.

Added to this is the Bank Verification Number (BVN) Scheme which is greatly eliminating the “Ghost Workers” syndrome within the civil service.

In which area will you score the administration high and in which of the sector will you score the administration low ?

This is a difficult question to ponder, I dare say. But one can say without any fear of contradiction that government has largely tackled insecurity, to wit- Boko Haram, Herdsmen menace and kidnapping. Also; the Niger Delta militancy has been on the decrease through proper economic and policy management of the region.

However, unemployment is still an issue which the government needs to look into much more closely as there are so many unemployed youths and graduates in the country and that is a major trigger for the commission of crimes.

Furthermore, there is a compelling need to reflate the economy through the deployment of funds to appropriate sectors in addition to the provision of better infrastructure to encourage private sector participation and investment in the economy. This will not only reduce the unemployment problems in Nigeria but also empower more Nigerians and add a significant input to the GDP of the country.

Again, power supply is still a mirage and this calls for optimal attention and intervention by this admin-

If we are considering restructuring within the contexts of fiscal federalism and regional autonomy typical of other democracies particularly the United States of America, there may be a valid cause for restructuring in Nigeria as it would put an end to the ritual of coming cap-in-hand by states to the central government to obtain funds for their local needs.

As Buhari’s administration enters the third year which areas will you like the administration to accord priority?

Of course, power, security and the economy should be prioritised. On power, I believe it has become necessary for this government to review the existing contracts with the DISCOs and the GENCOs with a view to improving quality service delivery to Nigerians and if it means terminating the contracts of inefficient service providers, so be it. It would seem that some attention is being directed at the unfortunate menace of herdsmen while the recent economic recovery & growth plan looks assuring.

What is your take on issues of Buhari’s health challenge?

I do not see any unusual problem with Buhari’s health condition. He is human like the rest of us and would require medical attention when needed. He has complied with the constitutional requirement by properly transmitting power to the Vice-President in order to attend to his health concerns. Having transmitted power properly, he has done the needful and to his credit, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo who is doing a great job in stewarding the economy in acting capacity as can be seen in the marked improvements in various areas of policy development and implementation.

How will you react to the current agitation for restructuring of the country?

Yes, if we are considering restructuring within the contexts of fiscal federalism and regional autonomy typical of other democracies particularly the United States of America, there may be a valid cause for restructuring in Nigeria as it would put an end to the ritual of coming cap-in-hand by states to the central government to obtain funds for their local needs. So I believe in constructive restructuring of the country as this will better empower federating states and reduce the burden borne by the Federal Government in order to ensure rapid development in the country.

How will you react to the recent revelation and warning by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Buratai that some politicians are fraternising with soldiers and that they should desist from doing so and should stop enticing the Army into staging a coup?

For me, the warning given by Lt. Gen Buratai goes to no issue, because if there are such politicians/soldiers, the proper thing to do is to have them investigated, and in the event of credible evidence showing such treasonable intentions and proclivities, such politicians/soldiers are swiftly tried before a competent court to serve as deterrent to others.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Lagos council poll: Group warns Gbajabiamila, oppose imposition in Surulere Patrick Okohue The G13 of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Surulere Local Government have frowned at the alleged imposition masterminded by the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, who represents Surulere Federal constituency, citing clear cut disregard for the party’s National Leader’s instruction toward salvaging the comatose polity of Surulere.

The group allege that the legislator in the green chamber of the National Assembly deliberately stationed his stooge, one Mr. Sulaimon Yusuf for the vice chairmanship position in Surulere contrary to the party’s directive at the stakeholders meeting held in the month of May. Where having stated that 18 former executive chairmen would return, the National Leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu added that the people who are contestants should be given first choice of refusal as it pertains to sharing of the remaining positions in the affected areas.

A top shot in the area’s polity, Hon. Afeez Kasumu said “We are talking to our supporters in the local government to calm down, they want to go to the street but we are telling them to calm down everything would be under control, so we have reached out to the party leadership and I am sure they are going to do something about it.

“We agree to anchor the election of Hon. Tajudeen Ajide to appease our supporters and give the party confidence that there is peace in Surulere, while doing that Hon Femi Gbajabiamila went behind to pick Sulaimon, his stooge as vice chairmanship for the local government and it is also looking someone outside the frontliners seated here as the secretary to the local government, against the advice of the National leader.

“We would not allow someone that was there for three years out of which he was under the three running helter skelter, that is where his office was as a vice chairman, bringing such a man to be a vice chairman again what did Surulere people benefit from him earlier?

“A clear position is that in the last dispensation whereas Ajide was the chairman, Sulaimon was the vice and all through the

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9 control traffic in the Benin metropolis, while 200 people will be on our data pool.

However, in all, we will select 500 people.

“The standard we are inculcating is an American-based training Programme, and the applicants were at first screened for blood sugar levels, blood pressures and physical fitness.

“During the training they will be taught everything about traffic management; road signs, decongestion system, defensive driving, how to manage traffic in adverse condition and lots more,’’ he said.

Worthy of note, is the fact that management of the State Universal Basic Education Board, on June 20, closed the employment process in which over 2,000 applicants applied for different positions in the recently advertised job opportunities by the board.

Still under one year in office, Gov Obaseki, fully aware that power is veritable tool for speedy economic development,

GBAJABIAMILA

three years at the local government Sulaimon in concert with about seven other councillors made the council ungovernable, from the beginning they had wanted to impeach the chairman with one allegation or the other, most of which are frivolous, he in concert with about three or four coming back to the council now ganged up and ensure that the government couldn’t achieve anything, it was a loss to everyone, so such an individual should not be brought back into government, it means we will be at negative.

“The essence of this meeting is to say no to further impunity by Femi Gbajabiamila that is turning himself to an imperial majesty in Surulere, they have allowed it for a long time, but this is the end of the era.

One of the stakeholders, Dotun Olaribigbe decried the highhandedness of Gbajabiamila in the area, stating that further impunity will be resisted.

“We are no idiots or imbeciles here, Femi Gbajabiamila as far I’m concerned is the number one public enemy of Surulere,

the council being the closest tier of government to the people one individual having sold a dummy to the National Leader is claiming glory for what he is not, when the chips are down he is a nonentity, he cannot win an election, he is getting high on his supply carried away by the euphoria.

“What a callous impunity, how can you singlehandedly pick your stooge to return to the council as vice chairman having bought sewing machines for people who don’t know how to sow and fish drying machine as poverty alleviation. He is deceiving Tinubu, giving him the wrong impression about Surulere, Tinubu would now start seeing the true picture of things.

Supporters of the G13 also staged a peaceful protest to the APC secretariat along Adelabu Street Surulere to demand that the party supremacy be preservered by political bigots, it eventually turned violent as they were seen throwing away the pictures of notable individuals hung in the party secretariat starting with Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.

The aspirants that jostled for the chairmanship seat of Surulere, before the party decided that Ajide be returned includes the Afeez Olaseinde Kasumu, Ganiat Alli Balogun, Segun Aborishade, Dapo Dabiri, Dotun Olaribigbe, Mahmud Dawodu, Tunrayo Akintomide, Leken Abegunde, Olawunmi Oyedeji, Genga Orisarayi, Mukaila Adenekan, Lookman Lawal and Femi Peters.

11 Politics

Former council boss counsels public office holders on use of orderlies Iniobong Iwok A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in lkeja, Lagos State, Hon Wale Odulami has frowned at orderlies standing behind public office holders in Nigeria while they give speech on podium.

Odulami noted that there was nowhere in the world such action was being practiced in the present age, describing it as primitive.

The former two term chairman of Ikeja Local Government Area stated this in a chat with the Daily Times, stressing that such practice was unknown in the country and accused the present security agencies of inventing the practice.

He added that it was unnecessary show of power that do not portray the image of the country well in the international community, adding that it must be stopped.

He said: “This practice where an orderly would stand at the back of public office holders on podium when they giving speech is unnecessary and primitive.

I was in government before and this was not the practice.”

“Where is this done? Even Trump with all his idiosyncrasies do not do that, it has to be stopped because it does not portray us well,” Odulami added.

Speaking on the agitation for restructuring of the county, he described the restructuring of the country based on regional lines and true Federalism as the only way forward, adding that the present system confers too much power in the center and does not give room for even development of all parts of the country.

He said: “The practiced present system is not working; there is urgent need to restructure the country. That is why the county is like this, when the center is not working other parts of the country fold, in regions every part develop at this pace,” Odulami added.

‘Obaseki, slowly but steadily, restoring the peoples’ hope’ inaugurated a six-man Joint Development Committee to implement the Edo Electrifying Initiative for electricity generation, transmission and distribution in the state.

This followed a meeting with the Siemens Power and Gas Ltd to generate 1,000Mega Watt of electricity in the state.

Obaseki said that the committee would help to undertake a study of the Edo power requirement and come up with a road map for a GIS study which the state would undertake.

“The committee is expected to come up with human development programmes that will cut across the primary, secondary and tertiary level. The committee will look at ways to help Edo improve its transportation infrastructure.

“The committee will also advise and direct appropriate attention to areas where corporate interventions should be undertaken and also drive the entrepreneur initiative to

support all the matters listed above,’’ Obaseki said.

He said that the project will also complement the Azura Power West Africa Limited (“Azura”), a subsidiary of Amaya Capital Limited (“Amaya”).

The partnership is proposing the construction of the Azura-Edo Independent Power Plant (“IPP”) in Edo. The proposed site for the project is located in the North-Eastern outskirts of Benin.

In the area of sports, Obaseki, has reiterated his administration’s resolve to ensure the state regains its pride of place at the national level, hence a recent sports workshop held in the state.

He maintained that sports had always been at the front burner throughout his campaign and was precise on his laid down procedures to lift sports in the state.

“We want to make sure we regain our pride of place and restore our legacy in

sports, we are leaders in sports and we will do everything to ensure we retrace our step and recover our position and pride in sports.”

As parts of efforts to regain first position in sports, the state government organised sports workshop which was well attended by great sports men and women across the nation including sports writers to develop the necessary framework.

The governor further said that his administration will refurbish part of Samuel Ogemudia Stadium and also revamp major sports like athletics and football which will be handled by professionals to produce the desired result.

He particularly assured that his administration is also set to encourage school sports to catch them young.

Can we then forget the biblical injunction that says when God is on the side of the righteous; even his enemies will be at peace with him.

News 12

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Fashola to NASS: Address slashing of key projects, not personal attacks

Continued from page 1

deep concern over the manner in which the National Assembly’s spokespersons resort to name calling over his observations on the 2017 Budget.

Fashola stated this in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Hakeem Bello, and made available to journalists in Abuja on Monday.

He also wants the lawmakers to take judicial notice of the fact that, “there was no fallacy or halftruth in the allegation that the budgets were reduced.”

Fashola said he is worried that the National Assembly spokespersons failed to address the fundamental points about “development- hindering whimsical cuts in the allocations to several vital projects under the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing as well as other ministries.”

He further stated that it is worthy of note that, “ the spokespersons admitted this much and now sought to rationalise it by a concession or financing arrangement that has failed to build the road since 2006. The biggest momentum seen on the road was in 2016.”

The Daily Times recalls that, Fashola had, in a recent interview while acknowledging that legislators could contribute to budget making, disagreed with the practice where the legislative arm of government ‘unilaterally alters the budget after putting members of the Executive through Budget Defence Sessions and Committee Hearings to the extent that some of the projects proposed would have become materially altered.’

“As long as Budgets planned to deliver life changing infrastructure are cut into small pieces, Nigeria will continue to have small projects that are not life changing, and big projects that have not been completed in 17 years. If a project would cost N15 Billion and the contractor gets only a fraction of that, then things won’t move.

Success should be defined by how many projects an administration is able to complete or set on the path of irreversible completion and not how many poorly funded contracts are awarded,” he said.

According to the Minister, being an institutional and not a personal issue, it won’t be out of place to seek a resolution of the conflict at the Supreme Court in order to protect the country’s future, because it is a clear conflict about how best to serve the people.

Acknowledging the need for legislative input from the representatives of the people to bring forward their developmental aspirations before and during the Budget production process, the Minister observed that it amounted to a waste of tax payers’ money and unnecessary distortion of orderly planning and development

for all sections of the country.

Fashola argued that for lawmakers to unilaterally insert items not under the Exclusive or Concurrent lists of the Constitution like boreholes and streetlights after putting Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) through the process of Budget Defence, was a calculated attempt to thwart the infrastructure development of the country.

With regards to the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, Fashola listed the Lagos- Ibadan Expressway, the Bodo- Bonny road, the Kano-Maiduguri road, the Second Niger Bridge and the long drawn Mambilla Hydropower Project among others as those that the National Assembly materially altered the allocations in favour of scores of boreholes and primary health care centres which were never discussed during the Ministerial Budget Defence before Parliament.

“In their responses both the spokespersons of the Senate and the House of Representatives accused the Minister of spreading “Half-Truths” and making “Fallacious “ statements because he (Fashola) should have known that they only interfered with projects that had concession agreements and private sector funding components. They also accused the Minister of wanting to hold on to such projects in order that he may continue to award contracts.

However, while dismissing the allegations in the course of an official trip outside the country, Fashola said it was sad that the lawmakers would resort to name calling even without understanding the facts of what they were getting into.

He said: “Taking the projects which the lawmakers chose to focus on one after the other, the Minister insisted that there is no subsisting concession agreement on the Lagos – Ibadan Expressway, adding that what the Infrastructure Construction Regulatory Commission (ICRC) has, is a financing agreement from a consortium of banks which is like a loan that still has to be paid back through budgetary provisions.

“In the case of the Second Niger Bridge where one of the spokespersons alleged that the provision in 2016 budget was not spent and had to be returned, Fashola said that this displays very stark and worrisome gaps in knowledge of the spokesperson about the budget process he was addressing.”

According to Fashola, a budget is not cash. It is an approval of estimates of expenditure to be financed by cash from the Ministry of Finance.

He said: “The Ministry of Finance has not yet released any cash for the Second Niger Bridge, so no money was returned.

“Three phases of Early Works of piling and foundation was ap-

proved and financed by the previous Government in the hope that a concession will finally be issued, which has not happened because concessionaires have not been able to raise finance.

“The continuation of Early Works IV could not start in May 2016 when the budget was passed because of high water level in the River Niger in the rainy season.

“The contract was only approved by the Federal Executive Council in the first quarter of 2017 and the contractor is await-

ing payment.”

Dismissing the allegation that the ministry under him was holding on to projects that could be funded through Public Private Partnerships (PPP) so that he could award contracts as a tissue of lies, the minister stressed that from Day One of his assumption of office, he made it clear publicly and privately that his priority would be to finish as many of the several hundreds of projects that his Ministry inherited which had not been funded for close to three years.

According to Fashola, if the spokesperson were in tune with the Public Procurement Law which the National Assembly passed, he would realise that the Minister has no unilateral power to award such contracts whose values are in Billions of Naira, adding that all the new projects presented to the Federal Executive Council for approval were either Federal roads requested by State Governments or those put in the Budget by the Legislators to service their constituencies.

DG/CEO NiMet, Prof. Sani Abubakar Mashi (m); Executive Director, British America Tobacco Nigeria Foundation(BATNF), Oluwaseyi Ashade (l) General Manager, BATNF, Abimbola Okoya, during the signing of an MoU between NiMet and BATNF for the provision of weather information for farmers in Lagos... recently.

Nigeria’s unity paramount –Jonathan

ÏÏÏ Former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, on Monday, appealed to Nigerians to see the unity of Nigeria as a paramount issue that must not be toyed with.

Jonathan made the appeal in Abuja while playing host to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Former Ministers’ Forum.

He said: “The unity of the country is paramount, we cannot develop as a nation if there is no unity. No matter how people demonstrate, no president can do magic if there is so much tension in the land”.

The former President noted that no country can develop under an atmosphere of insecurity and threats to its existence.

He stressed the need for Nigerians to live peacefully with one another, adding that it would help to build the nation’s economy by attracting more investors.

“Immediately there is a sense of insecurity in any country, investors will pull back and when investors pull back, then the economy will drop. What improves the economy is confidence and what makes investors have that confidence is peace.

We should all pray and work towards that peace and that is the only way we can grow the economy as a nation,” Jonathan stated.

He also commended the former ministers for forming the forum and for finding time to celebrate Sallah with his family.

The former president said that he was elated for seeing the former ministers coming together under a unique platform.

“We should begin to reduce the cleavages and fault lines and form a political body that will look at things with national interest, “Jonathan said.

He, however, congratulated all Muslim brothers and sisters in the country for the successful completion of Ramadan fast and the Sallah celebration.

In his remarks, Alhaji Tanimu Turaki, the chairman of the forum, said that the delegation comprises former ministers from 1999 to 2015.

Turaki said that the visit was to avail them the opportunity to share with Jonathan issues of national interest.

“Nigerians are beginning to appreciate the efforts you made in moving this country forward.

“Nigerians are still getting more aware of the enormous sacrifice you made to ensure that Nigeria remained together as one indivisible and indissoluble nation, “he said.

Also, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, a former Minister of Aviation, described Jonathan as a great leader who had encouraged many Nigerians.

“You still have so much to offer this country. The future is great for us, for PDP and this country,” he said.

Jonathan

Page Thirteen

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, June 27, 2017

s

13

PHOTO TIMES

Editorial Pneumonia and Nigeria’s children

S

ometime ago, the Executive Chairman of Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Agency (BSPHA), Adamu Ibrahim Gamawa, disclosed that more than 177,000 Nigeria children under five years die from pneumonia and other diseases every year. Speaking at a stakeholders meeting in Bauchi, Gamawa said investigation shows that Nigeria is among 10 countries whose children not more than five years old are at a great risk of dying from Pneumonococcal diseases.

Buttressing this scary statistics is the fact that Nigeria has the second highest burden of childhood mortality from pneumonia, after India.

It is estimated that pneumonia causes 17 per cent (127,000) of child deaths annually in Nigeria. From the year 2000 to 2013, the number of under-five children dying annually from pneumonia has remained practically unchanged.

In contrast, child deaths from malaria and measles declined by 34 per cent and 97 per cent respectively. Severe pneumonia in childhood is associated with increased long-term respiratory morbidity and disease burden and is more fatal than non-severe disease. Furthermore, it is estimated that 56 million episodes of lung infections occur among Nigerian children every year.

According to health experts, pneumonia is the inflammation of lung parenchyma due to pathogenic microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses and fungi. It is also a condition typically associated with fever and other respiratory symptoms. There is no denying the fact that pneumonia is an economic burden for families and communities, contributing to the cycle of poverty.

Incidentally, many pneumonia-causing pathogens, particularly those found in hospital settings, are resistant to all but the strongest forms of antibiotics. Understanding the epidemiology of pneumonia has been identified as a pressing priority for public health research. However, medical authorities

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

insist that immunisation with Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) remains a safe and effective means of protecting children against pneumonia diseases.

In Nigeria, the fight against the disease has met with varying degrees of success. For example, the Federal Government in 2012 launched the Saving One Million Lives Initiative (SOML), aimed at increasing access to proven interventions across six maternal newborn and child health programme areas. The core strategy is to employ performance management to drive accountability and action to reach specific targets on coverage of interventions and number of lives saved.

While we applaud the continuing initiatives by both the Federal and state governments at combating this child killer disease, it is imperative that they come up with effective case management strategies to ensure that children receive the right treatment for pneumonia quickly. Moreover, there should be concerted sensitisation of Nigerians, especially the low-income groups on the need to adopt improved hygienic lifestyles and increase vaccine intake for their children.

In addition, women must be encouraged and supported to feed their children only breast milk for the first six months of life and give appropriate complementary feeding when they are older. The good news is that that pneumonia is preventable. A crucial part of the solution is to recognise the danger and take adequate preventive measures. By focusing on children in the poorest households, many more lives can be saved.

It is also important to increase family awareness of the dangers of pneumonia and the critical importance of seeking care quickly and exploring new models of service delivery that better integrate pneumonia diagnosis treatment with the delivery of vaccines.

Until this happens, pneumonia will remain Nigeria’s biggest and most silent killer of infants and little children.

Technical Adviser To Publisher Innocent Nwankwo 08033072614

Group Head Finance/ Administration Tobi Oyeniyi 07060528139

PHOTO: TEMITOPE BALOGUN.

L-R: Director-General Department of State Services, Alhaji Lawal Daura; Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris; Chief of Defence Staff; General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin and National Security Adviser Major- Gen. Babagana Monguno, during a courtesy visit to the Acting President, in commemoration of Eid-el-Fitr Sallah celebration in Abuja… on Sunday night.

Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi (l), in a handshake with the Emir of Birnin Gwari, Alhaji Zubairu Jibril Mai Gwari, when the Minister paid a courtesy visit to the Emir, during an inspection tour of the gold fields in Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State… recently.

Words On Marble :

– Fidelis Anosike Group Head Special Project Geraldine Uba 07064933209

L-R: CEO, New Crystal Communications, Mr. Dozie Mbanefo; Publisher, Daily Times Newspaper, Mr. Fidelis Anosike and Commissioner for Agriculture, Anambra State, Afam Mbanefo, during the Movie Premiere themed: Tomorrow, by actress, Mercy Obaka, in Abuja… at the weekend.

Editor, Daily Sam Nzeh 08050220692

Deputy Editor, Special Projects Lateef Ibrahim 08037872585

Abuja Bureau Chief/Nations Capital Editor Tony Amokeodo 08038099089

Features Editor Gbubemi God’s Covenent Snr 09095489889

Deputy Editor, Daily Ken Madueke 08059100364

Ag. Head, Graphics/Design Sunday Gabriel Idagwu 07030881423

News Editor Kelechi C. Ogbamgba 08050220561

General Counsel: ELIAS MORDI & CO 08068613825

Group Head Commercial Konnie Agu 09033765031

Julius Nyerere

More info: www.dailytimes.ng https://plus.google.com/+DailytimesNgr/posts https://twitter.com/DailyTimesNGR

dailytimesng www.facebook.com/dailytimesngr

“Independence cannot be real if a nation depends upon gifts.”

STATEMENTS BY THOSE WHO MATTER

Obafemi Awolowo

Aminu Kano

“Violence never settles anything right: apart from injuring your own soul, it injures the best cause.”

