DTN-30-5-19 by Dailytimes

Obasanjo, 393 others escape plane crash in Lagos Ex-President narrates experience on board aircraft

Doosuur Iwambe, Abuja What would have ended as a national disaster on Wednesday was averted as former President Olusegun Obasanjo alongside 393 passengers on board the Ethiopian Airlines passenger aircraft, Boeing 777-300 escaped crashing in Lagos. The passenger aircraft, ET-901, had departed the Bole International Airport, Addis Ababa, at about 9.10 am, https://plus.google.com/+DailytimesNgr/posts

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Ethiopian time; 7am Nigerian time. Other prominent Nigerians on board the aircraft included the Director General, Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) Ambassador Ayoola Olukanni. Also in the plane was Prof. Samson Tunde Adebayo, the Director of Ports Inspection, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) as well as scores of Continued on page 3

THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2019

VOL. 3

Agriculture can create sustainable economy in Nigeria – Gov g 17 Dickson NO. 957

N100

Buhari takes oath of office, keeps mum on agenda It’s sign of insensitivity to plight of Nigerians -PDP

L-R: President Muhammadu Buhari; his wife, Aisha; and judicial officers during his inauguration for a second tenure of four years at the Eagle Square, Abuja...on Wednesday.

Make every day of your second tenure Rule of Law day, SERAP urges President g 3

Okorocha must give account of his stewardship – Ihedioha g 5

Shareholders kick over N83.58bn banks’ contributions to AMCON g 17

Atiku, Tinubu: Untiring stars of Nigeria’s 4th Republic g 13

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, May 30, 2019

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6 News

Govs set agenda at inauguration Okerafor Athanatius, Jalingo, Haruna Usman, Birnin Kebbi, Samuel Luka, Bauchi, Patrick Okohue and Benjamin Omoike, Lagos, Isaac Job, Uyo, Amaka Agbu, Port Harcourt & Kingsley Chukwuka, Jos Twenty-nine state governors on Wednesday began their first term or second term in office, making various promises, pronouncements and setting an agenda for the next four years as chief executives of their respective states. In Taraba state, Gov. Darius Dickson Ishaku took the oath of office at the Jolly Nyame Stadium, Jalingo and it was administered by the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Josephine Tuktur. Speaking after the oath-taking, Gov. Darius said his administration for the past four years was successful despite enormous challenges that came from some quarters. While calling on the people of the state to rise above the challenges and close ranks for peace to reign in the state, the governor reiterated his administration’s resolve in harnessing the state’s potentials and endowments in agriculture, tourism, commerce and industry as well as pay attention to education, water, sanitation and other sectors. Kebbi: Governor of Kebbi state, Sen. Atiku Bagudu on Wednesday joined other governors across the country in taking the oath of office for yet another four –year- tenure. The governor was sworn-in by the state Grand Khadi, Muktat Imam Jega amid cheers from his supporters at the Presidential Lodge, Birnin Kebbi. Shortly after the oath taking, Gov. Bagudu ran a brief review of his first tenure, mentioning a boost in infrastructure that are visible for all and sundry, success in agriculture, stable power supply and healthcare delivery among many successes recorded by his administration in the last four years. He added that those achievements will be sustained in his second tenure, while new ones that may be initiated will run through to a new government.

Gov Atiku Bagudu

Gov Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir

Gov Babjide Sanwo-Olu

Bauchi: Governor Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir of Bauchi state was sworn in amidst a mammoth crowd that besieged the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium, Bauchi, venue of the swearing in ceremony on Wednesday. The new governor took the oath of office at about 11:39 am while his deputy, Alhaji Baba Tela was sworn in at 11: 17am by the acting Chief Judge of the state, Justice Rabi Umar. Gov. Abdulkadir while addressing supporters expressed dismay that at the time of his take -over of government affairs, a number of 20 big industries in the state have collapsed in the state. These he said were in addition, to over 100 small and medium scale enterprises that have provided some form of direct or indirect employment which have either collapsed or are on the brink of extinction. The governor who lamented that he inherited a debt of N96 billion from the previous administration, added that his predecessor piled up another N40 billion within four years to make a total debt of N136 billion. “It means we shall be compelled to seek financial support for ambitious economic recovery plan. The difference however, is that for every Naira we attract, there shall be commensurate returns on investment,” Abdulkadir said. He assured that under his watch civil servants salaries will henceforth, be first line charge in word and deed, adding his administration will devise ways and means of ensuring regular payments of gratuities while offsetting outstanding balances. Mohammed said his administration will focus on completion of ongoing projects as well as the execution of new ones. Lagos: Lagos state yesterday joined many other states across the country to celebrate a change of baton in the seat of power, as Babjide Sanwo-Olu, who was elected as the new governor of the state on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) took his oath of office. He was sworn in as the sixth democratically-elected and 15th governor of the state. The event which took place at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos was attended by top APC members in the state, government functionaries, captains of industry and key stakeholders. Speaking after the swearing in by the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Opeyemi Oke, the new governor assured that

Gov Nyesom Wike

Gov Simon Lalong

he was in a familiar terrain, as he has been a part of the progressive story of Lagos, stating that he would continue to build upon the blueprint laid down by the preceding administrators. Sanwo-Olu in the inaugural speech tagged: “Awakening a greater Lagos,” stressed that he believes he has been placed on the seat at a momentous time and as such would make the most of what God had given to him, adding, “we cannot afford to do less than that.” He vowed that, as governor, he will serve the public cause with his utmost ability and commitment, assuring that the best days of Lagos was still very much ahead. He said that “this day marks the beginning of a new chapter in our journey to greatness. Today, I ask you to join me on this journey to awaken a greater Lagos. When we speak of a greater Lagos, we speak not empty words. “As your governor, I know full well who I am, because I know from where I came. More importantly, I know where I am headed. I have been a part of this progressive journey since its very inception. I was there at the conception of the developmental blueprint of the state. “In serving in all the three previous administrators, I have contributed to the creation, design and implementation of this master plan. I know firsthand the concerted efforts that went into planning so many of the innovations we now see and enjoy. “It will be my job to continue that process by refining and perfecting the foundation laid by the preceding administrators. In this regard, I shall remain forever loyal to the aspirations of the people and to the developmental blueprint that has brought so much success to our dear state. “The Babajide Sanwo-Olu you see today shall not change and try to become something I am not. My prayer is only that I grow and improve as your governor to implement good policies and bring the prosperity

you deserve.” Akwa Ibom: Akwa Ibom state Governor, Udom Emmanuel has promised to build more industries in the state during his second term in office Addressing a mammoth crowd at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on Wednesday during his second term inauguration, Gov. Udom emphasized eight major policy thrusts that include, industrialization, aviation development, security, infrastructure, small and medium scale industries, human capacity development, agriculture and rural/ riverine areas development. “In my 2019 manifesto which we christened completion agenda, I emphasized eight major policy thrusts. Most of these areas also formed the basis of our first term policy direction. “In our completion agenda, we will raise the bar of performance in all these areas and lift our state to such an enviable height that it will be the pride of the nation. “We will aggressively industrialize this state and continue to attract foreign investors, ensuring that the environment is made ferment for investments. “We hope to make Akwa Ibom the industrial hub of Nigeria. The Ibom Industrial City and the Ibom DeepSea Port will remain the signature projects in our second term industrialization plans,” he added. Gov. Udom said it was an acknowledged fact that small and medium scale enterprises are the drivers of the economies of the developed world and also pledged to invest massively in the power sector as a pivot for industrialization. Rivers: Governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike on

Gov Udom Emmanuel Wednesday in the presence of thousands of Rivers people and other prominent Nigerians, took the oath of office to commence his second term. Also on Wednesday, Deputy Governor Ipalibo Harry Banigo was sworn in for a second term by the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Adama IyayeLaminkara. The swearing-in ceremony which took place at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium in Port Harcourt was a huge celebration as the arrival of Gov. Wike was greeted with jubilation by the capacity crowd. In his inauguration address, Wike declared that he would always place Rivers state first in all his actions. He said: “For us, in all things it is Rivers state first; Rivers state is the measure; Rivers state before others. This is the essence of the political mandate and burden that we will bear for the next four years and we will not disappoint you. “We will continue to stand up for Rivers State and defend her interest, no matter the challenges or what comes at us.” The governor said that his administration was not in opposition to the federal government and called for partnership to move the state and Nigeria forward. He added however, “but, we are not a conquered people and we will never surrender our freedoms to anybody or entity, whether internal or external. We will therefore, not accept to be subjugated to a headmaster and pupil power relationship; neither will we abandon the collective interest of Rivers State for the sake of political expediency. “We are for the rule of law, democracy and mutual respect as autonomous State entities and co-building blocks of the Nigerian federation.” He thanked the people of Rivers state, especially the voters, for their trust and support that led to the mandate to serve the state for another four years. Outlining the direction of his administration for the next four years, Wike pledged to consolidate on his first term achievements and make Rivers state the greatest state in the country. Plateau: Plateau state Governor, Simon Lalong on Wednesday said his second term will be based on religious humanism, asserting that people have a right to seek truth and oppose authoritarian rule. Lalong stated this at his second-term inauguration ceremony in Jos, the Plateau state capital. “These ideas of liberty, human rights, democracy, and public scrutiny of opinion and governmental actions are essential to the smooth functioning of society,” stated the governor. Lalong, recently elected as chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum, however, did not give details of his policy programmes for the next four years. This according to him will be done on June 12, which was recently adopted by the country as its new Democracy Day.

News 7

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, May 30, 2019

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Emir Sanusi boycotts Ganduje’s swearing-in ceremony Ahmad Sorondinki, Kano Kano state Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje was yesterday sworn-into office at the famous Sani Abacha Stadium, just as the embattled Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, was conspicuously absent at the ceremony. This might not be unconnected with the recent feud between the emir and Gov. Ganduje, who created four additional emirates out of the old Kano Emirate and is charging the emir for alleged partisanship and embezzlement. However, the event was witnessed by the Emirs of Bichi, Gaya, Rano and Karaye. The oath of allegiance and the oath of office were administered to Gov. Ganduje and his deputy, Alhaji Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna by the Chief Judge of Kano state, Justice Nuraddeen Sagir Umar. Addressing thousands of APC supporters, Ganduje explained that his government was stoutly committed to sustaining major cardinal thrusts

that seek to lend credence to the issue of continuity in governance with due emphasis on consolidation and fine tuning the quest for building viable projects that can stand the test of time. According to him, his major areas of concern were education, health, job creation, security and water supply knowing that it was part of his campaign promises aimed at making Kano a role model worthy of emulation across the country. He added that monies accruing to the state from the federation account would be judiciously used in building infrastructure that can be used for eternity by the people of Kano state. “As I took my oath of office today, along with my deputy, I am determined to treat every sector of governance on a case by case basis for greater results, knowing that my government had been consistent in effecting remarkable giant strides in the last four years. “You can all bear me witness to the fact that we have not relented in our concerted efforts to make Kano great and we are ever ready to sustain the tempo. “On education, we have resolved

to forge ahead with the free concept of education which would be made compulsory for the younger ones to have a good taste of democratic governance and equally, extend a similar gesture to our students in tertiary institutions in the face of our resolve to subsidize education at higher level to an appreciable extent. “On healthcare delivery, you can also bear me witness that we have successfully completed and upgraded two multi-million naira hospitals located at Zoo Road and Ginginyu, in addition to equipping them with state of the art facilities for citizens of the state to benefit. “These giant strides could not have been possible without the firm commitment and doggedness of a responsive and responsible government,” he stressed. He however, stated that the State Public Complaints and Anti- Corruption Agency had in the last four years investigated high profile cases bordering on graft with some influential public officials brought to book, positing that the commission was still investigating some prominent personalities on allegations of financial impropriety and shady deals.

Short News Metuh’s testimony in N400m loot trial lasted a year, says prosecution Andrew Orolua, Abuja A prosecution counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Sylvanus Tahir has accused former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh of taking almost one year testifying as a defence witness in his ongoing trial over an alleged N400 million fraud. Tahir said that Metuh’s closure of his testimony was a relief to the prosecution team for bringing his testimony which started on June 3, 2018 to a close on May 28, 2019 and thanked Justice Okon Abang for the patience. Metuh had told the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, how he spent N400 millions traced to him as proceeds of money laundering by the EFCC. Justice Abang thereafter adjourned the matter to June 10 and 11 for crossexamination of the witness.

NUT seeks implementation of minimum wage at all levels The Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) has underscored the need for President Muhammadu Buhari to match words with action on the implementation of the N30, 000 new minimum wage by all tiers of government. NUT National Publicity Secretary, Titus Amba expressed this view in an interview on Wednesday in Abuja. He appealed to the President to ensure total implementation of the N30, 000 new minimum wage across all tiers of government, saying that it will improve the standard of living of Nigerians. According to him, some state governors are still complaining of their inability to pay the N30, 000 new minimum wage, adding that “it is the responsibility of the Federal Government to ensure that every state including local governments comply with the implementation of the new minimum wage. “Civil servants don’t have any other source of income except through salaries. “Hence, the N30, 000 new minimum wage should be implemented from federal level down to the local government level.” According to Amba, it is our hope that every Nigerian will see a better Nigeria in the next four years and appealed to the federal government to facilitate the implementation of the new N30, 000 minimum wage to all civil servants at federal, state and local governments.

Fayemi congratulates Buhari, Osinbajo, 29 govs on inauguration

L-R: Past president, The Nigerian Society of Engineers, Lagos Branch, Engr. Yetunde Holloway; 3rd runner-up, Eletu Odibo Senior High School; 2nd runner-up, International School, Unilag; winner, NSE, Lagos branch annual inter-School quiz competition, Igbobi College; and Vice chairman, NSE, Lagos branch, Engr. Ayotunde Ogunmoiki, during presentation of prizes to the winners of the competition in Lagos.

A’Court orders speedy hearing of Okorocha’s suit Andrew Orolua, Abuja The Court of Appeal, Abuja has ordered the Federal High Court, Abuja to hear the suit filed by former Imo state Governor, Rochas Okorocha at the lower court challenging the withholding of his certificate of return for Imo West Senatorial District by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The Court of Appeal also struck out two motions filed by Senator Osita Izunaso, one for leave to appeal an interlocutory decision of the trial court and the other for an order staying proceedings at the Federal High Court pending the determination of the appeal. It struck out both motions after the lawyer to Izunaso, Edidem Ani applied to withdraw them on realising that they were defective.

Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had on May 22 adjourned further proceedings in the case filed by Okorocha to await the Court of Appeal’s decision in the motion for stay of proceedings filed by Izunaso. With the decision of the Court of Appeal, the coast is now clear for Justice Abang to resume proceedings in the case filed by Okorocha. In the ruling by a three-man panel, led by Justice Stephen Adah, the court said that “since there is no opposition to the request for the withdrawal of the motion for stay filed on May 17, it is hereby struck out, having been withdrawn. “Under Rule 10 (c) of the Practice Direction of this court 2013, this court is mandated to order accelerated hearing of the case at the lower court. “But, since we have been informed that the lower court has been hearing the case

day- to- day, there is no need to order a fresh accelerated hearing. “The day-to-day hearing, as it is presently done by the lower court is commendable and it should continue. That is the order of this court.” Other members of court’s three-man panel that gave the ruling are Justices Emmanuel Agim and Mohammed Idris. Izunaso had in his appeal challenged the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, Abuja to hear Okorocha’s suit. He is also querying the competence of the decision by Justice Abang, granting the request by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to be made a defendant in the suit. Before adjourning proceedings on May 22, 2019, Justice Abang had threatened to send Izunaso to prison for committing contempt of court by including the judge as a party to be served with the processes he filed at the Court of Appeal.

Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti state has felicitated with President Mohammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on their inauguration for a second term. Fayemi, who is also the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) in a congratulatory message by his Chief Press Secretary, Yinka Oyebode said that he was convinced that Nigeria will witness a higher level of development and prosperity in the next four years. He also congratulated his colleague-governors, returning and newly elected, who are being inaugurated in 29 states of the federation.”Today’s inauguration of the President, vice president and the governors is a positive development and a demonstration of the collective wishes of the Nigerian people for the entrenchment of democracy in the country. This has been the tradition since 1999 “ As a people, we have every reason to be happy today as we witness 20 years of unbroken democratic governance in our country. We owe this to the commitment and determination of the Nigerian people, who have come to see democracy as the most viable option. “So, while I say a big congratulation to the President, the Vice President and the governors, the biggest congratulation go to the Nigerian people- the true heroes of our democracy. Now, the task of taking Nigeria to a higher level of development and prosperity has begun. “I wish Mr. President and our governors a successful and impactful tenure,” the statement added.

NAPTIP boss alerts on xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in Mali

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has alerted international community of imminent xenophobic attacks on Nigeria victims of human trafficking trapped in parts of Mali. NAPTIP Director-General, Ms. Julie Okah-Donli, said she raised the alarm on the floor of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament on May 24. Okah-Donli said in a statement by Head, Press and Public Relations Unit of the agency, Stella Nezan in Abuja, said she briefed members of the parliament on the report of the factfinding team that visited Mali to assess the situation and work out modalities of evacuating the victims. Okah-Donli said that the scourge of human trafficking was a clear and present danger that threatens human and national security of member states. “Thousands of Nigerian victims of human trafficking are being held in sex slavery and exploitation in that region, and the task is to ensure their freedom. Many of these victims are first incubated in sex and labour camps in various member states of ECOWAS. “The fact-finding mission and my own visit to Mali in December 2018 and March 2019 painted a gory picture of the situation of possibly hundreds of thousands of victims of sex trafficking within the sub-region. “Nigerian girls are trafficked mainly to the mining areas in the South and Central parts of Mali, but substantial number is trafficked to rebel-held areas in the North, where they become radicalised,” she said. The director-general said that Nigerian girls were treated as slaves and less than secondclass citizens by some of the Malians and their law enforcement agencies. “The Malian authorities collect ‘taxes’ from the victims on a weekly basis, and sell condoms and other medications compulsorily to them every month.

Opinion 8

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday May 30, 2019

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Where did the alleged NBC radio license “scandal” emanate from?

Abubakar Mahmoud

Early this week, a younger colleague alerted me to a story that was making the rounds on social media. A mushroom “civil society group” called COALITION AGAINST CORRUPTION AND BAD GOVERNANCE, CACOBAG, with address at Abeokuta Expressway, Abule Egba, in Lagos State, issued a screaming press release, alleging “license racketeering rocking the National Broadcasting Commission”. How the mushroom group located in a ghetto of Abule Egba in Lagos State was able to discern “racketeering” allegation, that is “rocking the National Broadcasting Commission”, must be one of the wonders of contemporary life; but it seemed so obvious, that those behind this latest story about the NBC, were merely ratcheting up a figment of their own imagination, but one that was part of an orchestrated campaign, against Malam Modibbo Kawu, the Director General of the NBC. And it didn’t take too long in the press release, to see through the effort by the flotsam and jetsam of the Lagos “civil society” rabble. They gleefully announced their discovery, which must be like Einstein’s discovery of the grand Theory of Relativity. CACOBAG (like truly irresponsible windbags),announced that: “Information at our disposal indicate that the embattled (embattled?), Who declared the war?) DIrector General of the NBC, Mallam Ishaq Modibbo Kawu recently (RECENTLY? The CACOBAG windbag ruffians couldn’t even get the exact dates?), allocated six slots of Radio license to his private company”. The group went further to allege the “disturbing discovery of how the DG NBC surreptitiously allocated six slots of radio license to his private company, Word, Sound and Vision (WSV) Ltd to himself (SIC) in the recent allocation of Radio and Television broadcast licenses to private operators in the country”. Not done, CACOBAG, headed by a certain Toyin Raheem, went further to state that “Mallam Modibbo Kawu who is currently being prosecuted along with others in court by the ICPC over a N2.5 billion fraud case gave himself through his private company six prime radio license slots in Abuja, Lagos, Kaduna, Kano and two in Ilorin Kwara State”. Having made the “earth-shattering” discovery, CACOBAG said it was “totally unacceptable”; it was “an abuse of office and a display of cheer (CHEER?) greed and racketeering”. So, “we (THE WINDBAGS) at CACOBAG are calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to take immediate action”. And just in case Nigerians forget what I have

stated in two previous articles, concerning Malam Modibbo Kawu, the windbags of “CACOBAG”, revealed again just what their sponsors have desperately longed for and which is tearing their hearts: “we wonder why Modibbo Kawu who is facing trial on charges of corruption and criminal conspiracy is still allowed as the DG of NBC”. CACOBAG and the Lagos-based political group that sponsors them, have been terribly sad, that the ICPC trial-by-media and subsequent arraignment in court, have not led to Malam Modibbo Kawu’s removal. They have not been able to put their man, Dele Alake in the position of DG NBC, true to their wish, and as part of the agenda to control as many strategic institutions as possible, by the Lagos-based greedy political machinery. Not surprisingly, this week, the CACOBAG press statement has been reported in THE NATION and THE PUNCH newspapers and some of the online outlets, that have been at the heart of the campaign of vilification against Malam Modibbo Kawu, the DG of the NBC. I wanted to know the truth of the allegations as well as the really true position in respect of the licensing of Radio and television stations by the NBC. So early this week, I made very painstaking investigations at the NBC HQ in Abuja, in respect of these allegations. I swear to Allah, that I made the investigation with an open mind, and with the sole purpose of knowing the truth of the matter. My informants at the NBC gave me an opportunity to ask questions, and they also quoted to me the relevant papers on the same subject. These professionals expressed surprise about the development, saying that my inquiry was the first time they were being made aware of an alleged “license racketeering” issue at the NBC. I was informed that even the DG, Modibbo Kawu, only got to know about the press release by CACOBAG, when he got a call from a reporter from THE SUN newspaper. The reporter had informed him (Malam Modibbo Kawu), that his editor wanted to know Kawu’s view concerning the subject. It was later that day, that someone forwarded to him by WHATSAPP, the press statement by CACOBAG. At the NBC, I was informed, that the last set of 147 radio licenses were approved and issued by President Muhammadu Buhari on September 24th, 2018. That was eight months ago. How come that CACOBAG is just “discovering” the subject of their press release? So the statement by CACOBAG alleging “licensing racketeering rocking the National Broadcasting Commission”, was therefore a figment of the imaginations of the “CACOBAG busybodies. It was clear, that

the story must have come from the desperate desire of those behind the ICPC case, to add fuel to fire, with the new allegation, and who must have been working with insiders in the NBC; those in the Commission, who have regularly, secretly, released documents of the Commission to external clients. I was further educated, that there are certain basic facts about licensing procedures that those behind the mischievous story were patently ignorant about. The DG of the NBC cannot and does not have the power to “allocate licenses” to himself or to anyone else. This is because all radio and television licenses are approved by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is the president’s prerogative to approve (or withhold) licenses, to properly registered Nigerian companies, not the NBC Director General. What the NBC does, is to compile the list of applicants; these are then submitted to the Presidency. From that point, the NBC or its Director General, has no power to influence which company is then issued the license by the President. That has always been the case. I was then shown the applications for licenses by the company Word, Sound & Vision Multimedia Limited. The applications dated to September 26, 2008, eleven years ago. Similarly, I discovered that the PDP Presidents of the period, late Umaru Yar’adua and Goodluck Jonathan refused to give Word, Sound & Vision Multimedia Limited licenses, despite the fact that it met all the NBC’s laid down criteria for licensing. I was later informed at the Word, Sound & Vision Multimedia Limited Office, just how intense was the effort they made to speak to the top people in the administrations concerned, and a former PDP Governor, who became highly influential during the Yar’adua administration spoke forthrightly: “Modibbo we in the PDP will never give you a license; not after all that you’ve written against us in your weekly columns”. A I was informed that that Malam Modibbo Kawu and his team at Word, Sound & Vision Multimedia Limited stopped bothering about trying to get the radio licenses, at least under the PDP administrations. Modibbo Kawu was appointed Director General of the NBC in May, 2016; and one of the first steps he took, was to be completely excluded from the directorship of the company, Word, Sound & Vision Multimedia Limited. At the company’s office, they told me that he has not even visited the offices of the company in the past three years. But the people running the company re-raised the issue of their application, and these were shortlisted and submitted, along with 162 other applications for commercial

radio licenses, not to mention the television, campus and community stations. In the exercise of his powers, President Muhammadu Buhari approved 147 licenses, including those for Word, Sound & Vision Multimedia Limited. There was no way that the NBC DG could have influenced the list that the president approved. The people at the NBC here in Kaduna, told me further to my inquiry, that getting the approval was one thing, and that is often only the first step. They become effective and can be called licenses in real terms, only when the license fees have been paid and the licensee is issued frequencies to operate as radio stations. I got to know that in the 2015 round of licensing done by President Goodluck Jonathan, there was a company that was issued 14 licenses; another one got six; there was another one that got 4 and yet another, owned by Mr Godfrey Ohuabunwa, that was given seven licenses. It turned out that most of these licenses were not paid for, and so are not on air today. What I discovered further, was that licenses issued by the President are actually provisional and they translate to nothing, until they have been paid for, and the NBC’s Engineering Directorate issues the frequencies for transmission. They work with other blindly ambitious individuals inside the NBC; these are the ones who release NBC documents, for the ridiculous purposes, such as has been done by the windbags of CACOBAG . But in this, their inordinate agenda, they will also fail. The Lagos political group does not own Nigeria. It cannot use blackmail and dirty politics to hound decent, hardworking Nigerians from genuine service to our country. They cannot be allowed to malign the characters of patriots genuinely serving Nigeria. Neither the windbags of CACOBAG nor their sponsors in the Lagos political machinery, will be allowed to destroy the character of Malam Modibbo Kawu, just because they want Dele Alake to be forcibly implanted as DG of the NBC. There was nothing like a “license racketeering” at the NBC, as alleged by the hired guns of CACOBAG. It is a futile attempt at creating a cheap scandal that has no basis, but which is the manner the Lagos political machinery has always operated. Nigerians have now seen through their evil plans against an innocent patriot, Malam Modibbo Kawu. Their plot will not succeed. The Holy Qur’an in Suratul Al-Anfal (8:30) said: “...they plot and plan, and Allah too plans, and Allah is the Best of planners”.

We are our memories

Kenneth Amaeshi

What will life be like if all memories were lost? That’s the true meaning of what it means to be born again literally. This might be a carnal interpretation of what is meant to be deeper than the flesh can afford. However, in this case, one’s memory becomes a tabula rasa (i.e. a blank slate), as if it was reset to function at birth, when we did not have anything to remember. The first encounter with life outside of the womb and in the world becomes one that we will never know or remember, no matter how much we try or desire it. At the time of birth, we pass through life as unconscious beings until a point in time when our minds start to appreciate and register our encounters with the world in our memories. There is no fixed time to this. We meet it when we meet it, and then know it for the first time, as a recording device. Unsurprisingly, our memories are both selective and feeble. Some experiences are captured – sometimes involuntarily – whilst others elude us, irrespective of how much we cherish them. The involuntary functioning of our memories makes one wonder if we are truly in charge of our minds, consciousness, and existence. In order to appear as masters of our destinies, we sometimes resort to artificial and make-shift arrangements to capture our experiences and refresh our memories. That’s exactly what diaries and photo albums do. They capture snippets of life and living. In recent times, social media have gone rogue and become rampant. The likes of Facebook,

LinkedIn and Instagram, have arisen to help us track our timelines, albeit with some palpable and real risks. The risks lie in the vulnerability we encounter in the process of being both transparent and real. In such risks, the line between private and public lives are blurred, making one vulnerable to the uncontrollable barrage of possible annihilation in the Sartrean sense of nothingness. And in so doing, the soul is constantly challenged and in some instances truly traumatised by unintended and unanticipated consequences. That’s what it means to live in the social media world. But social media currently remain virtual, while life is lived in actuality. Virtual reality is non-life, in the sense that it is not real. Nonetheless, it is a good repository of our historical being. It is historic because whatever is captured in virtual reality no longer exists. It becomes the past. The past exists only as the past. It can neither be touched nor felt. It can only be remembered as a figment of the mind. We live in the now and the future will never come, because tomorrow never comes. The now or the present becomes the tenuous point in which the future flows into the past. We only access the past through our memories. However, our memories are challenged. They cannot truly record every second of our existence. Can you remember everything you have done today, for instance? I doubt it. Nonetheless, the mind has found a way to normalise things and only focus on the exceptions. This is part of our adaptation and survival strategy.

We often aim to routinise familiar experiences to make them fairly stable and predictable, whilst grappling with the exceptionalism of the unfamiliar. The exceptions are intrigued by their novelty; but how long they last is a function of many things beyond the scope of this reflection. Vivid memories encapsulate our being. They create and recreate the past; and in such recreations the past becomes the present and in the recreation of the past, the present is simultaneously extended and diminished. It is extended in the sense that it re-manifests (i.e. called back from the past); but it is diminished in the sense that it can never be true to actuality. It is just a memory of the past; a decaying idea. However, the memory in its decaying process can become the present, albeit an inferior version, but in the becoming, it is swiftly relegated to the past, given the slipperiness of the present. As such, memory appears and disappears in equal measure, and the decaying process continues ad infinitum. A good analogy here is to sandwich ourselves between two mirrors. The images are endless but become inferior as they extend into infinite regress. Notwithstanding, our value of life is linked to how much we remember – i.e. our memories. Whenever we become memory-less, we also cease to exist in the real sense. I remember when my dad once lost his memory. He was alive but lacked the capacity to recollect. We spoke, but he could not remember any of that the next time we spoke. It was a very painful experience. It is as painful

as much as the memory currently allows me to remember it. So many thoughts crossed my mind. It was at that point that I recognised and firmly believed we are our memories. Memories require some form of consciousness. Consciousness is, unfortunately, not a given. Most time we sleep, we lose consciousness and wallow in the realm of unconsciousness. Do we truly exist in such periods? Is death a form of unconsciousness? If it is, why the hue about it? Despite the clamour for life, we cease to exist to ourselves at the point we lose our memory. Then, we become a vegetable with considerable level of unconsciousness. No one wants to be here. That’s why some people clamour for euthanasia or assisted dying. But will this lack of memory, whenever it occurs, persist into death or will our memories be restored at death? For those who believe in life after death, especially the Christians, their memories will judge them in the end. Then their lives will, probably, be played back to them as a film. Perhaps, then, they would truly come to terms that we are our memories! But what if our memories do not exist or are not refreshed at and after death? Despite the oddities and challenges of our memories, remembering, and forgetting, life can only be lived once in this world. It is the best world we can ever get, irrespective of our wishes and desires; so, let’s make the best of the moment and the past, as much as our memories permit. In the end, we are truly our memories!

