DTN-4-5-19

Competition begins for the soul of Nigeria’s energy As full list of oil lifting bidders is unveiled

Our correspondent The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has said that 132 oil and gas companies on Thursday submitted bids to acquire rights to lift the nation’s crude oil for 2019/2020.

How to stem exodus of doctors, by stakeholders https://plus.google.com/+DailytimesNgr/posts

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This was disclosed by the Group General Manger, Public Affairs Department of the Corporation, Ndu Ughamadu, during the ceremonial opening of the bids in Abuja performed by the Group Managing Director, Maikanti Baru.

Continued on page 3

SATURDAY, MAY 4, 2019

VOL. 3

NO. 936

N100

Say if unchecked, brain drain will lead to collapse of Nigeria’s health sector

Doosuur Iwambe, Abuja Outrage has continued to trail the statement by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) that about 2,000 medical workers leave Nigeria annually to other developed countries of the world.

To put an end to ‘brain drain’ in the health sector, the Nigerian government was advised to provide more funds, emoluments and incentives for medical practitioners.

Reacting to the development during a telephone interview with The Daily Times on Friday, stakeholders in the nation’s health sector said the country should identify and discourage what fuels brain drain in Nigeria.

According to Dr. Charles Nwachkwu, things like nepotism, tribalism and quota system is unarguable key factors that Nigeria needs to address. ‘’Most of these high skilled workers migrate to western countries out of frustration. Many, in spite of their qualifications, yet couldn’t find a

All Nigerians will feel impact of Buhari g 5 administration, says Minister Extra-judicial killings, lawlessness among police personnel shameful - Abia CP g 5

job suitable to them. ‘’Though, many factors may be attributed to this, nevertheless it boils down to one thing; here we don’t appreciate meritocracy rather mediocre is treasured. Things like ‘he is not from this tribe, we are not in the same political party, he is a Christian’, Nwachukwu said.

On his part, Pharmacist Osayamen Olaye, who lamented the high rate of brain drain in Nigeria, said that until the issue of incentive given to medical personnel is improved upon, they will be left with no other alternative but to migrate to other countries where they pay higher.

“India was able to conquer brain drain because they offered an interest free loan to all their medical professionals abroad.

“The loan was for them to establish whatever facility of their dream in their country. The (Indian) government also provided incentives and conducive working condition and their doctors came home. Today, India has joined the list of countries in brain gain! They make a whole lot of money in medical tourism.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

Why Gowon slumped at Ejoor’s funeral g 5

EFCC secures g 5 16 convictions, recovers N72.9m, Why Nigerian artistes need to take voice properties in Uyo training serious- Adeboye Adefolalu g 11

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Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, May 4, 2019

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, May 4, 2019

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‘How to stem exodus of doctors’ Continued from page 1

Olaye warned that if brain drain continues unchecked, it will lead to the collapse of the nation’s health sector.

Also, Mr. Mayowa Joel, of Communication for Development Centre Nigeria, said: ‘’There are many things that we need to do as a country to reduce this brain drain. We need to look at the welfare for medical doctors and all health professionals as well because it’s not just about medical doctors but all other health professionals. ‘’We need to look at incentive package, remuneration because the question we need to ask ourselves is, why are they leaving? Why are medical doctors, health professionals going abroad? Except we are deceiving ourselves, the major reason is the incentives. ‘’In addition to that we need to begin to look for opportunity for career development. Medical felid is a highly professional field. If government and stakeholders will be able to provide opportunities for development, they will be comfortable to stay back and

work’’, he added.

The Daily Times recalls that the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) disclosed on Thursday that about 2,000 medical workers leave Nigeria, annually, to other developed countries of the world.

This was disclosed by the President of the NMA, Dr. Francis Faduyile, during the opening ceremony of the 59th annual general conference/ delegates meeting of the association in Abakaliki, capital of Ebonyi State, with the theme: Skill repatriation in the health sector: Turning Nigeria’s brain drain to brain gain.

He said: “We believe that this ugly situation can be turned to an advantage, hence, the need to bring this to the front burner for discussion and proffer a way out to the country’s advantage.”

Dr. Faduyile lamented that the ugly situation has not augured well for the country and regretted that some policy makers do not seem to be interested in ameliorating the situation because they do not to have the necessary statistics and facts on the matter.

“Without intent at

generating further controversy on the matters arising from the unfortunate remark by a senior cabinet member of the Federal Government, who incidentally or coincidentally, doubles as a senior member of the medical profession, it is our firm believe that this gathering would generate further affirmatory statistics and facts that possibly would be enough in convincing those policy makers at critical ministries, departments and agencies of government at all levels, including the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, which, perhaps, are yet to come to reality with the scientifically unambiguous deleterious aftermath of the worsening disparity between the health workforce in general and the population they are serving; vis-à-vis the alarming rate of the emigration of these health/medical professionals on health outcomes, as reflected by the various morbidity and mortality data.

“Then, they can join us in the clarion call for action and be committed to instituting necessary actions,” Faduyile added.

Competition begins for the soul of Nigeria’s energy Continued from page 1 The tender for the one-year contracts, also known as direct sale, direct-purchase (DSDP), was issued in March. NNPC extended the 2018 contracts through June of this year. The companies that are competing for the rights include local and international concerns.

The winners of the bid would each have allocations from the 445,000 barrels per day of Nigeria’s crude oil originally meant for domestic refining.

At the ceremony, Baru said the aim was to maximise the value of the country’s crude oil for the benefit of Nigerians, adding that the bid which is the third since the DSDP scheme began in 2016, aligns with the present administration’s quest for transparency in the oil and gas industry.

He said that between 2016 and March 2019, about 29.5 million metric tons (or 39 billion litres) of petroleum products have been supplied under the DSDP scheme, which he said represents over 90 per cent of the national requirement of about 55 million litres daily.

See the full list of companies 1. Maritime Support Services Limited 2. Delta Energy Engineering Company 3. Transit Oil Nigeria Limited 4. Petrolex Oil & Gas Limited/ Alsaa Petroleum and Shipping FZC 5. GG Energy Supply Limited 6. A&E Petro Nigeria Limited 7. Mob Integrated Services Limited 8. Falcon Bay Energy Limited 9. North West Petroleum & Gas Company/Setana Energy Limited 10. Gunvor Limited

11. Duke Oil Company Incorporated 12. AZMAN Oil and Gas Limited 13. A-Z Petroleum Products Limited 14. Primary Energy/Topp IT Consulting 15. Over Energy Marketing 16. Dans Global Engineering Limited 17. Rainoil Limited 18. Sahara Energy Resources Limited 19. KRS Energy Trading Services Limited/Petrovietam Oil Consortium 20. China Zhenhua Oil Company Limited/Casiva Limited 21. Augusta Energy DMCC 22. BP & AYM Shafa Limited 23. Vito Hyson/Calson 24. Shoreline Natural Resources Limited SPVI 25. Marque & Synergy/ASCON Group Consortium 26. UVM Offshore Limited/OMV/ NOFS 27. JSPEC 28. Tilbar Energy Limited 29. Alasco/NIPCO Plc 30. Oil Trading SA 31. Mobil Oil Nigeria Limited 32. Bulder Refineries Limited 33. Oil Corp & Fengying Technology Co. Limited 34. Red star Oil and Gas Limited 35. Trafigura PTE limited/AA Rano 36. Bono Energy Limited 37. Petroineos & Hyde Energy 38. Blektron Petroleum Energy & Mining Ltd/Tema Oil Refining Company 39.RER Engineering Corporation 40. Othneil Brooks Limited 41. Mutsbishi Corporation Nigeria Limited 42. MM Gropu & Gladius Commodities 43. Energy Traders/Makon Oil &

Gas Limited 44. Consultants Limited 45. Hyden Consortium 46. Tech Oil & Gas Limited 47. Bellpoint Energy Ltd/Rosneft Trading SA 48. Trading & Shipping SPA/ NAOC 49. Energy Services Company Limited (NESSCO 50. Oil and Gas 51. Tammarra Petroleum Ltd 52. Oil and Gas Company Limited 53. Petroleum Plc 54. Oil and Gas Company Ltd/ DTS Commercial 55. Oil and Gas Engineering Ltd 56. Oil Petra Energy Consortium 57. Global Oil and Gas Ltd 58. Silverline Limited 59. Assets & Trust Ltd 60. OB Oil and Gas Ltd 61. Petroleum Corporation & EMADEB Energy 62. Petroleos De Geneva SA Ltd 63. Teems EPC International Ltd 64. Equinox 65. Northbridge Energy Ltd 66. Seapro Energy Ltd 67. Petraco Oil 68. KRS Energy Trading Services Ltd 69. KBB Energy & Petrol Gas Energy 70. Boussard Oil & Gas Ltd 71. Chipper International Ltd 72. Masters Energy Oil & Gas Ltd 73. Eurafric Oil and Coastal Services Ltd 74. Enyo Trading Company Ltd 75. Addax Energy SA 76. Curzon & Tor 77. Petratlantic Energy (Singapore) PTE Ltd 78. Hontop Energy (Singapore) PTE Ltd 79. Shepherdhill Petroleum Development Ltd

Continued on page 5

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PHOTO TIMES

R-L: Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa; his Edo State counterpart, Godwin Obaseki; Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai; Former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (rtd) and others, at the funeral service of Major General David Ejoor held at Ovwor-Olomu, Ughelli South local government area of Delta State...on Friday.

President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki with Governor of Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa (right) and Governor Kayode Fayemi (left) during the Induction Session for Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) at the Villa Banquet Hall in Abuja... on Monday.

L-R: Managing Director, Feedo Foods Limited, Ibadan, Mr. Remi Adewunmi; Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi; Director-General, Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Mr Asishana Okauru; and Chairman, Nigeria Bar Association, Ibadan branch, Dr. Oluwole Akintayo, during the DG’s visit to the governor, at the Government House, Ibadan

L-R: Sister of N1 million winner, Blessing Onyekachi Cyril; Head, Strategy & Business Transformation, Fidelity Bank Plc, Adetunji Mustapha; Account Officer to N1 million winner & Fidelity Bank Staff, Alice Eremosele; N1 million winner, Chima Esther Chinyere; Divisional Head, Retail Banking, Fidelity Bank Plc, Richard Madiebo at the 5th Monthly Prize Presentation ceremony of the Get Alert In Millions Season 3 (GAIM Season 3) held at the Bank’s Computer Village Branch in Ikeja, Lagos.

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Daily Times Nigeria

Saturday, May 4, 2019

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, May 4, 2019

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All Nigerians will feel impact of Buhari administration, says Minister

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Bello, on Friday in Abuja, said that every part of the country would feel the impact of the current administration.

Bello said this during the inauguration and hand over of erosion control works at Sarius Palmetum Botanic Garden in Maitama, executed by Ecological Funds Office (EFO).

“This project is a testimony to the current administration’s promise that no part of the country will suffer neglect owing to its geographical location or political affiliation.

“The project is one of the 16 ecological intervention projects approved by President Muhammadu Buhari, on January 28, 2018, to ameliorate and control some of the most outstanding flood and erosion problems in the country.

“It intends to bring relief to the sufferings of the people of the area and reduce danger to lives and property associated with erosion and persistent flooding.’’

The minister said the execution of projects across the country demonstrated the sincerity of purpose of the Buhariled administration toward entrenching justice, equity and fair play in the land.

Mrs. Bolatitan Laditan, Director of Special Duties, who represented Dr. Habiba Lawal, the Permanent Secretary of the EFO at the inauguration, said the project would give the people living in

Muhammad Bello the area a sense of belonging.

“The project will arrest the continuous erosion menace, improve access to roads.

“The hand over will enable the host community take over and exercise ownership of the projects to ensure its maintenance and sustainability.”

Lawal urged the residents to ensure that resources, which the Federal Government had committed to the projects, were sustained.

Alhaji Abdulahi Candido, the

Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), thanked the minister and the Federal Government for all the intervention programmes in FCT. “We are indebted to the ecological funds office for all the interventions; the people are better off now, and we are assuring them of our cooperation and support.

“We will continue to sensitise the citizens around here to have maintenance culture so that this intervention projects do not waste.

Why Gowon slumped at Ejoor’s funeral Doosuur Iwambe, Abuja & Nosa Akenzua, Asaba

Medical personnel in the nation’s health sector has given reasons why the former Head of Gen. Yakubu Gowon, reportedly slumped mid-way at the grave side oration for late Maj-Gen David Akpodiete Ejoor, in OvworOlomu Community, Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State.

Reacting to the development during a telephone Interview with The Daily Times on Friday, a senior pharmacist, Osayawen Olaye with a government hospital in Abuja attributed the development to age, stress and high blood pressure.

He said: ‘’ He is old and his body is getting weaker, he could have ailment like high blood pressure, diabetes that we do not know, it could be stress of the occasion’’.

Another Abuja based medical Doctor, Mrs. Bola Adeniran, who also aligned herself with the submissions of Olaye, said once you get to a certain age, you are not supposed to stress yourself much. ‘’As you are all aware, he has been active for some time now. He has always been in the news. So it could be as a result of much stress’’, she said.

The Daily Times recalls that the former Head of State was reported to have slumped mid-way at the grave side oration for late Maj-Gen David Akpodiete Ejoor, in Ovwor-Olomu Community, Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State.

Following the incident, military personnel at the burial made efforts to bar visual coverage of the incident.

The former head of state was promptly rushed by some top echelons of the military who were at the event into the special tenth for emergency resuscitation, just as Governor Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa and Chief James Onanefe Ibori, former Governor of the Delta State, dashed into the tenth to access his health status.

Immediately, the military as well as the Delta State ambulances were moved closer to the tent in the event the former head of state’s health deteriorates further.

After a moment of suspense, Chief Ibori and Governor Okowa came out of the special tent, giving an indication that the former army general has recovered.

According to reports, a few other eminent personalities, including former Governor James Ibori and Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, stood by the ex-head of state until he was stabilised.

Earlier, Gowon in his speech said that the unity of Nigeria was a collective responsibility of everyone.

Gowon said that Ejoor believed in the unity of Nigeria, and that the late former Chief of Army Staff was able to reconcile the people of Urhobo and Itsekiri ethnic nationalities as well as the Midwest region when he was a military governor.

“Keeping Nigeria as one is a task that must be done. That is what is necessary.

Ejoor was able to reconcile Urhobo and Itsekiri and also keep Midwest region as one.

Describing Ejoor as a good and loyal colleague as they both worked to keep the country together, he added: “As a good soldier, he suffered to avoid being captured. He had a lot of military

knowledge.

“His soul will certainly be unforgettable as a professional soldier and administrator. He was my senior until the change that took place.

“I will like to say goodbye, my colleague, rest well, I pray to God to receive you in His bosom,” he said.

Ejoor died on February 10, at the age of 87.

On his part, Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State said the “spectacular contributions” of Ejoor to the struggle for keeping Nigeria as a united entity could not be forgotten in the anal of our common history.

Obaseki said that Ejoor would be richly acclaimed for his love and peaceful coexistence of the various ethnic groups in Nigeria.

“He will be remembered for his belief in true federalism and his pioneering role in drafting the Nigeria Defence Policy.

“The manner in which the Nigerian military is represented in this occasion gives credence to the rich legacy and the life he lived,” he said.

Extra-judicial killings, lawlessness among police personnel shameful - Abia CP The Commissioner of Police (CP) in Abia State, Mr. Ene Okon, has decried the rate of extra-judicial killings and lawlessness among the police operatives, saying that the development has brought shame to the Police Force.

Okon said this in Aba on Friday while addressing officers and men of Eziama Divisional Police Station in the Aba Area Command.

He therefore warned the police operatives to be cautious with the handling of their fire arms in order not to become victims of its miss use.

He said: “We are suffering from self-inflicted injury. We have deflected our ego.

“We have become subject of ridicule because this gun they bought for us to protect people, we’ve turned to use it for killing innocent people.

“In one or two weeks in Lagos, police killed about four innocent persons and some in a bizarre manner.”

The police boss recounted how some unscrupulous police operatives abused their power, citing the recent killing of a girl who was allegedly returning from a club.

He wondered when going to club became a crime in Nigeria and warned operatives against indiscriminate arrest and attack on innocent citizens.

“The gun you should use for kidnappers and armed robbers, you now turn to use to kill innocent persons.

“This is happening often. By doing this, you are carving a bad image for the police and yet we have a law guiding the use of fire arms’’.

He reminded them that the first day they joined the police, they were told about Force Order 237, which guides policemen on the use of fire arms.

He frowned at the attitude of some

80. Teview Petroleum Limited 81. Askan Oil and Gas Limited 82. Danmusa & Amicable Oil and Gas Ltd Consortium 83. Ronco Ltd 84. United Petroleum Trading SA/Oil Standard & Energy 85. Forte Oil Plc 86. Sahal Energy & Petrochemical Consortium 87. Investment Ltd 88. Energy Solutions 89. Almond Oil and Gas Limited 90. Southpole Consortium 91. ABC Oil Nigeria Ltd 92. Stallionafre Group 93. Matrix Energy Ltd 94. Obat Oil & Petroleum Ltd 95. Valcore Energy Ltd 96. Hebron Exploration Ltd

97. J Marine Logistics Ltd 98. Coolspring Trading & Marketing 99. ADS Communications Link Ltd 100. Sheriff Combined Business Ltd 101. Magnet Energy Ltd/World Marine PTY Ltd 102. Propetrol Ltd/Makwande Energy Trading PTY Ltd 103. Amazon Energy/Afee Energy 104. Water Top International Ltd 105. Bangehak Corporation Public Company Ltd 106. Eduyork International Ltd 107. Sevene Energy Dev. Ltd 108. Mocon SA/Mocoh Oil & Gas 109. Mercuna Energy Trading SA 110.

