Dtn 28 6 18

Court forfeits Diezani’s N325m property to FG Peter Fowoyo, Lagos A Federal High Court on Lagos on Wednesday ordered the temporary forfeiture of a landed property belonging to the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison Madueke https://plus.google.com/+DailytimesNgr/posts

dailytimesnigeria

www.facebook.com/dailytimesngr

Plateau massacre

valued at N325million to the Federal Government.

Justice Babs Kweuwumi granted the order of temporary forfeiture of the property, sequel to a motion file and argued by the lawyer to the Economic and Continued on page 3

THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2018

VOL. 3

NO. 686

N150

At last, STF arrests suspected Fulani herdsmen with rifles Saraki, Dogara meet Buhari, demand removal of service chiefs g 3 Women, youth protesters attack Plateau Govt House

L-R: MD/CEO, Visa Travels & Tours Limited, Alhaji Aminu Agoha; Director, Air Transport Regulation (DATR), Group Capt. Edem Oyo-Ita (rtd); President, National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), Bankole Bernard; Divisional Head, Corporate Communications of Heritage Bank Plc, Fela Ibidapo and Area Manager, South-West Africa, Samson Fatokun, during the official launch of Nigeria Travel Practitioners Identification Card (NTPIC), sponsored by Heritage Bank in Lagos... on Wednesday.

IPI World Assembly: When Daily Times exhibited ‘92 years of excellent journalism’

g 29

Heritage Bank partners NANTA to launch Nigeria Travel Practitioner Identification card g 21

Medical consultant dies while watching Nigeria, Argentina match

g4

Michael Jackson’s father passes on at 89 g4

2

2

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, May 11, 2018 Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 28, 2018

facebook ba OLori

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 28, 2018

PHOTO TIMES

Plateau massacre: At last, STF arrests suspected Fulani herdsmen with rifles Henry Omunu and Tunde Opalana, Abuja, Kingsley Chukwuka, Jos The Special Military Task Force (STF), Operation Save Haven in Plateau State, on Wednesday, paraded suspected three Fulani herdsmen arrested in connection with the latest killings in the state.

The suspects were captured at Gashish District in the Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State with firearms including one AK-47, four other rifles and three locally made guns.

The suspects were paraded in Jos alongside 14 others, who were arrested over the killings in which suspected herdsmen massacred about 200 people, mainly locals and farmers on June 24.

The Daily Times reports that 11 villages in the Barkin Ladi

Local Government Area and its environs were affected in the onslaught in which property worth billions of naira were also destroyed.

Parading the suspects, the STF Commander, Major General Anthony Atolagbe, told reporters that the suspects were arrested, clutching sophisticated rifles.

Atolagbe said that the suspects were Fulani herdsmen who are currently at loggerheads with the natives over grazing rights.

But the deadly activities of the suspected herdsmen have raised concerns over the future of agriculture in North Central because of the penchant of the marauders to kill farmers.

Analysts describe Benue, Taraba and Nasarawa States, the hotbeds of the killings, as the food basket of Nigeria.

The OPSH boss said the suspects were arrested in the course of the attacks.

He said, “We all know that some days back, some villages in Barkin Ladi were attacked and these three suspects were arrested in connection with that.

“As our men were repelling the attacks in those areas; we arrested these suspects with four rifles, three locally made guns and one AK-47.

“The other 14 people were arrested in connection with civil unrest recently experienced in the state.”

Atolagbe said that the suspects were still being investigated and that more arrests would be made in the due course.

Meanwhile, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and House of Representatives Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, have asked President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the service and security chiefs in the wake of the spate of killings in parts of the country.

3 News

L-R: Senate President, Bukola Saraki; Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and President Muhammadu Buhari during their visit to the President at the State House in Abuja... on Wednesday

Continued on page 4

Court forfeits Diezani’s N325m property to FG Continued from page 1 Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Anselem Ozioko, on a vacant plot of land at Plot 13, Block 11, Oniru Chieftaincy Family Private Estate, Lekki, Lagos.

The judge granted the order after listening to the Motion Ex-parte filed and argued by Ozioko.

Also joined as defendants in the suit are: Mr Donald Chidi Amangbo and Mez Group Limited.

In the Motion Ex-parte marked suit number FHC/L/CS/811/18, the commission sought the court for an interim order forfeiting to the Federal Government the assets and properties named and described in the schedule to the application which properties and assets are reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activity.

Besides, the anti graft agency in the affidavit also asked the court for an order authorising the commission to appoint a competent person (s) or firm to manage the assets named and described in the scheduled to the application.

Ozioko sought the court for an order directing the applicant to notify the person (s) in whose possession the properties sought to be forfeited to appear before the court and show cause within 14 days why the properties should not be forfeited to the Federal Government.

Or in the alternative, an order of the court directing the publication in any National Newspaper of the interim order under relief 1 above for persons in whose possession the properties sought to be forfeited are found or anyone who is interested in the properties sought to be forfeited to appear before the court to show cause within 14 days why the final order of forfeiture of the properties should not be made in favour of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

In the 27-paragraph affidavit

deposed to by Abdulrasheed Bawa, a detective of the EFCC and filed before the court, it was averred that sometime in 2016 a search warrant was executed at the office and premises of Mr Donald Chidi Amamgbo, SAN, a known acquaintance of the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Deziani Alison Madueke.

The commission said that during the search, some of the documents recovered from Amamgbo’s office was an undated report titled “ Highly Confidential Attorney Work Product- August Report’’.

EFCC said the report contained a list of 18 companies and several properties located in United Kingdom, Nigeria and United States of America.

It was also averred that in the course of his interview, Amamgbo told the anti-graft agency that he registered the 18 companies to assist Mrs Diezani Alison Madueke in holding titles of her properties and that all belongs to her.

The anti-graft agency added that among the properties on the list is ; A vacant plot of land at Plot 13 Block 11, Oniru Chieftaincy Family Private Estate, Lekki, Lagos under the name of Mez Group LCC as the holiding entity.

The EFCC said it consequently wrote a letter dated May 11, 2016 to the Oniru Chieftaincy Family Property Company for copies of the sales agreement /Deed of lease and evidence of payment for the property while the Oniru responded by submitting the following; a sublease agreement between Oniru and Skye Bank.

A letter dated 5th September, 2011 and Paul Osaji to Oniru requesting for the release of sublease agreement between Oniru and Mez Group LCC. Also recovered from Amamgbo’s office is a letter dated September 5, 2011 from Oniru to Mez Group LCC titled collection of Deed of sub-lease of the property.

The commission said enquiries from Skye Bank Plc indicate that the bank bought the property from Oniru sometimes in 2006, but sold it to Exclamation Nigeria Limited in 2008 and that in 2012 the property was purchased by Mez Group LCC through Paul Osaji & Co , Estate Surveyors and Valuers.

The affidavit further stated that Paul Osaji in his response to EFCC’s letter said among others issue that in 2010 , the land was sold to Mez Group LCC for the sum of N325,400,000.

Osaji was also said to have submitted letter which includes sub-lease agreement between Oniru and Mez Group, copies of 19 First Bank of Nigeria Manager Cheques all dated 24th December, 2010 with a total value N185,400,000 in favour of Exclamation Nigeria Limited, five Zenith Bank Plc Manager Cheques all dated 9th November, 2010 with total value of N50,000,000 , in favour of Exclamation Nigeria Limited.

Also recovered was five copies of UBA Plc Manager Cheques all dated 8th of November, 2010 with total value of N90,000,000.

The applicant said among other investigation carried out, the Land Bureau in Alausa , Lagos was written and the bureau confirmed that the land belongs to Mez Group.

Consequently, EFCC asked that the property should be temporarily forfeited to the Federal Government.

After listening to argument by lawyer to the EFCC, the court granted the application for interim forfeiture of the property to the Federal Government.

The court further ruled that the order must be published in a national newspaper for anybody who have interest in the property sought to be forfeited to come forward and show cause why the property should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The case has been adjourned till July 24.

L-R: Gombe State Governor, Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo at the palace of the Emir of Bauchi, Rilwanu Suleimanu Adamu during his visit to Bauchi to commiserate with the Emir over the windstorm, fire disaster, in Bauchi ...on Wednesday.

RETURNS ON THE UTILISATION OF FUNDS SOLD TO CUSTOMERS FOR THE WEEK ENDED FRIDAY 22/06/2018

S/N CUSTOMER 1. WANDEL INTL (NIG) LTD 2.

3.

4.

5.

ITEM OF IMPORT

THREE WHEELERS (200CC MOTORIZED TRICYCLES - SPARK IGNITION) IN CKD OUTSPAN 400MT INSTANT FAT FILLED MILK NIGERIA LTD MALAYSIA ORIGIN OUTSPAN 400MT INSTANT FAT FILLED MILK NIGERIA LTD MALAYSIA ORIGIN EVERBRIGHT HDPE GRADE 8800 INFINTY TYRES ETERNITY BRAND MOTOR VEHICLE LTD BATTERIES FOR COMMERCIAL USE

DATE

EXCHANGE RATE AMOUNT (USD)

19-JUNE-18 344.40

133,500.00

19-JUNE-18 344.40

39,223.53

19-JUNE-18 344.40

1,320.33

19-JUNE-18 344.40 19-JUNE-18 344.40

47,040.00 124,363.19

RETURNS ON SOURCES OF FUNDS SOLD TO CUSTOMERS FOR THE WEEK ENDED FRIDAY 22/06/2018

S/N

SOURCE

1. OTHER SOURCES 2. INTERBANK

19-JUNE-18 21-JUNE-18

DATE

EXCHANGE RATE AMOUNT (USD)

343.90 305.80

345,445.05 20,000.00

News 4

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 28, 2018

Forex transactions hit N26.57trn in 5 months DSS grants administrative “These are very sober moments for Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Continued from page 3

The two men made the demand when they both met the President at the Aso Villa, on Wednesday, following the latest bloodbath in Plateau State in which about 200 people were murdered by armed men who attacked villages in three local governments.

Apart from the latest demand by the Senate president and House speaker demanding the replacement of the service and security chiefs, the two chambers of the National Assembly had jointly passed a resolution asking Buhari to sack the heads of security agencies and the service chiefs because of the unending killings of innocent civilians by armed herdsmen.

At the meeting with Buhari, Dogara, according to a statement by his media aide, Turaki Hassan, particularly called for a change in the country’s internal security system so as to permanently stop the bloodbath in the nation.

The speaker assured the president that the National Assembly will continue to work towards providing all necessary legislative backing to the security agencies especially funding needed to reform and equip the armed forces to tackle the prevailing security challenges confronting the nation.

Dogara in the statement said: “Today, I and President of the Senate, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, met with President Muhammadu Buhari over the Plateau violence.

“I am also restating my earlier call for a total reform and overhaul of our internal security architecture which has failed to address the spate of insecurity in the land.

“We requested for the meeting in order to hear from the president the steps and measures he is taken to end the orgy of killings and violence not only on the Plateau but in other parts of the country”.

The statement said that the president briefed the two leaders of the federal legislature on what he saw first hand when he visited Plateau State on Tuesday and the measures he is putting in place to forestall a recurrence.

The statement added that “we also used the opportunity to advise the president on other measures and actions that will help bring lasting peace in our country in accordance with the resolutions passed at the joint emergency closed door session of the National Assembly held some weeks ago.”

Dogara said: “The president has taken enough steps and told us what he is doing, especially the reorganisation that he plans to put in place to ensure that this doesn’t happen again.

all us. In a situation where people, in hundreds continued to be killed, we can no longer tolerate this kind of situation as a government.

“We call on all relevant government agencies to quickly provide emergency relief services to people in the affected areas.

“I want to seize this opportunity to once again offer our condolences to families of victims of violence in Zamfara, Benue, Plateau, Taraba, Adamawa, Kaduna Nasarawa, Borno, Yobe and other places and urge our citizens to embrace peace without which there can be no meaningful development.”

In another development, women and youths in their hundreds on Wednesday took over Plateau State Government House as they protested the killings of over 200 people in 9 local government areas of the state.

The protest was peaceful as they matched through the major streets leading to Government House.

The protest, however, turned violent when the protesters got to the gate of Government House and found no official to receive and address them, as the gate was completely closed.

After a while however, the protesting women climbed the gate and opened it for the rest to come in, while security operatives only watched from a distance.

Sighting the protesters in their hundreds trooping into the premises and making their way to the Governor’s office, staff and other officials took to their heels, while the protesters smashed windscreens of vehicles, windows and glass doors leading to the office of the

Chief of Staff, and the Director of Press to the governor.

Our correspondent, however, reports that the Police contained the situation as it called for reinforcement to wade off the protesting youths.

Meanwhile, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has declared a seven-day mourning for the victims of the gruesome killings of innocent Nigerians by marauders and bandits in Plateau State and other parts of the country.

Consequently, the party directed that its flags at all its offices and formation at all levels across the country be flown at half-mast during the period in honour of the victims.

This was contained in a statement by the PDP national publicity secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan.

The party urged the people of Plateau State to exercise their rights as global citizens, work with other publicspirited Nigerians and groups and take President Buhari and his government to the International Court of Justice at The Hague for acting helpless in the face of continuous mass killings in our country.

The party firmly held that the life of every Nigerian is sacred.

The PDP said: “All Nigerians must be protected whether they are Birom, Basange, Igbira, Tiv, Idoma, Hausa, Igbo, Fulani, Gbagyi, Yoruba or from any other tribe whatsoever.

“The fundamental duty of government all over the world is the protection of lives and we can no longer afford to continue to fold our hands while compatriots are daily hacked down by marauders”.

bail to Sen Abaribe after 5 days in custody

Cecilia Ijuo The Department of State Security Service (DSS) has granted an administrative bail to a federal lawmaker, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (PDP, Abia) after five days in DSS custody.

The Special Adviser to Abaribe on Media, Mr Uche Awom, stated this in a statement made available in Abuja on Tuesday.

He said Abaribe, the Chairman of the South East Senators Forum, was released at about 6.32 p.m.

The statement reads in part, “Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe walked to freedom after five days in the DSS gulag.

“Abaribe, who was granted administrative bail, was released to his

Medical consultant dies while watching Nigeria, Argentina match The Chief Medical Director (CMD), Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki (FETHA), Dr Emeka Ogah, has confirmed the death of one its consultants, Dr Canice Ebirim on Tuesday during the Super Eagles and Argentina match.

Ogah told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday that

APC National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole (right) receiving a congratulatory card from the Minister for Women Affairs, Sen. Aisha Alhassan who led a delegation of party leaders from Taraba State on a solidarity visit to Oshiomhole at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja... on Wednesday.

Michael Jackson’s father passes on at 89 Joe Jackson, father of music legends Michael and Janet Jackson, has died at age 89, a person close to the family confirms Jackson passed away early on Wednesday morning after he had been in hospital for terminal pancreatic cancer, celebrity news website TMZ reports.

His death comes just two days after the anniversary of his son Michael Jackson’s death nine years ago.

The BBC reported that his grandson, Taj Jackson, also confirmed his death in a tweet.

Disgusted by some of the comments I am reading about my grandpa Joe by those who didn’t even know him. Please don’t just regurgitate what you were spoon fed by the press. Joe was loved by our ENTIRE family and our hearts are in pain. Let us grieve without the nastiness.

Domineering father The Jackson family patriarch played a large role in the careers of The Jackson 5 as well as Michael and Janet Jackson.

Five sons - Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael - became the Jackson 5, joined at times by younger brother Randy, who also pursued a solo career.

Three daughters - LaToya, Rebbie, and, most famously, Janet - all fashioned their own pop careers under Jackson’s management, with varying levels of recognition.

Jackson was the architect of his children’s early successes, but some of them would later say he drove them with a zeal that bordered on abuse, with Michael and others alleging bullying, physical abuse and punishing work schedules.

Jackson later admitted that he had

whipped Michael, but denied it could be categorised as a beating. “I whipped him with a switch and a belt. I never beat him. You beat someone with a stick,” he told the BBC’s Louis Theroux in 2003.

The interview made headlines after Jackson said in response to a question about Michael, “We don’t believe in gays. I can’t stand them.”

The Jackson family was famously riven over the years by internal strife, which often played out in the full glare of the public eye, with various estrangements and arguments over money making their way through the courts.

Speaking to the Daily Mail before his father died on Wednesday, Jermaine Jackson said some members of the family were unable to gain access to Jackson in his final days.

“No one knew what was going on

lawyers led by Chukwuma Machukwu Ume (SAN).

“Speaking at the premises of the DSS facility in Abuja, Ume thanked Nigerians for standing up against the wrongs done to Nigerian democracy with the arrest of Sen. Abaribe”’ Awom also quoted Ume as saying that “the collective calls and demand for his release have shown the great spirit of Nigerians for justice”.

Abaribe was reportedly arrested and taken into custody by the DSS on June 22 in Abuja.

But the DSS did not give reasons for his arrest.

Abaribe was surety to leader of the banned Indigenous People of Biafra(IPOB), Mr Nnamdi Kanu, who is now at large.

- we shouldn’t have to beg, plead, and argue to see our own father, especially at a time like this,” he said.

“We have been hurting. We were not being told where he was and couldn’t get the full picture.”

Early life Jackson was born in 1928 in Fountain Hill, Arkansas, United States and was the eldest of five children.

He described his own father, a university professor, as a domineering and strict presence.

Jackson nurtured ambitions of being a boxer and later played guitar with a blues band, The Falcons, but failed to win a recording deal.

In 1949 he married Katherine Scruse, a former classmate from Washington High School in East Chicago, Indiana, who raised their children while Jackson worked at a local steel mill.

reports reaching him suggested that Ebirim died within the period of the match.

The CMD said that he received the news of his death at about 9 p.m. while the match was ongoing.

Ogah said that a friend of the deceased informed him that Ebirim started behaving funny within that period.

“Ebirim’s friend said that the deceased started moving suspiciously and solicited for assistance which made him intervene and took him (Ebirim) to the hospital.

“Efforts made to revive him at our hospital proved abortive as he died but we would liaise with his family to conduct an autopsy.

“We are surprised at his death because he consulted at the hospital on Tuesdays. We have to wait till autopsy is conducted to draw further conclusions,” he said.

A friend of the deceased, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that he (Ebirim) resided in Owerri with his family and only visited FETHA during his clinic days.

“He was a dedicated and lively fellow who will surely be missed by his family, friends and associates,” he said.

In 1957, they lost a child, Brandon, to stillbirth. He would have been Marlon’s twin brother.

During the 1960s, Jackson took control of his sons’ burgeoning musical efforts and the Jackson 5 was born, later signing to Motown records in 1967.

The Jackson 5 splintered as Michael’s solo career took off and he distanced himself from his father’s management.

Jackson focused instead on his daughter Janet, who went on to become a massive star.

Jackson reportedly carried on a decades long extra-marital affair with Cheryl Terrell, a secretary 20 years his junior. The pair had a daughter, his 11th child, Joh’Vonnie, who is now 43, but Jackson remained married to Katherine all along.

He is survived by Katherine, who is 88, and nine of his 11 children.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 28, 2018

Police rescue 7 girls from traffickers in Lagos Joy Anyim, Lagos The Lagos State Police Command have rescued seven girls who were victims of human trafficking.

It was gathered that the plan was to take the girls who were lured from Delta State to Lagos out of the country with a promise of a fat paying job.

The girls gave their names as Akpotu Progress (17) Florence Emonena ( 35); Celina Abosa (20); Augustine Tessy ( 27); Glory Monday (21) years; Gift Jacob(25) and Lewisca Akalu( 20).

Speaking to Journalists during a press briefing held at the Lagos State Police Command Headquarters in Ikeja, CP Imohimi Edgal said the victims said one Rita had convinced them to follow her and promised them a better life afterwards.

The Lagos Police Boss, Imohimi Edgal disclosed that the victims had embarked on the journey last Saturday.

It was also gathered that on reaching Agofure Park at Mile 2, the agent according to the

ladies, abandoned them to go and buy airtime to call another suspected member of the gang.

Explaining how the girls were rescued, Edgal, said, “information was received from a member of the public that some girls were seen at Agofure motor park, Mile 2 Lagos at about 6pm last Saturday. They appeared lost and confused, claiming that one woman by name Rita, surname not yet known, lured them to Lagos.

“Based on the information, detectives led by Woman Inspector Ebun Anyanwu were mobilized to the scene.

Arrested was a member of the syndicate that brought the girls to Lagos, one Emmanuel Daniel (30)” Progress who is 17 years old told journalist that life back home was quiet difficult hence the need to search for a greener pasture.

The teenager, who claimed to be an orphan, said she dropped out of school in Junior Secondary School, JSS 3 because her grandmother who had been catering for her was too weak to work.

Speaking in tears, she said: “I have been living with my grandmother in Delta, since I lost my parents. Living has been unbearable, as I have to fetch fire wood to sell before I could get money to buy books and uniform. When madam Rita told me she could get a job for me as house help in Lagos, where i would be paid between N20,000 and N25,000

monthly, I jumped at the offer, as I thought I would at least be able to save and and assist my grandmother.

“But to our shock when the Police apprehended us, we called Madam Rita on phone only for her to tell us that she had gone back to Warri. She had also promised that from Lagos we can even travel out to get better jobs.”

Edgal further stated that the command was doing everything possible to arrest other fleeing members of the syndicate.

He advised parents and guardians to be wary of people who come to befriend their daughters with a promise to give them jobs, only to engage them in prostitution and other social vices.

Man arraigned for allegedly injuring wife’s eye over sex denial A 38-year-old, Victor Akpan, who allegedly kicked his wife in the eye for denying him sex, was on Wednesday charged before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court.

The accused, a trader, who resides at 8B, Budland St., Ojodu Berger, on the outskirts of Lagos, is being tried for assault.

Police Sgt. Innocent Odugbo, who is prosecuting the case, told the court that the offence

was committed on June 16 at the residence of the accused.

Odugbo said the accused fought his wife, Uche, earlier in the day.

“The accused wanted to make love to his wife later in the evening and she declined. He then resulted in kicking her and injured her eyes.

“If the woman had not ran out of the house, she would have lost her right eye because of the beating,”

he said.

Odugbo said the woman rushed to a nearby police station with blood stains on her face.

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

The accused, however, entered a `not guilty’ plea.

The Magistrate, Mrs S. K. Matepo, granted the accused a bail of N50,000 with two sureties in like sum and adjourned the case until July 23.

Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara and Governor of Sokoto State, Rt.Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal decorating the Speaker’s ADC, Wilson Ibrahim with a new rank of CSP in Abuja.

Photo : Speaker’s Media Office.

Plateau Crisis: Obasanjo tasks FG, Lalong on insecurity Kingsley Chukwuka, Jos Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has tasked the federal and Plateau State governments to identity the root cause(s) of insecurity and deal with them so that people would get reprieve from the incessant violence plaguing the land.

He admitted there were problems during his time in government but “not in this magnitude” and believes

solutions can be found to address the challenges.

Obasanjo who visited Jos to commiserate with the Governor and people of Plateau State over the recent killings in the State extended his condolences to the bereaved families.

According to him, “I’m here to express my condolences, what happened is very sad that in this day and age this type of barbaric act is taking place in our country. I have suggested and I will say it again that we

should find out the root cause of this problem and deal with it “There must be remote and immediate cause, if we deal with it, we are not going to be multiplying condolence visits. I believe that any human problem has human solution, I do hope and plead with government at the federal level, those of you in States and even local government level to join hands even at the community level to find the causes and deal with them permanently.

“We offer our condolences to the bereaved families, all we can say is that God knows the best. Even in my time, we had problems but not in this magnitude, we thought we were dealing with them as at that time but the earlier we deal with it, the better. I believe we can find solution, we must find solution.”

Responding, Lalong appreciated his coming but noted that a phone call would have sufficed.

He added, “Insecurity is not new to me, we thought we could handle it. When we came in, we quickly put up a team including Berom and Fulani. They came out with a roadmap to proffer solutions, we adopted the recommendations and have implemented some and was in the process of implementing the remaining ones. We have done our best, we have learnt our lessons, we will be very firm.”

5 News Oil marketers express concern over loading disruption The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), on Wednesday expressed concern over disruption to loading at Ejigbo Satellite Depot by Pipelines Products Marketing Company (PPMC) in the last three weeks.

The Chairman of Ejigbo Satellite depot, Alhaji Ayo Alanamu, told the News men in Lagos that the disruption to loading at the depot would cause fuel scarcity within the metropolis, if not addressed urgently.

According to Alanamu, an official of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) explained that routine maintenance was being carried out on system 2B pipeline network, which was yet to be completed.

“The official said nonpayment of salary to the pipelines surveillance security affected the pumping of products to the depot as the security demanded for payment before operation can commence.

“We have not loaded a single product from the depot in the last three weeks and this has increased the ex-depot price in most private depots in Apapa,” he said.

The IPMAN boss urged the management of NNPC to urgently intervene to avert another round of scarcity that could arise if not carefully managed before the weekend.

“Today, the situation has worsened as Mosinmi and Ibadan depots now have low stock.

“The two depots which usually load 200 trucks each on daily basis now load between 10 to 12 trucks daily,” he said.

He said marketers would not hesitate to sell petrol above pump price of N145 per liter if private depots failed to sell petrol at the official ex-depot price.

Alanamu said it had been a serious challenge for trucks coming from Kwara, Ilorin, Ekiti, and Kogi to load at Apapa due to the ongoing road repairs.

A NAN correspondent, who monitored the situation at Ejigbo Satellite Depot reports that loading was no longer going on at the depot while trucks were seen parked outside.

One of the truck drivers, Mr Musa Adamu, said, “I have been here since last week with my receipt to load after paying to bank but l was told no petrol.

“My boss told me to wait here until they fix the problem, that is why am still waiting to load,” he said.

However, one of the officials at the depot, who preferred not to be mentioned, told NAN that the disruption to loading was due to the ongoing maintenance on a sectional line, which had been completed.

“I cannot confirm to you when pumping will start but you can go to Abuja and ask our bosses further questions,” the official said.

News 6

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 28, 2018

Saraki visits Plateau, emphasises need to working towards peace Tunde Opalana, Abuja Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has said that working towards peace in Plateau State and Nigeria as a whole must remain the primary responsibility of all Nigerians.

Saraki, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media & Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu and made available on Wednesday, was quoted as saying this during a condolence visit to Plateau State, over this weekend’s killings.

The Senate President was accompanied by the Senate Deputy Majority Leader, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah and Senator Ubali Shittu.

Saraki, who had earlier in the day, met with President Muhammadu Buhari, alongside Speaker Yakubu Dogara, was received by the Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong at the Plateau State Government

House.

He said: “Let me convey my deepest sympathy for the unfortunate and sad incident that occurred in Plateau State this weekend that claimed many innocent lives. This is not only a loss to Plateau State, but to the entire nation.