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, May 30, 2019

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Editorial Commentary

Lessons From Suleja’s Royal Gladiators (II)

Times Guest Columnist Mohammed Adamu

By now rumors of the rejection of the nominations by the traditional Kingmakers’ Council –as with all previous rumors of State attempts to avoid Bashir Barau and to make Awwal Ibrahim king- had taken the innocence out of the once peaceful Suleja. The major gateway city to the Federal Capital was becoming a theatre of spontaneous protests and demonstrations. Especially by the youths. And it was starting to get violent. The people were determined they wanted none but the retired civil servant, Barau. The State, it appeared, was even more determined it would have absolutely none but the former Governor, Awwal. And so what the Kingmakers had done by presenting all-three children of the same late emir Sulaiman Barau, in deference to the Emirate’s succession rules by direct lineage, was to present the State with a fait accompli: head or tail to have to either pick a Barau or no one else. And because the State’s attempt had failed also, to use the paw of the Traditional Rulers’ Council to pull its now-burning chestnuts out of the fire of a royal gambit it had created, the Governor was now at a crossroad. Many observers had thought that having virtually used up all his four aces, now he had either to respect the will of the people expressed through the resolution of their Kingmakers, or to device yet, another scheme to subvert it. But quite the contrary Dr. Musa Inuwa had in fact one last ‘ace’ up his executive sleeve; namely to pull the plug on the kingmakers and to supplant their obstructive customary rules with new legislation. And since it appeared that Dr. Inuwa believed State Governors to be some kind of John Austin’s theoretical sovereigns who ‘command’ but themselves are not subject to the ‘command’ of others, now was the time –he may have thought- to breathe the force of law into his executive commands. He would make, amend or abrogate any customary rules standing in the way of executive objective. Suggesting that if the State could not circumvent moribund rules to ‘kill one bird with one stone’, -namely to make one of its ‘chosen’ a king, then the State would tinker with the ‘rule-making process’ to ‘kill two birds with one stone’, -namely to make one of its ‘chosen’ a king and to also punish those who had stood in the way of the state’s ‘right’ to make one of its ‘chosen’ a king. Governor Inuwa was now moving the royal battle from the streets of Suleja to the parliament house in Minna. With state Assembly lawmakers usually in the pockets of their governors, what better place to go get by ‘hook’ what he was unable to grab by ‘crook’? And so, three days after the Etsu Nupe-led Council of Traditional Rulers had spurned the Governor’s ‘indecent proposal’ (for it to assume the role of Kingmakers for Suleja), Dr. Inuwa now resolved to pull the gloves off and to go for broke. He first issued an Executive Order titled ‘Appointment and Deposition of Chiefs (Appointment of Emir of Suleja) Order NSLN No. 2 of 1993’, which created an ‘Electoral College’ empowered to nominate a new Emir in the event of the death, resignation or deposition of the Emir of Suleja. The ‘College’ now consisted of three new kingmakers in addition to the earlier four which had just ignored Awwal and nominated the three Baraus. The Governor had previously trimmed the original seven-man kingmakers’ Council to four by knocking off three princes on the grounds that being eligible ‘royals’ technically they were now interested parties. But now that, rather than feel gratified to do the State’s bidding, the four-man Council had disappointed by not including Awwal in its nominations, Dr. Inuwa, by this new Order, was returning the membership of the Council to seven with the reintroduction of three, allegedly state-sympathetic, new members, namely the ‘Sarkin Yaki’, ‘Tafida’ and ‘Santali’. By the way, these new three many sources within the emirate said were titles with no king-making history and that in fact the ‘Santali’ was merely the king’s ‘kettle and kolanut-bearer’. They said that it was infra-dignitatem the throne of Zazzau Suleja or any other throne for that matter, that such a one should be elevated to a king-maker.

But the royal infra-dig did not just end there, the new Order in fact, had also provided that only the three new ‘state-sympathetic’ members, plus one of the previous four, namely the ‘Galadima’, would now have voting rights. Meaning technically, that the three ancient others, namely the ‘Chief Imam’, the ‘Salanke’ and the ‘Magajin Malam’, who had enjoyed voting right all through history, by this new Order, had now lost that right. They were now to be mere observer-kingmakers. Plus the new Order also provided that any three members of the Council with voting right would now constitute a quorum and could convene the Council -whenever the need arose- to make a new king. And so, on the 29th of September, 1993 the three new ‘voting members’ were assembled in Minna, rather than Suleja (allegedly for security reasons), to convene a meeting of the new ‘Electoral College’, right in the Government house, under the shadows of the Governor, where they now freshly nominated four candidates, with Awwal Ibrahim top on the list and Bashir Barau, a distant third. The deed at last was done. And the Governor, predictably, proceeded immediately to approve and announce Awwal Ibrahim as the new Emir of Zazzau Suleja to succeed his uncle the late Ibrahim Dodo Musa. By the way, almost contemporaneously with the making of that controversial Executive Order, the Governor had also presented to the State Assembly, for accelerated passage, a bill titled ‘Chiefs Appointment and Deposition (Amendment) Law’ –so that both the ‘Executive Order’ and now the amendment ‘Legislation’ had almost simultaneously come into effect (one anticipatorily and the other retroactively) to: 1, alter the rule of succession by lineage so that in addition to eligibility accruing only to direct sons of a penultimate king from a candidate-ruling house, now even grandsons of kings (like Awwal) were eligible; 2, confer on the Governor power to appoint new kingmakers and to “prescribe the method of appointment” of chiefs or head of chiefs, in addition to, 3, retroactively validating all previous actions of the Governor with regard to the appointment of Awwal as Emir, as having “been lawfully done”. The law being an ‘ass’, what the Governor had succeeded in proving was that if the State could not use the ‘ass’ as a furrow to pull the plough, it would use it as a beast to bear its burden. But this was at a cost, both for the new King and for the State: because for the next nine months of Awwal’s controversial reign, the new Emir could hardly perform his royal duties as his royal motorcade was regularly pelted by youths who had sworn to make the realm un-rule-able. In fact, virtually every Friday he had to be specially protected to and from the Mosque by an unusually large number of mobile policemen armed to the teeth. By the way, a writ of summons and an ex-parte motion at the instance of the aggrieved traditional kingmakers had since been filed at an Abuja High Court, with the motion unfortunately dismissed having come too late in its bid to “restrain the Niger State Government from “nominating, approving and or appointing any person for the vacant stool of the emir of Suleja”. But on the substantive case, the trial Judge Justice Oyewo J., had entered judgment in favor of the kingmakers by: 1, declaring as illegal the reconstitution of the Kingmakers’ Council that elected Awwal; 2, declaring the three additional kingmakers incompetent to perform the function of king-making; and 3, declaring as illegal, null and void the purported Order which created the Electoral College, including the purported nomination and subsequent approval of Awwal as Emir of Suleja. Plus the judgment also declared the peoples’ candidate, Bashir Sulaiman Barau as the validly nominated successor to the throne and directed that he be appointed immediately. But...! to be concluded

OUR POSITION Beyond passage of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund Bill Recently, the Senate passed the Nigeria Police Trust Fund Bill which the House of Representatives had passed almost a year ago. The bill if transmitted to President Muhammadu Buhari and receives his assent before the 8th National Assembly winds up in the first week of June this year, will definitely upgrade the funding of Nigeria Police. As it is now, only the Federal Government is legally responsible for the funding of the Nigeria Police, even though we all know that States Government, some corporate entities and individuals are bearings some of its day to day running expenses if not the larger part of it. The Nigeria Police Trust Fund Bill is meant to address the inadequacy in funding of police particularly the training of its personnel and acquisition of modern equipment that would enable optimal and effective policing of the country. One of the major objectives of the bill is to improve funding for the Nigeria Police Force. This point was further stressed by President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, who presided over the Senate that belatedly passed the bill. He was very clear in his remark that by the passage of the bill the National Assembly had fulfilled its promise to pass it before expiration of the 8th Assembly. “By passing this bill, we will be creating big strides towards providing and improving security and policing in our country.

We agree with him that “one of the major concerns about our police has always been the issue of funding”. We believe that this bill

will provide leeway for the funding needed for training, recruitment and equipment. It will also act as a relief to the Federal Government who had borne the burden all these years. Technically, the bill is aimed at providing a legal framework for the management and control of the special intervention funds established under the Act for the training of personnel of the NPF. The trust fund should also be utilised to enhance the skills of the personnel of the Police in order to ensure their effectiveness in the overall performance. Needles to state that constant improvement in the performance of their duties is what the country is craving for. We also expect that the trust fund would be used to ensure that the NPF has the necessary operational equipment, instructional materials, build and maintain police stations and living quarters. We therefore appeal to the President to consider assenting the Nigeria Police Trust Fund Bill as soon as it is transmitted to him to avoid it been elapsed in June this year. Though, we are not expecting that the bill may contain contentious provisions, we plead that in case there is any, it should be resolved hastily. The management of the police force should be thinking how to make best use of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund Bill and safeguard it to ensure that it is not bedeviled by graft and all forms of vices.

Folio Communications Plc Publisher

Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief

Aliu M. Akoshile

Fidelis Anosike

Chairman

Barr. Noel Anosike

Managing Editor

Head, Finance & Admin

Ag. Editor

Head, Advertisement

Ag. News Editor

Ag. Head, Production

Bonaventure Melah Sam Nzeh Henry Omunu

Abbas Abiri

Gbenga Adeosun Godwin Idagu

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.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, May 30, 2019

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Abdulrazaq promises paradigm shift in Kwara Kehinde Akinpelu, Ilorin The All Progressives Congress (APC) AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq was sworn in as the seventh Governor of Kwara state on Wednesday, pledging a complete paradigm shift in governance and the evolvement of a state that works for all. “What we have lacked before now are dependable and sustainable development plans, credible policies and policy discipline, accountability and transparency, a good sense of social justice and ability to expand social and political spaces that will promote tolerance, equality and innovation,” AbdulRazak said in his inaugural address. He stated that these are areas where his government will make a difference. The governor also said his administration would look into how public resources have been deployed in the past, but to the extent that such inquiry would turn the page for the state in its quest for socio-economic development. “We are confident that we shall together make Kwara great again through prudent deployment of resources, involving the people in policy-making, interrogating past decisions only to the extent that they enable us to move forward,” the governor added. AbdulRazaq said he welcomes constructive

criticism, calling on the people to own the government and look forward to a new dawn that ushers in economic growth and equal opportunities for everyone. He added: “In all our policies, programmes and actions, the people of Kwara shall always come first. Today, I invite you all to join hands with us in Government to repair and rebuild Kwara. “I invite constructive criticisms and urge you all to utilise our open door policy to communicate ideas and suggestions to us. What we stand for is to empower our people. Make society and life better. Strengthen family values. Improve efficiency and service delivery in our public services. “Revamp our education to produce the best minds that will in turn make Kwara second to none. Promote industry, agriculture, technology and social services and open up new vistas of opportunities that will promote the common good.” The governor attributed the APC’s victory at the polls to the collective efforts of the people, saying the new government would therefore make the masses the focus of its policies. “I believe we all know that the ‘otoge’ movement and victory does not belong to any single person. It belongs to the people of Kwara. The spirit of that movement shall always remain with us as we work to achieve our dreams.

“If otoge got us through the struggle to the point of victory and given the enormous task of reformation and reconstruction ahead, it is now time for ‘iseya’. As you will all agree, there is so much to be done. “These range from institutional reforms and reconstruction, infrastructural development, human capacity building, social welfare and policy reforms to other socio-economic, cultural, scientific and administrative repositioning. It is not in our tradition to shy away from challenges. We shall engage them and find solutions,” he added. AbdulRazaq was sworn in at about 10:05 a.m. by the Kwara state Chief Judge, Suleiman Kawu Durosinmi, shortly after his deputy Kayode Alabi had taken the oath of office. The two were accompanied to the historic event by their wives, Mrs. Olufolake AbdulRazaq and Mrs. Abieyuwa Tokunbo Alabi respectively. The governor later received the handover notes from former Governor Abdulfatai Ahmed, who was represented by the Head of Service, Mrs. Susan Dupe Oluwole. Ahmed congratulated AbdulRazaq, urging him to trust in God to direct him in piloting the affairs of the state. He said his administration left N5 billion in the state coffers while the state has also recently benefited from a $750 million World Bank grant.

10 News

Short News Use democracy to entrench peace, dev, Saraki urges Nigerians Tunde Opalana, Abuja President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki has congratulated Nigerians on the country’s attainment of 20 years of uninterrupted democracy and urged the people to use democracy to institutionalize peace and genuine development. Saraki in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, described the commemoration of 20 years of democracy as a thing of joy in view of the many positive developments the country has witnessed since May 29, 1999. He advised Nigerians to fully take ownership of democracy and its institutions and use them to “entrench peace, welfare and improved standard of living for all our people.” The Senate president said democracy is about the people and the people should use democracy to achieve social justice, equity, inclusiveness and economic self-reliance. While urging the followers to hold their leaders accountable and ensure they always act in the best interests of the people and country, he also urged the people to be good followers and be law -abiding at all times.

Probe $2m defence equipment procurement, group tells FG Doosuur Iwambe, Abuja A group of concerned Nigerians have demanded for a holistic probe of the activities of the Presidential Committee on Audit of Defence Equipment Procurement from 2007- 2015. The group also want all those found culpable brought to book. Speaking while addressing a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, Convener of the group, Princess Ajibola expressed displeasure over the way and manner the House of Representatives has handled the probe of the activities of the presidential committee. “The Civil Rights Movement of Nigeria is desirous of the content of the probe by the House of Representatives to be made public in the overall interest of justice and fairness to all concerned. “It is common knowledge that the Presidential Committee on Audit of Defence Equipment Procurement from 2007 - 2015 made a mess of the mandate given to them by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Buhari departs for Mecca for IOC meeting Mathew Dadiya, Abuja

L-R: Public Affairs Manager (Lagos/West), Nigerian Bottling Company Limited (NBC), Ifeoma Okoye; Director, Employment Generation, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Abdulhakeem Ashimi; Public Affairs and Communication Director, Nigerian Bottling Company Limited, Ekuma Eze; External Communications Manager, Nigerian Bottling Company Limited, Olatomiwa Akande and Programme Facilitator, Sam Obafemi during the Nigerian Bottling Company Limited Youth Empowered Workshop held in Abeokuta.

Ugwuanyi promises to make security top priority Moses Oyediran, Enugu

Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu state has assured citizens of the state that security of lives and property will take topmost priority in the next four years of his administration. Ugwuanyi stated this while been sworn in alongside his deputy, Cecelia Ezeilo for a second term in office at Okpara Square on Wednesday. The governor described Enugu as one of the most peaceful states in the country, saying that “we will not rest in the next four years as we are committed to sustain the security of lives and properties in our state.” The inauguration ceremony which was attended by several dignitaries, including the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, a one- time Governor of Enugu state, Okwesilieze Nwodo, Senator- elect and former Governor

of Enugu state, Chimaroke Nnamani, former Minister of Aviation, Frank Nweke, National Assembly and state House of Assembly members elect among others. Ugwuanyi further said that “security and welfare of the people shall be the purpose of government and we shall continue to build solid foundation for peaceful coexistence in the state. “We shall continue to invest in sustaining security in the state by making the state a business friendly state as we are open for more business in the next 4 years for the development of our state.” He thanked the people of Enugu state for the mandate given to him to serve for the second term assuring to continue to deliver good governance and development to every nooks and crannies of the state. “We will create more wealth through employment opportunity to our youth as well

as more developmental projects especially in the rural areas to improve the living standard of our people. “We shall continue to deliver prudent and people oriented leadership as we shall continue to implement creative ideas and mobilise resources that will address our developmental needs. We will also improve reform to reduce the cost of governance in order to deliver dividend of democracy to the people,” he said Ugwuanyi, who described his victory during the last general elections to the faithfulness of God, said “our coming back to office is a product of God’s faithfulness and love, and we shall forever remain grateful to God and the people of Enugu.” He used the occasion to congratulate President Mohammadu Buhari and Vice President, Yemi Osinbanjo as well as all the other governors who were also sworn into office yesterday.

President Muhammadu Buhari departed Abuja on Thursday to attend the summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The 14th session of the conference of the OIC scheduled to hold on May 31, will be hosted by King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and attended by heads of state and governments of member states. According to the OIC secretariat, the summit to be convened under the theme: “Makkah al-Mukarramah summit: Hand in hand toward the future” seeks to develop a unified stance on events in the Islamic world. President Buhari is expected to address the forum and underscore the need for member countries to unite and work together to combat common challenges such as terrorism and violent extremism. The President will also push forward themes that have been at the forefront of his domestic and international priorities, including reviving the Lake Chad Basin, investing in Nigeria to create jobs and financing for development. On the margins of the summit, the Nigerian leader will hold bilateral meetings with world leaders to promote increased cooperation and collaboration on issues of mutual concern. President Buhari, who is expected to return to the country on June 2, will be accompanied by Governors Mohammed Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa state, Gboyega Oyetola of Osun state and Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger state.