Chemchina Petrochemical Company Ltd 111. Petrocan Trading PTY Ltd/ZIMS and LORDS 112. Separate Colours Nigeria Ltd 113. XR Energy Plc/Burgas Refinery AD/Petrcam

policemen, who usually fired shots into the air during an arrest, adding that there was no need for such wastes.

“Even when you are on the range, you’ll always be told to aim your fire on the knee.

“But your own knee has disappeared as all you now see is the heart and head.

“You neglect the existence of Force Order 237 and so I think you must be taught again, if you still don’t understand it.

“I don’t want to hear accidental discharge here in Abia. Extra-judicial killings must be avoided because it dents police image,” Okon said.

He admonished officers and men of the command to be civil with members of the public and treat them with courtesy so that they would get the same respect from the public in return.

He further said that Nigerians had become more enlightened than before.

According to him, most people now know their constitutional rights, hence the need for the police to work in line with constitutional provisions.

He warned them to stop harassing, molesting, abusing and assaulting Nigerians over flimsy reasons.

He charged them to apply the instructions they learnt from the police college in order to avoid the dehumanisation of citizens and degradation of the police.

Okon also urged them to adopt a better and more mature means of extracting information from suspects than beating and dehumanising them.

He encouraged them to study and make themselves conversant with the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution, the Police Act and other laws in order to discharge their duties creditably.

EFCC secures 16 convictions, recovers N72.9m, properties in Uyo The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Uyo Zonal Office has secured 16 convictions in the first quarter of the year 2019, and recovered the total sum of N69,431,029 and $9,630.

According to the Deputy Zonal Head, Alex Ebbah, who made the disclosure on Friday, three units of three bedroom flats situated

Competition begins for the soul of Nigeria’s energy Continued from page 3

5 News

114. Synergy Plc/Mocoh Oil & Gas 115. Noflochim Burgas Refinery AD/ Petrcam 116. TSL Logistics & Atlatis Commodities 117. Afren Energy Resources Ltd 118. Byrie Energy 119. Nord Oil & Gas Ltd 120. Clover Energy SA 121. Zigna Ltd 122. One Terminal Ltd 123. Chisco Energy 124. Alliance Drilling Ltd 125. Petrotel Refinery 126. Rhamaninyya Oil and Gas Ltd 127. AIPEC Oil and Gas Ltd 128. NEGOA Energy Ltd 129. Eternal Plc 130. Petrovietam Oil Consortium 131. Puma Energy Ltd/Puma Energy Supply Trading PTE 132. OANDO & CEPZA

at Oghara, Delta State, were also recovered after the Court ordered their final forfeiture, including one Lexus E350 saloon car.

Among other property forfeited include two truck-load of 33,000 litres of AGO each; 25 litres of AGO in 27 cellophane bags; nine HP laptops, one MacBook Air laptop; one Dell laptop and one Acer laptop; one Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus and iPhone X. Highlighting the success made so far in the Zone, which marks its two years of establishment, Ebbah noted that “113 petitions were received from individuals, organisations and government agencies”, from which the convictions were secured, while other cases are undergoing prosecution in various Federal and State High Courts.

Ebbah said: “Recall that the office was opened in mid-2017 by the Acting EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, with an effort to reduce the level of economic and financial crimes around the Niger-Delta region, mostly Akwa Ibom and Cross-Rivers State.

“The Office has so far made significant progress with regards to fighting corruption around the region and is still on its stand to see that the level of corruption is reduced to the barest minimum in the Zone”, Ebbah said.

News 6

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, May 4, 2019

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Al-Makura presents staff Short News Court remands brothers in prison for of office to new Lafia emir alleged murder in Lagos Governor Umaru Al-Makura of Nasarawa state on Friday presented the staff of office to the 17th Emir of Lafia Emirate, Justice Sidi Bage Muhammad I. Justice Muhammad I was selected by kingmakers of the Lafia Emirate on March 26, following the demise of the 16th Emir, Isa Mustapha Agwai on January 10.

While presenting the staff of office, Gov. Al-Makura, said the emergence of the new emir was a welcome development to the people of the emirate given his track record in the temple of justice.

He expressed confidence in the ability of the emir to engender peace, justice and equity in his domain, stating that his administration had incorporated the traditional rulers into the governance of the state, especially in peace building, attesting that their incorporation had yielded tremendous results. ‘‘The vast background, training,

experience and exposure of our traditional rulers have contributed immensely to the maintenance of peace and harmonious co-existence amongst the people,’’ he said.

The governor attributed the relative peace in the state within the last few years to the support of the traditional institutions and also extolled the virtues of the late emir, saying that the emirate enjoyed peace and witnessed unprecedented development during his reign.

He prayed God to grant the new emir sound health, wisdom and foresight in the task of superintending over the affairs of the emirate.

The new emir in his vote of thanks, said the presentation of the staff of office was an honour done to the people of the emirate and urged the people of the emirate to sustain the peace and harmonious co-existence that the late emir exemplified.

According to him, the Lafia emirate was unique as all the tribes were inter-related by blood and ancestry and therefore, promised to consolidate on the peace building efforts of the late emir to engender rapid socio-economic development of the emirate.

The ceremony was witnessed

by Gov. Abubakar Bello of Bauchi state, Deputy governors of Benue and Kano states and notable traditional rulers across the country led by Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III. Others are the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Kyari El-Kanemi, Tor Tiv, Prof.

James Ayatse and the Gbom Gwom Jos, Dr. Buba Jacob Gyang among others.

Also present were the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Mohammed, former Chief Justice, Justice Alfa Belgore and the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachua.

An Ebute Meta Chief Magistrate Court in Lagos on Friday, ordered that two brothers who allegedly beat a man to death be remanded in prison custody.

The police charged Anasigwe Chidalu, 28, and Okwuchukwu, 34, on two -count of conspiracy and murder.

Chief Magistrate O.O. Olatunji, who did not take the plea of the defendants, ordered that they be remanded in Ikoyi Prison custody, pending legal advice from the Lagos state Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Olatunji directed the police to forward a duplicate of their case file to the DPP and adjourned the case until June 10 for legal advice.

Earlier, the prosecution counsel, Oladele Adebayo, told the court that the defendants committed the offences on April 19 at 7.30 a.m. at No. 3, Fatai Akinyemi Street, off Agric Road, Igando.

He said the defendants had ganged up and beaten the late Chidi Ogbulike, 43, to death, saying that the offences contravene the provisions of Sections 223 and 233 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos state, 2015.

Study reveals gender based violence increasing in Nigeria

A 2018 study conducted by the Disability Rights Advocacy Centre (DRAC) shows that Gender Based Violence is on the increase in Nigeria, even with the enactment of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act 2015.

The baseline survey was on the knowledge, attitude and perception of the general population on violence against women and girls with disabilities with theme: “Fallen through the cracks.’’

Executive Director of DRAC, Ms. Irene Patrick, who disclosed this in Abuja on Friday, said that the study was conducted by DRAC with the support of Christoffel Bliden Mission (CBM), a German non-governmental organization.

According to her, the act seems to be getting worse with trends showing that women and girls with disabilities face triple marginalization, adding that also, the study revealed that one in every five Nigerian women experiences some form of abuse in her life time, with the abusers most times being a member of her family or an intimate acquaintance.

“According to the World Bank collection of development indicators complied in 2016, 49. 34 per cent of Nigeria’s 185 million population are females, with 19.2 per cent which is 17.6 million constituting women and girls with disabilities.

“Generally women in Nigeria are disadvantaged because of the patriarchal nature of the Nigeria society which sees women as the weaker sex and a second class citizen.

“This has affected the way women are treated, as they face marginalization and deprivation, and a woman with disability faces double disadvantage,’’ it said.

Court remands man for sexually assaulting 10-year-old girl

The representative of the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, the Director Human Resources Management, Ajibola Ibrahim, delivering a keynote address during a-2 day Zonal Sensitization Workshop on Resolving Trade Disputes and Seeking Redress for Labour Injustice in Nigeria at Maraba, Nasarawa State.

An Ikeja Chief Magistrate Court in Lagos on Friday ordered that a 45-year-old man, Celestine Onwusonye, who allegedly assaulted a 10-year-old girl be remanded in prison.

Magistrate Olufunke Sule- Amzat, who did not take the plea of the defendant, ordered that the defendant be remanded in Kirikiri Prison and ordered the police to send the case file to the state director of public prosecutions for advice before adjourning the case until June 3.

The defendant, who resides in Oregun area of Ikeja, Lagos, is facing a charge of unlawful sexual assault.

Earlier, the prosecution counsel, Benson Emuerhi, told the court that the defendant committed the offence on April 19, at No 2/3 Kudirat Abiola way, Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos.

Emuerhi alleged that the defendant sexually assaulted the girl, adding that the case was reported to the police at Isokoko Police Division by the girl’s mother.

The offence, he said, contravenes the provisions of Section 261 of the Criminal Law of Lagos state 2015.

540 die, 3, 383 sustain injuries in

Police allegedly kill another Nigerian in South African road crashes in Jan. - FRSC

The President, Nigerian Citizens Association South Africa (NICASA), Mr. Ben Okoli, has raised the alarm over the circumstances surrounding the death of a Nigerian, Mr. Ebuka Udugbo, allegedly killed by South African police.

Okoli said this in a letter to the Consul General, Nigerian Consulate, Johannesburg, South Africa a copy of which was obtained in Abuja on Friday He explained that Ebuka Udugbo was arrested by South African police over a quarrel with his girlfriend, one Miss Linda on April 28 and later pronounced dead by the police.

“The information we got initially was that he committed suicide while in the South African police custody in Cape Town. We conducted our own preliminary investigation over the circumstances surrounding his death.

What we discovered was really shocking and disheartening from our findings.

“The late Udugbo had a quarrel with his girlfriend and left the house at about 9 a.m on April 28 to avoid further altercation

with his girlfriend,” Okoli stated.

According to him, the girlfriend called the police and along with the police they had gone out in search of Udugbo. He was later found by the police while he was driving on the road in town.

He said that Udugbo vehicle was stopped, he was arrested and handcuffed, adding that “the police took his car keys, left the car by the way and drove with him back to his house in the police car along with the girlfriend.

“He was severely beaten by the cops in his house and he fainted. At this point the landlord’s son feared and told the police to take him to the hospital. The police refused and instead, they took him to the police station where they claimed that he had allegedly committed suicide.”

According to him, at about past 10 a.m. one of Udugbo’s relatives went to the station and was told that Udugbo had committed suicide.

Okoli declared that the association refuses to accept the police story, insisting that “we believe that he was killed right in

the police station and hanged afterwards.

His case was that of domestic violence and does not warrant the police to beat him since he did not in any way resist arrest.

He said that all circumstances surrounding his death was a clear indication of bias, hate, xenophobia and premeditated action and police high handedness.

“We believed that the late Udugbo was killed and to cover it up the police hanged him to make it look like suicide. The police cell is not a place for anybody to commit suicide. It is meant to be a place of safety and protection.

“The South African police service had considered Nigerians as inconsequential and unimportant. They tend to always get away with it because they had been allowed to go free in numerous murder cases where they had killed Nigerians.

“NICASA shall protest this unnecessary police brutality, bias, death in police custody, xenophobia and high handedness against our nationals,” he assured.

A total of 540 persons died, while 3, 383 others were injured in 950 road traffic crashes across the country in January, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has reported.

A total of 7, 827 persons were involved in the various accidents, the corps disclosed in its monthly road traffic crash report signed by the Corps Marshal, Boboye Oyeyemi and made public in Abuja on Friday.

Oyeyemi said the figures indicated a decrease of 21 per cent in fatality rates, which shows a 14 per cent decrease in crash cases and 14 per cent decrease in the number of people injured in the month under review as compared to December 2018.

“A comparative analysis of January crash statistics with that of the corresponding month in 2018 revealed a general increase across all parameters,” the report stated.

According to the report, the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway recorded the highest number of road crashes with 57 cases representing 11 per cent decrease from December 2018.

The Abuja-Lokoja and Kaduna-Abuja roads followed with 54 and 51 cases, just as analysis based on states revealed that Kaduna recorded the highest number of crashes with 95 cases.

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) followed with 83 cases, Ogun with 64 cases while Nasarawa and Oyo states recorded 58 and 46 cases. On the other hand, the corps marshal said, Kaduna recorded the highest number of fatality cases with 53 deaths representing 48 per cent decrease as compared to December 2018.

“Bauchi and Ogun followed in order of magnitude with 44 deaths each while Kano and Oyo had 35 and 29 cases,” Boboye added.

Furthermore, the report indicated that speed violation accounted for high causes of crashes with 502 cases representing 49.4 per cent of the total causative factors.

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Court nullifies Adamawa Rep-elect’s Short News Ondo election tribunal warns lawyers election over forgery against delay tactics Andrew Orolua, Abuja

The Federal High Court, Abuja on Friday, sacked Abdulrauf Modibbo as member-elect under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) representing Yola South/Yola North/Girei Federal Constituency of Adamawa state.

Justice Inyang Ekwo nullified Modibbo’s election while delivering judgment in a suit filed by an APC aspirant, Mustapha Usman, challenging the election of Modibbo as the winner of the APC primaries held on October 7, 2018, in Yola.

Usman had dragged Modibbo to court after the general election, accusing of age falsification and as such was ineligible to contest the APC

primaries and therefore, prayed the court to disqualify Modibbo as the APC candidate.

He joined the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as defendants in the suit.

But in his ruling, Justice Ekwo declared that Modibbo was unqualified to contest the APC primaries as well as the National Assembly election, holding that Usman was the lawful winner of the APC primaries and candidate of the party.

He further ruled that Usman had successfully proven beyond all reasonable doubt that Modibbo falsified his age severally in order to contest the election, asserting that the plaintiff proved that Modibbo submitted the forged certificates for the purpose of

contesting the APC primaries.

Similarly, the court held that Modibbo was a serving National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member when he contested the primary election, adding that the action breached Section 4 of the NYSC Act 2004.

“A person who is a lawbreaker cannot be a lawmaker, this illegality is one that cannot be wished away,” the judge said and declared that following the disqualification of Modibbo, the litigant who polled the second highest votes at the APC primary for Yola South/Yola North/Girei Federal Constituency was the lawful winner.

Justice Ekwo thereafter, gave an order directing the APC and INEC to replace Modibbo’s name with that of Usman as the lawful candidate of the APC for the federal constituency.

Adewale Momoh, Akure

The Ondo state National Assembly and state House of Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal has cautioned parties against frivolous applications and unnecessary tactics that will delay the proceedings of the tribunal.

Justice Nuhu Adi, who is the chairman of the 3-member tribunal gave the stern warning at its inaugural sitting in Akure, the Ondo state capital.

The tribunal chairman emphasized that the panel only had 180 days under the Electoral Act to determine the seven petitions before it, adding that the tribunal will also be sitting on public holidays in order to fast track the conclusion of its assignment.

Justice Adi however, assured that the tribunal’s members would deploy high level of professionalism, legal skills and transparency to ensure that both petitioners and respondents receive justice.

“We solicit the maximum cooperation of all that are involved in this exercise, particularly the legal representatives of the parties in all the petitions. The hearing of the petitions shall be on a day to day basis, including public holidays in order to meet up with 180 -day period provided for the hearing and determination of each petition.

“The parties are hereby enjoined to be ready to work within the mandatory period stipulated by the law. The panel shall remain in absolute and firm control of the court until the exercise is over.

WFP adopts new strategy to expand support to Nigeria Tom Okpe, Abuja The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is set to expand its support to humanitarian and development programmes in Nigeria, based on a new country strategic plan for the next four years.

According to a press statement by the WFP Representative and Country Director in Nigeria, Myrta Kaulard, the WFP will maintain its vital lifesaving assistance in the country under the new strategic blueprint while also focusing on self-reliance, resilience and peace building initiatives to enable access to food by all that will help achieve zero hunger.

The statement said: “While we remain committed to the crisis response in the North East, this plan provides new and wider entry points for our assistance in Nigeria in the future.

“We look forward to broadening engagement with the Nigerian authorities, the donors and the cooperating partners in order to restore livelihoods and boost resilience and together reduce the number of people depending on food assistance.”

The plan also provides an opportunity for the WFP to strengthen gender-transformative programming in Nigeria by empowering women and girls to face some of the challenges which affect their food security and hinder their participation in decision-making.

NiMet advises northern farmers to exercise restraint on planting

L-R: Olu of Ijoko Lemode, HRH. Oba Solomon Sokunbi; Agbedeyi of Orile Agege, HRH. Oba Akeem Ambali; Baale of Mulero Land, High Chief Olaitan Opeifa and the Jagunmolu of Mulero, High Chief Samuel Fakeye during the installation of the High Chief’s in Mulero Land in Lagos.

IPMAN warns NASS against interfering with equalisation fund Hamad Mohammed, Kano The Kano state branch of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association (IPMAN) on Friday cautioned the National Assembly against interfering with the mandate of the Petroleum Equalization Fund (PEF) as contained in the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB).

State Chairman of IPMAN, Alhaji Bashir Dan-Malam, gave the advice while speaking with newsmen in Kano.

“Expunging PEF from the PIGB will not only jeopardize IPMAN, but also take them out of business and increase the rate of unemployment, youth restlessness and banditry that is bedeviling the country at the moment.

“Expunging PEF from the PIGB will not only widen unemployment, but will cause serious income disparity between the North and South as a result of haulage of petroleum products from

surplus areas to where there is scarcity,” Dan-Malam stated.

However, the IPMAN state chairman commended President Buhari for declining to give assent to the controversial bill, saying that Buhari was right to decline assent to the bill because of its shortcomings.

