DTN-5-1-19 by Dailytimes

Buhari, INEC Commissioner Amina Zakari not related – Presidency Says PDP is clutching at straws

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 2019

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4 days into New Year:

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Fire razes 70 shops in ultra-modern market Uproar as similar incidents occurred in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 Multi-million naira goods destroyed as traders count loses

Saka Bolaji, Minna No fewer than 70 shops have been gutted by an early morning fire destroying goods worth over millions of naira at the Abdulkhadir Kure Ultra-Modern Market in Minna, Niger State. The latest outbreak of fire in Kure Market is not the first as traders recalled that same was recorded in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and February 2018.

The fire which started on Friday by 6am destroyed clothing, palm and groundnut oil produces worth millions of naira. It was gathered that the fire started from a tea and noodles seller popularly called ‘Mai Shia’ whose extension shop is very close to the palm oil shops’ block. The intervention of the security and men of the state fire service was said to have curtailed the raging fire from consuming CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

After 8 days in hiding, Melaye surrenders to police g 5

We’ve ended dehumanisation of pensioners -President g 5

FG okays N161bn for 2019 TETFund Intervention Guidelines g 5

CBN injects $210m to lift Forex market g 15

I am single and searching but not ready for marriage- Uzee Usman

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Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, January 5, 2019

Fire razes 70 shops in ultra-modern market

Continued from page 1

more shops. The fire which later reignited and spread to more shops at about 11am was said to have started from a locked shop. The immediate cause of the fire incident was not known, however, it was speculated that the ‘Mai Sha’ (tea seller) must have left his stove on and went for an early morning prayers thereby leaving the fire unattended to. Some affected shop owners, who spoke to our correspondent, said they lost goods and cash stocked in the shops because they could not go to the bank owing to the fact that they closed late. One of the affected victims who is also the Chairman of the Kure Market Traders Association, Alhaji Yusuf, said he lost a complete truck of

palm oil loaded of four hundred gallons worth N10,000 each making a total of forty million naira (N40,000,000). He said until full assessment is carried out, the estimated loss will be close to N800 million. The traders complained that if not for the congestion in the market, the fire would have been put off on time with less damages. One of the shop owners, Alhassan Husseini, said that he has lost goods worth over N1 million and cash of over N300,000 to the fire incident. The state Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Gubernatorial candidate, Umar Nasko, visited the scene and sympathised with affected shop owners. Governor Sani Bello said all temporary shops will be relocated to avoid

future occurrences, adding, “We will work together with the market committee to ensure fire outbreaks are curtailed.” Nasko while assuring that when voted into power by February this year, said he will construct kiosk for tea sellers separately, adding that it is unfortunate the fire incident happened at this critical times. The Police Public Relations Officer of the Niger State Police Command, DSP, Muhammad Abubakar, who was at the scene of the incident, however declined to make comments. When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Ibrahim Yahaya, said assessment is ongoing and that the cause of the fire cannot be ascertained until after investigations.

Buhari, INEC Commissioner Amina Zakari don’t relate - Presidency

PHOTO TIMES

L-R: President Muhammadu Buhari, Ag. President/ Deputy President, Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Dr Dallatu Musa Ayuba, General secretary, Elder Actor Zai, Dep Gen Sec, Chief Dr. Joseph Okunade, Comrade Abunmisi Godwin, Comrade Yohanna YakubuAlj Sani Mohammed, Chief Benjamin Ettah, Chief Emeka Onwumere and DIG Fidelis Oyakhilome (rtd), during at the State House, Abuja... on Friday.

Cross-section of contractors at a meeting with the Edo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) at Government House, in Benin City...on Thursday.

Says PDP is clutching at straws

Mathew Dadiya, Abuja In reaction to allegations by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that INEC commissioner, Amina Zakari, is a niece of President Muhammadu Buhari, the Presidency has refuted the allegations as baseless, adding that the President and Mrs. Zakari don’t share family relationship. Senior Special Assistant to the President, Media & Publicity, Garba Shehu, on Friday, stated that the PDP “in their desperation, forget that it was the PDP government that appointed her in the first place and they keep lying, as they have been caught doing on so many issues, by

imputing a blood relationship between her and President Muhammadu Buhari.” Shehu explained that President Buhari and Commissioner Amina Zakari don’t share a family relationship, adding that an intermarriage occurred in their extended families. He said that the imputation of blood relationship between the President and the electoral commissioner “is a simple lie.” “The PDP has continued their baseless accusations regarding Hajiya Amina Zakari, a commissioner in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), accusing her of partiality and casting doubts about her integrity as an electoral commissioner. “What is even more

curious about all the fuss coming from the PDP is that they, as a ruling party picked Mrs. Zakari, judging her by her own merit. “She served so well with distinction as can be verified from the records that President Buhari approved the recommendation that she be reappointed, as he did other PDP nominees for secondterm of four years. “PDP, therefore, has no moral right to keep harassing this hardworking mother unless they have a hidden agenda,” the presidential aide stated. Shehu stressed that by this statement, “the PDP is guilty of scoring an own goal and two, of harassing an innocent citizen on the basis of a lie, pure and simple.”

3 News

RETURNS ON THE UTILISATION OF FUNDS SOLD TO CUSTOMERS FOR THE WEEK ENDED FRIDAY 28/12/2018

S/N CUSTOMER

ITEM OF IMPORT

DATE

FLOUR MILLS OF NIGERIA

24-Dec-18

FLOUR MILLS OF NIGERIA

4. 5.

AIR PEACE AIR PEACE

495M/TONS OF POLYPROPYLENE HOMOPLOYMER IN GRANULAR FORM OF RAFFIA GRADE HLR 102 148.500M/TONS OF POLYPROPYLENE IN GRANULAR FORM OF GRADE HSV103 148.500M/TONS OF POLYPROPYLENE IN GRANULAR FORM OF GRADE HSV103 AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE

FLOUR MILLS OF NIGERIA

4,000M/TONS OF RUSSIAN MILLING WHEAT WITH MINIMUM PROTEIN OF 12.5% IN BULK

EXCHANGE RATE

AMOUNT (USD)

356.50

47,470.96

24-Dec-18

356.50

202,529.04

24-Dec-18

356.50

5,370.96

24-Dec-18 24-Dec-18

356.50 356.50

250,000.00 150,000.00

24-Dec-18

356.50

344,629.04

RETURNS ON SOURCES OF FUNDS SOLD TO CUSTOMERS FOR THE WEEK ENDED FRIDAY 28/12/2018

S/N SOURCE 1. 2. 3. 4.

OTHER SOURCES INTERBANK INTERBANK INTERBANK

DATE

24-Dec-18 24-Dec-18 27-Dec-18 28-Dec-18

EXCHANGE RATE 356.00 307.00 307.00 307.00

AMOUNT (USD) 1,000,000.00 30,000.00 30,000.00 20,000.00

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, January 5, 2019

5 News

We’ve ended dehumanisation FG okays N161bn for 2019 TETFund of pensioners – President Mathew Dadiya, Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari has said that his administration has put a stop to the dehumanisation of federal pensioners by ensuring they were paid their entitlements and backlog of arrears as at when due. The President spoke on Friday when he received a delegation of Nigeria Union of Pensioners led by the acting president, Comrade Musa Ayuba Dallatu, alongside the Executive Secretary of PTAD, Sharon Ikeazor at State House, Abuja. Buhari declared that the welfare of pensioners had remained a priority for his administration since May 2015, noting that the retirees deserve timely payment of their emoluments, recognition, and respect for their work and dedication to the country during their active working years. ‘‘In recent times, pensioners were ignored, neglected and even persecuted. We have put a stop to that. As you yourselves have confirmed today, we have begun regular payment of monthly pensions and payment of backlog of arrears. ‘‘The Federal Government released N45 billion accrued rights for the contributory pension scheme and N22.4 billion to start payment of ex-Nigeria Airways pensioners,’’ he said. The president told the pensioners that the Federal Government also

bailed out states to address salary and pension arrears including Paris Club refunds, even as he had authorised schemes for the restoration of Niger Delta Steel Company pensioners, NITEL/ MTEL pensioners and Biafra Police war veterans pensioners. Reviewing the actions taken so far by the administration in connection with the pension industry, the President said the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) had saved N4.9 trillion per annum as a result of payroll clean-up under the Civil Service verification exercise. He added that the Directorate which supervised the payment of pension arrears to over 50,000 verified Civil Service Pensioners, also oversaw the payment of N917.6 million to 432 war retirees. According to the President, under his watch, PTAD completed full payment of N5.8 billion to police retirees in August 2018 while in November 2018, N13.7 billion was paid to parastatal retirees and N18 billion to civil service Pensioners. ‘‘These few examples testify to the Government’s positive impact on pensioners’ lives. In addition, we achieved huge savings in budgetary provisions through the elimination of ghost and duplicated details. ‘‘We have restored qualified pensioners arbitrarily removed from the payroll, thus bringing succour and hope to senior citizens, thereby improving the

confidence of the entire county in the Government and its policies,’’ he said. On the requests by the pensioners, including the implementation of the National Policy on Pension Parity and the National Policy on Social Security on Health and Other Related Matters of the Elderly, the President promised to do all within his powers to address them, subject to the availability of funds. The leader of the delegation had also sought the President’s intervention on the five percent counterpart funding for the payment of local government pensioners and retired primary school teachers which was arbitrarily stopped in 2010. Comrade Dallatu appealed for the payment of outstanding pension arrears, gratuities and death benefits that have accrued over the years, among others. Commending President Buhari on the regular payment of pensions, Dallatu said: ‘‘We are bold to say without fear or favour that you have made our lives better than you met it in so many areas, which among others include regular payment of monthly pensions. ‘‘It is an incontestable fact that since the advent of this government under your able leadership, payment of monthly pensions has been more regular than ever. In fact, if the truth must be told, Mr. President Sir, we have never had it so good.’’

After 8 days in hiding, Melaye surrenders to Police Doosuur Iwambe, Abuja

Eight days after he was holed up inside his Maitama Abuja residence in an attempt to evade arrest, the Senator representing Kogi West in the National Assembly, Dino Melaye, on Friday, finally handed himself over to the authorities. Recall that the Police had laid siege on the Senator’s residence in attempt to arrest him over a case of shooting of a Police Officer, Sgt Danjuma Saliu, attached to 37 Police Mobile Force (PMF) while on duty at a stop and search point along Aiyetoro Gbede, Mopa Road in Kogi State. In a statement on Friday, Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood, said that Senator Melaye is currently in Police custody for investigation, and subsequently, taken to Police hospital, Abuja for medical attention and he is in stable condition. According to the statement, investigation into the case of criminal conspiracy and attempted culpable homicide against him is on-going. The statement added that the case will be taken to court on completion of investigation. Senator Melaye was declared

wanted by the Police for criminal conspiracy and attempted culpable homicide, committed on 19th July, 2018, when Senator Dino Melaye and his armed thugs attacked Police personnel, shot and wounded SGT Danjuma Saliu on stop and search duty along Aiyetoro Gbede, Mopa Road in Kogi State. The Police Investigation Team had on December 28, 2018 arrived the residence of Senator Dino Melaye with a duly obtained Warrant of Arrest to effect his arrest to answer to a case of Criminal Conspiracy and Attempted Culpable Homicide against him under investigation in the Kogi State Police Command. However, it was alleged that Senator Melaye on sighting the Police Team locked up himself in the building to evade arrest. The Warrant of Arrest, according to the statement, was obtained after Senator Melaye refused to honour Police invitation dated 23rd July, 2018, signed by the Commissioner of Police, Kogi State Police Command, addressed to the Clerk, National Assembly, Abuja, inviting Senator Dino Melaye to report on 26th July, 2018 at the Kogi State Police Command, CIID, Lokoja to answer to a case of Criminal Conspiracy

and Attempted Culpable Homicide against him under investigation in the Kogi State Police Command. The Police Investigation Team cordoned off the building and continued to be in wait for eight (8) days for Senator Melaye to obey the law and surrender himself for arrest. While the Police Investigation Team was waiting, Senator Dino Melaye granted an interview monitored on Television Stations that he was not in Abuja. This claim eventually was discovered to be completely false as Senator Dino Melaye surrendered to the waiting Police Investigation Team today at his residence in Abuja at about 1500hrs on Friday. Melaye, who is currently standing trial in more than one suit, has been accused of illegal possession of arms, gun running and sponsoring hoodlums in Kogi State. In a separate trial, he was accused of a six-count charge, bordering on attempted suicide, attempt to escape from custody and damage of police property. Meanwhile, an Abuja high court had on Thursday refused to grant Dino Melaye’s application to order the removal of police blockage on his Maitama Abuja residence.