Police reunite stolen child with parents after 7 years

The police in Anambra state said it has recovered and reunited a child identified as Mmerichukwu, who was stolen at the age of seven in 2012 with its parents. In a statement on Wednesday, the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Haruna Mohammed, said that the child was stolen from the biological mother, Mrs. Jennifer Azubuike. “On May 29, at about 06:30a.m following intelligence report, police detectives attached to the Command Special Anti -Robbery Squad (SARS) arrested one Ifeyinwa Ezename, 50 and Caroline Mbonu, 75. “The suspects had in 2012 conspired with one David Nwachukwu, now in prison custody and stolen one Mmerichukwu Okoli, male, seven years old from the biological mother, Azubuike Jennifer. Consequently, the stolen child was recovered and reunited with his parents,” Mohammed stated. He added that another eight year -old -child simply identified as Ifeoma was equally rescued from the suspects, who could not give satisfactory accounts about the child. In another development, Mohammed said the command has arrested a one chance armed robbery suspect inside a commercial tricycle and recovered a fabricated revolver pistol and one life ammunition. “On May 28 at about 10:22p.m, police operatives attached to Operation Puff Adder in conjunction with patrol team attached to Awada Division arrested one Stanley Ekegbobe, 31.

News 11

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, May 30, 2019

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Okowa vows to end illegal land levy collection in Delta Nosa Akenzua, Asaba Delta state Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa on Wednesday declared that he will make life unbearable for illegal land levy collectors in his last four years in office. Okowa, speaking at the inauguration of his second term in office, said that his first four years witnessed at the beginning teething problems, but that he was determined to fulfil promises he made to Deltans during his electioneering campaigns, adding that through prudent management there were remarkable achievements.

“I have signed into laws abolishing illegal levies perpetrators on lands across the state, but it seems the perpetrators are still back in their illegal activities, let me assure the good people of Delta state that in my last four years, I will make life unbearable for the perpetrators,” the governor declared. Disclosing that his administration would establish 19 more technical colleges to the existing six, the governor assured that in the next four years he would focus exclusively on vocational education and

entrepreneurship for Deltans. “We must teach our children the right attitude to become self –productive; we constructed/ rehabilitated 5, 000 classrooms in our first four years and as l enter the second term, our major focus will be training and re-training of the youth for increased productivity,” Okowa added He called on Deltans to join hands with his administration to ensure a huge success in the next four years, warning that he would do everything possible to make criminality a thing of the past in the state.

Short News Kwara NUJ congratulates Gov. Abdulrazaq Kehinde Akinpelu, Ilorin The Kwara state Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), has congratulated Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq on his inauguration as the governor of the state. The union observes that Gov. Abdulrazaq’s victory at the 2019 governorship election was the wish of the people and therefore, urged him to work hard to justify the confidence reposed in him. “We believe the victory will spur you to double your efforts in rendering selfless services to the people of Kwara state. We implore the governor to run an all-inclusive government by taking all shades of interests in the state into cognizance to enable his administration provide the desired dividends of democracy to people of the state. “As a union and an umbrella body of all practising journalists in Kwara state, we urge the governor to critically see to the problems confronting the three government owned media establishments in the state (The Herald Newspaper, Radio Kwara and Kwara state Television). “We also urge the new governor and other public office holders to appoint qualified journalists as their media officers, to avail them of professional services in information management, media relations and public engagements.

Okowa mediates in Umusadge-Ogbe community leadership crises Nosa Akenzua, Asaba Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta state on Wednesday ordered the withdrawal of all pending legal cases in the leadership tussle in UmusadegeOgbe community in Ndokwa West Local Government Area. The community has over the years been locked in a leadership tussle that has allegedly claimed many lives. But, after meeting with the aggrieved persons, the governor ordered all cases pending in the court to be withdrawn and constituted a reconciliation committee to end the crisis, adding that no meaningful development can take place in an atmosphere of malice and rancour. It was also resolved that the current constitution of the community should be amended in line with the present day realities and that the constitution drafting committee to be set up should comprise of representatives of all the constituent families in the community. The meeting agreed that Chief Sunday Enu should be co-opted into the executive of the community development committee to serve as secretary, while the parallel chairman of the community development committee should step down for the duly recognized Chairman, Chief Felix Onwubolu.

Ganduje re-appoints SSG, accountant -general Ahmad Sorondinki, Kano

Members of the Creative industry in a group picture with the acting EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Magu.

Firms funding road projects to enjoy tax incentives - FG Joseph Inokotong, Abuja The federal government has declared that it will grant tax incentives to private companies willing to fund the construction of major road projects in the six geopolitical zones of the country. Minister of Finance, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed said this at the public presentation of the approved 2019 budget in Abuja. Ahmed, who spoke on some of the government’s Public Private Partnership initiatives, said any company that funds road construction will get tax credit or reduction equal to the amount

invested in the project. “The current government has undertaken several initiatives to partner with the public. One of them is the road infrastructure tax credit scheme, where if any private sector builds any road with their own resources, they can recover the investment made through tax credits. “Also, the federal government is automating the process of acquiring waivers or import duties. Right now, the process is extremely cumbersome and has proven to be a drain on our resources. We have just advanced process for the project and we believe that once it’s

automated, the process will be more transparent and efficient,” she said. Ahmed also said that the federal government has introduced the strategic revenue growth initiative for sustainable revenue generation in all sectors of the economy. She said the initiative also seeks to improve monitoring collections by all revenue generation agencies. Meanwhile, the 2019 budget breakdown shows that the ministry of interior has the highest recurrent allocation of N564.22 billion, which covers salaries, overheads and other running costs.

Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano state has re-appointed the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Usman Alhaji and the state Accountant General, Shehu Mu’azu to work with him in his second term in office. In a press release signed by the Director Press to the governor, Abba Anwar, Ganduje commended them for working with him in his first tenure in office. Anwar said the announcement was made immediately after his official inauguration for the second term in office. He urged them to work hard and make the new administration to be more fruitful. This came a day after all political appointments were terminated by the administration, a day before Wednesday’s inauguration. It could be recalled that all political appointments were terminated with the exception of tenure-based appointments, which the state government said would be determined by the laws governing the operations of affected agencies and departments.

IPMAN urges Buhari to encourage local refiners

The Independent Petroleum Marketers’ Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has urged the Federal Government to encourage local refiners, to boost local refining of crude oil in the country. National President of IPMAN, Chinedu Okoronkwo, made the appeal in a telephone interview in Lagos on Wednesday. Okoronkwo said the appeal became imperative for President Buhari to encourage the local refining of petroleum products as he embarks on the second phase of his administration. He said that only domestic refining would end ongoing challenges in the nation’s oil and gas sector. According to him, the president should focus on how to upgrade the refineries and also encourage local refineries that are already licensed. “This will go a long way in saving our country the needed foreign income which will be used in the development of other aspects of our economy like agriculture, mining and the manufacturing sector. “The key focus of government should be to stimulate local refining of petroleum and petrochemical products. “Domestic gas production for energy, industry, agricultural and automotive purposes should be given serious attention in President Buhari’s second term administration,’’ Okoronkwo said. The IPMAN president urged government to reduce the rate of importation of products and also encourage local refiners to boost local production. He said that a reduction in the volume of importation of products would not only stabilise the economy, but also create millions of jobs for the unemployed youth in the country.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, May 30, 2019

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Bishop advises Nigerians to be Short News Edo youths march in support of their neighbours’ keeper Obaseki’s re-election Kehinde Akinpelu, Ilorin

Bishop of Catholic church, Ilorin diocese, Most Reverend Ayo-Maria Atoyebi, has urged believers to be sensitive to people around them to help reduce increasing cases of suicide in the society. Speaking when he led members of the social communication team of the diocese to the Correspondents’ Chapel of Kwara state council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Ilorin on a courtesy visit, the cleric said that isolation is the major cause of increasing cases of suicide in the society. Represented at the occasion by director social communication of the diocese, Reverend Father Christopher Atoyebi, the Bishop said that social media network had done more harm than good among people. “I don’t want to believe that poverty is really the cause of high rate of suicide among people nowadays, because many of the victims were from well to do homes. I think it is isolation sometimes and it is also part of what the church will address in the coming World Communication Day.

“Now, people just focus on their phones. We don’t discuss with other people.Even this happens between husband and wife. You will see the wife on her own and the husband on his own, also the children. Nobody knows what’s happening. We are just on our own doing things individually. “We encourage isolation when people keep to themselves. So, it can be the cause for things like that. We are members of one another. We should move from social network community to human community. What we really need to do is to be sensitive to people around us,” he said. Also talking on the level of insecurity in the country, Most Reverend Atoyebi advised President Muhammadu Buhari to go outside his aides to know the real security situation in the country, saying that all is not well. “On the insecurity, if I have the privilege to be with the President one on one, what I will make him to know is that all is not well. Actually, all is not well. When you look at the rate of killings, kidnappings and the rest of them; what I will advise the President is that he just needs to go outside of the people around him

“I think one of the things I will have to tell the President is that he should not just listen to people around him alone because the human beings that we are, we are just concerned where our bread is buttered, sometimes the interest is not there. The President cannot see everything. “The truth is not being said to those in authority and it can happen anywhere actually. People want favour from those in authority. They will say you are doing okay; you are our man, whereas, things are not okay. “Once the President and others accept that things are not okay, then we now begin to work together. That is the way I will look at it. Since I’m not a security personnel I cannot go deep on issues of insecurity,” he said. Talking on the theme of the coming World Communication Day, the cleric said that social media network has taken away human relationships. “The church appreciates all these ICT and social media network on our android, the phone everything. Today, the church has discovered that people misuse it. Also, it is discovered that it is taking away human relationships. So, we’ll look at how we can do this thing properly to promote human relationships,” he added.

Titus Akhigbe, Benin

In what seems to be a response to series of threats against the Governor of Edo state, Godwin Obaseki’s second time bid in office, a group known as Concerned Edo Youths on Wednesday protested in support of the governor’s second term bid in Benin City. The protesters drawn from the 18 local government areas of the state walked through major streets in Benin City carrying different banners and placards. Speaking to journalists, coordinator of the group, Kelly Okungbowa, said their protest in solidarity of the governor was prompted by a ganged up against the governor’s second term bid by some persons he tagged as enemies of the Edo people. He said “as you all are aware, few weeks ago, some enemies of the Edos ganged up together in their numbers and said some threatening words against the governor and sang war songs. Some of us might hear them on social media and in the print media. “Godwin Obaseki is 4+4. 2020 is non-negotiable. We want to let them know that the things that are happening in Zamfara, Lagos, Ogun, Imo and other states will not happen in Edo state,” he added.

NAHCON approves N1.5m fare for Kwara pilgrims Kehinde Akinpelu, Ilorin The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has approved N1, 528, 559.10 as 2019 hajj fare for intending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia from Kwara state. Alhaji Mohammed Tunde-Jimoh, the Executive Secretary, Kwara Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, disclosed this in a statement in Ilorin. Tunde-Jimoh explained that the fare for individual prospective pilgrims was determined by both NAHCON and officials of the 36 states’ Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Boards. Tunde-Jimoh said the 2019 hajj fare for Kwara pilgrims would take care of their air fares, accommodation, transportation and other logistics in Mecca and Medina The executive secretary said all the prospective pilgrims travelling with the board would receive flat rate of 800 dollars each as basic travelling allowance (BTA). He directed the state’s prospective pilgrims who had made deposit of N1.3 million to the board to complete their payment immediately.

Taraba transition committee tasks Ishaku on security Okerafor Athanatius, Jalingo

Malam Muhammad Musa Bello presenting the hand-over notes to the permanent secretary, Sir Chinyeaka Ohaa.

Onitsha market defies court order, holds election Anambra state Commissioner for Commerce, Market Development and Wealth Creation, Dr. Christian Madubuko and officials of the Amalgamated Market Traders of Anambra state (AMATAS) have conducted the controversial Onitsha Bridgehead Market election in disobedience of the subsisting order of a state High Court. The election was almost a walk over as virtually all the contestants were returned unopposed with only the position of President-General being contested by Sunday Obinze and Ikechukwu Orizu. Obinze won the election with 317 votes as against Orizu’s 21 votes. But, Orizu is crying foul, saying that he was not present at Achebe Stadium, Fegge, Onitsha, venue of the election and alleged that he was impersonated by somebody to give the election a semblance of credibility. Others who were elected unopposed were Sunday Aniagbaso, vice- chairman; Sylvester Molokwu, second vice- chairman; Daniel Egbigwe, secretary; Michael Umezulike, assistant secretary;

Sunday Okoye, financial secretary and Sunday Egbo, treasurer. In his speech after the election which was held under the heavy presence of security operatives and touts, the commissioner asked the winners to ensure they lead the people truthfully, with love and peace. He also advised them to extend their hands of fellowship to their opponents, saying that the time has come when market elections in the state should be restructured, so that traders would be given opportunity to vote and be voted for. But, the opponents decried the glaring disobedience of the subsisting order of court. Spokesman for the group, Chief Peter Okala, said that an Onitsha High Court had given an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the defendants from conducting the election into the various offices of the Bridgehead Market pending the hearing and the determination of the substantive suit. Speaking to the press shortly after the election, Okala said it was unfortunate that the state government had been brought to public purview

again for the wrong reasons. He accused the commissioner of encouraging and perpetuating impunity by defying the order of a competent court of jurisdiction, asserting that Madubuko has declared war between him and the traders of Bridgehead. “We had followed due process and rule of law and approached the court, made petitions to all relevant offices, including the commissioner, yet he failed in his duties to investigate our petitions.” “Madubuko having disobeyed the court to hold the election, what he did was to give us an open cheque to resort to self -help and called on Governor Willie Obiano to as a matter of urgency sack Madubuko before he brings further embarrassment to his government, accusing him of prodding the traders to take laws into their hands,” he added. Okala said they have implicit faith in the judiciary and its ability to liberate them from this quagmire, saying that the judiciary has done it before and will do it again.

The Taraba State Transition Committee has charged Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku to invest heavily on security as he commences his second tenure in office The Chairman of the Committee, Ambassador Idris Waziri who stated this in Jalingo noted that security of lives and property of the people of the state should be taken with utmost importance. Amb. Waziri revealed that the Committee were able to access the Governor’s achievements in the last four years and recommended that there are areas that need improvements and attention. Such areas according to him, were on the sectors of security, agriculture,education and technology, saying all were for the good of the state. He further disclosed that agricultural sector alone has employed over 80 percent of the population of the state, so the Committee were of the view that investment in the agriculture sector will boost the economy of the State. “The State needs improvement in education and technology to be able to keep abreast with the challenges civilization and technological advancements.”

Shettima expresses shock over steward’s suicide Joseph Inokotong, Abuja

The former Governor of Borno state, Kashim Shettima, said he was shocked over the death of a government house steward, Mr John Achagwa, who committed suicide on Tuesday. Achagwa, a steward at the Presidential lodge of the Government House, Maiduguri, took his life by hanging himself on a tree. A statement issued by Mr Isa Gusau, Shettima”s Special Adviser on Communications and Strategy, said the governor was shocked by the unfortunate incident. “Shettima is deeply shocked by the unfortunate incident, given the fact that the deceased known to be one of the Governor’s favourites as he served important guests at the Presidential lodge for more than 30 years. “When he retired from civil service; Shettima had requested him to be retained as casual staff because of his good service and the confidence reposed in him. ” The outgoing governor supported the deceased with personal funds which he used in completing his house at Polo in Maiduguri. “John also had a car to himself and he lived very comfortably. He was known to be friendly,” the statement said. According to him, the outgoing governor has directed the Commissioner of Police to ensure thorough investigation including a post mortem and inquiries to establish the reason for the suicide.