He said one of the shortcomings was that the bill had scrapped the Petroleum Equalization Fund (PEF), explaining that the PEF is money generated by petroleum marketers nationwide which currently stands at hundreds of billions of naira.

According to him, there was a sinister motive behind the scrapping of the PEF in the PIGB by those indebted and withholding the monies of the fund.

“Buhari was right to decline assent to the PIGB. There are a lot of errors in it. Significantly, the bill had scrapped PEF. This PEF is the money generated by independent marketers and it is even used in regulating petroleum prices nationwide.

“We have discovered that there are some elements who are owing the board hundreds of billions of naira of PEF funds that is why they recommended the scrapping of the PEF in the PIGB. “Those clamouring or campaigning behind the scenes for the scrapping of PEF are doing so because they are hugely indebted to PEF by their failure to pay bridging and other allowances due to the board for the payment of marketers.

“Arguably, IPMAN can be said to be the next employer of labour after the federal government and our funds in PEF is our only benefit in the supply and distribution of petroleum products and deep penetration of the products to every corner of the country,” Dan-Malam said.

He called on Nigerians not to accept the removal of PEF in the PIGB, urging the National Assembly, especially the Senate to as a matter of urgency reintroduce the fund into the corrected bill to be forwarded to the president for assent.

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has advised farmers in the north to exercise restraint in planting crops with the current rainfalls across the region.

Technical Assistant to the Director General of NiMet, Dr. Mansur Matazu, who gave the advice in Abuja on Friday in an interview, warned that the central and extreme northern parts of the country were yet to experience the onset of the rainy season based on NiMet’s 2019 seasonal rainfall prediction.

He added that the current rains being experienced around the region were known as transition period activities leading to the onset of the new planting season. According to him, the rains will get established in the north around the first and second week of May to the first and second week of June. ‘‘The rains we are experiencing now are what we describe as transition period activities because between the dry season and the rainy season we have a transition. ‘‘This transition is associated with some occasional rains and these rains are meant for farmers to get prepared in terms of their planting activities; that is getting the land cleared, getting the inputs such as seeds and fertilizer ready.

Police arrest 9 robbery suspects, recover weapons in Enugu

The Police Command in Enugu state says it has arrested nine armed robbery suspects in the state within a period of one month. The command also recovered an AK 47 rifle, two locally-made double barrel guns and two locally-made pistols as well as two live cartridges.

Parading the suspects on Friday in Enugu, the state Commissioner of Police, Sulaiman Balarabe, said that the feat was achieved through effective collaboration and partnership with sister security agencies and other relevant stakeholders.

Balarabe noted that the command’s fight against crime was further boosted by the launch of operation `Puff Adder,’ adding that it was meant to further provide solution to topical security challenge such as kidnapping and other violent crimes.

In the period under review, the commissioner said that on April 26, operatives of the command arrested four persons who had been terrorizing the Ugwogo and Ibeagwa Nike axis of the state.

“The suspects, Chibuoke Charles, 25; Okwudili Ilochi, 24; Michael Chigozie, 23; and Chibueze Chinecherem, 26, were arrested at about 6 a.m. with one single barrel locally made revolver pistol,’’ he said.

The commissioner added by 9 a.m. on April 17, Eze Emmanuel, 25, a final year nursing student was arrested for unlawful possession of firearms, which included one locally made double barrel short gun and two live cartridges.

News 8

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Saraki: No good governance without press freedom Tunde Opalana, Abuja Senate President Bukola Saraki has said that there can be no good governance in any country where press freedom is not guaranteed.

Saraki made the statement on Friday in a goodwill message to a one -day conference marking the 2019 World Press Freedom Day organized by the Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ) and the European Union’s Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) programme.

The theme of the conference was: “Press freedom in Nigeria — the rule of law, media and violent extremism.”

Represented by the Deputy Senate Minority Whip, Sen. Philip Aduda, the Senate president stated that the 8th Senate values the media as crucial partners in the quest to build a stronger and more vibrant

democracy.

He said: “We do appreciate that we cannot deliver good governance without a free press and we are always available to work in tandem with the media to ensure a democratic society that serves us all.

“Clearly, if we truly wish to grow and preserve our democracy, we must understand that a free and pluralistic media environment that guarantees access to information is non-negotiable.

“When citizens have information, they are able to make informed choices due to the diversity of their viewpoints. When we have such a society, when citizens are not only well-informed, but are free to express their valid opinions without fear or prejudice, it is only then that we can truly say we are practicing true democracy.

“This is because democracy has at its foundation the freedom of the press, which in turn promotes

good governance, accountability and respect for human rights.

The urgency of this is reflected in Nigeria’s ranking on the Global Press Freedom Index of 2019 where we are ranked 120 out of 180 countries.

“One step lower than our standing in 2018, in fact. Other pointers would include, the incidence of detention of journalists in this country.”

He thanked the Chief Executive of Premium Times, Mr. Dapo Olorunyomi, for inviting him to the event, which presented an opportunity to reaffirm the power and responsibility of the media, and to recommit to the ideals of a free and independent press.

“It also serves as an occasion to reiterate that this power of the press comes with a great responsibility; to be the watchdogs that tell the stories that protect, defend and preserve our democracy and hold leaders to account,” Saraki stated.

Short News Ex-militant leaders extol Amnesty director’s rejection of N150m bribe Mathew Dadiya, Abuja Former Niger Delta militant leaders have commended the Director of Finance and Administration in the office of the Special Adviser/ Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Mr. IlemIyam Ilem-Ukam, for displaying ethical standard and professional conduct in the discharge of his duties.

Chairman, Bayelsa state chapter of the Niger Delta Ex-agitators’ Forum, Gen. Excel Yerindikede Toriomo, made the commendation on Friday.

He described as shameful, the alleged assassination of IlemUkam by unknown persons after he refused to accept a N150 million bribe meant to induce him to make payments to fake and questionable contractors on the orders of Prof. Dokubo.

Toriomo alleged that “Prof. Charles Dokubo has continued to abuse his office for want of ideas on how to run the Amnesty office.

The Amnesty coordinator has exhibited gross incompetence on the job having surrounded himself with questionable characters who were aides to a former coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme.

“We therefore, commend the director of finance for refusing to dance to the corruption melody of Prof. Dokubo. Rather, he was prepared to expose the corrupt practices that go on in the amnesty office on a daily basis.”

Delta builds multi-million Naira vocational training centre Nosa Akenzua, Asaba The Delta state government has completed a multi -million Naira vocational training centre of 16 blocks for out -of -school children.

Executive Chairman, Delta state Universal Basic Education Board, Sunny Ogwu, who spoke to journalists on Friday in Asaba, said the vocational training centre was started in 2013, adding that the centre would go a long way in changing the lives of out-ofschool children and give hope to the hopeless in the society.

The SUBEB boss stated that the centre consists of 16 blocks with a principal apartment of three bedrooms, administrative block, classrooms, cafeteria, borehole with an overhead tank and a 100kVA soundproof generator as well as toilets with modern fittings.

He added that the centre is expected to train out- of -school children in various skills acquisition schemes by the time it commences operations.

Nasarawa varsity VC cautions lecturers on sex for marks

L-R: Chairman, The Nigerian Institution of Civil Engineers (NICE), Lagos State chapter, Engr. (Mrs.) Lola Adetona; Guest Speaker, National Vice Chairman, Engr.

Tokunboh Ajanaku; Keynote Speaker, Engr. John Audu (FNSE), during April general meeting of the association titled: “Civil Engineering in Focus, Challenges, Issues, and Prospect in Nigeria” In Lagos.

Police nab 9 suspects for bunkering in Delta Nosa Akenzua, Asaba The inspector General of Police Special Taskforce on Pipeline Vandalization has arrested nine suspected oil thieves in Warri, Delta state.

Commander of the Special Taskforce, Mohammed El-Yakubu, who confirmed the arrest of the suspects to journalists, said that the suspects were arrested in Oteghele and Ugbodede Communities both in Warri South, adding that 50 illegal refineries were destroyed and an estimated15, 000 litres of refined diesel about to be loaded into wooding boats to be delivered to potential buyers were impounded at

both locations El -Yakubu said that the arrest of the suspects was made possible based on the intelligence gathering efforts of his team members, disclosing that while the Ugbodede Community camp habours 13 illegal refineries, the Oteghele Community had about 37 refineries operating at full capacity.

In another development, the vigilante team operating in Okpara Inland in Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta state in the early hours of Friday, reportedly shot dead two suspected armed robbers in Erekpe Street while one of the suspects escaped with bullet wounds.

Delta state Police Commissioner, Adeyinka Adeleke, who confirmed

the incident to journalists in Asaba, said the vigilante team recovered one locally made pistol and charms from the deceased suspects, adding that the police have launched a manhunt for the fleeing suspect The police boss said that the suspects based on intelligence gathered were members of a dreaded cult group who allegedly burgled the residence of one Newborn Ohamuedo and made away with his two mobile phones, including N15, 000 cash before nemesis caught up with them.

He adding the vigilante team exchanged gunfire with the suspects, gained the upper hand by killing the two suspects and fatally injuring a third who escaped with bullet wounds.

Vice-Chancellor, Nasarawa state University, Keffi, Prof.

Suleiman Bala-Mohammed, says the management will not spare any lecturer who demands sex for marks from students.

Prof. Bala-Mohammrd gave the advice in Keffi on Friday during the 17th matriculation ceremony of 6, 000 students for the 2018/2019 session of the institution.

According to him, the institution is totally against demanding for sex for marks and other negative acts, warning that “any lecturer caught will be made to face the full wrath of the law. This will serve as deterrent to others.”

The vice-chancellor also advised the lecturers against producing hand-outs for sale to students in the interest of peace and for the overall development of the education sector.

“We are going to fight sales of hand-outs as well as sexual harassment.

Any officer found in any negative act will be made to face disciplinary committee in which measures will be taken against such officer/officers if found guilty,” he said.

Bala-Mohammed assured of a transparent administration while restating his commitment to initiate good policies and programmes with direct bearing on the lives of the lecturers and students.

Al-Makura condemns fresh attacks on 3 communities

Governor Umaru Al-Makura of Nasarawa state has condemned the latest attacks at three communities in the state. The attacked communities are Panda in Karu, Igah in Nassarawa-Eggon and Andaha in the Akwanga Local Government Area of the state.

Al-Makura made the condemnation on Friday in Lafia at the installation of retired Justice Sidi Bage-Abubakar I as the 17th Emir of Lafia.

According to the governor, the government has directed heads of security agencies in the state to fish out the perpetrators of the attacks.

“The perpetrators of these attacks cannot go unpunished. The government will do everything possible to ensure that we bring them to book. The perpetrators will not escape justice no matter how highly placed.

“The government is committed to ensuring peace. Therefore, we cannot allow anybody to sabotage our efforts,” he vowed.

The governor said further that the government had deployed security operatives to the troubled areas to forestall a further breakdown of law and order.

The attacks in the three communities led to the loss of many lives with property worth millions of naira destroyed from March to this month.

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9 News

Minimum wage: Union warns against imminent Short News crisis over consequential adjustment Kano moves to sanitise Almajiri school system Calls for fresh wage structure to avoid distortion, overlapping

Ukpono Ukpong, Abuja The Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) has called on the federal government to take urgent steps to negotiate with the council on the consequential adjustments arising from implementing the new minimum wage to avoid an industrial crisis in the civil service.

This was contained in a statement issued yesterday in Lagos and signed by the Chairman, Trade Union Side (TUS) of the JNPSNC, Mr. Abdrafiu Adeni and Secretary, Mr. Bashir Lawal respectively.

While expressing optimism that the implementation of the new wage structure would commence without delay, he explained that the standard practice is that once a new minimum wage is fixed, a fresh salary table will

be generated so that employees in all salary grade levels will benefit from the new emoluments.

The union said that a new salary table would help to maintain the current relativity among all grade levels in the civil service.

It said that this was the standard practice all over the world, urging that Nigeria should not be an exception as the generation of a fresh salary table in line with the new minimum wage would prevent distortion and overlapping.

Furthermore, he urged the federal government not to repeat the same mistake that happened in 2011 which led to industrial crisis due to improper handling of consequential adjustments.

“After a national minimum wage was fixed in 2011, the consequential adjustment was not properly handled.

Instead, the government awarded

N900 across board for all the other grade levels in the civil service, thereby distorting the salary chart.

“This led to a lot of crisis, a scenario that should not be allowed to repeat,” the union warned.

It urged the government to do the needful by urgently inviting the joint council to commence negotiations on a new salary table that would meet the aspirations of all workers.

“We urge the government to immediately meet the TUS of the joint council to work out the consequential adjustments and produce a fresh salary structure in line with the new national minimum wage.

“The new table will also go a long way to assist the state governments to have a seamless implementation of the new minimum wage and where a negotiation will be required at all, it will be minor,” it added.

The Kano state government is conducting a survey on the Almajiri school system in the state as part of its renewed effort to sanitize the system.

Chairman of the Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, Mr. Muhuyi Magaji, which is carrying out the survey, disclosed this to journalists in Kano.

Magaji said the research was being conducted in collaboration with a coalition of civil society organizations, disclosing that the survey which was being conducted under the open government partnership, when completed would serve as a policy direction for the state government.

The chairman of the commission said the exercise was embarked upon with a view to identifying the problems of the system and street begging as well as advising government on what to do.

He said the anti-graft agency was saddled with the responsibility of collating public opinion or suggestions, hence the decision to conduct the survey.

“After the survey, we will package the data collected and forward to the government and it is expected to serve as a policy direction for government in the next four years.

So, during the survey we will focus on two main issues: Almajiri/street begging and drug abuse, especially among the youth,” he added.

Saraki condoles Melaye on mother’s death Tunde Opalana, Abuja Senate President Bukola Saraki has expressed anguish over the death of the mother of Senator Dino Melaye, Deaconess Comfort Melaye, who he described as a worthy matriarch who bequeathed her generation with Godly and respectable children.

Saraki in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, said the late Madam Melaye would be remembered for her philanthropy, good nature and exemplification of core Christian values.

He urged Sen. Melaye and members of his family to take solace in the fact that their mother lived a good life and left a legacy of true and humane values in her children.

Saraki said: “On behalf of my family and the entire 8th Senate, my heart goes out to Sen. Dino Melaye and his family in this moment of grief. I pray that the Almighty grants our departed mother eternal rest and her family, and loved ones, the strength and fortitude to bear this significant loss.”

3rd AU Peace Fund board of trustees meets in Abuja To focus on priority funding areas

Joseph Inokotong, Abuja Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State (middle); his wife, Olufunso (right) and daughter of late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Rev. (Mrs.) Omotola Oyediran, during the 53rd birthday celebration of Mrs Amosun, at the Amosuns’ family home, in Ibara, Abeokuta... on Friday.

Ekiti reviews Fayose’s last minute recruitment of 2,000 workers Joseph Inokotong, Abuja

The Ekiti State government has expressed its readiness to review the procedure that led to the recruitment of no fewer than 2, 000 new workers into the state civil service by the immediate past administration of Governor Ayo Fayose.

Sources said that the new set of workers had continually protested their non-recognition as bona fide civil servants by the current government, as well as non-payment of their salaries seven months after their engagement.

Ekiti State Commissioner for Information, Tourism and Values Orientation, Mr. Muyiwa Olumilua, disclosed this in Ado-Ekiti on Friday

while addressing a group of physically challenged people also affected by the exercise.

Olumilua noted that that none of the appointments, involving various categories of people went through due process, especially as it involved biometrics, adding that the recruitment was hurriedly done, even up till the very night of the day of exit of the former governor.

The commissioner said it was on this basis that the Fayemi’s administration set up a committee headed by the Deputy Governor, Chief Bisi Egbeyemi, to review the appointments.

He said the committee was also to determine the actual available vacancies within the public service.

Olumilua disclosed that the committee

had concluded its assignment and would soon take decisive verdict on the issue, so that those involved could no their fate.

Giving a breakdown of the total of 2, 000 appointments, the commissioner said that 600 teachers were recruited into the Teaching Service Commission while 400 personnel were employed into the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and 1, 000 injected into the Ministry of Establishment.

He reiterated the commitment of the present administration to generation of employment opportunities without political colouration, reiterating that “we want to assure that available vacancies will be equitably filled without prejudice and undue political consideration.”

The board of trustees of the third African Union (AU) Peace Fund met in Abuja Thursday to chat a way forward in sustaining peace across the continent.

Chaired by the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, the board gathered to review core decision items, receive key updates on the fund amongst other objectives.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the Minister of Finance on Media and Communications, Paul Ella Abechi, which also recalled that in March 2019 the Africa Union (AU) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, appointed Mrs. Ahmed as chairperson of board of trustees.

“The third AU Peace Fund board of trustees meeting is currently taking place in Abuja, Nigeria, chaired

by Mrs. Ahmed, the current minister of finance for Nigeria.

“The meeting is to review core decision items for the board, receive key updates on the fund amongst other objectives,” the statement said.

According to the statement, the board has five African members each representing a region and two non -African members (United Nations and European Union) as international partners. The minister of finance is representing the West African sub-region on the board.

The board of trustees was established by the assembly of the Africa Union in July 2016 to ensure strategic coherence, enhanced governance, financial and administrative oversight of the peace fund.

News 10

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NMA bemoans exodus of doctors to foreign countries The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has bemoaned the exodus of indigenous doctors to foreign countries, declaring that over 2, 000 doctors migrate annually from the country in search of greener pastures.

President of the NMA, Dr. Francis Faduyile, who lamented the development in Abakaliki during the opening of its annual general conference/delegates meeting, stated that such unprecedented migration necessitated the theme of the conference: “Skills repatriation in the health sector: Turning Nigeria’s brain drain to gain.’’