Intervention Guidelines Doosuur Iwambe, Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the sum of N161 billion for 2018 Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) Intervention Guidelines to be utilised in 2019. Addressing newsmen in Abuja on Friday, Executive Secretary of the Fund, Dr. Abdullahi Baffa, said that the approved sum of N161B has been allocated to the eligible institutions for the 2019 activities in accordance with the provisions of the TETFund Act 2011. Giving a breakdown of how the funds will be appropriately disbursed to all the institutions, Dr. Baffa said that each public university will get an allocation of N785, 832,700.00. “Each public polytechnic will get the sum of N536, 703,502.00 and each College of Education will get an allocation of N510, 084,900.00 respectively. “The detailed breakdown of the allocations will be released after the fund communicates the allocation letters to the instructions”, Dr. Buffa said. On the review of activities for 2017 and 2018 activities, he disclosed that whereas the total sum of N69.18 billion was reaped for 2017 projects, a total of N133.84 billion was reaped for 2018 projects respectively. “Universities got N66.93 billion, polytechnics N32.37 billion, Colleges of Education

Buhari

N32.65 billion while others were N1.89 billion”. He said that Tetfund had in 2018 fully implemented the 2017 Revised Guidelines for accessing interventions funds by beneficiaries and institutions to ease the processes of submission and approval. This, according to Dr. Baffa, contributed significantly to beneficiary institutions delivering their 2017 intervention projects within the specified project cycles. He said: “As at November 2018, the total education tax collection stood at N200, 700,193,208.54. This shows an increase of about 25.47% over the previous year’s collection of N154.9Billion. “The growth in the education Tax Collection is a clear confirmation that Nigeria’s economy has recovered from the avoidable recession it was plunged into by the previous administration. “The increased collection will obviously translate to a bigger allocation for public Tertiary Education Institutions and therefore more projects, more scholarships, more research funds in the institutions”. He urged entitled institutions to come to the Fund’s head office and collect their allocation letters beginning from Monday, 7th January, 2019, adding that the detailed breakdown of the allocations will be released after the Fund communicates letters to the institutions.

News 6

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, January 5, 2019

Buhari urges youths to prepare for leadership Mathew Dadiya, Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari has called on Nigerian youths to groom themselves for political leadership as his generation will eventually quit the scene for the younger ones to takeover. Buhari space the advice on Friday when he received the Ohaneze Ndigbo Youth Wing led by the Acting National Leader, Kingsley Dozie Lawrence, at the State House, Abuja. He described Nigerian youths as very active and critically important in the Nigerian project. ‘‘Youths are very virile and active. A greater part of the Nigerian population is made up of youths. They must always be a factor at all times. ‘‘Youths must begin to groom themselves for the leadership of Nigeria. ‘‘I said this to the leaders of the National Association of Nigerian Students yesterday (Thursday)

- sooner than later we will leave the stage and you will take over. You have to equip yourselves properly,’’ he said. The President welcomed the group for appreciating his administration’s effort in providing the much-needed infrastructure across the country and for ensuring that Nigerians celebrated the Yuletide with the availability and price stability of petroleum products. ‘‘I am glad you appreciate government’s efforts. That is why we are here to make a difference in the lives of Nigerians and on infrastructure. We will ensure that the resources of Nigeria work for Nigerians,’’ he said. On the industrial action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the President expressed the hope that ‘‘good reason will prevail’’ in the on-going talks between the Federal Government and representatives of the union. Earlier in his remarks, the

leader of the Ohaneze Ndigbo Youth Wing hailed the Buhari administration for stabilising the economy, improved security during the Christmas season and sustaining the development of infrastructure, particularly the Second Niger Bridge. ‘‘We, the Ohaneze Ndigbo Youth Wing, are partnersin-progress in the Nigerian Project and will extend hands of partnership to any administration that guarantees the interest and welfare of Ndigbo. ‘‘There’s no gainsaying the fact that President Buhari’s administration has impacted the Igbos in some positive ways, but there are still areas the Igbos need more impacts,’’ he said. The Youth leader, therefore, appealed to the President to make a categorical statement on the issue of Igbo Presidency in 2023, in addition to initiating a process for the creation of an additional state in the South-East, among others.

NSCDC boss charges personnel on dedication, hard work The CommandantGeneral, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Abdullahi Gana, has charged personnel of the Corps to be more dedicated, hard-working and committed to their duty in 2019. Media Assistant to the Commandant General, Mr. Soji Alabi, who said in a statement on Friday in Abuja, stated that Gana made the remarks at a meeting with the management and staff to flag off activities for the New Year. Gana urged the personnel to reciprocate the kind gesture of the management on improved welfare and be more dedicated and loyal to the Corps and the nation at large. He noted that his administration had promoted over 4,000 personnel in the senior and junior categories, and paid them promotion arrears, adding that those promoted since 2014 were paid as at December 31, 2018. He said the Corps keyed into the Federal Government Housing Policy through the Federal Mortgage Bank. “Loans were provided for more than 962 officers and men to renovate their homes while 20 more officers and men have benefited from the Federal Integrated Staff Housing

(FISH) programme,” Gana said, amongst other achievements. The CG commended the efforts of the various directorates and state commands for the achievements recorded in the core mandate of the corps. He noted that the Corps had ensured maximum security to all facilities and infrastructure in the Power Sector, Telecommunications, and others through the deployment of officers and men of the Corps. “The fight against pipeline vandalism, oil theft and adulteration of petroleum products has been sustained through the collaborative efforts of the NSCDC and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. “Specially trained Anti vandal troops were deployed to man the major pipelines and oil installations across the nation. “This is especially in the Niger Delta region where the Corps has arrested over 250 suspects and 25 vehicles, 40 trucks, 25 boats, 6 vessels, 250 drums laden with stolen petroleum/adulterated products. “Those arrested have been prosecuted and convictions secured while some are still awaiting trials. “The intervention by the Corps has forced Pipeline vandalism to reduce significantly in Nigeria,”

he said. The NSCDC boss added that the Corps had also done well in the area of protecting water dams, telecommunication facilities and equipment, curbing illegal mining and critical assets in the power sector. “The Corps has deployed over 5,000 personnel to the North-East to protect the IDP camps, and to re-occupy the re-claimed Towns and Villages by the Military. “It has also maintained a tremendous working relationship with the military in the fight against insurgency in the North East Nigeria. “The Corps has succeeded in intercepting books donated by UNICEF as well as food and drugs by international and local donors to the IDPs and ensured that the items got to the beneficiaries. “These efforts by the Corps in Borno Command has endeared it to the U.S. Government who donated operational and administrative equipment worth about N4,000,000.00 ( Four Million Naira) only to the state command,” he said. The NSCDC helmsman added that aside from carrying out its mandate, it also joined forces with the military to curb the huge security challenges across the nation.

IGP Idris meets President, mute on his tenure extension Mathew Dadiya, Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari has met with the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Ibrahim Idris, behind closed doors. The meeting which held shortly after Friday prayers ended without any official position given to the public. When asked whether the meeting was related to his purported tenure extension, Idris simply smiled and got into his car. The IGP was expected to retire after reaching the mandatory 35 years in service on Thursday, January 3. There were speculations that his tenure might be extended by three months to allow him to supervise the general elections commencing in February 2019 as he is yet to attain the mandatory retirement age of 60 years.

But the major opposition party in the country, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has called on the President not to extend the IGP tenure. The PDP said that allowing this happen would give the president the opportunity to convince Nigerians and the international community that he is committed to free and fair elections. Meanwhile, there have been anxiety in the Nigeria Police over the possible extension of the nation’s 19th Inspector General of Police, Idris. Idris was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari, on March 21, 2016, to replace Solomon Arase. The 59-year-old Niger Stateborn Police Chief is due for retirement having enlisted in 1984. There have been reactions over the possibility of the tenure extension, owing to the silence and what was described as the tactical delay to appoint his successor.

Emotan Gardens: Obaseki inspects progress of work on estate, says project on course The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has assured the state government’s commitment to the development of Emotan Gardens project, noting that necessary support for its realisation will be given top priority. The governor said this during a tour of the estate, a 70-hectare, 1800unit affordable housing project, being developed in Upper Sokponba axis of Benin City, Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area of the state. The project is being developed by the state government through the Edo Development and Property Agency (EDPA), in partnership with Mixta Nigeria, a real estate development company. The governor said that the project is on course as work is almost complete on the first phase, which comprises at least 100 housing units. He added that the state government will provide the necessary support for the realisation of the project, which include award of the reconstruction of the Benin-Abraka Road; approval for necessary land titles and other structures for the successful delivery of the

project. The state governor was accompanied on the tour by his Special Adviser on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, and other government functionaries. The estate project, which started in the second half of 2018, has recorded rapid progress as subscribers in the country and Edo people in the Diaspora have thrown their weight behind it, snapping up units and mobilising their friends and relations to invest in the real estate project. The estate is the latest real estate development project of EDPA, which was restructured to become a private-sector facing agency of the state government. It is also the first estate project by the state government in the last 16 years.

Obaseki

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, January 5, 2019

I will die for Buhari, says Plateau Gov, Lalong Kingsley Chukwuka, Jos President Muhammadu Buhari has brought peace, development, and people-oriented programmes, so tell me why I will not die for him, says Governor Simon Lalong. Lalong stated this on Friday in Jos, the Plateau State capital, during the occasion of his campaign flag- off, to herald his journey to be re-elected as governor. Lalong, who was flanked by the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, Director General, Buhari Campaign Organisation and Minister of Transport, Rotimi Ameachi, former governor of Benue State, George

Akume, former Deputy Governor of Plateau State, Pauline Tallen, state chairman of the party and host of other party faithful, also said there is no need for elections in Plateau State as the APC has already won a landslide victory before the polls. On his part, Buhari’s DG campaign, Rotimi Ameachi, appealed to the Plateau electorate not to return the Peoples Democratic Party, as the PDP parades people like former governor, David Jang, who got only 16 against 19 votes during the governors’ forum’s election but declared himself winner. Ameachi also said the killings in Plateau is not because of religion but because of lack of jobs which the APC is working to address

if voted back to power. He said a vote for APC to return to power will permanently silence the PDP forever. Also speaking at the event, Adams Oshiomhole, the party’s National Chairman, said if the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, is voted to power, he will sell Nigeria as he has stated that the NNPC will be sold when he becomes President. Oshiomhole also called for the arrest of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, to account for the over N16 billion mismanaged to fix electricity power during his time as president. Highlight of the occasion, however, was the defection of Chris Alex Giwa, who was formally received into the APC.

7 News

Short News Obaseki settles medical bills of patients at UBTH, Central Hospital Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has paid the medical Bills of some patients at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) and the Central Hospital, Benin since the inception of his tenure. Mr. Charles Idahosa, one of the All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftains in the state disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Benin. Idahosa, who was a two-time commissioner in the state, said the governor also recently flew three patients from UBTH to Israel for Kidney transplant and the operations were successful. According to him, Obaseki delegated some doctors who visited the various hospitals in the state to recommend patients suffering from severe ailments and are unable to afford their medical bills for consideration by the state government. “Obaseki is not a noisemaker, hence all his achievements are not published. “The former governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and Obaseki have common dreams which is to develop the state and the general wellbeing of the people. “Both embarked on the dream in different ways and everybody is happy,’’ Idahosa said.