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Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Atiku Abubakar, the political master strategist bridge builder Prominent politicians of Nigeria’s 4th Republic

Compiled by Tunde Opalana, Abuja Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is by every standard a consummate politician, a successful businessman and a philanthropist of note. Today, he remains a political enigma who has occupied the Nigerian political landscape like a colossus. Atiku remains the topic for discussions in political circle. He undoubtedly has one of the largest political followers in the country; he is called “the political bridge builder”. He controls political followership that cut across ethnoreligious and socio- political strata. This was evident during the build up to and the eventual Presidential election of February 23, 2019 in which he contested on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and came second. Atiku Abubakar and his party are currently at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal to contest the election of President Muhammadu Buhari with the hope of reclaiming his acclaimed stolen mandate. His Politics Atiku’s first foray into politics was in the early 1980s, when he worked behind-the-scenes on the governorship campaign of Bamanga Tukur, who at that time was managing director of the Nigeria Ports Authority. He canvassed for votes on behalf of Tukur, and also donated to the campaign. Towards the end of his Customs career, he met Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, who had been second-in-command of the military government that ruled Nigeria between 1976 and 1979. Atiku was drawn by Yar’Adua into the political meetings that were now happening regularly in Yar’Adua’s Lagos home. In 1989, Atiku was elected a National Vice-Chairman of the Peoples Front of Nigeria, the political association led by Yar’Adua, to participate in the transition programme initiated by Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida. Atiku won a seat to represent his constituency at the 1989 Constituent Assembly, set up to decide a new constitution for Nigeria. The People’s Front was eventually denied registration by the government (none of the groups that applied was registered), and found a place within the Social Democratic Party, one of the two parties decreed into existence by the regime. He won the governorship primaries of the then Social Democratic Party in November 1991, but was soon disqualified by government from contesting the election. A similar fate – disqualification by the military – would befall Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, Atiku’s friend and political mentor, in his 1992 bid for the presidential primary of the SDP. With no chance of contesting for the presidency, Yar’Adua decided to push Atiku forward as the focal point of SDP’s ambitions. Atiku came third in the convention primary. But because MKO Abiola, the winner, had

w o n b y o n l y about 4 0 0 votes, a

due. Atiku was Abubakar

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Atiku stepped down for Abiola, asking his supporters to cast their votes for him, with an unwritten agreement that Abiola would announce Atiku as his running mate. Abiola won the SDP ticket, and announced Babagana Kingibe, the runner-up, as his running mate. In 1998, Atiku launched a bid for the governorship of Adamawa State on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party. He won the December 1998 election, but before he could be sworn-in, he was tapped by the PDP’s presidential candidate, former Head of State, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, as his vice-presidential candidate. The Obasanjo-Atiku ticket won the February 27, 1999 presidential election with 62.78 percent of the vote. His businesses, wealth In 2014, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar said that he believes he is the largest private employer of labour in Nigeria. He currently employs about 50,000 people in his companies in Nigeria. “As an individual, I believe my record in employing young Nigerians is unrivalled by any single private investor in Nigeria”, he said. He has investments in media, shipping, education, and other sectors, although there have been various speculations as to the exact companies he owns or how much he worth. According to some sources like NigerianFinder.com and others, Atiku Abubakar is worth whopping $1.6 billion. A philanthropist per excellence His philanthropy knows no bound as he frequently donates large sums to various charities, organisations and causes. One of his most generous donations was to the National Peace Corps Association, United States. He donated $750,000 to the Association, which, unsurprisingly, was the biggest donation from one individual in its history. Abubakar is very passionate about the state of Nigerian education which prompted him in 2005 to establish the American University of Nigeria in the capital of Adamawa State, Yola. The university uses American style to teach, has small classes and places emphasis on critical thinking and student participation. Atiku was the sponsor of an essay contest for students, the goal of which was to gain a new perspective on resolving the challenges of Nigerian education. He also issued scholarships to 15 victims of the Chibok kidnapping to help them receive the education they deserve and improve the situation with education in Northeastern Nigeria. Brief profile Atiku Abubakar was born on November 25, 1946, in Jada. Back then, it was a village in the Northern Region of British Nigeria. It is now a part of Adamawa State. He is named after his grandfather on his father’s side, Atiku Abdulkadir. It was customary among Fulani people that Atiku grew up among to name their first sons after paternal grandfathers. He is an only child in his family. Atiku’s father did not want his son to be ‘corrupted’ by Western education, so he did not let him go to school for a while. When this was discovered, Atiku’s father had to spend several days in jail. His lonely childhood was one of the reasons why he went on to have four wives. As a matter of fact, he was married five times, but he divorced one of his wives, Ladi. He has 26 children from all five women. Following secondary school, Atiku studied a short while at the Nigeria Police College in Kaduna. He left the College when he was unable to present an O-Level Mathematics result. He worked briefly as a Tax Officer in the regional Ministry of Finance, from where he gained admission to the School of Hygiene in Kano in 1966. He graduated with a Diploma in 1967, having served as Interim Student Union President at the School. In 1967, he enrolled for a Law Diploma at the Ahmadu Bello University Institute of Administration, on a scholarship from regional government. After graduation in 1969, during the Nigerian Civil War, he was employed by the Nigeria Customs Service. Before seriously going into politics and business, Abubakar worked for the Nigeria Customs Service. He spent 20 years on the job and achieved the second highest rank in the Service’s hierarchy. Atiku Abubakar was the vice president of Nigeria in 19992007, during the tenure of Olusegun Obasanjo. In fact, Atiku has expressed his desire to become the President of Nigeria. He ran for presidency in 1992, 2006-2007, and 2011, and he also planned to run in 2015. In addition to that, Abubakar ran for president in 2019. During his political career, Atiku Abubakar has jumped a lot between different parties. He was a member of the PDP, the ACN and the APC, the latter of which he helped create.

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a two-term former governor of Lagos State and the national leader of Nigeria’s ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC) has been described as one leader who has demonstrated rare courage and commitment to justice; one who has made personal sacrifices to advance the common good, and who remains unrelenting in the search for good and responsible governance. He is a rare leader who combines practical political acumen, strategic vision and moral principles. Asiwaju Tinubu is reputed for his untiring political maneuvers and nationalistic approach to politics which is in tandem with his tradition of selfless sacrifice, political foresight and unequalled commitment to progressive and people oriented politics. He remains Nigeria’s most relentless fighter for democracy, justice and the rule of law. No history of modern Nigeria can be complete without giving due regard to his contributions to safeguarding the democratic aspirations of an entire nation and its people, regardless of creed and ethnic background, at a time when those aspirations were deeply threatened. Bola Tinubu has served the cause of humanity and expanded the frontiers of freedom and democracy in Nigeria and the African Continent. He is one of Nigeria’s foremost nationalists and champions of the current democratic dispensation. He fought alongside other members of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) to rebuff the repressive military junta of the late Gen. Sanni Abacha. An irrepressible fighter for democracy and protection of civil liberties, Bola Tinubu endured political persecution, including numerous arrests and detentions, harassment, constant threats to his life and years in political exile. Tinubu is a political icon that rescued the nation from being turned into a one party state. In 1999, his political party, the Alliance for Democracy (AD) as the loyal opposition helped salvage multiparty electoral democracy in Nigeria by winning the governorship seats in the six South-West states. In a political culture where most members of the political class gravitate towards the ruling party to ease the path towards fulfilment of personal ambition or for pecuniary reward, Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s resilience and steadfastness in giving inspirational leadership to the opposition is remarkable. It is a testimony to the depth of the convictions that have motivated and sustained him in politics over the last two and a half decades. The virtues of courage, determination, commitment, vision, focus and strong sense of purpose that have characterised Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s politics drove his emergence as one of the country’s most successful governors after Nigeria’s return to democratic governance 20 years ago. His stewardship of Lagos State for 8 years remains a reference for good governance in Nigeria and across the region. A first class financial strategist, Bola Tinubu, overhauled and reformed government and revenue collection in the state, taking Lagos from a yearly Internally Generated Revenue of N14.64 billion in 1999 to N60.31 billion in 2006. By March 2007, the state had achieved monthly Internally Generated Revenue of N8.2 billion. His innovations laid the groundwork necessary for Lagos to have the revenue to improve the state and modernise living conditions of all of its inhabitants. He was once described as the man who rebuilt Nigerian opposition. Tinubu from the scratch built the Action Congress of Nigeria to a formidable political party that within a short time became the major opposition party in Nigeria. He deployed his resources, energy, and political acumen to give the ruling party a fight in the political space. Bola Tinubu’s political sagacity can never be put in doubt. He is today a political symbol that many politicians across party divides look up to in Yorubaland for direction. He is today, seen in the mould of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Chief Bola Ige. No wonder in 2011 that Tinubu single-handedly decided the political path the people of the South West zone toed when after negotiating with former President Goodluck Jonathan, he led the zone to vote massively for the PDP. This enriched the fortune of

Bola Tinubu the party and helped Jonathan to cruise to victory. The altering of Nigeria’s political landscape and balance of power that occurred in November 2013 had Tinubu’s imprint all over it. The political merger that produced the All Progressives Congress is Nigeria’s first and Tinubu was its chief architect. He is a political bridge builder who has admirers and followers in all the regions of the country, an attribute he judiciously used to win the presidency for Buhari in the 2015 election. The APC and Buhari was said to be greatly indebted to Tinubu for massively delivering votes from Yorubaland to the party. Tinubu today enjoys the undeniable position of the national leader of APC and irrespective of the power play in the party; he has his men in the Buhari government. A political mentor of repute, Tinubu is one of the very few politicians in Nigeria who has nurtured and built a large army of political followers who have learnt his type of politics and today occupy exemplary leadership positions in the three arms of government. Majority of those that served in his eight years’ government in Lagos State are now lawmakers in the National Assembly, while he influenced the appointments of some into key executive positions, including board appointments. The list is though endless, but of worthy of mentioning is the incumbent Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Senators Barehu Gbenga Ashafa, and of course his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu. Indeed, majority of past federal lawmakers that represented Lagos State in both chambers of the National Assembly owed their election to this political enigma called Tinubu. He has his men and women in powerful board positions while others are currently serving in the Presidency as Special Assistants to either the President or his Vice. Tinubu is said to have the political map of Lagos State in his palm, but some of his loyalists will say that he is in control of the entire South West politics as he has friends and admirers across other political lineage. Born on March 29, 1952 in Lagos, Tinubu, a trained accountant, graduated in 1979 Sumna cum laude (with First Class Honours) in Business Administration (Accounting and Management) with cumulative weighted average point of 3.54 out of a maximum 4 points) from Chicago State University, Illinois, USA. He worked with Arthur Anderson, Delliotte, Haskins and Sells (now Delliotte and Touche) and Mobil Producing Nigeria as Senior Auditor and Company Treasurer. His political sojourn started in 1989. He was elected Senator on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in 1992. He joined the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) opposition to the annulment of the June 12 1993 presidential election, which SDP candidate, Basorun MKO Abiola won.

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My successor will emerge through prayer, consultation, consensus-building – Dickson Stories by Patrick Okohue The Bayelsa State governor, Hon Seriake Dickson has laid bare the process and pattern that will see to the emergence of his successor in the November 2019 election. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed November 16th for the governorship poll in the state. Dickson, in a media chat in Government House, Yenagoa on Wednesday, said his successor will emerge through consultations, consensusbuilding and prayers. He however declared it was not yet time to begin the process because the state was still in a prayer mood to seek the face of God. He promised to consult former President Goodluck Jonathan as well as other major stakeholders before arriving at the choice of his successor. He said there was a need to sustain the political culture established by his administration in the past seven years noting that there was no report of his team attacking anybody because of political differences. Dickson said he directed the religious team and the body of clergy in the state to organise special prayers for the emergence of his successor. According to him the issue of the selection of a governor for Bayelsa State was so crucial that it was important for the state to commit the process into the hand of God. He said: “I wish to also mention on this important issue the next person to govern the state, I have directed our religious team

to come up with a date when we will formally gather to fast and pray in seeking the face of God concerning the person who will take over from me as governor of the state. “The team has chosen June and so we will all find time as a party to have that event.” He explained that a PDP candidate must have the requisite qualities of courage, commitment, vision and grits to protect the interests of the state and the Ijaw nation. The governor lamented that most aspirants contesting the PDP Peoples Democratic Party) ticket had shown lack of courage following their inability to speak out against injustices done to the people of the state. Observing that the aspirants were playing establishment politics with some of them scheming their ways to power, he insisted that a candidate of the PDP should have the consciousness and capacity to play opposition politics in the

country. He stressed that the stakes in the next governorship poll were too high to be left in the hands of “lily-livered politicians who only play establishment politics and shy away from the realities on ground.” On the forthcoming local government election, the governor emphasised women and youths would be given priority for councillorship positions across the state in recognition of their sustained support to his administration. “I desire to see more youths and women being carried along in the forthcoming local government election because of the incredible support they have always given to my administration. “A minimum of 20% should be given to the women in appreciation of their support and as a source of empowerment to their families,” he said.

Dickson

Don’t rejoice yet, Prophet Ituen tells Akwa Ibom Senator-Elect, Ekpenyong The Senator elect, for Akwa Ibom State North West Senatorial District on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last election, Obong Chris Ekpenyong have been told not to rejoice yet because it is not yet over as the final outcome of Akwa Ibom 2019 election cases in courts will shock AkwaIbomites. Obong Chris Ekpenyong of the PDP defeated the former Senate Minority Leader and former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Godswill Akpabioof the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the election. Giving the advice, a charismatic preacher and founder of Christ Deliverance Ministries Inc. (CDM)

Lagos, His Grace, Prophet Ekong Ituen, urged him not to be carried away by the sentiment of praise singers but rather concentrate on prayers. Ituen, a renowned seer who had predicted many national events with accuracy stated this with newsmen in Lagos, while describing Senator Akpabio as a friend of the poor who has touched many lives and has been a source of political inspiration where many are today in the state, he added however that it is disheartening to discover that the people he helped are those fighting him today. “You may not like him, but the truth must be told,” Ituen stated.

It is on record that before the 2019 elections in Nigeria, Ituen predicted victory for President Muhammadu Buhari, Babagana Zulum of Borno State, David Umahi of Ebonyi State, Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi State, Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State, Ben Ayade of Cross River State, Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State and Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, which all came to pass. It should be recalled that before now, the man of God advised Akwa Ibom State APC Gubernatorial candidate to seek the face of God before he resigned from office, it is not yet clear if he heeded the advice.

Mimiko

Mimiko’s associate charges police to unravel those behind attack on him over support for ex-governor A political associate of the former governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, Chief Emmanuel Onileowo, has berated security agencies for failing to bring to justice those whom he alleged destroyed his once thriving Oremeji Aluminum and Steel industry during a political upheaval. In a one page affidavit No RNOO77183 deposed to at the High Court Registry at Ondo, and made available to the press, the embattled Chief who lives on Ojojo Street, off Akinjagunla Street, Ondo, informed that he is a long standing family friend of Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, the former two time governor of Ondo State. He noted that as expected, he had thrown his weight and resources behind his friend, Mimiko throughout his tenure as governor of the state. He averred that unknown to him; certain elements had seen his support for his friend and viewed it as a mortal sin for which he is now paying, adding that he has suffered collateral damage to his personal properties including the emotional and mental torture that he is still contending with. Trouble, he said started when his friend on completion of the mandatory two term, failed in his bid to make his candidate emerge as the next governor. Narrating further, Chief Onileowo said he and his fellow sympathisers for the cause of the outgoing governor, and their family members were viciously attacked and their business interests destroyed by those he alleged are members of the opposition.