“The road to freedom is full of thorns and fire, yet happy is he who follows it!

News 14

Daily Tim es Nigeria Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Commissioner replies critics of Gov Ayade’s govt Edem Edem,

Calabar

ÏÏÏCommissioner

for Information and Orientation, Cross River State, Mrs. Rose Mary Effiom Archibong, has replied the critics of Governor Ben Ayade saying they cannot box him into political corner but he should be encourage and assisted.

Her words: “It is actually pathetic for anybody to say that Governor Ben Ayade has not done anything in the state. I don’t

think we need to politicize everything, we are all working together for the development of cross river and it calls for unity of purpose, commitment and encouragement.”

She explained that the projects and the program of the government are not wish-wash program, the magnanimity of the humongous project that the Governor is putting down, some of them are not things that are immediately feasible but we as cross riverians will sit back to sing praises of

Governor Ayade in due course.

“Garment Factory is already on ground and all eyes have seen it, people from outside the state get so amazed at that kind of humongous project. Our young men and women are already employed.

Cross River State has been exposed as the first in the country that harbours Garment Factory.”

“That one is there, the Calapharm that is going to produce all kinds of drugs, the one that will fight Lassa fever and other

drugs for our children, the infrastructure are there, equipment is available, once the infrastructure is completed, we will see the equipment installed”.

The Commissioner explained that Right now, work is ongoing in Boki to link the East Boki and West Boki. “From the creation of the state, these two sister communities of the same local government has been separated by gully erosion and forest, you cannot cross from one to the other without going through other local

government areas. For the first time, work to link the two communities is ongoing and in progress”.

According to Mrs Archibong, various work at the Jonathan Bye-pass are in progress, a lots of activities are on going there. “When the rice city is completed, cross riverians will not be looking for job, when the factories that he is envisaging take position of the land, nothing less than 15, 000 of our youths will be gainfully employed” she stated.

Consequently, on Edu-

Unpaid Salaries: Nasarawa govt refutes workers’ allegation

Devpt, peace, progress of Ibereko kingdom, my priority – Oba Adewale

Idris Ahmed, Lokoja

ÏÏÏThe

ÏÏÏMany

activities have being lined up for the 10th coronation anniversary of Kabiyesi Adewale Okoya, Onibereko of Ibereko, various people both indigenes and non-indigenes of Ibereko land poured encomiums on his HRM whom they described as a man with Midas Touch, that had always been using both financial and human resources to touch lives and making life worth living for the people, especially the downtrodden.

Part of the activities of the event are Gbedu drum, paying homage and visiting of shrines and paying visits to companies and dedication of classroom block to Local Authority Primary School, built by Chairman Fams Embassy Hotel & Suites, installation of chiefs etc.

His Royal Majesty while speaking with journalists in his palace expressed his gratitude to God for the journey so far and also appreciated the people of Ibereko Kingdom for their love, prayers and support.

Oba Adewale Okoya is an energetic, amiable and a humble monarch with large heart and had received various accolades for his unparalleled humanitarian services for mankind and for his consistent contribution towards the development, peace and progress of Ibereko land. That is why he is being regarded as a monarch with ideas and vision.

cation, the commissioner said Cross Riverian was going to represent the state internationally in the mathematical subject and for once, our rating for NECO has been a lot higher, we are now like 2nd, we use to be 2nd to the last and during Gov Ayade’s regime, we have an enhance outing at external examinations.

“The Institute of Technology Management (ITM) in Ugep owed salaries for several months, infrastructure was there but abandoned, and Governor Ayade has injected money there, paid salaries and of course worked for the infrastructure.

The Institution is now producing people in public administration and management”

Cross-section of defectors from All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ijebu North Local Government, that decamped to the Engr. Adebayo Dayo led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State… on Monday.

Nasarawa state government has refuted the allegation by the organized labour that it owes workers’ salary. It claimed it had been paying its workers contrary to insinuations by the enemies of Governor Al Makura administration.

Commissioner of Finance, Hon Ayuba Aiyenajeh, who disclosed this in an exclusive interview with the Daily Times said the so called workers strike embarked by a section of the labour union is mischievous and an attempt to blackmail the government.

Firm drags Hyundai to court over alleged compromise to safety

Titilope Joseph

ÏÏÏA firm, Starcom Me-

dia has dragged Korean automobile giant Hyundai Motors before a Lagos High Court over allegedly purchased safety compromised vehicle from the company. According to Stardom Media, the car purchased from Hyundai might be among those that failed safety test in United States of America.

Starcom Media alleged that on 5th October, 2016, it purchased a brand new Hyundai Grand Santa Fe Luxury vehicle. It said barely six days after purchase, the vehicle with registration number LND 996 EH and VIN

KMHSN81EDFU097184, developed a number of problems including brake failure, an auto hold light appearing on the dashboard which goes on and off at intervals, and a loose bolt on the rear left wheel of the car.

Counsel to Starcom Media, Wale Ogunade said that his clients were suspicious ab initio on noticing that the mileage on the dashboard read 1,800km, suggesting that the vehicle might have been previously used by a third party in Nigeria.

Following refusal of Hyundai Motors to accept responsibility, Starcom Media opted for legal action. In suit LSW/11-

16/130/W1 filed before Lagos Multi-Door Courthouse, the company prayed for a total refund of the purchase money.

Hyundai Motors although initially denied culpability having according to it conducted extensive pre-delivery on every component part of the vehicle and that all were found to be in perfect condition before handing the said vehicle over to the customer, it however agreed to a nine item terms of settlement.

Hyundai Motors, among others, accepted to carry out service of the vehicle for two years or upon the vehicle attaining 40, 000km. The agreement

was signed by parties on 23rd of March, 2017, by representatives of the two companies.

Meanwhile, contrary to the terms of agreement, the said vehicle was not delivered to the company until 19th April, 2017, 20 days after the promised delivery date. Similarly, less than a month after the delivery on 17th May, 2017, the brake problem reoccurred, suggesting that the issue with the car may be more fundamental than initially envisaged.

Barrister Ogunade further note that the development is symptomatic of how Nigerians are ripped off by foreign companies operating within

the country. “This is not possible in South Korea and Hyundai knows this.

That category of vehicles has been rejected even in South Korea but somehow, they found their way into Nigeria.

“Furthermore, in purchasing a vehicle of this price attracts at least six months warranty or a refund if found defective.

Unfortunately, in this case, all attempts by our client to get a refund, replacement or total repair has proved abortive. The vehicle has since been parked with its value depreciating by the day. We are therefore calling on Nigerians to intervene in the issue.” He said.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, June 27, 2017

15 News Ramadan: Conoil urges caution on roads

ÏÏÏAs Muslim faithful

Flagbearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the forthcoming July 8, bye election in Osun West Senatorial District, Senator Mudasiru Hussain, addressing his supporters at the Iwo City Hall, Osun State… on Monday

EU invests £1m in two years to end Nigeria’s communal crisis Kingsley Chukwuka, Jos

ÏÏÏA Non-governmen-

tal organization under the auspices of Search for Common Ground has said the European Union (EU), invested £1 million in mediating in the communal conflict that engulfed Plateau and some part of Kaduna State in two years.

Speaking during a stakeholders meeting at the weekend, to officially handover the project

that was ran for two years by the NGO and sponsored by EU, to the Peace Building Agency in Plateau, the senior program Manager, Search for Common Ground, Mr. Sani Suleiman, said the project Peace Architectural Dialogu (PAD), which mediated peaceful coexistence between conflict communities, is constrained from receiving funding from EU as it has fulfilled its mandate budgeting.

Suleiman said the NGO is engaging with different government agencies

for the sustainability and local ownership of the project aimed at discontinuing the violent conflict being experienced, especially between farmers and herdsmen as well as the current hate speech currently being experienced in the country.

According to him, “Search for Common Ground implemented a two years program on building architecture peace and security in Plateau state and some part of Kaduna State, which engages with community

Starvation hits Delta prisons over alleged N5.6b debt owed contractors

Nosa Akenzua, Asaba

ÏÏÏTwo

years after the federal government announced the increment in the feeding allowance of prison inmates prisoners serving various jail terms as well as those awaiting trial now face the threat of starvation following the non-payment of over N5.6 billion outstanding debt owed contractors for the food supplied inmates in person nationwide.

The federal government had in January 2015 increased feeding allowance for prison inmates from N200 to N300 per prisoner per day, excluding the al-

lowance for gas which is N150 per inmate per day. By this development, the total provision for feeding prisoners in Nigerian prisons stood at N450 per prisoner per day. The said amount, N5.6 billion , it was gathered, covered ration and gas supplies. Statistics had shown that as at March 6, 2017, Nigeria’s total inmate population stood at 68,259 with 46,351 awaiting trial, and the remaining 21,903 convicted.

Investigation further revealed that while some contractors were reportedly paid in the months of January and February, 2015, payments from March-December 2015 and the entire 2016 are still outstanding.

While reacting to the development, an advocacy group, “Alliance for Good Governance and Democracy” expressed concern over the N5.6 billion outstanding monies owned contractors for their services. The group, in a statement jointly signed by its national coordinator and national secretary, Comrade Shadrack Nwokolo, and Jimi Sanwo, respectively, said that after thorough investigations of the state and conditions of prisons nationwide, “we discovered that contractors responsible for food supplies are being owned huge sum of monies for the services they rendered to the Nigeria Prisons Service for over two years.”

stakeholders, civil society groups, government agencies, traditional and religious leaders through peaceful mediation in resolving conflict issues from preventing them from becoming violent.

“The Program has achieved its own success and at this point we are handing over to the various peace agencies established in the two states for sustainability and local ownership of the project”, he said.

In his part, the deputy country director, Mr. Max-

well Saungweme, said the objective merged with the activity of handing over the project is aimed at sharing the success story of the project with stakeholders and to create a platform for beneficiaries to share the impact of the program on their life and communities.

Saungweme said the aim is also to officially inform the public about the closure of the project and to discuss ways the communities can own and sustain It.

celebrate the end of the 30-day fasting period, one of the nation’s foremost petroleum marketing company, Conoil Plc has wished all Nigerians accident-free celebrations.

It enjoined motorists as well as passengers to exercise extreme caution on the roads as they travel far and near to join their loved ones in celebration.

The Company urged motorists to keep a restraint on their speed, obey traffic rules, wear seat belts, read caution signs and ensure their vehicles are in good condition, electrically and mechanically, before embarking on their trips.

The oil major also enjoined Nigerians to continue with the lessons of love and tolerance learnt during the fasting period to promote peace and unity in the country.

As a way of moving the country forward, it encouraged Muslims and Nigerians in general to ensure that they put into practice virtues such as sacrifice, forgiveness, care and love, which are key ingredients to nation building.

Oyeyemi Boboye, FRSC boss

Monarch calls on Muslims to imbibe spirit of Eid-fitri Kehinde Akinpelu, Ilorin

ÏÏÏA

royal father in Kwara state, Oba Joshua Oluwatoba Adeyemi Adimula, has called on Muslims to imbibe the spirit and lessons of the Eid fitri celebration in their daily activities.

Oba Adeyemi Adimula in an interview with Newsmen in Odo-Owa challenged Nigerians to be tolerant and embrace peace to ensure the development of the nation.

The monarch who is the Oloota of Odo-Owa in Oke-Ero Local Government urged the people of the state to support the

government of Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed in its resolve to spread the dividend of democracy to all parts of the state.

He commended the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari for his fatherly role and the successful completion of the Ramadan fast.

Speaking on the appealed by the Federal Government on the victory of the Senate President, Drm Bukola Saraki, at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Oba Adeyemi Adimula urged him not to be bothered adding that he would be victorious at the end.

The Royal Father de-

scribed Senator Saraki as a true democrat who believe in the rule of law urging Nigerians to support the National Assembly in its effort at strengthening and improving democracy.

The Royal Father thanked the people of the State for standing by the Senate President during the trial advising them to remain steadfast in their prayer for the Senate President. He however invited members of the public to join his people in the celebration of this year`s annual yam festival commencing tomorrow with the Aye festival at Arinrin square.

16

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, June 27, 2017

17

18

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, June 27 2017

Tech Times

s

‘Most networks not IPv6 compatible’

By Tony Nwakaegho As Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPV4), draws near to exhaustion in Africa, stakeholders in the ICT industry are worried that majority of networks in Nigeria are not Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) compatible.

This revelation came to the fore at commencement of a three-day international capacity building and enhancement workshop on IPv6 hosted by the Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), in collaboration with Africa Network Information Centre (AFRINIC), in Lagos.

Mr. Olusola Teniola, President of ATCON, said that the need to migrate to IPv6 is long overdue, adding that the networks’ snail-pace to adopting IPv6 poses a threat to Nigerian Information and Communication Technology (ICT) development.

Teniola stressed that the Nigerian ICT sector can no longer afford to take the back seat in the global ICT development, stressing that to leapfrog the adoption of IPv6, the association has taken a further

step to involve the two key major stakeholders–the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).

“We are happy that these two important government establishments have bought into the future we are trying to create around the Nigerian ICT space,” he said.

According to him, the National Executive Council of ATCON intends to enlarge the scope of the workshop to Nigerian IPv6 conference by next year’s edition in order to widen the market and accelerate the adoption and implementation of IPv6 for the good of the industry.

“The dividend pervasive broadband may be far fetched, if as an industry or a country we are not working towards broadband meeting with technology. As we all know that when Internet of Things (IoTs) take their place in our country, an individual may need more than ten IP addresses to enjoy the benefits that comes with IoTs. “The engineers in the implementation and deployment of IPv6 for Nigerian ICT/

Olusola Teniola, president of ATCON

telecoms development; the need to enhance the performance of our Network Engineers on network management with the ultimate goal of ensuring the sustainable growth of the Nigerian Telecom Industry is second to none globally.

“Other reasons why ATCON has invested and is still investing heavily in the adoption of IPv6

are as follows: to increase the productivity and contribution level of our network.”

He said,“We also want to provide Nigerian Network Engineers with the required knowledge to compete favourably with their counterparts in the global market; provision of quality training for those engineers that

FG urge to build central database to track criminals Following the high rate of crimes and criminality across the country, an expert in security has called on the Federal Government to build a central database of its citizens to facilitate the tracking and arrest of criminals.

Some criminal cases in the country include, armed robberies, kidnappings, Boko Haram, Cattle Herdsmen, Cattle rustlers, child trafficking, ritual murder and rape.

A security consultant, Mr Michael Sam-Wobo lend therefore called on the Federal Government to build a central database of its citizens so as to facilitate the tracking and arrest of criminals. Sam-Wobo, who spoke to the press in Lagos, said that lack of database made it chalenging for security agencies to track criminals.

Sam-Wobo , who works with Horizontal Resources Nig. Ltd., said “Nigeria does not have a central database, the Federal Road Safety Corps has data of drivers, banks have data of account holders, and communication companies

Michael Sam-Wobo, security consultant, Horizontal Resources Nig. Ltd

have data of those who use their networks.”

He noted that a central database

would make it easy to link each citizen to his actions, thus making it easy to track criminals.

He commended the police for the recent arrest of a suspected kidnapping kingpin, Chukwudubem Onwuamadike (a.k.a Evans) who was arrested with SIM cards he used to perpetrate crime.

A central database, he said would disclose the number of telephone lines an individual is using, adding that “The arrest of this kidnap, Evans, is a very welcome development.”

“The fact that the police is rising up to their responsibilities, especially with the procurement of sophisticated equipment, aided the arrest of the suspected kidnapper,’’ he added.

He tasked government and private organisations to increase security awareness campaign saying that it will reduce kidnapping and make students in secondary and primary schools not to divulge family information to strangers.

manage our networks which would help in tackling the problem of quality of service in the telecommunication industry; to provide impetus for Nigerian Network operators to migrate fromIPv4 to IPv6 with its attendant advantages.

“We encourage all our members to migrate to IPv6 so that the knowledge acquired in this four-day training could be put to use in their various organizations.

Commenting on this development, Mohammed Rudman, Chairman, IPv6 Council Nigeria, said that the declaration by AFRINIC means that the last IPV4Internet address is coming to an end, as Africa is the only region in the world that still has IPV4.

He said that the implication of the exhaustion on Nigeria, which is predominantly using IPV4, is the new Internet service providers, as well as, the existing networks that want to expand their networks will find it difficult to get IPV4, which most networks in Nigeria run on.

He said, “In view of the fact that the resource is nearing exhaustion, it is no longer readily available as it used to be, it is now being rationed and scarce. This means that new service providers will have resort to the use of IPV6 which has more capacity.”

He added: “We have advised network operators long before now to start adopting IPV6 in parallel with IPV4 for them not to face steep learning curve, but gradual. Now that IPV4 is exhausting, they will face difficulties in migration process.

However, some networks have acquired IPV6 in Nigeria but are yet to deploy it for use they will now begin to deploy it for use.”

Mr. Abba Brice, AFRINIC representative said that apart from IPv6 addresses that are based on 128 bits, whereas, IPv4 addresses are based on 32 bits, the advantages of adopting IPV6 offers network administrators the visibility of each IP address based on preference.

“This allows companies to keep IP addresses public, but still secure when transmitting between private networks.

“IPv6 is the only technology currently available to directly connect large numbers of people and devices, as there are not enough unique addresses to give every mobile device a true end-to-end Internet presence.

So, companies in Africa are

encouraged to migrate to IPv6 as some devices in the market are already complaint”, Brice said.

By returning the Internet to an end-to-end model, IPv6 will unleash new opportunities and waves of innovation.

Dr Isa Pantami, Director General of NITDA, while supporting ATCON’s position, said that networks’ migration to IPv6 is another way to unleash knowledge economy in the country.

Dr. Pantami disclosed that advanced countries have moved from a natural resource based economy to a knowledge based economy, and this was achieved through massive capacity development and implementation of IT. “These countries have not only been able to develop IT, but have also utilized IT in the development of other socioeconomic sectors of their country so that these sectors can generate wealth and recognition for the country”, he pointed out.

He said,“This capacity for near infinite address space will drive these technologies which will in turn help with the advancement of every sector of the economy of Nigeria. Let me put it to you that the best time to start the implementation of IPv6 is now.”

According to him,“The international registries like IANA, announced as long ago as 2011 that it had no more blocks of IPv4 left to distribute.

Asia-Pacific registry APNIC reached IPv4 exhaustion in 2011, the same fate was experienced by European RIPE-NCC registry in 2012 and South American LACNIC in 2014. Even the North American registry, ARIN reached its final stages of IPv4 in 2014. These statistics show that IPv4 has outlived its usefulness and IPv6 is here to take over.”

He hinted that it was NITDA’s resolve to collaborate with IPv6 council Nigeria, relevant government organizations and the academia to roll out standards/ guidelines and roadmap on the implementation of IPv6 in the country.

Daily Times’ investigations has revealed that the networks that are currently using the latest version of Internet protocol include, Globacom, IPNX, Internet Solution, Ngren, FBN Capital and MainOne.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, June 27, 2017

19 Tech Times

NCC notifies radio, TV antennas pose higher health risk than mobile phones Stories by Tony Nwakaegho There has been palpable fear among the masses before now, as to the veracity of the purported medical risk associated with radiation emission from the use of mobile phone mast and antennas.

Several reasons for public fear include media announcements of new and unconfirmed scientific studies, leading to a feeling of uncertainty and a perception that there may be unknown or undiscovered hazards. Other factors are aesthetic concerns and a feeling of a lack of control or input to the process of determining the location of new base stations.

In order to put paid to this agitation, the telecom regulator, Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, said the research and development department at the Commission has carried out research and come out with a position.

The NCC has finally notified Nigerians that contrary to their

fear, they face higher health risks from radiation emission from radio and TV antennas than those of mobile phone networks.

The Nigerian telecoms regulator came up with the position when it weighted into counter claims that mobile phone users are exposed to medical risks from radiation energy transmitted by mobile phones mast and antennas that abound in the nation’s landscape.

The position is contained in the final study report ‘Electromagnetic Fields, EMF, and Effects on Public Safety,’ carried out by research and development department at NCC that enabled the telecoms industry regulator form its opinion and to also constantly monitor new information on the subject that may influence the assessment of risks to human health.

The Commission’s report stated that “Commercial AM/FM radio and TV broadcast stations transmit very high levels of RF energy.

Some of their antennas radiate power levels of several megawatts but fortunately, these

DANBATTA

Executive Vice-Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC)

antennas are generally placed on high towers or buildings where no humans are nearby. Even so, humans absorb more RF energy from AM/FM radio and TV broadcast station antennas than from mobile telephone and base station antennas. However, once the energy is absorbed from either source, the effects are basically the

same.

“An Australian group claimed to have evidence that living near television broadcast station towers causes an increase in childhood leukemia. However, follow-up studies conducted in Australia and in the UK contradicted this claim.

The follow-up studies found no significant correlation between RF exposure and the rate of childhood leukemia in these cases.”

The Nigerian telecoms regulator disclosed also that it reviewed several scientific data and studies in that of the World Health Organisation, (WHO), to draw its conclusions and also form opinion on the effects of electromagnetic frequency on human health.

“The main focus in on whether hazardous health effects occur at different exposure level of electromagnetic frequency and in particular, in relation to long term exposure at such level.

“Electromagnetic frequency is a measure of how many times the peak of a wave passes a particular point each second. It is measured

in Hertz, which also can be written as simply per second. The frequency of a wave is one of its most fundamental principles, and the range of possible frequencies make up something known as the electromagnetic spectrum. This runs from low-energy radio waves to high-energy gamma rays. Unlike its wavelength, the electromagnetic frequency of a wave doesn’t change.”

NCC noted that it decided to refocus attention on the issue following increasing attention from the public on the effects of mobile phone masts and antennas on human health.

“Apart from telecoms base station facilities, broadcast towers, radar facilities and even domestic electrical and electronic home appliance such as microwave ovens, television, radio and even remote controls and act as source of radio frequency emission,” the regulator says recommending that users take adequate precautionary measures against long exposure.

NIRA: DNS knowledge to generate jobs, others

By Tony Nwakaegho Domain Name System (DNS) is a new emerging industry, which is worth several billions of dollars, capable of generating jobs, create wealth, boost employment, earn forex and reduce capital flight.