He said that “it is our belief that this ugly situation can be made advantageous hence, the need to bring it to the front burner, discuss and find solutions to the country’s advantage.

Nigerian politicians seem not worried about this trend as they do not have the necessary facts and statistics on the issue.”

The NMA maintained that without generating further controversies on the matter, it is expected that the conference will generate further affirmative statistics and facts on the issue.

“This is as a result of unfortunate remarks made by a senior cabinet member who incidentally is a senior member of the medical profession.

These affirming facts will possibly convince policymakers at critical Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) to realize the scientific aftermath of the worsening disparity between the health workforce and the population,” he added.

Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, who was represented by the Chief Medical Director of the Alex-Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Dr. Emeka Ogah, said that the federal government was striving to halt the exodus.

“We are not happy with the latest

incidences of doctors seeking greener pastures outside the country and we will continue improving the welfare of the health workforce. The federal executive council has supported our efforts to centralize internship posting and this will be unveiled within a year,” the minister said.

Ebonyi state Governor, David Umahi, while declaring the conference open, said that his administration would start the construction a new teaching hospital in June for the state university’s medical school in Uburu.

“We will redouble our efforts at improving the health sector to ensure that our people are provided with adequate healthcare,” he stated and thanked the NMA for choosing the state to host the conference.

According to him, his administration would continue to collaborate with the medical association to ensure adequate healthcare delivery to the people.

Short News Atiku celebrates Madu, Nigerian born Canadian minister Tunde Opalana, Abuja The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has celebrated Mr. Kaycee Madu, a Nigerian who has been appointed Canadian minister for municipal affairs.

Madu was first elected as a member of parliament in Alberta, Canada.

The former vice president said seeing Nigerians prosper locally and around the world has always been the cornerstone of his vision, called the Atiku Plan.

Atiku stressed that upward mobility and local and international successes of the type displayed by Mr. Madu, go a long way in changing the international narrative of Nigeria which in recent years has suffered some challenges.

This was as he appreciated the role education played in preparing Mr. Madu for the spotlight.

“As I have said previously, education is the single investment that yields the biggest dividend. I should know, I have put my money where my mouth is. The more Nigeria invests in education, the more our people will become beacons of light, both locally and internationally. “ Today, I celebrate Mr. Madu’s achievements. I am proud of you and will do all within my power to ensure that many Ahmadus, Gbengas and Emekas follow in your footsteps,” Atiku said.

Okowa mourns industrialist, Omatseye Nosa Akenzua, Asaba Delta state Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa has expressed sadness over the death of elder statesman, industrialist, philanthropist, rubber and oil magnet, Prince (Dr.) Kenekueyero Boyewa Omatseye, who died at the age of 91 years.

A statement issued in Asaba, by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Charles Aniagwu, said Okowa expressed sadness over the news of the demise of Prince Omateseye, whom he described as one of Delta’s foremost industrialists.

According to Aniagwu, Gov. Okowa said the late Omatseye was an epitome of integrity in business, recalling how the late industrialist grew his business into a multi –billion naira conglomerate with interests in rubber processing, agriculture as well as oil and gas.

“On behalf of my family, the government and people of Delta state, l extend my sincere condolences to His Majesty, Ikenwoli I, the Olu of Warri and the entire Omatseye dynasty of Sapele, on the passage of the beloved, urbane, cerebral and quintessential businessman and industrialist whose contributions to the growth of commerce and industry in Delta state remains indelible.

“Prince Omatseye was an accomplished businessman, politician, entrepreneur, philanthropist and community leader who built the dynasty to command the respect, trust and love of the entire community.

Group urges Bauchi govt to employ more health workers Samuel Luka, Bauchi

Cross section of the experts and other participants during the 12th Steering Committee & Experts Meeting for Abidjan - Lagos Corridor Highway Development Programme chaired by the Hon. Minister of Power,Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, SAN at the Hotel Sancta Maria, Lome, Togo.

Chris Uche, 70 others to defend Bala at election tribunal Samuel Luka, Bauchi Chris Uche, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) is to lead the legal team assembled by the Bauchi state Governor-elect, Bala Mohammed to defend his mandate at the governorship election petition tribunal expected to begin sitting in Bauchi.

Uche, who is a lead counsel for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP0 presidential candidate, Alh. Atiku Abubakar at the Presidential Election Tribunal will be assisted by 10 other senior lawyers.

Besides that, over 60 Bauchi indigenous lawyers are also among

the legal team that will slug it out with the APC and the outgoing Governor Muhammad Abubakar at the tribunal.

This was disclosed by a group known as the Body of Bauchi Lawyers of Conscience (BOBOLAC) who were reported to have promised to mobilize 50 indigenous lawyers in favour of the governor -elect at the election petition tribunal.

Chief Convener of BOBOLAC, Shipi Rabo, while addressing journalists in Bauchi yesterday, said a list of the indigenous lawyers to represent the governor-elect has already been submitted ahead of the tribunal’s sitting.

Shipi added that the indigenous

lawyers will be led by a veteran in the legal practice with over three decades of experience, Garba Hassan, the principal partner of G. Hassan & Company chambers in Bauchi.

He further said that the honorary President of BOBOLAC, Jibrin Jibrin and two other lawyers, including himself, who are not part of the 60 lawyers will serve as contingents on the team of the 10 senior lawyers that will complement the efforts of Chris Uche’s led legal team.

Shipi also called on the judges handling election petitions at all levels including, Bauchi state to keep to their oath of office and do justice to all.

A non-governmental organization, Bauchi state Network of Civil Society Organization (BASNEC) has tasked the state government to recruit more health workers to man the various primary healthcare centers (PHCs) across the state to make healthcare delivery more accessible to rural dwellers.

Programme Officer of BASNEC, Mr. Sukumun Ezekiel made the call during the organization’s end of advocacy meeting on the strategic role of primary healthcare in the state.

According to him, primary healthcare centres particularly, the ones situated in rural areas lack the requisite equipment, drugs and are also overstretched due to shortage of manpower.

Ezekiel explained that the body has embarked on the advocacy initiative in the last one year on the need for the state government to make the minimum service package in primary health centres a policy so that poor people can access basic health services.

He said the minimum service package seeks to ensure that all primary healthcare centers get standard drugs, basic equipment, water and sanitation facilities.

Nigeria can’t end malaria without grassroots mobilization, says MSN Kasara Chukwuma, Abeokuta

The Malaria Society of Nigeria (MSN) has said that the federal government cannot win the fight against malaria by only focusing its awareness campaign and efforts to combat the disease only in the urban areas and cities while neglecting the rural communities.

President of MSN, Dr. Babajide Puddicombe, stated this while addressing residents during a free testing for malaria parasite and presentation of drugs to residents of Itele Community in Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun state.

The free malaria testing and donation of malaria drugs was done by MSN in collaboration with the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Yaba, Lagos.

Dr. Puddicombe, who taught the residents on how to protect themselves against malaria through environmental cleanliness and by sleeping under insecticide treated nets, said that “to phase out malaria in Nigeria, the government must concentrate more awareness and efforts at the grassroots level in the fight against the disease. Government must realize that it cannot beat malaria without grassroots involvement and participation.

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Why Nigerian artistes need to take voice training serious - Adeboye Adefolalu Adeboye Adefolalu, better known in the entertainment industry as Uncle Ade the Vocal Coach, is a world famous Voice trainer. His clientele who primarily come from the United Kingdom include Seyi-Shay, Kele Le Roc, Isaiah Dyer, ShaSha, Angel Williams, Allyson Browne and more.

However, currently there is no collection society, or legislation in place for the development of intellectual property in the music industry value chain of Nigeria. Essentially that value chain simply doesn’t exist! How can the content creators survive, or the industry grow the way it can, without proper legislation being put in place to protect the creators from exploitation?

Having been in the music industry for over 25 years, Uncle Ade has acquired a great deal of knowledge and experience as a Music Manager, Independent Label Owner, University Lecturer, Voice Coach, Singer/song writer and Recording Artiste. In this chat with MUTIAT ALLI, he shares his success story as well as reasons music artistes need to have their voices trained by a professional. Enjoy…

Why the choice of voice coaching?

First of all, I have a great respect for voices that touch souls. And grew up in an era of some of the most blessed and gifted singers.

When I decided to take my singing seriously, I knew I needed to know everything there was to know about how my voice worked, and what I needed to learn, in order to get anywhere near to the level of the greats. And my studies took me so deep into the disciplines that I ended up with a really deep knowledge, deeper respect, and a deeper passion for the voice. The knowledge I acquired set me free artistically. And I developed a burning desire to teach others, so that they might also be set free.

Was it something you had always planned to take up as a career?

Actually initially no. However, I had 3 or 4 quite uninformative teachers myself, and I was paying a lot of money without getting anywhere. Then I was introduced to a teacher (Rafe), who really focused on technique in a way that I experienced tangible development and real value for money. His passion and approach really inspired me to dive into teaching, because he set the benchmark at ‘Excellence’. And that was the only benchmark I have ever aimed for.

Once I began experiencing the satisfaction of hearing my students grow as singers, I began teaching performance, then business fundamentals. And then

spent 15 years teaching Singing, Performance, and Business at university.

How many national and international artistes have you trained?

My clientele has primarily come from the UK. However, some of my clients have experienced national and international success.

These include: Seyi-Shay – Female Afrobeats Artist, Kele Le Roc – MOBO Award winning singer, Isaiah Dyer – Lead singer of MOBO, DOVE, UMA and GMA award winning Gospel group Raymond & Co, Sha-Sha – Touring backing singer with Eric Clapton, Angel Williams – Touring Backing Vocalist with Jess Glynn, Charlie Kay – Zimba Award Winning Afrobeats artist, Allyson Browne – MOBO Award winner and Lead singer (Angelica schuyler) in West End production of Hamilton Nataylia Roni – Lead singer (Nala) in West End production of Lion King and Andy Abrahams – Finalist on X-Factor Do you think Nigerian artistes are well trained vocally?

I have spent some time observing some of the more successful Nigerian Afrobeat artist, and (generally) there vocal ability (mostly self-taught) is good on record. However having seen several of these artist perform live, I am of the opinion that they might not yet have the experience (generally speaking) to perform live, at the standard of the best

a ‘Good’ voice coach, then you can pretty much guarantee that they would develop their vocals to a higher standard. And in a much shorter space of time!

What can be done better?

My last paragraph above is a start point for improvement. But we also need better education across the board. Music Business Education (for managers record companies, publishers etc), Creative education (for producers, writers, singers, musicians, visuals etc). Resources are an essential component for improvement, and can greatly improve productivity in terms of both quantity AND quality!

Investment is without doubt the single most important piece of the puzzle. The UK music industry is one the most valuable sectors for export, and contributes close to 3 Billion to the UK economy annually. The Nigerian music sector has the potential to dwarf this figure many times over. But only with the right investment!

What’s your general view of Nigerian music industry?

Wow!!! What a loaded question.

That honestly can’t be answered comprehensively without speaking on how Nigeria is being led as a country.

But I will try my best, without being too political!

On the one hand the industry is in really good shape internationally.

Fela Kuti put Nigeria on the map in a serious way in the 80’s/90’s. And Davido has overseen its resurgence. In between we’ve had Doctor Alban and D’banj to remind us of our international relevance.

But now I am seeing real progress in the way that the international music industry is taking note of the Nigerian music industry as a whole! Midem has sent a delegate to Nigeria 2 years running, which is HUGE! This puts Nigeria in pole position to become the capital of the music industry for the whole of Africa!

Soon we could be seeing music industry professions from right across the world, coming to the Nigerian Music week for trading in all things music and entertainment.

As well as this Billboard magazine just announced that uduX just inked a big licensing deal with Universal Music Group. This is a massive indication of the acknowledgment of the potential for Afrobeats on a global scale.

You just came back to Nigeria after 30 years, what did you miss about your country?

This is without doubt the most loaded question in this interview. And would take a few chapters of a book to answer properly! First of all it’s actually 40 years! I was last here in 1977 right at the end of FESTAC. I didn’t grow up with my parents, or with any of my relatives. And was parented by a white foster mother.

However, I have always known who I am culturally (thanks to Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life), but my fortunes have never afforded me the opportunity to come home.

Because I was so young, and was only here for 10 days, I didn’t really experience anything to ‘miss’.

However, on my trip my eyes have been opened to everything I missed experiencing! I spent real quality time with my 2 younger brothers (one of them for the first time ever). And I realized that even though we have spent our entire lives apart, we are so much alike!!!

I visited my Mother (and Stepfather) at their home in Ikeja, and realised that I missed (the experience of) growing up on these streets, going to school here, hanging out with my siblings, having Nigerian school friends, developing a palate for Okra, Yam, Ground Rice and Eba!

Adeboye

performers in the world.

On a grass roots level though, I believe there is a real lack of resource available to educate and inform Nigeria singers about how their voices work.

And what they need to do to develop voices that can help them to compete in a very difficult profession. A resource that is VERY much needed.

What are the importances of voice training for a music artiste?

This is the 20 million dollar question, and I have seen singing coaches try for years to answer this question! The level of dependency on vocal training, depends on the level that an artist is at (technically and mentally), and the level they want to compete at. If a singer is just starting out, and doesn’t have a lot of ‘natural talent’. Then the chances are that they would be more dependent on a tutor to help advise on, analyse, and guide their vocal development. This will take months or even years to get to the level of a voice that touches souls.

If a singer has a lot of ‘natural talent’; They may be able to progress with their voices for some time without ever taking a lesson. They may find answers to vocal problems, and see sufficient improvement in their voice. This will also probably take months or years for them to get to the level of a voice that touches souls.

If the singer with little ‘natural talent’ decides not to take lessons.

They will significantly decrease their chances of reaching the desired level of a voice that touches souls. Conversely, if a singer with lots of ‘natural talent’ decided to employ the services of

Gist 12

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Yemi Alade features international act, Rick Ross on remix of ‘Oh my gosh’ Award-winning Afro-pop sensation Yemi Alade gets in bed with American rapper Rick Ross for the remix of her sultry classic “Oh My Gosh”.

The steamy DJ Coublon produced number sees Miss Alade gush uncontrollably over her “true lova”, megastar Rick Ross, who takes the track to a new hip-hop realm.

The video opens with Yemi announcing herself as the only object of her new love’s affection. Draped in African splendor she is joined by a legion of beautiful dancers who celebrate her new man. And despite the fact Yemi has “many toasters” admiring her, it’s Rick who “caught a flight and jumped off the jet” to make the ultimate toast to his newfound love with glasses of the music industry’s favourite tipples, Belaire sparkling wine and Bumbu rum.

Sure to be on summer pool party playlists all around the world, the track is a fun up-beat song with

Simi

X3M Music announces Simi’s departure

X3M Music is today announcing the departure of one of its recording artistes Simisola Ogunleye following the expiration of her recording contract.

The Lagos-based label confirms, in a statement signed by A&R executive Vincent Nwanze, that both parties have determined to not renew the contract.

In a career that is still unfolding, Simi has emerged one of the most remarkable music talents of her generation; combining a peerless skill for writing and arranging, with a vocal prowess like none before her.

That special voice, an unassuming look, and writing talent are what attracted her to X3M when she was signed in 2014.

She immediately warmed hearts with the hit single ‘Tiff’ which earned her a Headies nomination.

Her debut album for X3M (her career second) was released to local and international acclaim in September 2017, and named album of the year in 2018, by The Headies Awards.

Her final album for X3M music ‘Omo Charlie Champagne’ was released on April 19, 2019.

X3M music is reputed to

have a bias for original, alt music; especially in an industry dominated by pop.

X3M Music’s management said: ‘We only sign artistes that we love and believe in. We know our taste in music is rather different; but we only sign talents who meet that taste. Fortunately, we have been able to find millions of music lovers here and abroad, who share similar tastes, as is evident in the success of all the artistes we have worked with, including Simi who is without any doubt one of the biggest music talents in the country today…’

Korean Culture Day: Korea screens traditional ballet ‘Shim Chung’ in Abuja Stories Mutiat Alli As usual, this month Korean Cultural Centre Nigeria (KCCN) as part of its tradition of screening K-movies Bi-Monthly during the Korean Culture Day featured a thrilling aspect of Korean culture Korean traditional ballet.

Korean movie lovers and enthusiasts thronged in as the KCCN screened a movie titled; ‘Shim Chung’ using SAC on Screen, a technology that delivers various art genres that come on the stage at SAC such as opera, ballet, classical music, theatre, contemporary dance, and visual arts exhibitions.

Shim Chung is a 15th century Korean folk tale about a filial daughter who lived in a small town with her blind father who had just lost his wife. Her father visited a temple one day and was told by a monk that his blindness could be cured in exchange for 300 sacks of

rice. The farmer agreed to supply the sacks, but later realized that he was not able to do so.

Meanwhile, at that time, a group of sailors were attacked by the God of the Sea they had angered and the only way to appease the god was to sacrifice a young girl to which Shim Chong agreed to be the sacrificial offering if the sailors would provide the sacks of rice her father needed for his sight to be restored. Immediately the farmer found out about the deal, he tried to stop Shim Chong although he could not succeed.

Shim Chong was taken to the sea called ‘In-dang-soo’ in the sailors’ ship and thrown overboard and calm returned immediately. Shim Chong sinks to the bottom of the sea and met the god of the Sea. The god who had been awaiting her arrival in his realm, praised her for her filial piety. In the underwater world, Shim Chong also met her deceased mother.

Shim Chong sent back to the upper world by the god of the Sea and was seen floating on the surface inside a giant orchid and a group of fishermen discovered the orchid and took it to the king who rules the land. After the king opened the orchid, he found Shim Chung and fell in love with her and married her afterwards.