HIV/AIDS: Nigerians tasked on Motherto-Child-Transmission prevention

The Federal Ministry of Health has tasked Nigerians on the need for collective efforts to prevent Mother-To-ChildTransmission (PMTCT) of HIV/AIDS. Assistant Director, Prevention of Mother-To-Child Transmission (PMTCT) at the Ministry, Dr. Olugbenga Ijaodola, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja. Ijaodola said that the United Nations Secretary-General had affirmed that everyone must ensure that pregnant women have a success story in the course of their journey through pregnancy. He said one of the key areas to achieve this was to ensure that there was no transmission of HIV/AIDS from mother to child. Ijaodola also Head, National AIDS and STI Programme of the Ministry (NASCP), emphasised that this could only be achieved through regular of attendance of antenatal care by every pregnant woman.

Jigawa fire directorate warns farmers against indiscriminate bush burning

(L-R) Operations Manager, Fatgbems Nigeria Limited, Wuraola Adeoye, Managing Director, Fatgbems Group, Hassan Gbemisola, Chairman, Kabir Gbemisola, Captain Fatgbems Nigeria Limited Team, Olatunji Kazeem, Executive Director, Search and Groom, Yomi Kuku and The Executive Director, Fatgbems Group, Shamsudeen Gbemisola at the presentation of tropy to the winners of Fatgbems Group Football Competition in Lagos.

Minister charges grassroots canvassers to ensure victory for APC in Kwara Tom Okpe, Abuja Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has charged grassroots canvassers to ensure victory for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State, come the general election. More than 2,500 grassroots canvassers were inaugurated in Kwara State on Friday to engage in massive mobilisation of people from all the wards and polling units in the state to ensure victory for the APC at all levels in this year’s general elections. “These canvassers will be our victory army, the army that will dismantle the gargantuan edifice of corruption that has held our dear state down for too long”. Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who is also the leader of the party in the state revealed at the inauguration of the canvassers at the Buhari/Osinbajo

Project 2019 Office in Ilorin saying: ‘’This unprecedented move is our most potent weapon against the enemies of the state and the oppressors of the people”. Alhaji Mohammed said the ‘well-recruited, tested and trusted canvassers’ will go from house to house in each of the 1,872 polling units in the state to tell the people why they must vote for President Muhammadu Buhari and all the candidates of the APC in Kwara State in the forthcoming general elections. “To the canvassers, if they ask you why President Buhari deserves a second term, tell them it is because he has leveraged his legendary integrity and acclaimed management of resources, human and material, to reinvent governance and make a difference in the lives of Nigerians. Therefore, he needs another four years to consolidate his great achievements”, he said. Alhaji Mohammed used the occasion

to assure all the APC candidates for this year’s elections that the recent court judgment in respect of the state executive council of the party has not affected the validity of their candidature. In his remark, the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, said the 2019 general election represents the struggle by the poor in Nigeria to take back the country from the rich. He commended the people of Kwara for kick-starting the political revolution that will dismantle the selfserving structures of the rich in the country. “What you are seeing is the modern day Tunisia. You know the Arab Spring started from Tunisia, when a poor man just set himself on fire and the revolution started all over the country. Today, Kwara is leading the revolution to change Nigeria. Power must return to the people”.

The Director, Jigawa State Fire Directorate, Alhaji Ahmed Danyaro, has advised farmers against indiscriminate bush burning and careless use of fire during the harmattan period. Danyaro gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse on Friday. He said the advice became necessary to avoid fire disasters during the dry season as most of the houses in rural communities were thatched and could easily catch fire. He assured that the directorate would continue to sensitise the public on the dangers posed by the harmattan wind, especially as it relates to fire. “People, particularly rural dwellers, must be careful while burning bushes. “They must also avoid indiscriminate setting of bushes ablaze in the name of preparing their farmlands for another farming season.

Court grants boat merchant bail after 4 months in Navy’s custody

A boat merchant, Malik Olalekan, who was allegedly detained by the Navy for over four months without charges, was on Friday granted N3 million bail by a Federal High Court in Lagos. Justice Sule Hassan, who is sitting as vacation judge, granted Olalekan the bail, following a motion exparte by his lawyer, Mr. McAnthony Aikharialea, seeking enforcement of his fundamental rights. Joined as respondents in the suit are Chief of Naval Staff, Ibok Ibas and Aminu Goni, Officer-in-Charge of Atlas Cove Naval Post. In the motion marked FHC/L/CS/1584/18, Aikharialea had sought an order of court, granting the applicant bail forthwith, pending his arraignment. In the supporting affidavit, Aikharialea said that the boat merchant was arrested on Aug. 29, 2018, at Atlas Cove Naval Anchorage Station where he had gone to search for his missing boats. He said that the navy officers later searched Olalekan’s offices at Tapa-Bay at the Atlas Cove where they seized N3.5 million which the boat merchant had collected from his numerous customers. Moving his application, Aikharialea informed the court that the same court, had on Oct. 25, 2018, issued an order for production of the applicant in court.

News 8

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, January 5, 2019

With your prayers, we’ll win 2019 Short News poll, Buhari tells Christian group NBA calls for proper designation As group appeals for release of Leah Shuaibu, restructuring

Mathew Dadiya, Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari has said that with supportive prayers from religious groups, winning the 2019 presidential election would be certain. Buhari said this on Friday when he played host to the leadership of Cherubim and Seraphim Unification Church of Nigeria at the State House, Abuja. He commended the group for upholding the administration and the government in prayers, particularly as the general elections approach. “I am very grateful for this visit,” the President said. Adding, “God will answer our prayers. With your prayers, we will go into the field, and be victorious. Your good intentions and prayers are appreciated. This

is what is expected of institutions working for God.” President Buhari said he was glad that the church lauded the good work being done by government in the areas of infrastructure, anti-corruption, and security, noting: “It will encourage us to do more. We have no other country than Nigeria, and we must do the best for her. I said it more than a generation ago. Thank you for identifying with our objectives.” Leader of the delegation, His Most Eminence, Prophet (Dr.) Solomon Adegboyega Alao, told President Buhari to remain resolute, particularly in the war against corruption, stressing: “We anticipate that corruption, which is killing Nigeria, may fight back, but you will prevail because majority of Nigerians are with you.”

The visitors asked the President to use his good offices to ensure the release of Leah Sharibu, being held captive by Boko Haram for refusing to renounce her faith, canvassed a level playing field for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct free and fair polls and consideration of the clamour for restructuring of the federation. They also appealed to Buhari to give a second thought to the clamour for restructuring the country along the basics bequeathed to the nation by the founding fathers. Established in 1925, the Cherubim and Seraphim Unification Church of Nigeria is an umbrella body of all Cherubim and Seraphim Churches founded in Nigeria and in the Diaspora.

of ‘No Parking Zone’ in Benin

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Benin chapter, has appealed to the Edo State government to implement the new Traffic Management System in such a way that it would not cause untold hardship to the people. The chapter Chairman of the chapter, Mr Collins Ogiegbaen, made the appeal in a statement in Benin on Friday. He said one of the ways to make the new policy easy for the people was for the state government to properly designate points within the city centre, as “No Parking Zone”, before the implementation. The new policy was reeled out on Wednesday by the state government, tagged “No Parking Zone.“ It is part of the implementation of the New Traffic Management System in the City centre to curb vehicular congestion around. The Chairman also called for the streamlining of the areas involved in order to prevent a scenario where citizen would embark on long and unnecessary trekking, even when they had cars.

6 suspected cultists docked in Ogun

Six suspected secret cult members were on Friday brought before an Ota Chief Magistrates’ Court in Ogun State. The accused are Olanilekan Abass, 22; Rasheed Nurudeen, 18;Rafiu Sholola, 37; Fatai Abiodun, 30; Lateef Abiodun, 30; and Atiba Olarigbigbe, 30. They are facing trial on a two-count charge of membership of unlawful society and conspiracy to which they pleaded not guilty. The accused and others still at large were alleged to have committed the offences on Dec. 26 at 11.30 p.m. in Owode-Ijako area of Ota. Police Prosecutor Abdulkareem Mustapha told the court that the accused and others belong to a society identified as “Aiye Confraternity”. The offences contravened Sections 3, 5 and 516 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Ogun, 2006. Chief Magistrate Mathew Akinyemi, in his ruling, granted each of the accused bail of N300, 000 with two sureties in like sum. Akinyemi said the sureties must reside within the court’s jurisdiction and be gainfully employed.

HIV/AIDS: Group seeks removal of ARV fee

African Democratic Congress(ADC), senatorial candidate, Engr. (Dr.) Deji Ashiru (left) and others, during the ongoing voters education at Iperu Remo, Ikenne, Local Government...on Friday.

Amina Zakari must be removed from INEC, PDP insists Says it’s sure of winning presidential election

Tunde Opalana, Abuja Reiterating its earlier rejection of the appointment of Mrs. Amina Zakari as Coordinator of INEC National Election Results Collation Centre, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has charged the National Assembly to immediately commence the process of the removal of Mrs. Amina Zakari, from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The Director of Media and Publicity of PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation (PPCO), Kola Ologbondiyan, on Friday said the removal of Mrs. Zakari will save the nation from imminent political crisis while assuring Nigerians that PDP Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, will win the February 16 Presidential election. Addressing a press conference, he said the party’s position is predicated on the fact that President Buhari is using her to compromise the independence of the commission, manipulate the electoral process and rig the Presidential election for him and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). He said ‘the Buhari Presidency has been using Amina Zakari to bear pressure on INEC even to the extent of brazenly foisting her as the collation

officer for the Presidential election to enable President Buhari announce himself as winner. “The PPCO holds that a credible electoral commission must be completely impartial, transparent, totally independent and immune from external control by interested entities. These are qualities INEC can no longer lay claim to as long as Amina Zakari remains a member of the commission. “By foisting Mrs. Amina Zakari to lead the final process of the election, President Buhari is seeking a way to annex INEC, practically, take over the collation of results, and announce himself the winner. “This is a clear invitation to anarchy and a huge political crisis capable of derailing our democracy because Nigerians, across the board, are already in vehement rejection of this selfsuccession plot and are now, more than ever before, ready to use every necessary means available and accessible to them in a democracy to protect our democratic process. “Furthermore, as long as Amina Zakari remains in INEC, the commission cannot be trusted. It will interest Nigerians to know that following public outcry against her nomination, Amina Zakari’s agents, last night, surreptitiously attempted to compromise the media by sending

secret messages to emails of editors with the view to water down and sway the direction of information on her provocative appointment to lead the collation of Presidential election results”. Ologbondiyan said the party has been informed of how Mrs. Zakari led other top INEC officials to a secret meeting with some top officials of the Buhari Campaign Organisation (BCO) in Abuja on ways to introduce the controversial Incidence Form under a new name and use such to manipulate the collation of results. The party, therefore, urged Nigerians and lovers of democracy all over the world to unite in condemning this scheme by the Buhari Presidency to use Amina Zakari to enmesh our election into unnecessary controversy and trigger a political crisis in our country, just because they have realized that President Buhari cannot win the Presidential election. Speaking further, he said President Buhari and Amina Zakari should know that Nigerians have made up their minds in rallying behind PDP Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, as their next president and no amount of machination, shenanigans and scheming will stop this resolve.

The Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN) has called on governments to ensure Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) is completely free, accessible and without user fee in 2019. Lagos State Coordinator of the group, Mr. Peter Obialor, made the plea in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos. He added that his members were currently paying N2,000 monthly to access the drugs. The group also requested that treatments should be made available in the nearest facilities closer to People Living with HIV (PLHIV) for easy access. “The major thing we request from governments this year is to make PLHIV accessing treatment totally free, no user fee and it should be in all the nearest places and facilities for easy accessibility. “We have only benefited from AIDS Prevention Initiative in Nigeria (APIN) programme which allows us free access to drugs.