“Although the National Assembly is currently not in session, when we resume next week, this is one of the prime issues that will be up for discussion. However, we thought it necessary to come here personally to meet with the people of Plateau State to commiserate with the families — because words cannot really describe this kind of pain.

“Our prayer to Almighty God is to grant the affected families the fortitude to bear these losses.

At this time as well, I also pray to God to give His Excellency, the Governor, the courage to be able to manage this challenge and bring solace to a lot of people,”

The Senate President also stated that the development was a very difficult time for Plateau State, saying however, that the entire nation stands with Plateau during this difficult time.

“This is a very difficult time for Plateau State. However, I want to reassure you that the entire country is with you and the entire National Assembly stands with you.

“We were late in coming here because both myself and the Honourable Speaker of the House of Representatives sought an appointment with Mr. President on the killings that occurred here — to see how we would come together to see what could be done to forestall and prevent future occurrences like this and provide relief and support for all those that have been affected. This is our paramount responsibility.

Whatever that needs to be done, must be done,” he said.

Saraki also called on the

nation’s security agencies to ensure that those responsible for the killings are quickly apprehended to help bring an end to the killings in Plateau State.

He said, “We must also ensure that all those who are responsible for these killings must account for it. It is part of providing succour and ensuring the peace. You cannot bring back the lives, but finding and prosecuting the perpetrators will go a long way in helping to calm people and ease the pain that they are going through.

“Therefore, yet again, we call on our security agents to ensure that they find the perpetrators that have done this and make them account for their detestable actions.

“Let me use this opportunity to appeal to everyone, to the entire people of Plateau State: Nobody wins from this.

Nobody. These killings from today sets the clock back many

L-R: Internal Communications & Sustainability Manager, British American Tobacco Nigeria (BATN), Eduvie Martin; Leaf Coordinator, BATN, Uwaifo Onaho; and Area Head of Corporate Affairs, BATN, Abimbola Okoya, receiving an award for the outstanding contribution to the fight against Child Labour in Oyo State from the Immediate past Chairman of the State Steering Committee on Child Labour, Ayodele Adeniyi in Oyo State...on Tuesday.

Woman docked for allegedly flogging man with wire A 28-year-old woman, Aishat Akande, who allegedly flogged a man with a wire was on Wednesday docked before an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court.

The accused, an hair dresser, who resides at 7, Somoye St., Ijaiye, a suburb of Lagos, is being tried for conspiracy and assault.

The Prosecutor, ASP

Clifford Ogu, told the court that the offences were committed on June 19 at Ijaiye in Lagos.

Ogu said that Akande and others at large allegedly flogged one Mr Sunday Adeko for urinating beside a shop in their domain.

He said that the accused and others allegedly descended on him and flogged Adeko with wire, adding that in the course

of beating him, the wire heat Adeko in his eyes and blood gushed out of his eyes.

Ogu said that during police investigation, the accused said that the residents of the area had warned passersby to desist from urinating on the spot because of its odour.

He told the court that by the act, the accused and others had taken laws of the land into their hands.

Ogu said the offences contravened Sections 246 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

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

The Chief Magistrate, Mr J. A Adegun, granted the accused bail of N50,000 with two sureties in like sum.

Adegun adjourned the case until July 10 for mention.

years, therefore, I want to appeal to the entire people of Plateau State, the elderly, the young, the men and the women, to ensure that we work towards peace. Working towards peace is not only the responsibility of the Governor or the traditional rulers in the state. It is incumbent on everyone. Working towards peace is not Simon Lalong’s problem alone.”

Responding, Governor Lalong commended the Senate President and the Senate delegation saying: “As the

leader of the North Central, we welcome you to our state. When this thing started, as the leader of our geopolitical region, you looked for me and you called me, despite your busy schedule to ask me “What can I do to help?”

“On behalf of the good people of Plateau State, I thank you and the Senate delegation for being here. This is because you are not only here representing yourselves, you are here representing the entire National Assembly.”

Ebonyi Govt. budgets N2bn for reconstruction of 171 primary schools Edward Nnachi, Abakaliki

Ebonyi State government has approved the sum of N2 billion for the reconstruction of 171 primary schools across the state in line with the administration’s transformation policy in education.

The Commissioner for Education, Hon. Sabinus Nwankwegu, disclosed this at a joint press briefing with the Commissioners of Information and State Orientation, Senator Emmanuel Onwe; Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Barr.

Samuel Okoronkwo; Mr. Emma Uguru who is in charge of Power; and Special Assistant to the Governor on Design, Mr. Chikere Omebe, after the State Executive Council meeting on Wednesday at government house Abakaliki.

Nwankwegu explained that a committee headed by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Welfare and Religion Matters, Rev. Fr. Abraham Nwali, has been set up to inspect the primary schools in the state and identify one in each of the 171 Wards most affected by infrastructure decay for immediate intervention.

“In today’s Exco meeting, Council considered the problem of poor infrastructure in some primary schools and in tackling that problem in line with His Excellency’s policy in education, graciously approved for the renovation of 171 primary schools, one in each of the 171 Wards for immediate intervention”, he said.

The Power Commissioner, Mr. Emmanuel Uguru, also said that following the establishment of industrial clusters and rice mill clusters in the three zones of the state, and the procurement of biomass plants to solve the problem of electricity, Council approved N101.7m for the immediate installation of the plant in the southern zone of the state.

Mr Uguru further said that Council also approved N16m for the procurement of electrical materials for the ongoing construction of Abakaliki modern mall.

For Special Assistant on Design, Mr. Omebe, he disclosed that as part of council’s resolutions, award of contracts for the construction of bridges across Oferekpe and Ndibe beaches to connect cross River state would soon take place.

Police confirm arrest of 2 suspects over death of Imo monarch The Police Command in Imo has arrested two suspects in connection with the death of Eze Brendan Ibekwe, the traditional ruler of Mgbe autonomous community in the Orlu Local Government Area of Imo. The spokesman of the command, Mr Andrew Enwerem, told newsmen on Wednesday in Owerri that Ibekwe was assassinated on June 24 by gunmen in his community while his body was found on the OrluOwerri highway.

Enwerem said the Commissioner of Police in

Imo, Mr Dasuki Galadanchi, had directed the command’s Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department to take over the matter.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Samuel Ohiri, has expressed his concern over the murder of Ibekwe.

He described the incident as a sacrilege for a traditional ruler to be murdered by gunmen.

Ohiri called for thorough investigation into the matter, saying that the killers must be brought to book.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 28, 2018

7 News

‘Blame Ayade, NBC over Ebonyi, C/River communal clashes’ Charles Onyekwere, Abakaliki Youths under the aegis of Izzi Nnodo Youth Forum comprising Ebonyi, Izzi and Abakaliki local government areas of the State yesterday blamed the lingering inter-communal clash between Igbeagu Izzi people in Izzi LGA and Ukele, Yala LGA of Cross River State on the lackadaisically attitude of Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River state and the leadership of the National Boundary

Commission (NBC), in the country.

Briefing Journalists in Abakaliki, the President of Izzi Nnodo Youth Forum, Hon. Ben Nwovu who regretted why the crisis would degenerate to the level it is presently condemned the killing of innocent Izzi people in the affected villages in Izzi LGA of the State.

According to him, the displaced persons were suffering because the intervention by the state government to cushion the

effect of the crisis was not enough even as he called on the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), to come to the aid of the displaced persons in the state.

Nwovu further blamed the NBC for not responding to boundary issues in the country, noting that if permanent demarcation had been created since the dispute began in 2005, the land disputes between Ebonyi and Cross River would have been a thing of the past.

“I condemn totally the crisis

between Ukele in Cross River State and Igbeagu in Izzi Local Government Areas. I condemn it in the strongest terms, because such crisis should not arise now. Whatever is the matter, both sides should liaise with relevant authorities to resolve their differences.

“As the President of the clan, I have gone to my people and they have assured me that they will not go for a reprisal attack.

But it has become obvious that the people of Ukele cannot allow our people to sleep with

their two eyes closed.

“I am calling on National Boundary Commission, NBC, to come and adjust the boundary. They are the one causing the problem. If they had created permanent boundary between these two communities, the crisis would have been a thing of the past.“ Only yesterday, I heard that the people of Cross River are still having problem with Edda community in Afikpo South Local Government Area. The crisis still boarders

FG to inject N500bn in FMBN Joseph Inokotong The Federal Government plans to inject N500 billion ($1.4 billion) in its low-cost mortgage lender over the next five years in an effort to spur home ownership.

Faced with a housing deficit of 17 million units, Nigeria is

seeking to improve access to home loans in an economy that vies with South Africa as the continent’s biggest.

Chief Executive Officer, Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), Ahmed Musa Dangiwa said lack of proper land deeds, poverty and record high interest rates means there

are only an estimated 50,000 registered mortgages, of which state-owned FMBN accounts for 18,200.

The FMBN boss who stated this in an interview in Abuja, recently noted that the mortgage institution is seeking to boost its capital from N5 billion at a rate of N100 billion a year.

According to him, the FMBN is expecting proposals on its recapitalisation, as well as a reorganisation of its business, to be approved by all arms of government by the end of 2018.

He said the company’s current capital base is “grossly inadequate, that’s why we’re in the process of ensuring that the

capital base be increased.”

Dangiwa explained that armed with the extra cash, the institution can go from the 2,500 new mortgages it plans to sign up this year to 100,000 over the next two years, noting that the extra capital will also encourage other investors to provide additional funding.

on boundary. The boundary Commission should come to the aide of Cross River and Ebonyi State to create a permanent boundary.

“The problem is connected to protracted boundary dispute. The other one is also because there is no permanent boundary. If you go to that place, the people are living almost together.

“At the same time, I am asking the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), to come to their intervention to save them from disease and hunger. I know the state government is doing its best, but it is not enough”.

Ebonyi APC is practising satanic opposition, says Gov Umahi Edward Nnachi, Abakaliki

The Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Mr. Ahmed Idris (left), shaking hands with a staff of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), while the Managing Director/Chief Executive, of FMBN, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa (middle) looks with admiration in the Treasury house, Abuja, recently.

ADP to APC: Arrest, prosecute killers in Plateau Tom Okpe, Abuja The Action Democratic Party (ADP), has advised the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to either effect the immediate arrest and prosecution of the masterminds of the early Sunday morning massacre in Plateau state or risk losing

face and perceived to have compromised which means total failure.

National Chairman of the ADP, Engr. Yabagi Sani explained that the current perception held by the people is that the government of the All Progressives Congress (APC), under the leadership of President Buhari is shielding killer herdsmen and this must

be proved otherwise.

‘If the government fails to respond appropriately on this Jos killing, the nation may be driven into a situation where every citizen will find security for themselves and this could spell doom for the country, he said.

According to him, it is a good thing that Vice President Osinbajo visited to

commiserate and have first hand knowledge but it would have been more appropriate for the President to personally visit as he did to Bauchi recently.

He admonished all Nigerians to condemn the act as barbaric and genocide and do everything possible to help this government that appears clueless and helpless.

He said “At ADP, we commiserate with the People of Plateau State and admonish the government of the State to be proactive with security in the State and not play politics with the lives of the people”.

More than 200 indigenes of Riyom, Barikin-Ladi and Jos South Local Government areas of the State were massacred in cold blood, Sunday morning.

Ebonyi State Governor, Engr.

David Umahi, Wednesday said that the sort of opposition being practised by the Ebonyi State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), amounted to nothing other than satanism.

Speaking at the 42nd meeting of the state executive members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), at the party’s secretariat in Abakaliki, the state capital, Umahi stated that though he had so much respect for President Muhammadu Buhari, the Ebonyi state government would leave nothing to chance in dealing with anybody who went against the law of the land.

Umahi noted that it was obvious the APC had failed Nigerians woefully and maintained that the only option left for the country’s citizenry was for them to vote PDP to power, adding that there was no element of truth in the rumours recently making the round that he was leaving his party to the APC. According to him, “I must commend the party members for their doggedness. The doggedness of the Exco members, House of Assembly members, is quite remarkable.

You have all done us proud.

Our council chairmen, you have done us proud”.

“I want to thank the very loyal party chairman highly.

When I was coming, I saw a lot of activities around this area; it is a sign that we are in charge.

We are doing more than we have in the state”.

The governor said the essence of the meeting was to avoid the ugly incidents that happened in 2015, from repeating, saying in the last general elections a lot of people worked vehemently against the party, “but today, they are the worst hit”.

News 8

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 28, 2018

PenCom begins 2019 pre-retirement verification, enrolment Joseph Inokotong, Abuja The National Pension Commission (PenCom) has commenced nationwide pre-retirement verification and enrolment exercise for employees in the service of the Federal Government Treasury Funded MDAs, who are due to retire from service between January and December 2019 by virtue of attaining the applicable maximum age or length of service, whichever is earlier.

The exercise, which began on Monday is scheduled to end on August 17, 2018.

A statement issued by PenCom said “This is to inform all employees of Treasury Funded MDAs of

the Federal Government, that the National Pension Commission (PenCom) is organising a nationwide pre-retirement verification and enrolment exercise commencing from 25 June to 17 August, 2018.

“The exercise is for employees in the service of the Federal Government Treasury Funded MDAs, who are due to retire from service between January and December 2019 by virtue of attaining the applicable maximum age or length of service, whichever is earlier.

“Affected employees are required to personally come along with the original of the under-listed documents for sighting while photocopies of same

would be submitted for verification and enrolment: Letter of First Appointment; Evidence of Transfer of Service and Acceptance (where applicable); Birth Certificate or Declaration of Age; Letter/Evidence of promotion to the Grade Level as at June 2004; Letter/ Evidence of ALL promotions obtained from 2004 to date; Letter of Introduction from the MDA and Staff Identity Card.

Other requirements according to PenCom are: “Letter/Evidence of Retirement (Applicable to those who have retired Mandatorily/Voluntarily/ Disengaged /Termination and yet to enroll with the Commission); Letter of

Indemnity from the MDA stating Non-Payment of Retirement Benefits (Applicable to those who retired / disengaged before 2009, and Evidence of registration with a Pension Fund Administrator indicating Retirement Savings Account Personal Identification Number (PIN)”.

PenCom also require that Pension Desk Officers (PDOs), of each MDA should be available at the designated centres to authenticate the documents and endorse the Retirement Bond Registration Form of each potential retiree from his/her MDA. The statement noted that medically unfit employees

are exempted from the physical enrolment.

“However, Pension Desk Officers of the medically unfit employees are advised to come along with a letter from a suitably qualified physician or medical board certifying that the employee is no longer physically or mentally capable of carrying out the functions of his/her office in addition to documents listed in 2 above.

“For ease of access of participants, the exercise is scheduled to hold at fifteen centres through-out the Federation.

Participants are advised to adhere strictly to dates assigned to each service sector,” the statement further stated.

Purported OPC shrine located under Opebi Link Bridge in Lagos, which the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Mr. Imohimi Edgal, directed should be demolished.

Fraud: More troubles for Sen Akpan as FG files new charges against him Doosuur Iwambe, Abuja It is not yet over for the embattled senator representing Akwa Ibom north-east senatorial district, Senator Bassey Albert Akpan as the Federal Government has filed new criminal charges against him at the Federal High Court in Abuja over his failure to declare his true assets.

The Federal Government (the Complainant) in charge No FHC/ABJ/CR/88/2018 slammed a two-count charge of “criminal breach of trust, diversion of public funds, conspiracy and abuse of office contrary to section 3(3)(1) (a) of the Recovery of public property (Special privision) Act 2004.

In its Particulars of offence to count one, the Federal Government alleged that Akpan committed the offence of false assets declaration under Section 15 of Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act Cap C15 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

The offence is also said to be contained in paragraph 11(1) & (2) of Part I, Fifth Schedule of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and punishable under Section 23(2) of the Code of Conduct Bureau/Tribunal Act and as incorporated under paragraph 18 of Part 1, Fifth Schedule of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

The charge sheet dated 12th June 2018 was signed

by Dr. Celsus Ukpong, Chief

Superintendent, Special Presidential Investigation Panel (SPIP) on behalf of the Attorney-General of the Federation and backed by the proof of evidence and statement of Senator Akpan.

Akpan in his statement attached to the charged sheet stated that he could not remember how much he bought his property on Plot No 387 Diplomatic zone, Katampe Extension Abuja and who he bought the property from.

The senator in his statement also denied ownership of houses No 5 chu Okongwu Link and No 11 Bola Ajibola Crescent all in diplomatic zone Katampe Extension Abuja but findings in the preliminary investigations so

far fingered him as the owner of the properties.

The Federal Government in its findings expressed doubt that the property on No 18 Jibril Aminu is commensurate to the earning of a state public servant or a Federal legislator.

The two count charges read: That you, Senator Albert Basset Akpan “M” on or about 12th day of April, 2018 being public offices with the National Assembly within the jurisdiction of this honourable court committed an offence to wit: refusal to declare your assets without reasonable excuse and upon notice to declare your assets before the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property, Abuja contrary to and punishable under S. 3(3)(1)

(a) of the Recovery of Public Property (Special Provision) Act 2004.

“That you, Senator Albert Basset Akpan “M” on or about 12th day of April, 2018 being public offices with the National Assembly within the jurisdiction of this honourable court committed an offence to wit: neglect to declare your assets without reasonable excuse and upon notice to declare your assets before the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property, Abuja contrary to and punishable under S. 3(3)(1) (a) of the Recovery of Public Property (Special Provision)Act 2004.

The matter is yet to be assigned to a judge.

Influx of unregistered drugs: NAFDAC urges proper border checks Titus Akhigbe, Benin City The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has called for securitytightened borders in order to checkmate influx of unregistered pharmaceutical products into the country and ensure strict adherence to provisions made for drug prescription.

The agency said all land borders including Onne and Tincan Island Ports should remain shut as entry points for pharmaceuticals.

Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof.

Moji Christianah Adeyeye disclosed this at a symposium on the “Problems of Drug/ Substance Abuse organised by the University of Benin (Uniben) in Edo State.

Adeyeye attributed abuse of hard drug among youths to lack of due diligence to ensure the integrity of the distribution chain which according to her, has led to illicit channels and traders with little or no knowledge of the public health consequences of codeine containing products.

The NAFDAC Boss who was represented by Edo State coordinator of the agency, Pharm. Esther Itua decried reports of clearance of drugs at unapproved entry points adding: “The concealment and importation into the country remain complicated and poses a serious challenge for effective control”.

She expressed concern that statistics have shown that “there are signs of expansion of market for Tramadol in Nigeria”.

The NAFDAC boss however lauded the “improved collaboration and information sharing amongst regulatory and enforcement agencies” in its recent seizure of large amount of tramadol destined for illicit markets from the Onne port.

Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Faraday Orumwense who was represented by the DVC Prof. Pius Irihogbe said there is urgent need to address drug abuse in campuses adding that “life is all about human beings and their existence.

According to him, “the more we come together to exchange ideas, break new grounds on a campaign against this life threatening menace , the better we shall be.”

Joseph Inokotong, Abuja Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 28, 2018

Succession crisis rocks Owerri Anglican Diocese Val Okara, Owerri The Diocese of Owerri Anglican Communion has been engulfed with deep crisis over succession following the retirement of the bishop of the diocese, Rt. Rev, Cyril Okorocha.

The retirement of Dr. Okorocha on June 12 this year without a successor emerging had thrown the diocese into confusion.

It was gathered that he recommended the bishop of Mbaitoli diocese yet to be created to succeed him with 23 others jostling for the same position.

The Daily Times learnt that the people of Owerri diocese prefer the Venerable in charge of Christ Church, Owerri to be next bishop of the diocese.

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and Registrar of Diocese of Owerri Anglican Communion, Sir Ndukwe Nnawuchi and three other lawyers under the aegis of Registered Trustees dragged the Anglican Primate Nicolas Okoh to court restraining him from appointing anybody as the bishop of Owerri.

It would be recalled that Justice Orjiakor of Owerri High Court on March 21, 2018 issued an order restraining the Primate from appointing/ electing Bishop of Okigwe South diocese or any other person as the Bishop of Owerri.

Sir Nnawuchi (SAN) on June 17 filed a contempt suit against Anglican Primate for appointing the Bishop of Ikeduru diocese, Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Maduwike as the supervisory Bishop of Owerri diocese.

He informed the court that Rev. Maduwike called a meeting of all Chancellors and Registrars of the province without involving those from Owerri diocese.

But, in a swift reaction, the defence counsel Chief De Nwigwe (SAN) told the court that the Primate could not be held for contempt because he (primate) acted under the ambit of the law, not the disobedience of the court order.

In his ruling, Justice Orjiakor set aside the appointment of Rev. Maduwike as the supervisory bishop as well as nullifying it, and also restrained the Primate from making further appointments for Owerri diocese.

The legal team of the Primate had since filed an appeal at the court of Appeal against the ruling of the Owerri High Court from executing the order.

European Bank to invest €700m in Nigeria

The Regional Representative for West Africa, European Investment Bank (EIB), Ms Isabelle Grunderbeeck, has disclosed that the bank plans to invest 700 million euros in some identified projects in Nigeria.

Grunderbeeck disclosed this at the bank’s interactive meeting with its clients and other stakeholders in Abuja on Tuesday.

She said that the planned investment was in addition to the fund already committed to the Nigerian economy.

She said “EIB is currently identifying new projects for a total amount of 700 million

euros on top of the funds already committed.

“We finance large infrastructure project, and we are also important financier of climate, we are looking into the renewable energy sector of the economy”.

The official said that the bank had so far invested 296 million Euros in Small, Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria in the last eight years.

She said that the bank had also invested 87 million euros in 65 companies through the investment funds.

“Since 2010, EIB disbursed 296 million euros under seven facilities signed with nine Nigerian banks and 210 million

euros for 50 sub-projects disbursed to be on-lent in foreign currency.

“Average allocation amount per project was 4.5 million euros.

“It was spent on wholesale and retail trade, education, manufacturing, construction, transportation, accommodation, human health, information and communication, electricity and gas, agriculture, scientific and technical activities.

“In 2018, EIB disbursed 17 million euros equity participation in Development Bank of Nigeria funding intermediaries for on lending to Micro Small and Medium

Enterprises in local currency,” she said.

The EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr Ketil Karlsen described the bank’s investment in Nigeria as valuable addition to the existing cooperation between the EU and Nigeria.

Karlsen said that Nigeria had the largest EIB investments in the African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries.

He explained that “With development cooperation through policy dialogue and many efforts, the biggest investment bank in the world is engaging more decisively with Nigeria; this is a

9 News

wonderful progress that we are seeing now.

“If you look at the figure and the continuous engagement of the bank in Nigeria and its increasing portfolio, Nigeria is number one country in the ACP that is having the bank’s support for private businesses.

“And we are doing this in order to find a lasting solution to the migration problem in the country; the bank is creating opportunity for the youth in the country to be engaged.

“The investment will help to address the challenge of migration and to provide long term solution to the irregular migration issue, this is the best opportunity”.

Plateau Indigenes at the entrance of the Plateau Government House over killings by Fulani assailants...on Wednesday.

Police charge parents to monitor children in Kwara Kehinde Akinpelu, Ilorin Kwara state police command has advised parents to monitor activities of their children, saying that the command was ready to partner with individuals, groups and relevant agencies to provide adequate security for every citizen in the state.

Speaking with journalists while parading some 12 suspected criminals arrested from different parts of the state in Ilorin on Tuesday, said that the arrests were made in the last six weeks, added that 10 murder cases, 10 armed

robbery cases and unlawful possession of fire arm, among others were recorded in period under review.

Saleh said that magnitude of the drug problems among teenagers and some irresponsible adults in the state is huge, adding that consequences had usually been cultism and armed robbery cases, among others.

The police boss, who said that criminal activities in the state cut across all demographics, added that each district has its own peculiar crime type.

“Current crime statistics in the state indicates that homicide cases in prevalent

in Kwara North, especially among the Fulani youths, while illicit drug and other substance abuse, cultism and unprovoked attacks are mostly common in the Ilorin metropolis. Farmer/ herdsmen conflict is seen more in the Kwara South district of the state”, he said.

The police commissioner then called on community leaders in the areas to do more at sensitizing their people against criminal activities and synergize with police to come up with workable strategies to address their peculiar challenges.

The commissioner of police, who gave an example of

lawlessness that resulted in gruesome murder, said that the murder case was reported in Gwanara police station on June 14, 2018 by one Alhaji Musa Meisa, the magaji of Bukuno Fulani camp against one Yale Mohammed of Bwen camp in same Gwanara, who allegedly killed one Umoru Kinah, a Fulani by inflicting a deep matchet cut on his neck over a misunderstanding.

He also said that six of the 10 armed robbery cases recorded within six weeks had been successfully busted, adding that a member of a five-man armed robbery gang, Adekanola Adebayo was arrested for

attacking Oluwasheun Ishola of Gbegede area of Amayo carting away Toyota matrix, one plasma TV, jewelries, one Samsung C7 phone, and one iphone.

Saleh also said that three members of an armed gang were arrested at old Kara Kulende Ilorin on May 17, 2018 while Muslim faithful were preparing to start last Ramadhan fast.

He said that the hoodlums at about 12:20 am robbed one Michael oyindamola and three of her roommates of items such as three Nokia phones, one generator, two wrist watches, one LG phone, one Iphone and cash sum of N65,000.

News 10

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 28, 2018

‘Why Glo clinched Most Innovative Mobile Player Award’ Globacom’s consistent role as the pioneer in Nigeria’s telecom space in terms of innovation and high standard network, qualified it for the Most Innovative Mobile Player Award, Communications Week Media, organiser of

the annual Beacon of ICT Awards, has explained.

The Beacon of ICT Awards is a platform for rewarding the vision and enterprise of individuals and companies that have lent their quota to the growth of Information and Communications

Nigeria to become gas hub Idu Jude, Abuja As part of its strategic aspirations to derive maximum value from Nigeria’s abundant natural gas resources, the Federal Government is targeting 10 per cent of the world’s market share in traded Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).

Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Baru, disclosed this Tuesday while addressing the 27th World Gas Conference (WGC) in Washington DC, United States.

Speaking at a session on “The Role of Gas in Power Generation” under the theme “Fuelling the Future”, Baru reeled out the enormous potentials of Nigeria’s gas resources and their huge contributions to the nation’s economy, explaining also the gasto-power initiatives as well as the quest for industrialization.

“We are focused on jumpstarting and sustaining gas supply to support a rapid growth in power generation, repositioning Nigeria as the regional hub for gas-based industries such as fertilizer, petrochemicals, methanol, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), as well as leveraging our enormous reserves position to strengthen our footprints in high value gas export through LNG and regional gas pipelines,” Baru told delegates at the triennial gas gathering.

He said with emerging gas markets and the need to generate more power across Africa’s SubSaharan region, there abound an unprecedented investment opportunity in the gas sector for the country.

According to the GMD, Nigeria was focused on expanding its existing 22 million metric tonnes per annum (MTPA) Nigerian LNG plant with additional 8MTPA from its proposed Train 7, a development that will significantly increase global power generation capacity.