Due to the love she had for the father, Shim Chong, could not take her mind off her father who at the time was missing. It turns out he had found a new woman, although the woman took advantage of his blind condition and cheated him, took all the money that Shim Chong had asked from the sailors.

However, the king due to the love he had for Shim Chong, helped to find her father by organizing a feast for all blind people in his kingdom.

When Shim Chong recognized her father at the feast, he miraculously regains his eyesight. And they lived happily after.

rhythmic African drums that got Rick and Yemi dancing. Reflecting on the electric chemistry behind the scenes, Yemi spoke about working with Rick in an episode for “The Bumbu Room”, Bumbu’s wildly popular Q&A series.

Yemi Alade and Rick Ross

JJ Okocha, Aliko Dangote, AY, others attend Bovi Man on fire The Eko Convention Center was packed to capacity on Sunday, April 28th, as people came out en masse to witness the fourth, and final, edition of Bovi’s Man on Fire comedy special.

To kick off the show, we saw some new age comedians with styles similar to Bovi’s come on stage to deliver their material. The audience laughed at the relatable jokes and stories anchored in themes such as politics, lifestyle, and sociocultural issues. The evening’s entertainment also featured live performances from new and veteran artistes like Wande Coal, Seyi Shay, and Tolani Otedola.

When Bovi took the stage, the crowd was well primed and ready.

Joke after joke, the comedian delivered his punchlines excellently and carried the audience through a journey filled with echoing laughter.

Most notable about the performance was how Bovi eloquently wove

Bovi

stories around a lot of the recent happenings in the country, bringing them to light in a lighthearted manner. When the comedic genius’ set came to an end, the crowd cheered, clamoring for more.

Present at this historical event were some of Nigeria’s high net worth individuals and celebrities including Aliko Dangote, Femi Otedola, Jay Jay Okocha, Amaju Pinnick, Herbert Wigwe, Paul Okoye, Teju Babyface, Waje, Lolo 1, Frank Edoho, Guy Murray Bruce, AY, Okey Bakassi, and I Go Save, many of which expressed how much of a good time they had at the end of the show.

The grand finale of the Man on Fire comedy special was one to contend with the greatest shows of this decade. Having run for 6 years, and being held in several cities around the world, ace comedian Bovi kept his promise to put on a show that will be remembered for ages to come.

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Society Gist

Yeye Oge

Lagos society lady, Ajoke Yeye Oge adds another year

Women Arise

Women Arise protests Isaac Oguntoye The Women Arise for Change Initiative on Monday, 29th April 2019 in Osogbo, Osun State, protested against the illegal detention of a nursing mother, Mrs. Rofiat Oladepo and her nine months old son by the Zone 11 of the Nigeria Police Force.

The protest which was led by the President of Women Arise and the winner of the American Government’s Award of International Woman of Courage, Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin had over 200 women and men protesters who defied the scorching sun to express their displeasure over the illegal detention of Mrs Rofiat Oladepo and her son, a minor, a nine months old who were arrested and kept in custody of the Nigeria Police at the Zone 11 Headquarters in Osogbo in lieu of her husband.

The organization described the action of the police as a violation of the victims’ universally recognized fundamental human rights and the law of the land.

In her remarks while being received by the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of the Zone, AIG Leye Oyebade and his management team, Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin asserted that, “We are pained and disappointed that the Nigeria Police held in custody a nursing mother and her baby, in lieu of her husband. Not only were they arrested and detained by proxy, they were also detained beyond the constitutionally sanctioned period. It is most nauseating to learn that Mrs. Oladepo and her baby who were arrested on the 24th April, 2019 at Dural Toaheed, Oke Anu area of Ede and taken to Zone 11, Gbogan road, Oshogbo, were kept in inhuman conditions, only to be released later and given the sum of N500 (five hundred Naira) only as their transport fare back to Ede”.

Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin further informed AIG Oyebade that since their release from Police custody, Mrs. Rofiat Oladepo and her baby have been hospitalised. She therefore demanded that the officers and men

of the Nigerian police who conducted such unprofessional and illegal act be unmasked and brought to book while also requesting for the payment of medical bills being incurred by the victims at the hospital and immediate public apology to Mrs. Oladepo and her 9-months old son.

While responding to the demands of Women Arise President, AIG Oyebade appealed to the protesters to stay further action as he would carry out immediate investigation into the matter and ensure that justice is done forthwith.

“One of the hallmarks of our ethics is policing with the fear of God aside the general rule of policing with integrity,” AIG Oyebade said.

He further said that such impunity would never be allowed to thrive under his purview, as he further expressed the willingness of the Nigeria Police Force under the incumbent leadership to collaborate with the civil society in promoting a people’s friendly police force that will ensure total compliance with human rights violations.

K1 de Ultimate opens Anjola Bakery, Coffee Shop in Lagos In a renewed bid and vigour to further expand his business horizon and interests outside his original thriving music career, acclaimed and undisputed King of Fuji music, Alhaji Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, popularly known as K1 De Ultimate, has just introduced his highlysuccessful bakery business to the Lagos market.

This is sequel to the one he earlier opened in his country home Ijebu Ode, not too long ago. The new massively hitech confectionary outfit, aptly called Anjola Bakery, named after one of his beloved daughters, Anjolaoluwa, has since commenced baking for the Lagos market, and promises to be a Mecca of sorts for lovers of pastries and related baked items.

The elitist bakery is audaciously located on the popular Adeniran Ogunsanya Street in Surulere, Lagos Mainland, where

Peter Fatomilola and Gabriel Afolayan on the set of ‘Gold Statue

numerous people have been thronging since it opened shop for business days back.

Still broadening his business frontiers, a unique and bourgeois Coffee Shop, which K1 plans to open at almost every corner of Lagos, has also opened for business. The coffee shop, which also has its office in the same building that houses the bakery, will be dispensing Nespresso to compulsive coffee lovers in a very comfortable and conducive atmosphere.

Just as the bakery and the coffee shop are opening for business, another branch in the heart of Ikorodu is about being launched too.

K1, who spoke about the new business outfit, says, he has a dream of being the best in coffee shop ownership in the country, and will do everything humanly possible to attain this height

Lagos Society woman, Alhaja Ajoke Yeye Oge To Porch, will add a year on May 5, 2019. On her social media, the beautiful lady shared some new stunning

photos ahead of the date.

In case you don’t know, Yeye Oge is the Chairman/Ceo Warik Hotel and Suites,Oil and Gas and Warik Foundation

Sheriff Shagaya’s Foundation Son of popular woman celebrity, Hajia Bola Muinat Shagaya, Hon. Sheriff Sherriff Shagaya who is the Chairman, Salman Shagaya Foundation has described the insinuations in some quarters alleging that he established the Foundation in order to gain political advantages as false and untrue. Shagaya, in a statement made available through Mr. Ibraheem Abdullateef rubbished the rumours and averred that the passion and the zeal to give back to the society and ease things for the less-privileged rather propelled his various humanitarian gestures. Noting that he had been running the Foundation since 2015, Shagaya added that he has also carried out numerous humanitarian projects through the initiative, which include scholarship scheme for the indigent students, healthcare sponsorship, financial aids and the quarterly disbursement of N10,000 business grants to deserving petty traders. ‘What could have been the motive for peddling such falsehood when it was clear to all that I didn’t bid for any political office in the just concluded 2019 general elections? he asked.

The philanthropist further added that he had always shown passion and the zeal

Sheriff Shagaya

to serve humanity even before establishing the Foundation in 2015, noting that the Foundation had never attached importance to the political affiliation of the beneficiaries of the numerous empowerment programmes cognizant that politics has no place in its operations.

“I am therefore surprised that some of our people are having the wrong impression that philanthropy is politicsinfused. It shouldn’t be so. There should be a clear-cut difference between the two.

There should be no reason why we should reduce philanthropy to an extension of political struggle. There is no better act of patriotism than helping the lessprivileged. When you reach out to them with love and care, you are helping the government too. I see philanthropy as my little contribution to bettering our society,” he stated.

Shagaya, who was the PDP House of Representatives candidate in the 2015 National Assembly election, also implored the beneficiaries of the various empowerment schemes of the Foundation to make judicious use of the funds made available to them. He equally enjoined all and sundry to promote peace, unity and progress of the country at all times.

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Relationship

4 Signs Your Husband is losing interest

By Mutiat Alli

We live in the days where most women claim their husband suddenly started losing interest and walked away a while after. The truth is that they have seen the signs for a while but have just chosen to live in denial. Most women may have been blinded and would not have noticed it. Most marriages tend to end earlier than expected because of things like this. So today, we took it upon ourselves to highlight some points to let you know signs you should watch out for in your marriage to let you know you’re husband is losing interest. It is important to recognize these signs and to confront them as soon as you can.

1. His behaviour is not consistent Women, when you discover that your husband is exhibiting erratic behavior, it may be a pointer to the fact that he has begun losing interest. If he constantly fights and

causes trouble only to turn around to beg every time, it may be a sign of trouble. Chances are that he is just biding his time and is not really into you anymore. If he does not take out time to resolve issues but just glosses things over, he is definitely not into you anymore. You shouldn’t sleep on this. This should hint you up first and you should act. A wise woman builds her home.

2. He blames you When a man is interested in a relationship, he recognizes that he should play his part and shoulder responsibility where it matters.

When he begins to withdraw from playing his role, it is a sign that he has lost interest. A man like this will constantly put all the blame on you and claim you are behind all the issues in the marriage. This shows that all he is doing is bidding his time until he can find a reason to walk away.

When you notice that he begins to lazy around, or you find that he just isn’t willing to do things and begins to blame you when things go south for both of you or especially for him, he’s already losing his interest and it’s time for you to act.

3. He stops trying While it is true that it is hard to change a man, any man who is committed to his marriage will constantly take steps to evolve. This is because, in marriage there has to be a compromise between two conflicting personalities. If you are

the one that always has to sacrifice and bend over to suit his needs, it may be a sign that he is simply not interested in putting in work anymore. He is the man and he should be the person to sacrifice and bend over to suit you. But when he doesn’t, like we have just said, girl, its time for you to act.

4. He doesn’t compliment or give gifts This is a very obvious sign.

Love is not silent; it is expressive and always looking to give. If your husband does not compliment you or notice the effort you are putting in, it may be a very telling sign. If your birthday and other anniversaries go by without any notice from your husband, it is an indication that there are problems plaguing your relationship that need to be addressed. He shouldn’t forget to compliment you. For the food you prepared, for the children you carried for him, for the home you’ve built for him, he should always compliment you.

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FG launches second phase of TraderMoni, MarketMoni in Anambra Motolani Oseni The Federal Government of Nigeria has rolled out the second phase of Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) products aimed at giving assistance to traders across the country and encourage the growth of their businesses The programme under the tag: TraderMoni and MarketMoni are targeted at traders and SMEs and was introduced in 2017, and powered by the Bank of Industry.

In fact, the Vice President, Prof Yomi Osinbajo visited Anambra on Friday to access the performance of the (GEEP) products, assuring that more people would benefit in the programme.

Accompanied by the Bank of Industry activation team, Prof Osinbajo interacted with some beneficiaries at Eke Awka main market where traders hailed the Federal Government for introducing such ‘ powerful project to assist traders.

Earlier a press release signed by Executive director Micro enterprises, Bank of Industry, Mrs Toyin Adeniji, and made available to Tribune Online in Awka, the Anambra state capital said the programme is to sustain its continued efforts to meet the primary objective of “broadening financial inclusion, and increasing access to affordable credit for traders and small business owners.

“This phase will target at least 2,000 new TraderMoni and MarketMoni beneficiaries. This is in addition to the over 30,000 TraderMoni and 4,000 plus MarketMoni beneficiaries that received the GEEP loans in the first phase, between 2017 and 2018. Prior to this official market activation, 200 new MarketMoni beneficiaries have been recorded in the state.

“The second phase will also target traders for the N15,000 Next Level TraderMoni loans for traders who have repaid the first N10,000 loan”.

While commending the Muhammadu Buhari led administration for his efforts at addressing poverty and hard times in the country, Mrs Adeniji, assured that the government remains committed to lifting more Nigerians out of poverty, adding that the GEEP products will do just that, through new activations of MarketMoni and TraderMoni loans across the country as well as NextLevel payments for beneficiaries who have repaid.

Some of the beneficiaries, Ifeoma Nwakuo who sells onions and OluchukwuUmuade who deals on detergents thanked the Federal Government, saying the scheme will help them greatly in doing their businesses.

Ifeoma Nwakuo said, “My N10,000 cash has given me much encouragement, I will use the money judiciously to lift my market to the next level, help my family and dependants”.

Ahead of IPO: MTN appoints Emir of Kano as Non-Executive Director Ladesope Ladelokun Ahead of the preparations to the most awaited listing of lits local unit on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, telecommunications giant, MTN Nigeria has appointed Emir of Kano and former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Muhammadu Sanusi as a Non-Executive Director.

The listing which was understood to be part of conditions of the settlement of a $1billion regulatory action against the telco three years ago.

The telecommunications company, however, noted that the appointment of the Emir is to take effect on July 1, 2019, as well as part of a board room shake-up.

The telco further noted that South Africa’s former deputy Finance Minister, Mcebisi Jonas is the new group chairman.

MTN, also, announced a separate board of prominent people to advise on broader African issues, which will be headed by former South African president Thabo Mbeki and includes John Kufuor, a former president of Ghana.

L-R: Head, Personal Banking, Wema Bank Plc - Mr Abiola Afolayan; Chairman, Mojec International Limited, Mrs Mojisola Abdul; Managing Director, Mojec International Limited, Ms Chantelle Abdul; Executive Director, Corporate Bank & South Directorate, Keystone Bank Limited, Yemi Odusanya and Group Head, Retail & SME, Unity Bank Plc, Mr Olufunwa Olugbenga Akinmade at a press conference and signing of the Memorandum of Understanding ceremony between Mojec and the partner banks on the rollout of prepaid meters, held in Lagos on Monday, April 15, 2019.

World Bank supports storm-hit countries with $700m Mathew Dadiya and Joseph Inokotong, Abuja The World Bank has announced that it has mobilized over half a billion dollars in new resources to help people in Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe affected by the assessed impact of Cyclone Idai.

The World Bank activated the International Development Association (IDA) Crisis Response Window (CRW) to provide up to $545 million in total for the three affected countries.

According to the Bank on Friday, the amount was in addition to nearly $150 million in resources that have recently

been made available from existing projects.

Together, the total World Bank support to the three countries’ recovery reaches around $700 million.

The World Bank said that it was also working with Mozambique and Comoros to assess and respond to the newest development—Cyclone Kenneth.

“Cyclone Idai caused catastrophic damage earlier this year that affected millions of people and this tragedy has been compounded by Cyclone Kenneth,” said World Bank Group President David Malpass, following a tour of Beira’s affected areas.

“The World Bank Group is working closely with our partners to help the

population recover from these terrible storms, build back stronger than before and improve countries’ resilience to natural disasters.”

Mozambique, the country hardest hit by the cyclone, will receive $350 million in CRW financing to re-establish the water supply, rebuild damaged public infrastructure and crops, and support disease prevention, food security, social protection, and early warning systems in the impacted communities.

For neighbouring Malawi, the CRW will provide $120 million in financing to restore agricultural livelihoods, reconstruct priority infrastructure and support disease surveillance.

In addition, the World Bank stated

that it intended to provide an exceptional allocation of up to $75 million to select UN agencies to support the people of Zimbabwe also affected by Cyclone Idai.

Funds will go toward a harmonized multi-sector livelihood support and recovery operation focused on social welfare and community interventions.

President Malpass was in Mozambique as part of his first official trip as head of the organization.

Prior to Mozambique, Malpass travelled to Ethiopia and Madagascar to visit several World Bank Group-funded projects; meet with government leaders, private sector representatives, and other stakeholders; and hear from beneficiaries and local partners.

NPA to commission two transit trailer parks over Apapa gridlock Temitope Adebayo As part of its continued effort towards ending the lingering gridlock at Apapa and its environs, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has said that all plans have been concluded to inaugurate two transit parks located at Lillypond and Tin can Island Second Gate.

The Managing Director of the NPA, Hadiza Bala-Usman, disclosed this during a stakeholders’ meeting between NPA and some stakeholders, said she strongly believed that the effort would enhance effective port operations and improved service delivery across board.

Bala-Usman, who was represented by the Executive Director, Marine and Operations, Dr. Sokonte Davies, she informed stakeholders in the maritime sector that priority would be given to truckers with empties and exports.

While rolling out the NPA’s plan, she restated that the authority would not fold its arms and allow total breakdown of the system.

Instead, “It would take the bull by the

horn and proffer permanent solution to the menace in view of the role the sector plays in the life of the nation’s economy.’’

According to her, some of the plans put in place include mandating the Incoming Task Force to ensure that all trucks are not allowed to park on the bridges forthwith “Shipping lines and terminal operators must synergise their operations to ensure the success of the call up system.

“Security agencies are to remove all category of trucks milling round the port environment and traffic and law enforcement agents to ensure that the Tincan Island – Mile 2 corridor axis is open for optimal traffic and port management.

“In addition, the various sectional heads from the NPA involved in the exercise resolved that enforcement would be total whilst calling on the support and understanding from all involved.

It stressed that while the Trailer parks were a transit point, it would ensure that broken down trucks are towed away on a penalty. It urged all concerned that a platform would be made available for

complaints to be lodged by Stakeholders, “he stated.

The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Dakuku Peterside, represented by Assistant Director, Shipping Development, Mrs Anna Akpan, hailed the initiative by the NPA in putting an end to the menace.

The port, according to him, was a critical component of the maritime sector, adding, “the ease of access into the port and the provision and maintenance of the facilities to create a free flow of activities cannot be overemphasised as it will enhance the flow and increase of revenue to both the authority and government.’’