However, despite its great valu adding potential, it has remained untapped in the country.

DNS allows you to easily access a website, through its domain name and which maps the domain name to its Internet Protocol (IP) address.

Sikiru Shehu, Dean of NIRA Media College said this during the 2017 .NG Media College, which included media participants, including Daily Times in Lagos, recently, adding that “In 2017 the world domain count was over 300 million, the entire Africa has less than 2 million domain names, and Nigeria with an estimated 180

million population has less than 100,000 domains on its .ng string.”

He listed countries with their domain name registration as follow: Nigeria- 90,036; Kenya-61,623; South Africa-1,148,095; UK- 10,600,000; India- 2,235,471, China- 21,100,000.

Shehu cited the challenges in the industry in Africa to include, low awareness, poor Internet infrastructure and penetration, lack of government policy in member countries that can drive the uptake of Africa Country code top-level domains (ccTLDs), preferences for foreign Domain names; poverty of minds and ideas, absence of creative and innovative DNS entrepreneurs.

Country code top-level domains (ccTLDs) are domain extensions generally used to indicate a site contains content specifically relevant to a particular country, territory, or region.

Sikiru Shehu Dean NiRA Academy (Front row in black suit) flanked by participants of the Academy 2017 in Lagos recently

“NiRA Academy and Resource Centre (of .ng registry, NiRA) has been charged with the mandate as derived from Nigeria Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to develop the Domain

Name Industry in Nigeria through partnership and collaboration with stakeholders.

He said the academy was ready to breed Nigerians to take advantage of the jobs and business

opportunities, wealth creation, financial rewards .ng domain name has to offer and also empowering them through skill development and capacity building.

e-commerce card spending to reach $6trn by 2021-Report Some cardholders in the past have avoided purchasing goods online because of security concerns, but the trend is changing due to the confidence building in the use of online cards.

According to Global Payment Cards Data and Forecasts to 2021, an annual survey by RBR, the value of e-commerce card payments

made worldwide grew 26 per cent during 2015 to reach $2.7 trillion, representing 12 per cent of all card expenditure.

RBR estimates that e-commerce card spending will more than double between 2015 and 2021 to reach $6 trillion.

“The e-commerce sector will represent a growing proportion of

global card expenditure with 1 dollar in 5 spent online by 2021,” said Chris Herbert of RBR. “The improving convenience and security of the e-commerce channel are key drivers of this growth.

RBR disclosed that key factors driving growth include: a surge in Internet penetration and smartphone holding; a rising

number and range of merchants with an online presence; the convenience of making impulse buys on the move via mobile device; tools such as one-click checkouts and suggested additional items that simplify the transaction process.

Confidence in the e-commerce channel, RBR said, is rising with implementation of measures, such

as, the new 3-D Secure specification for cardholder authentication, which will be rolled out in the coming years.

RBR said that 3-D Secure 2.0 will increase risk-based authentication, eliminating the requirement for a password for the vast majority of transactions, adding that this update should offer further reassurance and convenience to online shoppers.

20

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, June 27, 2017

21

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, June 27, 2017

MOUNTAIN OF POWER AND DOMINION MINISTRY THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, ABUJA, FOR REGISTRATION AS AN INCORPORATED TRUSTEE UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, CAP. C-20, LAWS OF THE FEDERATION OF NIGERIA, 2004.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1). REV. IWOWARI FORTUNATUS GOGO 2) UBA THERESA CHIBUZOR 3). NNADI OGECHI GOODLUCK 4). NWEKE CHIKA

-

-

PRESIDENT SECRETARY

22

THE REDEEMED APOSTOLIC CHARISMATIC BIBLE CHURCH INT’L THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, ABUJA, FOR REGISTRATION AS AN INCORPORATED TRUSTEE UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, CAP. C-20, LAWS OF THE FEDERATION OF NIGERIA, 2004.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1). BISHOP DR GODFREY ALUKA 2) SNR APOSTLE MRS VICTORIA ALUKA 3). APOSTLE MOSES ALUKA 4). APOSTLE DR HENRY CHRISTOPHER 5). ELDER VITALIS IBE

-

PRESIDENT

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES I). TO TAKE THE GOSPEL OF SALVATION OF OUR LORD JESUS TO ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD AND TO BRING SOULS INTO THE BODY OF CHRIST II). TO DELIVER PEOPLE FROM DARKNESS AND THE BONDAGE OF SIN, SICKNESS, POVERTY AND EVERY SATANIC OPPRESSION AND MANIPULATION III). TO PROMOTE RELIGIOUS HARMONY IV). THE PROMOTING OF HOLINESS AS A WAY OF CHRISTIAN LIVING V). THE QUEST FOR SALVATION AS THE KEY TO HAPPINESS IN DAILY LIFE

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES I). TO TAKE THE GOSPEL OF SALVATION OF OUR LORD JESUS TO ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD AND TO BRING SOULS INTO THE BODY OF CHRIST II). TO DELIVER PEOPLE FROM DARKNESS AND THE BONDAGE OF SIN, SICKNESS, POVERTY AND EVERY SATANIC OPPRESSION AND MANIPULATION III). TO PROMOTE RELIGIOUS HARMONY IV). THE PROMOTING OF HOLINESS AS A WAY OF CHRISTIAN LIVING V). THE QUEST FOR SALVATION AS THE KEY TO HAPPINESS IN DAILY LIFE

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THIS PUBLICATION.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THIS PUBLICATION.

Public Notice THE CITY OF THE LORD PRAYER MINISTRY INTERNATIONAL THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED MINISTRY HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: (1) UGOCHI BENNETH BLESSING – GENERAL OVERSEER (2) UCHE PASCHAL BENNETH - MEMBER (3) UDENSI BENNETH - MEMBER AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: (1) TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST BY ALL SCRIPTURAL MEANS IN NIGERIA AND ALL OVER THE WORLD. (2) TO PROMOTE AND DEVELOP PRACTICAL GODLY LOVE AND CHARACTER AMONG ALL MEN, PARTICULARLY THE HOUSEHOLD OF FAITH. (3) TO PROMOTE FELLOWSHIP AMONG BELIEVERS OF ALL CLASSES, RACES AND DENOMINATIONS. (4) TO CO-OPERATE AND ASSOCIATE WITH OR OTHERWISE ENCOURAGE AND ASSIST ANY PERSON, BODY OR ORGANIZATION WITH IDENTICAL OR COMPLEMENTARY AIMS AND OBJECTS FOR THE FURTHERANCE AND EXPANSION OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR – GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, MAITAMA ABUJA, WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED PRESIDENT

SIGNED PRESIDENT

SIGNED: SOLICITOR - NZE A.U. ABONYI 08033887683

ARABO FOUNDATION

MAKURDI CEMENT SHOP OWNERS ASSOCIATION.

PECULIAR TREASURE MINISTRY

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990 TRUSTEES: (1) ALIYU MUHAMMAD HADEJIA (2) UMAR MUHAMMAD. (3) HADIZA ALIYU MUHAMMAD. ( 4)RAHMAT MUHAMMAD (5) USMAN ALIYU MUHAMMAD (6)OTHMAN MUHAMMAD (7) ABUBAKAR SULEMAN MUHAMMAD (8) HUSAINI HARUNA MUHAMMAD (9)AISHA YUSUF KANTI MUHAMMAD. (10) ABDULRAHAMAN MUHAMMAD MUHAMMAD. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES TO ASSIST THE LESS PRIVILEGED IN THE SOCIETY. GENERAL HUMANITARIAN SERVICES TO THE POOR ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MATIAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28TH DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION.

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990 TRUSTEES: 1. VICTOR AHO (CHAIRMAN) 2. EDWIN IGBAGAAV 3. IJIR CLEMENT (SECRETARY) AIMS AND OBJECTIVES TO ASSIST, PROMOTE AND PROTECT THE WELFARE AND INTEREST OF MEMBERS ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MATIAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28TH DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION.

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990 TRUSTEES : 1. OKORO OKEOGHENE VALENTINE 2. BRIGHT OYIBO 3. PETER EJEDEGBA AIM AND OBJECTIVE TO ASSIST, PROMOTE AND PROTECT THE WELFARE AND INTEREST OF MEMBERS ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MATIAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28TH DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION. SIGNED: SECRETARY

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MATIAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28TH DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION.

SOCIETY FOR NON GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION CORDINATORS

URUAGU NNEWI COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT UNION

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990 TRUSTEES: 1. NZEKWE VALENTINE, 2. UMEONONIHU IFEANYI, 3. NZEKWE RUTH

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990 TRUSTEES 1. EVANG NWOSU ARINZE EUSTACE 2. MRS CHINYELU ADLINE IKEGWUONU 3. DR OKOLI GODWIN LEO 4. HON ORIZU INNOCENT IKECHUKWU. 5. SIR ALEX OGOCHUKWU ORABUEZE 6. DR MRS GRACE NWAMALUBIA NWOGUGU. 7 CHIEF COLNEL CHARLES ONWUJUBA (RTD.)

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES TO PROMOTE MEMBERS WELFARE. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MATIAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28TH DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION. UDEOGU OBINNA ESQ. 08065657274

AIM AND OBJECTIVE TO SUPPORT DEVELOPMENTAL PROJECTS IN URUAGU NNEWI COMMUNITY. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MATIAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28TH DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION. SIGNED: SECRETARY

CONFIRMATION OF NAME:

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED FOR CHANGE OF NAME AND AMENDMENT OF CONSTITUTION TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990

ADVERT SPACE FOR SALE

OLD NAME: HOUSE OF DELIVERANCE & RESTORATION INTERNATIONAL MINISTRY

That I Oloyede Folashade Margret is the same person bearing these names Kelani Folashade wish to be known and addressed as Kelani Folashade. All Documents / Credentials bearing these names remain valid, general public please take note.

AWAJIONYIN GOGOGWUTE

NEW NAME: EUNICE ADE-SALU WORLDWIDE MINISTRY AMENDMENT OF CONSTITUTION TO REFLECT THE NEW NAME

I, formerly known and addressed as, ONYIN OBIBO and ONYIN OKWUDIWA, now wish to be known and addressed as, AWAJIONYIN GOGOGWUTE. All former documents remain valid.

General public should take note.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS CHANGE SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MATIAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28TH DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION. SIGNED: SECRETARY

GBEMISOLA OLUWAKEMI OLABODE

I formerly known as GBEMISOLA OLUWAKEMI HASIM wish to be known and addressed as GBEMISOLA OLUWAKEMI OLABODE . All former documents remain valid, General public please take note.

JUDE WICHE

I, formerly known and addressed as, KINIKA AMADI, now wish to be known and addressed as JUDE WICHE. All former documents remain valid.

General public should take note.

MRS MMAYIE JOY UKAMAKA

EZE CHRISTIAN NNONAH

MRS OKOLI CYNTHIA CHINWE

I, formerly known and addressed as IBE VITALIS IKECHUKWU, now wish to be known and addressed as OZOIBE VITALIS IKECHUKWU. All former documents remain valid. Banks and General public should please take note.

MRS OKORO CHEKWUBECHUKWU PERPETUA I, formerly known and addressed as MISS AJAEGBU CHEKWUBECHUKWU PERPETUA, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS OKORO CHEKWUBECHUKWU PERPETUA. All former documents remain valid.

Banks and General public should please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS NZEH JOY UKAMAKA, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS MMAYIE JOY UKAMAKA. All former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as NWABUEZE CHRISTIAN NNONAH, now wish to be known and addressed as EZE CHRISTIAN NNONAH. All former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed asMISS UGWU CYNTHIA CHINWE, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS OKOLI CYNTHIA CHINWE. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

BANEDONGHA PATRICIA BRIGGS

ADDITION OF NAME

AZIKE UGOCHUKWU

OMISINA OLUWASEUN ESTHER

OGOCHUKWU JENNIFER OLISAKWE

OLORUNOJE JAMIU OWOLABI

I, formerly known and addressed as PATRICIA ATEBOH-BRIGGS, now wish to be known and addressed as BANEDONGHA PATRICIA BRIGGS. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

That I was formerly known and addressed as IFEOMA ONYIA that I now wish to add HERRIATTE to my former name that I now wish to be known and addressed as ONYIA IFEOMA HERRIATTE. All former documents remain valid. Banks and General public should please take note.

FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS AKANJI OLUWASEUN ESTHER, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS OMISINA OLUWASEUN ESTHER. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. THE GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD TAKE NOTE.

I formerly known as Ogochukwu Utunwa Olisakwe wish to be known and addressed as Ogochukwu Jennifer Olisakwe. All former documents remain valid, general public please take note.

I formerly known as OLORUNOJE OLANREWAJU JAMIU wish to be known and addressed as OLORUNOJE JAMIU OWOLABI .All former documents remain valid, General public please take note.

MADUBUIKE HILLARY OBUMNEME I, formerly known and addressed as MADUBUIKE KINGSLEY CHIEDOZIE, now wish to be known and addressed as MADUBUIKE HILLARY OBUMNEME. All former documents remain valid. Banks and General public should please take note.

OZOIBE VITALIS IKECHUKWU

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. TO PREACH THE WORLD OF GOD WORLDWIDE 2. TO WIN SOULS FOR CHRIST

SIGNED: SECRETARY

HOUSE OF DELIVERANCE & RESTORATION INTERNATIONAL MINISTRY

CHANGE OF NAME AND AMENDMENT OF CONSTITUTION

TRUSTEES: 1. PASTOR MRS KPALIKU MONIQUE SARAH 2. MR BRIGHT OBI WELENDU 3. PASTOR CHINDA WUHURU JOY 4. APOSTLE TENNEH DIVINE 5. DR PAUL WOWHOR 6. EVANGELIST NGOZI ISAIAH ISAAC 7. EVANGELIST MBANASOR THANKGOD

SIGNED” SECRETARY

SIGNED: SECRETARY

GREAT ENGINEERS ASSOCIATION CLUB SAPELE

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

I Formerly known and addressed as Ezike Ugochukwu now wish to be known and addressed as AZIKE UGOCHUKWU. General public should please take note

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, June 27, 2017

23

News 24

Nigerian pharmaceutical industry needs N30bn bailout, says Okoli

Delta ALGON chairman absolves state, blames FG for LG woes

ÏÏÏ The Chief Executive Officer of

Nosa Akenzua, Asaba

ÏÏÏ The chairman, Isoko South Local Government of Delta State, Sir Itiako Ikpokpo, has blamed the insolvent condition of local governments across the country on disproportionate sharing formula for the nation’s revenue.

He said the greatest challenge facing the third tier of government was the meagre 20 per cent share of federal allocation to the 776 local governments in Nigeria.

This, he noted, is grossly inadequate to meet the councils’ first line charge, which is the payment of salaries, not to talk of provision of basic social amenities at the grassroots.

Ikpokpo, who doubles as the Chairman, Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), Delta State, made the submission while reacting to the growing call for local government autonomy in the country.

He differed slightly with advocates of autonomy, which he said could not achieve the desired results without adequate revenue adjustment and conscious constitutional amendment towards reducing the powers at the centre.

He said that while he could not speak for other states, local governments in Delta are not under any form of undue influence from the state.

Ikpokpo added that the state government is also not involved in pilfering funds accruing to the local governments as might be the case elsewhere.

The council boss described the “excessive, overloaded, overlapping and domineering posture of the Federal Government” in revenue allocation and function as the greatest threat to the third tier of government in the country.

MRS. OKOKO JOVITA IJEOMA

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Emzor Pharmaceuticals, Dr. Stella Okoli, on Monday, said the pharmaceutical industry was in need of urgent government intervention, as it required injection of funds in the region of N30 billion.

Okoli told newsmen at an interactive session in Lagos that injection of funds by the government would

help the industry to do better and take its rightful place in the country.

The pharmacist, also member, Board of the Nigerian Industrial Policy and Competitiveness Advisory Council, said it was unfortunate that the previous administration in the country left out the pharmaceutical industry out in its bailout programme.

She, however, urged the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to give the needed support in order to enable the industry to create more jobs and meet up in the area of required vaccines in the country.

“The industry must be funded so that we can buy the equipment, machinery and raw materials in the

Nigerian industries,” Okoli said.

The pharmacist also called for the downward review of interest rates in order to make the industries more comfortable in the competitive market.

She appealed to the Lagos State Government to do away with multiple taxation, describing the current tax regime as “very challenging“for those in the industry in the state.

Ibadan flood: Minister of Communications sympathises with govt, victims Tony Nwakegho

ÏÏÏ Minister of

Ojora of Ijora Kingdom, Oba Fatai Oyeyinka Aromire (m); with dignitaries, during a courtesy visit to Aromire in his Palace, as part of the activity marking Eid-el-Fitr Celebration… on Monday.

Lagos Police confirm arrest of 5 suspected V.I. robbers ÏÏÏ The Police said in Lagos on Monday that they have arrested five suspected armed robbers believed to be terrorising motorists on Victoria Island.

Police said their men swooped on the suspects following a tip-off by by three victims of the robbery attacks.

“The occupants of the car were allegedly attacked by the suspects when their vehicle broke down on June 17.

“They reported that while they were trying to get out, the suspects driving in a Toyota Camry car with a yet-to-be identified registration num-

ber stopped and five men came out and ordered them to lie down at gunpoint.

“The suspects robbed them of their money, phones, wrist watches, gold earring, necklaces and other valuables.

“As soon as we got the report, a team of policemen went to the scene and the five suspects were arrested, while the driver escaped with their arms,” a senior police officer told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

However, five live cartridges and one expended cartridge were recovered from the suspects, the police also

said, adding that the suspects had confessed to the crime that they meet at Ijora-Badia, a Lagos slum, to plan their operations.

Confirming the arrests, the Maroko Divisional Police Officer, SP Isah Abdulmajid, told NAN that the ages of the suspects were between 20 and 29 years.

Also, the Lagos Command spokesman, ASP Olarinde Famous-Cole, confirmed the arrests and said the suspects had been transferred to the Anti-Robbery Squad, Ikeja, for further investigations.

OKORIE AUSTIN OGONNA

MRS ARINGBANGBA OLUWAFUNKE FATIMA

MRS ABUTU ADEOLA ABIMBOLA

MRS KATE DANIELA KETUOGOLE EDEAM

I, Fomerly MISS EGBUJOR JOVITA IJEOMA, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. OKOKO JOVITA IJEOMA. All former documents remain valid.

Banks and general public take note

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss TIJANI Oluwafunke Fatima now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs ARINGBANGBA Oluwafunke Fatima. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, Formerly known and addressed as Miss Ogunleye Adeola Abimbola now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Abutu Adeola Abimbola. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, Formerly known and addressed as Miss Kate Daniela Ketuogole OFUNNE, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Kate Daniela Ketuogole EDEAM. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, Formerly known and addressed as OKOYE AUSTINE, now wish to be known and addressed as OKORIE AUSTIN OGONNA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

ONYEDIMMA GLORIA.

NDUBUISI KENNY DIKE

MRS. MBAERI ANITA CHIDIMMA

MRS. UCHE-UZOAGA CHIKANMA IJEOMA

OLAYORIJU VICTORIA WIN

I, formerly known and addressed as OKONOKPAM GLORIA, now wish to be known and addressed as ONYEDIMMA GLORIA. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as KENNEDY NDUBUISI CHIKWEM, now wish to be known and addressed as NDUBUISI KENNY DIKE . All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS LEO ANITA CHIDIMMA, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. MBAERI ANITA CHIDIMMA. All former documents remain valid.

NYSC and General public please take note.

I, formerly known as MISS EZEUKWU CHIKANMA IJEOMA, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. UCHEUZOAGA CHIKANMA IJEOMA. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

I, formerly known as JOSEPH VICTORIA WIN, now wish to be known and addressed as OLAYORIJU VICTORIA WIN. All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

Communications, Adebayo Shittu, has expressed his heart-felt sympathy to the Government of Oyo State and the victims of the flood that ravaged Ibadan, the capital city of the state after a downpour recently.

The flood submerged several houses, destroyed several properties, displaced thousands of residents and paralysed commercial activities and thus caused hunger, deprivation and hardship to the people affected by the disaster.

In a statement personally signed by the minister and made available to Daily Times, he wrote that, “my heart goes out to the government of the state and victims of the unfortunate incident at this period when all Nigerians are supporting the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to succeed in its people’s oriented programs that are aimed at putting the country back on track.”

The concerned Minister who is from Shaki in Oke Ogun area of Oyo state, however assured Nigerians of the Buhari’s administration’s commitment to ensure a safer environment for the generality of the citizenry just as he expressed optimism that the state government under the leadership of Governor Abiola Ajimobi would do everything necessary to address the issue to assuage the suffering of the victims and prevent reoccurrence of the sad development.

He therefore prayed the almighty Allah to come to the aid of the affected family and replenish them abundantly to come over the shock and hardship the disaster brought onto them.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, June 27, 2017

25 News

Nobody can issue quit notice to Nigerians anywhere in the country, Wike declares Amaka Agbu, Port Harcourt

ÏÏÏ

As the controversy of the quit notice issued to the Igbo by the Arewa youths rages on, the governor of Rivers state, Barrister Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, has declared that nobody has the right to sack other Nigerians form their places of residence in the country.

The governor, who broke his silence on the issue on Monday

when the Rivers state Muslim community paid him a Sallah homage at the Government House Port Harcourt, said that despite recent social challenges, Nigeria would continue to be united.

The governor stated: “Nigeria must be one. All of us will live together. All of us are free to do business anywhere in the country.

Whether you are from the north, you are free to stay here and do business. Nobody should threaten

anybody. All of us own this country. We must be our brother’s keepers.”

Governor Wike said that the unity of the country was necessary for the rapid development of the country, assuring the Rivers Muslim community that he would continue to sponsor them for Hajj as his administration believed in the spiritual upliftment of the people.

He continued: “Government

will continue to give you support, but we cannot use state resources to build a mosque. During the Ramadan I sent items to all the mosques in the state. We are all worshipping one God, even though we serve him in different ways.”

The governor said that he had respect for the Muslim community as exemplified by his invitation of the Sultan of Sokoto to participate in the Rivers at 50 cel-

ebration. He added that he would be paying a Sallah visit to the Sultan on Tuesday.