He further noted that towards achieving these gas aspirations, the Federal Government recently approved three-pronged reforms in the gas sector which included domestic gas supply obligation, gas pricing policy and regulation as well as gas infrastructure blueprint.

Dr. Baru stated that as at today, Nigeria had completed and commissioned about 600km of new gas pipelines, thereby connecting all existing power plants to permanent gas supply pipelines.

“We have also kicked off the 614km Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) pipeline project which, on completion, will deliver gas along these areas, thereby generating additional 3600MW to the national grid,” he stated.

On the planned NigeriaMorocco Gas Pipeline Project, Baru stated that the project would foster regional economic integration, reduce desertification, as well as enable accelerated regional electrification.

“It will contribute significantly to the overall economic development of the region through the emergence of a wide range of industrial clusters around petrochemical, manufacturing, agro-business and fertilizers among others,” he stated.

He observed that currently, government was completing the construction of the strategic Obiafo/Obirikon-Oben (OB 3) (East-West) interconnection pipeline and doubling the capacity of the existing Escravos to Lagos Pipeline (Western Pipeline System).

He said the Federal Government had intervened to drastically reduce gas flare from 25 per cent down to 10 per cent, even as it had stepped up efforts to stimulate gas utilisation and monetization.

Baru, who described gas as fast evolving preferred fuel for power generation, added that as an economic energy source, natural gas has, today, transformed the economies of several nations.

He said Nigeria’s gas resource base was significant, as its estimated 199TCF has the potential of up to 600TCF in undiscovered resources, a tremendous opportunity to compete favourably with its peers.

At the session, panellists also discussed the changing dynamics of global gas market, especially in the wake of the increased international demand and supplies, the huge potentials for gas-to-power initiatives as well as the impact of renewables on the gas sector.

Technology sector of the Nigerian economy in a particular year.

Its main objectives are to evaluate and recognise standards of excellence in the country’s desire to enhance growth and development in the use of ICT by ensuring that ICT professionals are furnished with a verifiable benchmark

for recognizing and validating outstanding contributions.

Speaking on the award, the Editor-in-Chief and Chief Executive Officer of Communications Week Media, Ken Nwogbo, said: “Glo has remained consistent in pioneering most of the innovations we have in the telecoms industry today, both in

voice and in data services.

Glo Café, Borrow me Data, Campus Booster, E-top Up and Easy Share are among the recent products which have offered unparalleled experience for telecom subscribers on the Glo network. Many of the respondents who took part in the poll said this was why they voted

for Glo as the Most Innovative Mobile Player”.

Nwogbo further explained that winners emerged in the various categories through votes by readers of Communications Week in an online poll conducted by the magazine from November 2017 to March 15, 2018.

Prove your integrity, tell EFCC to probe Oshiomhole, PDP tells Buhari Tunde Opalana, Abuja The Peoples Democratic Party (PPD), has charged President Muhammadu Buhari to live up to his claim of integrity by calling on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to commence investigation into corrupt allegations against the new national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Speaking on the emergence of the new chairman of APC, PDP national publicity secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan said Oshiomhole has a petition hanging on his neck and called on Buhari not to shield him for prosecution by the EFCC. Ologbondiyan said this on Wednesday while playing host to leaders of PDP from Kabba/ Bunu local government

of Kogi State who were on solidarity visit to him at the Wadata House, Abuja national secretariat of the party.

The PDP spokesperson recalled that a clergy, Bishop, Osadalor Oche from Edo State sent a petition to the EFCC against the APC national chairman but expressed shock that he was yet to be investigated despite claims by President Buhari that APC is a party integrity.

“Nigerians expect that the EFCC will rise to investigate the allegation. But up till now the Commission has not done anything. Mr. Oshiomhole who claims Mr. Integrity has failed to submit himself to the EFCC. “How do you want us to believe you are fighting corruption? Of course Nigerians are already know that the EFCC that was established by the PDP

APC chair: Group lauds Oshiomhole’s victory Titus Akhigbe, Benin-City

The leadership of the National Association of Edo State Students (NAESS), has extolled the victory of former Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as the National Chairman, All Progressive Congress (APC).

Oshiomhole who succeeded Chief John Odigie Oyegun after his tenure was described by the student group as a man who the cap fits to lead his party to victory.

The representative of the Association, Comrade Meisabi Tasiu said the ex-labour leader represents the true capacity that can drive the party to achieving success in the forthcoming general election He maintained that Oshiomhole’s past stewardship in the state has set a better template in the political corridor that had resulted in the emancipation of its citizenry.

“When he served as the NLC president, he found and

assumed a place in the hearts of Nigerian workers and students/ youth.

His stewardship thereafter opens the doors in Edo state that resulted in political emancipation.

“He is committed to national interest through his ideological focus and he is not afraid of vagaries of adventures or despite all he has achieved those not believe in blowing his own trumpet or raising dust about his achievements” he stated.

He further noted that with his profound intellectual extensiveness and dedication to effective service delivery, he would be able to provide veritable support for the president Muhammadu Buhari vision, socioeconomic and political ideologies He however urged all to rally support to enable him deliver in his promise to the party and the nation; adding that, it will be a productive combination for anti-corruption crusade, good governance, Security and Zoning structure.

government to fight corruption has been turned to a bull-dog to go after opposition members who are critical of President Buhari’s government.

“We are asking the EFCC to commence investigation on Oshiomhole over the alleged corruption. If they failed to do so the Commission has no moral right to prosecute any of our members in the guise of fighting corruption”, he said.

Ologbondiyan also accused the APC of allegedly spending whopping N3.6 billion to conduct its just concluded national convention.

He said it is ironical that at a critical time when Nigerians are undergoing

hunger and starvation, APC state governors contributed N150 million each to fund the national convention of the party described as a charade.

“It is worrisome to us that as we speak today, the sum of N3.6 billion was spent on that charade that they called convention.”

He said Nigeria is passing through perilous times as the country is turning into funeral parlour by the APC. Leader of the delegation, Dr. Stephen Olorunfemi said Kola Ologbondiyan has been a good ambassador of the Okun people and that he has performed well as the national publicity secretary of PDP in three thematic areas.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 28, 2018

11 Opinion

Anti-corruption fight and big fish

M

Tajudeen Kareem

u s t a f a I b r a h i m Magu, a commissioner of police, was in expansive mood last night. In fact, out of character, he betrayed a secret. “I am going to write a book when I retire. The title of the book will be No Place to Hide”, he volunteered shortly after news filtered in on the conviction of Mr. Jolly Nyame, by an Abuja High Court.

Nyame, 63 coming Christmas, will spend the next 14 years behind bars, having being convicted on 26 of the 41 count-charge for corrupt enrichment to the tune of N1.64 billion by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. Figuratively speaking, the anticorruption watchdog under Magu has sent a strong signal to all crooks and crooked public officers who take delight in ravaging the country’s common purse with reckless abandon. Nyame’s conviction serves notice to all, both serving and former politicians and public officers -- henceforth there will be no hiding place for thieves!

The advent of democracy 19 years ago was expected to shower Nigerians with sundry democracy dividends. Unfortunately, while well-meaning people doubted the sincerity of the khaki boys, crooks and charlatans took the risk, threw their hats in the ring and won elections to various offices, from the local government to the National Assembly.

No thanks to the expensive Presidential System and its winnertakes-all mentality, Nigerians had to endure huge cost of governance,

with padding, inflation and outright embezzlement.

Rather than get the goodies of good governance, our communities, urban and rural, are riddled with hunger, illiteracy, diseases, darkness, poor roads; alongside capital flight due to brain drain and ceaseless medical tourism through which over $1 billion is lost annually.

But the mindless plundering of the treasury began way back from the military era. It has snowballed into poor management of resources under civil rule. Speaking recently at the Platform Nigeria 2018 in Lagos, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo lamented that corruption remained the ultimate threat to the nation’s economy, stressing that government could have done more with less income but for monstrous graft ravaging the nation.

“Grand corruption remains the ultimate threat to our economy.

Just to give an example: $3 billion was stolen through the so-called Strategic Alliance contracts in 2015,” he revealed.

The Vice President went further to specify that just three citizens perpetrated the fraud amounting to N1 trillion (using the prevailing official exchange rate) in a nation with a N7 trillion annual budget.

Similarly, a former Vice President at the World Bank for Africa, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, herself a former minister under Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, in 2012, revealed that Nigeria lost $400 billion to oil thieves since 1960 when it gained independence.

It should worry sane people that some 20 percent of the entire budget for capital expenditure in this country ends in private pockets; one then wonders why social and infrastructural development in

Nigeria have remained stagnated.

In its report of 2017, the UK Department for International Development claimed that a screaming $32 billion was lost to corruption during the last administration alone. Thanks to democracy and technologies that have allowed for tracking of stolen funds; how much of such have been wasted under the rapacious military era should be frightening.

Meanwhile, to reverse this scary drift, President Muhammadu Buhari has unapologetically vowed to do the needful to whittle down the monstrous influence of official stealing on the economy. “If we don’t kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria”, he keeps admonishing.

And in doing that, EFCC, led by the seemingly defiant Magu, has played a patriotic role by dusting the books to bring corrupt public officials to justice; first to return their loot and secondly, to deter others like them from inflicting further injuries on the nation.

Regardless of his ordeals before the Senate, which up till today has refused to confirm Magu as the chairman of the anti-graft body, the Borno-state born top cop, who was promoted Commissioner of Police in April, 2018, has continued to carry out his assignment without looking back.

Not few Nigerians believe that the frosty relationship between the Senate and the anti-corruption fighter had anything to do with a so-called report by the Department of State Security. It can be linked to fears among lawmakers that Magu’s sword for probity could swing in the direction of its members with unclean past records.

Former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral

Commission, Prof Attahiru Jega, while delivering this year’s Democracy Day lecture in Abuja, fingered some chairmen of committees in the parliament as notorious for demanding bribes in pretense of embarking on oversight functions.

Recent reports from the EFCC indicated that 603 convictions were recorded in the three years from 2015 when Buhari assumed office; 103, 195 and 189 in 2015, 2016 and 2017 respectively; including the 116 in the first five months of 2018.

The record speaks volume of a government unwilling to pamper people with questionable records or aiding corruption in government.

Nyame was born on the December 25, 1955, in the Zing local Government of Taraba. He was Governor of the state from May 1999 to May 2007 and was first elected governor of the state in January 1992 until Gen. Sanni Abacha struck in November 1993.

He was a member of the then ruling People’s Democratic Party. Today, he is a member of All Progressives Congress. Jolly married the love of his life, Priscilla in 1981. He won awards for the most peaceful and social governor and is equally very liberal. He is reputed to be very compassionate. That perhaps explain why the people of Taraba gave him their trust twice to preside over their affairs without examining his hitch fingers.

Indeed, one of his enduring achievements is the Jolly Nyame Stadium in Jalingo, built in 2002.

He was charged for criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of government funds during his tenure as governor in the civilian dispensation.

Global tobacco epidemic and risk of heart breaks

T Ima-Obong Ekenem

he tobacco epidemic is the world’s biggest public health threat ever faced according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Each year tobacco kills over 7 million people and without urgent action the death toll from tobacco will rise above 8 million by 2030. Regrettably, tobacco kills nearly half of its users while 890,000 non-smokers die yearly from exposure to second hand smoke.

Approximately 80% of the world’s one billion smokers live in low and middle income countries (LMIC) Nigeria inclusive.

Sadly, tobacco products consumption is rising globally especially in LMIC but decreasing in some high and upper middle income countries (HUMIC).

The 2012 WHO Global Adult Tobacco Survey(GATS) carried out in Nigeria, shows that 4.2 million men and 0.5million women currently use tobacco while 3.1 million adult Nigerians(7.2% men and 0.3% women) smoke cigarettes.

Among the Nigerian youths aged

13-15 years, in public secondary schools, the 2008 WHO Global Youth Tobacco Survey(GYTS) found that 14.6% to 26.1% were currently using any tobacco products. This rather high rate of tobacco consumption among these students is quite worrisome since tobacco causes 1 in 10 adult deaths and nearly half of current smokers will die of tobaccorelated diseases.

The association of tobacco with chronic non-communicable diseases such as Cancer, Cardiovascular diseases, Diabetes mellitus, and chronic respiratory disorders is well established.

For this year 2018, the theme of World No Tobacco Day is: TOBACCO BREAKS HEARTS. According to the WHO Director General Dr. Tedro, it focuses on the impact of tobacco on cardiovascular health of people worldwide.

“Tobacco use is an important risk factor for the development of coronary heart disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease” he declares further, that “despite the devastating harms of tobacco to heart health, and the availability of

solutions to reduce tobacco-related death and disease, knowledge among large sections of the public that tobacco is one of the leading causes of CVD is low.”

TOBACCO IS RATED AS THE SINGLE MOST PREVENTABLE CAUSE OF DEATH. Tobacco use and exposure is fatally hazardous. It causes preventable diseases, concomitant disability and premature death. Tobacco therefore impacts negatively on the health of the individual, family and community increasing health care costs. Its overall adverse effect on the economy also impoverishes people especially the vulnerable youth and the poor in the society.

An increase in tobacco taxes by 10% by government has been shown to decrease tobacco use by 4% in high income countries (HIC) and in LMIC by 8% or more. Therefore, to reduce tobacco use, an effective legislation is essential in Nigeria.

Strong taxation policies such as advocated in the National Tobacco Control bill which was signed into law since 2015 would certainly facilitate the domestication of the

WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) a powerful public treaty which Nigeria is party to and a signatory of since 20th October 2005.

In order to further improve our environments at our work places, schools, hospitals and other public places including recreational facilities, I wish to recommend to the relevant authorities the enforcement of the No Smoking Policy by clearly displaying NOSMOKING stickers, posters and/ or erection of the SMOKERS’ BODY billboards. In addition, the formation of TOBACCO–FREE clubs in secondary and tertiary educational institutions as well as establishment by the NYSC of a CDS TOBACCO-FREE programme in all the 36 states and the FCT would be of immense value to the young people.

Formation of such clubs and having the CDS Tobacco-free programme would help keep the Nigerian youthful population healthy and free from tobacco-related ailments.

Finally, be warned!! Tobacco kills 50% of all its users and breaks the heart of non-users !!!

Column 12

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 28, 2018

Much ado about ‘democracy’ Times Columnist Mohammed Adamu

T

‘

Too many people, Walter Winchel said “expect wonders from democracy, when the most wonderful thing of all is just having it” The greatest undoing of democracy is not so much the absence from it of ‘true and sincere’ politicians; but rather the false state of mind that it encourages, which regards the system as a cure and not itself an affliction

,

What’s in a name? he term ‘democracy’ was originally ‘demos’ and ‘krasi’; Greek for ‘people’ and ‘rule’ -or ‘rule of the people’. But over time, it has etymologically evolved to mean different things to different people.

In our own part of the world, the transformation is breathtaking. From the Maghreb down to the Zambezi, from the westerly coast up to the horns of Africa, and particularly in my dear country, Nigeria, democracy has moved from the ‘rule of the people’ to the ‘lull of the pupil’. It is the new universal religion that brings caviar to the dinner tables of the few and virtually nothing to those of the many. The West has added a beautiful interpretative feather to this democratic peacock of Greece’s conception: They say that democracy is: “government of the people, by the people and for the people”, a definition which admits of neither primacy of ‘name’ nor certainty of ‘destination’!

As Shakespeare would ask, “what’s in a name?

That which we call a rose will smell as good if we call it by another name”.

Whatever the system is called and no matter where it ends, or leads to, it is just as well, theoretically, that ‘democracy’ is ‘of the people’, run ‘for the people’ and ‘by the people’ –even if in practice it is not.

Democracy, like ‘virtue’, is its own reward. Thus, to the West, concerning ‘democracy’, ‘all is well’ not necessarily that ‘ends well’, but ‘all is well that manages to stay on track. It matters only that a nation stays faithfully ‘democratic’, and not necessarily that democracy posts any dividends to the people. said Al Smith, an American politician: “All the ills of democracy can be cured by more democracy” Not so to the Chinese. To

the Chinese, unlike the West, although efficiency may be defined as ‘the train leaving station on time’ yet ‘the train not knowing where it is going’, is just as ‘inefficient’ –if not more! The Chinese, more practically, believe that whatever the system is called and ‘however’ or by who it is run, any system of government must be provident. In reply to the criticism of China’s controlled system of political economy, Denxioping once said to the Americans: “it does not matter whether the cat is black or white as long as it catches the mouse.” But here in Africa, and elsewhere –the back-countries of the world- we are sold a practically indigestible ‘system of government’ and which we are required to gobble raw and undiluted.

We are not even entitled to a glass of water by the table! We must be slaves of the due democratic process whether the ‘process’ duly serves our good end or it does not. And we must be hostages to the restrictions and prescriptions of the ‘rule of law’ whether or not the principle itself is consistent with the law of rule! Rogues in our midst who constitute a drag on society have constitutional rights that supremely take precedence over the survival of the state.

They must not be touched except via the tedium of the ‘due democratic process’ and the ‘rule of law’.

A journey, not a destination Democracy is a journey, and not a destination. It is neither ‘an end in itself’ nor even, –as some claim- ‘a means to an end’. In truth democracy is an endless journey. It is just as the proverbial ‘mad man’ would say, about madness: that it is not the ‘getting mad’ that is the problem; rather it is ‘hitting the road’, on a journey that has no end.

Democracy is a paradox,

which is never to be fully understood, but simply appreciated –both for the few things it guarantee, and for the many it only pledges.

The march of democracy reminds of the coming into the world of the proverbial baby millipede. Seeing it has one too many limbs, the innocent one has asked ‘which leg to move first’ –“Move baby, just move” the impatient Mother said. Such is the democratic journey.

Moving with the multitude!

Moving speedily and efficiently, like the train that leaves station on time, but does not know where it is going. Nations and peoples have been on this ‘journey’ from George Washington to Donald Trump. The intelligent ones circumvent ‘due process’ and ‘rule of law’ to achieve their goals; the diligent ones become slaves of ‘due process’ and ‘rule of law’ in adulation of the system. And the warped morale is simple: although you’ll ‘never get there, never stop aiming to get there.

Which is not the same as saying that great nations are made out of the great determination to ‘journey’ to ‘nowhere’. But fact is, in the pursuit of the Eldorado called democracy, you do not ‘seek first the kingdom’ and hope that ‘everything shall be added onto it’. You ‘seek first’ the ‘mirage’ and hope that ‘the fiefdom’ is right there in it!

Too many people, Walter Winchel said “expect wonders from democracy, when the most wonderful thing of all is just having it” The greatest undoing of democracy is not so much the absence from it of ‘true and sincere’ politicians; but rather the false state of mind that it encourages, which regards the system as a cure and not itself an affliction.

Truth is the delusion that ‘democracy’ is an elixir for the many sicknesses of society, de-campaigns rather than promote the ‘madness’.

Nor is ‘democracy’ ever unfair. At least it gives you two options: a Hobson’s choice or a fait accompli.

This is the very heart of the democratic enterprise. Its apparent ‘choice-drivenness’. That it gives you always not the right of ‘first refusal’, but the room for choice between a ‘scum’ and a ‘scumbucketl’!. Said H. L. Mencken, “Democracy is...a form of religion; it is the worship of jackals by jackasses”. And aren’t we all democracy’s ‘jackasses’. Or is it not on our bare backs that this journey to ‘nowhere’ is assured a reliable carriage?

Free and fair elections Simply voting ‘freely’ and ‘fairly’ is merely a non tangible dividend of democracy. It confirms the democratic credentials of a polity. Not its justness.

Nor does it alone put food on the table. Voting ‘freely’ and ‘fairly’ can lead to that desirable tangible good, of putting food on the table. It is in fact the surest way of getting to that tangible good.

But voting freely, fairly but ‘foolishly’ can also take food away from the table. The people having as much right to elect good candidates as they have to elect bad ones, is one of the undoings of democracy. Thus the voice of the majority, as someone rightly said is not necessarily a proof of justice. Nor is the “Peoples Judgment”, said the English poet, John Dryden, “always true”. The “Most” he said “may err as grossly as the Few”. What keeps our non-provident kind of democracy going is the collective poverty of our desires.

Our willingness to allow the ‘few’ ride roughshod over the ‘many’. What keeps our kind of democracy going is the weakness of our determination, to be our own masters. In truth it is not democracy that makes things work. Rather it is the will to make things work that makes democracy work.

And where there is the will to make things happen, it will not matter what system is in place –whether a democracy or a dictatorship.

Yes, you may keep believing in the healing power of democracy, but remember there may not be an end to your affliction.

Because truth is that the system will always take care of itself. Even if it does not take care of you!

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 28, 2018

13

Editorial Commentary OUR POSITION Rice revolution in Ebonyi and matters arising

B

efore the creation of Ebonyi State on October 1, 1996 by the former military Head of State, the late Gen. Sani Abacha, rice was one of the nation’s stable foods and still remains the mainstay of the daily living and earning of the people.

For years now, Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, has been known as home of local rice production not only in Nigeria, but in West Africa sub-region.

Ebonyi State is one of the most agrarian of the states in Nigeria. Made up predominantly of farmers, with savanna and semi tropical vegetation, humid, sandy and marshy soil, the state is blessed with moisture land for growing of varieties of cash and food crops especially rice.

Among the agricultural potential, the production of the famous Abakaliki rice has made the state so popular and a beehive of commercial hub. No visitor who comes to Abakaliki, the state capital, without testifying to the high quality of Abakaliki rice compared with other rice produced locally and internationally.

The Abakaliki rice is blessed with so many nutritional values, which are gotten from the salinity in the land of Abakaliki rice mill. It is even better and graded higher by those that experienced its nutritional values.

Apart from its nutritional value, the Abakaliki rice is naturally salted with good taste. The reputation of Abakaliki rice is derived from its superior taste. Rice production no doubt has

created jobs from which a lot of people feed their families. There are a lot of jobs people do in Abakaliki rice Mill Industry including technical/ professional and unprofessional/causal works, as well as others who sell their wares in the area.

The Abakliki Rice Mill, as it is popularly called, is adjudged to be the first indigenous company since the creation of the state. During the creation of the state, at least Abakaliki rice Mill Industry was equally the only existing industry in the state.

The first milling engine procured for milling of Abakaliki rice was bought by one Mr. Anekwe Bestman. The relocation of the mill to its present site was done under one Hon. P. O. Nwike, who was then the Executive Chairman, Abakaliki Local Government Area in the then Anambra State. Signatories to the statement included the Chairman,Joseph Ununu; Administrative Secretary, Nwede Richard; Secretary, Usulo Emmanuel and Fidelis Igwe.

However, on November 15, 1977, the land used for the construction of the rice mill was leased by the Abakaliki Local Council to Rice Mill Abakaliki, for 99 years upon payment of valuable consideration.

In September 1989, the Rice Mill Asociation Abakaliki was registered as a company with the incorporation name – Rice Mill Company Nig. Ltd with registration number RC. 136,800.

But on January 1, 2000, the customary right of occupancy with respect to the entire area of land

Historical Times in Pictures

measuring 1938.464 square metres occupied by the company was issued by the Government of Ebonyi State government.

The continued production of Abakaliki rice became endangered in the past administration of former Governor Martin Elechi, due to the faceoff between the Abakaliki Rice Mill Company and Ebonyi State Government on the planned relocation of the rice mill to the three rice clusters in each of the senatorial zones of the state.

However, respite came with the emergence of David Umahi, as the governor of Ebonyi State.

With the dwindling oil revenue, the present administration has re-emphasised the need to revert to agriculture which was the mainstay of the Nigeria’s economy before the discovery of oil.

In line with his vision for agricultural revolution especially rice in the state, Umahi has procured 40 tractors for rice production. The Ebonyi State Government has earmarked 40,500 hectares of land for rice cultivation for next year’s farming season spread across the 13 council areas in the state. Each of the LGAs has 2,500 hectares mapped for the rice production while IFAD has six thousand hectares and FADAMA, 2,000 hectares.

We are of the opinion that with the above measures, the rice revolution in Ebonyi State will play a major role in ensuring local production of the stable food and reduce importation of foreign rice to barest minimum.

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

dailytimesng

www.facebook.com/dailytimesngr

https://twitter.com/DailyTimesNGR

S I G N AT U R E Publisher

Folio Communications Plc

1972 Police College Lagos 1972

The opinions expressed in the articles published in this newspaper are solely those of the authors.

Articles may be reproduced, provided that the original source is indicated.

Health Replace old utensils, NAFDAC tells food vendors The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has advised restaurant owners and other food vendors to ensure periodic replacement of their utensils .

The agency’ s Coordinator in Jigawa , Mr Abdulsalam Lawal, gave the advice in Dutse on Tuesday .

Lawal also called on them to keep their premises in hygienic condition to avoid contamination.

He added that restaurant operators should also ensure that they carry out periodic medical check on their food handlers, adding “ they should also ensure that food handlers used aprons , headgears and mouth masks while on duty ’’ .

This, the coordinator said, would prevent hair , cough or sneeze from entering into the food they serve customers.

Besides , he urged them to cut their nails to the lowest level, so that it will not harbour germs which could easily be transferred into food.

Lawal said the agency periodically embarks on unscheduled inspections to enforce regulations and sanction erring restaurant owners .

He assured that the agency would not relent in its efforts to ensure that food from restaurants is safe and clean for public consumption.

NAFDAC DG, Prof. Moji Adeyeye

ÆÆ s OML: Minister confirms disbursements of funds to states Doosuur Iwambe, Abuja

Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, has announced the disbursement of 2018 funds to States according to States earnings as well as the advancement of $1m to all States.

This according to Adewole is to be followed by payment for Disbursement linked Indicator 5 (DL15) to all deserving States.

The Minister made this known during the 7th Steering Committee Summit for Operations Management and Logistics Programmefor-Result Financing (SOMLPforR) held recently in Kano, on the side-line of the 61st National Council on Health.

Presiding over the programme, Adewole assured that States lagging behind would be given technical assistance in form of Programme Support Unit (PSU) with the view of improving their capacity and utilization of the key SOMLPforR indicators.

He called on all State commissioners to tackle the challenges associated with user fees.

In his words ‘’Out – ofpocket expenditure to access health services remains a major barrier to timely health interventions which often cause a catastrophic

outcome” He therefore stressed that States should begin to initiate healthcare financing mechanism that would support prompt access to timely intervention; ‘’if we are to make a ‘’big-bang’’ in our quest to achieve Universal Health Coverage in Nigeria’’.

On Data collection, the Minister reaffirmed that the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Health was strongly committed to strengthening data collection and utilization which was an essential aspect of SOML-PforR. He revealed that the Ministry had lived up to that commitment by the successful conduct of SMART (Standardized Monitoring and Assessment of Relief and Transitions) Survey, National Health Facility Survey (NHFS) and Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS).