Participants urged the NPA management to ensure that their members are made relevant in committees just as they further pledged their loyalty to the NPA in ensuring that the call-up system is effectively implemented for the growth and development of the Maritime sector and most especially the Gross Domestic Product.

Meanwhile, the Senate Committee on Works has said plans are underway to

invite the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) in the coming week over lingering Apapa gridlock.

The Chairman of the committee, Sen. Kabiru Gaya, made this known in a meeting with the management of APM Terminals in Abuja on Thursday.

He further said NIMASA, farm tank owners, manufacturers and other relevant stakeholders have been invited to attend the meeting aimed at finding a lasting solution to the problem.

Gaya who said the challenge had become an embarrassment to the country, noted that only concerted efforts would bring about a lasting solution.

“We are expanding the committee to include, Senate Committee on Marine Transport and by next week, we will invite NPA and NIMASA to take a holistic look at the matter.

“We will also invite all owners of terminals, manufacturers, tank farm owners and other stakeholders to the meeting.

“We cannot wait for one person to find a solution to the problem. We have to work together as a team,” he said.

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CSR: Hair Brand supports NYSC in Lagos Godwin Anyebe

L-R: Member, Board of Trustee (BOT), Magodo Residents Association, Chief Akinbiyi Akinsete; Project Secretary, Magodo Residents Association Phase 2, Olajide Oduyoye; Chairman, Mr Jade Niboro; Regional Head, Lagos Island, Heritage Bank, Mr Abiodun Agbaje; Financial Secretary, Mr Yoni Akinyemi and Security Secretary, Mohammed Sadiq, during the Magodo Cultural Day 2019 Dinner, by Magodo Residents Association phase 2, in Lagos.

Forex market gets CBN $271.83m, CNY41.14m CBN interventions Wholesale, SMEs, Invisibles get $205m

Mathew Dadiya, Abuja The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has made interventions in the Retail Secondary Market Intervention Sales (SMIS) of the Foreign Exchange market totalling $271.83million and

CNY41.14million.

The Director, Corporate Communications at the Bank, Mr Isaac Okorafor confirmed that the sum of CNY41.14million was for payment of Renminbi-denominated Letters of Credit for agriculture as well as raw materials.

Friday’s transaction was in addition

to the $205 million injected into the Wholesale, Small and Medium Enterprises, and Invisibles segments of the market on Tuesday, April 30, 2019.

Mr. Okorafor expressed satisfaction with the performance and stability of the country’s economy, noting that the country would experience more growth

as the Bank has placed restrictions on the purchase of forex from the Nigerian foreign exchange market for items in the textile and cotton value chain.

Meanwhile, the Naira exchanged at N360/$1 on Friday, May 3, 2019, in the Bureau De Change (BDC) segment of the market.

AGM: FBN Holdings assures shareholders of enhanced value creation in future Temitope Adebayo FBN Holdings Plc have assured its shareholders of enhanced value creation, efficient service delivery and enhanced dividend in the years ahead.

Chairman of FBN Holdings Group, Dr Oba Otudeko, gave the assurance at the company’s 70th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Lagos on Friday.

Otudeko assured shareholders that the company had mapped out strategies aimed at ensuring enhanced value creation for the future.

He said that the board and management would work together to create shareholder value and build a strong foundation for the future.

“We are not resting on our laurels, and our a renewed approach to synergy and innovation will be major drivers to unlocking earnings potential for our group.

“We believe that our efforts to integrate our offerings and provide end-to-end solutions for our customers will create a competitive advantage in our markets,’’ he said.

Also speaking, Mr Urum Eke, Group Managing Director, FBN Holdings, said that the company was committed to greater exploits in the future in its drive to deliver value to its shareholders.

“I will like to reiterate our promise to you

and the entire market that 2019 represents for us the year of inflexion.

“All leading indicators derived from our numbers point to the commencement of growth across businesses, markets and indices.

“As we transition to a new strategic planning cycle post-2019, we are confident that the focused execution of our strategy, investment in future-enabling technologies, development of our talents and our reengineered processes to repositioning the group for the ultimate benefit of the shareholders’’, Eke said.

He also commended the shareholders for their unwavering support to the group over the years.

The company for the period under review posted a profit after tax of N59.7 billion compared to N45. 5 billion achieved in the comparative period of 2017, an increase of 31.4 per cent.

Profit before tax stood at N65. 3 billion as against N54.5 billion recorded in 2017, representing a growth of 19.7 per cent.

Gross earnings stood at N583.5 billion compared to N595. 4 billion in 2017, a decrease of two per cent.

Its total assets rose by 6.3 per cent from N5.2 trillion in 2017 to N5.6 trillion during the review period.

Similarly, customers’ deposits expanded by 10.9 per cent from N3.1 trillion in 2017 to N3.5 trillion in 2018.

The year also recorded reduction in

impairment charges which declined to N87.

3 billion from N150.4 billion, representing 42 per cent drop and proof to the improving loan book of the commercial bank.

He assured the shareholders that the board and management had restructured the entire group for more sustainable growth.

“For liquidity perspective, you have a strong institution that will pay dividend on a regular basis.

“We have built capital buffet at the commercial bank and the other entities are also well capitalised.

“The year 2019 promises to be a much better year than 2018, all operating entities are in safe hands with good management teams.

“Non-Performing Loan (NPL) ratio should be at single digit by end of 2019, we will pursue recovery and when it happens the commercial banks will contribute to dividend payment,’’ he said.

Eke noted that significant growth in the bottom line was due to several factors including the improved risk management processes which endured that impairment changes dropped year-on-year.

He also attributed the growth to implementation of servers cost containment initiatives during the period.

Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer, First Bank of Nigeria Ltd, Dr Adesola Adeduntan said that recovery efforts on all accounts provisioned were in progress.

Adeduntan said that the bank would

ensure that no kobo would be left in the hands of the third party, noting that the bank would work harder to resolve the entire legacy NPL. He said that the number of banking agents had increased to 20,000, adding that the figure processed through agency banking platform had reached N1 trillion as at last week.

Mr Patrick Ajudua, the National Chairman, New Dimension Shareholders Association of Nigeria, who commended the growth of agency banking, said that it had helped to increase the visibility of FirstBank across the country.

Ajudua said that 85 per cent of the bank’s customers initiated transactions through the channel.

He also lauded the company’s effort in NPL reduction and urged them to intensify efforts in loan recoveries to forestall further reoccurrence.

Dr Farouk Umar, Chairman, Association for the Advancement of the Rights of Nigerian Shareholders Association appreciated the company for dividends declared during the review period.

Umar who also commended the company’s risk management initiatives said that it had impacted positively on its NPL ratio.

The shareholders at the meeting approved a total dividend of N9.3 billion, which translated to 26k per share to be paid on May 6.

It was all glitz and glamour at the wrapping up of the Lagos National Youth Service Corp Orientation Camp when the popular hair brand and a subsidiary of Lucky Fibres Limited, Lush Hair dazzled the corp members by sponsoring one of the best social activities on camp “Miss Bold and Beautiful”.

The Big Bold and Beautiful contest is a competition amongst the plus sized ladies at the orientation camp, where a representative of each platoon emanating from different state origin across the nation gets to exhibit both beauty and brains in order to emerge as the overall winner for the year/ batch.

After scaling through the series of set criteria such as confidence level, composure, current affairs question and answer, Miss.

Jackie Ibiso from Rivers State, representing a platoon 1 emerged the overall winner of the beauty contest from among the 9 beautiful contestants.

According to the Brand manager, Lush hair Sukhum Pannu who talked about the rationale behind the decision to sponsor the contest “Miss Bold and Beautiful contest is a very special activity here on camp that encourages women to always stay beautiful, confident and always on top of their game irrespective of their background, societal status or body size, which is exactly what the brand largely stands for.

“Lush Hair is a proudly Nigerian quality brand specially designed to meet the beauty needs of the African woman, which is why we will always be inclined towards supporting strategic women-oriented activities, the Lush Hair brand stands for confident, modern and trendy women.” Sukhum said.

As part of the prizes presented to contestants, the overall winner will equally enjoy the opportunity to free hair makeover for 3 months.

The Camp Coordinator, 2019 Lagos State National Youth Service Corp, Prince Mohammed Momoh who presented the overall winner of the Miss NYSC Big Bold and Beautiful contest with the starprize commended the Lush Hair brand for social engagement and the initiative to make the camp orientation phase a memorable experience for the Corp members especially the ladies through the sponsorship of the pageant. He however, urged the corp members to shun all forms of social vices and be of good behaviour as they prepare to go into the labour market.

The Winner, 2019 Miss Bold and Beautiful, Lagos NYSC (Batch 1), Miss. Jackie Ibiso expressed her exhilaration having emerged as the winner “it is such an honour to have come tops amongst the rest of the equally beautiful ladies. This contest has also helped to further boost my sense of confidence; I must thank the Lush Hair brand for presenting such an opportunity in an interesting way.

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My struggle for Lagos PDP chairmanship is to save party from Olabode George - Adewale Otunba Segun Adewale, popularly known as Aeroland, is not a stranger to crisis, especially when crisis in the Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is concerned. He had earlier had a running battle with some leaders over the chairmanship of the state chapter of the party, but had to step aside to allow Hon. Adegoke Salvador ascend the position following the intervention of the national leadership of the party.

But, with the defection of Salvador to the All Progressives Congress (APC) just before the 2019 election, Adewale is back again laying claims to the chairmanship position. When PATRICK OKOHUE met him, he spoke about his motivation, noting that his interest is to see things done right.

Many things have happened in the Lagos chapter of the PDP, especially as far as you are concerned, you even left at a point to contest the governorship of Ekiti State on another platform, but now you are back claiming chairmanship of the Lagos PDP, what is going on?

This is my letter dated February 26, 2016 confirming my position and that of my executives, signed

by Ali Modu Sheriff and Prof. Wale Oladipo, the letter was addressed to the Commissioner of Police, Director of SSS and INEC, so there is no confusion about it, this letter states that I am supposed to be the chairman from May 2016 to 2020, but then there were challenges everywhere. People went to court and we also got judgement from the court and my name was also there too. But during that crisis, because this time there were two opposing groups in Lagos, when we did our congress, Chief Bode George also did a congress on his own and appointed chairmen as he has been doing since 1999 and we have been failing.

We also did our own and I became the chairman, because I didn’t come from Chief Bode George he will not allow, because he has personified PDP Lagos as his own personal business, so he didn’t allow and for a year and half we kept fighting and when the election was getting closer, the national leadership of the party, through Uche Secondus called us to order and said we should reconcile. So when we reconciled they said give Bode George as the leader, who has been in the corridors of power for so long, he knows these people and because of that they will always say let us give it to Chief Bode George and once that happens, it means that

Adewale year we are going to fail again, I knew we were going to lose the 2019 election, but if I keep fighting and we lose the election they will blame it on me, so I had to step aside and they said they wanted Adegoke Salvador, Salvador never won any congress, he was chosen. But George started having problems again with Salvador, because Salvador too wants to win election, so Salvador was forced out of the party, he had to go to APC. Was it Salvador’s exit that created the current problem?

In a way yes, with that there was a vacuum again and the constitution in section 46, 47 states that if the chairman of the PDP leaves, the only way to fill

that vacant position is by one Congress or the state executive committee comes together and vote for a new chairman from the same Senatorial District as the last one that left, very simple.

But Chief Bode George and the National Vice Chairman, South West, Dr. Eddy Olafeso did not even mind our constitution at all, they jettisoned the constitution and only went ahead to satisfy Chief Bode George and said Dominic you are the chairman, without election, no congress, no ratification by the state executive committee.

But that happened before the election and you did nothing then, what happened now?

I was supposed to start fighting

In 2015 when I contested we won seven local governments, I have the results, I lost three local governments to rigging, that time we had eight Assembly, six Reps. Now, to even have one Rep is struggle, we don’t have a single Assembly now in Lagos State, it is getting worse, must we continue in that, no, it can’t continue, that is the reason why I am fighting, I am not fighting for myself, I have no time, but somebody must stand up to Chief Bode George, you have been in charge since 1999 and you have been failing, what do you want again.

again, but it was about three months to election, so I decided to hold my peace and allow the decision of Olabode George and Olafeso. All the monies that came into the party within that period they held on to the money, and I know it’s because of the money they are doing what they are doing, but we don’t care about the money, we want to win election. A lot of the South South, South East people are dying for us, every four years they go and vote for us, let us go and win, but because it was just three months to election I allowed them, but I was fighting indirectly. Dominic has 90 days to end his tenure, so after election there was vacancy again. The constitution does not allow acting chairman, it must be chairman, after that George wanted to field another chairman and we said fine go through the constitution of the party, but he refused, so I said if that is the case me too I am a chairman, that is what happened, so, I am just claiming to be chairman, because if he can on his own be doing that every four years without recourse to the constitution, I can also lay claim to the position, I have documents and judgement that confirms that I am also the chairman, because sometimes to solve a problem you have to create another problem, so, I am trying to create a problem for that problem that Bode George causes to be solved, otherwise we have already lost 2023 in advance, because Dominic did not even win his polling booth, Bode George did not even win his polling booth.

We had about 11 House of Representatives candidates that won election, but none of you heard about it, INEC had to ask for a rerun, there was not a single statement from the PDP to say this is cheating, Rita in Ajeromi Ifelodun is still doing a second rerun, Rita won, we won in Ojo, we won in Surulere, Oshodi Isolo, another one in Ikorodu, Somolu, but there was nobody in PDP to even write a statement condemning the act of INEC, rather PDP executive through Chief Olabode George are now supporting APC that took our positions, saying that those claiming to have won election on PDP platform are not even members of the PDP, we are now the ones testifying against our own, we can’t continue that way,

that is why I am fighting, I am not fighting because of me, I don’t need any chairmanship, I am busy, I have over 100 staff, over 18 branches I don’t have time, I have a lot of challenges on my neck, but our generation is dying, we can’t allow somebody with one leg in PDP, another leg in APC. From your explanations, your intentions are clear, but earlier while you were trying to resolve your differences with Salvador, Secondus came in, but in this instance have you also tried to approach Secondus to try to seek solution to the face-off?

The Solution is in the constitution, we cannot continue to jettison the constitution because of Chief Olabode George.

Since 1999 Chief Olabode George has not won any election, I am not talking about winning election in Lagos, I am talking about winning his polling booth, if he can give me a document that he has won his polling booth I will leave PDP, I will not even do politics anymore, he has not won his polling booth not to talk of winning his ward or local government. Infact in 2017, going into local government election when I was chairman, Chief Olabode George went on air, on Channels Television to say that the PDP was not contesting election, that the people should vote for Labour Party. Meanwhile without any financial support from anybody we won six council seats. George and his group could not even win one seat. I used my personal funds to fight, we actually won 21 seats, but those six seats we had to fight before the names of our candidates were announced. The only thing they are saying now is that Aeroland is now in ADP. But is that claim not valid, because you contested governorship seat in Ekiti on ADP platform Yes, I contested on the ADP platform, but I am not a member of ADP, and if anybody say they saw me somewhere decamping to ADP let them show evidence, I did not decamp.

How can you contest on the platform of a party when you are not a member?

Yes, let me tell you what happened, I left Lagos because I knew nothing will happen in

Continued on page 18

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My struggle for Lagos PDP chairmanship is to save party from Olabode George - Adewale Continued from page 17 Lagos, because when they told me to hand over to Salvador I knew its another failure, so why should I be wasting my time, so, I went to Ekiti State, but when I got to Ekiti State I met another younger version of Bode George in the form of Ayo Fayose, that one said it will be over his dead body that I will contest on the PDP platform in Ekiti, what will I do, I want people to know me, so I had to use another platform. There were so many platforms begging me, so I choose to use ADP, that is what happened, so immediately I finished the election I went back to my ward, because politics is local, even if you are at the National level, you have to go to your ward. It is only if you guys go to my ward and they say I am not a member of the PDP that is when they will have a point, I have been back to PDP in my ward since July, both in Ekiti and Lagos. What I did initially in Ekiti State is that a lot of people who didn’t want to vote for PDP because of Ayo Fayose, so rather than allow them vote for APC I said no, those are the kind of people I have and after the election I took them back to PDP and the Secretary of PDP in Ekiti State was there at the meeting , I even donated millions to support Abubakar Atiku’s campaign and I have been giving millions in my ward. I have reintegrated myself back to the ward.

Afterall, Atiku was in PDP, left for APC and now back in PDP, Bode George and Salvador were in Labour before they returned to PDP, so there is no big deal about it, but you can’t force me to remain in ADP. It’s like when Atiku came to PDP I will say no you are an APC person, no, it is what you want and what does the constitution say? That is what I am saying, the constitution says even when you go another party and you come back they will accept you, but they give you a time frame within which you can contest, if I want to contest for anything now I have a time frame.

But, Bode George that went to Labour nobody is talking about him, infact Fayose went from PDP to APGA, to Labour, back to ACN to support Fayemi to become governor and back to PDP, so what are we talking about, my own case is that I wanted to contest election and they didn’t allow me and some people gave me their platform, I never decamped, they are only using that as an excuse. What we should be talking about is what have I contributed to the party, in 2015 when I contested we won seven local governments, I have the results, I lost three local governments to rigging, that time we had eight Assembly, six Reps. Now, to even have one Rep is struggle, we don’t have a single Assembly now in Lagos State, it is getting worse, must we continue in that, no, it can’t continue, that is the reason why I am fighting, I am not fighting for myself, I have no time, but somebody must stand up to Chief Bode George, you have been in charge since 1999 and you have been failing, what do you want again.

Talking about standing up to Chief Bode George, many people within the party see it as a herculean task; do you think it is a battle you can win?