Earlier, the leader of the Rivers State Muslim Community and Vice President of the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Nasir Uhor, said the Rivers Muslim Community were happy with Governor Wike for his superlative performance and commended the governor for promoting religious tolerance in the state.

FRSC anniversary debate: 4 get scholarship from philanthropist

Obaseki orders employment of 4,200 youths Titus Akhigbe, Benin

ÏÏÏ In line with his promise to create at least 200,000 jobs within four years, the governor of Edo state, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has ordered the employment of 4,200 youths across the state under the Edo state public works programme from July 1 this year.

In a statement endorsed by the governor’s Chief of Staff, it was also revealed that Governor Obaseki had directed the engagement and training of 50 civil engineers to supervise the public works programme, and that the successful applicants were sourced from the database of unemployed youths developed by the government for the Edo Jobs initiative.

According to the Chief of Staff, “The new employed beneficiaries will work across the state on 45 inner roads selected under this special window. The governor also promised to engage another set of 4,200 in August 2017 under another window that will see the state government constructing and maintaining another set of 55 roads, culminating in almost 100 kilometres across the state.”

He further enjoined the workers to be dedicated for the period of their engagement with the state government, as it would eventually amount to experience gathering and capacity building.

Meanwhile, to complement jobs originating from road construction, the state government also finalised arrangements to train young electrical and electronic engineers under a special arrangement with Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC).

Sunday Nwakanma Umuahia

L-R: Karen Roux, Managing Director, Duke Corporate Education, South Africa; Mrs. Ngozi Udumukwu, Assistant General Secretary, Balogun Market; Chief Jones Okpala, General Secretary, Balogun Market; Jared Bleak, Lead Professor, Duke University, South Africa; Chief Alex-Obi Odunukwe, President, Balogun Market; Chukwudi Obiora, Provost, Balogun Market and Frankline Ngwu, Senior Lecturer, Strategy, Finance and Risk Management, Lagos Business School, when they visited the International Centre for Commerce, Balogun Market as part of their training programme in Lagos Business School Lagos… on Monday.

NAPTIP, NIS commence joint actions

ÏÏÏ The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP and the Nigeria Immigrations Services (NIS) are to scale up intelligence sharing and joint border operations across the country as part of a coordinated plan to effectively prevent human trafficking and smuggling of migrants from Nigeria.

This was one of the agreements reached by the two organisations when the director-general of NAPTIP, Julie Okah-Donli and the management of the agency made a working visit to the Headquarters of the NIS in Abuja.

This is coming just as the NAPTIP boss called on the NIS and other organisations involved in the reception of repatriated Nigerians at various Airports in Nigeria to make the reception and profiling of the returnees stress free in order to reduce the level of trauma suffered by the Nigerian returnees each time there was a repatriation operations.

Arising from her presentation

during the visit, the two organisations agreed on the need to collaborate more in the fight against human trafficking and smuggling of migrants.

In her speech, Okah-Donli recalled the existing relationship between the two organisations and stressed that the NIS remained a formidable partner whose assistance in the past had helped to ensure smooth operations of the Agency.

She said, ‘’there is no doubt that the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the NIS are like Siemese twins whose roles in the fight against irregular migration especially trafficking in persons are quite germane in the development of our dear country.

Our relationship has blossomed over the years and we must do everything to ensure that it conforms with the good practices needed for quality service delivery to Nigerians and also to help Government achieve its dreams

for the people.... We cherish this relationship and are ready to do everything within our limits to make it more robust for the benefit of our future which the young people who are presently being enslaved by criminal elements represent.

On the re-invigorated activities of the Agency, Okah-Donli said, ‘’ We have taken measures to improve on our investigation activities by making it more intelligence driven and proactive.

The days of sitting in the office and waiting for petitions, reports, complaints and transferred cases before we act are over. We have also improved on our surveillance operations and making sure that those involved are actually engaged in that assignment and nothing else. ‘’Based on these reforms in operations, we crave the indulgence of the CGI and the NIS generally to join us in making our plans worth the while. This can be done through more diligent operations

of officers and men of the Service manning the entry points.

We have always relied on the NIS to rescue victims and arrest traffickers at those entry points and transfer to us to deal further. ‘’I must commend you for your efforts so far. However, we will appreciate it if these activities could be improved upon. There have been cases where only victims were transferred to us without the suspects and in some cases, the information one gets is that the suspects were also arrested but released. This does not only anger the rescued victims whom the suspects may have defrauded in one way or the other, it does not help our operations neither does it help the Criminal Justice system in Nigeria. In this situation, we end up spending our very lean resources on the victims without a case to pursue. I plead that the Service helps us to ensure that suspect accompany rescued victims each time a transfer of cases is being made.

-

ÏÏÏ Four Senior Secondary School (SSS 2) students, early this week, received scholarship for their brilliant performance during a debate organised to mark the eighth anniversary of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Ohafia Unit Command.

This benevolence came from a philanthropist in the state, Mr. Tony Ndu, whom presented the cheques to the beneficiaries for the scholarship during a brief ceremony, held at Ohafia unit command on Thursday, amidst wild jubilation by the students, their parents and tutors.

The beneficiaries include Margaret Kalu and Divine Uma of Ucy Model School, Ebem as well as Deborah Lebechi and Anthony Dominic of Ifemba International Academy, Akanu both in Ohafia Local Government Area (LGA) of Abia.

Speaking during the occasion, Ndu said the scholarship was for the students’ SS 2, SS3 and West African School Certificate Examination, stating that he was impressed with the “brilliant performance” of the students from both the proposing and opposing schools.

“These students were outstanding. I am deeply impressed by their brilliance during the debate,” Ndu, an Ohafia-based legal practitioner, said. He further said that he was motivated to reward the students, following the inspiring recommendations about their academic performance by their school authorities.

26

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Times Law

s

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

It is not only unjust but also painful and unfair that an accused should be put on trial if there is no link between and offence charged.

Fabiyi, JSC, in Nyame v.FRN (2010) 3 S.C. (Pt.1) 78.

NASS is not created by Constitution as rubber stamp, it can adjust budget- Akpedeye Dafe Akpedeye SAN,OFR. Former Delta state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice : How best can the usual disagreement over NASS power to insert new projects, add, remove and move projects in the Budget be resolved?

There is need for harmony from both arms of government. Though they are separate arms of government, the need for harmony cannot be overemphasized. At the formulation stage, little or no consultation takes place between the budget office of the federation and the National Assembly.

Admittedly, budget formulation has always been an exclusive prerogative of the Executive; however there is the need for legislative participation in the formulation stage. This will drastically reduce the level of alteration of the bill sent to the National Assembly.

Also Presidential advisers on National Assembly matters must be actively involved in creating better executive-legislature understanding. A commendable example was when the Presidential Liaison Officer to President Jonathan, Joy Emordi, helped in forging a legislature-executive rapprochement on subsidy removal in January 2012 after an earlier row between both branches over the removal of subsidy from automobile fuel.

Proper education and the forging of executive-legislature understanding would lead to the acceptance of the National Assembly’s power to contribute to budget formulation/drafting and to amend the budget. In the same vein, proper machinery should be put in place for the budget to be tabled in a timely manner.

Another point to note is that oversight depends on the availability of relevant information. Without proper fiscal transparency codes and best practices that outline disclosure requirements, the national Assembly may as well be in the dark as to the facts behind the figures in the budget. Thus, good, comprehensive budgetary documentation is required by the Legislature to make sound decisions.

If eventually the matter is brought before the Supreme Court, where do you think the pendulum will swing and why?

In the unreported judgement of Falana v.

The President and Others in Suit No. FHC/ ABJ/CS/259/2014 delivered in March, 2016, the Federal High Court, Abuja, ruled that the National Assembly has the power to increase or review upward budget estimates laid before it by the executive. Justice Gabriel O. Kolawole, in his judgment, observed that the drafting of the Constitution makes cooperation between all the arms compulsory, and that as by design, none can oper-

The Team

Ibe Uwaleke — Editor Peter Fowoyo Titilope Joseph

AKPEDEYE The National Assembly was not created by drafters of the Constitution and imbued with the powers to receive ‘budget estimates’ which the first defendant is constitutionally empowered to prepare and lay before it, as a rubber stamp parliament. The whole essence of the budget estimates being required to be laid before Parliament is to enable it, being the Assembly of the representatives of the people, to debate the said budget proposals and to make its own well informed legislative inputs into it.”

The above decision was not appealed against by any of the parties, thus, that remain the position of the law. ( As delivered by Justice Kolawole of the Federal High Court, Abuja, (March, 2016).

AFOLABI The powers to initiate and execute projects are clearly executive powers.

The executive in presenting its proposals as bill to NASS is to defend the project it is seeking to embark upon before Nigerians as represented by NASS.This mechanism has been put in place to prevent abuse on the part of the executive.

However beyond scrutinizing the budget the NASS has no powers to start initiating projects not proposed by the executive.

The 2017 budget since it was signed into law by the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) has been generating a lot of controversy between the Executive and the Legislature. The controversy was started by the Executive which accused the Legislature for tinkering with the budget where it initiated some projects and adjusted funds not proposed in the budget. Just last week, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola (SAN) directly accused NASS for reducing the funds meant for Lagos-Ibadan Express Road and Second Niger Bridge, thereby making works on these two projects difficult to be realised. The National Assembly has since replied Fashola, describing his accusation as “cheap blackmail and half truth”. In this interview conducted

by PETER FOWOYO, the two senior lawyers polled here give opposing views on this raging dichotomy between the Executive and the Legislature. Excerpts: ate by standing aloof of the others, and this gives rise to the need for checks and balances, which would help prevent dictatorship, as certain powers by an arm of government are subjected to review or ratification by another.

The Judge stated that “the National Assembly was not created by drafters of the Constitution and imbued with the powers

to receive ‘budget estimates’ which the first defendant is constitutionally empowered to prepare and lay before it, as a rubber stamp parliament. The whole essence of the budget estimates being required to be laid before Parliament is to enable it, being the Assembly of the representatives of the people, to debate the said budget proposals and to make its own well informed legisla-

tive inputs into it.”

The above decision was not appealed against by any of the parties, thus, that remain the position of the law.

If eventually the matter is brought before the Supreme Court, I strongly believe the pendulum will swing in favour of the National Assembly. This is because they are actually performing their oversight function.

A combined reading of sections 59, 80 and 81 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended, as well as the Fiscal Responsibility Act CAP F40, LFN 2004 supports my position.

Infact, where the President refuses to assent to the Appropriation (Money) Bill within 30 days of receipt of the Bill from the National Assembly, the National Assembly has the power to override his veto and in a joint sitting of both Houses by two-third majority; (Section 59(4) of the Constitution), the Bill will be passed as an Act. Hakem Afolabi, SAN (Ibadan based lawyer) The best approach is to invoke the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court to determine the powers of the NASS to make appropriation law for Nigeria. Such approach I believe will settle this matter once and for all.

I do not have any doubt in my mind that the pendulum will swing against the NASS. The powers to initiate and execute projects are clearly executive powers.The executive in presenting its proposals as bill to NASS is to defend the project it is seeking to embark upon before Nigerians as represented by NASS.This mechanism has been put in place to prevent abuse on the part of the executive.

However beyond scrutinizing the budget the NASS has no powers to start initiating projects not proposed by the executive and also lacks powers to move projects outside the proposals of the executive.

The power of NASS is limited to ensuring that the monies proposed by the executive are transparent proposals and not inflated.

LEGAL JOKE

Guilty of Annoyance A defendant isn’t happy with how things are going in court, so he gives the judge a hard time.

Judge: “Where do you work?”

Defendant: “Here and there.”

Judge: “What do you do for a living?”

Defendant: “This and that.”

Judge: “Take him away.”

Defendant: “Wait; when will I get out?”

Judge: “Sooner or later.”

By Pate Ferry, Mesa, Arizona

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, June 27, 2017

27 Law

‘Re-defining provision of cross-border legal services: Globalising practice’ Dafe Akpedeye That the world is a global village is an aphorism that is both profound and instructive to the 21st century professional.

Over the past half century, there has been an accelerating trend towards liberalisation in the legal services industry. International free trade agreements have sought to promote open markets for legal services. The United States, United Kingdom, many European countries, Australia, Japan, Russia, China, and Singapore have all opened their legal markets to foreign law firms.

In relation to the African practice of law, and particularly with respect to the Nigerian experience, the import according to a legal scholar is best understood “in the economic interdependence of countries around the world due to the large scale increase in volume and diversification of international investment activities, easy and rapid deployment of funds facilitated by technology.” This means that, as nations of the world depend on each other for economic advancement, it is imperative for the Nigerian legal practitioner to engage with his/her colleagues in other climes to remain internationally relevant in the scheme of things. We cannot remain “local champions” when the world has moved on to a whole new plane in legal practice. Discussions like this, are necessary for the young and seasoned lawyers alike, to rethink their outlook on their legal practice.

The areas of cross-border legal services are multifarious and may include: Litigation in local courts, both civil and criminal Litigation in international and regional courts such as ECOWAS Court, ICJ, ICC Arbitration Negotiation Mediation/Conciliation Bi-lateral and multi-lateral arrangements among countries International transactions between companies across jurisdictions Due diligence on complex, multiparty transactions and local asset transfer requirements Legal opinion and initial evaluation of international, specialized transactions To accomplish the above on a continuously sustained basis, different models for globalized legal services have been attempted by law firms.

These include among others: Merger and Acquisitions: Firms with global spread and international office networks staffed by expatriate partners and lawyers may merge with or acquire subsisting firms in their target foreign country.

Strategic Alliances/Partnerships: Two or more law firms in different climes may elect to work together as partners to achieve objectives that are mutually beneficial. Such partnerships may entail sharing resources, information, capabilities

and risks to achieve their objectives.

Strategic alliance as the term implies is deliberate and calculative, and is often utilized to obtain the advantage of another company’s innovations without having to invest in new research and development.

Conglomerates: A parent firm may be involved in a slew of professional services, with a law firm in a foreign state as one of its subsidiaries. In such a set-up, the most common way that control of a subsidiary is achieved is through the ownership of shares in the subsidiary by the parent. It could also be the case that the parent firm is situate in Nigeria but with foreigners having its highest number of shares.

Loose Networking: This may involve a one-off collaboration with a foreign firm to achieve a specific goal. It is mostly ad-hoc and may not entail a highly regulated regime.

Outsourcing: Another common arrangement for globalization of legal practice is outsourcing of briefs to lawyers in foreign countries, especially where critical legal issues need to be addressed based on applicable local laws. Outsourcing of briefs by offshore law firms to lawyers in local jurisdictions can enhance legal practice in local jurisdictions and boost its economy. This practice is frequently resorted to by UK lawyers whereby legal research and documentation on specificIndian related laws are outsourced to lower-wage earning lawyers in India.

Whilst the dividends of globalization may appear all glittering, globalization is not without its challenges especially in relation to a developing country like Nigeria. It is important to consider the following challenges under the focal areas for discussion in this session.

Forms of collaboration with foreign firms- do networks, alliances, ‘best friends’ really work?

Inadequate Legal Education & Training In order to compete internationally and take advantage of foreign networks and alliances, our local law firms will need to develop the requisite competence. In fact, we will have to re-examine the method of teaching in the Nigerian universities, particularly at the Nigerian Law School. It is important to engage with the law school to revamp the teaching method and provide for courses/classes delivered by practicing commercial lawyers. No doubt, this will allow young lawyers to gain an in-depth insight into the world of drafting agreements; and engaging in trans-Atlantic deals.

Threat of Foreign Firms Running Their Host Aground How sustainable are such relationships, especially with the lurking fear of take-over by international law firms? There is no gainsaying the fact that there are many mushroom firms in Nigeria without the wherewithal in terms of infrastructure, human resource and capability to compete favourably with their

Cross Section of lawyers at an event recently.

foreign counterparts. As a legal community, we have not set proper standards required for the operation of law firms in Nigeria. This fear of take-over by foreign firms is further exacerbated due to certain factors such as: Nigerians’ Eurocentric mind setWith Nigerians’ general perception of anything foreign as superior to indigenous, will the clients in this clime not naturally gravitate towards foreigners? If this happens will it not engender brain drain such that, young aspiring lawyers elect to study abroad and seek foreign opportunities upon completion of their legal training?

Our handicap in terms of lack of proper training, as outlined above.

Divergence in legal rules governing cross-border commercial transactions Differing national laws create serious obstacles to cross-border commercial transactions. The existence and applicability of a uniform body of legal rules governing cross-border commercial transactions will enhance the capacity of legal practitioners located in different national jurisdictions to offer informed legal opinion on the viability or otherwise of a proposed commercial transaction. On the other hand, differing national laws governing commercial transactions actually protects local law firms as it inhibits foreign lawyers from taking over the legal scene in a country. This means that foreign economic players and/ or their foreign counsel must engage local lawyers in operating in a particular national jurisdiction.

Lack of Uniformity in Ethical Standards Considering the fact that there is no global bar, what is the standard of professional ethics required of lawyers rendering transnational legal services and which jurisdiction should enforce applicable ethical rules? This point is important be-

cause lawyers who are not physically present in third world countries but provide legal services to clients resident in such countries through outsourcing of such services may adopt lower standards of professional ethics than those prescribed within their own national jurisdictions. There is no doubt that the Legal Practitioners’ Disciplinary Committee can only exercise jurisdiction in disciplinary proceedings involving lawyers called to the Nigerian Bar. This means that, in the event of professional misconduct, a client who engages the services of a foreign lawyer is left without any legal remedy against the foreign lawyer, who engages the services of local lawyers.

Dismal investment in Information Communication Technology Limited access to internet service and the unpredictably poor quality of existing internet services in Nigeria have impacted negatively on the capacities of local lawyers to participate in the global legal market.

Given that globalization is driven by innovations in information communication technology, limited access to and/or poor quality of internet service within a locality is bound to inhibit trade in legal services across international borders.

The Jack of All Trade Syndrome Most law firms with international clout elect to work with indigenous firms with particular distinction in certain commercial practices.

Certain qualities that are required include: an in-depth knowledge and expertise in a specific area of law, as well as insight in the regulatory and economic regime of the target country. By contrast, our legal system encourages general practice, essentially creating law firms that are jack of all legal trade but master of none. In this millennial and with the advent of globalisation in the

legal world, specialisation has become a necessity, as foreign clients and their lawyers respect and pay top dollar for specialist legal advice Is controlled specialized practice not a necessity in the 21st century legal practice?

How do we ensure that Nigerian lawyers get the best opportunity to participate fully in evolving landscape of law practice? * Does our Information Technology deficient court system not impede optimally taking advantage of the avalanche of information that can make us global players? * Is there not a dire need to revamp our legal practice to be ITcompliant? * Is general practice, as opposed to specializing in an area of law, not an inhibiting factor? * Are we not paying lip service to the “mandatory Continuing Professionals Development (CPD) Programme operated by the Nigerian Bar Association” as provided for by the Rules of Professional Conduct 2007? How many lawyers attend periodic “accredited courses,” if any?

How many attend lectures, seminars, workshops and conferences, especially those with international flavour? How many write in law and its practice in books or journals and newspapers? How many study towards professional qualifications? What is the average Nigerian lawyer or law firm’s disposition towards real time capacity building?

How do we hope to partner with lawyers who by training and exposure are way ahead of us by miles?

Are We Really Ready for CrossBorder Legal Services?

If any of the answers to the above questions is in the negative, then the NBA and Nigeria at large should fix it first before plunging into globalised legal practice. We should not fall into the error of putting the cart before the horse.

News 28

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, June 27, 2017

FG engages 7147 N-Power volunteers in Delta Nosa Akenzua, Asaba

ÏÏÏ

No fewer than 7,149 N-Power volunteers were engaged in Delta state in 2016, Mr. Afolabi Imoukhuede, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on job Creation, has said.

Imoukhuede made this known at a meeting with beneficiaries of the

programme in Asaba at the weekend. He said that of the 8,241 slots allocated to Delta state, 7,147 of them were engaged in 2016.

“And out of the 7,147 beneficiaries a total of 5,916 have been receiving their N30,000 monthly stipends since May, while an additional 857 beneficiaries have just been cleared.”

Imoukhuede explained that the

N-Power initiative was the Social Investment Programmes of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

He said that the programme was aimed at helping young Nigerians to acquire and develop lifelong skills to become solution providers in their communities as well as players in the domestic and global markets.

Imoukhuede also said that the programme, which was for young Nigerians between the ages of 18 and 35, paid volunteer programme of two year duration.He also said that the Federal Government had also approved additional N411 beneficiaries to purchase an electronic device, which would be loaded with different applications to

further their skills, adding that the first batch of the devices would soon be delivered to beneficiaries who were already getting their monthly stipends.

On the remaining beneficiaries who are yet to collect their monthly stipends, Imoukhuede explained that the problems were already being addressed.

NASS to boost ITF funding, insist on constitutional mandate to alter budget Kingsley Chukwuka, Jos

ÏÏÏ The National Assembly (NASS),

has said It has the constitutional mandate to add to the National budget presented to the House, by the Presidency.

Speaking through its Chairman, Senate Committee on Industries, Sen. Sam Egwu, during its oversight visit to the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), at the weekend in Jos, NASS insist on the right of the National Assembly as provided by the constitution to alter budget.

Recall that the national assembly and the acting president , Yemi Osinbajo are in disagreement over the recent 2017 budget that was passed into law, with the Senate stating clearly that, it would not concede its constitutional powers to the executive arm of government.

However, Egwu said if the National Assembly examine the budget presented to the House and dim it fit to alter where necessary, it would do so.

According to him, “we are at ITF to acquaint ourselves with their challenges, so that by the 2018 budget we will see how we can appropriate more funds for them.

“When the budget comes before us, we will see how much government has approved for ITF and if we think it is not good enough, we will add more money based on our mandate”, he said.

Sen. Sam Egwu, who is also a former Governor of Ebony State, said, the purpose of the oversight visit is to conduct an assessment on the level of judicious budgetary implementation by ITF, particularity, the 2016 approved appropriation, adding that his team also demand to check the level of compliance with the ‘extant Act of the Fund’s 2011 as Amended’.