In view of this, Professor Adewole stated that the 2018 SMART survey had been successfully conducted and the preliminary results were available.

He charged the gathering to continually peruse those surveys and look inwards to identify weaknesses and bottlenecks to the delivery of good quality and high impact health services, with

Adewole the aim of working better to strengthen the system. The Minister also encouraged States to set up their State Bureau of Statistics to ensure comprehensive data collection, collation and analysis.

On the Review of Guidelines of Primary Health Care Under One Roof, Adewole emphasised that healthcare delivery would be more effective if all health programmes could be integrated with Primary Health Care instead of being ran as vertical programmes.

Also speaking, the Director General (DG), National Agency for the Control of Aids (NACA), Dr. Aliyu Sani, advised participants to ensure that HIV-teststrips were procured from recognised dealers to avoid unreliable test results.

SOML-PforR Steering Committee Summit is a regular activity, organised by the Federal Ministry of Health and partners to rub minds and consolidate grounds on the implementation of SOMLPforR in Nigeria

Expert seeks affordable, accessible healthcare in Nigeria Angela Onwuzoo Health Maintenance Organisation (HMO), Hygeia has called on stakeholders to create solutions to the issue of quality affordable and accessible healthcare in Nigeria.

Chief Executive Officer ( CEO), Hygeia , Obinna Abajue, said the purpose of the HMO is to help people achieve their dreams and that its fundamental rests on access to quality and affordable health care.

To address the issue, Abajue stated that Hygeia would convene a Healthcare Nigeria conference, bringing major key players in the industry to proffer solutions on attaining Universal Health Coverage ( UHC ) across the country.

“The theme of the conference is ‘ Sustainable Healthcare, The Roadmap . ’ The ultimate purpose of the healthcare Nigeria conference

series is for all stakeholders to begin to play their respective roles in creating solutions to the issue of healthcare quality , affordability and accessibility .

The starting point for the stakeholders to meet and have honest conversation about the issues and to proffer workable solutions , ” he said.

Abajue added that the conference would focus on enabling hospital to deliver better care by strengthening capacity and giving an insight into funding

solutions .

“The conference will also discuss options for achieving universal healthcare coverage as well as optimising Public Private Partnership ( PPP ) initiatives to enhance reach of healthcare solutions , ” he stated.

Hygeia boss explained that there will be major networking opportunities at the event which is designed to yield significant impact in healthcare delivery by providing practical solutions and benefits to all stakeholders .

He continued : “This is a continuation of what we began in 2017 , to come together in this platform to commit ourselves again to add to the value chain success and the success will be measured by the number of Nigerians that can access affordable and quality care .

“The difference between somebody dying and living and achieving their dreams is something as fundamental as access to health care and what we observed is that it is not something we can achieve alone ; it requires all meaning thinking Nigerian , stakeholders to play their part to be able to achieve .

This healthcare Nigerian conference enables the stakeholders to come together and decide the best way to enhance every aspect of the value chain .”

He said one of the solutions Hygeia has delivered to the market is the inventory financing for drugs.

“Hospital can have access to medications to dispense to people without having to pay for it as it is delivered .

They only pay for what they actually use and someone carries out the financing inventory.

This is a funding solution that does not involve carrying money from one person to another , ” Abajue said.

15 Health

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 28, 2018

Doctor urges reduction in salt, alcohol intake to prevent hypertension Angela Onwuzoo

L-R: Mrs. Lola Vivour Adeniyi, Coordinator, Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team Lagos (DSVRT); Dr. Kemi DaSilva, Founder, WARIF; Adetutu Ajibodu, Centre Manager, WARIF; Mrs. Adekoya Esther Oluwafunmilayo, Vice Principal, Surulere Senior Secondary School; at the launch of the WARIF Boys’ Conversation Café in Lagos

WARIF unveils new initiative against rape, educates boys on sexual violence Angela Onwuzoo To ensure that all young girls and women live in a society free of rape and sexual violence globally, a non-profit organisation, Women at Risk International Foundation (WARIF) has taken its awareness campaign on rape to boys in secondary schools in Lagos through a new initiative called WARIF Boys Conversation Café.

This initiative is designed to educate young boys between the ages of 12-16, on the prevalence of sexual violence in Nigeria, to change perception and behavioural pattern that exist amongst these group of boys on violence against women.

WARIF was established to prevent and intervene on the prevalence of sexual violence/ rape in Nigeria and Africa.

Announcing results of the first survey conducted by the new initiative at a press briefing in Lagos recently, Founder of WARIF, Dr. DaSilva- Ibru, said the WARIF Boys Conversation Café took informal dialogue sessions with cohort groups of secondary school boys, where vetted male volunteers were recruited from different organisations to serve as mentors /role models at these café sessions.

DaSilva- Ibru revealed that at the end of the first session with students of Surulere Senior Secondary School, the WARIFBoys Conversation Café, recorded an outstanding outcome with 98 per cent of the beneficiaries strongly agreeing to take a stand in any case of sexual abuse rather than just be bystanders.

The survey showed that 85 per cent of the boys strongly agreed that consent of a girl to have sex is important and should be respected.

According to her, further results of the project also revealed that the use of banned drugs like Tramadol and Codeine dropped by a whopping 66 per cent.

DaSilva- Ibru while speaking about the initiative said: “On the issue of gender-based violence in Nigeria, there are no existing curriculums in schools that directly address these topics for boys.

A lot of attention is given to women and girls to protect themselves against sexual abuse as opposed to teaching boys and men not to become perpetrators of sexual violence. With the introduction of this initiative, we intend to change the existing attitudes and behaviour of young boys on the topic of rape and sexual violence. Through mentoring and education, we

can change the narrative of these young men who will then grow up to become productive members of their communities” She further noted: “The goal for us at WARIF is to reduce sexual based violence related issues and it is important to involve the boys in this process.

Ultimately, we want a society where better boys are raised and become men who understand that sexual violence is an issue that we must all fight against.”

According to her, WARIF is also encouraging a call to action for everyone to raise their voices against rape and sexual violence of young girls and women in Nigeria and Africa.

She urged parents to ensure that they teach their sons about sexual behaviour, and the importance of controlling sexual impulses.

To take the awareness further, Dasilva-Ibru said they are partnering with the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team ( DSRVT) to reach all secondary schools in the six school districts of the state before the end of the year .

Stressing that with appropriate funding, they would be able to take it out of Lagos and extend the campaign across Nigeria .

DaSilva- Ibru pointed out that WARIF has also introduced several initiatives such as the WARIF Centre, WARIF

Educational School program, WARIF Know your community, WARIF Gatekeepers initiative and the WARIF through the Arts initiative all aimed at raising more awareness on rape and sexual violence.

Commenting on the Boys’ Conversation Café, Mrs. Lola Vivour Adeniyi, Coordinator of DSVRT, said “At DSVRT we believe strongly in positive masculinity. We found that unconsciously, we put a lot of awareness on girls and how we can protect them, teaching them how to be safe, and how they can protect themselves from sexual abuse. But we usually leave the boys behind, which should not be the case, as statistics have shown that it is mostly boys who grow to be perpetrators of abuse, and they also get sexually abused too.”

“So, we are excited about the WARIF Boys’ Conversation Café, and we will be partnering with WARIF to cascade these café conversations across the 6 education districts in Lagos”, she added.

Also speaking, Vice Principal, Surulere Senior Secondary School, Mrs. Oluwafunmilayo Adekoya, said the boys that were trained by WARIF were mandated to train other boys in the school, adding that training had starting yielding positive result.

A medical doctor, Dr AbdulAfeez Adeniji, has advised Nigerians to reduce salt and alcohol intake, and avoid smoking to reduce the risk of hypertension.

Adeniji, who works with the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, gave the advice in Lagos recently.

He spoke during a hypertension screening organised by the Sabitu Adeniji Foundation.

The screening, which took place at Sidiqat Ahmed Megida Mosque, was the second free hypertension screening organised by the foundation.

No fewer 65 persons were screened at the event.

More than 100 people were screened for the disease at the first edition, which took place on Lagos Island in April.

According to Adeniji, avoiding smoking and alcohol as well as reduction in salt intake would aid health.

He appealed to governments to improve access to healthcare and create more awareness about hypertension to reduce deaths associated with it.

“Somebody who has hypertension may not know until it strikes, and if it strikes, it can be deadly. “ What hypertensive people do complain of is mild headache at the back of the head; sometimes, people have a problem with their vision.

“There is no border line between the early and last stages of hypertension,“ Adeniji said.

He advised people to be more health-conscious, noting that constant headaches was not the only symptom of malaria.

According to him, the headaches could be a symptom of hypertension.

Adeniji urged Nigerians to always check the blood pressure for early detection of hypertension.

He urged the Lagos State Government to establish more primary health centres to encourage residents to check their blood pressure.

Health 16

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 28, 2018

Malaria impact, challenges and control strategies in Nigeria Doosuur Iwambe, Abuja Malaria is one of the most serious health problems facing the world today. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that over 300 million new cases of malaria arise every year, with approximately two to three million deaths resulting from contraction.

Malaria is endemic in tropical Africa, with an estimated 90% of the total malaria incidence and deaths occurring in this part of the world’s divide, particularly amongst pregnant women and children. More specifically, malaria is causing various problems in Nigeria.

Malaria is the only vector borne disease to be placed on World Health Organisation’s Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYS ) list. It is important to look at health problems like malaria that grossly affect the morbidity and mortality rates, as well as the economy of a developing country, such as Nigeria. Nigeria has a population of about 198 million people. Meanwhile, the large percentage of this population lives in extreme poverty in rural areas, without access to potable water and adequate healthcare.

The WHO had in its message to commemorate the “World

Malaria Day 2018” said that Nigeria is yet to be listed among African countries who have made significant progress in eliminating malaria.

Dr Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO Regional Director of Africa, said that 14 countries with the world’s biggest malaria problem were in SubSaharan Africa.

She said that these countries still accounted for 80 per cent of the global burden of malaria with 194 million new cases and 410,000 deaths recorded in 2016 alone.

Moeti said that some countries in the region have witnessed a decrease in malaria cases and deaths showing significant potential to eliminate malaria by 2020.

According to Moeti, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Senegal, Gambia and Zimbabwe are among 16 countries globally that witnessed a decrease in malaria cases and deaths by more than 20 per cent between 2015 and 2016.

She said that Algeria, Botswana, Cape Verde, Comoros, South Africa and Swaziland could potentially eliminate malaria by 2020.

The WHO regional director expressed concern over the slow pace of progress in some African countries

with significant gaps in the implementation measures to eliminate the disease.

Moeti said international and domestic funding for malaria prevention and control has also stagnated in the region.

“Some countries in the African region recorded the biggest rise of malaria testing in the public sector from 36 per cent of suspected cases in 2010 to 87 per cent in 2016.

“Over half the people at risk of malaria across subSaharan Africa have been sleeping under insecticidetreated nets for the past five years indicating some success in behaviour change and outreach campaigns.

“This progress needs to be sustained. Eliminating malaria requires above all political leadership at the highest level as well as leadership of programmes, resource mobilisation, inter sectoral and cross-border collaboration.

“We are ready to beat malaria but the pace of progress must be accelerated to achieve a 40 per cent drop in global malaria cases and deaths by 2020 compared to 2015 levels,” Moeti said.

Also, the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, had said that despite the fact that a lot of progress has been made in

the past few years, malaria still remain a major public health problem in Nigeria.

Adewole had reminded that the celebration of the World Malaria Day dates back to the historic gathering of African Heads of State in 2000 where over 44 countries, bilateral and multilateral organisations who were in attendance, agreed on the target of halving the burden of malaria in Africa by year 2010, adopted the framework for monitoring progress and evaluating outcome.

“It is indeed sad that malaria though preventable, still remains a major Public Health problem in Nigeria and constitutes a major barrier to social and economic development,” he said.

The minister however, assured that the “Government is concerned about this and is working hard to improve the quality of care and increase access to anti-malaria commodities particularly amongst the poor. We are also working towards securing additional funding to close the existing commodity gap and move Nigeria towards elimination.

“I must inform you that malaria control activities in the country are guided by the National Malaria Strategic

Plan (NMSP: 2014-2020), which was recently reviewed to make it more responsive to our vision of a malaria-free Nigeria.”

He noted that the malaria epidemiology for Nigeria is changing; adding that a recent mapping by the “LINK Project” of The London School of Hygiene demonstrated a 50 per cent gradual shift from hyper and holo-endemic to meso-endemic pattern between 2000 and 2015.

According to him, 92 per cent of the population now lives in areas with a prevalence rate of between five per cent and 39 per cent. He said this is similar to the results of the 2015 Nigeria Malaria Indicator Survey (NMIS) which showed a remarkable reduction in malaria prevalence from 42 per cent to 27 per cent which is a commendable stride in government’s efforts to stem malaria.

The result of the nation’s malaria indicator survey shows that all is not well with Nigeria’s malaria elimination programme. It is commendable that the USAID Country Director, Michael Harvey, and the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, and other stakeholders have identified some shortcomings

of the programme.

The Federal Government should go ahead and address these shortcomings.

The government should also ensure that mosquito nets are manufactured in the country and sold at affordable prices.

We deplore a situation in which we continue to import mosquito nets. The mosquito nets should be made in such a way that they will be suitable to our harsh climatic condition.

Many Nigerians do not use mosquito nets because of the harsh weather. The mosquito net is also seen by many Nigerians as an ineffective tool to check mosquito. Apart from the extant malaria control measures, government should think of biological control as done in some countries.

Government can introduce organisms that feed on the female mosquitoes that transmit malaria parasites.

Curbing mosquito breeding places like stagnant waters, clogged drainages and dirty surroundings will also go a long way in keeping the disease at bay. All the three tiers of government must work together to ensure the success of the nation’s malaria elimination programme. All healthcare providers should play their part in this regard.

Why sickle cell patients should eat fruits, vegetables Angela Onwuzoo Prof. Obiageli Nnodu of the University of Abuja has advised sickle cell patients to eat good diet rich in fruits and vegetables to replace lost cells.

Nnodu, the Director, Centre of Excellence for Sickle Disease Research and Training in the university, said this on Monday in an interview with the newsmen in Abuja.

Sickle cell anemia is a genetic blood disease due to the presence of an abnormal form of hemoglobin, namely hemoglobin S. Hemoglobin is the molecule in red blood cells that transports oxygen from the lungs to the farthest areas of the body.

Sickle cell anemia affects millions of people throughout the world. It is particularly

common among people whose ancestors come from subSaharan Africa.

Nnodu said that eating the right diet with lots of water intake, would make the patients do well and the blood to flow well.

She emphasised that an adult with the disease should at least take three litres of water per day.

The professor also underscored the importance of people screening and knowing their genotype before marriage to avoid having children with the disease.

She added that the university had set up a screening centre for children under the age of five.

She further advised people with the disease not to hide, but come out to get help and be educated on how to manage it.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 28, 2018

17 Culture & Arts

MEG: ‘Face of Nigeria’ beauty queen with a reach-out heart ...reveals the glitz, intrigues in pageantry

Chris Onuoha, Beauty pageantry from inception is an art of connoisseurial display on runways and crowning of most stunning physically endowed.

But, in recent time, evolving social trend and need to be innovative has pushed the once a winnertake-it-all game to something redefined and more rewarding for discerning contestants. The queens on their own have craftily schemed initiatives inspired by their promoters to give back to society through various projects so as to meaningfully engage their office both within and outside of their reigning period.

‘Face of Nigeria World’ beauty competition oxygenated by Angelz Eyes Communication few years ago took a different dimension recently to redefine pageantry, making cultural display an integral part with 5 winner queens and a mother queen as an overall car prize best. The 2017 edition of the beauty pageant was purely cultural and one of the 5 winners who emerged is Miss Margaret Eyo from Akwa Ibom State. She is a beauty and brain to behold. In this encounter with Chris Onuoha, she reveals the trills, glitz and intrigues in pageantry.

Introduce yourself and describe how you developed interest into beauty pageant?

My name is Margret Eyo from Akwa Ibom State. I am a final year student studying International Relations in the University of Akwa Ibom State Uyo. I am the last of 6 children in the family, 3 boys and 3 girls.

While growing up as a child, I have always admired beauty queens – like Agbani Dariego, Bianca Ono-Ojukwu and others. I usually mimic their runway moves and did tell myself that one day, I would want to be like them. More so, when I grew up and looked at the huge platform that come with beauty pageant, I reasoned that it will be an opportunity for

any young girl to participate and make good use of it. I have always wanted to do something different in my life that I can be remembered for and contesting to win in beauty pageant is one of them.

Is ‘Face of Nigeria World’ beauty pageant your first attempt?

It is not my first contest. I have done one before as my first shot into beauty contest. It was called ‘Akwa Ibom State Anniversary Pageant’ done when the State turned 25 years old. I was very young, naïve and inexperienced then. I got into it and met with a number of people who are professionals. I didn’t win though, but it was an eye opener for me.

Moreover, I was prepared to the best of my knowledge knowing full well that pageantry is all about poise, charisma, confidence but I can literally say experience-wise, I may not have done it right, but talent-wise, I had confidence.

Honestly, I meant business to win but I found out that it requires more than poise and charisma.

How did your parents react to it in the first place?

Their reaction was negative at first. They frowned at it with the notion of immorality. But on a second thought, they rescinded after they realise that I was not relenting. My father has a modest persona. He was the first to say ‘you know most of the contests are based on ‘who know who.’ It is about personality figures in the society. How sure are you going to scale through? I was able to convince him that my intention is not to be favoured by recognition but the confidence I have inside me is enough.

My mum was on the same pedestal with my father. It took me time to convince both anyway, but at some point, they just have to realise that they have trained me very well, believing that my guided upbringing will not mar anything or generate controversy over my participation in the pageant. In the house, they usually support anything I am interested

in doing as long as it is a good project.

Apart from your parents, were you discouraged by any other person or friends?

I wasn’t discouraged at all by any person but I have some close confidants who will perhaps repeat the same fear of attempting wayward competition. One of them said I should first concentrate with my studies, come out with good results, so that either euphoria of success or failure in the pageantry will not affect me negatively in life. At some point, I had to tell her, pageant is secondary while my education is primary. I think everything is about priority, I value all things but I have to prioritise programmes to suit my intentions.

‘Face of Nigeria World’ beauty pageant is your first major contest.

Why the choice, instead of bigger ones like MBGN and others?

Face of Nigeria contest is a breakthrough for me having won as a queen. Although we have a lot of beauty pageant contests in Nigeria and since I haven’t applied to any of them, I may not know what goes on there.

‘Face of Nigeria World’ contest came handy having checked out their pedigree. I looked through their profile and discovered that its one contest that is devoid of controversies. Their competition is free and fair and doesn’t really entertain any questionable act.

What was the camp experience like?

It’s always tasking, but fun.

Various activities and programmes go on in the camp; early rising for exercise, aerobics, moral counseling and lecturers, runway practice and other things. Pageantry is not only about beautiful and intelligent girl who just came to win. You must showcase the ability to co-exist with your fellow girls or people and these are the key things we learnt from the camp. That’s part of qualities the organisers look out for. Face of Nigeria is not far from others, but a bit different

in openness, transparent and disciplined in handling issues.

In the camp, there are personal traits that played which I didn’t notice but learned to adjust as the situation warrants. One of them is that I like being myself and doing things my way. Most people see that as snobbish. At a point when fellow participants are to write or vote about a person, some will not hesitate to mention that. It happened to me and when I realised it, I adjusted for good. Some contestants can fake character to win organisers’ heart.

I didn’t know that self-restraint is an advantage to personality assessment. Lesson I learnt was to accommodate every situation to a level. Obviously, I also tried to fake some character which is just pretending to like ugly situations just for a moment, like tolerating dirtiness and bad manners. At home, I can scream at such but in the camp, I tried to play down knowing full well it will be difficult to change an adult overnight. Most ill-mannered guys are too vocal and pose a threat to your integrity if you ever show them how bad they are. But in a nutshell, I realise that life is all about co-existence and that’s what the Bootcamp exercise taught me. In a wider perspective, this is why a queen

is a role model; having passed all odds to mount the throne knowing the responsibilities therein. It’s a wonderful exercise and it brought out a better person in me. Another thing was tension at my stage performance which also affected me.

What is your general view about pageantry?

There are many misconceptions about pageantry generally but like I said earlier, a lot of people have their fears. Some people do think that organisers sleep with some contestants or extort money from them when they knew they will not be selected or win. I always say, I would not think those things don’t happen in pageantry but as a girl, you have a choice to make.

No one forces you into anything except if you are willing. The choice is left for a lady whether to do it or not.

Such controversies exist and may be true but there are still genuine platform that recognises integrity and honest. These categories are very much after the quality and character of a queen and not what to gain from the participant. I think generally, it depends on the participants who want to win at all cost. There’s always God’s time and favour.

Culture & Arts 18

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 28, 2018

The World’s Game Fútbol and Contemporary Art’ at Pérez Art Museum Miami “The World’s Game: Fútbol and Contemporary Art” is on view at the Pérez Art Museum Miami in Florida through Saturday, September 2. The group

exhibition, timed to coincide with the 2018 FIFA World Cup, presents work of other 40 artists, including Lyle Ashton Harris, Kehinde Wiley, Gustavo Artigas,

Roberto Guerrero, Quisqueya Henriquez, Wendy White, Hank Willis Thomas, Stephen Dean, Jaime Lauriano, and Ronny Quevedo.

SMO Curators Lagos, make lists of Contemporary African Art Fair in London About 42 exhibitors are listed to participate in the sixth London edition of The 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair holding from October 4-7, in London, United Kingdom. The 42 galleries from 21 countries will present work at Somerset House, with work by some 130 artists from 33 nations.

Of the 42 exhibitors in London this year, 16 are from Africa. Eleven of the galleries will show at the London edition of the fair for the first time, including James Cohan, Burning in Water, and ADN Galeria.

Nigeria’s SMO Contemporary Art, Lagos, and Retro Africa, Abuja, are among the lists that will be showcasing finest art work from our local artists.

Founding director of 1-54, Touria El Glaoui, which started in London before adding satellite edition in the U.S. and Morocco said in a statement, “Following the launch of our inaugural Marrakech fair in February and our fourth New York edition in May, we have gone on to develop new audiences for contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora across three fairs and three different continents. The

growth and popularity of the fair is a real testament to the shift away from Euro-centric art-historical narratives.”

SMO Contemporary Art founded by social activist, art collector, and filmmaker, Sandra Mbanefo Obiago, specializes in showcasing contemporary art in non-traditional exhibition spaces, focusing on established and emerging artists based in Africa and the Diaspora.

The platform holds cutting edge art exhibitions which showcase masters and exciting new talent expressing their creativity through art, performance, film & new media. SMO is also experienced in organizing symposia, conferences, training and events, which provide a platform for the creative industry to inspire and strengthen humanity’s aspiration for the good society.

List of exhibitors include 50 Golborne, London, United Kingdom; Addis Fine Art, London, United Kingdom and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; ADN Galeria, Barcelona, Spain; AFRONOVA GALLERY, Johannesburg, South Africa; AGorgi Gallery, Tunis, Tunisia; Art Bärtschi & Cie, Geneva, Switzerland;

ARTCO Gallery, Aachen, Germany; ARTLabAfrica, Nairobi, Kenya; Beardsmore Gallery, London, United Kingdom; Burning in Water, New York, San Francisco, United States; Circle Art Gallery, Nairobi, Kenya; Gallery 1957, Accra, Ghana; Galerie Cécile Fakhoury, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, Dakar, Senegal; Others include Loft Art Gallery, Casablanca, Morocco; Magnin-A, Paris, France; Mashrabia Gallery of Contemporary Art, Cairo, Egypt; MOV’ART Gallery, Luanda, Angola; October Gallery, London, United Kingdom; Officine Dell’Immagine, Milan, Italy; Primo Marella Gallery, Milan, Italy; Retro Africa, Abuja, Nigeria; Selma Feriani Gallery, Tunis, Tunisia; (S)ITOR / Sitor Senghor, Paris, France; SMAC Gallery, Cape Town, Johannesburg, South Africa; SMO Contemporary Art, Lagos, Nigeria; Tiwani Contemporary, London, United Kingdom; Tyburn Gallery, London, United Kingdom; VOICE gallery, Marrakech, Morocco; Vigo Gallery, London, United Kingdom; WHATIFTHEWORLD, Cape Town, South Africa; Yossi Milo Gallery, New York, United States.

Book launch Ooni to launch the first of its kind literature book on Queen Moremi Ajasoro Chris Onuoha His imperial Majesty, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, the Ooni of Ife will on July 14 unveils a historic book written in honour of the Yoruba legend of queen of liberation, “Queen Moremi Ajasoro.” The publication which is being written in both Yoruba and English is aimed at reviving our rapidly vanishing history and culture. People without history and culture are doomed to extinction, therefore the publication of the queen Móremí Ajasoro is expected to remind and restore the pride of a woman and to encourage the values of decency, courage, hardwork, justice and sacrifice for public good contentment integrity and good governance.

Ooni who build a statue of Móremí in her memory has described the heroine as the real mother of liberty whose legacy

must not be left in oblivion and one of his greatest ambitions is erecting the tallest statue in Nigeria in her memory.

According to the global heritage ambassador of Móremí Ajasoro legacies, Princess Ronke Ademiluyi, “The publication of the Queen Móremí Ajasoro literature is being done in collaboration with Obafemi Awolowo University and the idea behind this publication being done in both Yoruba and English is for it to be distributed to schools across the nation for the preservation and promotion of the Yoruba language and the new generation to learn about the attributes and power of a woman in ancient Yoruba history.”

Meanwhile, Mrs Moremi Soyinka Onijala the daughter of Prof. Wole Soyinka who was named after the legendary Queen Móremí has commended the efforts of his imperial majesty in his bid to continually promote the legacy of the iconic queen.

Business Times

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 28, 2018

Spectrum transfer: Mixed reactions trail MTN’s acquisition of Visafone

Heritage Bank partners NANTA to launch Nigeria Travel Practitioner Identification card

World MSMEs Day: SMEDAN outlines strategies for MSMEs growth • Honours young innovators Mathew Dadiya, Abuja The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has rolled out plans to boost Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) growth in the country as it marks World MSMEs Day 2018.

SMEDAN on Wednesday, joined other countries of the world to mark the World MSMEs Day 2018 as declared by the United Nations.

SMEDAN, being an agency saddled with the responsibility of developing and promoting Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Nigeria, celebrated the day in collaboration with partners in the MSMEs ecosystem.

Speaking at the event, the Director General of SMEDAN, Dr Dikko Umaru

Radda said that the overarching objective of the occasion was to provide a platform and a unique opportunity for discussion on the importance of MSMEs in youth employment, creating awareness on the skills needed by youth to acquire decent jobs and more as well as creating awareness around youth entrepreneurship.