He averred that between the 7th and 17th September, 2017, he was physically assaulted by some suspected political thugs, street urchins and miscreant and that by the time they left, his business interest were vandalised forcing him to close company. He further informed that as a result of the beating he received from the rampaging political thugs and street urchins, he was admitted at the State Specialist Hospital Ondo for close to five months. Chief Onileowo noted that as a result of the medical bills he incurred during his long stay at the Hospital, he was not able to raise the resources that would inject life into his Oremeji Aluminum and Steel Works again more so as the damage to machines and other working materials were enormous. He said while he was still ruminating on how to source funds to revive his business, hell was again let loose as the hoodlums came back on the 3rd of October 2017, and by the time they left this time, it was the ruins of what was once his source of livelihood that he was bequeathed with. According to him, as a result of the unfortunate incident, which he noted has continued despite his efforts to curb it, he can no longer provide some basic needs for members of his family while some of his children have been forced out of school as he could no longer afford their educational expenses, appealing to security agencies to do all they can to get to the root of the matter so that he can get his life back.

Ambode congratulates Sanwo-Olu on inauguration, explains absence at event The former governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, has congratulated his successor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu on his swearing in, saying the new governor deserves to enjoy his historic day without having him share in the glory with him. In a veiled reference to why he was not at the formal inauguration of Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, at the Tafawa Balewa Square yesterday, Ambode said Sanwo-Olu should be allowed to be the star of his inauguration. “I have already formally handed over the reins of power in the state to the new governor

in a most cordial and convivial ceremony at the State House yesterday (Tuesday). The formal inauguration should have Mr. Sanwo-Olu as the star of the day. I don’t think that glory should be shared with him by my presence,” Ambode said in a short statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Habib Aruna. Mr. Ambode said he has had a quality private moment with his successor and he is confident that with the prayers, cooperation and collective support of all Lagosians, the new government will succeed in the excellent tradition of progressive governance which Lagos State is known for.

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NAHCO, Turkish airlines strengthen partnership for increased cargo Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo West Africa’s leading ground handling service provider, the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc. (nahco aviance) and Turkish Airlines have agreed to further strengthen the partnership that exists between them to further ensure seamless importation and exportation of cargoes. This reinforced the partnership that is coming at a time NAHCO is driving a five-year transformation plan with a determined focus on the customer. Speaking at Iftar dinner organised for Turkish Airlines stakeholders in Lagos, the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Company, Mr Olatokunbo Fagbemi, said the partnership is about ensuring that NAHCO does things in such a way that it is easy for Turkish Airlines to serve the clients and the shippers better and it is easy for the shippers to understand the activities of Turkish Airlines. Fagbemi explained that with this partnership, imports and exports of cargoes would be seamless with NAHCO being the go-between of the exporters, shippers and freight forwarders. She explained that NAHCO had been in business with Turkish Airline since 2006 and that the solidification of this enterprise is because Turkish Airline is getting into some automation in its new terminal and NAHCO also has started a transformation process that would continue for the next five years. She explained that this being the case, there is the need for all stakeholders to key into the transformation agenda with regards cargo to imports and exports. On what NAHCO is doing to ensure export of cargo meets European Union standards, Fagbemi said since the beginning of the year, the Company has consistently engaged all its stakeholders and clients on the processes goods must go through to meet EU’s standard. She stated, “We sometimes call the airlines and the shippers for us to ensure that this process is in line with the EU standard. The airlines and the shippers listen to each other. In Nigeria, there are lots of opportunities for exports that are not yet tapped. If an airline is coming with freighters, how much of the freighter’s space is being filled? The people that are in the room for this event are some of the people that will influence it to be filled. So, it is nice to have these engagements so we can benefit as a country. We are looking at how the country can benefit.” According to her, Nigeria is blessed with lots of agricultural products that can be exported, but a lot of the produce is being destroyed and that is because the exporters do not understand some of the things that they needed to do. So, the engagement with stakeholders is just the beginning of several more that at the end of the day, the full benefits of export cargo can be tapped. Fagbemi disclosed that imports and exports of cargo in the first half of 2019 has increased, adding that there is a market for agricultural produce in Nigeria but there are restrictions; and that is why it is important that shippers understand these restrictions and manage them so that their goods would not be returned.

L-R: General Manager, Air Solutions, LG Electronics West Africa Operations, Mr. Cholyong Park; Matron, Lagos State Motherless Babies Homes, Lekki, Managing Director, Fouani Nigeria Limited, Mr Mohammed Fouani, Managing Director, LG Electronics West Africa Operations, Head of Corporate Marketing, and LG Electronics West Africa Operations, Mr Hari Elluru during the donation to the Orphanage in Lekki, Lagos…recently.

NNPC pledges improved domestic circulation of LPG …about 233 companies make up bidding list

Micheal Ajayi The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) says that the domestic supply of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) also known as cooking gas would be increased. The Group Managing Director, Dr Maikanti Baru, gave the assurance at the 2019 Natural Gas Liquids Bid opening at the NNPC tower in Abuja. “This time around, we are not only focused on lifting and sending it out, but we are also focusing on

maximum value within the nation, in other words, we want to use this kind of transaction to propel the LPG market throughout the nation to the level it deserves” he said. Represented by Chief Operating Officer, Saidu Mohammed, Gas and Power, Baru said the planned increase in the supply of cooking gas would be driven by its current initiative of undertaking transparent competitive bidding and evaluation process to select off-takers for the commodity. “Most importantly, we want to that transparently to ensure that we

get the right partners that would have the calibre we need in terms of investments, capital layout and market ability to penetrate the nooks and crannies of this country”, he said. The only way to penetrate is to, first of all, make the products available; afterwards, people would come and invest in it by way of storing, transporting and distributing it, However about 233 local and foreign companies have submitted bids to be engaged by the NNPC to be take part in the circulation of Natural Gas Liquids (NGLs). According to the cooperation’s

Managing Director, successful companies will be given the contract to lift NNPC’s equity share of NGLs for the next two years. He, however, assures that the selection will be transparent as the corporation works towards ensuring the continuous growth of the domestic supply and utilization of gas. “Through a transparent competitive bidding and evaluation process, we intend to enlist companies with proven investments in Gas Utilization, storage, distribution and marketing infrastructure”, he said.

Match words with implementation of new minimum wage, NUT charges Buhari The Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to match words with actions

Joy Obakeye on the implementation of the N30, 000 new minimum wage by all tiers of government. The National Publicity Secretary

of the NUT, Titus Amba, expressed this on Wednesday in Abuja, where he appealed to the president to ensure total implementation of the N30,000 new minimum wage across all tiers of government. According to him, some state governors are still complaining of their inability to pay the N30,000 new minimum wage. “It is the responsibility of the

Federal Government to ensure that every state including local governments comply with the implementation of the new minimum wage. “Civil servants don’t have any other source of revenue except through salaries. “Hence, the N30,000 new minimum wage should be implemented from the federal level

down to the local government level,” Amba said. According to Mr Amba, it is our hope that every Nigerian will see a better Nigeria in the next four years. He, therefore, appealed to the Federal Government to facilitate the implementation of the new N30,000 minimum wage to all civil servants at federal, state and local governments in the country.

Expert underscores importance of digital disruption Godwin Anyebe Public Relations professionals in Nigeria have been urged to be conscious of the disruption in the industry that is challenging long-held conventions, which will foster the attainment of growth and respect among their clients and counterparts. This was the submission of the Chief Consultant of TPT International, Adetokunbo Modupe, who was the

keynote speaker at the Brandcomfest 2019, under the theme: “Digital Disruption and the Future of Public Relation Practice.” Modupe, known for his creative and innovative practice in the public relations industry affirmed that since the profession is dynamic, practitioners should re-examine their business strategy as the disruption in the industry is real, and the operating modules are fluid. He said those who failed to flow with changing trends might become irrelevant or extinct. He described disruption as an

underground process that goes unnoticed but would eventually happen to change the existing narrative. “It is either you are consumed in the process or you are a champion, hence the awareness of the happening around us should not be taking for granted,” he admonished. He explained that since PR is about thinking and managing thought processes for the benefit of other people’s reputation, it could be likened it to innovation pentathlon, a structured process that removes the risk of failure as ideas progress.

Modupe then challenged his professional colleagues: “It is time we sit down and say to ourselves: what do we really do? With the constant disruption that occurs in this profession of ours, we need to change the way we do our business to avert going out of extinction.” He was the keynote speaker at the PR session of the two-day summit and panellists included Managing Director Precise Communications, Bolaji Okusaga; CEO BHM Group, Ayeni Adekunle; and Group CEO Red Media, Adebola Williams.

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Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, May 30, 2019

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Metering shortage: EKEDC sign MOU with Meter Asset Providers Michael Ajayi

L-R: Wife of Oyo State Governor, Mrs Florence Ajimobi; former President Olusegun Obasanjo; Governor Abiola Ajimobi; and his daughter, Abimbola, during the unveiling of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture’s circular road named after the governor, at IITA, Ibadan.

FG slashes Joint Venture stake to 40% to boost revenue Motolani Oseni As part of efforts to boost revenue receipts in the face of the state of the nation’s fragile economy, the federal government of Nigeria has slashed Joint Venture (JV) stake to 40 per cent. In fact, President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the immediate commencement of the restructuring of the JV oil assets to reduce the government’s shareholding to 40 per cent within the 2019 fiscal year. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), which manages the nation’s oil sector, owns a 55 per cent interest in its joint venture with Royal Dutch Shell and 60 per cent stakes in others. Other oil majors, including Chevron and ExxonMobil, also operate joint ventures with the NNPC.

Minister of budget and national planning, Udo Udoma, unveiled yesterday in Abuja, the details of efforts to boost the nation’s revenue while giving a breakdown of 2019 budget. He said the president had also directed the Ministry of Finance to liaise with relevant authorities to liquidate all recovered ‘unencumbered’ assets. Apart from huge recoveries in local and foreign currencies, the Buhari administration has made several non-cash recoveries, including farmlands, plots of land, completed and uncompleted buildings, vehicles and maritime vessels, among others since May 29, 2015. While some of the ‘recovered’ assets are already subjects of litigation in the law courts, Buhari, however, has directed the finance ministry and other relevant authorities to take immediate action to liquidate the ones that are not in dispute. Udoma said these steps were necessary

to bolster government revenue, which has continued to be a drag on budget performance yearly. He said consequent upon the presidential directive on oil assets; the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) is currently concluding efforts on the collection of due oil licence and royalty charges. The minister stated that anticipated funds from the JV assets had already been pencilled down to fund critical capital projects in the budget. According to him, given improved oil prices and production level, the NNPC is to commence immediately the recovery of all outstanding obligations, including those due from one of its subsidiaries, the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), which it agreed to pay since 2017. Udomasaidapartfromtherestructuring of JV oil assets and the liquidation of all

unencumbered recovered assets, the current administration has in place other initiatives to improve revenue generation. According to him, these are through sustained efforts to improve public financial management via the comprehensive implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA), Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) and the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS). The minister said following the increase in the size of the 2019 budget to N8.92 trillion from N8.83 trillion by the National Assembly, the federal government might raise the level of borrowing within the fiscal period to fully fund the budget. The minister said the N90.33 billion increase in the Appropriation Act also translated to an overall increase of N58.83 billion in the budget deficit.

Mining: ILO bemoans child labour, poor working conditions Ukpono Ukpong, Abuja Discussions on how to address child labour in mining and poor working conditions took centre stage at the ongoing International Labour Organisation (ILO) inter-regional meeting, where experts and global actors from Africa, Asia and South America gathered to seek a solution. Speaking at the first-ever Interregional Knowledge-Sharing Forum on Child Labour and Working Conditions in Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mines (ASGM) the Director of the ILO Country Office for the Philippines, Khalid Hassan said jobs in artisanal and small-scale gold mines are often linked to poor working conditions, with limited rights and access to social protection, without a voice and freedom to join unions. “Miners risk their safety and health

even without a stable income to lift their families out of poverty. Of great concern are children working in these mines, which is one of the worst forms of child labour,” Countries represented include Colombia, Congo, Cote d’ Ivoire, France, Ghana, Guyana, Indonesia, Italy, Mali, Mongolia, Nigeria, Philippines, Thailand, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States. Others include employers’ and workers’ organizations, international non-government organizations, civil society organizations, miners’ groups and their communities, and ASGM supply chain actors. According to the organisers, the 3-day forum which is scheduled for 28th through 30 May in Manila is expected to provide a venue to exchange knowledge, technologies, practices and challenges to put forward concrete solutions to

address child labour and poor working conditions. Also, the Forum is hoped to assess the impact of the sector on people and the environment. On his part, the Secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Silvestre Bello III expressed the need to zero-in on families noting that the need to know the risks involved in sending their children away for work. “Child labour is not the solution to the households’ economic problems, rather, it creates long-term problems. This forum is a step forward to be more responsive and to provide us with the necessary tools to address child labour and other labour issues in ASGM.” The Secretary, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Roy Cimatu, said “We are well aware of the negative impacts of ASGM on people and the environment. Most of the operations in the sector

continue to work without permits and mining practices are not covered by government regulation. This is mainly the reason why two of the worst issues in the mining sector – child labour and working conditions – are common in ASGM.” ILO estimates in 2011 revealed that 19,000 children work in 45 artisanal and small-scale gold mines in the Philippines. Children can be found inside mining tunnels or on surface collecting gold and hauling sacks of ore or smelting gold. The sector is associated with many labour issues such as hazardous working conditions that have led to work-related injuries, diseases and deaths. Child labour is also present in different mining stages. Evidence from various ILO surveys and research studies show that mining is by far the most hazardous sector for children with respect to fatal injuries.

Eko Electricity Distribution Company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Meter Asset Providers (MAP) to reduce the metering gap within its distribution network. The agreement is in compliance with the new Meter Asset Provider regulation, which requires all electricity distribution licensees within the country to engage Meter Asset Providers that would assist to bridge the metering gap of about 4.7 million electricity customers across the country. Recall that under the new metering arrangement, Meter Asset Providers (MAP) were licensed in November 2018 by the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission NERC to supply and install meters as part of ongoing reforms in the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry. This is to eliminate estimated billing, unpaid bill and enhance customers confidence. At the event, the MD of Eko Electricity Distribution Company, Engr Adeoye Fadeyibi described the event as a milestone and a demonstration of EKEDC’s unyielding commitment to the ongoing reforms in the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry. “As one of the first Discos in the country to key into this initiative, we are excited about the prospect that the initiative holds for the country. We are in no doubt that this is a significant effort at repositioning the Nigerian Power Sector which will ultimately bring about sustained Economic growth and enhanced development”, Fadeyibi said. He also observed that the new metering programme will help to reduce obstacles and bottlenecks that have hitherto impaired optimum power distribution within Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry. He charged the Meter Asset Providers to ensure that all customers within EKEDC’s distribution network are captured under the new metering arrangement while also urging them to ensure that installations of the meters are carried out in a manner that guard against revenue loss. In their own reaction the Meter Asset Providers who took a turn to speak at the event commended EKEDC for seamless compliance. Mr Imran Khokar, the Managing Director of Armese Power Solutions applauded EKEDC for demonstrating the highest sense of duty and uncommon professionalism throughout the pre-engagement period. On his part, Mr Durosola Omogbenigun, of Integrated Resources Limited, appreciated the management of EKEDC for a concise and well laid-out proposal agreement, that captures the workflow, terms of reference and performance benchmark.