In his part, the Director General of the Industrial Training Fund, Sir Joseph Ari, said, one area he pleads with NASS to assist is in the appropriation for the Students Industrial work experience scheme (SIWES), saying that ITF is vested with the management of the scheme, however, it is the sole responsibility of the federal government.

R-L: Chairman, Organisation of African Instituted Churches, Dr. Olukayode Hundogan; Founder, St. James C&S Church (SJCSC), Her Eminence Bishop Elizabeth Oluwatoyin James-Ige and Chairman, Lagos State Chapter of Cherubim &Seraphim Unification Church of Nigeria, Snr. Supt. Ap. Dr. Johnson Adagba, during the 12th Year Anniversary of SJCSC in Lagos...on Sunday.

Ikeja bus terminal will change face of Lagos transport -LAMATA boss ...As Lagos Traffic Radio holds 2nd annual lecture Benjamin Omoike

ÏÏÏ Managing Director of the Lagos Metropolitan Transport Authority (LAMATA), Engineer Abiodun Dabiri, says the proposed Ikeja bus terminal, which is expected to be completed before the end of the year, will change the face of transportation system in the State.

Dabiri made this assertion during the second annual lecture series organised by the Lagos Traffic Radio 96.1FM, with the theme, ‘Advancing Urban Transportation and Mobility’. According to him, Lagos was on the verge of transiting from garages to terminals, in its quest to truly become a smart city.

“The Lagos bus terminal will kick start from Ikeja. Work is at an advanced stage and I must say we are transiting from garages to terminals. Nine million people interact with our garages in Lagos daily

and we intend to capitalise on this huge traffic by ensuring this terminal is ready before the end of the year.

“The Ikeja bus terminal will bring a new face to Lagos transportation system. The Lagos bus reform contract has been awarded and the expected transformation in that sector will soon materialise.

We know that the yellow buses, otherwise known as ‘Danfo’ have 72 percent, while cars have 28 percent of the 24 million vehicular trips recorded in Lagos daily. So, the bus reform project sets out to achieve a lot in this regard,” he said.

On his part, one of the guest speakers, professor Odewunmi Samuel, said the proposed 36km Third Mainland bridge project was laudable. He however, posited that the State government would do well to explore more of its waterways in her resolve to improve transportation in the State. He also said the takeover of the rehabilita-

tion of the International Airport Road was commendable, but advised that the rail sector needed to be fully utilised.

Keynote Speaker, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, Chairman, Senate Committee on Land Transportation; delivered a lecture on ‘Enabling Law As A Catalyst For A Vibrant Transport Sector’. He said efficient transport was a critical component of economic development, globally and nationally; adding that transport availability affects global development patterns and can be a boost or a barrier to economic growth within individual nations.

Acting Commissioner for Transportation in Lagos, Prince Anofiu Elegushi, spoke on ‘support system for public transportation: The Lagos state perspective’. He said the State’s bus reform initiative is a three-year plan, which will provide 5,000 buses with carrying capacity ranging from 30 to 70 people. He added that the initiative will be operated through a franchise system involving stakeholders.

Two docked for allegedly murdering 73-year old man Oguntade Ismaila

ÏÏÏ Two brothers have been arrested

by operative of Ogun State Police Command for allegedly murdering a 73-yearold man in Agbara area of the State..

According to reports, the brothers identified as 27-year-old Matthew Elegbede and 33-year-old Sunday Elegbede.

The Elegbede brothers were said to have attacked 73-year-old Odeyemi Adebari, who eventually died four days after, from the injuries inflicted on him with a machete.

Adebari, the son of the victim, reported to the police at the Agbara division, after his father died while on hospital admission.

Confirming the arrest and the incident, the Ogun State, Public Relation Officer (PRO), Assistant Superintended of Police (ASP), Abimbola Oyeyemi, said Matthew Elegbede had attacked the deceased in his apartment on Monday, June 21, after another tenant raised an alarm because of his presence. The deceased had come out to find out why his neighbour raised an alarm, only for Matthew to pounce him.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, June 27, 2017

29

Foreign News 30

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, June 27, 2017

US Supreme Court revives parts of Trump’s travel ban

…As ban takes effect 72 hours after

ÏÏÏThe

U.S. Supreme Court says it will consider the case of President Donald Trump’s executive order restricting travel - and in the meantime much of the order may take effect.

US president, Donald Trump says that travel ban would go into effect 72 hours after a high court ruling.

Trump’s revised executive order, known as the travel ban, halted travel from six mostly Muslim countries for 90 days and halted the nation’s refugee program for 120 days. The order said these steps were necessary in order to revise security screening to safeguard the nation from external threats.

The travel order had been placed under restraining orders by two separate courts, one in Hawaii and one in Maryland.

Both rulings were sustained by separate appeals courts.

The nation’s highest court took a more distinct view, allowing the ban on travelers from Libya, Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen and the suspension of the refugee program.

However, the justices said the ban on travel cannot be enforced against “foreign nationals who have a credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States.”

The court proffers definition on relationships that would

qualify: for individuals, a family relationship; for students, admittance to a college or university; for workers, a job offer.

Trump has said that the travel order would go into effect 72 hours after a high court ruling.

In a statement Monday, the President called the Supreme Court decision “a clear victory.”

In a statement Monday, he called the Supreme Court decision “a clear victory.” The president added that the ruling helps him protect the homeland. “As President, I cannot allow people into our country who want to do us harm. I want people who can love the United States and all of its citizens, and who will be

hardworking and productive,” he said.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said implementation of the travel order “will be done professionally, with clear and sufficient public notice, particularly to potentially affected travelers, and in coordination with partners in the travel industry.”

The justices are expected to hear the travel order case in the fall, but they noted that they will also consider whether the case is moot at the point. The measures spelled out in the order are meant to be temporary while the government reviews its security procedures.

Zimbabwean govt clamps down on cleric

ÏÏÏZimbabwe police on Mon-

day arrested a popular pastor, Evan Mawarire, after he addressed protesting university students.

Mawarire, a preacher and anti-government activist, was Monday charged with disorderly conduct in a public place, reports, Lawyer Harrison Nkomo.

The lawyer said that police picked Mawarire for addressing medical students protesting against a planned fee increase by the University of Zimbabwe.

Mawarire rose to prominence in July 2016 when he used social media to organize the biggest anti-government protest in a decade. He later left for the United States, claiming his life was threatened after a court dismissed charges against him.

He is due to appear in court on Sep. 25 for allegedly subverting a constitutionally elected government. Nkomo added that police were “assessing whether to allow him pay a fine or take him to court.” On his recent Monday arrest. Swede held by Al-Qaida in Mali regains freedom after 6 years Swedish foreign Ministry on Monday announced that its national, Johan Gustafsson held hostage by al-Qaida in Mali since 2011 has been released.

Johan Gustafsson is said to be “happy” and “overwhelmed” following his release.

Forty-two-year-old Johan Gustafsson is doing well and can return to Sweden, although he is “overwhelmed by everything going on,” Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom, was quoted to have said in a statement after having spoken with him over the phone.

Zimbabwe -Evans Mawarire as he is taken into a prison

Swede- Johan Gustafsson

Red Cross worker shot dead in CAR ÏÏÏThe

Red Cross on Monday said that an unidentified armed group in Central African Republic (CAR) shot and killed a Red Cross worker in a town where more than 100 people have died in militia attacks in recent weeks.

Joachim Ali, a Red Cross volunteer in the diamondmining town of Bangassou in the southeast of the country, was killed on Friday evening while on duty at the organization’s compound, according to a spokesman.

He is the second Red Cross worker to be killed during the conflict, after a driver died in 2014. The Central African Red Cross Society is investigating Ali’s death, a statement said.

Thousands have died and a fifth of Central Africans have fled their homes in the conflict that broke out after mainly Muslim Seleka rebels ousted President Francois Bozize in 2013, provoking a backlash from Christian anti-balaka militias.

Thirteen of the 14 armed groups along with representatives from the government signed a peace accord last Monday in Rome brokered by the Roman Catholic Sant’ Egidio peace group. About 50 people were killed in the town of Bria, northeast of the capital, in fighting between factions shortly afterwards.

Ghanaian President fortifies regional ties with 3-day state visit to Zambia ÏÏÏAfrican ties and econom-

ic development is receiving a lift with the current state visit

by Ghanaian President, Nana Akufo-Addo to Zambia.

The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, left Ghana, on Monday, 26th June, 2017, embarked on a 3-day official, State Visit to the Republic of Zambia, at the invitation of its President, His Excellency Edgar Chagwa Lungu.

President Akufo-Addo will hold bilateral talks with President Edgar Lungu, aimed at

deepening the bilateral ties between the two countries, as well as exploring other areas of cooperation to the mutual benefit of the two peoples.

Whilst in Zambia, the President will visit Ndola, a city in Zambia’s Copperbelt Province, where he will be the Special Guest of Honour at the 53rd Zambia International Trade Fair.

He was accompanied on the visit by the First Lady, Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchway MP, and officials of the Presidency and the Foreign Ministry.

Nana Akufo- Addo

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

EXTRATIME

31

Cameroun nothing special – Eagles analyst T

he video analyst of the senior national team of Nigeria Nabil Trabelsi has completed his mission in Russia at the Confederations Cup where he spied on Cameroon, Nigeria’s next opponent in the World Cup 2018 Qualifiers.

Nabil was appointed by coach Gernot Rohr as one of his assistant but specifically to study opponents using videos of past games of the opponents of the Super Eagles of Nigeria.

Already he has sent some of the clips to top chieftains of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the team’s Technical Adviser Gernot Rohr, who left the spying job

for Nabil to handle.

Cameroon played three games at the Confederations Cup failing to win any of their three games as they crash out in the group stage with losses

against Chile and Germany leaving them with just one point, picked up from the 1-1 draw against Australia.

The Indomitable Lions struggled to score

C

Hull urged to make move for Ahmed Musa

E

Eguma We have to improve on scoring goals oach Stanley Eguma of Nigeria Professional Football League outfit Rivers United says no going back on plans to make tactical changes on his attacks in order to produce more goals in subsequent matches.

Eguma fought hard to snatch a 1-0 win over visiting Shooting Stars of Ibadan last Saturday, thanks to a brilliant strike from John Odumegwu, said their victory was para-

goals at the tournament with coach Hugo Broos confessing that his side need to solve their goal scoring issues before facing Nigeria in back to back game in September in the World Cup 2018 Qualifiers .

Nabil was of the view that the Camerounian team was nothing special.

mount.

“It was a keenly contested game. The two teams were very strong and 3SC gave us a keenly-contested game.

“I did not expect an easy game. We had a very good first half but the second half was not quite as good. The most important thing was to get the three points but we have to improve in the area of scoring goals,” he said.

Also, during the post-match

conference at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium, Port Harcourt, Shooting Stars head coach, Fatai Amoo represented by Edith Agoye praised their conquerors for their success.

“It was a very good game and both teams gave their all.

Any side could have won it as we both had chances.

“It was an open game and the chances were few but congratulations to Rivers United,” he said.

of the match before goals from Rasmus Alm and Karim Sadat sealed maximum points for Agim Sopi’s men.

Having failed to score in six consecutive games, Egbedi put the league leaders in front in the 12th minute before Alm made it

2-0 five minutes before the halftime break. In the second half, Sadat added the third to ensure Landskrona claim their third victory in a row to open a threepoint gap on top of the Swedish Division 1 log with 26 points.

The 23-year-old has now

FL Championship outfit Hull City have been urged to make a move for Nigeria star Ahmed Musa.

Hull Daily Mail has suggested five players that can beef up the Tigers in the forthcoming season, with the Leicester City striker on its shortlist.

Newly appointed Hull City coach Leonid Slutsky has an excellent relationship with Musa, and the former CSKA Moscow manager was at Stamford Bridge in January to watch him in action against Chelsea.

The 24-year-old striker spent four and a half years with the Muscovites, netting 54 goals in 164 appearances.

Hull City have embarked on cost control measures following their demotion to the second tier, and it is envisaged that a loan move is their preferred option if they eventually bring Musa Hull.

F

C Porto have summoned recently capped Nigeria international defender Chidozie Awaziem to Portugal despite his impending departure to Nantes of France.

Awaziem will join the french side on a season long loan deal, but Porto are insisting on him resuming with them in Portugal before he leaves for the French side next month. ” He (Awaziem) will leave Nigeria on Thursday for Portugal, Porto want him around for a while before his move to Nantes. There are still some paper works to be done regard-

Awaziem summoned

by Porto ing the move as well”, his intermediary Babawo Mohammed told Owngoalnigeria.com.

Porto were forced to release the defender as part of the deal that helped them capture Nantes coach Sergio Conceiao, but they failed to yield in to the request of the team who

Egbedi inspires Landskrona to victory N

igerian midfielder Edafe Egbedi was on target as Landskrona secured a 3-0 away victory against Karlskrona at the Vastra Marks Stadium.

The former youth international scored the first goal

scored three goals in 11 starts on his debut season with Landskrona since joining from Prespa in January 2017. His side will welcomes Oddevold in their next league encounter at the Landskrona Idrottsplats Stadium on Sunday next week.

wanted an option to buy him at the end of his loan spell.

He signed a five year deal with FC Porto when he made his breakthrough at the club two seasons ago,and his deal currently has a buy out clause of €20m, which Porto are not willing to reduce despite interest from teams.

Published by FOLIO COMMUNICATIONS LTD, Lateef Jakande Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja. email: info@dailytimes.ng Tel: 08050220692.

Editor Daily: SAM NZEH

TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 2017

VOL. 3. NO. 395

Price: N150

Flashback in Time: Supported by

News Hotline: 08050220561 Advert Hotlines: 08086296714, 08033228839

Flashback in Time: June 27, 1962

The Abia Times

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Nigeria First Lady commissions sickle cell diagnosis centre in Umuahia, pleads AT2 for checkup before marriage

If given the opportunity, I will run again for Abia North SenatorialAT4 election, come 2019 –Bourdex

Ikpeazu has all it takes to manage Abia – Special Aide ÏÏÏ Being

Abia state State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu (middle) cutting the tape to officially inaugurate a cluster of five roads in Aba, Ibadan street, Onyebuchi, Victoria, Agharandu and Emejiaka streets. flanked from left is the Senator Rep. Abia North senatorial zone, Sen,. Mao Ohuabunwa; Engr. Kinsley Onuoha M/D Ekcleen Int. Services; Sir Ude OIkochukwu D/gov and Senator Rep. Abia south senatorial zone, Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe.

Ikpeazu writes IGP, calls for investigation of Nwosu Stories by Sunday Nwakanma Umuahia

ÏÏÏ

The Abia

T E A M

Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, has called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mr. Ibrahim Idris, to thoroughly investigate the allegations of Mr. Friday Nwosu bothering on threats to his life.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Enyinnaya Appolos, said in a signed release that Governor Ikpeazu also frowned at what he described as “penchant for unnecessary and frivolous assertions without proof by politicians to curry attention” and demanded full scale investigation into Nwosu’s allegations.

It will be recalled that

Nwosu in a petition to the IGP accused Governor Ikpeazu, Senator Theodore Orji, Hon Chinedum Orji and one Ekpe Ekpe of planning to assassinate him.

Governor Ikpeazu, in a petition to the IGP through the the Abia State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Umeh Kalu, stated in part: “ the said petition (by Nwosu) contains weighty criminal allegations that are capable of truncating the enduring peace in Abia State and should be investigated to ascertain the veracity of the allegations.

“The truthfulness or falsity of Nwosu’s grave allegations has its consequences in our crimi-

Special Project Editor Kenneth Madueke

Correspondent Sunday Nwakanma

nal legal system, for those who plot to kill another as well as those who offer false

information to the police are culpable of known offences.”

ABSG demolishes kidnappers’ property in Nsirimo, Ibeku ÏÏÏ Two

houses belonging to suspected twin kidnappers, Chinenye and Chigozie Isreal, from Umuerim Nsirimo in Umuahia South LGA as well as property worth thousands of naira in the shop of one of the wives of the kidnappers have been demolished by the Abia state government (ABSG) in line with its laws.

Also demolished in Ndume Otuka in Umuahia North LGA is a drinking joint where kidnappers use as rendezvous.

Speaking to newsmen at the end of the demolition exercise, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Cpt. Awa Udonsi Agwu, said the buildings were pulled down because

of kidnapping activities.

He explained that it is a law in Abia state that any location owned by kidnappers or where they use for their activities or meeting point will be demolished.

The Security Adviser advised youths to take their studies seriously and desist from going into crime as whatever wealth they make will soon vanish.

He commended the level of support the government has received from people in the localities in form of intelligence and appealed to those in the urban areas to come up with more credible information to CONTINUED ON PAGE AT 2

the governor of a state is hard, but Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia state has all it takes to manage the state.

The immediate past Special Adviser to Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu on Youth Affairs, Hon. Prince Maduka Uwadi, disclosed this to newsmen after his investiture as the “Father of the Year” by the Methodist Church, Umuawa Alaocha men fellowship organization during this year’s celebration, using the occasion to felicitate with him on his victory at the Supreme court as well as his two years in office.

According to him, considering what he has been through, “I can say he has done well, especially with the many lawsuits imposed on him then.

“It means that he is good, that not minding all the distractions, he had continued to work for the people. God is really with and using Ikpeazu. His opponents have done their worst and will not do anything again”.

He advised them that they had kept the governor diliydallying for two years , advising them that if they like, they should join the governor in the development of the state.

“Let them bring their investment to Abia and impact positively on the people to prove their worth”, he advised.

Speaking earlier after giving him “Father of the year” award by the Methodist Church of Nigeria, Umuawa Men Fellowship Organisation, Hon. Maduka Uwadi thanked God for the award, stating that it will make him to do more for God, the church and the society, as people’s misunderstanding of his person has turned out to be to his advantage.

He described the award as the most valued among the hundreds he has received in his life and thanked God for his narrow escape from a fatal motor accident that left his vehicle turned upside down with him and two other friends inside.

The Abia Times

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Review tax band rates to increase contribution of PIT to total tax collection –CITN ÏÏÏ

The second tax compliance sensitization organized by the tax policy and administration faculty of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) has called for a review of the rates of the tax bands , as a way of increasing the contribution of PIT to total tax collection.

Briefing journalists in his palace at Amangwo-Olokoro, Umuahia South L.G.A, of Abia State on the outcome of the event which took place at Tax Professionals’ house, 16 Otunba Jobi Fele way, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, where he also presented a paper titled “the imperative of due dates for filing tax returns: the March 31 deadline, Eze Onyegbule recommended that more efforts should be made to get Personal Income Tax (PIT) to take the lead, pointing out that every income earned gets ultimately spent in the hands of individuals.

The Chartered tax practitioner said, “income tax is a direct tax and the burden falls on the individual who pays it. It is therefore an at-

tractive tool for national policy. The issue of tax burden lends it to being an instrument for income redistribution that can be used in achieving social reform.

“In terms of contribution to total tax revenue collection, up to the early forties, corporate tax accounted for a lion share of tax collection in the US. Subsequently, personal income tax took the lead to the extent that it produces about five times revenue than corporatetax. This pattern is nearly the same for other developed countries”.

Eze Onyegbule who noted that tax-to-GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is a measure of tax efforts, said “compared to the contribution of PIT in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, and with the fall in crude oil prices coupled with the migration tendencies of Multi-national Enterprises (MNEs), PIT is the place to go for the desired tax revenue maximization and desired increase in tax-to-GDP ratio.

Nigeria First Lady commissions sickle cell diagnosis centre in Umuahia, pleads for checkup before marriage Stories by Sunday Nwakanma Umuahia

ÏÏÏ

The wife of the Nigerian President, Aisha Buhari, Tuesday in Umuahia commissioned an ultra-modern Sickle Cell Diagnosis and Treatment Centre built by the Abia First Lady and wife of the state Governor, Deaconess Nkechi Ikpeazu, under her pet project, Vicar Hope Foundation.

Speaking at the state international conference Centre after commissioning the centre, Aisha Buhari said the event is taking place at a time when the world focuses on the scourge, describing sickle cell as deadly.

Mrs Buhari, who was represented by the wife of the former governor of Kebbi state, Dea-

coness Grace Chama, disclosed that most people affected by the disease may not achieve their dreams and some may not live to actualize their ambitions.

While expressing her happiness with Mrs. Ikpeazu for building the centre which will reduce the disease in the state in particular and the country at large, said her pet project, Future Assured Programme, takes the health of Nigerians serious, hence the centre is in line with the inspiration of Future Assured Programme.

She urged people to take the issue very serious and not to wave it aside, while calling on mothers to inform their children to “see very well before becoming blind and fall in love”.

Also speaking, the wife of Enu-

gu State Governor, Mrs. Monica Ugwuanyi, advised all to take the message down to the rural areas.

In his speech, the state Governor Okezie Ikpeazu ,said his administration is committed to assisting the project as health is one of the cardinal policies of his administration.

He commended the Vicar Hope Foundation and its facilitators over the occasion, pointing out that the centre was an extension of his administration’s health programme.

Ikpeazu who was represented by his deputy, Ude Oko Chukwu, pledged to support and partner the foundation, while calling on parents to ensure they check their genotype before going into marriage.

Establish theological institutions to produce leaders with fear of God –VC, ASUTHS urges FG ÏÏÏ The Vice Chancellor All Saints

University of Theology and Seminary (ASUTHS), Prof. Ugbogu Ambrose, has called on the Federal Government to establish theological institutions which will produce leaders with the fear of God. Ugbogu insisted that if theological institutions established by the Federal Government are established by the Federal Government across the states of the federation, leaders with the fear of God will spring up and the country will be better.

Presenting his welcome address at ASUTHS Umuahia campus, Abia State, during the 11th matriculation and 10th convocation, international ordination and licensing, Prof. Ugbogu reminded the gathering that the university lay much emphasis on spiritual excellence of the students of the institution.

“To be precise, ASUTHS is an institution established for spiritual and academic excellence in order to bring up men and women in the fear of God and as well provoke academic interest and zeal that will make them study the word of God to show them-

selves approved unto God according to the scripture”, he pointed out.

The VC said one unique thing about ASUTHS which is affiliated to Nations University USA, is that the programme of the institution was prepared to meet the academic standard of other university counterparts and her superiority over other universities is because of her much emphasis on spiritual excellence of the students of the institution.