Create more jobs in 2019, ex-ANAN president urges FG

Former President, Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN), Dr. Samuel Nzekwe, has advised the Federal Government to redouble its efforts by providing more job opportunities in 2019. Nzekwe gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ota, Ogun State on Friday. The former ANAN president said that the advice became necessary in order to meet the expectations of an average Nigerian. “An average Nigerian will like to see the economy improving as well as seeing Federal Government reducing the unemployment rate in the country,’’ he said. Nzekwe urged the government to intensify efforts in providing the enabling environment for the productive sector to thrive. He also suggested the need for a stable electricity supply in the country to attract foreign investors. “There is no way a nation can talk about economic growth without talking about steady electricity supply, ‘’ the ex-ANAN president said. Nzekwe also noted that the ability of government to provide the enabling environment and employment opportunities would boost the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, January 5, 2019

9 News

PCNI donates drugs, consumables to Bauchi Short News Samuel Luka, Bauchi A member of the Presidential Committee on North-East Initiative (PCNI), Engineer Mohammed Gambo Umar, has said the committee’s aim of donating drugs and consumables to Primary Health Centers in Bauchi State was part of President Muhammadu Buhari’s plan on North East rehabilitation programme. Engineer Umar made this known while presenting the drugs and the consumables to the Bauchi State government on Friday. The PCNI member, who also inspected some completed projects in Bauchi, said: “We are witnessing another remarkable health care intervention on North East rehabilitation programme in Bauchi”. While stressing that the drugs and consumables were meant for a three

primary healthcare in the three senatorial zones of Bauchi, Umar said, “the Primary Health Centres includes Kofar Fada PHC in Bauchi LGA, Dambam PHC in Dambam LGA and Mashema PHC, in Itas Gadau LGA”. According to him, PCNI collaborates with Bauchi government in provision of health care services in the state such as free medical outreach that included eye surgery, paediatrics, gynaecology and. Counselling across the state. While receiving the equipment, Governor Mohammed Abubakar commended the Federal Government for the intervention, saying the intervention was timely and would go a long way in adding value to the already launched 5 points health Agenda of his administrations, tagged ‘Lafiya Garkuwa’. He said the five points health

agenda was launched to provide effective healthcare delivery and to reduce maternal and child death in the state. He assured that the drugs and consumables donated by PCNI would be judiciously distributed across the PHCs for the benefit of the people. Earlier, the state Commissioner for Health, Hajiya Zuwaira Ibrahim Hassan, commended the initiative for donating drugs and the consumables which she said will reduce health challenges in the state. The Commissioner explained that the items donated include antiMalarial drugs, cottons, baby delivery kits among others that are commonly used in primary health centres would go a long way in ameliorating the health problems of good people of Bauchi State.

INEC REC tasks electoral officers on best practice

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), in Cross River, Dr. Frankland Briyai, has urged Electoral Officers (EOs) in the state to maintain international best practice during February’s general election. He made this known on Friday, in Calabar, at the opening of a one–day workshop for INEC staff and EOs from the 18 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state. Briyai was represented by Mr. Hezekiah Monday, INEC Head of General Administration and Procurement (GAP) in the state. “Although the state office is known for its high level of performance during past elections, improvement is needed. “We know that in past, the state office has a high level credibility in election delivery. “This time around, we have to go ahead and ensure that we maintain international standard that is why we must take training seriously.

Ibadan polytechnic: NANS expresses displeasure over increase of fees

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has expressed displeasure over the astronomical increase in tuition fees by management of Ibadan Polytechnic. This is expressed in a statement jointly signed by its leadership, Mr. Adeyemi Azeez, NANS National PRO and Mr. Adekitan Adebisi, NANS South-West Coordinator on Friday in Abuja. “NANS condemned this in totality as we cannot continue to watch our fundamental rights being turned to a source of revenue by the anti-poor and anti-students by the government. “NANS describes this increment at this trying period for civil servants as a deliberate attempt towards making the future of promising Nigerian students to become sudden academic dropouts.” The leadership of NANS also alleged that the present administration by this increase was making education not affordable to the sons and daughters of the poor. The association however called on the government to reverse the school fees to status-quo to avoid industrial action. “Failure to adhere to the above ultimatum, NANS national leadership shall mobilise en-mass for protest on Thursday, Jan. 10, and shut down activities in Oyo State.

NSCDC personnel faces murder charge in Lagos

Senator Dino Melaye (middle) after he surrendered to the Police, days after siege on his home in Maitama, Abuja...on Friday.

Ogoni clean-up will be Nigeria’s biggest scam - MOSOP Memoye Oghu, Port Harcourt The new President of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), Mr. Fegalo Nsuke, has declared that the Ogoni clean up exercise if implemented as it is will be Nigeria’s biggest scam. Nsuke made the declaration on Friday in Bori, the traditional headquarters of the Ogoni people while speaking to newsmen shortly after the Ogoni day celebration held at the open field of the Birabi Memorial Grammar School (BMGS). “Well, the reality about the Ogoni clean-up is that it has been more of lies than truth and that’s why I will say that if implemented the way it is, it’ll be Nigeria’s biggest scam. If you read the UNEP report, it states that there should be water provided for the Ogoni people before you commence the clean-up. The reason is because when you commence the clean-up, you’re going to be doing a lot of excavations and that means we’re not going to have good water to drink any longer. We’re not going to have fine water to drink any longer. So, the first thing that is supposed to be done is the provision of water.

“Secondly, if you read the report, it says that there should be an integrated soil management centre”, he said, adding that the reason is that the polluted soils that would be excavated from the sites need to be treated at the integrated soil management centre and not to dump the wastes back into the communities. “Now, you don’t have any of these in place and you want to hurriedly award contracts and say you want to do clean up. My take is that they’re just about spending the Ogoni money on the 2019 elections because they’ve not provided the basic infrastructure to support the clean-up. They’re desperate to spend the money and not to follow the right procedures,” Nsuke stressed. In his address presented at the 27th celebration of the Ogoni day in Bori, headquarters of Khana LGA in Rivers State, he thanked the people for their show of solidarity, pointing out that by their massive turn out to the event they have demonstrated a strong resolve to work together and advised Ogoni people to always stand for each other. Conspicuously absent at the Ogoni day celebration was Mr. Psaro Pyagbara, outgoing President of MOSOP, whose

tenure expired on the 31st of December last year, but has insisted for a six months tenure elongation because, according to him, MOSOP constitution provides for a shift in its election whenever it coincides with a general election in the country. It is not known if Pyagbara’s request was granted but the faction opposed to the tenure elongation went ahead and instituted the processes for the change in leadership of the foremost Ogoni body brought to international limelight by the murdered Environmentalist and Writer, late Ken Sato Wiwa. These processes led to the election of Mr. Fegalo Nsuke last December as the national president of the organisation. He told newsmen that he took over office on January 1, 2019, and the Ogoni day celebration was his formal inauguration. Pyagbara could not be reached as at time of filing this report as his mobile line was not available when contacted. Our correspondent however gathered that attempts were made to scuttle the 27th edition of the Ogoni day celebration. The Organising Committee chairman of the event alleged that they attempted to assassinate him thrice in order to stop the event.

A Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps personnel, Kehinde Osho, who allegedly shot and killed a man, on Friday, appeared before an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos. Osho, whose address was not provided, is facing a count charge of murder, but he pleaded not guilty. The Prosecutor, Insp. Oladele Adebayo, had told the court that the accused committed the offence on November 18, 2018, at 9.00p.m., on Pipeline Way, Oke-Ado, Lagos. Adebayo said that the accused shot Mr Taofeek Andulqadir, 31, with a gun on the head in contravention of Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015. Chief Magistrate O.O. Olatunji, however, granted the accused bail in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties in like sum, and ordered that the case file should be sent to the state Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice. He adjourned the case until February 7, for mention.

Association seeks policy to protect mobile business

The Phone and Allied Products Dealers Association of Nigeria (PAPDAN) has called on all tiers of government to come up with a policy that will protect mobile business in the country. President of PAPDAN, Mr. Godfrey Nwosu, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Friday. Nwosu said that such a policy was necessary to protect mobile business and prevent the foreign companies manufacturing the products from encroaching into the business. He said that the mobile phone business should be protected as a major contributor to the nation’s economy and playing a huge role in creating employment. According to him, if the mobile business is not protected, it will have an impact on the nation`s economy. “The association is trying to push for a policy to protect Nigeria’s mobile phone business. “In a situation, where an Asian goes into wholesale and retail businesses in Nigeria is not right, because they are manufacturers. “We do not have the capacity to compete with them so we are looking at the possibility of government hearing the association out.

News 10

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, January 5, 2019

Rivers PDP moves to reconcile aggrieved members …As Alabraba, Opara, Danagogo head Peace, Reconciliation Committee

Amaka Agbu, Port Harcourt As the countdown to the February 16, 2019 General Election gets underway, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Rivers State has set up a Peace and Reconciliation Committee to reconcile all members who felt aggrieved following the outcome of the party’s primaries held in 2018. Speaking while inaugurating a 30-member Peace and Reconciliation Committee at the party’s Secretariat, Aba Road in Port Harcourt on Friday, the state Chairman of the party, Chief Felix Obuah, said the committee was constituted by the leader of the party in the state, Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, after due consultations with stakeholders. Chief Obuah said that with the 2019 General Elections around the corner, the party would leave no stone unturned to ensure total victory for the PDP in the state, adding that it became imperative to put aside all grievances and ‘pursue our common interest’.

“It, therefore, becomes necessary to put together our great men and women to carry out this onerous task of uniting members of our great party who are aggrieved for one reason or the other, ahead of this all important election. “You have been selected as men and women of integrity to reach out to these aggrieved members because every member of our party is important and cannot be overlooked,” he charged members of the committee. The 30-member committee which has 10 members for each of the 3 Senatorial Zones in the state, has the Chairman of the Board of the Greater Port Harcourt City Development Authority, Chief Ferdinand Alabraba, as Chairman for Rivers South East while Barrister Uche Okirigwe serves as Secretary. For Rivers West Senatorial Zone, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Sir (Hon) Austin A. Opara, was appointed as Chairman with Barrister Kingsley Chuku as Secretary.

Former Minister of Sports, Dr. Tammy Danagogo would serve as Chairman for Rivers East Senatorial Zone while Barrister Isaac Kamalu serves as Secretary. Speaking on behalf of the Committee for the 3 Senatorial Zones, Sir (Hon) Austin Opara thanked Governor Wike and the State PDP Chairman, Chief Felix Obuah for finding them worthy to serve the party in that capacity and assured they would discharge their responsibilities creditably. He said it was not uncommon that disagreements come after primary elections and power struggles but noted that for every election, a winner was expected to emerge. “I make bold to say that compared with other States in the country, the Rivers PDP is one of the few states that has come out of the Primaries with less acrimony,” Opara said, adding that there was no party assignment that was too small. He again assured that the committee would do everything possible to ensure the success of the task given to them.

Short News PDP grieves over NAF Helicopter crash Tunde Opalana, Abuja The Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organization (PPCO) has expressed grief over the tragic crash of the Nigeria Air Force helicopter, resulting in the death of five gallant soldiers fighting insurgency in the North East. The party in a statement by Kola Ologbondiyan, Director of Media and Publicity of PPCO, said that these patriotic Nigerians risked and ultimately laid their down their lives for the nation, while providing close air support to troops of 145 Battalion, Damasak in Borno State who have continued to display unmatched courage in the fight against insurgents. He said: “Our party deeply appreciates and salutes the courage, gallantry and sacrifice of our troops, many of whom have paid the ultimate price in defending our nation and ensuring our safety”. The PDP condoled with the Nigerian military high command, the families of the victims of the crash, as well as those of other soldiers who have died while protecting our nation. While praying God to console the bereaved, the PDP urged for more support, equipment and prayers for our soldiers as they daily risk their lives to keep the entire nation safe.