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Milestones of Buhari’s first tenure (2)

President Muhammadu Buhari was sworn-in as democratically elected president of Nigeria on May 29, 2015 when he made history as the first candidate of an opposition party to unseat an incumbent President in Nigeria. His emergence was greeted with jubilation in many parts of the country. Many Nigerians believed that President Buhari’s credibility will bring about good governance which is an approach to government that is committed to creating a system founded in justice and peace that protects individual’s human rights. MATHEW DADIYA in this piece chronicles the achievements of the Buhari led administration in four years. On security

Continued from yesterday

One of the first major steps by the Buhari administration to deal with insecurity was the revitalisation of the Multinational Joint Task force, MNJTF, aimed at combating transborder crime and the Boko Haram insurgency. The MNJTF has the support and participation of neighbouring countries Niger, Chad, Cameroon and Benin, in addition to Nigeria. On the day of his inauguration in May 29, 2015, the President directed the relocation of the command and control centre of the Boko Haram war to Maiduguri, the epicentre of the insurgency. The military has since proclaimed victory over the Boko Haram terrorists, following the capture of their operational and spiritual headquarters, “Camp Zero” in Sambisa Forest. So far, more than one million displaced persons have returned to their homes and communities. About 20,000 hostages have been freed. One hundred and six (106) Chibok Girls, abducted in April 2014 and 105 Dapchi Girls abducted in February 2018 have been released and reunited with their families. Tgere was the purchase of Tucano jets from the US to fight terrorists in the country. Some of the security initiatives taken between January and now, for the safety and security of Nigerians were parts of the president’s achievements in the security sector. Operation Puff Adder (Nigerian Police), Operation HARBIN KUNAMA 3 (Nigerian Army) and Exercise Egwu Eke 3 (Nigerian Army) were all launched in 2019 to complement the existing Operations Sharan Daji (launched in 2016 by the Nigerian Army) and Diran Mikiya (launched 2018 by the Nigerian Air Force). All of these operations were focused on tackling banditry and criminality in the North West of Nigeria. Operation HARBIN KUNAMA 3 was launched on 1 April 2019 to ensure the complete defeat of the bandits fleeing military operations in Zamfara and escaping into Kaduna, Katsina, Kano, Niger and Sokoto States. Hundreds of kidnappers and bandits have been arrested or killed since January, several camps/hideouts destroyed; and hundreds of hostages rescued. In a two-week operation in February, 80 hostages were freed by the Nigerian Army, with 37 bandits killed. Aerial bombardments of bandits’ camps have been intensified in recent months. A new Air Force Base – the 271 Nigerian Air Force Detachment (271 NAF Det) – was commissioned at Birinin Gwari in Kaduna State in May 2019, to complement the 207 Quick Response Group (QRG) established in Gusau, Zamfara State, in 2017. Between January 2019 and the 1st week of May, 2019, a total of 270 suspected kidnappers, 275 suspected armed robbers were arrested and 105 assorted weapons plus a large cache of ammunition recovered by the Nigerian Police within the states of the North West and North Central Nigeria. The Nigerian Police launched ‘Operation Puff Adder’, a multi-agency strategy, in collaboration with the Nigerian Armed Forces and the Department of State Services (DSS), tailored towards ridding the Kaduna – Abuja Expressway, Kogi, Katsina, Niger and Zamfara states of all forms of crimes and criminality- kidnapping, armed robbery, cattle rustling, amongst others. Police operatives attached to ‘Operation Puff Adder’ arrested three notorious criminals involved in the kidnap of Channels Television’s staff, Mr. Friday Okeregbe- Hanniel Patrick, Abdulwahab Isah and Salisu Mohammed. Officers of the ‘Operation Puff Adder’ killed nine notorious criminals on the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway. 6 Ak47 Rifles, 1 Pump Action Gun, 1,206 Rounds of Ak47 Ammunition, 7 Magazines, 28 Cartridges And 158 Expended Shells were recovered from the criminals. Operatives attached to ‘Operation Puff Adder’ arrested one Mallam Salisu Abubakar, 48yrs old, a native of Dutsinma LGA, Katsina State. The Mallam, is a self-confessed spiritual father of kidnappers terrorising Abuja-Kaduna expressway and parts of other North-West/North-Central states.

President Muhammadu Buhari Following the arrest of the kidnappers’ ‘spiritual father’, Police detectives attached to ‘Operation Puff Adder’, arrested 18 notorious kidnappers and armed robbers at different times and places across the country. A total of twenty- two (22) AK 47 rifles, five (5) locally fabricated pistols and a cache of live ammunition were recovered from the bandits. Operatives from ‘Operation Puff Adder’ rescued unhurt 27 kidnap victims including 5 Chinese nationals. The Chinese citizens, who were earlier kidnapped on 15th April, 2019 in Bobi, Niger State, were safely and successfully rescued from a forest in Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State, following painstaking investigative efforts, including both air and ground surveillance. Two of the kidnappers died from injuries sustained during exchange of gun fire with the Police in the course of the rescue mission. Twenty-two other kidnap victims were rescued in Zamfara State and other parts of the country. The Army had on January 8, flagged off ‘Exercise EGWU EKE III’ in 8 Division Nigerian Army’s area of responsibility at 1 Battalion, Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State. Troops of 8 Division of the Nigerian Army on ‘Exercise EGWU EKE III’, in conjunction with other security agencies recovered dangerous weapons from criminals and political thugs in Sokoto State. This has really contributed immensely to a peaceful security situation in the state. Troops of 72 Special Forces Makurdi, deployed at Yelwata, in Guma LGA, which is a border town between Benue and Nasarawa states, while on patrol along Yelwata-Kadarko road engaged armed robbers in a gun battle, which resulted in the elimination of one of the armed robbers, while others took to their heels. The suspects were dressed in military desert camouflage and robbing motorists along the road. Troops conducting ‘Operation Sharan Daji’ in Zamfara State killed 23 bandits and arrested 18 suspected informants, cattle rustlers, kidnappers and logistics suppliers to armed criminals in the state. The troops on Operation ‘HABIN KUNAMA III’, based on credible intelligence about bandits’ movements in Kirsa and Sunke in Anka LGA, Zamfara State, continued with the clearance operation into the hinterland to clear the brigands, arresting 18 informants and recovering arms and motorcycles. Also, troops of 72 Special Forces (SF) Battalion Makurdi deployed for internal security operation in

Katsina-Ala LGA, Benue State, averted a terrible clash between two Tiv clans-Shitile and Ikyora in the early hours of that day. They exterminated 5 mercenaries, recovered arms and ammunition. A patrol team of 1 Division of the Nigerian Army raided a bandits’ den at Gonan Bature East of Rijana and Kasarami farm house in Chikun LGA, Kaduna State. The abandoned Kasarami farm house was reportedly forcefully occupied by criminals and had been used as a shelter and a place where victims of kidnapping were kept. Troops on Exercise ‘HARBIN KUNAMA III’ arrested a notorious logistics supplier for bandits crouching between Jibia-Batsari axis -one Marwana Abubakar was arrested at Kwashabawa village in Jibia LGA, Katsina State. Troops of 311 Artillery Regiment successfully conducted a raid operation on a suspected facility in Kontagora township, Niger State. During the raid, some weapons were discovered and recovered. The Nigerian Air Force deployed a fighter aircraft, along with support equipment, and a detachment of Special Forces (SF) personnel to Sokoto to further boost anti-banditry operations in Northwest Nigeria under ‘Operation DIRAN MIKIYA’. The deployment is aimed at adding value to the efforts to deal with the spate of insecurity in some parts of Sokoto State and the border areas between Zamfara and Sokoto States. The Air Task Force (ATF) of ‘Operation DIRAN MIKIYA’ intensified the bombardment of armed bandits’ hideouts in Zamfara State and environs, after several camps being used by the bandits to launch attacks against innocent civilians were identified. The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) provided a mobile Jet A-1 fuelling facility to enable the refuelling of NAF Helicopters that would operate out of the 23 Quick Response Wing (23 QRW) Nguroje. This will further enhance security on the Mambilla Plateau. In continuation of efforts to enhance security in Kaduna State and its environs, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), working with other security agencies, intensified aerial surveillance over identified hotspots and flashpoints in the state while sustaining its air patrol along the Abuja-Kaduna Highway. Some of the areas covered in the surveillance missions include Gonin Gora, Kajuru, Kujama, Kasuwar Maganin and surrounding settlements. A Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Special Forces (SF) Team operating in Zamfara State successfully repelled

attacks by armed bandits who attempted to invade Hayin Mahe and Hayin Kanawa Villages in Gusau Local Government Area. The Air Task Force (ATF) for ‘Operation DIRAN MIKIYA’ renewed air offensive against armed bandits in Zamfara State and its environs. The air strikes are aimed at flushing out the bandits from their hideouts in Sububu, Rugu and Kagara Forests, amongst others, whilst ensuring the protection of the lives and properties of citizens in Northwest Nigeria.” It further noted: “9 April- The Air Task Force (ATF), ‘Operation DIRAN MIKIYA’ neutralized dozens of armed bandits in Sector 2 Area of Operation in Zamfara State and also supported surface forces to move into the attacked areas to mop-up the fleeing survivors and recover their weapons. Some of the bandits fled across the border into Niger Republic. The Air Task Force (ATF) for ‘Operation DIRAN MIKIYA’ destroyed some logistics stores belonging to bandits at a location within Kagara Forest, Zamfara State. Some of the armed bandits who had fled their camps as a result of NAF’s earlier air strikes had relocated some logistics items, including fuel, motorcycles and local arms-making equipment, to another location within Kagara Forest. In response to reports that high profile armed bandits were gathering around Rafi and Doka villages of Mada District in Gusau Local Government Area (LGA) of Zamfara State, which is under the Area of Responsibility (AOR) of the 207 Quick Response Group (207 QRG), a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Special Forces (SF) Team was dispatched to the area to secure the 2 settlements. The Air Task Force (ATF) for ‘Operation DIRAN MIKIYA’ neutralized about 10 armed bandits at Sububu Forest area in Zamfara State. This was achieved while the ATF was responding to a request for close air support by ground troops of Sector 7 Area of Responsibility of Operation SHARAN DAJI, who had come into contact with armed bandits in Shinkafi Local Government Area (LGA). NAF commissioned the 271 Nigerian Air Force Detachment (271 NAF Det) at Birinin Gwari in Kaduna State. The Detachment was established to serve as support Base and a blocking force for troops in Operations DIRAN MIKIYA and SHARAN DAJI.” According to the Presidency, it is the constitutional duty and responsibility of government to safeguard lives and properties. Foreign Policy In the area of diplomacy and international relations, the Buhari administration has re-established Nigeria’s position and influence in regional and global arena. As a political leader, President Muhammadu Buhari enjoys three formidable assets-- his record as a disciplined former Army General, his reputation as an honest leader and the public perception of his record as one who stands for and by the truth. As the president and his vice take another oath of office for a second term of four years, Nigerians are appealing to the President to change his style of leadership and be proactive in addressing the challenges confronting the nation. But the President has consistently reiterated his commitment to entrenching good governance and developing the economy in line with global standards. His second term in office which begins today, Wednesday, May 29, will elapsed in May 29, 2023 and the President has assured that he would have secured the country, developed infrastructure across the country and instilled discipline in the management of public office.

Concluded

FOREIGN TIMES

Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, May 16, 2019

Bolton says Iranian mines likely used in UAE oil-tanker attacks

Russia probe: Mueller says charging Trump was ‘not an option’ US Special Counsel Robert Mueller said on Wednesday that he is leaving the Justice Department now that he has concluded his Russia probe. In his first public statement on the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, Mueller said he is also closing the special counsel’s office. The announcement comes amid demands for Mueller to testify on Capitol Hill about his findings and tension with Attorney General William Barr over the handling of his report. Mueller said on Wednesday that the report is his testimony. He said that he hopes and expects that Wednesday is the “the only time” that he speaks about the report, but “any testimony from [his] office would not go beyond the report.” A redacted version of the Mueller report was published in April, concluding there was no conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Moscow. But Mueller declined to make a judgment on whether President Donald Trump obstructed justice, though the report outlined 10 instances in which Trump tried to impede the investigation. Barr and former deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein subsequently determined Trump had not broken the

law. Mueller said on Wednesday that charging Trump was never an option for his team of prosecutors, citing Justice Department guidelines that prohibit charging a sitting president. “Charging the president with a crime was ... not an option we could consider,” Mueller told reporters. “We concluded that we would not reach a determination one way or the other about whether the president committed a crime,” he said. “If we had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so. We did not, however, make a determination as to whether the president did or did not.” Shortly after Mueller’s announcement, Trump tweeted that “nothing changes”. “The case is closed! Thank you,” Trump said. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement that “the report was clear - there was no collusion, no conspiracy - and the Department of Justice confirmed there was no obstruction.” She added, “After two years, the special counsel is moving on with his life, and everyone else should do the

same.” Democrats, who control the House of Representatives, and Trump are engaged in a high-stakes power struggle over their ability to investigate him, with the president stonewalling multiple investigations by congressional committees. The probes range from whether Trump obstructed justice during Mueller’s investigation to his personal finances and businesses. Earlier this month, Trump invoked executive privilege to block the release of the full, unredacted version of the Mueller report. Trump has also said Mueller should not testify before Congress but that the final decision was up to Barr. Democrats have denounced Barr, saying he misrepresented the special counsel’s findings. Jerrold Nadler, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, on Wednesday, vowed to hold Trump accountable for his “crimes and lies”. “It falls to Congress to respond to the crimes, lies and other wrongdoing of President Trump” given that Mueller was unable to pursue charges against him, Nadler said in a statement.

Pregnant woman killed in Sudan after security forces clash A pregnant woman was killed in the Sudanese capital after a firefight broke out between members of the country’s security forces. The Sudan Doctors Committee (SDC) said in a statement on Wednesday the woman, a street vendor, was killed outside the army headquarters by “stray bullets” when soldiers attempted to disperse the sit-in. The incident coincided with the second and final day of a twoday general strike launched at the behest of the Sudanese Professionals Associated (SPA), an umbrella group of various trade unions. “The Rapid Support Forces and the military seem to have had some sort of argument, which led to a shootout between the two sides and in which a pregnant woman got

shot,” said Al Jazeera’s Hiba Morgan, reporting from Khartoum. “There were several injuries also reported by the SPA, the body which has spearheading calls for protests over the past few months in Sudan.” In a statement, SPA condemned what it described as “the irresponsible behaviour of the Sudanese security forces, who are supposed to preserve citizens’ security and safety”. It went on to demand that those responsible for the woman’s death “be held to account for their actions”. The nationwide strike is aimed at pressuring members of the ruling Transitional Military Council (TMC) to make way for a civilian-led interim government. Sudan’s military removed former

long ruling leader Omar al-Bashir on April 11 following months of anti-government protests, which first erupted in December over soaring prices, cash shortages and other economic hardships. It set up the TMC to rule the country and promised to hand over power after elections. Despite reaching an agreement on some important aspects of the transition - including a threeyear timeframe and the creation of a 300-member parliament - the sovereign council’s composition remains the main point of contention. “Aware of our historical responsibility, we will work toward reaching an urgent agreement ... that meets the aspirations of the Sudanese people and the goals of the glorious December revolution,” said a statement signed by the TMC.

US National Security Adviser John Bolton said attacks on oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates this month were the work of “naval mines almost certainly from Iran” - without offering evidence. Iran responded on Wednesday by calling the accusation “ridiculous”. The comments on Wednesday by Bolton, a longtime American hawk on Iran who has previously called for “the overthrow of the mullahs’ regime in Tehran”, came during a briefing to journalists in the Emirati capital of Abu Dhabi. “It’s clear that Iran is behind the Fujairah attack. Who else would you think would be doing it? Someone from Nepal?” he told journalists at the US embassy briefing regarding the May 12 attacks. “There is no doubt in anybody’s minds in Washington, we know who did this and it’s important Iran knows we know,” he added. Iran has denied involvement in the oil-vessel attacks and has accused the United States of fabricating a crisis in the Gulf, after Washington deployed an aircraft carrier strike group, more B-52 bombers, and an additional 1,500 American troops to the region. Iran’s foreign ministry rejected Bolton’s allegations. Foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said it was a “ridiculous accusation” but “not a strange thing” since it came from someone with a long record of anti-Iran sentiment. Bolton also said there was a failed attack recently on the Saudi oil port city of Yanbu. The city is the final point of Saudi Arabia’s east-west pipeline, which was recently targeted by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in a coordinated drone strike. Bolton said he suspected Iran was

behind the failed attack, but did not elaborate or give evidence for the claim. Officials in Saudi Arabia could not be immediately reached for comment. Bolton also told reporters the US was trying to be prudent in responding to alleged activities of Iran and its proxies in the region, and he dismissed the idea there were any differences between his position and that of US President Donald Trump. “I am the national security adviser, not the national security decider,” he said. Bolton said there was “no reason” for Iran to breach the terms of its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers other than to seek atomic weapons. Speaking to journalists ahead of meetings he planned with top Emirati officials, Bolton said: “There’s no reason for them to do it unless it is to reduce the breakout time to nuclear weapons.” Trump’s national security adviser is visiting the UAE amid heightened tensions across the Gulf. Bolton tweeted he arrived in the Emirates for meetings on Wednesday “to discuss important and timely regional security matters”. The US unilaterally pulled out of the historic nuclear deal with Iran and world powers a year ago. Iran now says it too will begin backing away from the accord. On Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Iran was not seeking nuclear weapons and accused the US of causing regional tensions and “hurting the Iranian people”. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei “long ago said we’re not seeking nuclear weapons - by issuing a fatwa [edic]) banning them”, Zarif tweeted.