He seized the opportunity to call on the well spirited individuals, corporate bodies to assist the institution procure college bus for evangelism, more books to the library to aid students for more research, scholarship for zealous students that lack financial support to continue their programmes etc.

In his homily tagged “Divine Mandate”, the homilist, Rev. Dr. Emmanuel Ugboaja, urged the celebrant to deliver after four years of training.

He reminded the celebrants that, the era that is existing now is an era of provocation and as such should preach provokingly, adding, “If you are not provoked, you are not called

by God”.

Abia police parades fake solider, other criminals CONTINUED FROM PAGE AT 1

help government in fishing out criminals.

In his speech, the executive chairman, Umuahia South LGA, Obioma Ogbulafor, said the state government through the exercise has sent a clear signal to men of the underworld that Abia is not safe for them and urged kidnappers in the state to relocate.

Some of the locals who spoke including the youth leader and vigilante chairman of Umuerim community said the demolition of the buildings will serve as deterrent to other youths who may want to go into crime and lauded the state government for coming to their rescue as the kidnappers have been a source of threat to the community.

The Methodist Prelate, His Eminence, Dr. Samuel Chukwuemeka Kanu Uche (3rd left) and Secretary of Conference, Rt. Rev .

(Dr.) Michael Akinwale (4th left) And Other Ministers at the Methodist Bishops Conference in Umuahia

32nd ABSU inaugural lecture highlights panacea for safe motherhood in Nigeria ÏÏÏ

To achieve safe motherhood in Nigeria and significantly reduce maternal mortality ratio, the native healthcare service should be adequate, accessible, affordable and user-friendly.

This panacea was handed down, Wednesday to Nigerians by the 32nd inaugural lecturer and Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Prof.

Christian Obioma Aluka, while delivering the lecture titled, “I ShallDeliver Like The Hebrew Women: Cultural, Religious And Political Challenges To Safe Motherhood In Nigeria”, stating the obvious fact that for the Nigerian woman to deliver like the Hebrew women, myths, religious ambiguities, as well as political inconsistencies must be courageously and sincerely addressed.

He said the country needs to review its strategies of Millennium Development Goal, MDG, on maternal mortality rate, MMR, stating thatfamilies should be carried along, while the communities have important roles to play in self-care at home.

The lecturer also advised that

pregnant women and the family should be educated on hygiene,while the community should be encouraged to abolish obnoxious motherhood cultural/traditional practices and should be involved in reproductive practices,and faith-based organizations and their leaders should be involved.

He regretted that the key issues that affect MMR in Nigeria include poorly developed socio-economic and political process, early marriage, teenage pregnancy and high parity.

According to the lecturer, “In Nigeria, hardly anything works; poor electricity supply, transportation, schools, judiciary, sports, and health institutions. Everything is in chaos”, he said pointing out that the underlying words are, “corruption and indiscipline”.

“The risk factors are compounded by poor developed social, economic and political processes”, which he said will lead to “poor obstetrics care, thereby causing dead mothers, injured mothers, deaf babies, injured babies, VVF and botched or unsafe abortions”, Prof. Aluka.

He named illiteracy, poverty, poor nutrition, ignorance and poor use of available services as other contributors to unsafe motherhood in the country.

Other socio-economic determinants, he said, include cultural factors, poor transport system and telecommunication through delays in accessing healthcare facilities, organizational problems in healthcare services and poor wages as well as brain drain and sometimes “delay inseeking care, reaching care or receiving care”.

Prof. Aluka highlighted the challenges facing safe motherhood to also include political challenge, human rights, empowerment of women, vital economic and social investment, depressed economy and poverty, Earlier in his opening speech, the chairman of the occasion and the Vice Chancellor, Prof.

Uche E. Ikonne, explained that Abia State University has the core mandate of expanding knowledge through inaugural lectures through copious researches by academics.

e

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, June 27, 2017

3 The Abia Times

Foster unity in your communities –Ikpeazu tells Ohuhu people, other communities ÏÏÏ Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of

L-R: Deputy Governor of Abia State, Sir Ude Okochukwu; Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu; his wife, Nkechi Ikpeazu; Abia State Chief Judge, Justice Theresa Uzokwe; Former Governor of Abia State and Senator representing Abia Central senatorial zone, Sen. Theodore Orji and his Abia South counterpart, Sen Mao Ohuabunwa, during an Interdenominational Church Service to mark the 2nd Anniversary /Thanksgiving service and Re-dedication of Abia State at the International Conference Centre in Umuahia...recently

Vision Africa has planted more than 130 churches, given free medical services to Nigerians –President Stories by Sunday Nwakanma Umuahia

ÏÏÏ

Non- Governmental Organization, Vision Africa and its affiliate Nigerian Inter-Faith Action Association (NIFAA),has said more than 700,000 Nigerians have received free medical services from it while more than 130 churches has been planted in Nigeria.

Speaking at the Michael Okpara auditorium, Umuahia Abia State, during the Vision Africa 20th anniversary and impact converge 2017, the President Vision Africa and Executive Director of Nigerian Inter-Faith Action Association (NIFAA), Bishop Sunday Ndukwo Onuoha, reeled out other impact of Vision Africa to include founding of an independent radio station- Vision Africa radio, visit to prisons and orphanage, peace and reconciliation; Church planting, and impacting knowledge/growing another generation through countless conferences, conventions, seminars, workshops and skill acquisition for youth, and free medical care to more than 700,000 Nigerians.

He said Vision Africa’s carefully structured process for planting churches, has reaped tremendous results, adding, “As at today, Vision Africa has planted 130 churches. This week we planted three new churches. The churches were opened with a revival and free medical care.

“Over half a million dollars in donated medicines have been distributed during our medical outreach. Just this week, about eight

hundred people received our free medical treatment at Ikwuano L.G.A, of Abia State”, he added.

Bishop Onuoha thanked the administration of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo for granting Vision Africa radio licence and Abia State government for creating the enabling environment for Vision Africa, particularly when they were setting up the radio station.

In his speech, the Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, commended Bishop Onuoha for giving back to the society stating, “for Vision Africa to take care of 700, 000 people means that he (Bishop Onuoha) has succeeded in saving lives worth 700,000, who would have been dead by now”.

The Imo governor represented by his Chief of Staff, Ugwumba Uche Nwosu said he does not joke with any mission that involves show of charity and commended the President Vision Africa and Executive Director of Nigerian Inter-Faith Action Association (NIFAA), Bishop Sunday Ndukwo Onuoha, for sharing the same vision with Rochas foundation.

He said the worst thing one would practice in life is primitive accumulation of wealth, pointing out that the best thing that would happen to a man is giving out/ impacting positively to the society.

In order to further encourage Vision Africa in its humanitarian services, Gov. Okorocha donated a brand new bus to the organization.

Speaking also, the Governor of Abia State, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, represented by the Deputy Speak-

er of Abia House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Cosmos Ndukwe, reiterated his administration’s willingness to accommodate more investors in the State as it has succeeded in maintaining an enabling/friendly environment.

Speaking respectively, the father of the day, His Eminence Dr. Sunday Mbang, spiritual father of the day and Prelate Methodist Church Nigeria, His Eminence Dr. Sunday Uche, described Bishop Onuoha as a great man who will go places and appealed to the US partners to keep on supporting the Vision Africa.

In his opening remarks, the Chairman of the occasion, Prof.

Joe Irukwu, said Vision Africa has touched many lives in this part of the country and thanked Bishop Onuoha for the inspiration and the dreams he had which came through the conceptualization and realization of Vision Africa.

Prof. Irukwu who said Bishop Onuoha has shown that character and hard work pays a great deal, pointed out that he has created an enabling environment which helps the youth to attain their desired goal in life, and commended the Vision Africa United States partners for their assistance to the Vision Africa.

The US partners Martha Stott, Prof. Chulk Pollack, Presenter KCBI USA, Sharon Geiger, Executive Director Vision Africa, Doffy Johnson, Engr. Paul Hunter and Tom Leiser, as well as other dignitaries from various states of the federation, graced the occasion.

Abia state has challenged development unions in the state to use their positions to engender peace and foster unity in the communities.

Governor Ikpeazu handed down this advice in Umuahia while receiving in audience, a delegation of Ohuhu Welfare Union, who came on courtesy call at Government House, urging them to come up with the strategies of developing the rural areas and submit same to State government.

The Governor said his administration would ensure all farm estates acquired by former leader of the defunct Eastern region and son of Ohuhu, late Dr. Michael Okpara, stating that Okpara’s wisdom will be applied to achieve the vision of the man, which was to make the State great in rice, palm oil and cocoa production.

Ikpeazu directed the Commissioner for Agriculture to get full brief on the farm estates in Ohuhu for his attention, maintaining that his administration believes in using agriculture as a pivotal for achieving economic development.

According to Ikpeazu, his administration would revive the 62 water projects in the State, including that of Ohuhu regional water scheme at Umuegwu Okpuala as well as rehabilitate the Ohuhu ring road as well intervene in the erosion manace in the land.

In his speech, the President General, Ohuhu Welfare Union Mr. Johnson Kanu, said they came to introduce their new executive to him, and congratulated him on the revalidation of his mandate, while using the opportunity to highlight their challenges, including revitalization of their water scheme and farm settlement, among others.

FRSC anniversary debate: 4 get scholarship from philanthropist ÏÏÏ

Four Senior Secondary School (SSS 2) students, early this week, received scholarship for their brilliant performance during a debate organised to mark the eighth anniversary of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Ohafia Unit Command.

This benevolence came from a philanthropist in the state, Mr Tony Ndu, who presented the cheques to the beneficiaries for the scholarship during a brief ceremony, held at Ohafia unit command on Thursday, amidst wild jubilation by the students, their parents and tutors.

The beneficiaries include Margaret Kalu and Divine Uma of Ucy Model School, Ebem as well as Deborah Lebechi and Anthony Dominic of Ifemba International Academy, Akanu both in Ohafia Local Government Area (LGA) of Abia.

Speaking during the occasion, Ndu said the scholarship was for the students’ SS 2, SS3 and West African School Certificate Examination, stating that he was impressed with the “brilliant performance” of the students from both the proposing and opposing schools.

“These students were outstanding. I am deeply impressed by their brilliance during the debate,” Ndu, an Ohafia-based legal practitioner, said.

He further said that he was

motivated to reward the students, following the inspiring recommendations about their academic performance by their school authorities.

He advised the students to remain focused in their studies and promised to renew the scholarship for their university education.

He also promised to offset the fines owed by commercial motorcyclists in Ohafia and Arochukwu LGAs to FRSC and purchase 150 helmets for them.

In his speech, the Assistant Corps Commander in charge of the unit, Mr Charles Ezichi, expressed profound gratitude to Ndu for redeeming his pledge.

Ezichi described him as “a worthy Nigerian, philanthropist of note and a lover of education”, stating that the debate was organised to celebrate the eighth anniversary of the unit and contribute to the development of education.

Ndu said that he made the pledge during the schools’ debate on “The use of helmet” on April 8.

Parents of the students, Mr Kalu Iro, Mrs Rebecca Ômasiri Uma, Reverend Lebechi and Mrs. Veronica Dominic, who were visibly excited by the gesture, prayed God to reward Ndu bountifully for putting smiles on their faces.

The Abia Times 4

Interview

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, June 27, 2017

If given the opportunity, I will run again for Abia North Senatorial election, come 2019 –Bourdex Chief (Dr) David Onuoha Ogba Bourdex is a telecom expert in Aba and All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate for Abia North Senatorial District in the 2015 general election .In this interview by SUNDAY NWAKANMA in his Abiriba country home, Chief (Dr) David Onuoha Ogba, popularly known by his business name, Bourdex, disclosed that he will run again for the seat in 2019, if given the chance.

Excerpts:

Reports have it that you have concluded plans to defect to the All Progressive Congress (APC), is that true?

Well you called it rumours and that is what it is. There will always be rumours especially when a politician is involved. The first rumour was that I had defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The second one is that I am now in the All Progressive Congress (APC). You called it rumours and that is what it is. But I have always told everyone that I am a Board of Trustees (BoT) member of the APGA. What differences would your presence have made if you were in the Red Chambers of the National Assembly which you contested for in the 2015 general election?

My people are not seeing any dividends of democracy. We have been two years into this administration in the country and nothing has changedin Abia North Senatorial District. We are not seeing any roads network being undertaken. We don’t see electricity being improved on.

We don’t see the lives of the people being improved on. We don’t see our schools being rehabilitated. And those are the things that would have changed. We don’t see anyone heaving a sigh of relief in the sense that what the people voted for had been actualized. So that is the difference I would have made because I have the reach, I have the contact, I have the wherewithal.

What then would have differentiated you from some senators it you had been there?

Some of them went there to look for what to eat. And that is where I am different from them. And before they begin to work for the masses, their immediate concern will be how to recover the money they spent during the campaign and then begin to prepare for 2019.

If given the opportunity, will you run again for the Senate in 2019?

Yes, I will run again. Definitely yes, I will.

Going by recent utterances and body language of some

members of your party, it appears they are disenchanted with its governorship candidate in the 2015 general election, Dr. Alex Otti?

To be honest with you, I am not aware of that. There will always be people who will have disagreement with somebody. They will always be people who will have their own opinion. But as far as I can tell and from what I see on ground, our governorship candidate in the person of Dr. Alex Otti is still very popular in the state. So I don’t agree that there are a lot of disenchantments against him by the people.

What messages were you passing to the people of the state when you paid Governor Okezie Ikpeazu a visit at Government House, Umuahia to congratulate him on his victory over Dr. Uche Ogah before Supreme Court over the PDP 2015 primaries for the governorship ticket?

The message I passed was very simple. We are politicians and not enemies. And the fact that the court has affirmed him as the governor of the state does not change our position as a different political party.

But it does affirm that we have only one governor now. And since the state is our collective heritage, it is also our collective responsibility to encourage him to work for the citizenry. So that was the message I was passing that people should come together and support him for the well being of the state so that he will be able to have that conducive working environment that a leader will need to perform, so that if he does not perform we will now be standing on legitimate ground to now complain that he did not do anything. But if we go all out and fight him and make the state ungovernable for him then we will have no right to begin to complain from your comfort zone. Since he has been affirmed as the governor it is the duty of every citizen of the state to give him the support so that he can work because you cannot change anything. There is nothing you can do about it. He is already the governor. That is the message I was passing. Politics should be like sports. When you lose, you shake the hand of youropponent and then life goes on.

Did you attempt to shake Ohuabunwa’s hand after he was declared as winner of the senatorial election?

Emm… to be honest with you, I have not seen him since he became a senator. And if I were him, I would have visited my opponents.

Because all the time he was in the House of Representatives, I was supporting him. I gave him money.

I went to Arochukwu several times just to give him support. So he is a friend. And there were also occasions when he had helped me in business dealings by introducing

Bourdex me to somebody that did something for me. So I don’t forget that. And while preparing for my Ime Uche (traditional retirement) ceremony last year, I sent him two cards – one to his office in Lagos and the other to his house in Arochukwu. I then followed it up with phone calls. I called him three good times but he did not pick the calls. I sent him a text message, he never replied. So, yes, if I did not have spirit of sportsmanship, I wouldn’t have done all those things. So that went beyond congratulating him, even though I didn’t have the right to do so because he rigged the election. But I still reached out to him, extended a hand of friendship to him but he rebuffed it.

Your party appears to be losing vigour and steam it campaigned with in the last general election in the state?

This is not campaign period. Wait until the campaign starts again, then I will see whether you will tell me our party is losing the vigour and steam, or not.

What is the idea behind vision of Bourdex Events Center Abiriba which by all considerations is of five-star standard?

I always do my things differently.

And I also like to leave a mark in everything I do. The centre was not planned. It was a spur of the moment decision that I just took because anybody who has been to my house in Abiriba will see that the topography of the place is such that it is very much sloppy that you cannot put canopies that will take the large number of invitees that I was expecting. And because of that, I approached my friend who has a land beside the house to give me the place so that I could level it and prepare it for the ceremony, but he refused. When that failed, I now took a last minute decision and said why do I want to bother with this when I have a football field in front of my house? Why don’t I just go there and

The truth of the matter is that if you defeat from a party to another, you are not very likely to carry all your supporters with you to the new party, some will refuse to go with you. That is the truth of the matter. build a befitting place to host the crowd that I expected to come? And so it was justlike that. That was in middle of November already when the ceremony was supposed to hold on December 28. So I called Lagos and brought down all my engineers and all the workers that were needed for that job and they came and we worked day and night and in 45 days, we achieved what you see there.

At what cost?

The cost was close to N200 million. Though we didn’t have a budget when we started, but we just kept going. So that is the thing. It wasn’t about cost; it was about retiring in style and making a statement that we are still here in spite of what people thought. Theythought they had taken all my money during the campaign, but I told them no, they had only scratched the surface.

What message do you have for you supporters who have been straining their ears to hear from you after the general election and the way forward?

The message I have for them is that they should stay where they are.

What we went through during the election including the re-run was a learning period. Now we have seen where we made mistakes and we are going to correct them. I want them to stay where they are, keep organizing all those who are not yet in our party to come and join us.

Abia state wants APGA. We won all the elections in the state in 2015 and everybody knows that and most people knew what happened. In fact, my message to them is that they should not lose hope. They should begin to organize themselves at their different units, ward, and local government areas for the fight ahead. So that is the message I have for them.

Just last week, the membership of your party in the state House of Assembly was depleted by one from nine when the member representing Aba South State Constituency defected to the PDP. What would you like to tell the others?

I would advise them to remember how they got to where they are today in the first place. I would also know that the young ones are watching them and that it is always good to be grateful to the hands that helped you when you needed help. I don’t believe running from one party to another is a good thing for any politician or anybody at all.

For instance in business, one of the very important rules to success is that you must identify what you are good at and stick to it. If you won election on the platform of APGA for goodness sake, stay there and build that foundation, nurture it, preserve it. Build your foundation in such a way that those who took you there, will again to do in 2019.

So that is what I will advise those who are still in APGA to remain and remember how they got there in the first place. The truth of the matter is that if you defeat from a party to another, you are not very likely to carry all your supporters with you to the new party, some will refuse to go with you. That is the truth of the matter. And if you begin to loose some of your supporters two years to election, then you know what that means.

According to our records, you have bagged many awards and honours both locally and internationally. One of them was your being installed as a patron of the Christian Men Organization (CMO) of St Dominic Catholic Church, Yaba Lagos in Archdiocese of Lagos. What does the honour mean to you?

It means a great deal to me because you remember in the Holy Bible, there is this statement by Jesus Christ that man should not live by bread alone. So while we are talking politics and APGA, we must remain close to the Most High. The recognition by the organization means a lot to me. It gives me hope that while I am pursuing worldly things I am not loosing on the spiritual side.

Business Times Daily Times Nigeria

FG can save $1.5bn annually using natural gas vehicles

Page B2

Invest in agriculture, Igbinosun tells FG Titus Akhigbe, Benin The Managing director,P~MAN integrated Service Nig. Limited (PMIS)), Mr. Peter lgbinosun, has called on the federal, states and local government to invest in agriculture to enable teeming unemployed youths get employed. He made the assertion in an interview after the commissioning of the P-MAN integrated Services Nigeria Limited office in Benin City.

The agricultural maestro who is also a grassroots farmer strongly cautioned government in all different levels to maintain proper keeping of records related to agric sector in other to make the industry sustainable and feed the nation, as it was during 1970s.

Igbinosun who is the retired out-Grower Manager, Rubber Estate Nigeria Limited, also appealed to the federal, states and local government to create a conducive environment for agriculture to thrive in the country.

P-MAN Integrated Service Limited equally called for the funding of various of research institutes in Nigeria, and that Federal Government should have a data-base of all farmers..

Naira stabilises at 368/$1 at unofficial market Page B4

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Banks’ exposure to Etisalat’s $1.2 billion loan given –Report

Page B3

Madagascar joins Afreximbank

Ganiyu Obaaro

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) said on Monday, that Madagascar had joined the bank as a participating state.

A statement by the continental trade finance institution in Lagos, said Béatrice Jeanine Atallah, Minister of Foreign Affairs

of Madagascar, formalized the country’s membership of the bank on June 24.

According to the statement, the signing of the instrument commits Madagascar to take all necessary steps for the ratification of the Establishment Agreement of the bank.

“Membership of the bank

gives Madagascar automatic access to the full range of products and facilities offered by Afreximbank, including trade finance facilities, project finance services, trade information and advisory services, among other.

“Under the terms of the Agreement, new countries are required to first issue an instrument of

Group Chief Risk Officer, Dangote Group, Mrs. Adenike Fajemirokun (3rd left), with Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode; Mr Hakeem Adeniji-Adele, Microsoft’s Public Sector Director (1st left); Oladokun Oye, Director Direct Sales, Airtel (2nd left); and Mr Olawale Oluwo, Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, at the inauguration of Lagos State Science and Innovation Council held recently.

acceptance and accession and then proceed to formally ratify the Agreement in order to fully activate their membership of the bank,” it said.

Current Afreximbank participating states include Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, and Lesotho.

Others are, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Sao Tome and Principe, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Participating States would become shareholders when they acquire shares in the bank.

Afreximbank shareholders are a mix of public and private entities divided into four classes.

They consist of African governments, central banks, regional and sub-regional institutions, private investors and financial institutions, as well as non-African financial institutions, export credit agencies and private investors.

Class “A” shareholders are African states, African central banks and African public institutions, including the African Development Bank, while Class “B,” is made up of African financial institutions and African private investors.

NSITF to clamp down on defaulting employers over registration Joy Ekeke The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) has said that it will soon begin the process of mandating defaulting

BUSINESS TIMES Business Editor Ganiyu Obaaro

Deputy Business Editor Azubike Nnadozie Asst. Business Editor Simon Ugwu Capital Market Editor Bonny Amadi

employers to register with the fund.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive of the fund, Adebayo Somefun, who said this in Abuja, Federal Capital warned employers of labour to comply with this directive or be seriously sanctioned in line with the provision of the law setting up the Fund.

He said that although government has made NSITF registration mandatory for companies executing government contracts, many companies still defaulted.