3 teenagers face armed robbery charge, kept at Kirikiri Prisons

An Ikeja Magistrates’ Court on Friday remanded three teenagers who allegedly used cutlasses and knives to rob two men of money, phones, wristwatch and an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card. The Magistrate, Mrs M. I. Dan-Oni, directed that Emmanuel Sylvester, 18; Faruk Sanusi, 19, and Kamorudeen Sodiq, 19, should be kept at the Kirikiri Prisons along with 20-year-old Adeyemi Olalekan. The four accused persons are facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and armed robbery but the court could not take their pleas as Dan-Oni said she needed advice from the state Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). The magistrate remanded the accused pending the DPP’s advice. Earlier, the Prosecutor, Insp. Victor Eruada, told the court that the accused committed the offences on Nov. 8 at Aguda, Surulere, Lagos. Eruada said that the accused robbed Messrs Shamusideen Mustapha and Ayo Obasun.

FCT primary healthcare board to improve access to health facilities

Nollywood actress,Funke Akindele-Bello(second left) flanked by her husband,AbdulRasheed “JJCSkillz” Bello and step children with their newborn twins...on Friday.

Agency graduates 101 orphans on skills acquisition, presents them with starter packs Samuel Luka, Bauchi Not less than101 orphans and vulnerable children have been trained on various skills by the Bauchi State Orphans and Vulnerable Children Agency (BASOVCA) skills acquisition scheme. According to the Agency, the trained orphans were presented with gifts of starter packs that will enable them to start their own businesses. The Executive Chairman of the Agency, Alhaji Ibrahim Hali Abdullahi, stated this in a statement issued on Thursday and signed by information officer of the Agency, Hajiya Aisha Idris Bamai, made

available to journalists in Bauchi. The press statement said the focus of the training programme was on vocational trades and skills acquisition that could easily be converted into small businesses to create steady means of income for the beneficiaries OVCs in the state. It explained that, “the starter packs would enable the beneficiaries to take off smoothly and possibly later transform into small or medium scale enterprises. The effort is also to build capacity amongst the vulnerable children by empowering them with necessary skills to make them self-reliant”. “During the training, we focused in areas such as Fashion Designing,

Catering and Confectioneries Production, Hairdressing and Barbing, Leather Shoes, as well as Liquid Soap, Detergents and Disinfectant Production, among a host of other skills,” the statement added. The statement also explained that the Agency distributed food and clothing materials to the Orphans and Vulnerable Children across the state under the shelter interventions. It said the Agency upgraded the Ambassador M C Abubakar Vocational College to technical college to provide advanced skills to the vulnerable children in the society.

The Acting Executive Secretary, FCT Primary Health Care Board (PHCB), Abuja, Dr. Ndaeyo Iwot, has unveiled the board’s plans to make primary health care more accessible to the residents. Iwot disclosed the strategies in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja. “We are setting up primary health care posts in 100 rural communities to be jointly controlled by the communities and also providing required first aid treatments to these farming communities. “The idea of primary health care post was approved in 1978 at the International Conference on Primary Health in Alma Mata in the defunct Soviet Union. “However, it has been neglected in Nigeria but we are revisiting the idea this year,” he said.

Mechanised farming: Kano Govt supports AFAN with N132m

The Kano State Government has supported the state chapter of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) with N132 million to enable it take delivery of the 44 tractors it ordered recently from India. The state AFAN chairman, Alhaji Faruk Rabi’u, disclosed this to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview in Kano on Friday. He said that the amount represented 25 per cent of the total cost of the 44 tractors the association purchased from the TAK tractors company. “The state government has given us the money as grant to enable us pay the initial deposit of 25 per cent while the remaining 75 per cent will be paid within three years. “We have since collected the money and paid to the company,“ Rabi’u said. He said that the decision by the association to purchase the tractors was borne out of renewed effort to shift from the traditional system of farming to the modern ways. The association found it necessary to shift to mechanised farming from the traditional farming system in order to ensure massive food production in the state.

Daily Times Nigeria

Saturday, January 5, 2019

Life & Times

I am single & searching but not ready for marriage - Uzee Uzee Usman is a young Nollywood producer based in the North. He holds two degrees in Political science and English from University of Abuja and University of Jos respectively. Uzee studied Special Effects in South Africa and has successfully become the biggest entertainers dominating the northern part of the entertainment industry. In this interview with MUTIAT ALLI, he speaks on the challenges of Northern entertainers, relationship and his top notch stylish look. Enjoy… In general, how would you rate year 2018? Honestly, it was wonderful. We thank Almighty God and we keep pushing. It was quite a successful one for me.

basically, I sleep over things and then let it go. I am a very simple human being and I know that no matter what, I will sleep and when I wake up the next morning, I’ll let all the worries go.

Would you agree that your popularity is more in the North, and why is that? I started my career in the north, so yes. I was also born there and grew up there in Kaduna. I was in Lagos though, for a while until 2008 when somebody reminded me of being from the northern part of the country and suggested that I go back and give back to my people, which I did, almost immediately. It is northern movies that really brought me fame. I am the producer that started this merger thing in the industry today; that is bringing people from the Kannywood’s to join Nollywood stars to do a movie.

As one the famous Kannywood personality, what have been the challenges in the industry? There wasn’t really any big challenge that I had to deal with because when I came, the top actors at the time just let me take the position that I prove to be worthy of. The only thing I will say is that there is a lot of competition which is healthy in every profession. But in the north, there isn’t a lot of competition because there’s just a few of us. I can say that there is just about five of us that can take the industry from the north to the south successfully and be accepted immediately especially when you consider language barrier, education and a host of others. Most fans do not care where you come from as long as you give them what they really want.

How did get into the movie industry? I began my movie career in 2003. I started as a make-up artiste which earned me an award at the African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) in 2008. I also won the best Makeup Artiste for the movie, ‘London Boy,’ and gained experience and contacts that launched me into stardom. I then started acting, after which I tried presenting before upgrading to a movie maker and entrepreneur. I soon became very famous in Kannywood movies and even produced some of the movies. I am the CEO of Uzee Concept too. Over the years, I have produced more than 20 movies in Nollywood and Kannywood, which earned me multiple awards including the United Nations Peace Achievers Award. I’ve also been Best Film African Viewer’s Choice Awards (AMVCA) winner in 2014, Best Producer, B.U.K, Best Film Maker (North), Actors Screen Award, Best Movie Producer, Afro-Hollywood Awards London 2016, and lots more. My movies so far include: ‘Maja,’ ‘Oga Abuja,’ ‘Under,’ ‘Red Line,’ ‘Hassana Da Hussaina,’ ‘Thorny,’ ‘Power Of Tomorrow,’ ‘Almost Perfect,’ ‘Dark Closet,’ ;If I Am President’ and ‘Makeroom.’ I also host the most talked about talk show in northern Nigeria called, ‘Taurarin Zamani,’ which airs every

Would you say you are where you ought to be in the industry? No I’m not, but I thank the Almighty God for the level He has brought me so far. I can proudly say that I am a United Nations ambassador on SDGs, Nigerian ambassador to Mac- Arthur Foundation Global, amongst others.

Uzee

Saturdays and Sundays on African Magic Hausa at 5:30pm, Arewa24, and AIT, at different times.

has driven me to where I am today and to the glory of God, I have achieved a lot doing it.

What inspired your choice of going the entertainment way? It’s all about the passion! I have a passion for entertainment, movie making, especially acting. That passion

How do you cope with challenges? I am the kind of person that never allows anything to bother me. My friends know me to believe in the phrase; ‘everything will be alright.’ So

And what would you say is the position of Kannywood in Nigeria movie industry so far? Let me say this; in Nollywood there are branches and of all those branches, Kannywood is the one that’s most reckoned with. We have stars that have emerged from Kannywood and are in a competitive circle with those in the southern part of the country. Kannywood has the largest branch in terms of fame and sales so much it has generated huge revenue for the government. So why did you say that there is only one industry and that is Nollywood, in a recent statement? The reason is that, so many braches are springing up like Kannywood and Yorubawood and more, it’s wrong. We are all Nollywood but Kannywood, specifically, stands out because, at

Daily Times Nigeria

Saturday, January 5 , 2019

Life & Times

some point, that branch was not associated with southern movie makers until people like me came in from somewhere to effect the merger and make sure it works. In movies, language is not a barrier. We watch Indian movies, we watch Latin and American movies and some of these languages we do not understand. I believe in differentiating but we all are still under Nollywood. Like it is in Bollywood. Indian movie industry also has a series aspect and some of the top artistes seen in the series do not even appear in the movies. How do you balance work and leisure? Trust me, out of the 12 months in a year, 11 months for me is totally work. I take a break in December every year but lately, since I started appearing in television shows, December has become one of the most busy period for me because of the event of the year. I can’t say I have a love life because I’m totally dedicated to my job. How do you achieve your urbane look? One of the main secret of my urbane

look is that I’m a free minded person. I go to bed every night with no ill feelings. If I must sleep, I sleep like a baby. I wake up every morning and I look fresher than I was the night before. What does fashion and style mean to you? It means a lot to me, half of my earnings go to fashion. I wear almost all the top designers in Abuja and Lagos. I am an ambassador to a very top brand designer. I like fashion, you cannot be in the circle of entertainment and not be top notch in terms of fashion. Fashion opens the door for me, it’s a must for anybody that is in the limelight. I can proudly say, that i am the most fashionable person in the North. What fashion accessories would you not be caught without? Rings, wristwatches, belt. What are your most memorable moments? One of my memorable moments while growing up was when I got

the call that my first visa to travel to London had been approved. That was some years ago. I could not sleep till the next day but just held onto my passport all through the night. What is your philosophy in life? Everybody will be alright, don’t take things too serious. Always remember that you will die one day. What is your relationship status? I’m single and searching at the moment. I suffered a tremendous heartbreak, so I really affected my love life. Not ready for marriage for now. In fact, I’m too busy to think about relationships or marriage. My job is taking much of my time and I’m enjoying it. When do you think it is right to settle down, because I know northerners marry quite early? Well, for now, I can’t say. I’m too preoccupied to think about marriage. Filmmaking is sweeter than sex. So, I’d rather enjoy my work now. Woman and other relationship issues can come later. I like dark tall girl a lot though.

These days there are lots of claims that actors stay away from marriage because of sugar mummies, how true? I don’t know about others. But I know I have had sever encounters with sugar mummies and their mouth watering promises. I’m a man of principle. Even on social media, they send all kinds of messages to me. I resist all forms of their temptations. How long can you stay without sex? Right now, I can stay for over three months without getting intimate with any woman. I have trained myself to be like that. I’m not a sex freak. What is your advice to young Nigerians? Always believe in yourself. Don’t fake another person, you can achieve your own goals. Don’t allow politicians to use you and dump you. Always start from somewhere, time is never a problem. You can be 35 and still pursue a degree in the university, it’s not a big deal. Always be positive and be yourself, be prayerful and dedicated to whatever you do.

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Woli Arole’s ‘The Call’ movie opens in cinemas Having showed his exceptional skills in comedy, Oluwatoyin Bayegun, better known as Woli Arole, has taken a step higher as his first feature length movie ‘The Call’ hits nationwide cinemas yesterday January 4, 2019. The movie which has stellar cast that includes Yinka Quadri, Woli Arole, Ashiri, Kelvin Ikeduba, Hafeez Oyetoro, Samuel Ajibola, Etinosa Ogbemudia and Segun Arinze tells the story of a stubborn and heady young man, Arole, who

is fond of playing pranks but was blessed with a spiritual ability to see visions. His whole life changed when he prophesies into people’s lives and the prophecies turns out true. Speaking during the private screening held recently, Woli Arole disclosed that the movie is about finding your purpose and getting it right. It is an exciting story and I am happy working on this movie. It’s not wholly a Christian film but a movie that shows one’s purpose and

finding it. Directed by James Abinibi; Arole described working the ace director as one of the best moments of his 2018 as he was able to deliver beyond the directors expectation. He however urges fans of the need to go see the movie and send in their reviews. It is important to note that the private screening had in attendance Mr. Babatunde Fowler, Adedimeji Lateef, Adeniyi Johnson, Allwell Adedamola, Funke Etti, Bunmi Davies amongst others.