I have already won; I have taken over the Secretariat, though I didn’t put anybody on ground because it is expensive, but I can do whatever I want to do at anytime, I am the chairman.

If you are the chairman, who are the other members of your executive?

The executive that was appointed

by Secondus during the reconciliation agreement is still valid. My interest is the chairmanship because the chairman left, if

Adewale Salvador was still there I have no problem, because during the reconciliation we all agreed, but now Salvador left, must we allow Chief Bode George to be the only one that will keep giving us chairman as he has been doing in the last 20 years and we have been failing, it is only a mad man that will be doing something the same way and expect a different result.

What is your relationship with Jimi Agbaje, because some people believe that you are fighting Chief Bode George because George’s group is fighting Agbaje and perhaps you are being sponsored by Agbaje?

Agbaje cannot sponsor me in this life, because Agbaje and I are not even in good terms, during the last election I told him this is the way we can win the election, he didn’t even allow me. I was the DG Lagos West for Agbaje, he didn’t allow me, all my plans, everything I did, everything he was doing was in secrecy, when we said ok let us have the names of the polling booth agents, let’s have a meeting, let’s train them, he kept telling me I am coming, so I don’t have any business with Agbaje, he knows that, even till the last day of election.

Throughout the election the only money I collected from Agbaje is N100,000, from the billions that entered Lagos, I spent my own millions on his behalf when he would not do the right thing. Agbaje is very strong headed, he doesn’t listen to anybody, he want to do things his own way and that is why he keep failing, losing in election, everything is not about money, we can manage whatever little money he has, but he wants to do things his way, so Agbaje cannot sponsor me.

You said any attempt for Bode George to continue in the leadership of the PDP in Lagos State that the party has already lost the 2023 election, how do you mean?

Yes, that is very true and I will go on air to tell Lagosians, especially the South South, South East people, not to bother themselves because their votes will not count, because it is Chief Bode George’s people that will count the votes of PDP in favour of APC, so there is no need.

But what are your plans to ensure Lagos PDP does well?

That is what I am doing What are your reconciliatory plans?

I am not reconciling anything with anybody; we have been doing reconciliations since the time of Funsho Williams, yet losing elections.

But are members of the party with you?

Yes, the members of the party that wants to win election are with me, those who have been benefiting from Bode George’s losses are with him, so there is no need for me to reconcile.

But, then there is division Look, if we have 20 percent of people who are honest in Lagos PDP we will win the election, we don’t need 100 percent, that is what I am saying, there is no need for you to have 80 percent of thieves and you say you are working with them, you can’t pour a new wine in an old wine skin, it’s impossible, the bottle will break, so I will rather go with 20 percent and win the election, I don’t need the whole. How can you have a party where we cannot count ourselves, since 1999 we don’t know our members and our strength, we can’t count our money, the money we are making maybe by dues and the rest, we don’t know, there is no accountability, again we can’t even count our votes, how do you win an election, three things. We can’t count ourselves as members, how many do we have in ward A1, M2, we don’t know, no data base, we can’t count the total money we have been receiving from members, we can’t even pay our rent. Despite the billions that enter Lagos we still owe the Landlord, we can’t even count our votes, with 18,000 polling units in Lagos, PDP has never put men in all the 18,000 polling units, so when we can’t even count out votes how do we win election.

Those are the three things I want to do, and once we do those three things we will win, do you know why? Because a lot of Lagosians are suffering, they are under bondage, draconian laws everywhere, triple taxation, from the state, Federal, local government, all manner of taxes, even LASTMA arresting people against the law to raise money, so, the people who want to vote for you are there, but you have to put the right people at the polling units.

When I contested election, INEC gave the result sheet to a PDP agent, one of their person, to verify and assent, he said no that APC won the place, he is dead now though, just imagine, we have won, INEC has declared, PDP was telling INEC that no it is APC that won, it happened either in G North or G South. That is why I say that it is the PDP that is rigging for APC, APC is not winning any election, even Tinubu said that much after the first election this time around that APC only tried in five local governments, that they failed in the rest, that is the point and the last election was against a ramshackle PDP, against a PDP that was still working for Asiwaju Tinubu, so we don ‘t need 100 percent members to join me, if we have 30 percent I am ok.

Buhari group cautions Zamfara governor over recession claim The Buhari Media Organization (BMO) has joined the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Chamber of Commerce and Industries (NCCI) to debunk the statement credited to the Zamfara State governor at the Nigerian Governors Forum that the governors should brace up for another recession in 2020.

BMO, in a statement signed by its Chairman, Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary, Cassidy Madueke, recalled that the CBN had assured Nigerians that there are no indicators suggesting an oncoming recession, and that the alarm raised by Yari who is Chairman of the Governors Forum is patently wrong and misguided.

BMO said, “Nigerians should dismiss the false alarm raised by Governor Yari because the Buhari administration runs the Nigerian economy on an economic template of Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) with a robust roadmap towards sustainable growth.

“How can Nigeria slip back into recession when there is a tight monetary policy which has seen an increase in the Nations Foreign Reserves to $44.3 billion from $22 billion left by the PDP administration?

“How can Nigeria slip back into recession when there are deliberate attempts at revamping Nigeria’s rail system, deepening road networks and giving facelifts to airports across the country?

“How can Nigeria slip back into recession when reforms like Treasury Single Account (TSA) have been actively pursued to cut down on the leakages from the public treasury?

“How can Nigeria slip back into recession when the Nigerian Sovereign Wealth Fund (NSWF) managed by the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) grew by $350 million?

“Despite concerns,” the group added, “Nigeria’s Central Bank forecast shows that the country’s GDP will record a sustained growth trajectory from its present 1.9% to 3% in 2019 and attain the single digit inflation target encapsulated in the ERGP. “Yes, Nigeria’s population growth currently outpaces Nigeria’s economic growth of 3.2% year on year with the population rising higher than the country’s GDP growth forecast of 3% for the year 2019. But then, Nigeria, after exiting recession in 2016, has shown growth potentials from policies targeted at diversifying the economy, to courting foreign direct investments (FDI) and reducing inflation rate from a high 18% to a manageable 11.2%.

The country has also improved per capita income, consumer price and manufacturing index,” the group added.

The pro-Buhari group noted that the CBN recently issued five new banking licenses which is a testimony to the viability of the economy. The consequences of home-grown fiscal and monetary policies have created an enabling environment for risk takers to source capital locally to acquire the banking licenses.

“What Nigerians stand to gain from new banks operating either regionally or nationally include access to credit for small and medium enterprises and jobs for the pool of Nigerians in the labor market,” they added.

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ADDITION OF NAME

THOMAS PAUL JUNIOR

OLUWADIMU SUNDAY THIS IS TO CERTIFY AND CONFIRM THAT OGUNDIMU SUNDAY SAMUEL AND OGUNBIYI SUNDAY SAMUEL IS ONE AND THE SAME PERSON BUT NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS OLUWADIMU SUNDAY SAMUEL.ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID GENERAL PUBLIC AND AUTHORITY CONCERNED PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

ALARAPE JAMES

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OYEDELE MAIRA

MISS OLOWE OLAIDE

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MUKAILA BASIRAT

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS AKINYEMI MAIRA EBUNOLUWA, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS OYEDELE MAIRA EBUNOLUWA. ALL DOCUMENTS BEARING MY FORMER NAME REMAIN VALID. AUTHORITY CONCERNED AND GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MUKAILA BASIRAT ABIKE, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MUKAILA BASIRAT ANIKE. ALL DOCUMENTS BEARING MY FORMER NAME REMAIN VALID. AUTHORITY CONCERNED AND GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

ADEGOKE ABIODUN

MODUPEOLA IDOWU

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MODUPE IYABO IDOWU OGUNDERU, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MODUPEOLA IDOWU BABALOLA. ALL DOCUMENTS BEARING MY FORMER NAME REMAIN VALID. AUTHORITY CONCERNED AND GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

KIKELOMO KARIMOT TOBI KARIMOT BOYEDE IS THE SAME PERSON AS KIKELOMO KARIMOT BOYEDE,ALL DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID,IBTC BANK AND GENERAL PUBLIC NOTE.

FORMERLY IWOGBOZO BLESSING HUAMON,NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS ABEGUNDE AYANDOKUN BLESSING,ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID,KEYSTONE,FCMB BANK AND GENERAL PUBLIC NOTE.

ADEGOKE RASAKI DAMILARE, NOW TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS ADEGOKE ABIODUN DAMILARE. ALL DOCUMENTS BEARING MY FORMER NAME REMAIN VALID, AUTHORITY CONCERNED AND GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

MRS EKE NKECHIYELUM

NGWU CORDELIA NNENNA

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED

MISS ODIHA NKECHIYELUM CHIGOLUM,

AS NWAOBODO CORDELIA NNENNA, NOW

NOW

AND

WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS

ADDRESSED AS MRS EKE NKECHIYELUM

NGWU CORDELIA NNENNA. ALL FORMER

CHIGOLUM. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS

DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. BANKS AND

REMAIN VALID. BANKS AND GENERAL

GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE

PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

NOTE.

WISH

TO

BE

KNOWN

NWAFOR PAUL ONYEMAECHI

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS NWAFOR PAUL ONYEMA, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS NWAFOR PAUL ONYEMAECHI. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

OGBODO IFEANYI

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KANU JENNIFER CHINWENDU

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JOY AMEH

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YUSSUF SUSAN

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LAWAL GANIYAT

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OBIUCHE IFEMEHIKASIM

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IDIKA DESTINY I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS KALU EMEKA AND IDIKA EMEKA DESTINY, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS IDIKA DESTINY EMEKA. MY CORRECT DATE OF BIRTH IS MAY 1993 ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

MRS ESENYI OLUBUNMI

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UGOCHUKWU OBIANUJU

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ODIA AUGUSTA AKARUMEN

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CORRECTION OF NAME

. IN SOME OF MY DOCUMENTS MY NAME WAS WRONGLY WRITTEN AS NWACHUKWU CHIDEBERE INSTEAD OF EMMANUEL CHIDIEBERE . ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC KINDLY TAKE NOTE.

ALEKE JOHN

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ANIH NGOZI

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ELOT UKAM RICHARD

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AYENI, NAJAT

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ESTHER OYINKANSOLA

I FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS

OLUWASEYIFUNMI

MAGARET

RICKETTS NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND

ADDRESSED

AS

ESTHER

OYINKANSOLA RICKETTS. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID, GENERAL PUBLIC KINDLY TAKE NOTE.

RACHAEL ESEGBORIAH

I FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS RACHAEL ESEGBORIAH ADIMAH NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS RACHAEL ESEGBORIAH ADEJORIN .

ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID, GENERAL PUBLIC KINDLY TAKE NOTE.

ABEGUNDE AYANDOKUN

IZUNWA ONU CHIDI

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MRS ONOH GLORY I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MISS EMENAHA GLORY OLUEBUBE, NOW

WISH

TO

BE

KNOWN

AND

ADDRESSED AS MRS ONOH GLORY OLUEBUBE. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID.

NYSC AND GENERAL

PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

MRS UGWU IJEOMA

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IDOWU AYENI

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DECLARATION OF MARRIAGE I FORMERLY KNOWN AS FADARE GRACE BOLANLE NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS OSHABI GRACE BOLANLE. MARRIED UNDER CUSTOMARY LAW TO OSHABI MICHAEL OLABODE IN THE YEAR 1968. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID, GENERAL PUBLIC KINDLY TAKE NOTE.

AYOMIDE RUTH

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SALAWU SUCCESS

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OLUWABI SOFIAT ADUKE

FREE SPACE

MRS SORINDE OLUBUNMI

I FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED

I FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS

AS OBADEYI SOFIAT (17-11-1982) NOW

MISS AJAYI OLUBUNMI ADEBUKOLA NOW

WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS

WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS

OLUWABI SOFIAT ADUKE ( 13-04-1983).

MRS SORINDE OLUBUNMI ADEBUKOLA.

ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID.

ALL

ACCESS BANK AND GENERAL PUBLIC

VALID GENERAL PUBLIC AND AUTHORITY

SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

CONCERNED PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

OLATUNJI NIMOT

MRS JAGUNMOLU HIDIAT FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MISS KOLAPO HIDIAT OMOTUNRAYO NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MRS JAGUNMOLU HIDIAT OMOTUNRAYO.ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID, GENERAL PUBLIC AND AUTHORITY CONCERNED PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS AKAPO PAUL JUNIOR, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS THOMAS PAUL JUNIOR AND MY CORRECT DATE OF BIRTH IS 18/01/1992 NOT 01/01/1992.

ALL DOCUMENTS BEARING MY FORMER NAME REMAIN VALID. AUTHORITY CONCERNED AND GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

THAT ON MY DRIVER’S LICENCE, MY NAME APPEARS AS JOHN MATHEW. THAT I WISH TO ADD KEHINDE TO MY NAMES AND ALSO WISH TO CORRECT THE FORMER MISSPELT MATHEW INSTEAD OF MATTHEW. THAT HENCEFORTH, I WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS JOHN MATTHEW KEHINDE. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

Classified

19

I FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS YAQUB NIMOT , NOW WISH T O BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS OLATUNJI NIMOT ADENIKE. ALL FORMER DOCUMENT REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

NWADIKE RACHEAL

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS NWADIKE ANITA, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS NWADIKE RACHEAL IJEOMA. ALL DOCUMENTS BEARING MY FORMER NAME REMAIN VALID. AUTHORITY CONCERNED AND GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

NGENE SUNDAY CHRISTOPHER I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS ANI NAHUM EMMANUEL, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS NGENE SUNDAY CHRISTOPHER. MY CORRECT DATE OF BIRTH IS 27TH NOV 1983. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. BANKS AND GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

ONYEBUCHI HENRY UBESIE I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS ONYEBUCHI V. HENRY MADUABUCHI, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS ONYEBUCHI HENRY UBESIE. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. BANKS AND GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

UZU ONYEKACHUKWU

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UCHENNA AUGUSTINE

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS UCHENNA AUGUSTINE OGBONNA, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS UCHENNA AUGUSTINE ISA. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. BANKS AND GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

EKE CHUKWUJEKWU

I FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS CHUKWUJEKWU VALENTINE NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS EKE CHUKWUJEKWU. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

ALLEN KINGSLEY

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FORMER

DOCUMENTS

REMAIN

IROHAM OGECHUKWU

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MRS. ADESANYA-SHODIPE I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MISS. SHODIPE SIMISOLA , NOW TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MRS. ADESANYA-SHODIPE SIMISOLA. ALL DOCUMENTS BEARING MY FORMER NAME REMAIN VALID, AUTHORITY CONCERNED AND GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

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MRS IWUOHA JULIET

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OKORIE NWEZE

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OTSU ISREAL MBAM

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EZEANYIKA HENRIETTA

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UGOCHUKWU MARYANN

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MORAN MOTORCYCLE OWNERS RIDER ASSOCIATION THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ASSOCIATION HAS APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE:1. EDUN ADENIYI--CHAIRMAN 2. ADESANYA ADEFOLUWE 3. AYORINDE NURUDEEN ADEBAYO -- SECERTARY 4. ADETOKUNBO RASAQ ADEGBEMI 5. FATUNBI OLUFEMI ANTHONY 6. FASHANU MICHEAL OLATUNBOSUN 7. AHMED ADESEGUN 8. BISIRIYU VSEMIU ADEJARE 9. TIJIANI GANIYI ADEGBOYEGA THE AIM AND OBJECTIVE IS :OGRANIZATION AND HARMONIZATION OF ALL OWNERS AND RIDERS ENGAGED IN MOTORCYCLE TRANSPORT WHO ARE MEMBERS OF THE ASSOCIATION ANY OBJECTION TO THE REGISTRATION SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO THE REGISTRARGENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THE PUBLICATION. SIGNED BY: SECRETARY

FOREIGN TIMES

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, May 4, 2019

READ MORE ON: www.dailytimes.ng

Cyclone Fani: 3 dead in India and Bangladesh, millions evacuated

A powerful cyclone has lashed coastal areas of eastern India with torrential rain and winds gusting up to 200km an hour, killing at least three people and forcing a million others to look for safe shelters.

“I can confirm two deaths for now.

One old man in one of the shelters died because of [a] heart attack. Another person went out in the storm despite our warnings and died because a tree fell on him,” Odisha state special relief commissioner Bishnupada Sethi told AFP news agency on Friday.

A third person, a woman was killed in neighbouring Bangladesh, where the storm was headed, said authorities there.

Having spent days building up power in the northern reaches of the Bay of Bengal, tropical Cyclone Fani struck the coast of Odisha state at around 8am local time (02:30 GMT) on Friday, the state-run India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

The state evacuated more than a

million people from the most vulnerable communities along the low-lying coast during the past 24 hours, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said on Twitter.

Close to 60km inland, high winds uprooted trees and electricity poles in the state capital, Bhubaneswar, where authorities had ordered the airport to stay closed. The roads were blocked by fallen trees, communications disrupted and there was no electricity in the city as night fell.

Schools and colleges in Odisha were also shut.

With heavy rainfall across eastern India on Friday, there were concerns that rivers would flood possibly on Saturday.

Hundreds of disaster management personnel were deployed in the state.

Doctors and other medical staff were told to defer any leave until May 15.

Neighbouring West Bengal also decided to close an airport at Kolkata, the state capital. Hundreds of thousands of people had been given evacuation orders

in the state.

“We are not able to know what’s happening outside. There’s darkness everywhere,” Jyotirmayee Panda, a resident of Puri in Odisha, told Al Jazeera.

“We can only hear the sound caused by roofs being blown away and poles and trees hitting the ground. That is quite scary. The wind is picking up speed and water is now entering our homes. We are unable to cook and just god will save us.”