Dr. Radda said that the theme of the MSMEs 2018 is “Youth Dimension centering on Youth Enterpreneurship and Youth Empowerment,” harping on the need to support MSMEs in order to make them more competitive.

He said that the occasion also brought to front burner the impact of businesses worldwide to livelihoods, communities and economies.

The DG said noted that MSMEs play a pivotal role through several pathways

that goes beyond empowerment generation.

“They contribute significantly towards improving living standards, aiding local capital formation, enhancing innovation and competition in developing economies, that is why government at all levels have undertaken initiatives to promote the growth and development of MSMEs.” He said that youth faced with the challenges of low self-esteem and maturity, limited knowledge of career choices and complex life circumstances after graduating from higher institutions.

The SMEDAN boss added that young Enterpreneurs face major business constraints including but not limited to the choice of the right enterprise and what it takes to own and manage a business.

He said that lack of practical support

services such as training, business advise, access to finance, proper entrepreneurial knowledge were some of the factors militating against the performance of young Entrepreneurs.

In its effort to to enhance entrepreneurship development in the country, Radda said that SMEDAN has initiated a number of Programmes such as Strengthening of Business Membership Organisation, Enterprise Network Initiatives, Commercialisation, empowerment Initiative (for ICT), Finacial Empowerment for MSMEs, Opportunity Fairs, National MSMEs Survey, SMEDAN Cloud for MSMEs, e-College, MSMEs Online Registration Portal, One-Local Government -OneProduct (OLOP), Young Business Owners in Nigeria (Y-BON), Conditional Grant Scheme (CGS) amongst others.

L-R: Coordinator, Down Syndrome Foundation, Muyiwa Majekodunmi; Head Business Support Services, FirstBank, Anthonia Nduka-Jones; Deputy Managing Director, FirstBank, Gbenga F. Shobo; a member of the Down Syndrome Foundation family, Solomon Omere; Founder Down Syndrome Foundation, Rose Mordi; Group Head, Products and Marketing Support, Abiodun Famuyiwa, during the Bank’s donation and visit to the foundation as part of its CSR week activities in Lagos...on Wednesday.

ECOWAS single currency unlikely before 2020, says ECA The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), said the attainment of all macroeconomic criteria by ECOWAS states maybe unattainable before the 2020 deadline for the commencement of the region’s single currency agreement.

Mr. Amadou Diouf, an Economist from ECA West Africa said this on Wednesday in Cotonou in a presentation at the 21st Session of the Intergovernmental Committee of Experts (ICE) for West Africa.

He spoke based on the report of the ECA titled “Regional Integration in West Africa: Challenges and Prospects.”

Diouf said from the Commission’s findings, many of the countries were yet to meet the macroeconomic convergence criteria for a single currency set up by the ECOWAS and the West African Monetary Agency (WAMA).

According to the report, the goal is to create a common currency for much of West Africa.

For the currency to be implemented, ten convergence criteria set out by WAMA must be met.

The four primary criteria to be achieved by each member country include single-digit inflation rate at the end of each year and the fiscal deficit of not more than three per cent of the GDP. Also, a central bank deficit-financing of not more than 10 per cent of the previous year’s tax revenues and gross external reserves that could cover a country’s import bill for a minimum of three months were proposed.

There are also six secondary criteria which had to be achieved by each member country.

They include the prohibition of new domestic default payments and liquidation of existing ones, tax revenue should be equal to or greater than 20 per cent of the GDP.

Afreximbank, ECIC to boost Africa’s trade with $1bn investment Motolani Oseni The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and the Export Credit Insurance Corporation of South Africa SOC Limited (ECIC) have launched a 1 billion dollar financing programme to expand trade and investments between South Africa and the rest of Africa.

Mr Obi Emekekwue, the bank’s Director and Global Head, Communications and Events Management Department, said on Wednesday that Dr Benedict Oramah,

the bank’s President made the pledge in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The initiative is tagged, South AfricanAfrica Trade and Investment Promotion Programme (SATIPP).

Oramah said the joint initiative would support businesses through capacity building and market information initiatives and help small and mediumsized entrepreneurs to join regional supply chains.

According to him, it will provide advisory services and guarantees to South African investors seeking trade

and investment opportunities in African member countries of Afreximbank.

He added that the initiative would provide a platform for the realisation of Afreximbank’s strategic objectives in line with its strategy, “IMPACT 2021: AFRICA TRANSFORMED.” “The strategy prioritises intra-African trade, industrialisation and export manufacturing and it also aligns with South Africa’s strategic goal of expanding trade with the rest of Africa.

“Under the terms of SATIPP, Afreximbank and ECIC will work

together to identify, prepare and appraise trade transactions and projects; explore co-financing and risk-sharing opportunities.

“It will also share knowledge, with particular emphasis on intra-African trade matters, through technical cooperation, staff exchange, research and joint events,” he said.

Mr Kutoane Kutoane, Chief Executive Officer of ECIC, said the aim was to enhance South Africa’s exporting capabilities by intensifying its mutually beneficial trade with the rest of the

continent.

Afreximbank is the foremost panAfrican multilateral financial institution devoted to financing and promoting intra- and extra-African trade.

The bank, since 1994, has approved about 60 billion dollars in credit facilities for African businesses, including about 8.5 billion dollars in 2017.

Afreximbank had total assets of 11.9 billion dollars as at Dec. 31, 2017, and is rated BBB+ (GCR), Baa1 (Moody’s), and BBB- (Fitch). The bank is headquartered in Cairo.

Money 20

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 28, 2018

CBN $210m injection spurs Naira gain against dollar Stories: Motolani Oseni Following a fresh injection of $210 million into the interbank Foreign exchange (Forex) market by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Naira on Wednesday gained against the US Dollar at the official and parallel segment of the market.

The local currency at the end of yesterday trading activities ended against the dollar at an appreciable rate of N360.91 at the Investors and Exporters FX (I&EFX) window, compared toN361.31 sold n Tuesday, which represented 0.11 per cent growth.

At the unofficial forex segment, the local currency recorded a slim gain of 20 kobo to close at N359.80 to the dollar in Lagos from N360 exchanged the previous day. While Pound Sterling and the Euro, however, closed at N482 and N419, respectively.

At the Bureau De Change (BDC) segment, the naira traded at N360 to the dollar, while the Pound Sterling and the Euro exchanged at N482 and N419,

respectively.

Also, trading at the CBN official window saw the naira edged marginally against the dollar to close at N30.75, compared toN205.80 stood on Tuesday.

Forex traders, however optimistic that the Naira will remain stable as the CBN continues its interventions at the foreign exchange market.

It would be recalled that the apex bank, had on Tuesday released $100 million for the wholesale market, $55 million for small businesses and individuals, and $55 million for certain dollar expenses such as school fees and medical bills.

Meanwhile, the turnover at the Nigeria’s FX market stood at N5.317 trillion or ($14.77bn) in May a 10.31 per cent ($1.70bn) decline from N5.929 trillion turnovers or ($16.47bn) sold in April.

Although, May and April figures were lower than N6.12trillion ($18.67bn) traded in March, which was an increase of 44.59 per cent against N4.6 trillion ($5.76bn) values recorded in February ($12.92bn).

In January, the FX market had traded

$14.01billion, which was higher than $12.92 billion recorded in February, however, weaker than $18.67 billion transacted in March, 2018.

But turnover transactions value at the Investors & Exporters FX (I&E FX) Window in May was $6.40bn, representing 43.33 per cent of the total FX turnover and a 34.91 per cent ($1.65bn) increase on the value recorded in April ($4.74bn).

The value I&E FX Window, however, traded $6.06billion in March, an increase of 55.38 per cent ($2.16bn) relative to the value recorded in February ($3.90bn).

In fact, analysis of FX turnover by trade type showed that the contribution of Member-Client trades to total FX turnover declined from 65.70 per cent in April to 58.90 per cent in May, due to a $2.13billion Month-on-Month (MoM) decline in turnover.

However, this represented a 78.40 per cent ($3.82bn) Year-on -Year (YoY) increase in MemberClient FX trades turnover.

Air Peace Corporate Communications Manager, Mr. Chris Iwarah (3rd right) receiving the carrier’s Balafon Award for Best Airline of the Year in West Africa 2018 from the Organiser of Accra Weizo and Publisher of ATQ News, Mr. Ikechi Uko (2nd left) and other dignitaries at the 4th Accra Weizo in Accra, Ghana.

Heritage Bank partners NANTA to launch Nigeria Travel Practitioner Identification card

Heritage Bank Plc, has partnered with the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) to launch the Nigeria Travel Practitioners Identification Card (NTPIC).

Head of corporate communications of Heritage Bank, Mr. Fela Ibidapo said the bank partnered with the travel agencies in a bid to help to sensitize and sanitise the industry.

He said in an industry with unconfirmed member list of about 60,000, they felt they could help to create a platform that would enable them to provide better services to their clients in a bid to separate the genuine agents from the fraudulent ones.

Ibidapo said the initiative would help the bank to put in place services that could help the genuine operators and the economy in the long run.

Also speaking, the President of NANTA, Mr. Bernard Bankole said the idea of the identification card was birthed by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and other stakeholders in the industry because of the need to sanitise and decontaminate the downstream sector of the industry.

He said the initiative has become imperative because the travel business in Nigeria has become one for all and sundry with absolute disregard for professionalism, adding that the global nature of the business has been adulterated by fraudulent people who have little or no regard for the business.

The president said the development has become worrisome with the level of default to the airlines as well as passengers losing their hard-earned money to the duplicitous travel agents.

Bankole noted that this appalling act has

continued for several years, undermining the professionalism of serious minded consultants within the industry, thereby threatening the existence of a business whose primary focus is to distribute inventories on behalf of the principals, who are the airlines.

The president noted that worried by this development, the executive council of NANTA, the umbrella body responsible for all travel agencies in the country, decided to find a lasting solution to the industry which contributed about N504 billion to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2017.

“We are of the strong belief that NTPIC will help to identify all the practitioners in the industry and put a check on them by ensuring that there is as proper database of all the agents in the industry as well as keeping statistical data that will the government to plan for the industry,” Bankole said.

Union Bank in N1.55bn offmarket shares deal Union Bank of Nigeria (UBN) Plc, has struck a deal for the transfer of about one per cent equity stake in an off-market deal valued at about N1.545 billion.

Transaction report showed that 280.956 million ordinary shares of 50 kobo each of Union Bank were traded in a cross deal at N5.50 per share. The deal was consummated through the negotiated cross deals window of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

The transaction price of N5.50 represents a discount of about 6.8 per cent from the bank’s closing share price of N5.90 per share. UBN’s share price appreciated by 5.0 kobo yesterday, despite average marginal decline of 0.01 per cent recorded by the equities market.

The transaction volume represents 0.96 per cent of UBN’s outstanding shares of 29.121 billion ordinary shares of 50 kobo each.

As an off-market, negotiated cross deal, it means that the deal was not subjected to the dynamics of price discovery for the particular period.

Off-market trade implied that the deal was sealed outside the floor of the NSE. The negotiated cross deal platform of the Exchange is a special-purpose trading platform that is meant for voluminous transaction. By the cross deal, it implies that the buyer and the seller had been prearranged and the transfer at the stock market was a mere perfection of the agreement between the two. The negotiated cross deal allows the parties to the deal to close the deal at reduced cost.

Most shares of UBN are in the hands of core investors and related.

The majority core investors and related party hold more than 85 per cent equity stake in UBN, leaving the bank with a free float of 14.94 per cent.

The Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) had in 2014 sold a 20.9 per cent equity stake in UBN in a deal worth more than N25 billion. The deal involved transfer of about 3.538 billion ordinary shares of 50 kobo each at indicative market price of N7.16 per share, totaling N25 billion.

The NSE had recently extended its deadline for UBN to dilute its concentrated bloc shareholding and free more shares for minority retail investors. UBN was given extended deadline of May 18, 2020 to achieve the 20 per cent minimum free float required for its listing on the main board of the NSE. Companies listed on the Exchange are required to maintain a minimum free float for the set standards under which they are listed in order to ensure that there is an orderly and liquid market in their securities.

The free float requirement for companies on the main board is 20 per cent of market capitalisation while companies on the premium board are required to have free float of 20 per cent or above N40 billion on the date the Exchange receives the company’s application to list. Companies on the third tier board, otherwise known as Alternative Securities Market (ASEM) are required to have 15 per cent free float.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 28, 2018

21 ICT

Spectrum transfer: Mixed reactions trail MTN’s acquisition of Visafone Stories: Ladesope Ladelokun Stakeholders in the telecoms sector have expressed divergent views on the debate on the appropriateness of MTN Nigeria to acquire the licence and spectrum of Visafone.

The Daily Times checks showed that MTN had in 2016 acquired the shares of Visafone but Visafone Communications had in 2007 won the Unified Access Services Licence and had complied with the terms and conditions issued by the Nigerian Communication Commission(NCC) before reaching the decision to sell the company to MTN Nigeria.

Its application to the NCC for the transfer of its frequency and licence to MTN has drawn stiff resistance from MTN’s competitors.

It was gathered that NCC , had approved

the acquisition of MTN as required by the law, but later issued a statement, explaining that the transfer of the shares of Visafone did not translate to the transfer of the licence and frequency of the mobile operator.

Reacting to this development, the Chairman of the Association of Licenced Telecoms Operators in Nigeria(ALTON) ,Mr Gbenga Adebayo , warned that caution must be exercised on the part of regulators in order not to scare away foreign investors with the way the issues surrounding the transfer of shares from Visafone to MTN Nigeria is handled.

Adebayo told our correspondent that the current hoopla generated by the matter was unnecessary and capable of sending the wrong signal to foreign investors, wondering what was acquired if MTN Nigeria cannot own the

frequency and licence.

He said the sale and acquisition of Visafone was a case of a willing buyer and a willing seller.

He, however, debunked the claim in some quarters that Visafone is the only surviving Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network in Nigeria, stating that before it was acquired, it was the biggest and not the only surviving CDMA. Baring his mind on the matter, the President of Association of Telecommunications Company of Nigeria (ATCON), Mr. Olusola Teniola, says it is unfortunate the largest DMA network has now been bought by MTN. He said there was need for large operators and small operators to coexist, while adding: “We always advocate for large and small operators to coexist. ATCON looks to policies and regulations

that encourage infrastructure sharing so that small players can survive. We understand that consolidation is a natural phenomenon. We also need to look at the future. Competition brings choices. We look forward to working with the NCC to ensure small and big players exist.”

At a public hearing recently, other operators like 9mobile and Airtel argued that the transfer of 800MHZ spectrum to MTN would increase the dominance of MTN and create a monopoly, adding that spectrum was a scarce national resource that cannot to given to MTN at the detriment of others.

But MTN argued that the acquisition of Visafone does not constitute any of the conducts of practices capable of reducing competition as specified in part 11 of the Competition practices Regulations,2007, adding that other operators had the opportunity to acquire the 2.8GHZ when it was auctioned by the regulatory body in 2016.

Data from the NCC show that, the CDMA segment commands a meager 0.14% market share.

Of the 0.14 per cent market share, Visafone has a total of 30,305 internet subscribers as of April, 2018.

Facebook set to shutdown drones internet programme

L-R: Vice President, Brands and Marketing, Airtel Nigeria, Enitan Denloye; Senior Brand Manager, Airtel Nigeria, Oluwaseun Adaramola; Chief Commercial Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Ahmad Mokhles; Chief Creative Officer, Noah’s Ark Communications Limited, Lanre Adisa and Executive Creative Director, Abolaji Alausa during the presentation of awards won at African Cristal Festival in Marakesh, Morocco to Airtel management team in Lagos… recently

Microsoft updates Windows 10 devices with news app Microsoft announced a rebrand of its MSN News app to Microsoft News last week, bringing an app update to Android and iOS users which refreshed and redesigned the app.

Now, the firm is testing a similar redesigned app for Windows 10 users, rolling out an upgrade to Fast Ring Insiders.

Aside from the rebrand to Microsoft News, the app update adds acrylic to the app’s sidebar,

making it more transparent. The splash screen upon launch has moved from static to animated, and Microsoft has added a quick shortcut to download the mobile app in the sidebar. The app retains features like continuous reading, allowing one to swipe from one story to another seamlessly.

Microsoft’s new take on its news service isn’t simply content aggregation like Feedly or Flipboard, the firm says it curates the news page to present multiple sides of the story, so users

can get a fuller view of an issue with a mix of news and well thought out opinion articles from multiple viewpoints.

To that end, Microsoft has more than 800 editors from regions as varied as Germany, India and Mexico, providing a localized and relevant experience for users of the app.

Microsoft’s updated News app is available from the Microsoft Store and is expected to roll out to regular users in the coming months.

Facebook is ending a program launched in 2014 to build a fleet of drones that could deliver internet to underserved areas of the world.

The huge social network said it has not abandoned the idea of using high-altitude aircraft to connect remote areas of the globe, but would concentrate its efforts with manufacturing partners.

Facebook will close its facility in Bridgwater, southwest England, which has been working on the solar-powered Aquila drone, according to a statement late Tuesday.

“When we started the Aquila program back in 2014, very few companies were involved in this area,” said Facebook engineering director Yael Maguire.

But in the past four years a number of aerospace companies have been investing in the technology, he noted.

“Given these developments, we’ve decided not to design or build our own aircraft any longer, and to close our facility in Bridgwater.”

Maguire said Facebook would work with partners including the European consortium Airbus on high altitude platform station (HAPS) connectivity “and on the other technologies needed to make this system work, like flight control computers and high-density batteries.”

Facebook had touted the Aquila program as one of several aimed at bringing the internet to remote areas and last year announced a successful second test flight.

Google, meanwhile, has its own Project Loon which aims to deliver connectivity to remote areas using high-altitude balloons.

HMD Global adds 2 new phones to Nokia lineup HMD Global has added new Nokia 5.1 and Nokia 3.1 to its new smartphone lineup. The phones will run native Android, with Android One for better storage, battery life and security.

The Nokia 5.1 is built with a single block of 6000 series aluminium, machined to a satin finish. It has a 0.3inch bigger display in a 2mm narrower body than previous editions, with a 5.5-inch Full HD+ display in 18:9 aspect ratio.

The handset runs on a 2.0 GHz MediaTek Helio P18 octacore processor, with 40% faster performance than the previous generation. The phone has 2GB RAM and 16GB storage.

The phone also includes 16MP rear camera with phase detection autofocus and wide-angle front camera, and rear side fingerprint sensor for easier operation.

The Nokia 5.1 will be available in Copper, Tempered Blue and Black

from 26th July at a price of AED 689.

The Nokia 3.1 is an 18:9 smartphone with 5.2-inch HD+ 2.5D curved display with Corning Gorilla Glass.

The Nokia 3.1 runs MediaTek 6750, an octa-core chipset, giving you twice the processor cores and a 50% performance boost on the previous generation. It also features an upgraded 13MP main camera with auto focus The new Nokia 3.1 will come in three colours: Blue/Copper, Black/ Chrome and White/Iron; two RAM/

storage options: 2GB/16GB, 3GB/32GB, and will be available starting 21st June 2018 at a price of AED 519 (2GB/16 GB) and AED 619 (3 GB/32 GB).

Sanmeet Singh Kochhar, general manager - Middle East, HMD Global, said: “We are thrilled to see Nokia 5.1 and Nokia 3.1 available in the market.

We are enhancing our range of phones that matches our consumers’ needs through delivering larger screens, processor upgrades and offering up to 50% higher performance without

compromising the balance with power consumption. In addition to those improvements, our newly launched phones continue to offer the Finnish design with fantastic craftsmanship that is expected from any Nokia phone.

“The feedback from the audience to the Nokia phones range has been thrilling and the addition of these new devices underpins our promise of offering a premium smartphone experience without paying a premium on the price.”

22

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 28, 2018

Politics I want to succeed Amosun in Ogun to consolidate on his achievements – Oladipo Rt. Hon. Muyiwa Oladipo, former Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, is the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism in the state; he was also Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.

In this interview with journalists in his office in Oke Mosan, Abeokuta, the state capital, Oladipo speaks on various issues affecting development in the state, especially as it relates with tourism, he also spoke on why he wants to succeed Governor Ibikunle Amosun as the next governor of Ogun State, among other issues. PATRICK OKOHUE reports. ********As Commissioner for Culture and Tourism in Ogun State, what will you say is the vision of Ogun State on culture and tourism generally?

Culture and tourism is that low hanging area, it has been largely abandoned in Nigeria. So many countries across the world live on tourism. In this part of the country, you cannot divorce tourism from culture, they are interwoven. They have been there for long, successive governments have failed to appreciate the potentials of tourism in the state in terms of revenue generation. To that extent, many things have been left undone, not only in Ogun State, but across the country. Many tourism potentials across the country have been left untouched.

But since the coming of this government few years ago, efforts have been made to look towards tourism as an alternative. Thank God, the government and even the government at the federal level have looked at the possibility of diversifying. If well harnessed, tourism can earn Nigeria more than what she earns from crude oil. We have everything it takes to live on tourism if it is well harnessed. There is virtually no state in Nigeria that does

Oladipo

not have a particular site that can turn around the fortune of the state and that of the federation at large. So many things are wrong, imagine Nigeria, the big brother of Africa cannot boast of tourist visa. If you don’t have a visa to Kenya from Nigeria, at the point of entry in Nairobi, they would issue you visa on the spot at the airport. Imagine at 50 dollars per head for visa, imagine 1000 people entering Kenya daily afresh that is 50,000 dollars multiply that by 30, you are talking about 1,500,000 dollars in a month, convert that to naira or Kenyan currency. If we do that in Nigeria it would go a long way, but all of us are over-dependent

on crude oil. I am one of the happiest Nigerians today that the crude oil is drying up, I wish it could dry up quickly. If it dries up, we would be forced to look inward and thank God, the price is fluctuating, so we are being forced to look inward. Looking inward today is more of agriculture, it’s good, but tourism is still there. A few weeks ago, when the Federal Ministry of Culture hosted the WNTO Summit, so many things were discussed there. Of note is the issuance of visa on arrival, even if you are a visitor you would be issued visa on arrival. Coming to Ogun State, so many things are going on concerning culture and tourism under

our able governor.

What are those things that you have put in place in the state in practical terms on to enhance culture and tourism?

Yes, the government has shifted focus to culture and tourism. Before we came onboard, the ministry of culture and tourism were two departments.

They were separate. We had the Department of Culture at the cultural centre and Tourism Department separately. On coming on board efforts are being made to improve on what we met on ground. If you go to Olumo Rock today there is an improvement, more people are visiting the place. We also have other sites that people visit.

One thing we have also made people to realise is that no government can handle tourism alone, there should be private sector participation. That is why we started the flagship of tourism and culture in Ogun State with the African Drum Festival. We started the festival in 2016. It is meant to revive our dying culture. You would agree with me that our culture is dying and unless a conscious effort is made, our culture would go into extinction. We need to revive our culture. The festival was privately sponsored, we contacted and contracted some private companies, which supported us through their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and we have had two editions now and some African countries have continued to participate. Some people even wanted to come, but they could not because they were not issued visa.

Imagine these people being given visa at the airport. There was one woman that came in from the United States of America, she spent 14 hours at the airport before she could be issued visa on arrival. We don’t need all these, we need to relax some stringent measures in the country.

2019: Ningi explains why many APC governors, lawmakers will lose second term bid Stories: Patrick Okohue

An All Progressives Congress (APC), chieftain, Ibrahim Ali Ningi has stated that most of the governors elected on the platform of the party and have second term ambition will lose their seats in the 2019 elections for working against President Muhammadu Buhari.

He stated that this political permutation will apply to both federal and states legislatures in the country.

Ningi who made this known in an interview with an online news site Daily Post in Bauchi, stressed that there was no room for enemies of democracy to win elections in 2019.

He explained that this followed alleged plots by APC governors and the lawmakers to take the party structures from President Muhammadu Buhari during the recently-concluded APC congresses across the country.

“Let me tell you categorically that APC governors and lawmakers’ decision to have hijacked the party’s recent Congresses is a pointer that they want to unseat President Buhari towards the 2019

Buhari

elections. However most of them will lose their second term bid, because they won 2015 elections through Buhari’s popularity,” Ningi said.

Ningi attributed problems in the party’s congresses to governors’ conspiracy against Buhari and blamed National Assembly members for deliberately refusing to cooperate with the President over the 2018 Budget.

He alleged that the National Assembly members are by-products of corruption and were bent on frustrating the signing of the 2018 budget so to scuttle Buhari’s positive vision for Nigerians.

“Most of them rode on his political popularity to win 2015 elections despite that they are corrupt and I assure you that Nigerians will not vote for corrupt politicians in future,” he added.

The APC stalwart maintained that the success of the party’s national convention in Abuja has vindicated Buhari, as against the failed congresses in some states where governors smuggled in their loyalists as executives.

He however assured that the President will win his second term bid on the strength of the successes recorded by the APC administration.

Omoyeni

Ekiti guber: Mega Party petitions Police, DSS over impersonation of candidate The Mega Party of Nigeria (MPN) in Ekiti State has petitioned the police and Department of State Services (DSS), asking the security agencies to stop a contender for the party’s governorship ticket, Mr Sunday Balogun, from parading himself as the party’s candidate for the July 14 governorship election.

In the petition dated June 26, 2018 and addressed to the state director of DSS and police commissioner, the MPN State Chairman, Chief Dare Adekolu and State Secretary, Prince Adekunle Aladesanmi, said Chief Adebisi Omoyeni is the party’s authentic flag bearer as they accused Balogun of impersonating and parading himself as the party’s candidate.

In the petition entitled: “Misrepresentation of MPN Gubernatorial Candidate in the July 14 Gubernatorial Election”, the party sought the urgent intervention of the police and DSS to “call Balogun to order and stop him from further acts of impersonation which can lead to confrontation and breakdown of law and order.”

The petition reads: “We wish to draw your attention to the ongoing act of impersonation, brazen disregard to lawful order of the court and public peace by one Sunday Balogun who has been going round the state parading himself as the gubernatorial candidate of the party in contravention of lawful court orders.

“As a reminder, you will recall the order of the Federal High Court, Ado Ekiti (Suit No: FHC/AD/CS/11/2018) of 2nd May, 2018 which ordered the faction of the MPN which Sunday Balogun belonged should not conduct any primary and INEC should not witness or entertain outcome of such illegal gubernatorial primary in the event of conduct against lawful order of the court.”

Adekolu and Aladesanmi, who said the party had briefed INEC, police force headquarters, Abuja and DSS headquarters Abuja about the development, stated: “It is therefore a dangerous contravention by Sunday Balogun to be parading himself even after INEC has published the final list of all the 35 accredited gubernatorial candidates in Ekiti State as can be seen in the INEC list, Chief Adebisi Omoyeni is our authentic candidate in the election.”

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 28, 2018

23 Politics

I want to succeed Amosun in Ogun State to consolidate on his achievements – Oladipo Rt. Hon. Muyiwa Oladipo, former Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, is the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism in the state; he was also Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.