White Lion

House of Oduduwa Foundation partners Rejuvenee, others for Moremi, the Musical Stories Mutiat Alli In a bid to honour the legacy of Queen Moremi Ajasoro of Ile Ife, wife, mother, warrior and a symbol of beauty and sacrifice, the House of Oduduwa Foundation, in collaboration with Rejevenee, among others, brought alive on stage the life and times of Queen Moremi tagged ‘Moremi, the Musical.’ Moremi the Musical is a story about love, faith, honour and the ultimate sacrifice. The show, which took place at Terra Kulture in Lagos, witnessed a massive turn out of lovers of history, arts and music. Speaking at the event, Vice Chairman, House of Oduduwa Foundation and Ambassador, Moremi Ajasoro Brand, Princess Aderonke Ademiluyi, said the Moremi concept is a franchise of the House of Oduduwa Foundation and a number of projects were initiated by the foundation in order to immortalize the legend. According to Princess Ademiluyi, the franchise began with a beauty pageant, a book launch and the third part being the musical play of the life and times of Queen Moremi. “We are dedicated to telling our story and the story of Queen Moremi is about a woman who dedicated her life to ensure that her home town of Ile Ife was safe from marauders. She was a sacrificial leader and that is what sacrificial leadership is all about,” says Ademiluyi.

Princess Ademiluyi believes that there is a need to talk about the story of Queen Moremi to enable our children and the younger generations know our history particularly the history of the Ile Ife town. “Our children should also know that a regular woman, who lived several years ago, stood up and dared to do things no man could do at that time.” Spokesperson for Rejuvenee, major sponsors of the production, Lilian Amah-Aluko said seeing the story brought to life on stage made the decision to be part of it a worthwhile investment. Said Aluko: “At Rejuvenee, we celebrate beauty and wellness and when the House of Oduduwa approached us with sponsorship requests, we saw it as an opportunity to be part of something that celebrates the

beauty of womanhood, as well as, send out the messages of courage and hope to our people, which queen Moremi personifies.” Moremi the Musical was put together by Bolanle Austen Peters productions, together with a cast of veteran actors, that brought to life in musical form, the service and sacrifice of Moremi, a woman who eventually brought peace, progress and prosperity to Ile-Ife, a town that was bedeviled with strife and sorrows. Queen Moremi gave up her only son in order to achieve the peace that was eventually enjoyed by the entire Yoruba land and for her sacrifice; she is today honoured in all of Yoruba land and is a symbol of sacrifice. The House of Oduduwa Foundation is an initiative of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi

White Lion out with new single ‘Fine Girl’ Fast rising AfroBeat artiste, Steven Chibuike Igbokwe, otherwise known as White Lion, having wet the industry’s appetite with his laid back feel good sound with ‘ Obi,’ is out with another smashing single title ‘ Fine Girl’ as produced by Mdhazz which is currently enjoying massive airplay. Describing the concept behind the new single, White Lion disclosed that the new song is coming at the time when body shaming has taken over the social media space and as such with my new song, I try as much as possible to encourage ladies that irrespective of your size and shape; you still remain the ‘Fine Girl’ that you are.

Inspired by the musical sound of Duncan Mighty and Burna Boy, White Lion’s aim is to further contribute his own quota to the growing entertainment industry through good sound and content at large. It is pertinent to note that aside music, White Lion is equally a Property Management Expert. Speaking further, White Lion sighted the shooting of the video of ‘Obi’ as one of his biggest achievement as he look forward to working with Tubaba, Wizkid, Wande Coal, Timaya, Duncan Mighty and Tiwa Savage. In Five years, the talented superstar hopes to bring home the Grammy.

PeeJay emerges winner of YesYouCan reality show Edozie Peter, popular known as Peejay, has emerged winner of the N15 million worth of prizes in the 2018 YesYouCan reality TV show. The winner, who managed to escape sinking all through his stay on the Aforevo ship, proved that yes he could as the name of the reality TV show implies. According to the Avorevo CEO, Afam Amarawa, YesYouCan is a reality show that blends information, entertainment and lifestyle in a 24 hours nonstop airplay with engaging moments. The passengers are selected from various branches of art such as comedy, music and movie to spend 8 (eight) weeks on voyage in the Aforevo Ship.

The show had twenty-eight passengers from different part of the country which saw only 7passengers to its final stage where Pretty Weyinmi Kingdom Jemirieyigbe became the first runner up and Jennifer George became the second runner up while Peter (Peejay) Edozie became the winner of the 15 million Naira worth of prizes and a two-year movie deal. Edozie Peter Jr Chigozie, otherwise known as Peejay, is a Musician, Actor and Model. Born in Lagos July 10th 1991. Peejay hails from Nnokwa in idemmili South LGA of Anambra State. He is the last of 6 children and holds a BA English Literature from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

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Mixed Grill

Amosun, Lamex, Elegushi, K1, Princess Adefunke Adewumi gives back others grace Oba Faluade’s anniversary celebration Princess Adefunke Adewumi is one of the renowned philanthropists who believed so much in giving back to the society that made her. She’s the primemover of Black Diamond Support Foundation. Recently, Black Diamond Support Foundation (BDSF) fed more than 5000 children in the slum at the main bowl of the Teslim Balogun stadium. The foundation with their project feed 5000 children from the slums gathered from places like Bariga, Mushin, Ijora, Shitta, Ajegunle and many other slums in Lagos. The children were given foods, drinks, cloths, school bags and other gift items from Santa (father Christmas) the children engaged themselves in different games The convener of the NGO, Mrs. Adefunke Adewunmi, said there was need to celebrate this season with the children in the slums in a bid to give them sense of belonging. She noted that many elites and well meaning Nigerians choose to celebrate at the beaches, cinemas but failed to impact on the lives of the

Isaac Oguntoye The crème-de-la-crème of the Nigerian society were penultimate Sunday the guests of Oba (Dr.) Fakayode Adesina Faluade, when he celebrated the 19th edition of his annual Ifa Olokun Foundation festival and his first year coronation anniversary as the Olu of Ibogun, Owu Kingdom in the Ibogun-Coker LCDA of Ogun State. The list, which included the Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, who was represented by his Commissioner for Special Duties, Barrister Leke Adewolu, wife of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Mrs Bola Obasanjo, the former Deputy Governor of old Oyo State, Senator Iyiola Omisore, the Head of Itire family of Lagos, High Chief Alade Buhari Oloto and the Seriki of Egbaland, High Chief Tosin Fadare. The Royal fathers at the epoch-making event included the Ooni of Ife, Eniitan Ogunwusi and the Olowu of Owu, Oba (Dr.) Adegboyega Dosunmu, who were both represented, the Osolo of Isolo, Oba Adelaja Agbabiaka, the Elugushi of Ikateland, Oba Saheed Elugushi, the Olu of Itori, Oba Fatai Akamo, the Olu of Owode-Egba, Oba Kolawole Sowemimo and other prominent Yoruba traditional rulers, who were thrilled by the fuji music maestro, Alhaji Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (K1). The grand finale of the 10-day long programme witnessed unprecedented crowd of over 25,000 in the ancient city with all hotels fully booked, while both motorcycle riders, taxi drivers and market men and women had swell time charging exorbitant rates for their services and goods respectively. In a chat with the chairman of the town unit’s Taxi Driver Union, Alhaji Biliaminu Shonde, he expressed his union members’ appreciation to Oba Faluade, whose coronation anniversary brought the mammoth crowd to Ibogun, thereby enabling them to make in just one day what they would have made in three months. Corroborating Alhaji Shonde, the head of the fish sellers’ section of the town’s market, Alhaja Bintu Amoke, expressed joy that they had never had it so good as all market men and women had a filled day making profits of over hundred percent during the monarch’s 10-day long programme, which culminated in the Sunday grand finale Speaking at the grand finale, the Baba Oba of Ibogun and Chairman of Lamex Group of Companies, Alhaji (Chief) Akanni Olanrewaju, explained that the Kabiyesi’s chiefs, sons and daughters of Ibogun decided to organize the elaborate ceremony not only in celebration of the quality of leadership the highly revered monarch had given to the people, but also

Faluade because his first 365 days in office marked a turning point in Ibogun as it has brought succor, hope and relief to the town and the people. “I am extremely happy to identify with our amiable monarch whose reign has been a period of visionary leadership and milestone achievements, which has impacted positively on the quality of life and economy of the people and the community “, concluded the Baba Oba of Ibogun. While reacting to the glowing tributes, Oba Faluade gave praises to God and the entire sons and daughters of the town for being supportive of his aspirations and administration, stressing that if not for their cooperation and loyalty, the town wouldn’t have recorded any success and the much cherished peace in the community would have been a mirage. He, however, expressed optimism that Ibogunland will be greater, considering the monumental changes and transformation projects that were being commissioned on the occasion of his first year coronation anniversary.

Chris Erondu’s club, In vogue, turns Lagos Big Boys den Chris Erondu has carved a niche for himself in the business and social radar. His upscale night club, In Vogue, is located on the Lagos Mainland which is now the new Mecca for celebrities and uptown socialites to have fun. The Night club is one of the hottest night club in Nigeria with its alluring ambiance, laced with sophisticated facilities and unique comfort in grand style. One unique thing about In Vogue is that, it has been renovated more than four times this year. In case you don’t know, the club has been a major hangout for Lagos big boys who find time to enjoy their money after hard-work. Chris Erondu has no doubt been tagged the ‘Numero

Chris Erondu

Uno’ of night life in Nigeria as the vibrant young man have always shown class with his luxury brandIn Vogue. When asked how he has been managing the club business despite the economy downturn, he said: “Generally business is not easy, not only club business. For you to own a business in Nigeria, you need to be consistent in what you’re doing. Meanwhile, the secret here is that, we try to keep everything up to date. Sometimes the money don’t come in as expected but when you have passion for what you do, you want to keep the business going”. Erondu, we were told, spent several millions to uplift the hangout.

needy and so far that this project has been running without the support of any politician in cash or otherwise . “We have seen many who grew up in the slums and later became successful in life, sure it was someone that impacted and celebrated them when they needed it. “This less privileged children too needed to be checked, celebrated and visited often to make them feel they are also born to reign,’’ and she added that the foundation is also having this same program going on synonymously in the city of Ilorin she said. Talking to one of the parents from Ijora Badiya, Mrs. Auke Lawal, she thanked the NGO for coming to celebrate with their children. “We are happy that our children were celebrated, we thought people have forgotten us, but now we know we are not and well meaning Nigerians should come and rend a helping hand to the NGO,” she said. She fed more than 5000 children in the slum recently at the main bowl of the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere-Lagos.