Somefun added that the NSITF has employed dialogue

for too long; and will soon have to sue recalcitrant employers who perpetually refuse to heed the calling of the Fund.

He, however, said that the penalty stipulated in its Act for defaulting employers of labour was too small and did not serve in anyway as a deterrent to them.

Somefun, therefore, added that the NSITF would seek an amendment to its establishment Act and the Employees’ Compensation Act, so that employers of labour can be more compelled to enrol their employees in the scheme.

He said, “Dialogue is very im-

portant, we will try to persuade them and also use the apparatus of government and the law. We must mandate them because it is mandatory.

“Where persuasion has failed, I believe we can try to mandate them: There have been circulars previously written to them, but we still have some recalcitrant employers who are yet to comply.

According to him,“We will still try and persuade them and enforce where necessary, unfortunately the penalty is so small.

“So, I believe that this Act also has to be amended to give stiffer penalties against defaulting

companies.”

He said that he was currently in discussion with his management team about how best to pursue the amendment of the Act to ensure that stiffer penalties are put in place.

Speaking on the core functions of the NSITF, he said that part of his plans for the Fund is to make Nigerians aware of its core functions .

He said that the statutory responsibility of the NSITF was to compensate employees, who suffer from occupational diseases, sustain injury or disability from accidents from work place or in the course of employment.

Business News B2

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, June 27, 2017

CBN’s intervention in forex market temporal – Expert Motolani Oseni A Public Administration lecturer at the Nassarawa State University, Prof. Charles Nwaekeaku has said the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) interventions in the Foreign Exchange Market (FOREX) is only a temporary relief.

Nwaekeaku, of the Pubic Administration Department, told newsmen in Abuja that the CBN might not be able to sustain the interventions.

“CBN’s intervention in the foreign exchange business is a welcome development but it is a temporary relief because the money CBN injects into the foreign exchange is money derived from oil.

“That means that anytime the price of oil falls again the money will vanish and we do not have much reserve and that means the measure is temporal,” he said.

He suggested that what should actually be done was for government to ensure good

business environment in the country and diversify the economy.

According to him, if we go into manufacturing, productivity will increase and when that is done, the pressure on the foreign exchange will reduce.

“This is because we will not be asking for foreign exchange for goods and services that we can produce locally.

“The problem is that the demand for foreign exchange is very high and the money from oil is what is being used to sup-

ply and it is temporal, it is not sustainable.

“Therefore, government should make efforts to diversify the economy and ensure that we reduce the demand for foreign exchange.

“When we reduce the demand for foreign exchange and then increase productivity, even prices of things will come down and then you will have sustained foreign exchange regime.

The don noted that due to the inflationary nature of Ni-

EU worried over 372 trade barriers against exporters

Electricity: Nigeria reaps N48bn from Niger, Benin, Togo

Bonny Amadi, with Agency report The EU has expressed worry over 372 trade barriers against its exporters in 2016 largely by some of the G20 countries.

The union in its annual report published on Monday stated that largest share of the barriers came from Russia, Brazil, China, India and Indonesia.

The EU expressed concern that Russia introduced the largest number of new trade barriers faced by European exporters in 2016.

According to the report, the measures introduced by Russia could potentially affect trade flows worth up to 12.26 billion euros (13.71 billion dollars).

The report stated that along with Russia, the other countries topping the list of places that have introduced the most new protectionist measures in 2016 include Switzerland and Algeria.

Simon Ugwu

Deputy Governor of Anambra State, Dr. Nkem C. Okeke (middle) as advocate visited the Executive Secretary, Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate, PTAD,Sharon Ikeazor (Right) in company of a Pensioner,Dr.Joy Ikokwu (Left) to discuss improving pension administration in Nigeria on Friday 23rd ,June,2017.

FG can save $1.5bn annually using natural gas vehicles

Simon Ugwu With 1 million vehicles on Natural Gas, the Federal Government will save foreign exchange of about $1.5 billion required in purchasing four billion litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) annually.

The Managing Director, NIPCO Plc, Sanjay Teotia stated this at the Nigerian Gas Association 2017 Business Forum, held recently in Lagos.

“Beside the environmental benefits from Natural Gas Vehicles (NGVs), developing the Nigerian NGV industry will be a profitable proposition, NGVs in Nigeria has huge potential for

geria’s economy, when goods were imported into the country the price of such goods were usually high.

This, according to him, is because such goods have to be transported, they have to be warehoused and the importers still have to tackle with power, all of these increasing costs.

He said that these factors made the prices of goods in the market to continue to rise in spite of the interventions by the government in Forex.

creating jobs and a large market for gas, thereby providing alternatives to petrol usage and saving foreign exchange for the Nigerian government,” he said.

“Liquid fuels are being imported, Premium Motor Spirit ( PMS) is subsidized, NAIRA weakening adds to subsidy burden while Natural gas is abundantly available, which is clean, environmental friendly, safe & economical,” he added.

Speaking further, he said, beside the environmental benefits from NGVs, developing the Nigerian NGV industry will be a profitable proposition. NGVs in Nigeria according to him has huge potential for creating

jobs and a large market for gas, thereby providing alternatives to petrol usage and saving foreign exchange for the Nigerian government Countries that have adapted NGVs according to him have enacted extensive technical and safety standards for both NGVs & CNG dispensing stations, ISO standards have already been established for design of various components of the NGV fuel system, Filling station equipment such as compressors, storage cylinders adding that Nigeria should adapt these regulatory requirements.

Talking on investment stimulation, he said clear strategic

plan to increase the share of natural gas in the Nigerian fuel mix be put in place by the government. So also strong regime commitment, liberal licensing regime for setting up CNG dispensing stations, investments in widespread availability of natural gas through well-established pipeline distribution network Government policies to waive off custom duties on NGVs. So also subsidy to vehicle owners to convert their vehicles, introduce NGVs in public transportation system – taxi fleet, mass transit buses, mandate use of NGVs in all departments of Local/State/Federal governments.

Minister of Power, Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola, according to a communiqué at the end of the 15th monthly power sector meeting, said N48 billion was received by the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company (NBET) from Niger and Republic of Benin/Togo.

He said the payment was for electricity charges to the countries with a combined balance of $92million to be paid to NBET. The minister stated the payments were made through the power companies, NIGELEC of the Republic of Niger and Community Electric du Benin of the Republic of Benin (CEB).

The Managing Director of Ibom Power Company Limited, Meyen Etukudo, has explained why Nigeria supplies electricity to Niger, Republic of Benin and Togo despite acute power shortages.

He spoke at the monthly meeting of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Uyo Chapter, where he presented a paper on “Ibom Power Plant and the future of electricity in Akwa Ibom Sate and Nigeria”.

Etukudo said: “The decision is both economic and political, but more of economic.”

The MD, who until his appointment was the Assistant General Manager (330kV lines) Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and a member of International Lines, explained that it is economical because Nigeria receives payment from Niger and Republic of Benin/Togo for the electricity supplied in foreign currency.

Etukudo, who is also a member of West African Power Pool (WAPP), a cooperation of the national electricity companies in Western Africa under the auspices of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), said two major power plants in Nigeria; Kainji and Jebba are hydroelectric plants fed by River Niger.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, June 27, 2017

B3 Capital Market

Quoted companies rejig amidst recession Bonny Amadi

Nigerian companies are currently exploiting innovative avenues to navigate out of the prevailing economic recession. Their aim, according to findings, is to strategically positioned themselves to deliver more value to all stakeholders.

Top Chief Executives of companies from diversified sectors, members of panel of discussants at a recent Nigerian Stock Exchange’sBloomberg CEO Roundtable in Nigeria, agreed that the recession has a debilitating impact on companies, and in some cases, provided an opportunity to cut costs, check exposures and re-strategize operations.

One of them is,Mr. Demola Sogunle, CEO of Stanbic IBTC Bank.

Sogunle, while reflecting on the

impact of recession on banking operations, said that 2015 was a tough year for Nigerian banks, as it affected the quality of loan books, both personal and corporate, adding that, “People were just not able to pay. The loans became impaired.

The situation was the same in 2016 and was exacerbated by forex illiquidity.”

On how businesses coped with the challenge presented by the recession, Sogunle said that when considering companies with which to do backward integration, his bank looked at firms, who were able to source raw materials locally, and whose reliance on foreign currency was moderated, or those who were in a position to export and could earn FX to bring in their imports.

The stanbic IBTC bank boss, added that in a further bid to reduce

costs, his bank went more digital and reduced its branches leading to rationalization.

He said, his bank also made changes in terms of channels and internal operations, leading to faster delivery of service to customers.

“We scaled down on sectors. In agriculture, for instance, we identified key subsectors to work with Managing Director, Okomu Palm Oil Company Plc, Graham Hefer, said that agriculture, recorded remarkable drop in revenue, which led to cost reduction. He said, he had problems with sourcing forex and importing materials, and was also challenged by smuggled crude oil palm from neighboring African countries.

Hefer however posited that recession helped his company aggressively lower costs, while guarding

NSE’s trading floor

Citi’s over 1600 volunteers celebrate community day Č9ƌƍ ƅƐ ƒƆƏ ƣƠƠ Bonny Amadi More than 1,600 Citi volunteers in Aba, Abuja, Kano, Lagos, Port-Harcourt and Warri engaged in service activities across their localities, as Citi celebrated its 12th annual Global Community Day recently.

Activities in Lagos included, a Financial Literacy and Entrepreneurship discussion, which featured renowned panelists, Mrs. Simi Nwogugu Executive Director of JAN and Dr. Uju Rapu a medical doctor and Founder of Bel Fiore; a medical aesthetic service specialized in non-surgical, minimally invasive cosmetic and anti-ageing procedures.

The programme was spiced with interesting issues, including Global Community Day, Citi colleagues, alumni, clients; family and friends volunteered their time, working on 1,500 service projects across the world, ranging from urban revitalization, mentorship, job skills’ training and disaster relief.

In Nigeria, volunteers lead sporting activities, financial literacy and entrepreneurship workshops, and donated supplies to, the Pacelli School for the Blind and Partially Sighted, Down syndrome Foundation

Nigeria (DSFN) and the SOS Children’s Village.

The donations were also extended to, Bethesda Child Support Agency (Bethesda), OLG Health Foundation & Autism Center, Saint Anne’s Orphanage Effurun, Ngwa High School, Abayi, Green Pasture and Home Initiative, as well as, Port Harcourt Children’s Home.

“On behalf of the management and staff of Saint Anne’s Orphanage Effurun in Uwvie local government area of Delta State, we wish to appreciate your company for the assistance you rendered to our orphanage…We count on your continued support to help create a better future for the children” Saint Anne’s Orphanage said.

Global Community Day offers wide range of service opportunities in community development and non-profit partnership to help advance cities and neighborhoods.

Citi volunteers in the Middle East and Africa, for the second year, participated in efforts that support the Citi Foundation’s Pathways to Progress initiative.

Volunteers empowered youth through an educational drive, which aimed to reduce educational inequality and

Banks’ exposure to Etisalat’s $1.2 billion loan given –Report Ï1Ƒ Ə Ɛƕè ƅƅƆ è Ɛ ƆƏ ƌƆƗ

Afolabi Adesola Following the failed negotiations on debt management and debt restructuring between Etisalat and Nigerian Banks, Exotix Partners, a UK- based Specialist Investment Bank, has released a report outlining the impact of the $1.2billion loan on the affected banks.

The report revealed that Zenith Bank, which carries a total of US$262 million (N80 billion) of the Syndicated US$1.2 billion Etisalat loan, Zenith Bank has the highest exposure of 3.5 per cent in relation to its loan book, The report further showed Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB)

comes next with an exposure or 2.6 per cent, through the loan of US$137 million or N42 billion against the bank’s total loans of N1.6 trillion for the 2016 financial year.

Next on the list was Access Bank’s US$131million or N40 billion to Etisalat representing 2.2 percent of its total N1.8 trillion loans in 2016.

UBA’s loan of N37 billion, represented 2.5 per cent of its loan book, FBN Holdings’ N24 billion, amounted to 1.2 per cent of the bank’s loan book, Fidelity’s N17.5 billion, resulted in a 2.4 percent exposure, Stanbic’s N7.3 billion, stood at 2.1 per cent exposure and FCMB’s N4.5 billion, represented 0.7 per cent of its

FY 2016 loan book.

The report, however, identified the impact of the Etisalat Loans as manageable, noting that the loan has a modest impact on the affected banks.

A sensitivity analysis carried out in the report, projects that the loan’s impact on Zenith Bank’s 2017f profit, Equity and Capital Adequacy ratio may be -19%, -3% and -0.5% respectively.

For GTB the impact is projected at -7%, -2% and -0.3% on 2017f profit, Equity and Capital Adequacy ratio respectively, while the impact of the loans on Access Bank’s 2017f profit, Equity and Capital Adequacy ratio is pegged at -15%, -2% and -0.3% respectively.

The investment bankers pegged the impact on profit, Equity and Capital Adequacy ratio, for UBA at -14%, -2% and -0.4% respectively; for FBN Holdings at -15%, -1% and -0.2% respectively; For Fidelity at -43%, -2% and -0.4% respectively; For Stanbic at -4%, -1% and -0.2% respectively; and for FCMB at -8%,

-1% and -0.1% respectively, adding that FCMB and Fidelity profit sensitivities based on FY 16 profits given loss making or low income in 2017f.

“At a headline level, loans to Etisalat Nigeria represent 1.9 per cent of aggregate bank loans.

Likewise on our sensitiv-

ity analysis the Etisalat loans would on average have a -12%, -2% and -0.3 bp impact on our FY17f net profit, equity and capital adequacy ratios for the banks, respectively.”

“We believe the banks should easily be able to absorb a shock of this magnitude.

Summary of trading activities on NSE ASI DEALS

34,135.10

VOLUME

5,771.00 482,517,239.00

VALUE

5,681,917,133.30

CAP

11,803,865,485,965.34

Money Market B4 CBN engages entrepreneurs, Nigerians over various intervention programs The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), at the weekend, engaged entrepreneurs and residents in Lagos on its various intervention programmes meant to stimulate the economy and boost people’s living standards.

The programme had, as its theme: “Promoting financial stability and economic development.At the event, the bank reiterated its determination to enlighten the public about their rights and privileges with respect to customer relationships with commercial banks.

The event came on the heels of a similar forum the apex bank had with Ogun State farmers and Small and Medium scale Enterprises’ (SMEs’) operators in Abeokuta, the state capital, in an effort to bring more people into the formal financial sector relationship.

The Deputy Director, Trade and Investment Department, Olu Vincent, noted that sensitising the general public on what the CBN has done over the past two challenging years to stimulate the economy, has become necessary, as it would help Nigerians to appreciate its commitment to the country.

Besides, he said the interventions has helped to facilitate economic rebound in the face of oil price market volatility and plans to move from oil to non-oil export.

“What we are doing for now is to let the public know various policies they can leverage on for economic growth. We have interventions for the real, power, aviation and agriculture sectors, among others,” he said.

But CBN’s Assistant Director, Currency Operations Department, Benedict Maduagwu, however, harped on the need for the public to show consideration in handling the naira notes because, it costs so much to print a single note.

“It is a crime to hawk naira.

The CBN stands on hawking and abusing the naira is a fine of N50,000 or six months imprison or both,” he said.

However, Principal Manager, Consumer Protection Department, Oludamola Atanda, told participants that their rights and responsibilities, include, a demand from their banks any information that would help them run their accounts.

He said,“If you have a complaint against your bank, you must first report the complaint at the bank/branch where the issue originated and allow two weeks or less for the issue to be resolved.”

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Naira stabilises at 368/$1 at unofficial market

Stories by Motolani Oseni

The Naira, on Monday, remained unchanged at 368 to the Dollar at the unofficial segment of the foreign exchange market.

This is just as, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Friday, allocated the total sum of $240 million to the Retail Secondary Market Intervention Sales (SMIS) for spot and forward deals.

But despite this effort by the apex bank, the naira, on Friday, dropped at the official FX market to 305.85 to a dollar against 305.75 closed the previous week.

The Nigerian currency, at the parallel market, was seen unchanged against the Euro and Pound sterling, at 410 and 465, respectively.

This is just as the Nigerian

money market suspended all trading activities till resumption on Wednesday 28, June, 2017, due to two-day public holiday declared by the Federal Government to mark Muslim festival of Eid-el-Fitri.

Also, the local currency at the Investors & Exporters Foreign Exchange (I&E FX) window were left unchanged at 362.16, against 363 traded last Thursday.

However, this was better than the N365.29 closed a week ago, according to the data obtained from the FMDQ’s website.

However, the CBN, on Friday, allocated the total sum of $240 million to the SMIS for spot and forward deals.

The apex bank offered sales of the dollar on Friday, ahead of June 26 and 27, 2017 holiday declared by the Federal Government to commemorate the Eid-

el-Fitri.

The bank, also confirmed the sale of forex to dealers in the Bureau De Change (BDC) segment of the market to meet the needs of low-end forex users.

According to Isaac Okorafor, the Acting Director, Corporate Communications of the CBN, the $240m figure released to the Retail SMIS, included deals initiated in the course of the outgoing week.

While expressing delight at the stability in the forex market, Okorafor said the bank remained very optimistic that its goal of exchange rate convergence is fast becoming a reality, adding that the CBN was committed to ensuring liquidity in the forex market.

It will be recalled that the CBN, in its interventions last week, injected about $831.5 million in the

inter-bank Forex market and released figures indicating that the bank had boosted transactions at the Investors’ & Exporters’ (I&E) segment of the market to the tune of $2.2bn.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian interbank rate eased to around eight per cent on Friday, from 15 per cent last week after the central bank repaid 152.6 billion naira ($500.57 million) in matured debt; and paid refunds to banks for their forex cash provisions.

Forex traders, believed that sustainable FX injection into the forex market by the CBN would improve the nation’s economy;but, however, noted that further drop is expected in the overnight rate to around five per cent this week, if the government, as expected, releases its May budget allocations next week to its agencies.

L-R: Omobolanle Victor-Laniyan, Head Sustainability, Access Bank Plc; Herbert Wigwe, GMD/CEO, Access Bank Plc and Mr Nicolas Terraz, MD/CEO, Total Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited, during the inaugural Board Meeting of the Nigerian Business Coalition Against AIDS held at the Access Bank Plc… recently

BVN: Over 29.4m captured, 51.7million accounts linked .... excluded customers get opportunity for fresh registration

As at June 18, 2017, the total number of Bank Verification Numbers (BVN) enrolments recorded in the Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) operating in country, has hit a total number of 29.4 million people.

The exercise, is, however set to boost financial inclusion, by allowing customers of Microfinance Banks (MfBs) register for BVN in commercial bank for free.

However, the total number of 97.57 million bank accounts in the country, including corporate and individual savings, currents and other forms of accounts, only 51.7 million bank accounts,

both savings and currents, as well as, other forms of accounts have been linked with the BVNs. This means 45.87 million bank accounts, residing with commercial banks are unlinked; and, as such, are currently dormant.

As at last December, banks had linked 49.9 million and this jumped to 50 million in last January.

This latest BVN figure was, as at June 18, 2017, as released by the Nigerian Interbank Settlements System (NIBSS) and it also shows that the number of linked bank accounts had hit 51.7 million.

With BVN, a unique identity

number (ID) number is issued to every bank customer at enrolment and linked to every account that the customer has in all Nigerian banks.

Individuals are required to submit an acceptable means of identification as prescribed for enrolment, but with the latest figure, analysts say Nigeria is making inroads in its bid to ensure effective identification of banking customers in the country.

It would be recalled that bank users’ turnout for registration for and activation of BVN had witnessed appreciable growth in 2016 up till last December.

According to NIBSS report,

over 20.84 million new BVNs have been successfully linked to accounts between January and December, 2016, raising the number from a total 28.3 million linked accounts from December 2015 to the current figure.

Breakdown of the figure further showed that 8.49 million BVN were activated in the first seven months of this year, and 12.34 million linked in four last months, that is, between August and September.

In 2015, the number BVNlinked bank accounts in January, February and March, stood at 2.24 million; 2.71 million and 3.34 million respectively.

B5

NSE All Share Index

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Naira Value (m)

34,500

99,000

79,000 32,000 59,000 29,500 39,000 27,000

19,000

(1,000)

10-Mar 15-Mar 20-Mar 25-Mar 30-Mar 04-Apr 09-Apr 14-Apr 19-Apr 24-Apr 29-Apr 04-May 09-May 14-May 19-May 24-May 29-May 03-Jun 08-Jun 13-Jun 18-Jun 23-Jun

24,500

`

Labour B6 Joy Ekeke Nigerian Railway workers, under the aegis of Nigeria Union of Railway Workers (NUR), have commended the Federal Government for reconstituting the National Council on Privatisation.

But the workers have distanced themselves from the concession of some critical track of the railway to a preferred American consortium, General Electric, citing non-adherence to due process, among other issues, as a reason for their opposition to it.

In a statement signed by the Secretary General of the NUR, Comrade Segun Esan, the workers commended the Acting President, Prof.

Yemi Osinbajo for taken that bold step in reconstituting the Council.

The union also said that the inauguration of the Council would serve as checks to the ‘ambitious, shady and dizzying speed’ at which the Federal Ministry of Transportation was going about the conces-

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Railway workers laud Osinbajo over privatisation sion of Nigerian Railway’s 3’505km narrow gauge track system to its preferred American consortium, General Electric (GE).

“The Federal Government has just taken a bold and right step in the right direction by reconstituting the National Council on Privatization, which certainly will serve as checks to the ambitious, shady and dizzying speed at which the Federal Ministry of Transportation is rushing to unilaterally concession the Nigerian Railway’s 3’505km narrow gauge system to its preferred concessionaire, General Electric (GE), for a period of 30 years without regard to transparency, railway worker participation and without any known plan to engage the workers on how to solve all evolving labour-

related issues without which the planned concession will be another monumental failure as usual”, the statement read.