In this interview with journalists in his office in Oke Mosan, Abeokuta, the state capital, Oladipo speaks on various issues affecting development in the state, especially as it relates with tourism, he also spoke on why he wants to succeed Governor Ibikunle Amosun as the next governor of Ogun State, among other issues. PATRICK OKOHUE reports.

As Commissioner for Culture and Tourism in Ogun State, what will you say is the vision of Ogun State on culture and tourism generally?

Culture and tourism is that low hanging area, it has been largely abandoned in Nigeria. So many countries across the world live on tourism. In this part of the country, you cannot divorce tourism from culture, they are interwoven. They have been there for long, successive governments have failed to appreciate the potentials of tourism in the state in terms of revenue generation. To that extent, many things have been left undone, not only in Ogun State, but across the country. Many tourism potentials across the country have been left untouched.

But since the coming of this government few years ago, efforts have been made to look towards tourism as an alternative. Thank God, the government and even the government at the federal level have looked at the possibility of diversifying. If well harnessed, tourism can earn Nigeria more than what she earns from crude oil. We have everything it takes to live on tourism if it is well harnessed. There is virtually no state in Nigeria that does not have a particular site that can turn around the fortune of the state and that of the federation at large. So many things are wrong, imagine Nigeria, the big brother of Africa cannot boast of tourist visa. If you don’t have a visa to Kenya from Nigeria, at the point of entry in Nairobi, they would issue you visa on the spot at the airport. Imagine at 50 dollars per head for visa, imagine 1000 people entering Kenya daily afresh that is 50,000 dollars multiply that by 30, you are talking about 1,500,000 dollars in a month, convert that to naira or Kenyan currency. If we do that in Nigeria it would go a long way, but all of us are over-dependent on crude oil.

I am one of the happiest Nigerians today that the crude oil is drying up, I wish it could dry up quickly. If it dries up, we would be forced to look inward and thank God, the price is fluctuating, so we are being forced to look inward. Looking inward today is more of agriculture, it’s good, but tourism is still there. A few weeks ago, when the Federal Ministry of Culture hosted the WNTO Summit, so many things were discussed there. Of note is the issuance of visa on arrival, even if you are a visitor you would be issued visa on arrival. Coming to Ogun State, so many things are going on concerning culture and tourism under our able governor.

What are those things that you have put in place in the state in practical terms on to enhance culture and tourism?

Yes, the government has shifted focus to culture and tourism. Before we came onboard, the ministry of culture and tourism were two departments. They were separate. We had the Department of Culture at the cultural centre and Tourism Department separately.

On coming on board efforts are being made to improve on what we met on ground. If you go to Olumo Rock today there is an improvement, more people are visiting the place. We also have other sites that people visit. One thing we have also made people to realise is that no government can handle tourism alone, there should be private sector participation. That is why we started the flagship of tourism and culture in Ogun State with the African Drum Festival. We started the festival in 2016. It is meant to revive our dying culture.

You would agree with me that our culture is dying and unless a conscious effort is made, our culture would go into extinction. We need to revive our culture. The festival was privately sponsored, we contacted and contracted some private companies, which supported us through their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and we have had two editions now and some African

Festival. It is a festival of the lIaro people and we support it.

Due to development, the government demolished some structures that ought to be monuments. What is your ministry doing to possibly restore some of these?

If it where avoidable, we would avoid it, where it is unavoidable, we will not. For instance, in a city like London, the founding fathers have foresight. So, road expansion would not affect residential areas. In Nigeria, you would see people building houses where roads would be constructed. If people had obeyed the rule of building with about 50 metres off the roads, the expansion we have today would not affect some of these monuments. But the government has tried to take this into consideration. For example, if you get to Itoku market, the government did not demolish the cenotaph there to the extent that the surrounding was not affected.

If you go towards Olumo Rock today, you would see Shodeke Cenotaph, the government avoided it so as to preserve the place. That is why I said, where avoidable we will avoid it, but where unavoidable, we will not. Of course, some people will condemn it because they don’t think beyond their noses.

countries have continued to participate. Some people Oladipo

even wanted to come, but they could not because they were not issued visa. Imagine these people being given visa at the airport. There was one woman that came in from the United States of America, she spent 14 hours at the airport before she could be issued visa on arrival.

We don’t need all these, we need to relax some stringent measures in the country.

What are some tourism sites in Ogun State?

We have the Olumo Rock, Chief Obafemi Awolowo Musoleum in Ikenne, Hubert Ogunde Museum in Ososa, and Bilikisu Sugbo Site. There are some that are not even known. There is a particular one called Mount Apehin in Ogun West axis of the state. If you get there, you would not only praise God, you would thank God for His marvelous works. This is a rock that has human faces embedded naturally. We also have a place, where water came out of the rock and it can be treated just like the Ikogosi Waterfall in Ekiti State that is now being packed into bottles. I see Ogun State doing same in the area very soon. We are looking for investors to partner with us on this.

What efforts have the state government made to attract people to these tourist centres?

We have made some documentaries of all our sites and we have played them at different fora. We played them during the drum festival and at the WNTO Summit in Abuja and some of them are online. We want to bring out something like TINAPA in Calabar, Cross Rivers State from Ogun State. The next stage of development in Ogun State would be on culture and tourism. I mean the next massive development in the state.

Can you tell us some of the major festivals the state government recognises and partners with the people to organise?

You know we have three senatorial districts in the state, and each has a common cultural festival that the state government recognises and supports. In Ogun East, which is Remo and Ijebu axis, we have the Ojude Oba Festival, the government supports them to organise it.

In Ogun Central, which is Egba Area, we have the Lisabi Festival, which the government also supports. In Ogun West, which is the Egbado Area, we have the Orona

‘

The issue of religion also comes in here; people worship Ifa, Obatala and so on. Will the state government support these festivals despite the fact that most of us are either Christians or Muslims?

We are mixing things up, there is a difference between religion and culture and I am a proponent of the two. I don’t hide my feelings. I am a Christian to the core, I believe in the Trinity, God the father, the son and the Holy Spirit. But that would not stop me from appreciating the fact that there is Ifa. A genuine Ifa priest would not ask you to go and kill a human being or go into rituals in quote. Meanwhile, there are some Muslims and Christians that still do rituals. No religion stops you from practising your culture. For instance, the government supports Agemo Festival in Ijebu. But we need to involve the government if you want us to support you. We have resolved issues and conflicts among factions of Ifa worshippers as a government. We are on top of the situation.

Do you also relate with the traditional rulers on culture?

Perfectly and absolutely, don’t forget that I am the immediate past Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in Ogun State. So, I relate with all our obas and traditional rulers very well.

We heard that drama has its roots in Ogun State, what are you doing to properly place the state in the area of drama?

Our own is to create an enabling environment. We are not going to commit our hard earned money into it. That is why the corporate world is there. It is not everything that the American government does for the people.

We have a lot of cultural heroes and heroines in Ogun State such as Hubert Ogunde, Akin Ogungbe, Professor Wole Soyinka, Charles Olumo aka Agbako, Tunde Kelani aka TK amongst others. What is the state doing to honour these people?

What else do we want, so many of our people have been recognised and immortalised. The family of the late Chief Ogunde has done some things and we supported them, we also named the main bowl of the cultural center after him. We don’t joke with our heroes till tomorrow.

Tunde Kelani is the Chairman of the Nigerian Video Censors Board and we recognise and appreciate him.

What is your next political move in 2019?

I have sought the face of the Lord and by the grace of God, I would succeed the incumbent governor, Sen. Ibikunle Amosun of the state in 2019 as governor to consolidate on his achievements and continue with the

Any responsible government in this part of the country should encourage the teaching of Yoruba Language as well as Civic Education in primary schools and History in secondary schools. When we were in secondary schools, we were taught about Mansa Musa and others in history classes.

The Lagos State Government once canvassed that Yoruba Language should be our Lingual Franca.

,

mission to rebuild Ogun State.

What has been the relationship between the ministry and international donors on culture and tourism?

We are in touch with them, we are just trying to put finishing touches to this. You know I said that the next stage of development in the state is culture and tourism.

We cannot do it alone; it is still these international donors and others that would come in to assist us in achieving this.

What is your ministry doing with the Ministry of Education to ensure that our culture is promoted in schools?

I will say we are in trouble, we are in a very big trouble. No country in Africa will survive without its culture. Our culture has been greatly eroded, but it is not over. God, in his infinite mercies, does certain things and He sends somebody at every point in time to save people.

God knows that the Yoruba culture was being eroded, so he sent us a man that could revive it, the person is culture itself and since he came to the fore, he has been doing his best on our culture. That person is the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi.

He is an embodiment of our culture and not forgetting the likes of the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi. We are in trouble because certain things have gone wrong and we should look inward and revive them. People don’t even know about our leaders. About two or three years ago, we were having a democracy walk from MKO Abiola Stadium to Abiola’s house in Abeokuta and the governor accosted a young chap and asked him if he knew who Abiola was, he said yes, he was the owner of MKO Abiola Stadium. Many of our youths don’t know MKO Abiola or Chief Obafemi Awolowo. They only know former President Olusegun Obasanjo because he is still alive.

These were people we knew in our younger days.

History and Civic Education have been removed from our school curriculum. The age bracket of 17 to 32 is a wasted generation, they want to make money quick, they don’t care about studying. If they are online, it is okay, they are into money rituals. You would see a university graduate today who cannot construct one correct sentence in English Language. What this government is doing is to revive our culture through different programmes as many private organisations partner with us to promote our culture. We are here to partner with any organisation that is ready to do that.

Our language is going extinct, what is your ministry doing to change this?

You are directing it at the government, what efforts are you making as parents to promote our culture. I am sure your children greeted you in English Language this morning. They understand Yoruba Language, but they don’t speak it. Nobody should be punished for speaking Yoruba in schools or anywhere. What is vernacular, woe betides anybody that calls Yoruba Language vernacular.

My daughter, every morning, she must greet her mother and I in Yoruba Language, though she speaks English Language always. We should not put all the blames on the government. The government has a role to play, the school has a role to play and the parents have a role to play. Don’t expect the government to do everything.

Is it possible for your ministry to present a bill to the State House of Assembly that schools, both government and private, should teach Yoruba Language?

We don’t need to talk much on that, any responsible government in this part of the country should encourage the teaching of Yoruba Language as well as Civic Education in primary schools and History in secondary schools. When we were in secondary schools, we were taught about Mansa Musa and others in history classes.

The Lagos State Government once canvassed that Yoruba Language should be our Linqua Franca. Just as they speak Yoruba during plenary at the Lagos State House of Assembly on Thursdays, we speak Yoruba Language in our state Assembly on Wednesdays here. We have to start from somewhere or else there would be trouble. I was with Professor Wole Soyinka, where he was being interviewed in English Language and then they asked if he could do it in Yoruba, he said there was no problem and he shifted to Yoruba, but he later changed to English Language because he said some of his audience might not understand Yoruba Language. But he spoke Yoruba for long and at the last Drum Festival, he spoke in Yoruba Language after Alaafin of Oyo spoke in Yoruba. I pray a time would not come that the white men would be the one to preserve the language for us.

Companies Registration 24 OLATUNBOSUN-LAWAL

FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS LAWAL AISHAT ADEOLA NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS OLATUNBOSUN-LAWAL AISHAT ADEOLA. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

EDWIN ANAYO

FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS AWOKE ANAYO EZEKEIL NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS EDWIN ANAYO EZEKEIL. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE

EMUOBOME PRINCESS

FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS OSADIAYE PRINCESS OSARUNWENSE NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS EMUOBOME PRINCESS JOHNSON. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

AGBOOLA MISTURA

THIS IS TO INFORMED THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT AGBOOLA MESITURA ADUKE WAS WRONGLY WRITTEN ON MY NATIONAL IDENTITY CARD. MY CORRECT NAME IS AGBOOLA MISTURA. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC AND NATIONAL POPULATION COMMISSION TAKE NOTE

DIVINITY COVENANT CHURCH OF GOD

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990 TRUSTEES ARE 1.PST OLAOBAJU OYEYEMI EMMANUEL PRESIDENT 2.OLAOBAJU FAITH AKPESIRI - SECRETARY AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1.TO ESTABLISH GOD’S COVENANT AMONG ALL MEN. 2.TO SHARE AND BRING MEN TO THE REALITY OF GOD

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

YUSUF WASILAT

FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS YUSUF WASILAT AJOKE NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS YUSUF WASILAT ASANI. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBIC AND AUTHORITY CONCERNED SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

AKINADE DEBORAH

FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MISS OGUNDIJI HALIMAT NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MRS. AKINADE DEBORAH HALIMAT. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 28, 2018

EJIKE COMFORT

FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS AKPA COMFORT OGO NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS EJIKE COMFORT . ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE

ADEBIYI ADEOLA

FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS ADEBIYI AYOMIDE GABRIEL NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS ADEBIYI ADEOLA GABRIEL DATE OF BIRTH SHOULD DEC.:13: 1996 . ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE

RELIEF MARKET ASSOCIATION THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990 TRUSTEES ARE 1.NWALA MAXWELL UWAEZUOKE - CHAIRMAN 2.EBONG UFOT EKANEM 3.ELENDU STEPHEN SUNDAY 4.OKERE STELLA UCHE 5.WOKE IKE JOY 6.YUSUF NASURU USMAN 7.LANGWA BREZHNEV AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1.TO ORGANISE ALL FARM PRODUCE TRADES SUCH AS FRESH TOMATOES,PEPPER,OKORO,ONIONS CARROT, CABBAGE,MANGO YAM POTATOES BEANS,RICE ETC INTO ONE BODY. 2.TO ENGAGE IN MEANINGFUL SOCIAL ACTIVITIES. 3.TO MAKE MEMBERS LAW ABIDING CITIZENS OF THE COUNTRY ANY OBJECTION TO THE REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRARGENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED CHAIRMAN

UKHUN DOROTHY

FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS AKHATOR DOROTHY EGHONGHON NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS UKHUN DOROTHY EGHONGHON. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE

TIJANI AKINSHOLA

FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS AKINSHOLA GANIYAT AJOKE NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS TIJANI AKINSHOLA GANIYAT . ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE

NWEKE BEATRICE

FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS NWEKE JUSTINE BEATRICE UTEAMAKA NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS NWEKE BEATRICE UTEAMAKA. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE

ISUEKEBHOR CHRISTIANA

FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS ISUEKEBOR FLORENCE NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS ISUEKEBHOR CHRISTIANA ONOHI . ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE

ELEVATION HOUSE OF GRACE CHURCH INT’L THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990 TRUSTEES ARE 1.NDUBUEZE AUGUSTINE 2.NDUBUEZE PEACE OGECHI 3.NDUBUEZE BERTHA CHIZITER 4.ISAIAH AUGUSTA UCHIECHI

- CHAIRMAN - SECRETARY - TRASURER

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. ANY OBJECTION TO THE REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED CHAIRMAN

HUNDAYON JEREMIAH

CORRECTION OF NAME

FAMILY HOPE RECONCILIATION INTERNATIONAL MISSION

HOUSE OF DEFENSE MISSION INT’L

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, NO. 1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: 1. REV( MRS) MOTOLANI ABOSEDE OYEDIJI, CHAIRMAN 2. REV( DR) GABRIEL OLUMIDE OYEDIJI, PATRON 3. ENGNR. (PST) OLAYEMI OLAOKE, SECRETARY 4. PST(BARR) JOY ETUKUDO, 5. MR JIDE OLAOKE, 6. PST.TEWOGBADE ABOLUWADE, 7. MR PAUL EBERE , 8. MR AYOMIDE ADURAGBEMI OYEDIJI, 9. MRS OSURI DIKE, 10. MRS MARGARET BINGA AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. TO ENCOURAGE YOUNGER AND UP-COMING GENERATION TO KNOW GOD’S STANDARD FOR MARRIAGE THROUGH ADVOCACY, SEMINARS AND CONFERENCES. 2. TO ADDRESS AND PREFER CONTINUES REMEDIES IN MARRIAGE THROUGH SEMINAR AND CONFERENCES. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, P.M.B 198, GARKI ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: BARR. IFEANYI, CEDARWOOD SO

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, NO. 1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES: 1. OKWUZULIKE JUDE SUNDAY - CHAIRMAN 2. OKWUZULIKE VICTORIA EBELE 3. UZOWURU BENNETH UCHE 4. EZE VIVIAN CHINYERE - SECRETARY AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST 2. TO HELP THE NEEDY ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, P.M.B 198, GARKI ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: SECRETARY

DIKE HOPE FOUNDATION

TRINITY BAPTIST CHURCH, ABUJA

GLORIOUS TABERNACLE FREEDOM PRAYER MINISTRY

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, NO. 1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES: 1 DIKE NNAMDI CHIMA - CHAIRMAN 2 OKAFOR KENECHUKWU EMMANUEL - SECRETARY 3 OSAJIUBA UCHENNA CHIEMANAM - TREASURER AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. TO PROMOTE FREE EDUCATION AS A CATALYSE TO BETTERING THE LIVES OF UNDER PRIVELEDGE CHILDREN. 2. TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE EDUCATION FOR ALL AS A KEY TO BRIGHTER FUTURE IN A QUEST FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, P.M.B 198, GARKI ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: SECRETARY

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, NO. 1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES: 1. CONRAD MBEWE 2. ABUTU PETER JOSHUA 3. OLUWASEUN SAMUEL OYEFADE AIM AND OBJECTIVE: TO GLORIFY GOD IN PROMOTING HIS JOYFUL WORSHIP BY EVANGELISING SINNERS, ESTABLISHING CHURCHES AND MINISTERING SPIRITUALLY AND MATERIALLY TO THE SAINTS ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, P.M.B 198, GARKI ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: SECRETARY

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, NO. 1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES: 1. RASAK AIGBORE PETER 2. ADETOUN ADEWUMI 3. OLU-ALAO HAJARAT NAOMI 4. KELLY OLAOLUWA .

AIM AND OBJECTIVE: TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST, ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, P.M.B 198, GARKI ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: SECRETARY

ORAKHUAN ELITE FORUM

THE CHRISTIAN CORNERSTONE MINISTRY

SANCTUARY OF MERCY EVANGELICAL BIBLE MISSION

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, NO. 1 OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE 1. REVJONATHAN OKOIRHON PRESIDENT 2. MR ABRAHAM AZIEGBEMI 3. MR CLEMENT AZIEGBEMI NATIONAL CORDINATOR 4. PASTOR OSAGIE IKEZAHU SECRETARY 5. ENGR BEN UJIAGBE GLOBAL CORDINATOR 6. MRS OSEMUDIAMEN DICKSON 7. MR MONDAY OKOEDION FINANCIAL SEC 8. MR CLIFFORD OGBEIYE 9. DR RAPHAEL OSEGHALE 10. MRS FRANSISCA SAMPSON AIM AND OBJECTIVE: TO CATER FOR THE WELFARE OF MEMBERS ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, P.M.B 198, GARKI ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: BARR VICTOR OYONAKPARE

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, NO. 1 OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE 1: REV EDNA USEN ESSIEN 2: ESSIEN JERRY DAVID. 3: IDARA JOY ESSIEN 4: CECIL GILBERT DICKSON 5: DOMINIC JOHNSON UMOH. AIM AND OBJECTIVE: TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, P.M.B 198, GARKI ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: LADI OCHUGBOJU-ABIDOYE.

FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS HUNDAYON JEREMIAH OLUWASEGUN NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS HUNDAYON JEREMIAH GBETOYON . ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE

OSIBODU ADEJUMOKE

FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MISS BAKRE ADEJUMOKE OLUWATOBI NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MRS. OSIBODU ADEJUMOKE OLUWATOBI . ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE

FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS FASHINA MODUPEOLA ENIOLA NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS AJIBI MODUPEOLA ENIOLA . ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE

AJIGA ADEOLA

FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS DINA ADEOLA OLUWATOSIN NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS AJIGA ADEOLA OLUWATOSIN .

ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, NO. 1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: 1 JOHNSON SOKOWONCI ARONI 2 REBECCA ARONI 3 NDA KARIM 4 JOHN ANAMAYI 5 JEROME AKPAMA AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. TO OWN AND RUN CHURCH /MISSION, PREACH THE WORD OF GOD AND PROMOTE EVANGELIZATION OF NATIONS OF THE WORLD. 2. TO PROMOTE PRAYER RETREATS, REVIVALS AND PROVIDE NETWORK FOR THE SICK IN HOSPITALS, PRISONS AND DESTITUTE GENERALLY. 3. TO PROMOTE PUBLICATION OF BOOKS, INCLUDING RELIGIOUS PUBLICATIONS, OWN BOOKSHOPS AND RUN SCHOOLS. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, P.M.B 198, GARKI ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: REBECCA ARONI.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 28, 2018

AGBO CHINONYELUM

UGWU ONYEKACHI

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS AGBO EUCHARIA NGWU, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS AGBO CHINONYELUM EUCHARIA. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS UGWU ONYEKA ANTHONY, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS UGWU ONYEKACHI ANTHONY. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

ADENIYI MARGARET I FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS DARAMOLA CECILIA NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN CALLED AND ADDRESSED AS ADENIYI MARGARET OLUWAKEMISOLA. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE

IN SOME OF MY DOCUMENTS MY NAME WAS WRONGLY WRITTEN AS AWOLESI MULIKAT BOLANLE ALSO KNOWN. NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AS AWOLESI SHERIFAT BOLANLE. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID, GENERAL PUBLIC PLEASE TAKE NOTE

NDUKA IJEOM

FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS EDWIN IJEOMA PEACE, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS NDUKA IJEOMA PEACE. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

YUSUPH OLAYINKA

FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS YUSUPH OLAYINKA KIKELOMO, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS YUSUPH OLAYINKA MORUFAT. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

OLAYINKA OLAWUNMI

FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS OLAYINKA OLAWUNMI OLAOGUN, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS OLAYINKA OLAWUNMI SODEINDE. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

OGBONNA ISHIALI

I FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS OGBONNA JOHNSON WILLIAM,NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS OGBONNA ISHIALI JOHNSON. ALL FORMER DOCUMENT REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE NOTE.

OKON DEBORAH

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MISS UNAH DEBORAH EFFIONG, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MRS OKON DEBORAH NSIKAK. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

OGUNLADE BLESSING

I FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MICHEAL BLESSING ANUOLUWAPO NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS OGUNLADE BLESSING ANUOLUWAPO. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID, GENERAL PUBLIC KINDLY PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

MUSA EGIEYA

THIS IS TO CONFIRM THAT I EGIEYA ENDURANCE PRECIOUS IS THE SAME PERSON AS MUSA EGIEYA ENDURANCE PRECIOUS. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID, GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE

ADEGBITE TITILAYO

I,FORMALLY KNOWN AS TITILAYO TITILAYO, NOW WISH TO AND BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS ADEGBITE TITILAYO GRACE. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID.GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

CORRECTION OF NAME

HARRISON SARAH

FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS OSUEKE SARAH OJONIMI, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS HARRISON SARAH OJONIMI. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

ADEWUMI SOLA

FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS ADEWUMI TAIWO SAMUEL, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS ADEWUMI SOLA TAIWO. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

AZEEZ OMOTAYO

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MOYOSORE SIKIRAT OMOTAYO NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS AZEEZ OMOTAYO SIKIRAT . ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID.GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE

OJEKUNBI OMOWALEOLA

I FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS ADELAJA OMOWALEOLA ABOSEDE. (FEMALE) MUSLIM. NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS OJEKUNBI OMOWALEOLA ABOSEDE. 2 A, OYETOLA IDOWU STREET, ILUPEJU. ALL FORMER DOCUMENT REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

OYENEYE RAFATA

I FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS OYENEYE OLABISI MERCY,NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS OYENEYE RAFATA ANUOLUWAPO. ALL FORMER DOCUMENT REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

AMAKA GEORGE-SHOBO

I FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS AMAKA OSHOBO NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS AMAKA GEORGE-SHOBO. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID, GENERAL PUBLIC KINDLY PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

ENWEREGEME NDUBUISI

I FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS NWAGBARA NDUBUISI NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS ENWEREGEME NDUBUISI BRIGHT. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID, GENERAL PUBLIC KINDLY PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

SHOGA FUNMILOLA

I FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MISS SHOWUNMI FUNMILOLA MARIA NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MRS SHOGA FUNMILOLA MARIA ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

25 Companies Registration

UMEANO TOCHUKWU

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MADUANUSI TOCHUKWU CHINEMELUM, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS UMEANO TOCHUKWU CHINEMELUM. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

CORRECTION OF NAME

IN SOME OF MY DOCUMENTS MY NAME WAS WRONGLY WRITTEN AS USMAN ABDULGANIYU OLUWANISHOLA ALSO KNOWN . NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AS UTHMAN ABDULGANIYU OLUWANISHOLA ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID, GENERAL PUBLIC PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

OGIDI JOVITA

I FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS OZURUIGBO CHINWENDU BABY OKU NOW KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS OGIDI JOVITA CHINWENDU. FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

AJAH FIDELIX

FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS AJAH FIDELIX OKORO, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS AJAH FIDELIX OKECHUKWU. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

UZOUKWU OGECHUKWU

FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS UZOH OGECHUKWU IFEYINWA, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS UZOUKWU OGECHUKWU IFEYINWA. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

IRE DANIEL

FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS IRE DANIEL, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS IRE DANIEL NWUZOR. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

OPARA PRISCA

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS, MISS. OJIKE PRISCA UJUNWA, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS, MRS. OPARA PRISCA UJUNWA. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD TAKE NOTE.