All set for the launch of Nzenweofor creative, globally recognised Tech Innovation Hub He’s the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Laclic Services Limited, a company with a network of language centres in Lagos and other states of Nigeria. He also owns start-ups companies like; Laclic Travel and Tours, Bantaban, Spirout, Olango and Olango Vista and a foundation called ‘Chief Ndubuisi Nzenweofor Foundation’ that supports internally displaced people, farmers, helpless widows, indigent Nigerians and the less privilege in rural areas across local communities in Nigeria. Apart from philanthropy, Chief Ndubuisi Nzenweofor is also known to be a passionate advocate of technology base businesses, and it is based on this that he will be launching Nzenweofor Creative, a venture that supports high tech innovation in Nigeria and Africa with international collaborations funding and infrastructural support. The company will be operating on key partnerships with international investors, private and public sector to execute and channel resources into major projects, focusing on Technology, Infrastructure, Water Project, Housing, Artificial Intelligence & Robotics, Agriculture/ Agro Tech Projects Chief Ndubusi, who has had some major projects which includes investment in Nano Technology, 3D interactive, Rural Water Innovation, and affordable 3D housing scheme. According to Chief Ndubuisi “Nzenweofor Creative is positioned to become a globally recognised hub

for high tech innovations in Africa with a mission to identify and invest in innovative ideas that drive social and economic growth”. Ndubuisi’s entrepreneurship drive has got him to set up over ten businesses serving different sectors of the economy and employing over one hundred people. Some of Ndubuisi’s business projects includes Laclic Travel and Tours (a travel support services company), Bantaban (an ecommerce platform that serves international consumers visiting Nigeria), Spirout (a tech enabled platform for content curation and distribution), Olango (a language learning chat application) and Olango Vista (a language translation device). He said in an exclusive interview that Nzenweofor creative is poised to generate more 5000 jobs for the youths of Nigeria.

Ndubuisi

BUSINESS TIMESg Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, January 5, 2019

Nigeria internet subscribers hike by 13.68m in one year Ladesope Ladelokun The number of internet subscribers in Nigeria has increased by 13.68 million to settle at 108.46 million in November 2018, from 94.82 million stood a year earlier, latest figure from the Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) has revealed. With this development, the Nigeria internet users rose 14 per cent in the year to November 2018, where active subscribers for data (internet) services on each of the licensed service providers utilising the different technologies showed that MTN reported 41.68 million internet users, while Globacom has 27.76 million subscribers. Airtel and 9mobile (formerly Etisalat) have 28.96 million and 10.6 million, respectively. Among the mobile network operators, MTN and Airtel recorded the highest month-on-month increases in internet subscription with 1.7 percent and 1.5 percent increase respectively. For 9mobile total internet subscription of 10.1 million in October remained unchanged in November. Omotola Abimbola, a research analyst at Ecobank, said the increase reflects smartphone penetration in the country. “Cheaper smartphones from Asia have been a boon to internet penetration in Africa in general and created a new and fast-growing income line for telecommunications companies who are now recording double-digit growth in data revenue,” Abimbola said. He said the increase in the number of internet users in Nigeria “could also be positive for the economy as internet penetration typically aids productivity and commerce.” FBNQuest, a subsidiary of the FBN group, said in its GoodMorning Nigeria publication on Thursday, January 3, 2019, that the increase in Nigeria’s internet users could have been due to the fact that “subscribers usually patronise dual-SIM mobile phones and stay connected via separate data packages on multiple networks, in order to “achieve uninterrupted internet access.” FBNQuest said the increase in internet users “implies a density of 58 percent in a population estimated at 185 million, placing Nigeria well above the African average of around 16 percent as indicated by McKinsey.” Data compiled from the NCC website show that the contribution of the telecommunications industry to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rose by 0.98 percentage points to 8.39 percent in Q3 2018, from7.41 percent in Q3 2017. However, last year’s third-quarter contribution was less than the 10.43 percent contribution to the country’s GDP in the second quarter of the same year. Nigeria’s GDP grew by 1.81 percent (year-on-year) in real terms in the third quarter of 2018, driven by the nonoil sector, the country’s statistical agency said. The non-oil sector contributed 98.62 percent of the growth in that quarter, with the oil sector contributing the remaining 9.38 percent, the National Bureau of Statistics said in a report released recently. The number of active subscribers for telephony services on each of the licensed service providers utilising different technologies including GSM, CDMA, Fixed Wireless and landline, show that MTN had 66.97 million subscribers, which is 40 percent of the total market share, followed by Globacom with 43.27 million (26 percent) and Airtel having 43.12 million (25 percent).

NCAA Probes Azman Air incident at Port Harcourt Airport The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has begun an investigation into the incident involving an Azman Air Lagos-Port Harcourt flight which occurred on Thursday. The general manager, NCAA, Sam Adurogboye, confirmed the development in Lagos on Friday. The airline’s Boeing 737 aircraft with registration number 5N-NAS made an emergency landing at the Port Harcourt Airport, Omagwa, after one of its engines reportedly failed. Mr. Adurogboye explained that the NCAA would investigate the incident in line with standards and international best practices. “We don’t have all the information yet but I can tell you that an Azman Air aircraft was involved in an incident yesterday en route Lagos to Port Harcourt. “The aircraft had an engine issue but it was able to land safely and the airline had to send another aircraft to pick their passengers from Port Harcourt. “Our team of inspectors are on the ground and will carry out checks to ascertain what led to the incident. “Our engineers will check the aircraft and talk to the flight crew’’, he said. According to him, the essence of the investigation is to determine the next line of action and come out with recommendations that promote air safety in the country.

L-R: Consultant, XLR8, Bemigho Awala; Chief Executive Officer, XLR8, Calixthus Okoruwa; and President & Chairman of Council, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, NIPR, Mallam Mukhtar Sirajo during the award presentation to XLR8 as PR Consultancy of the year at the LaPRIGA Hattrick edition in Lagos…recently

How Customs raked N1.2trn revenue in 2018 Mathew Dadiya The Public Relations Officer of the service, Deputy Comptroller, Joseph Attah, disclosed that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has generated N1.2 trillion revenue in 2018. Attah in a statement on Friday explained that the N1.2 trillion raked in the just concluded year was higher by N164.8 billion, while compared with N1.037 trillion realised in 2017. He explained further that the total sum of 5,235 seizures with duty paid value (DPV) of N61.5 billion was made, pointing out that the stride was due to NCS

reinvigorated anti-smuggling operations. According to him, these seizures include arms, ammunition, more than 59 containers of Tramadol and other controlled drugs as well as 320,709 bags of imported rice. He quoted the ComptrollerGeneral of Customs, Hameed Ali, as saying “the historic feat was due to the dogged pursuit of what was right rather than being populist by compromising national interest on the altar of individual or group interests.’’ Mr. Ali said the increasing annual revenue generation from the service in the last three years was as a result of reforms being carried out by the service.

He stated that the reforms included the upgrade on the electronic systems from Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System (NICIS I) to NICIS II, which had blocked leakages and strategic deployment of manpower. Other strategies were strict enforcement of extant guidelines by Tariff and Trade Department and robust stakeholder engagement which resulted to an increase in compliance and increased disposition of Officers and Men to put national interest above selves. “Though smuggling remains a challenge, the service’s three layers security strategy continues to make smuggling unattractive

to the smugglers. “While the service continues to deal decisively with smugglers, fellow citizens, especially border dwellers and port users are advised to support NCS by reporting any smuggling activity to the nearest Customs formation. “Together we can protect our economy and security by joining hands to fight smuggling and ensure that appropriate customs duty is paid on every dutiable import. “Accordingly, we appreciate compliant stakeholders that have supported the Service in 2018 and call on all Nigerians and especially international trade actors to help make 2019 better for the nation” customs boss said.

CBN injects $210m to lift Forex market Motolani Oseni The Central Bank of Nigeria on Friday made its first intervention in the inter-bank sector of the Foreign Exchange market for 2019 with the sum of $210m. The CBN Director, Corporate Communications, Isaac Okorafor, said the wholesale sector of the market received

100 million dollars, while the Small and Medium Enterprises received $55m. Okorafor said another $55m was allocated to customers requiring foreign exchange for business and personal travels, tuition or medical fees. The CBN spokesman said the apex bank would continue from where it stopped in 2018 to maintain the stability being enjoyed in the market.

He noted that the Bank had made a commendable effort in keeping the exchange rates at the current levels. Okorafor said the current capital flow reversals from the emerging markets were expected to bring out pressures on the market rates. He, however, assured that, in spite of the anticipated pressures, coupled with the forthcoming elections, the bank

was committed to maintaining the current exchange rate policy, given the level of reserves. “The CBN is determined to sustain a stable exchange rate as it continues to put in place relevant measures to shore up the country’s reserves,” Okorafor said in a statement. Meanwhile, one United States Dollar exchanged for N360 in the Bureau de Change segment of the market on Friday in Abuja.

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Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, January 5, 2019

CBN, NCC, others not encouraging – Fintech Nigeria Mathew Dadiya, Abuja Despite recording some achievements in the fintech ecosystem in 2018, the unfriendly environment created by the Central Bank of Nigeria and Nigeria Communications Commission slowed down fintechs in 2018, says Seun Folorunso, Executive Secretary, Fintech Nigeria. Folorunso decried the creation of payment system guidelines and regulation in 2018 that stipulate that Fintechs should capitalize with N5

billion, describing it as draconian. He said, ”One of the highlights is the fact that anybody who wants to operate a payment system and all that will be granted license will have to capitalize with N5 billion, N1 billion. According to him, “where will a fintech get N5 billion, and N1 billion to capitalize? It still boils down to the fact that the guys are not sitting with Fintech to look at things amicably.” Folorunso, however, wants regulators to borrow a leaf from Israel, Malaysia, Singapore and other countries where Fintech is thriving if

the present narrative must change.”If you look at Israel, Malaysia, and Singapore where fintech is thriving, their Central Banks sit with Fintechs. How can we further encourage what you are doing? What kind of regulation can we bring on board to drive what you are doing? But in African countries, the majority of the regulators are working in isolation. They are not engaging. He, nevertheless, described the creation of African Fintech Network which had subscriptions from twenty countries as a significant positive in 2018.

He said some of the regulators were becoming responsive, especially the Security and Exchange Commission. Folorunso says an internal department of Fintech was created and a committee that is working on Fintech adoption. As another financial year begins, stakeholders in the ICT sector have called on governments at all levels to jettison obnoxious taxes, relax unfriendly laws that stifle the growth of the sector to providing a viable alternative to converting dependent economy to a digital economy in the shortest possible time.

Clarify Lagos monorail budget controversy, BudgIT charges Lagos government Temitope Adebayo The trending report by China Railway Construction Corporation, the company in charge of Lagos light rail project otherwise known as Lagos monorail, has yet again piqued our curiosity and unrelenting demand for the openness of Lagos State budget. Just as taxpayers, BudgIT is gravely concerned about the discrepancy between the figure contained in the 2010 report delivered by China Railway Construction Corporation to its

shareholders (USD$182m), as published on the company’s website, and the officially acclaimed figure by the Lagos State government, which puts the project cost at USD$1.2bn. The civic organization’s Communications Lead, Adeniyi Soleye, stated: “The value of the Group’s new overseas contracts during the reporting period was RMB9.5568 billion, which involved the following significant overseas projects: light rail project in Lagos, Nigeria (the value of the contracts for blue line and red line was RMB1.256 billion),” the report reads.

While being conscious of possible underlying factors that could be responsible for this humongous difference, we say with certitude that ambiguities of this like would have ceased to occur had the state government yielded to our demand and that of the people to put an end to its budget secrecy. Lagosians deserve to know, steadily and accordingly, full details of how state resources are being used without any hesitation on the part of the government. Aside from the monorail, we reiterate our concern about the same opacity that plaques toll gates operation and large

constructions in Lagos. Same goes to the abject lack of transparency in the procurement process, an impenetrable system which has ringfenced public funds around private interests. To put to rest all doubts and concerns, BudgIT demands that the Lagos state government should break the silence and come out clean on this matter. What is the overall cost of the Monorail project? Why the discrepancy between the official figure and the contractor’s report? These are vital questions that demand an immediate response from the state authority.