UN experts: Detention of Catalan separatists is ‘arbitrary’ The detention of three separatists facing trial for a failed bid to prise Catalonia from Spain in 2017 is “arbitrary,” experts mandated by the United Nationshave concluded in a report released on Wednesday. The assessment by independent experts, commissioned by the UN Human Rights Council but not speaking in the name of the UN, called for the release of the trio and compensation. “The deprivation of liberty of Jordi Cuixart, Jordi Sanchez and Oriol Junqueras is arbitrary,” the panel wrote in the Spanish version of the report. It argues that the detention of the three men, which has lasted over a year and a half, goes against the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UN’s International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. However, the Spanish government slammed the report, saying the group’s opinion failed to take into account the crimes said to have been committed as well as ignoring Spain’s laws that ban referendums on the independence of a part of the country. It said that the group is calling on the government to take a decision that only the courts can take. In a statement, the government raised “doubts” about the group’s “independence and impartiality” and called on the UN to make sure that its semi-independent working groups are not used “for spurious purposes.” The report focused only on the three men, and not six others also in jail awaiting trial in the Supreme Court in Madrid, because the trio’s British lawyer Ben Emmerson took their cases to the UN. Emmerson predicted the prosecutions put Spain “on a collision course with the UN”, calling the analysis a “warning shot”

from the UN which Madrid should ignore “at its peril”. “If Spain cannot show it can be able to behave like a democracy, it has no place at the heart of modern Europe,” Emmerson told reporters in London. But Irene Lozano, who heads new public diplomacy agency Global Spain, told the AFP that the UN-mandated experts were “victims of a disinformation campaign” by the Catalan independence movement, which had “skewed facts”. Sanchez and Cuixart, respectively expresident and current leader of the Catalan separatist civic groups ANC and Omnium Cultural, were jailed in October 2017 as the secession effort was under way. Junqueras, Catalonia’s former vice president, was detained in November. The three men are being tried for their role in the organisation of a secession referendum on October 1, 2017, despite a court ban, and a subsequent short-lived declaration of independence. Like the other six who are in jail, they are accused of rebellion, a controversial offence defined as “rising up in a violent and public manner”. That charge is rejected by their supporters and some legal experts who say there was no violence during the secession bid. The working group pointed to the “nonexistence of elements of violence and the absence of convincing information on facts attributable” to the trio. That “generated conviction among the working group that the criminal accusations against them aim to constrain them due to their political opinions.” The experts also said that holding a referendum “is allowed in Spain for a large range of themes including the present case”. Spain’s judiciary denies this, however.

Daily Times Nigeria

Thursday, May 30, 2019

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Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, May 2, 2019

Roger Federer into Roland Garros third round for 15th time

Roger Federer reached the third round of Roland Garros for the 15th time on Wednesday with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 win over German lucky loser Oscar Otte. Third seed Federer defeated the world number 144 in 95 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier, saving all four break points he faced. Next up for 37-year-old

Federer is a clash with Norway’s Casper Ruud who put out Italian 29th seed Matteo Berrettini 6-4, 7-5, 6-3. “The Grand Slams are incredible. You can meet a player who qualified who (you) have not heard of before,” said the 2009 champion. “It was difficult, he really played a great match.

“Happily for me, he helped me with some mistakes at the end of the sets.” Federer, playing at the tournament for the first time since 2015 when he made the quarter-finals, hailed the fans, two of whom carried a bedsheet with ‘Federer forever’ painted on it. “Thanks to the fans, a thousand times thanks.”

Falcons ready to fulfill potential at women’s World Cup, says coach Super Falcons of Nigeria have been unable to translate their dominance of African football into consistent success at the women’s World Cup but coach Thomas Dennerby says his side have the potential to reach the latter stages of the upcoming tournament in France. The ‘Super Falcons’ have played at every World Cup since the inaugural event in 1991 but got beyond the first round just once, reaching the quarterfinals in 1999 when it was still a 16-team tournament. “Our ambition is to get to the last 16 at least,” Dennerby told Reuters by telephone on Wednesday as the team prepares for next week’s kick-off in France. “These days, it’s much harder to go to the quarter-finals because the teams are so much stronger, so it’s going to need a really strong performance,” added the 59-year-old Swede, who took his home country to third place in 2011.

“I hope that we can do that and get through to the round of 16, then win one more game. “The team have the capacity to do that. We have really worked hard to be the best Nigerian team ever to go to the World Cup.” While they have been the dominant force in African women’s football, Nigeria only qualified for France on the back of two penalty shootout wins and Dennerby says that is a reflection of the increased competition on the continent. “I think the standard has improved across Africa,” said Dennerby. “It has certainly got a lot more competitive. You can no longer say before kick-off how the game is going to end and that’s good. “There is little to choose between the top four-five women’s teams. “We like that it is getting tougher and tougher and I think that African women’s football is catching up with the rest of the world,” he said from their training camp in

Austria. The Swede has had to make his own adjustments to bridge the culture gap between Scandinavia and Africa. “You come to the training field and you work with the players and that is no problem at all. We’ve also had good preparation, we’ve been to camp in China and Spain,” he added. “But sometimes as a European it’s been a bit of an eye opener. But I’m hoping I’ve made a positive impact. I like the spirit of the Nigerians and their passion for football.” Nigeria open their Group A campaign against Norway in Reims on June 6, and that game is key for the hopes of getting to the playoffs, says the coach. “We know that Norway is a good tournament team, they have a good record. But they are not at the same level as they were in the ‘90s, so we must believe we have a chance,” Dennerby added. Nigeria also play South Korea and hosts France in Group A.

...To play Slovakia in friendly June 2 The Super Falcons of Nigeria will face Slovakia in a pretournament friendly on Sunday June 2 ahead of the 8th FIFA Women’s World Cup finals starting next week Friday in France. It will be the second time both teams are meeting this year. Super Falcons and Slovakia clashed

on 1st March 2019 at the Cyprus Women’s Cup. The nine –time African champions won the sevengoal thriller against the Slovakians, with goals from midfielder Rita Chikwelu (a brace), defender Osinachi Ohale and forward Anam Imo. Sunday’s game comes up five

days after the Falcons travelled to Hungary to defeat Hungarian top division team Haladas Viktoria 5-1 on Tuesday. The Super Falcons will fly to France next Tuesday ahead of their first match of the FIFA Women’s World Cup against Norway in Reims on Saturday, 8th June.

Lawrence Okolie to defend British and Commonwealth titles

Lawrence ‘The Sauce’ Okolie believes he would enjoy beating Jack Massey as the Nigeria-born boxer puts his Commonwealth and British cruiser-weight title on the line. Okolie was expected to fight former World Boxing Association (WBA) Cruiser-weight champion Denis Lebedev but a deal could not materialise so the 26 year-old Rio 2016 Olympian will now face ‘One Smack’ Massey at Manchester Arena on Saturday July 6. Okolie, also the WBA Continental Cruiser-weight champion, said: “Jack Massey is a fighter with pedigree. “He has a lot of strength, a lot of ability and a lot of hunger. I am going

to enjoy beating him in front of all of his fans. He is another undefeated fighter that I will inflict a first career defeat on.” “He has criticised me publicly and openly and I want to use my frustration to beat him in the most convincing way possible.” Jack Massey is a 26 year-old orthodox boxer and remains undefeated in 16 fights. He became a professional boxer in 2013 and half of his fights ending with knock outs. Okolie knocked out Wadi Camacho in the fourth round to add the Commonwealth belt to his British title in March and undefeated in 12 fights since his professional debut in 2017.

Rivaldo: Barcelona need Neymar back to win Champions League again Rivaldo believes his former club Barcelona need to re-sign Neymar to win the Champions League again – as he backed the star to help Brazil take the Copa America title “with a certain ease”. Neymar is with the Selecao ahead of friendlies with Qatar and Honduras in preparation for Group A games against Bolivia, Venezuela and Peru on home soil. The 27-year-old Paris SaintGermain attacker was stripped of the Brazil captaincy this week by head coach Tite, with club team-mate Dani Alves handed the armband. Neymar was slapped with a three-match club ban for an altercation with a supporter after PSG’s Coupe de France final defeat to Rennes in April. PSG signed Neymar for a worldrecord €222 million (£200m/$262m) in the summer of 2017, and he has won two Ligue 1 titles as well as the Coup de France in his two seasons in the capital. The Champions League has eluded him, and Thomas Tuchel’s side were knocked out by Manchester United in the round of 16 last season. The former Santos forward has been linked with a move away from PSG this summer, with Real Madrid a rumoured destination. Barcelona last won the Champions League in 2015, when Neymar scored with virtually the last kick of the game to give the

Catalans a fourth title in 10 years and fifth in their history with a 3-1 victory over Juventus. The Spanish giants suffered a humiliating exit from the Champions League in the semifinal this season, blowing a 3-0 first-leg lead as Liverpool stunned them with a 4-0 win at Anfield to book a place against Tottenham in the final. Rivaldo played for Barca from 1997 to 2002, winning two La Liga titles and a Copa del Rey. On his Instagram acccount, Rivaldo said signing Neymar “would be a great recruitment” for Barca “for everything that happened in this season’s finale”. He added: “He is, in my humble opinion, the player who Barcelona lack to be champion again in the [Champions League]. He has personality and a lot of quality to win back all the fans of Barcelona and also to be the best in the world.”

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Paul Aigbogun: Flying Eagles will bounce back against Ukraine Flying Eagles head coach Paul Aigbogun insists that his player have learnt from their disappointing defeat to the United States of America and will go all out for a win when they take on Ukraine in their final group game at the FIFA U 20 World Cup in Ukraine on Thursday. The Flying Eagles will face the Ukranians who are already through to the second round after beating USA and Qatar in their opening two games in the competition at the Bielsko Biala Stadium. Kick-off is 7:30 pm. Aigbogun’s charges started the competition on a winning note thrashing Qatar 4-0, but were

brought down to earth by the USA in the second game, going down to a 2-0 defeat. The two-time finalists sit in second position in Group D with three points and will need to beat the Europeans to be certain of a place in the Round of 16. The former Enyimba coach reckoned that his players were not at their best in the last game against USA but have put that beside them and are battle ready for the Ukranians. “I will say that the early goal we conceded unsettled our players and they were not able to stick to the game-plan that was earmarked for them,” Aigbogun

Advises Ugwuanyi on appointment of Sports commissioner

The Enugu state chapter of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, (SWAN), has congratulated players and management of Rangers Inter. FC of Enugu on their recent qualification for the super six play - off competition at the end of the 2018/2019 Nigeria professional football league NPLF season. It expressed satisfaction with the performance of the Seventime Nigeria league champions and reigning Aiteo cup holders in the about ending season, urging the Gbenga Ogunbote tutored boys and the management to ensure that the Enugu club side retains it status in the elite division of the Nigerian football league. In a communique issued at the end of its monthly congress held at the Nnamdi Azikiwe

sports stadium in Enugu, the association advised the Flying Antelopes to take the Super six encounter very seriously, no matter the club side they would be clashing with. The association, also advised the Prince Davidson Owumi led management to begin early preparations ahead of the new football season of 2019\2020, especially on the issue of beefing up the team with more talented and utility players , so as to avoid any form of fire brigade approach. The communiqué signed by the state chairman of the association, Comrade Norbert Okolie, and Secretary, Mr. Ignatius Okpara, equally salute the football loving governor of the state, His Excellency, Dr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for his continued support and disposition to the club since assumption of office. “There is no gain saying the

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told reporters after the team’s training session on Wednesday. “We were not at our best but we won’t allow this to dampen our morale because the ultimate is to qualify for the next round. We apologise for the defeat but we are assuring Nigerians that they shall see an improved team against Ukraine. “The boys were not happy with their performance and they were all distraught after the game. They have been told what they must improve on. It was not that they were totally poor against but the goals they scored against us had a telling effect on them and they were unable to recover.”

NPFL SUPER 6: Enugu SWAN congratulates Rangers FC Moses Oyediran, Enugu

Sports

fact that governor Ugwuanyi’s tremendous financial and moral support to Rangers Inter. FC, since assumption of office in 2015, has changed the team’s narrative, as well as remained the driving force for the club’s present success stories. “Enugu SWAN, wish to equally use this medium to felicitate with the amiable governor on the occasion of the inauguration of his 2nd term in office. While urging the governor to keep the flag flying in supporting the club, the body however, appealed to him as stakeholders in the business of sports promotion and development in the state, to ensure that only competent and sports technocrat is considered as Commissioner for youth and sports in the state in his new administration which takes off from today, 29th May 2019.

Woods still has 10 more years to reach me – Jack Nicklaus The sun hadn’t even gone down on that Sunday last month when Tiger Woods won the Masters, his 15th major, when certain golf writers began speculating whether Woods could match Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 majors after all. For most of the decade, 18 majors looked like an unreachable mark. Woods, once on track to catch Nicklaus by 2011, jumped the rails through a combination of scandal, injury and bad decisions. Until last month, Woods seemed destined to end his career “stuck” on a “mere” 14 majors. Now, though, everything’s back on the table. Nicklaus laughed that he was “shaking in [his] boots” immediately after the Woods victory, and now, a month later, he’s got plenty of thoughts. “He has another 10 years of major championships,” Nicklaus said Tuesday in advance of his Memorial tournament. “Another 40 major championships in front of him that he’ll be playing. And people say, ‘Well, he’ll never win another one.’ Still, you’ve heard me say this in the pressroom. Don’t count him out. He won major championships hitting it all over the world off the tee.” Nicklaus said he didn’t ever subscribe to the idea that Woods was finished. “I didn’t think that it made that much difference what had happened to him; once he sorted himself out mentally, once

he believed that he could play again, he would win.” As for the record? Well, Nicklaus said what we’d all believe: “From my standpoint, nobody wants their records broken. I don’t want him to break my records, but I don’t want him not to be able to play and not be physically sound to play. I mean, if he’s physically sound and it’s his desire to win and he breaks it, you know, well done. That’s what it should be. That’s what sports is all about.” Nicklaus’s Memorial is one of the Tour’s most revered non-major stops, and this year, Woods will be using it as a tune-up to next month’s U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. Nicklaus indicated that he didn’t believe Woods missing the cut would have any significance going forward. “I thought he might play really well at Bethpage, although coming off a win as emotional as the Masters was for him, I think it’s understandable that [missing the cut] would happen,” he said. “I don’t think he’s going to let that happen again. I think that was a wake-up call again for him. And I expect him to play very well this week. And I think he always plays well here. I think he’ll play really well here, and I think he’ll play well at Pebble.” Woods tees off Thursday at the Memorial, an event he’s won five times. He’ll hit the course at 8:26 a.m. ET, paired with Justin Rose and Bryson DeChambeau.

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