President of the NUR, Comrade Saidu Garba, expressed skepticism on the success of the planned concession of the Nigerian Railway narrow gauge track, and cited as example, the post-privatization failure of many enterprises, formerly owned by the Federal Government, which he regretted are performing below expectation. ‘’Upon realizing that the federal government has the right to do whatever it likes with its enterprises, we have so decided not to dissipate our energy unnecessarily on stopping the government from selling its assets than to give our can-

did advice as social partners and stakeholders in the sub-sector. The Federal Government is at liberty to take our informed advice that re-nationalization of the railway is preferable to concession or privatization. “ Where the government wants concession, then, we should be more concerned about how such sale, either through privatization or concession, as it is the case with Nigerian Railway, is done lawfully and known to due diligence, utmost transparency and global best practice. It should be done in a way that it truly will address the subsisting infrastructure deficit in the rail transport sub-sector, if we are really sincere about securing our growth as a nation and as an

economy.”

The workers also said,”We hope that the reconstituted council on privatisation, with the Acting President as the chairman, will fulfill the role of an institutional framework, and also address all the breaches of due diligence and the apparently ambitious manner with which the process of railway concession is being driven by the Federal Ministry of Transportation, while the Nigerian Railway that statutorily should be the procurer of its concessionaire as Nigeria’s only institution with railway expertise, is shrouded up in the overbearing shadow of the ministry, which is supposed to be kept informed by the user-corporation through memos.’’

FG begins training pilot graduate community tax officers Ï dƆƐ Ɛ ƏƆƅƏƑƈƐ ƣèǀƠƠ Ə ƗƑ ƐƆ

L – R: Special Project Executive, VAS2Nets Technologies Limited, Faith Irabor; Manager Basebone, James McNab and the Media and Content Manager VAS2Nets Technologies Limited, Samuel Madu at the 2017 West Africa Mobile Awards where VAS2Nets won Innovation Award in Lagos recently.

Corrupt politicians undermining Nigeria -Labour unions The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have said the ruling political elites are the real enemies of the country.

NLC President, Ayuba Wabba and the TUC President, Bobboi Kaigama, made the remark during a joint press briefing they held in Abuja recently.

“Our common enemy, whom we must all resolve to face, remains the corrupt political class, who, instead of utilising our wealth, choose to loot for themselves and for their children, our common patrimony. We, as labour

unions, are determined to stop our elite from throwing our nation into another avoidable civil war.”

According to the groups, “By no imagination should anyone blame the escalating injustice, poor living conditions; inability of states to pay salaries, massive unemployment and other lows on the structure of our federation.

“You have been witnesses to the degeneration of the national conversation into threats and counterthreats; of pulling down the federation by desperate forces, all of which were conveyed in vile lan-

guage.”

They said that,“Those fanning of the embers of disunity needs to be schooled in the realities of war. We appeal to all parts of Nigeria not to fall cheaply to war as

a solution to our selfinflicted crisis. Let us, therefore, not allow them to use the poor Nigerian workers, pensioners and peasants as cannon fodders for their selfish interests.”

The Federal Government has commenced the training of unemployed graduates recruited as Community Tax Liaison Officers to boost tax revenue generation.

The Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, who revealed this, said 27 Nigerians were being trained as a pilot set for the programme.

The selected persons, drawn from the N-Power programme, are undergoing training at the Federal Treasury Academy, Abuja.

Mrs. Adeosun explained that the selected graduates are being trained in preparation for the recruitment of 7,500 graduates.

“We want to run this pilot edition early, to enable us to see how much they have learned; how good our training materials are, so that when we get the 7 ,500 graduates, we will be ready,” she said.

Earlier, the government had announced that it would recruit 7,500 gradu-

ates as Community Tax Liason Officers to raise tax awareness and boost tax revenue among Nigerians.

Through the programme, Adeosun noted, the Federal Government expects to increase the number of taxpayers by 35 per cent, from 14 million to about 17 million in two years.

Speaking at a programme in Lagos recently, the minister lamented the low-level tax compliance among Nigerians, stating that the government would step on toes in its tax revenue generation drive.

Similarly, she also raised concern about the issues surrounding profit shifting, adding that the government would begin monitoring companies that generate profits in Nigeria, but shift taxes to countries of jurisdiction where little or no tax is payable.

She said,”These practices harm Nigeria; these practices harm Nigerians and these practices must stop.”

Govt withholds 17 N-Power volunteers’ stipends for truancy, - Official No fewer than 17 volunteers in the Federal Government’s job creation scheme, N-Power, will no longer be paid stipends until they explain their truancy from the scheme since their deployment.

Afolabi Imoukhuede, Senior Special Assistant, SSA, to the President on

Job Creation, made the statement on Thursday in Awka during a meeting between the state’s institutional partners and N-Power Monitoring and Evaluation team.

“The stipend for 17 volunteers from different states have been on hold since May, due to the inability

of their supervisors to see them at work for months,” he said The presidential aide said that the Federal Government would not continue to shoulder the financial burden of those who failed to understand the scheme or treat it with the seriousness it deserved.

He said that a common trend that ran in some of the states already visited by the M&E team, was that volunteers, especially those in N-Agro, failed to keep consistent attendance book.

He added that some of the volunteers logged-in and disappeared without permission.

Energy

B7

Stories By OpeOluwani Akintayo Despite the cancellation of allocation of crude oil for offshore processing of petroleum products, following the revocation of the agreement and replacement with direct-sales direct-purchase, DSDP, arrangement, fresh data researched by Daily Times, has shown that that about 95,000 barrels of crude oil were still being utilised for product swap.

Data obtained from BudgIT, a civic organisation, in a review of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC’s 2016 Report, said that the crude were swapped by the Corporation without explanation.

The report described the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee, FAAC, as showing a “damning difference”, with a total of $72.87 million transferred by the NNPC Group into the FAAC dollar account in 2016, against $607.82 million in 2015.

The report showed that NNPC remitted money into the FAAC account only six times in 2015 and 2016, despite the require-

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Crude oil: NNPC swaps 95,000b without explanation Ï ^ ƏƐ 6 Əƅ ƑƏƐè z ƏƏƈè E ƗƑ ƏƆƇƈ ƆƏƈƆ Ə ƐƆƗ Ƌ Ɠ ment by law for monthly remittances.

“The $534.95 million difference between the 2015 and 2016 remittances could have aided in shoring up of the budget deficit, which led to the government to issue the $500 million Eurobond debt recently,” the report noted.

According to it, a total of about N729.02 billion was paid into the Naira denominated FAAC Account in 2016, against N1.09 trillion the previous year, with crude oil sale figures and domestic crude cost different from the receipt in both dollar and Naira accounts.

“The annual financial performance of NNPC over the 12-month period under re-

view leaves s lot to be desired.

Throughout the year, expenses outstripped the revenue earnings,” the report noted.

It said only two of the 11 subsidiaries of the NNPC were profitable in 2016.

The report pointed out the NNPC Retail and the Nigerian Gas Company, NGC, as the only two subsidiaries that made profits during the year.

Overall, the NNPC recorded a loss of about N197.49 billion in 2016, with the only profit of N274 million recorded in May. While the NNPC Retail recorded a net surplus of about N7.48 billion, the NGC earned about N39.03 billion.

The review rated the National

Engineering Technical Company, NETCO, above average, with profits throughout the year, except January, March and April.

The report rated the upstream arm, the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, NPDC, along with Integrated Data Services Limited, IDSL and Pipelines and Products Marketing Company, PPMC, for “an inconsistent financial performance throughout the year.”

Rated “very poor,” were the corporate headquarters, CHQs, the Corporate Strategic Unit, CSU, and three refineries in Port Harcourt, Kaduna and Warri, as they barely made any profit throughout the year under review, according to the report.

Throughout the year, the average capacity utilisation of the refineries stood at about 13.75 per cent, with about 22.38 million barrels of crude used to produce a total of 1.42 trillion litres of petrol and 600.55 million litres of kerosene.

As a result, the report said the poor performance of the subsidiaries raised critical questions about the operational activities of the NNPC Group, stressing the need to find out and address the causes of their huge losses.

It then Urged the government to re-evaluate the performance of these subsidiaries, calling for a cut on unnecessary operations and expenditures in the running of the company.

..... as Nigeria set to consume over 40m litres of petrol by 2025

TCN, GenCos partner on grid stability The Interim Managing Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, Mr. Usman Gur Mohammed, has commended the management of Power Generating Companies for deploying Free Governor Control mechanisms in their power plants which have resulted in improved grid stability and reliability.

According to him, with the deployment and effective operation of the generating units on Free Governor Control Action mode, since May 22nd by the power generating stations in compliance with the Grid Code, the system frequency has been within the operational limits of 49.50 – 50.50Hz, with the potential of drastically reducing incidences of high

frequency and system collapses. This is a remarkable milestone achievement in the history of the Nigerian electricity supply industry.

A release signed by the TCN’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Seun Olagunju, said the TCN’s MD commended the collaborative efforts and sense of patriotism displayed by the Managements of Gen-

cos, stating that the mechanism would also mitigate the negative effects of load under-utilization.

The TCN MD reassured the general public of TCN’s management’s commitment and determination to work with other key stakeholders in the power sector towards providing more quality electricity supply to the people.

International oil company, Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL), has said that its long-term interest is to add value to society, creating value for its stakeholders.

The reassurance was given in the welcome address by the company’s General Manager, Policy,

Government and Public Affairs, Esimaje Brikinn, at the ongoing Fourth Advanced Writing and Reporting Skills (AWARES) Programme.

AWARES is a yearly training Programme for journalists sponsored

by CNL and its affiliate,

StarDeepwater Petroleum Limited.

Brikinn who started by congratulating the selected students for making the cut, said the reason for CNL sponsoring the Programme, was its believe in the development of human capital as the foundation

of sustainable progress.

“One of our core values as a company, is partnership. It is our practice to partner with relevant stakeholders everywhere we operate, in our efforts to achieve common business and development goals.

Chevron empowers journalists, says human capital critical to economy

Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Baru, has said that by 2025, more than 40 million litres of petrol would be required for local consumption.

He revealed it in a statement over the weekend.

He said that the combined capacity of the nation’s three refineries would only be able to satisfy just above 50 per cent of the projected local demand.

Baru said that the country’s three refineries with a combined capacity of 445,000bpd could not function optimally over the years due to lack of investment.

According to him, the Federal Government’s plan to attract investment in modular refineries as part of efforts to boost local refining capacity has started gaining momentum, especially with the recent signing of modular refinery deal with an Indonesian firm.

According to him, the said modular refinery will have a refining capacity for 10,000 barrels per stream day.

He stated that NNPC placed high premium on investment in the nation’s refining sector.

The GMD stated that the Corporation had a Greenfield Refinery Department that specialized in new refinery projects and also provided professional support to potential investors in modular refinery in the country in line with the

Federal Government policy on modular refineries.

“On our end, we have embarked on ambitious plan to fast-track programmes to restore our capacity utilization from 30 per cent to a minimum of 90 per cent in the next 24 months. To do that, we are working on securing financing from third parties, not just funding, but also technical expertise to help us increase our performance to world class levels that they should be,” Dr. Baru stated.

He expressed optimism that with investments in refinery coming steadily, Nigeria could serve as a regional hub of refined petroleum products for West Africa and beyond.

He then called on the investors to be mindful of clean fuel policy across African countries and ensure that they produce fuels that meet specification with regards to sulphur content.

Meanwhile, Dr. Maikanti Baru, has said that the country’s three refineries, with a combined capacity of 445,000bpd, could not function optimally over the years due to lack of investment.

He made the statement over the weekend, during a business meeting with an Indonesian firm planning to build a refinery in Akwa Ibom State.

According to him, the Federal Government’s plan to attract investment in modular refineries as part of efforts to boost local refining capacity has started gaining momentum with the Indonesian firm.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Simon Ugwu The Senate has since passed the much awaited Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB. This is coming almost 17 years after the process started.

With the passage of the bill, tagged, Petroleum Industry Governance Bill, PIGB, a new regulatory agency, known as, Nigeria Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NPRC, would take over the functions of Petroleum Inspectorate, PI, the Department of Petroleum Resources , DPR, and the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA. Indeed, the new commission, among other things, will also administer and enforce policies, laws and regulations relating to all aspects of petroleum operations, which are assigned to it under the provisions of the Act. When the bill is signed into law, two new companies, Nigeria Petroleum Assets Management Company and National Petroleum Company, would be established with certain assets and liabilities of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, while the National Petroleum Company, for instance, would operate as a full independent commercial entity.

According to the Senate, the move is geared towards unbundling the NNPC and the petroleum industry.

In the PIGB, for example, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources would be renamed Ministry of Petroleum Incorporated. In the new bill, upon the recommendations of the new commission, the Minister of Petroleum Resources can grant, amend, renew, extend or revoke any licence or lease required for petroleum or production, pursuant to the provisions of the Act or any other enactment.

The bill also proposed that when the commission is created, it shall be vested with all assets, funds, resources and other movable and immovable property, which immediately before the commencement of operation of the new commission, were held by the PI, DPR and PPPRA. In the bill, more powers will be vested on the commission, as the President or the Minister of Petroleum Resources, who, hitherto, had such powers, would no longer have same.

Interstingly, the bill has significantly reduced the powers of the President and the Minister of Petroleum Resources in exercising control over the oil and gas sector. The newly passed bill would help promote transparency and accountability in the administration of petroleum resources of Nigeria, as well as, foster a conducive busi-

B8 Business Feature

How PIGB ‘ll impact oil and gas industry

KACHIKWU ness environment for petroleum industry operations.

The Senate is expected to pass two more bills to further regulate the oil and gas sector.

Already, the Host Communities’ Bill, which has passed the first reading in the Senate, is expected to be passed into law before the end of 2017.

Thereafter, the Senate will also commence moves to pass another tranche of the bill that

Minister of State for Petroleum Resources would deal with the fiscal aspect of the oil and gas sector.

Senate President, Bukola Saraki, who presided over plenary, noted that the Bill was not only for Nigerians but also investors. He said with the passage of bill, corrupt practices in the oil and gas sector would be reduced to the barest minimum, adding that the inefficiency currently associated with the sector would also be done away with.

The bill seeks to open up the sector to more and better business opportunities, make the sector more transparent, and ensure better accountability of revenue derived from oil.

“The bill will stimulate the oil and gas industry; it will reduce the area of corruption and inefficiency in the oil and gas sector,” he said.

The bill will now be sent to the House of Representatives for concurrence before being transmitted to the President for assent. NUPENG, PENGASSAN laud Senate.

However, reacting to the passage of the bill, Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, commended the 8th Senate and its Joint Committee on the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill, PIGB, for the passage of the PIGB 2016.

Infact,NUPENG and PENGASSAN, however, pleaded with the Senate to step up the passage of other aspects of the PIB. The two unions said: “This is, indeed, a milestone achievement, especially when you consider that the PIGB is not an Executive Bill. ‘’We, therefore, look forward to the concurrent passage of the PIGB into law by the Federal House of Representatives and also eventual accent by the President of Nigeria. “We, however, note that the PIGB only deals with one aspect of the PIB, that is the governance and institutional framework of the Nigerian Petroleum industry. We look forward to the passage of the other aspect of the PIB such as the Petroleum Fiscal Framework Bill; Petroleum Industry Downstream Administration Bill; Petroleum Industry Revenue Management Framework Bill and the Petroleum Host Community Bill. “For instance, we know that there is no mention of the Petroleum Host Community Fund in the PIGB; and we know that one of the major challenges facing the industry is host community and Niger Delta issues.” We’ll soon pass PIB —Reps Meanwhile, Deputy spokesman, House of Representatives, Johnathan Gaza Gbewfi, said the House will soon follow suit like the Senate in passing the PIB. Gbewfi, who spoke at the House’s weekly briefing noted: ”You all know that we passed this same bill in the 7th House; and I’m assuring you that we’ve gone very far on the bill and very soon it’ll be passed. “To really give the bill its rightful place, we organised an international workshop where we gath-

ered enough input to make the law have international standard that it deserves.”

It will be recalled that the bill has gone through five sessions of the National Assembly, beginning from the 4th Assembly, which was inaugurated in 1999 under President Olusegun Obasanjo.

The Senate, on Thursday, May 25,2017, passed the much anticipated Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) after 17 years of consideration: The bill has been passed as the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB).

An attempt to pass the bill by the 7th Senate, presided over then by Senator David Mark was met with a lot of controversy and a rejection of certain clauses in the bill, forcing the Senate then to drop the bill at the point of passage.

However, the passage of the Bill by the 8th Senate, followed the submission of a report by Joint Committee on Gas: Petroleum (Upstream) and Petroleum (Downstream) chaired by Sen. Tayo Alasoadura.

After a clause-by-clause consideration, with few amendments, the Senate approved the bill which promises to change the way things are done in the oil sector.

The bill seeks to open up the sector to more and better business opportunities, make the sector more transparent, and ensure better accountability of revenue derived from oil.

If the bill scales through assent by the President, it would restructure the Nigeria National Petroleum Cooperation, Department for Petroleum Resources and also create new agencies with more responsibilities.

The President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, in his remark, congratulated members of the upper legislative chamber for a job well done.

“I congratulate the 8th Senate with the passage of this landmark bill, which has not been passed for many years,” he said.

Recall that after inauguration of the 8th Senate in 2015, the President of the Senate had promised to, among other things, deliver the Petroleum Industry Bill, as well as, make laws that would better the lot of Nigerian businesses.

The PIB is one of 11 Bills, which the Senate promised to pass to steer Nigeria out of recession.

Life&

TIMES Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Enter the world of top female DJ’s

L2

P

L2

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, June 27, 2017

In the male world comes the Female Disc Jockey Inside cover: Just like their male counterparts, they have carved a niche for themselves in the entertainment industry. They shared the same stage with top notch male Disc Jockeys that include Dj Jimmy Jatt, Exclusive and a host of others. Shows become boring as the female DJs are yet to take their position. They indeed know the worth of pulling crowd and making them accept their choice of songs. In no particular other, MUTIAT ALLI ex-rays some of the top Dj Switch DJ Lambo Olawanmi Okeryi, also known as DJ Lambogini, is the Her story is simple. She started out her career as an starting off as a DJ. and Oxygen club in Abuja and at other events and shows in Lagos, getting better each day till she met up with MI who thought she was dope. Presently she is his personal DJ and occasionally opens up for Award winning DJ, DJ Caise.

DJ Lambo is signed to Chocolate City and has done Mixtape and singles worthy of noteamong them is her

of the legendary DJ Jimmy Jatt at Jimmy Jatt Inc.

Morgan & Eva Alordiah. The tomboyish yet pretty DJ Lambo is a notable name in the world of Disk jockeying in Nigeria having DJ in Lagos and beyond.

DJ Cuppy Talk of a female DJ who knows it all, DJ Cuppy sure plays her game well. Florence Otedola aka DJ Cuppy is daughter of the Billionaire Owner of Forte Oil- Femi

DJ Nana Young, vibrant and pretty Nanayat Abedoh is among female DJ better known as DJ Nana has always stood out in all her endeavors in entertainment.

The Kogi State- born lady attended Lea Saint Joseph Secondary School, Lagos from where she went on the study at the National Open University of Nigeria. Fortune went on to master the art of disc jockey under the tutelage

Dj Nana Dj Rosie

Musicology at New York. Among many of her exploits is playing at MTV Africa Awards in Durban 2014.She once INC. Bursting onto the scene fully in 2014 after the completion London, the pretty disc jockey had to struggle for two things; creating a personality that is not reliant on her as a music entity.

Switch Obianuju Catherine Udeh aka DJ Switch. She is a popular face when it comes to disc spinning in Nigeria. Not only is she hot in physique but also hot is spinning the disk. DJ

Dj Toxiq

name when it comes to Disk jockeying in Nigeria. She is tag. Talk of a DJ that is capable of helping you get down on DJ Toxiq Gone are the days when Disc Jockeying is for men. DJ Toxiq is a producer, artiste and producer, who is currently free of Dosage and Magic city record labels respectively.

DJ Toxiq is a graduate of university of Port Harcourt, where she used to play before rising to prominence. The multi-talented DJ sure knows her onions when it comes to Dj Cuppy

Life&

Daily Times Nigeria

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

L3

Nwaokocha Daniel

Abigail

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Wellness L4

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Mutiat Alli

8 reasons why you need to take a vacation A real vacation, where you completely unplug with work and focus on things you want and like to do, has The fact is, careers are time-consuming and at times, sponsibilities and focusing on yourself can do wonders, and reconnecting with yourself, your partner and Unfortunately, a lot of people, especially business own-

1. Relieve Stress: Stress can have a negative effect on all aspects of your health physically, mentally and lack of concentration and frustration are just a few of busy lives, and often our crazy schedules and the preswhich can lower your blood pressure, help you sleep even cause you to gain weight, especially around the but can help you manage it better when you get back to the real world?

2. Clear your Head: Life is hectic and your brain is

many responsibilities in both your personal and professional life can cause you to feel frazzled, confused lems, giving you a fresh perspective and calming your

your head and slowing things down often leads to great ideas and a fresh perspective when you head back to your job and normal routine 3. Build Your Immune System: A busy life wears

and it can actually promote the risk of disease because are loving what you do, foregoing happiness on a relieve stress, allowing your immune system to build

mental health is just as important as your physical health, and being happy goes a long way to men-

the only one in your household who may be feeling

4. Lower Risk of Heart Disease: take your allotted vacation days, you could be doing

time alone allows you to enjoy life in a way you

turn, problems at home can negatively affect work taking a vacation and reconnecting with your fam-

countries where several weeks of vacation are not only paid but regulated and mandatory by law, a lot of North skipping out on vacation can raise your blood pressure show that taking a yearly vacation can lower your risk of heart problems by a staggering amount–according cent less likely to die from a heart attack and women 5. Increased Happiness: everyone found the job of their dreams and loved ev-

6. Better Quality of Sleep: The stresses from a busy life greatly impact your quality of sleep–restlessness, insomnia, and not enough sleep hurts work right up until bed time and many people sleep with their phone, answering emails late in the evening or during the night when you should be allowput yourself at risk of getting sick more easily, and the long-term effects can increase your risk of obeyou to break this routine, resulting in more peaceful sleep, as well as sleeping for longer 7. Improved Family Health: Day-to-day rou-

8. Rejuvenate Your Body: People who take regular vacations can likely relate to how the time off allows you to rejuvenate your body, increasing your energy levels and providing a more positive outgo, your energy c frequent, putting your health at risk and losing the