Thousands of people fleeing the cyclone are faced with a long wait at the railway stations. More than 200 trains have been cancelled along coastal routes, according to the Indian Railways.

“We don’t know how long we have to wait here. We were not prepared for this kind of situation. We need food and a safe shelter,” said Deepak Mohanty, a passenger at Bhubaneswar railway station.

Three special trains were put in service to ferry pilgrims and tourists from Puri.

Some 3,000 shelters have been set up

in schools and government buildings to accommodate more than a million people. More than 100,000 dry food packets are ready to be dropped if needed, reports said.

Cyclone-prone area Jajati Karan, a journalist based in Odisha, told Al Jazeera that the cyclone had already caused major destruction in the coastal areas.

“Odisha is a cyclone-prone area. But no casualties have been reported so far because of the preparations carried out by the government,” said Karan, talking about the state with a population of 45 million.

Meanwhile, West Bengal also braced for the storm.

“We have heard that the cyclone has turned towards [West] Bengal and it will also hit Kolkata. But people should not panic unnecessarily. All precautionary steps are being taken to prevent any loss of life,” Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim told reporters.

The IMD predicted Fani will reach Bangladesh on Saturday and gradually weaken.

Bangladesh was preparing for the arrival of the storm, ordering the evacuation of 2.1 million before Saturday.

The country’s junior disaster minister Enamur Rahman said 56 thousand volunteers were racing to move millions out of the storm’s path.

India’s cyclone season can last from April to December, when severe storms batter coastal cities and cause widespread deaths and damage to crops and property in both India and neighbouring Bangladesh.

Technological advancements have helped meteorologists to predict weather patterns well in advance, and authorities have become far better at preparing for the ferocious storms and reducing casualties.

A super-cyclone battered the coast of Odisha for 30 hours in 1999, killing about 10,000 people. In 2013, a mass evacuation of nearly a million people likely saved thousands of lives.

Journalists cautiously celebrate press freedom in Ethiopia Elias Meseret, an Ethiopian journalist with more than 11 years’ experience, is feeling optimistic as he marks World Press Freedom Day on Friday.

Little more than a year ago, Ethiopia was known as one of the world’s worst persecutors of journalistswith the ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front’s (EPRDF) tight grip leading to dozens of journalists being exiled, as others were imprisoned.

However, since reformist Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took over the chairmanship of EPRDF and the premiership in April 2018, Ethiopia has moved to unblock hundreds of dissident websites, welcome back exiled journalists and media outlets, as well as ease the work environment

for journalists.

Meseret has taken advantage of the more relaxed atmosphere, launching a social-media news service to fight fake news and hate speech, which have grown recently.

The new order is being abused, he said, because once-repressed voices have been given the chance to be aired publicly.

“I see that the opening of the media space has presented Ethiopians with new opportunities to express their views freely and with it also the dangers of hate speech,” said Meseret.

The Ethiopian government says it is aware of this and is preparing legislation that would impose up to three years in prison for those found to be disseminating hate speech and

NETWORK FOR AFRICA INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT & TRANSPARENCY THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, NO. 1 OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. MATHIAS EZENWAKA - CHAIRMAN 2. BUKKY RUTH KOSOKO - SECRETARY 4. DICKSON ANEBI 5. HAUWA NANA SALAMI 6. VICTORIA CHIOMA EZENWAKA THE AIM OBJECTIVE: 1. TO CARTE FOR ALL THE MEMBERS AND TO CONTRIBUTE OUR QUOTA TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF ALL ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, P.M.B 198, GARKI ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: SECRETARY

fake news.

Billene Seyoum, a spokeswoman at the prime minister’s office, says Ethiopia is trying to ensure accountability comes with renewed press freedom by drafting anti-hate speech legislation.

“Both citizens and government have responsibility to ensure the fabric of Ethiopian society isn’t broken,” she said.

Meseret, however, is concerned that newfound media freedom could be curtailed with the anti-hate speech draft legislation.

“Generally I’m against the involvement of the government in enacting any kind of laws,” he said.

“As we’ve seen, the government can infringe on the rights of individuals using laws such as the 2009 Antiterrorism proclamation.”

At state news outlets, there is a slightly different story.

Pawlos Belete, chief news editor at Walta Information Center, a progovernment TV station, said while his station has started inviting formerly outlawed individuals and groups for interviews, the channel is grappling with old habits.

“I’m afraid the momentum for greater editorial independence at Walta won’t continue, with the old habits of secrecy, increased editorial control by management and the tendency to block alternative opinions returning back,” said Belete.

“The media should be given a relatively free environment to

operate, to expose faults to help the government take corrective measures and ensure public accountability. If the media reverts to its old self of blocking information on urgent matters, it could put the country and the people in danger again.”

For Asmeret Haileselassie, lecturer at Addis Ababa University School of Journalism and Communications, the ethnic divides in the booming media scene should concern everybody.

“Nowadays people are organising themselves and their media outlets along ethnic lines, opening up even more potential to deepen ethnic differences,” said Haileselassie, citing the dangers of biased media in a country grappling with around three million internally displaced people, partly as a result of ethnic conflicts.

Polarisation can also have dire consequences on the safety of reporters, as evidenced byrecent assaults on journalists by civilian mobs.

The Ethiopian government should prioritise providing digital literacy, she said.

“If the national elections in 2020 goes as planned, the public needs to make informed decisions, to avoid a repeat of the post-2005 national elections violence when some media outlets were accused of fanning divisions, contributing to the bloodshed” said Haileselassie.

g 20 Trump, Putin discuss nuclear weapons and Venezuela in phone call US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke for more than an hour on Friday, discussing the possibility of a new nuclear accord, North Korean denuclearisation, Ukraine and the political situation in Venezuela, the White House said.

“Had a long and very good conversation with President Putin of Russia,” Trump said in a post on Twitter, noting they had discussed trade, Venezuela, Ukraine, North Korea, nuclear arms and Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential campaign.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told reporters that the call was an “overall positive conversation”.

Mueller report Sanders said the two men, who last chatted informally at a dinner of world leaders in Buenos Aires on December 1, briefly talked about the report Mueller report that concluded Trump did not collude with Russia during his 2016 presidential campaign.

The Mueller probe discussion was “essentially in the context of that it’s over and there was no collusion, which I’m pretty sure both leaders were very well aware of long before this call took place,” Sanders said.

The Kremlin confirmed the two leaders talked and highlighted in its statement that the call was initiated by Washington.

It said the two leaders agreed to maintain contacts on different levels and expressed satisfaction with the “businesslike and constructive nature” of the conversation.

Venezuela With the United States concerned about a Russian military presence in Venezuela at a time when Washington wants Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to leave power, Trump told Putin “the United States stands with the people of Venezuela” and stressed he wanted to get relief supplies into the country, Sanders said.

Putin told Trump that any external interference in Venezuela’s internal business undermines the prospects of a political end to the crisis, the Kremlin said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo by phone on Wednesday that further “aggressive steps” in Venezuela would be fraught with the gravest consequences, the Russian ministry said.

The US State Department said Pompeo urged Russia on the call to stop supporting Maduro. He also “stressed that the intervention by Russia and Cuba is destabilising for Venezuela and for the USRussia bilateral relationship,” it said.

New START treaty Sanders told reporters Trump and Putin talked about the possibility of a new multilateral nuclear accord between the US, Russia and China, or an extension of the current US-Russia strategic nuclear treaty.

She did not say which arms control agreement Trump and Putin discussed, but the Russian state news agency Tass reported that they talked about the New START treaty, the last major arms-control treaty remaining between the US and Russia.

The 2011 New START treaty expires in February 2021 but can be extended for five years if both sides agree. Without the agreement, it could be harder to gauge each other’s intentions, arms control advocates say.

The New START treaty required the US and Russia to cut their deployed strategic nuclear warheads to no more than 1,550, the lowest level in decades, and limit delivery systems - land- and submarinebased missiles and nuclear-capable bombers.

It also includes extensive transparency measures requiring each side to allow the other to carry out 10 inspections of strategic nuclear bases each year; give 48 hours notice before new missiles covered by the treaty leave their factories; and provide notifications before ballistic missile launches.

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, May 4, 2019

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Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, May 4, 2019

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SPORTS TIMES Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, May 4, 2019

Qatar World Cup ‘vagina stadium’ revealed

A ‘vagina-shaped’ football stadium has been unveiled in Qatar ahead of the 2022 World Cup. The Al Wakrah stadium was designed by the late British-Iraqi architect Dame Zaha Hadid and will host matches up to the quarter-finals.

The venue is the first to be completed from scratch ahead of the tournament and boasts innovative technology to bring temperatures down for fans.

Dame Zaha, who died suddenly of a heart attack in 2016, was said to have been inspired by the flowing shape of an Arabian dhow boat.

The vessels are widely used for fishing in the region and the arena was to have a roof to resemble the sails of the show.

However when the drawings were published in 2013, the shape quickly raised eyebrows with fans saying it resembles female genitalia.

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At the time, Dame Zaha hit back saying: ‘It’s really embarrassing they come up with nonsense stuff like this.

What are they saying? Everything with a hole in it is a vagina? That’s ridiculous.’

The architect was also behind great buildings such as the Aquatics Centre at the 2012 London Olympics, the MAXXI Museum in Italy and the Guangzhou Opera House in China.

She added: ‘If a guy had done this project there wouldn’t have been the same level of criticism’.

Some critics actually supported the design of the ‘vagina stadium’ saying it could actually prove to be a good thing for the sport.

One said: ‘In a world where sport and vaginas very rarely come together with such prominence – see every UK female footballer’s salary versus every UK male footballer’s salary – the likeness can only be a good thing.

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‘After all why not have 45,000 people crammed inside a woman’s reproductive system? It’s not like they haven’t been there before.’

The World Cup will take place in Qatar in the winter to ensure that visitors are not overwhelmed by the heat.

Dame Zaha’s stadium is 12 miles south of the capital Doha and has been designed to be able to bring down the heat to around 22C for spectators and players.

Cold air will be piped in through vents while the retractable roof will provide shade to the pitch.

Qatar is producing eight stadiums for the World Cup, including the renovated Khalifa International Stadium.

After the games are over, the capacity of the Al Wakrah stadium will be halved and the excess seats donated to football projects in developing countries.

Thomas Dennerby: Super Falcons now confident enough to face any opponent Head Coach of the Super Falcons, Thomas Dennerby, believes his team has gained more confidence ahead of the FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in France and will compete well against the top teams at the tournament.

The reigning African champions have been drawn against France, South Korea, and Norway at the forthcoming finals which holds from June 7 to July 7 2019 in France.

Dennerby also assures that the African champions will not suffer any mental block when confronting European opposition at the FIFA World Cup. “The team now has the

confidence to play against any team, whichever continent they come from,” Dennerby said during a press conference preceding the WAFU Women’s Tournament starting in Abidjan next week.

“That is the benefit of the several training camps and friendly tournaments we have had this year.

I definitely don’t think that it’s some kind of mental block when we lost to Canada in Spain.

“We know the reason why we lost the game and the biggest lessons are not to do tactics that the team have not practiced in training, and also to stop playing only when the referee’s whistle goes for the end of the game.

“The WAFU tournament is very

important for the domestic players as it will avail the team an opportunity to play five really good games.

Honestly, the most important thing is not to win the tournament but to have good performances and to have a good environment because some of them will participate in the final camping in Austria.”

Dennerby, who is excited at the numerous talents in the Nigeria Women Football League, says he has plans taking some of the domestic players who perform well in Abidjan to the World Cup. “It’s a little bit early to know the exact number, but definitely about eight or 10 domestic players will make the team,” Dennerby assured.

Gernot Rohr: We will not kneel to ask a player to return Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr discloses he is ready to welcome Victor Moses back to the national team but insists he will not ‘kneel’ to have him rescind his retirement decision.

The 28-year-old called time on a sixyear international career after the 2018 Fifa World Cup in Russia.

With Nigeria making an 18th appearance at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, the Fenerbahce forward has been linked with a return to the Super Eagles squad.

However, Rohr reiterated that he will not beg the 2013 Afcon winner to overturn his decision.

“We tried to convince him not to withdraw but he made his choice,” he told Goal.

“If he comes back on this decision, it’s up to him to tell us. We are open to dialogue but we will not kneel to ask a player to return.”

Nigeria have been heavily tipped to stroll past Group B adversaries (Guinea, Madagascar and Burundi), but the tactician feels otherwise.

“It’s complicated because we have two novices who will have a lot of enthusiasm and we do not know them

very much,” he continued.

“You have to organize scouting to know them a little more. We know a little more about Guinea even if it’s been a long time since there was a match against them.

“They have a very good team with Kamano Girondins and Keita Liverpool . They finished in front of Ivory Coast all the same. Some think our group is easy and that’s the danger.”

AFCON: CAF insists on the best in pre-tournament referees course Confederation of African Football (CAF) may have declared operation only the best is good enough at the intensive training for over 56 referees and their assistants in Rabat Morocco ahead of the 2019 Nations Cup in Egypt.

Information emanating for the venue in Rabat indicate that the whistle men and their assistants are being exposed new techniques and approaches all aimed at reducing to the barest minimum mistakes associated with officiating.

The Video Assistant Referee is also

in use at the training as part of the practical component of the course which started on April 28 and is expected to end on Sunday may 5th.

Nigeria’s Baba Adel is among the 56man squad on whose shoulders a lot will depend when the Nations Cup gets underway in Egypt from June 21 to July 19.

It is however not only about training as the officials are also undergoing medical and physical test besides theoretical and practical sessions under the supervision of experienced CAF Instructors.

Also to be discussed are the amendments to the Laws of the Game, which takes effect Jun 1 2019, and which are expected to the implemented during the championship.

A blend of youth and experience, Egypt and Tunisia have the biggest number of representatives – five (5), consisting of three referees and two assistant referees.

The 2019 Nations Cup will for the first time feature 24 teams with some analysts predicting that it will be full of fireworks as nations hitherto dubbed underdogs in the round leather game in the continent have risen to the occasion and shown signs of readiness to spring a surprise and give regular winners and more experienced countries a run for their skills.

Madagascar, Burundi and Mauritania will be making their first appearances in Egypt with analysts warning that teams underrating them as new comers may be doing so at their own risk as the era of minnows in football has since disappeared.

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Yakubu Aiyegbeni visits Flying Eagles camp in Germany

Gernot Rohr: No big player in Super Eagles Super Eagles coach Genort Rohr has played down expectations of winning the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) as he rates Egypt and Senegal favourites, saying he has ‘no big players’ in the team.

The German suggested that the three-time Africa champions are underdogs ahead of the historic event – as it will be the first time 24 teams will compete for Africa’s biggest football prize.

During an exclusive

interview with Nigerian journalist, Osasu Obayiuwana published via twitter, Rohr explained: “We start our preparations on June 2nd and I think that if all things go well, we will have a good tournament. We must, however, respect every opponent. There is no small team now.

“As Sepp Herberger, the coach that won the 1954 @ FIFAWorldCup for @DFB_ Team “The most difficult game is always the next one ahead of us.”

Rohr continues: “I have a young @NGSuperEagles team, full of potential, but we are not the favourite for the AFCON. We don’t have big players, like Senegal and Egypt, so the @ NGSuperEagles must work collectively as a team. This is where our strength lies.”

Nigeria won Group E with 13 points during the qualifier, South Africa earned 12points to finish second while Libya gathered seven points in third place and Seychelles were bottom with a point.

Former Premier League striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni paid a surprise visit to Flying Eagles training camp in Ingolstadt.

The 36-year-old earned 58 caps for Nigeria and had of return 21 goals also featured for the U23 at the 2000 Olympics said he was in 2014 World Champions nation to motivate the Flying Eagles players before their trip to Poland for the World Cup. Nigeria are set to participate in the 2019 FIFA U20 World Cup and they have been drawn against Ukraine, USA and Qatar in Group D and begin their campaign against middle east country at the Stadion Miejski on May 24.

The former Everton, Portsmouth, Middlesbrough and Blackburn Rovers striker speaking to the NFF website stated: ”I have played in the youth sides for Nigeria and I know what it means to these young lads (the Flying Eagles) to represent their

country. ”It was a pleasure to come here and speak with the boys and also encourage them go all out and do the country proud. ”I am happy with what I’ve seen in training and I urge them not to rest on their oars. They have the quality to do the country proud.”

Aiyegbeni was delighted to meet his former Super Eagles teammate, Wilson Oruma, who is the welfare officer of the Flying Eagles. ”I am also very happy to meet Wilson (Oruma). He’s my former teammate and brother and it is nice seeing him today. ”I wish the team all the best in Poland and hope they win the trophy for the first time,” he added.

The Nigeria Football Federation confirmed today that a friendly with Saudi Arabia will be played on Sunday, May 5 in the Austrian city of Vienna.

Liverpool star Mohamed Salah shortlisted for PFA Fans’ Player of the Month Liverpool forward Mohammed Salah has been nominated for the PFA Fans’ Player of the Month award for the third Chelsea before notching a brace in their 5-0 thrashing of Huddersfield Town.

The Egypt international previously clinched the award in December and January. He is up against Everton’s Lucas Digne, Newcastle United’s Ayoze Perez, Fulhams’s Sergio Rico, Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy and Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva for

time this season.

The 26-year-old scored four goals in four league outings for Jurgen Klopp’s side in April as they push April’s recognition by the PFA. The two-time African Footballer of the Year will hope to replicate his awe-inspiring form when Egypt host the rest of the continent for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Pharaohs have been placed in Group A against Uganda, Zimbabwe and DR Congo.

for their first Premier League title since 1990.

Salah grabbed a goal a piece in Liverpool’s win over Southampton and

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