OLUGBODE BADMUS

IN SOME OF MY DOCUMENTS MY NAME WAS WRONGLY WRITTEN AS (BVN ) OLUGBODE TOHEEB TOSIN. IN MY( ACCOUNT DETAILS) NAME WAS WRONGLY AS OLUGBODE BADMUS THAIB, ALSO IN MY NATIONAL ID CARD WAS WRONGLY AS OLUGBODE TOSIN TOHEEB. WISH TO BE KNOWN AS OLUGBODE THAIB ESHINLOKUN. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID, GENERAL PUBLIC KINDLY PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

SALAKO KUDIRAT

I FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS SALAKO MARY ASABI NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS SALAKO KUDIRAT ASANI. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID, GENERAL PUBLIC KINDLY PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

ORIOKE RASHIDAT

I FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MISS SANNI RASHIDAT OLUFUNKE NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MRS ORIOKE RASHIDAT OLUFUNKE. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

PAUL OBINNA

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS PAULMARTIN OBINNA OBAYI, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS PAUL OBINNA OBAYI. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

ONYEBALU CORDELIA

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MISS ILOELUNACHI CORDELIA OBIAGELI, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MRS ONYEBALU CORDELIA OBIAGELI. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. BANKS AND FIRST BANK, PPSMB AND GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

EFAJEMUE MERCY

I FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS JOSEPH MERCY NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN CALLED AND ADDRESSED AS EFAJEMUE MERCY FEHGIRO. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

SULIMAN MUHAMMED

FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS USMAN MUHAMMED, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS SULIMAN MUHAMMED. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

NWAOGU EMEKA

FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS NWAOGU EMEKA, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS NWAOGU EMEKA LONGINUS. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

OYELEKAN OYELOWO

FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS OYELEKAN MARY O, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS OYELEKAN OYELOWO MARY O. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

ISHATAYO OLUWABUKUNMI

I FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AA ISHATAYO IBUKUN ADEJUMOKE, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS ISHATAYO OLUWABUKUNMI COMFORT. ALL FORMER DOCUMENT REMAIN VALID. SKY BANK AND GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

OFOEGBU BLESSING

I FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS EZEDIGBO BLESSING CHINONYE NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS OFOEGBU BLESSING CHINONYE. DUE TO MARRIAGE. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID, GENERAL PUBLIC KINDLY PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

BAKARE-AZEEZ

I FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS AZEEZ BASIRAT BOSEDE NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS BAKAREAZEEZ BASIRAT BOSEDE. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID, GENERAL PUBLIC KINDLY PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

OKWUIDEGBE MOJIRADE

I FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS LAWAL MOJIRA ENIOLA WISHES TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MRS OKWUIDEGBE MOJIRADE ENIOLA. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID BAPTIST MISSION SCHOOL (BMS) AND GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

UGOCHUKWU IBENEME

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MR. DAVID UGOCHUKWU IBENEME, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MR. UGOCHUKWU IBENEME. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

IZI-IKEJI ANN

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MISS IZI ANN ESE EMEMERURA, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MRS IZIIKEJI ANN ESE EMEMERURA. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

FAGBENRO AFUSAT

I FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS ADEGBEMIRO AFUSAT NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN CALLED AND ADDRESSED AS FAGBENRO AFUSAT ABOSEDE. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

SAMUEL OLU

FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS IYABO REMI SAMUEL, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS SAMUEL OLUWAREMILEKUN JOSEPHINE. THAT MY DATE OF BIRTH IS 02/06/1985. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

KAREEM SULAIMON

FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS NSAKA SALAU OLAYINKA, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS KAREEM SULAIMON ALABI. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

BENSON UDUAK

FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS BENSON UDUAK BLESSING, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS BENSON UDUAK OGUNMILORO. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

NWEZE CHARITY

I FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS UDEAGHA CHARITY CHIZOBA NWEZE,ALSO KNOWN AS NWEZE AFFIA FAVOUR. NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS NWEZE CHARITY CHIZOBA. ALL FORMER DOCUMENT REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

SAMUEL UDE

I, ANINWAUDE SAMUEL IS THE PERSON BEARING MR.ANI SAMUEL UDE.MY SURNAME IS ANINWAUDE WHILE MY FIRST NAME IS SAMUEL. ANY OF MY DOCUMENTS BEARING THESE NAMES REMAIN VALID AND REFERS TO SAME PERSON. GENERAL PUBLIC TO PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

UZOMA TOBECHI

I FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS IGWEMADU TOBECHUKWU NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS UZOMA TOBECHI MARTHA. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID, GENERAL PUBLIC KINDLY PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

JEGEDE OMOTOLA

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS DOWOLE OMOTOLA AYOMIPOSI NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN, CALLED AND ADDRESSED AS JEGEDE OMOTOLA AYOMIPOSI ALL DOCUMENTS AND CERTIFICATES BEARING MY FORMER NAMES REMAIN VALID. RELEVANT AUTHORITIES AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

UMEH NWANNEKA

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS UMEH NWANNEKA BENE, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS UMEH NWANNEKA PERPETUA. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. BANKS AND GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

ADJE MONDAY

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS LATE MONDAY, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS ADJE MONDAY MICK. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

ADENIYI ADEDOYIN

I FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS FATUKASI ADEYEMO OJO NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN CALLED AND ADDRESSED AS ADENIYI ADEDOYIN ADEDOKUN..

ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

OLASOPE ELIZABETH

FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MISS ADENIJI ELIZABETH ABOSEDE, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MRS OLASOPE ELIZABETH ABOSEDE. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS (A.) AZEEZ OLOLADE AYINKE (B.) OLOLADE BILIKIS AZEEZ (C) AZEEZ OLOLADE BALIQIS (D) OLOLADE BALIKIS AZEEZ (E) AZEEZ BILIKIS AYINKE OLOLADE , NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS BILIKIS OLOLADE AZEEZ. THAT MY CORRECT DATE OF BIRTH IS 16/01/1997 AND NOT 16/01/1996. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

ALI YINKA FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS ALI YINKA, THAT I WISH TO ADD KUBURA TO MY NAME. THAT I HENCEFORTH WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS ALI YINKA KUBURA. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

SALAWU RASHIDAT

I FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS ADEBAYO RASHIDAT AINA, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS SALAWU RASHIDAT AINA. ALL FORMER DOCUMENT REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

IDAEWOH DIDI

I FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS KEKU DIDI VICTORY NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS IDAEWOH DIDI VICTORY. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID, GENERAL PUBLIC TO PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

BENEDICT ABRAHAM

I FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS IGONO BENEDICT IBRAHIM NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS BENEDICT ABRAHAM. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID, GENERAL PUBLIC KINDLY PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

OHAKWE CYNTHIA

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AS MISS OSIGWE CYNTHIA AMARACHI, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MRS OHAKWE CYNTHIA AMARACHI. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

Companies Registration 26 GOD’S WILL FARMERS ASSOCIATION

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

THE TRUSTEES ARE: (1) FRANCIS UGWU (2) FESTUS OGBU (3) VICTOR ASOGWA (4) AUGUSTIN ODUMEGWU (5) EJIKE ASOGWA (6) INNOCENT ODOH (7) CHRISTIAN EZEUGWU (8) CHRISTOPHER OGBUIGBO AIM AND OBJECTIVE: 1. TO PROMOTE AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN OUR SOCIETY ANY OBJECTION TO THISREGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION MAITAMA ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: SECRETARY

DOMINIC’S SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT FOUNDATION THIS IS TO NOTIFY THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED, HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR RESTORATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE : 1. CHIKE DOMINIC NWOKE 2. ANTHONY OBIAJULU EBURUEKWE 3. HULDER NKEOMA EBURUEKWE 4. CHIDI JOSEPH IBEH 5. CHIAKA HOPE IBEH ( NEE ANUKAM) AIM AND OBJECTIVES : 1. TO ENCOURAGE, TRAIN, EMPOWER AND PROMOTE PARTICIPATION IN SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT 2. TO IMPROVE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUTH THROUGH TRAINING AND SPORTSMANSHIP ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRARGENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION MAITAMA ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION SIGNED: BARR. CHIDI IBEH SECRETARY

IJEBU EAST LOCALGOVERNMENT

IJEBU EAST CENTRAL LOCAL COUNCIL DEVELOPMENT AREA. OJOWO IJEBU, OGUN STATE, NIGERIA. AUCTION,! AUCTION !! AUCTION!!!

THERE WILL BE PUBLIC AUCTION OF UNSERVICEABLY VEHICLES / PLANTS OF IJEBU EAST CENTRAL LOCAL LCDA LIST OF ITEMS TOYOTA CAMRY (ENVELOPE), TOYOTA CAMRY (BIG DADDY), MAZDA 626 CAR, LISTER GENERATOR AND TRACTOR. CONDITION FOR SALE 1)THE HIGHEST BIDDER SHALL BE THE PURCHASER 2) PAYMENTS IS STRICTLY BY CASH 3) PURCHASES MUST BE BACKED WITH IJEBU EAST CENTRAL LOCAL COUNCIL AND AUCTIONEER RECEIPTS 4) REMOVAL OF VEHICLES /PLANTS MUST REMOVE IMMEDIATELY AFTER PAYMENT DATE OF INSPECTION : 28TH OF JUNE TO 6TH OF JULY, 2018 DATE OF SALES : MONDAY, 9TH OF JULY, 2018.

VENUE : LCDA SECRETARIAL, OJOWO IJEBU, OGUN STATE TIME : 10:00 PROMPTLY FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT AUCTIONEER NO 08025762256

UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS LAW 1991 SET ALUMNI ASSOCIATION THIS IS TO NOTIFY THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ASSOCIATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990.

TRUSTEES 1. MR. BODE AYEKU (PRESIDENT); 2. MR. MUSTAPHA ADEKOLA DAUD; {MEMBER) 3. MR. OJO ADEMILOYE FASIKU. (2ND VICE PRESIDENT) 4.MR. BASIL UDOTAI; (MEMBER) 5.MR. FRANCIS ROTIMI ADENIJI; 6. MR. ABRAHAM ADEOYE; (GENERAL SECRETARY) 7. MR. ABIDEMI OLADIGBOLU; 8. MR. BINANG JAMES BINANG; 9. MRS. PAT MKPARU OKECHUKWU;(VICE PRESIDENT) 10. MR ABIODUN AKINSOOTO (1ST VICE PRESIDENT) 11. MR. LANRE ISMAIL OLIYIDE AIMS AND OBJECTS 1) TO ACT AS A LINK BETWEEN THE “ALMA MATER” (THE UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS, LAW FACULTY AND THE “ALUMNI” (THE PAST STUDENTS).

2) TO PROVIDE A PLATFORM FOR INTERACTION BETWEEN ALUMNI, PRESENT STUDENTS, FACULTY OF LAW AND THE ENTIRE UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS ADMINISTRATION. 3) TO IMPROVE THE FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE FACULTY OF LAW, UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS WITH THE HELP OF ACTIVE PARTICIPATION OF ALL THE ALUMNI. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THEE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, MAITAMA ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED PRESIDENT

ANTI- CORRUPTION AND RESEARCH BASED DATA INITIATIVE CAC/IT/NO 82928 THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR CTC OF CERTIFICATES , CONSTITUTION AND CHANGE OF TRUSTEES UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990.

REAPPOINTED TRUSTEES 1ENGR IFEANYI JOHN OZIGBO 2. MR DENNIS EMEKA AGHANYA 3 MR LEMMY JONES 4 MR CHUKS BASIL OFOBUIKE 5. BARR LADY CHINYERE GBUGU REMOVED TRUSTEES 1. ALHAJI SALIHIJO S TAHIR 2. ENGR NURUDEEN RAFINDADI 3 ENGR SULEIMAN ADAMU 4. AMBASSADOR SOWEMIMO FEMI 5 HAJIA HALIMA TIJANI NEWLY APPOINTED 1. MRS OGOCHUKWU CHARITY AGHANYA 2. MR NWABUEZE GODSON CHINEDU 3. MR ABUBAKAR YUSUF TUMI 4. ENGR OLUGBENGA GBONJUGBOLA 5. AMBASSADOR DEBORAH ILLIYA AIMS AND OBJECTIVES REMAIN THE SAME ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, MAITAMA ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED :SECRETARY

OLADIPUPO OLUWABUKOLA

I FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS OMOTAYO OLUWABUKOLA CHRISTIANA, NOW WISH TO BE CALLED AND ADDRESS AS OLADIPUPO OLUWABUKOLA CHRIST. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

EMEKA O’KING

I FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS EMEKA OGBODO, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESS AS EMEKA O’KING .ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID GENERAL PUBLIC PLEASE TAKE NOTE .

YUSUFF SOLIU

I FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS USAMOT SOLIU ,NOW WISH TO BE CALLED AND ADDRESS AS YUSUFF SOLIU ADENIRAN. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID GENERAL PUBLIC PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

OMOTOSHO IDOWU

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS OLOMU IDOWU INUMIDUN, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MRS. OMOTOSHO IDOWU INUMIDUN. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 28, 2018

OYINDAMOLA RUKAYAT

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS OYINMADE RUKAYAT AJAO NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS OYINDAMOLA RUKAYAT AJAO.ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

NWABUEZE FRANCA

I FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS ONYEKOSOR FRANCA ,NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESS AS NWABUEZE FRANCA . ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID GENERAL PUBLIC PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

MARTH BLESSING

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MARTHA BLESSING NDUBUEZE, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MARTHA BLESSING ONWUAMA. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. AUTHORITY CONCERNED AND GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD TAKE NOTE.

PATRICIA IZEGBEDE

I,FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS OJO EZEIGBE OLOTIENUAN NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS PATRICIA IZEGBEDE OSIRI. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

LOSS OF DOCUMENT

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFY OF THE LOSS OF OF ORIGINAL COPY OF CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRATION , THE ORINAL CTC COPY OF MEMORANDUM FOR GUIDANCE OF APPLICANTS FORMS , AND THE ORIGINAL CTC COPY OF THE CONSTITUTION FOR ANTI-CORRUPTION AND RESEARCH BASED DATA INITIATIVE CAC/IT/NO 82928, OF NO 16 , GWANI STREET WUSE ZONE 4 FCT ABUJA . ALL EFFORTS MADE TO TRACE THE SAID DOCUMENTS PROVED ABORTIVE. ABUJA AREA COUNCIL AND GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

LEADS SKILL ACQUISITION & EMPOWERMENT FOUNDATION

CITY OF HOPE FOUNDATION

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE 1 DR, SIMEON KOLAWOLE ADESINA : FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN. 2 DAMILOLA SIMEON ADESINA - SECRETARY. 3 MAYOWA SIMEON ADESINA - TREASURER. 4 DR, TEMITOPE SIMEON ADESINA - MEMBER. 5 CHIEF (MRS) BOLANLE ADESINA - MEMBER 6 PROFESSOR ( CHIEF) SIMON KOLAWOLE ADESINA AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1 TO BUILD A COMMUNITY THAT WILL CATER FOR THE NEEDS OF ORPHANS, WIDOWS AND THE LESS PRIVILEGED IN THE SOCIETY. 2 TO CONDUCT MEDICAL MISSIONS IN VILLAGES ACROSS NIGERIA TO GENERALLY PROVIDE FOR THE WELL - BEING OF THE VILLAGERS. 3 TO PROMOTE UNITY AND FAITH AND TRUE WORSHIP OF JEHOVAH WITHIN THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY. 4 TO PROVIDE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN VILLAGES SUCH AS SINKING OF WELLS TO PROVIDE WATER FOR THE VILLAGES WITHOUT WATER. 5 TO PROMOTE UNITY AND FAITH AND TRUE WORSHIP OF JEHOVAH WITHIN THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY .

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

EGBODOFOR PAUL

FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS ABIMBOLA OLUMIDE. NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS EGBODOFOR PAUL OLUMIDE. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID, GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

AKINTUNDE OMOLEWA

I FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS UMAR SEFIAT O. NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MRS AKINTUNDE OMOLEWA ONAIVO UMAR. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE

IFDIEGWU CHIDOZIE

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS IFEDIEGWU CHIDOZIE. B, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS IFEDIEGWU CHIDOZIE BEDE. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC/ AUTHORITIES CONCERNED SHOULD TAKE NOTE.

BRAIMAH RUKAYYA FORMERLY KNOW AND ADDRESSED AS RUKKA ALI NOW WISHES TO BE KNOW AND ADDRESSED AS BRAIMAH RUKAYYA ALI ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAINS VALID . GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD TAKE NOTE

IBIKUNLE FEYISAYO

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS OMOTOSO FEYISAYO MERCY, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS IBIKUNLE FEYISAYO MERCY. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. AUTHORITY CONCERNED AND GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD TAKE NOTE.

OROGUN DEBORAH

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS AJIBOWU DEBORAH ABISOLA, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS OROGUN DEBORAH ABISOLA DUE TO CHANGE IN MARITAL STATUS. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. AUTHORITY CONCERNED AND GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD TAKE NOTE.

ALABI YUSUF

ABUMA ANTHONIA I, FORMERLY KNOWN AS MISS ORUMA ANTHONIA CHEWEKEJE, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MRS ABUMA ANTHONIA CHEWEKEJE, ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN THE SAME, GENERAL PUBLIC PLEASE NOTE.

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS OMONIYI YUSUF OLATUNJI AND OMONIYI YUSUF, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS ALABI YUSUF OLATUNJI. AND MY CORRECT DATE OF BIRTH IS 12TH DAY OF MAY, 1987 NOT 5TH DAY OF DECEMBER, 1987 AND 27TH DAY OF MAY, 1987.

ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC/AUTHORITIES CONCERNED SHOULD TAKE NOTE

ROYAL AMBASSADORS OF NIGERIA BAPTIST CONVENTION

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

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

TRUSTEES 1) OJOMO ADEYEMI ADETONA -PRESIDENT 2)HELTULEDA ZEPHANIAH 3)OLATUNJI JOSHUA ABIODUN-SECRTARY 4)BUKOLA ADEYEMI COMFORT

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1 REVD SAMSON OLASUPO AYOKUNLE - PRESIDENT 2 DR.DAWARI GEORGE IBIETELLA 3 AMB. AYOBAMI ADEJUWON ADEKUNLE 4 PASTOR FESTUS ADEGBOYEGA SUNDAY AKINOLA 5 MR. BITEBO BILLY EREGOBA

AIM AND OBJECTIVE TO EMPOWER THE YOUTHS IN SKILL ACQUISITION. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, MAITAMA ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED :SECRETARY

CORE ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA OGUN CHAPTER (CECAN)

WE MEMBERS OF CECAN FORMALLY KNOWN AS CERTIFICATED ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA LOCATED AT 69, SOKENU ROAD OKE IJEUN ABEOKUTA OGUN STATE. NOW WISHES TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESS AS CECAN : CORE ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA OGUN CHAPTER. LOCATED AT 1, APENA OYESOLA STREET OKE IJEUN ABEOKUTA OGUN STATE MEMBERS OF PUBLIC TAKE NOTICE

AIMS & OBJECTIVES ARE: HELPING BOYS IN PERSONAL, SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT AND DISCIPLINE ANY OBJECTION TO THE REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION,PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, P.M.B 198 GARKI ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: TRUSTEES

HOME OF CHAMPIONS ASSEMBLY

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990 THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. MRS ADEBUSOYE TOYIN ROSELINE - PRESIDENT 2. MRS OLABODE OLUWASEUN BUSOLA 3 MRS ADISA MAYOWA VICTORIA – SECRETARY 4 MR OLABODE AYODEJI BABATUNDE 5 MR. ADEBUSOYE OLUWADAYOMI STEPHEN AIMS & OBJECTIVES ARE TO PREACH THE WORD OF GOD ANY OBJECTION TO THE REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION,PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, P.M.B 198 GARKI ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: TRUSTEES

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 28, 2018

27 Companies Registration

NDLEA urges parents’ interest in tackling drug abuse Adebisi Oyindamola, Abuja The Chairman National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Col. Muhammed Abdullah, has said that for Nigeria to attain a drug free society parents need to be more vigilant about the activities of their children.

This is coming on the heels of the United Nations theme for 2018 international day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking, “listen first: listening to children and youth first step to help them grow healthy and safe” Speaking at an event to commemorate the international day against drug trafficking and abuse, in Abuja, the chairman of NDLEA said this year’s theme is apt as the agency is now adopting the catch them young approach by reviving the drug free clubs in schools.

“These drug free clubs have been in existence, but are moribund, we have launched and decorated students with the badges, in schools so we can catch them young; we can win the battle against drug if we are all committed,” said Col. Abdullah.

He added that the NDLEA can do more in the area of law enforcement but the greater part of preventing the scourge lies in the hands of parents and

the community at large.

He assured that the agency is winning the battle against drug abuse, so far, but the problem of inadequate personnel is one critical challenge the agency is grasping with.

He said currently the staff strength is about 5000, and for the agency to perform optimally more hands are needed.

Revealing how deep the menace has eaten into the fabric of the country, Professor Atenebi Amilika, member presidential advisory committee on fighting corruption, and a university Don said the situation in Nigeria is compounded by lack corrective means to address the problem.

“We have a weak responsive capacity, inadequate rehabilitation resource centres, low budget allocations for the tackling of this menace, and non mainstreaming of National Drug policy and a host of other challenges”.

The country, he explained is witnessing several economic, health and safety problems associated with illicit drug activities, among which is wide spread abuse of different types and combination of substances, an increasing sniffing of glue, gasoline and other harmful substances.

“There is growth of cannabis in increasing number of states

FULL FAITH AND FIRE EVANGELICAL MINISTRY

in the country, with larger farms in Ondo Ekiti, Osun and Edo states,” he added.

He further said “this is threatening food security as available lands are diverted from the cultivation of food crops to marijuana farming”.

Prof. Amilika proposed a multi dimensional approach to

solving the problem, as drug law enforcement approach is not enough.

Government he said should adopt eliminating economic, socio cultural factors that predispose youths to drug abuse.

United Nations said, the drug abuse situation is dire globally,

Charles Onyekwere, Abakaliki A nongovernmental organisation under the aegis of ‘Widows and Orphans Empowerment Organisation,(WOEO), has vowed to fight incessant abuse and humiliation of widows and orphans in most communities in Nigeria, especially in south- East and south- south geopolitical zones of the country.

The organisation said it has empowered over 500 widows and orphans in four states of Anambra, Imo, Rivers and Akwa-Ibom States to reduce their sufferings.

The Improvement Manager, Mr. Nwafor Okechukwu who made this known in a press statement issued and made available to Journalists, said the organisation which started in 2004 has rescued many widows and orphans from the hands of their oppressors.

He noted that the organization which has its head office in Abuja, is currently partnering with United Nations, (USAID), to execute some projects in four states of the federation, targeted at reducing the sufferings of Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Nigeria.

“Our organisation is into Orphans and Vulnerable

TRUSTEES (1)MR AKINZUE SUNDAY (2)MR AKINSOYINU ISREAL (3)MR BIODUN FAMBEGB (4)MR AROWOSAYE SUNDAY (5)MRS AKINSOYINU OYINDAMOLA REGINA (6)MR AKINSOYINU BUSAYO(7)MR OLOWU SEYI AKINWUMI RANSOM AIM AND OBJECTIVES TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. BARRISTER SYLVESTER OKOSODO 2. BARRISTER OGUNBODEDE ABAYOMI M. 3. BARRISTER SYLVESTER OKOIHUE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: (A) HELPING INDIVIDUALS TO GET FREE LEGAL SERVICE..

B) ORGANISING WORKSHOP TO EDUCATING NIGERIANS ON THEIR RIGHT. (C) ENGAGING IN RESEARCH WORK AND MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS TO GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. (D) PROVIDING FOOD, SHELTERS, CLOTHES AND OTHER BASIC NECESSITIES OF LIFE TO INDIVIDUALS.

ANY OBJECTION TO THE REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION SIGN SECRETARY

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

EKWERIKE FAVOUR

I FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS EMAEYAK UWEMESIMO IKPEME NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS EKWERIKE FAVOUR EMMANUEL . ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TO PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

UDEH CHINEDU

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MISS OKOYE NNEKA .F., NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MRS UDEH CHINEDU NNEKA .F. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. BANKS AND GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

IN SOME OF MY DOCUMENTS MY NAME APPEARS AS HARRIGAN DADA TEZETE AND TEZETE DADA TEZETE WHILE IN SOME OTHER ONES IT APPEARS AS TEZETE DADA KENGFAC HARRIGAN AND TEZETE DADA KENGFAC. I AM THE ONE BEARING ALL THE NAMES. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS BEARING ALL THE NAMES ARE VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TO PLEASE TAKE NOTE

OLUWABUSOLA ADERONKE

I FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MISS OLUWABUSOLA ADERONKE OYETADE NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MRS OLUWABUSOLA ADERONKE OJO .

ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TO PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

ANIEKE MARYANN

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS ANIEKE MARYANN SOMTOCHUKWU, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MRS ANIEKE MARYANN TOCHUKWU. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

Children Project, and we are currently doing LOPIN2 Project in 4 states namely Anambra, Imo, Rivers and Akwa Ibom States.

“We have equally empowered over 500 less privileged persons that is selected from the above stated states, apart from the LOPIN2 project which is a-5 year project that is funded by United Nations, USAID” he

stated.

Nwafor, however, felicitated with widows and orphans in Nigeria as they observed the international widows day which took place at the weekend.

“It was a day set aside to talk about widowhood issues in the community. We join the international community to say that widows’ right abuse should end,” he added.

FREE SPACE

FREE SPACE

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

PETER FATON

persons of the people suffering from drug use disorders have access to healthcare services.

“This calls for a need to vastly expand the possibility of intervention and treatment services, because west and Central Africa accounts for 87% of pharmaceutical opioids alone in 2016”.

NGO empowers 500 widows, Orphans, pledges to reduce sufferings

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990

I FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS FOWOKANMI TOSIN TORRSE NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS PETER FATON TANKPINOU . ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TO PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

as 460, 000 people died in 2016 as a result of drug abuse.

The project coordinator, response to drugs and related organised crime in Nigeria, United Nations Office for Drugs and crimes (UNODC), Glen Prichard, said in a paper presentation.

According to him, “1in 6

FAYEMI OLADAYO

FORMERLY MISS JAIYEOLA OLADAYO FATIMA NOW MRS FAYEMI OLADAYO FATIMA. FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAINS VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD TAKE NOTE.

JULIA OMON

I FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS JULIA OMON OZIEGBE NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS JULIA OMON EROMOMEN . ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID.GENERAL PUBLIC TO PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

ADDITION OF NAME

THAT I WAS FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS AMADI KINGSLEY, THAT I NOW WISH TO ADD NWANNEKA TO MY FORMER NAME THAT I NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS AMADI KINGSLEY NWANNEKA. MY CORRECT DATE OF BIRTH IS 15TH AUGUST 1999. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. BANKS AND GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTES.

USMAN HALEEMAT

FORMERLY AS MUSA HALLEMAT FITY NOW USMAN HALEEMAT FITY OF NO 17 AGBELE IKORO, IKORODU. FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAINS VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD TAKE NOTE.

IJIMAKIN DONALD

I FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS IJIMAKIN YEMI OLAKUNLE NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS IJIMAKIN DONALD OLAKUNLE . I WAS BORN ON 04/03/1974 NOT 04/03/1964. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TO PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

THIS IS TO CERTIFY AND CONFIRM THAT MGBADIKE EMMANUEL NWEKEMEZIE AND MGBADIKE EMMANUEL EKEMEZIE REFERS AS ONE AND THE SAME PERSON NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MGBADIKE EMMANUEL EKEMEZIE. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. BANKS AND GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

FREE SPACE KAYODE AKINGBADE

I FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS AKINGBADE SUNDAY NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS KAYODE AKINGBADE SUNDAY. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID, GENERAL PUBLIC TO PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

ABIMBOLA MONIJESU

I FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MRS ABIMBOLA MONIJESU OLUWATOYIN ADEGUNWA NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MRS ABIMBOLA MONIJESU OLUWATOYIN ABIODUN . THIS IS DUE TO MY MARRIAGE WITH MR MICHEAL KEHINDE ABIODUN ON 10/11/2016.

ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TO PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

SHODUNKE WASIU

I FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS ADEGBITE OLUSESAN OLAMIDE NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS SHODUNKE WASIU ADEWALE. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TO PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

FREE SPACE KEKEREEKUN ABIBAT

I FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS YEKINI ABIBAT NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS KEKEREEKUN ABIBAT . ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TO PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

AKINPELUMI RONK

I FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS AKINRO RONKE NAOMI NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MRS AKINPELUMI RONKE NAOMI . ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TO PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

News 28

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 28, 2018

How woman who lost child at Redemption Camp kidnapped 2yrs old girl Joy Anyim, Lagos Detectives attached to the Lagos State Police Command have arrested a 35-year-old lady, Jumoke Adesida for allegedly kidnapping a toddler Rokibat Raji, in Jerrey Farm in Ikorodu area of Lagos.

According to the mother of the child, Aminat Abidoye, on

Friday, June 22, she had left her two years old daughter in the care of her neighbours in her shop located at 12 Kazeem Adeboye street, Odogunyan, Ikorodu and rushed to the market to purchase eggs which she sells. Unfortunately when she returned, her daughter had disappeared.

She had searched everywhere with no trace of the girl before

reporting case of a missing child at the Shagamu Road police station.

She said, “I am a trader and I sell eggs. Earlier before my child went missing, I had rushed to the market to buy some eggs.

I left my daughter in the shop with my neighbours but when I returned I noticed my daughter was not around.

“When my neighbours and I

searched for her everywhere to no avail, I reported to the police in Shagamu- Road police station, Ikorodu. I was surprised when days after, the police found the child in Ogun state.

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Imohimi Edgal who paraded the suspect at the State Police Command Headquarters in Ikeja, said “After the report by the mother of her missing two

year old daughter, Rokibat Raji at the Station, I directed the officer in charge of Anti kidnapping squad to call for the case file and deploy all his assets with a view to unravel the mystery behind the disappearance of the child.

“The squad immediately swung into action, tapping into the robust community policing structure in search of the victim.

Their effort paid off as the

Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State (right), welcoming the Chairman, Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), in the state, Alhaji Mogaji Ibrahim Olaniyan, when he led Executive Members of the committee on a courtesy call to him in his Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta office...yesterday

We’ll end SARS’ atrocities, Osinbajo assures Nigerians Mathew Dadiya, Abuja Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) has assured Nigerians that the Federal Government will end the many reported atrocities allegedly committed by operatives of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) unit of the Nigeria Police Force.

Osinbajo stated this while fielding questions from young Nigerians at a Town Hall meeting, on the side-line of the launch of the National Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Clinics in Ibadan on Tuesdayevening.

The vice president added that the Federal Government’s commitment to addressing the concerns raised about SARS operations is reflected in President Buhari’s directive for an immediate review and restructuring of the unit.

He said, “Many people are complaining about the atrocities of SARS, people are saying there should be no more SARS. SARS as you know is anti-robbery squad but several members of the squad have gone rogue and are doing things that are contrary to the very reasons for which they

were set up.

“But it is not enough to just say, ‘end SARS’. You know it is an anti-robbery squad.

What we need to end is to deal with the atrocities of SARS, we want to end everything that is wrong that they are doing and we must always have in place, a force that is able to protect us against robbery, against kidnapping and all that.

“The President has already ordered a review of the formation of SARS so that very soon we would be able to have SARS that will be responsible.”

Speaking on measures to address the power challenge in Nigeria, the Vice President said, “We have a systematic approach to the power solution in the country, but the approach is not to rely on the regular power supply.”

He explained that “the country is too large to have the same power sources that we have had for so many years and that is the reason we are decentralizing all our power sources and we are now getting off grid power.”

The Vice President added that though “we have increased our power generation capacity from about 3000 since 2015 to

about 7000 MW, the current situation with power is that it has been privatized and the privatization was not done particularly well.

According to him, “the responsibility has fallen on the Federal Government and we are doing just that but the approach is not to rely on the regular power supply. We don’t want to have all our power come from the same sources that is why we are trying to decentralize power generation and distribution in Nigeria.

“We have also done something that is called the Eligible Customer Declaration which means that industrial hubs or estates can buy their own power so we don’t have to rely on the grid. So there are now companies that are licensed to provide power to estates, to provide power for industries on willing-buyer, willing-seller basis.”

Responding to questions on the promises made by the APC government in 2015, Osinbajo said the Federal Government is on track as it is delivering on a number of promises.

On improved food production, the Vice President said, “Our major priority is

to be self-sufficient in food production, not just to produce it, but to produce it cheaply”.

“When we got into office, we were importing rice at $5million every single day.

Today, we are importing only 2% of our rice and we are able to do so because we funded agriculture through the Anchor Borrower programme. In another year we may not need to import any single grain of rice. “This is the same with tomato paste. We are going to become self-sufficient in tomato paste; we are going to become self-sufficient in sorghum, millet and in several other types of grain,” the Vice President added.

On unemployment, Osinbajo stated that “our own position is that you can attack unemployment in several ways, and we are attacking it in several different ways.”

According to him, “the first way is by providing an opportunity for a person who comes out of school and that is the N-power program. We have 200,000 of such young people in every local government and we are engaging by next month, another 300,000 so we are going to provide 500,000

N-Power jobs.

“The second is to make credit available to those who want to do business and we have a scheme called GEEP, Which is Government Enterprises Empowerment Scheme. It’s a micro credit scheme. At the moment we’ve given about 300,000 but in the next few months we are expanding that scheme to bring several others and I think by then it will be about a million.”

He added that the establishment of technology hubs across the country in collaboration with the private sector is also geared towards empowering young Nigerians to create employment.

He said: “One of the things that we have been doing over a year now is encouraging technology across the country and we have started establishing hubs.

“We are doing a technology hub at the University of Lagos; we have one in Yola, another in Benin. We are also collaborating with several of the different private sector hubs that by the time we are done, we would have about between six and eight of these technology hubs.”

missing child was traced to one Jumoke Adesida in Odo-kekere in Ogun state.

“During interrogation, the said Adesida confessed to the crime, explaining that she needed the child to play with as her husband has taken her only child away from her.”

In her confessional statement, Adesida said, “I didn’t kidnap the child. I was walking when I noticed that the child was following me. So I carried her to my house in Ogun state.

“I took the child because my child went missing when I went to Redemption Camp for a programme. I wasn’t feeling too well then so I didn’t know who took my child away from me. I didn’t change her name; I took care of her, fed her properly when she was with me.”

In a related development, the police have also arrested five persons for allegedly kidnapping one Murtala Babarbe from Shoprite in Iju area of Lagos state.

The suspects whose identities were given as Owen Onazurulike (21), Patrick Modupe (41), Chika Amadi (31), Kabiru Azeez (31), and Jamiu Jimoh (41) had abducted their victim while he had gone for a shopping and taken him to their hideout in Ishaga.

It was gathered that at the hideout men suspected to be members of the Odua People’s Congress (OPC), had subjected the victim to trial by ordeal and extorted money from him before he was rescued by men of Iju police station.

Denying the allegation, one of the suspects, Onazurulike said, “I am not a kidnapper and the allegation made by the victim against me is false. What actually happened is that on Sunday, my friend called me; I told him that my phone was missing.

“He then sent his younger brother to go with me and withdraw some money at shoprite so I can buy a new phone. When we got to shoprite, I saw Bala (victim) who has been owing me one hundred and eighty thousand naira (N180,000) since last year. When I asked him for my money, he pleaded with me to be patient, as he just left police cell and has issue with the EFCC. “So, I asked him to give me his phone. While we were still talking, my friend’s younger brother came to the scene. On seeing Bala, he said Bala owes his brother some money, so, he drove his vehicle away, and after few minutes he returned with these men (pointing to the other suspects) and said they are members of the OPC. “When I saw them, I thought they were police officers, so I pleaded with them that I didn’t want any issue, but they demanded I gave them ten thousand naira which I didn’t have, so they took Bala away.”

Edgal said the arrested suspects will be charged to court as soon as investigation is concluded.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 28, 2018

Features

29

IPI: When Daily Times exhibited ‘92 years of excellent journalism’

Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki being welcomed by IPI Executive Director Barbara Trionfi at the Dunes Restaurant Maitama Abuja, venue of the Dinner and closing ceremonies of the 2018 IPI World Congress

Bonaventure Melah Although the four-day long world congress of the International Press Institute, IPI, has ended in Abuja, what will linger for many years in the minds of most participants is a show tagged “92 Years of Excellent Journalism,” exhibited by The Daily Times of Nigeria.

The exhibition which was a side event to the dinner organised by IPI Nigeria for the hundreds of media leaders and practitioners took place at the prestigious Dunes Restaurant, Maitama Abuja on June 23, 2018. It was promoted by Folio Communications Plc, publishers of The Daily Times in partnership with Heritage Bank as part of its community enlightenment and social responsibility project.

“92 years of Excellent Journalism” according to Fidelis Anosike, Chairman of Folio Communications

Plc, is aimed at bringing back memories of The Daily Times publications, especially cover pages that illustrate unique moments and events about Nigeria.

Anosike said, “Daily Times is Nigeria’s heritage newspaper. It is the nation’s number 1 brand in terms development journalism and archiving. We have the richest newspaper archive in West Africa where stories of Nigeria and the world as captured

by Daily Times in the past 92 years are documented.

The exhibition today is just a tip of the iceberg. You can see we have just about 30 stands because of the space available here. We have the capacity to put up 1,000 stands in a more spacious environment to showcase the rich history and culture of Nigeria and other parts of the world, all from the stables of Daily Times.”

The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, who was Special Guest of Honour at the Dinner, had openly

exclaimed “wow” when his attention was drawn to the exhibition stands by The Daily Times crew led by Bonaventure Melah, the paper’s Managing Editor, assisted by Francis Kanu, Head of Archive and others.

“This is really good,” Saraki added while going through some of the publications printed and pasted on exhibition boards resting on isles of pure and natural wood.

The publications that were showcased include those dated years before independence, freedom day editorials and headlines, Nigeria’s glorious moments in sports, art, literature among others as well as the various military takeovers, civil handover, death of prominent citizens including the late Nigerian journalists, Dele Giwa, exploits of great musicians like Fela Anikulapo and the list goes on.

The attraction of the exhibition was so captivating that most of the participants at the programme

L-R Daily Times crew at IPI Congress, News Editor, Joseph Inokotong, Chairman/Publisher Fidelis Anosike and Managing Editor Bonaventure Melah

including cameramen of Aljazera, CNN, BBC, Channels TV, NTA and others took time out to capture the presentations while some others took turn to pose for photographs beside or in front of the stands.

Speaking later at the Dinner, Saraki said it was a special honour for Nigeria to host the international press at the IPI World Congress in Abuja as the world’s best journalists, editors and media executives have converged in Nigeria to explore the theme – ‘Why Good Journalism Matters: Quality Media For Strong Societies.

He congratulated the IPI and the Nigerian Hosting Committee on the successful hosting of this World Congress and General Assembly.

Saraki said, “We welcome this visit of the IPI to Nigeria and we call for more regular visits, and indeed annual congresses, in this part of the world. This, I believe, will make for better understanding of Nigerians and Africans in the eyes of the international media when international journalists themselves come in our midst and get the right position about Africa.

“Distinguished ladies and gentlemen of the World’s Press, you will agree with me that negative stereotypes of the so-called ‘dark continent’ have been bandied about for too long. This has had an unfortunate effect on the development of Africa, as well as the sense of pride and dignity of young Africans down the ages.

And we do know that these negative notions of Africa are largely misconceptions.”

Among dignitaries at the programme were Chief Executive Officer of Channels TV, John Momoh, Publishers of Thisday, Daily Times and Vanguard newspapers, Nduka Obiagbena, Fidelis Anosike and Sam Amuta respectively; IPI Executive Director, Barbara Trionfi and IPI Nigeria Executive Secretary, Raheem Adedoyin, among many others.

The night witnessed different entertainment shows with Nigerian entertainers and showbiz maestros that trilled the audience while the best of Nigerian and intercontinental cuisines were served in between assorted drinks and dances. It was a night to remember.

The Daily Times roll up banner at the Conference

30

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 28, 2018

Foreign Affairs Power Africa: Israel’s Gigawatt Global signs a deal with ECOWAS The West African Power Pool (WAPP) has entered into a landmark strategic relationship with an Israeli company, solar developer Gigawatt Global signing a deal with ECOWAS, the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States to build $1 billion of renewable energy projects in the region.

According to a statement from Israeli Embassy in Nigeria signed by its Press Officer Zanswat Bowsan, the deal was made possible following Israel’s deep and long lasting relations with Africa specifically boosted by initiatives of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meant to strengthen those ties with the continent as highlighted in Liberia, on June 5th 2017, addressing the ECOWAS Head of State Summit.

“With that spirit and on the sides of the summit, Ambassador Guy Feldman, Israel Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, initiated a meeting attended by ECOWAS Energy Commissioner Mr. Meba Germain Essohouna, the Head of the West African Chamber of Commerce, Dr. Morlaye Bangoura and Mr. Josef Abramowitz Gigawatt Global CEO who already exploring solar fields in 10 African countries.

“Following a series of rigorous meetings with ECOWAS energy commission stakeholders, looking into power supply forecasts, challenges and plans for the ECOWAS region, a letter of intent was signed between

PM Netanyahu with the West African States leaders, ECOWAS in 2017 H.E. Marcel De Souza, President of the ECOWAS Commission, and the company, to develop an 800 MW of trans-boundary green energy projects across the West African region,” the statement said. .

Continuing, it stated that the deal will help build the West Africa Power Pool, which is a unit of the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS. It was set up to implement this agreement and create a regional electricity system. The deal builds on

an agreement inked by the U.S. and Israel, December 4th 2017, where the two governments pledged to work together to reduce energy poverty in Africa.

“Ambassador Feldman said today - “This MOU signed with WAPP, is a powerful metaphor to the West and the rest of Africa. It paves the way for future Israeli innovation, which when joined by visionaries and institutions can challenge anything and create hope for all,” it concluded.

Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Guy Feldman

AU summit 31: What is African Union’s role in the Sahel?

Mauritania’s capital Nouakchott, which hosts this week’s African Union (AU) summit, was the birthplace of the major continental initiative in the SahelSaharan strip in March 2013 widely known as the Nouakchott Process.

Mauritania also happens to be the headquarters of the Secretariat of the G5 Sahel (Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger) that led to the formation of a Joint Force authorised by the AU Peace and Security Council in April 2017 to combat terrorism and transnational organised crime.

This dual history of Nouakchott is illustrative of both the successes and limitations of the AU in the SahelSaharan strip, as well as the ambiguity surrounding its role.

At the beginning of the politicalsecurity crisis in Mali, the AU fostered two initiatives: the AU Strategy for the Sahel Region adopted in 2014; and the aforementioned Nouakchott Process in 2013. This initiative aimed to enhance cooperation and coordination among various stakeholders including the intelligence services, military chiefs of staff and ministers in charge of security issues in the Sahel-Saharan strip.

However, these continental efforts have achieved limited results. While the Nouakchott Process brought about a culture of exchange and cooperation among security actors in the Sahel, the political momentum has withered as

the last ministerial meeting took place in 2015.

The implementation of the 2014 Sahel strategy has suffered a similar fate, due to a lack of a clear divide of labour between various stakeholders (local, national and regional) and limited financial and human resources allocated to the actors in charge of its implementation. Therefore the African Union Mission for Mali and the Sahel (MISAHEL), established to implement this strategy, has struggled to fulfil its mandate while playing a critical role in the implementation of the 2000 Algiers peace agreement.

The sub-region has however taken action. For example Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso have extended the mandate of the Liptako-Gourma Authority (formed in 1970) to include security issues in addition to its development focus. In 2016, the G5 Sahel Joint Force was established after the project of an AU force to combat terrorism in the region disappeared from the agenda.

These developments have received mixed reactions from some African stakeholders as they have been supported by non-African actors. Many point out that various initiatives in the Sahel should be in the framework of the AU’s African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA).

But some G5 Sahel states do not necessarily see the Nouakchott Process as an adequate or relevant framework,

as it has stalled over the years. It has also been pointed out that the G5’s security development approach is a more appropriate response to the current multidimensional challenges in their respective countries.

These opposing views illustrate the divergence of opinion regarding regional strategies by the AU. This comes at a time when the AU is undergoing institutional reform – one of the expected outcomes of which is a clear divide of labour between the continental and regional actors.

Should it be a regional strategy, a strategy drafted by the concerned member states – and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) – and then endorsed by the continental body? Or should such a strategy rather result from an AU Commission-led process while including regional insights?

What would be the optimal divide of labour among the AU, the regional mechanism and the member states in the implementation of a strategy?

In the prevailing fragmented vision of how to deal with security on the continent, it is challenging for the AU Commission to impose its will on regional actors, as this would hamper their ownership of the said strategy, and thus its implementation.

As such, there is a gap between the legal framework that emphasises the primacy of the AU and the political reality where most member states only

recognise the primacy of their interests (resulting in flexibility when it comes to choosing the institutional setting to address crises).

The real task is to identify the best role for the AU. It is often heard in Addis Ababa, where the AU’s headquarters are situated, that the AU is not an implementing agency but rather a policy and political body.

The political mandate comes from the AU’s legitimacy as a pan-African organisation that strives to find African solutions to African problems. It is expected that the AU defines the policy framework, and ensures coordination and coherence among the various actors, whether African or non-African.

The multidimensional challenges in the Sahel-Saharan strip require funding and capacities that exceed the AU’s means, which then begs the question: How can it play a coordinating role?

Any role that the AU wishes to play in the Sahel depends on its ability to increase its influence both financially and politically, while ensuring adequate alignment with the preferences of the member states concerned.

As difficult as it is to solve, the crisis in the Sahel is an opportunity for the AU to clarify its role and mission when it comes to dealing with protracted crises.

This article by Institute for Security Studies (ISS) Pretoria, South Africa, was culled from Polity.org.za

Arab-Israeli conflict: 2 states solution is still a possibility -Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia has affirmed that adherence to peace based on the two-state solution according to the Arab peace initiative is a way to find a solution to the Palestinian issue and to end the ArabIsraeli conflict.

This came in the Kingdom’s speech on Tuesday before the UN Security Council session in the open debate on “The situation in the Middle East and North Africa” delivered by the deputy permanent representative of Saudi Arabia to the UN, Dr. Khalid Manzlawi.

“The Palestinian people have suffered a long period of unjust occupation, oppressive and racist policies of oppression and illegal settlement incursions,” Manzlawi said, adding that Saudi Arabia is still in solidarity with the Palestinian cause. A donation of $50 million was provided by the Kingdom to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees during the 29th Arab Summit (Jerusalem Summit) held in Dhahran.

Manzlawi said the Kingdom is working with its coalition partners to restore legitimacy in Yemen, a military operation aimed at saving the Yemeni people from the dark forces and restoring some areas from the grip of the Iranian-backed terrorist militias.

The military operation was undertaken at the request of the legitimate government of Yemen and in accordance with Security Council Resolution 2216, which calls for, among other things, the withdrawal of Houthi rebels from all cities, he added.

Iran continues to support the forces of rebellion and the coup of the Houthi militias in Yemen and supply them with weapons, including the missiles that attack Saudi Arabia from time to time, said Manzlawi, reporting that the number of rocket attacks on the Kingdom has reached 155.

Manzlawi said Saudi Arabia condemns the reckless planting of thousands of mines by the Houthis in Yemen in general and Hodeidah in particular. The Kingdom has launched a $40 million project for landmine clearance.

He said the Kingdom strongly condemns the attacks by the Houthi militias on UN aid organizations, agencies and workers since 2015 as they detained 19 aid vessels carrying 200,000 tons of oil derivatives. And he affirmed that the most human degradation is in the areas controlled by the Houthis.

On the Syrian issue, Manzlawi pointed out that the Kingdom has provided $100 million to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people at the conference to support the future of Syria and the region, which was held in Brussels at the end of April this year, and provided Syrian brothers inside Syria and neighboring countries with about $1 billion.

Manzlawi concluded that the Kingdom reiterates the need to stop this tragedy against the Syrian people and to work toward a peaceful solution based on the principles of the Geneva Declaration 1 and UN Security Council Resolution 2254. He also stressed the importance of the international community’s responsibilities to protect civilians in Syria. ARAB NEWS

TIMES SPORTS

Daily Times Nigeria 31 Thursday, June 28, 2018

Minister Dalung apologises to Nigerians over Super Eagles’ loss

Serena Williams seeded for Wimbledon Seven-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams has been seeded 25 for this year’s women’s singles by the organisers despite being ranked 183 in the world.

The 36-year-old — who was not seeded for the French Open

— has made only a tentative return to action following complications during daughter Alexis Olympia’s birth.

Some had argued against her being seeded with world number 32 Dominika Cibulkova telling the BBC it would

be ‘unfair’ as she would be the player to lose out as there are 32 seeds.

The All England Club usually follows the WTA ranking list, but reserves the right to make a change if it “is necessary to produce a balanced draw”.

Skipper Mikel Obi hints on possible Super Eagles exit Super Eagle’s captain Mikel Obi has said that his further stay in the national team would be determined by future realities.

Mikel, who agreed that the team had a disappointing outing against Argentina in the last group D match at St. Petersburg Stadium on Tuesday, disclosed this at a post match conference.

‘‘My continued stay in the Super Eagles will be determined by future realities, but I love the team.

“It is very young, disciplined and supportive,” he said.

Nigeria failed to advance into the second round courtesy of a 1-2 loss to the Argentines in the last group match played at St.

Petersburg stadium.

Speaking on whether he would be available for Nigeria’s outings in the next African Cup of Nations, Mikel said: “We should wait for the Eagles to qualify first.’’ ‘‘I hope I can still be around but that will depend on if the team qualify,’’ he said.

On his assessment of the team’s performance in the match, Mikel said: “It was a day we did everything we could but failed to qualify. ‘‘In second half, we played well but luck was not on our side. It is a young team and we will be back in four years’ time.’’

Talking of the welfare situation and administration of the team under him, Mikel said everything was wonderful and exciting. ‘‘We have everything going well for us, the team was fantastic and friendly and the football authorities treated us well. ‘‘Most especially, our travel arrangements were superb and I have never experienced it before,’’ the Eagles’ captain said.

Mr. Solomon Dalung has described Nigeria’s 1-2 loss to Argentina on Tuesday as unfortunate.

The Minister of Youth and Sports who led Federal Government’s delegation to cheer the Super Eagles in their last Group D match said the team blew its chances of beating Argentina and qualifying for a possible second round.

According to Dalung, the loss was painful to Nigerians who felt it was a game that should have been easily won with everything going for the team until the dying moments of the match.

“I wish to apologize for disappointing Nigerian by our early exit from the World Cup, leaving many football loving fans devastated. We know the passion and football followership of Nigerians but it is unfortunate that we couldn’t make it even to the next round.

“The players did their best in this game but the technical glitches cost us a

second round ticket. How we couldn’t hold the ball for the last 5mins is still a shock to us”.

Dalung attributed the loss to poor game management on the part of the technical crew and inexperience of the young team. He said that the team will need more experience in future from a more technically sound tactician.

“I have interacted with Nigerians here in Russia and it appears the technical crew could not manage the 1-1 draw with just 5 minutes left.

“It is time to go back to the technical committee

and technical department for future assignments.

The Super Eagles technical crew cannot work independent of the Nigeria Football Federation’s technical committee and department.”

The Minister advised that attention must now be turned to the Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers as he urged the NFF to leave no stone unturned in ensuring that the team qualifies for the tournament.

“We just need to analyze what went wrong, take the positives, learn the vital lessons for future purposes and then move on.”

World Cup: Vincent Enyeama, Austin Okocha hail Super Eagles despite loss Former Super Eagles goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama, has commended the team and urged Coach Gernot Rohr to build for better days after their heartbreaking exit from the Russia 2018 World Cup on Tuesday.

Nigeria were dumped out of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia after they lost 2-1 to Argentina at Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Argentina scraped through to the Round of 16 after Lionel Messi broke his drought at the tournament to give the two-time world champions the lead in the 13th minute.

It was the fifth time the Nigeria team was losing to Argentina at the World Cup. Victor Moses restored parity for the Super Eagles from the spot after Javier Mascherano was adjudged to have fouled Leon Balogun in the box.

Marcos Rojo scored a stunning late winner three minutes from time to send Jorge Sampaoli’s side to the next round.

Nigeria finished third

in Group D with three points, one adrift of Argentina who nicked second spot with the victory.

However, Enyeama tweeted on Wednesday “Naija forever. Win or lose.

Qualify or eliminated. #WeAreNigeria we build for better days.”

Also, former Nigerian captain, Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha, admitted that the Super Eagles lost to Argentina due to “limited experience.”

He said “Uzoho kept us in the game with the saves he made in the second half. We panicked in the first half,” as he analysed the game on SuperSport.

Okocha added that “We were not clear to keep more players in attack.

We were limited in terms of experience.

“It was a gift from Mascherano but then I thought we started the second half better. We got ourselves in better places.

It was a fantastic penalty from Moses but I think we should have put them under more pressure.”

On the controversial penalty denied the Super

Eagles, the former Bolton Wanderers playmaker said the Nigerian team did not put more pressure on the referee.

Marcos Rojo handled the ball in the box involuntarily and the referee viewed it on VAR but ruled it out.

“Nobody appealed under the referee.

We know what the Argentines are like. Rojo got away with one.”

On Wilfred Ndidi’s chance in the 76th minute, Okocha said: “he had more time to keep the ball down to take a good shot.

“Scoring is not his thing but I feel he should have kept the ball a close more to take a better shot.”

On Odion Ighalo’s miss, Okocha’s said: “it was a glorious chance, the ball sat down well for him. If I was Ighalo, I would try to force a save from the goalkeeper. If you don’t hit the target you don’t get your job done.”

Ighalo extended his goal drought to eight games. The Changchun Yatai striker has scored four goals in 21 games for the Super Eagles.

QUOTABLE QUOTES

“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself. ” George Bernard Shaw https://plus.google.com/+DailytimesNgr/posts

dailytimesnigeria

www.facebook.com/dailytimesngr

FLASHBACK in Times: June 28, 1958

THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2018

VOL. 3

NO. 686

N150

Published by FOLIO COMMUNICATIONS LIMITED. Operational Headquarters: Lateef Jakande Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja, Lagos Corporate Office: 9 Osun Crescent, MaItama, Abuja Email: info@dailytimes.ng Managing Editor: BONAVENTURE MELAH, Tel: 08036062975, Email: bonamelah123@gmail.com

Editor: TONY AMOKEODO, Tel: 08111811228, Email: tonyamok@gmail.com