$8.1bn fine: MTN to settle dispute with CBN with payment of $53m Ladesope Ladelokun MTN Nigeria has agreed to pay $53 million to settle a dispute with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) over improperly repatriated funds, pared down from an original demand of $8.1 billion. In a statement, MTN said it had provided Central Bank officials with additional documentation to satisfy

concerns, although it will have to pay back $52.6 million for a $1 billion preference share placement in 2008, which had not gained the necessary approvals. To satisfy the issue, MTN agreed to implement a notional reversal, at a net cost of N19.2 billion ($52.6 million), which it could pay without the admission of liability. The Central Bank announced in August 2018 that it had ordered MTN

to pay back $8.1 billion, which it said had been taken out of the country between 2007 and 2015 illegally because the operator failed to gain the required approvals. MTN strongly denied the allegations and said it would fight the demand. “The CBN upon review of the additional documentation concluded that MTN Nigeria is no longer required to reverse the historical dividend payment made to MTN Nigeria

shareholders,” said the statement. The issue had a damaging effect on MTN’s share price and added to a number of issues the company has faced in Nigeria, which is its biggest market. The settlement follows an agreement to pay a $1 billion fine for failing to cut off unregistered SIM cards in the country two years ago. MTN is also facing a demand for $2 billion on back taxes, a matter which it confirmed is still ongoing.

L-R: Marketing Manager, Hero lager, Mr. Obum Okoli; Head of Sales, South region, International Breweries, Mr. Sylvester Umeezie; Winner of HEROnaires Mega promo, Mr. Odu Benjamin, and Trade Marketing Manager, Hero lager, Olise Rufus during the presentation of rewards, Calabar …on Friday.

NSE: Capitalisation dips further by N49bn The bears persist on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) for the third trading day of the year with the market capitalisation declining further by N49 billion. Specifically, the market capitalisation shed N49 billion or 0.42 per cent to close at N11.425 trillion against N11.474 trillion recorded on Thursday. Similarly, the All-Share Index lost 132.42 points or 0.43 per cent to close at N11.425 trillion against N11.474 trillion on Thursday. An analysis of the price movement table shows that 29 companies posted price depreciation led by CAP with N2.50 to close at N31.50 per share. Beta Glass trailed with a loss of N1.30 to close at N67, while Forte Oil dipped by N1.10 to close at N29.60 per share. Zenith Bank declined by N1 to close at N21.70, while GlaxosmithKline went down by 85k to close at N12.20 per share. Conversely, 11 stocks recorded price growth with Okomu Oil leading the gainers’ table, gaining N3.80 to close at N80 per share. Nigerian Breweries followed with a gain of 80k to close at N79.50, while Guaranty Trust Bank garnered 50k to close at N33.50 per share. Stanbic IBTC also increased by 50k to close at N46.50, while UPL appreciated by 17k to close at N2.14 per share. AIICO Insurance dominated the activity chart, trading 83.72 million shares valued at N52.95 million. Diamond Bank followed with 71.10 million shares valued at N131.19 million, while Zenith traded 26.31 million shares worth N574.34 million. Access Bank traded 23.79 million shares valued at N140.22 million, while Transcorp sold 13.94 million shares worth N16.25 million. In all, investors traded 334.32 million shares valued at N1.77 billion in 4,082 deals, representing an increase of 97.60 per cent. This was in contrast with a total of 169.19 million shares worth N1. 13 billion transacted in 3,683 deals.

POLITICS TIMES g Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, January 5, 2019

I am not intimidated by APC, PDP governorship candidates in my race to govern Lagos - Pearse The governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Lagos State, Dr. Adetokunbo Pearse is confident of victory in the forthcoming general elections. Pearse, who returned to Nigeria from the United States of America in 2006 after 20 years sojourn, promised that he would build the Fourth Mainland Bridge, complete the light rail project in the state in his first term as governor. While stating that he is not intimidated by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the University lecturer-turned-politician, promised to focus more on education to eradicate poverty. PATRICK OKOHUE met him. Lagos State leads in Nigeria and it has many challenges, what are those things you want to correct in the state as governor? My first plan is to have a vision on how to improve the quality of life of the people. The major problem in Lagos State is congestion. If you want to build an economy, you improve transportation. The gridlock on our roads is destroying economy and life. Imagine someone who is ill being trapped in a gridlock. It happened to someone I know who died in a car after spending three hours in the traffic and this happens all the time. The first thing I would do as governor is to create drainages all over the state so that when rain falls the water would go into the gutter and then into the canal, which would run into the river. Water staying on the road damages the roads and create problem of traffic. We will also build the fourth mainland bridge to ease traffic on the road and we will complete the light rail project. A megacity like Lagos cannot work if you don’t have the 21st Century transportation system and only the light rail can do this. Let me give you statistics about rail transportation. If you use rail, you would save 70% of movement of people. South Africa uses 20% rail, while Nigeria uses 2%. This is how we lose income, damage our economy, and damage life because people cannot move fast. Can you imagine someone being moved in an ambulance getting into hold-up, the person will die. Therefore, we will build the light rail, we will build the Fourth Mainland Bridge and we will complete the eastern route that Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of the state started. We will build a route to Epe, and take it all the way to Ijebu so that the eastern corridor would be built as an alternative to the west. Everybody is now passing through Lagos-Ibadan Expressway to the west. We will also use our waterways because Lagos is an island. The shortsightedness of our leaders is unbelievable. Former governor Lateef Kayode Jakande of the state started the water transportation system, but as soon as some other governors came in, they messed it up. I will renew water transportation so that we can move around Ikorodu and Badagry by water and if there is an emergency you can move by water. This would improve the quality of life in Lagos in many ways.

Pearse Right now, the United Nations Education and Scientific Organisation (UNESCO) recommends certain percentage of our budget for education. Right now, we devote just 12.7% of the budget to education, in the first year of my administration I will move it to 15%. As the saying goes, “education is the antidote to poverty.” If we do that it will create employment. We will support small businesses, we will support recycling of waste. One of the legacies that I want to leave as governor is to ensure that Lagos becomes the waste management capital of Africa, so that all the trash would be recycled. The overall way of doing this is to decentralise government. Everything does not have to come from the seat of government in Alausa, the local governments, the Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) should be empowered. The collection and disposal of garbage can be done at the local level, while the treatment and the management can be done by a company at another level. I will not be a governor that will have

his own private company that will be getting contracts from the government. This is why nothing is being done now and we are not

getting results. How grounded is the SDP to be able to confront the APC and the PDP in the Lagos governorship

There are a lot of divisions within the APC. In 2015, Mr. Jimi Agbaje went into the PDP within six weeks and he almost defeated Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of the APC then. Therefore, with a unified party like the SDP and with the people tired of the APC, they want something different. Talk about the PDP, it is a divided party. The only party that can win the election, which the people would vote for is the SDP. There is no way the candidate of the APC, Mr. Babajide Sanwoolu can win this election, it doesn’t matter how much money they scatter everywhere. People know who is pushing him

election? Out of the 245 wards in Lagos, SDP is in 155 wards as we speak. We were able to manage our primaries such that we did not have any acrimony. If I say I want to mobilise 1,000 people in any local government now it would be done because we are well structured, we had ward congresses between end of July and early August. We had local governments and state congresses. The only local government where we are weak right now is Epe. We are very strong in other local governments. Our structures are there. I am being invited everywhere, I have been to many radio and television stations and I have featured in many newspapers. The SDP is the oldest party among all the parties in Nigeria now. The last democratically elected President in Nigeria before 1999 came from the SDP and this is the party Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu went through to become a senator in 1992. This is a strong party; the military government of General Sanni Abacha disrupted the whole thing before we got back to democracy in 1999. We initially went on recess and now we are back. It was not difficult for us to come back because Afenifere was already there. I was the Organising Secretary of the party in Lagos State and we went to all the local governments and we have structures everywhere. What I have been doing as the governorship candidate is to do mass media campaign before we start pasting posters all over the place. Lagos will soon start talking about us. What of the huge amount of money needed for logistics and mobilisation, how would your party cope? Our strength is the people that believe in us. We are bringing a new dimension whereby people will believe and work with us. I am a lecturer in the Department of English in the University of Lagos and the students are ready to work for us. Part of the problem with the candidates in the other parties is integrity, what is their experience, where are they coming from, can they operate outside the godfathers that want to put them there. We have the funds to do our elections, but we don’t have fund to throw around, we don’t have fund to buy votes. We have enough funds to run a democratic election.

Continued on 18

Politics Times 18

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, January, 2019

I am not intimidated by APC, PDP governorship candidates... Continued from 17 A lot of things go into elections, how do you hope to cope? What appears to me as strength is actually a negative for the APC. Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is very unpopular in Lagos State. He controls the APC structure, but he does not control Lagos State, his belief is that he can make anybody he wants to be governor under the APC. When it comes to election, we know his antics and we are not going to allow that, people are going to stand up and defend their votes. There are a lot of divisions within the APC. In 2015, Mr. Jimi Agbaje went into the PDP within six weeks and he almost defeated Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of the APC then. Therefore, with a unified party like the SDP and with the people tired of the APC, they want something different. Talk about the PDP, it is a divided party. The only party that can win the election, which the people would vote for is the SDP. There is no way the candidate of the APC, Mr. Babajide Sanwoolu can win this election, it doesn’t matter how much money they

scatter everywhere. People know who is pushing him, and where he is coming from. If APC should win in Lagos, we will be going back to square one because Asiwaju Tinubu would not allow you to perform. When former Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola was there, he had a good reputation, people celebrated him and then Tinubu started a war against him, “who asked you to do what you are doing” and all that became the order of the day. He began to challenge him and he nearly didn’t get a second term. Even when he got it he became a lame duck governor, they didn’t allow him to do anything. He didn’t control the Lagos State House of Assembly and they were going to impeach him. As soon as his term was over, they declared a war against him and they wanted to probe him. Tinubu is a problem to the state, they started fighting Governor Ambode and they denied him a second term. If I become governor, Tinubu cannot call me, if he does I would not pick his call. Do you have a godfather? I have elders and advisers. There

is a difference between elders who give you advice and elders who dictate to you. I was encouraged and supported by Chief Olu Falae, Professor Babatunde Adeniran and Supo Shonibare. These are my leaders in the party, but we are all contemporaries. They give me advice, I give them advice and we work together. They are not the kind of people that would dictate to you. You are a lecturer, when did you join politics? I lived in the United States of America from 1986 to 2006 and during that period I was involved in politics. I ran for Congress and the House of Representatives in 2004 in New York. I have awards from the Republican Party as a consultant. So, I have been in politics for long. When I came back to Nigeria in 2006, I was the campaign manager for the wife of the late Funsho Williams. I was a consultant. I managed her campaign at the primaries. I have been a member of the Governors Advisory Council (GAC) in Lagos State, when former governor Babatunde Raji Fashola was in

Ngofa is the best candidate to represent you in Senate, Tatua tells Rivers South-East A frontline leader in the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC ), Mrs Ibifuro Tatua has expressed confidence in the capacity of the APC senatorial candidate in Rivers South-East, Ambassador Oji Ngofa to clinch victory in the February 16 National Assembly Elections. Speaking at a rally for the APC senatorial candidate, Tatua emphasised that Ngofa’s political experience, dynamic leadership and quality of his thought, stands him out in the race.

Ngofa

She described Ngofa’s performance in Eleme Local Government, APC National Headquarters and Netherlands where he has held positions as exciting. “We have to be able to trust our elected officials to do what is in our best interest. Ambassador Oji Ngofa embodies what is special about Rivers South-East, a force and an integrity that is completely genuine. He is the candidate we can trust to move the senatorial district forward,” she said.

Tatua who gave a 15 minute speech took a shot at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Rivers State chapter, mocking the party and its candidates. She assured that the APC would win the three senatorial seats in Rivers State. “The people of Andoni, Eleme, Gokana, Khana, Opobo-Nkoro, Oyigbo and Tai have a choice in this senatorial race. They have a choice of who they will elect to represent them and I believe there is no substitute for integrity and principle,” the convener, Tonye Cole Volunteer Group and member of the Board of the National Commission for Nomadic Education said. Emphasising on responsible representation, Tatua urged voters to focus on the track record of the APC candidate. “Ambassador Oji Ngofa’s capacity is beyond question. He is the best person for the Rivers SouthEast senatorial job because he would empower the people, transform the senatorial district and make good laws for the country” Tatua who is running a strong grassroots campaign for APC candidates in Rivers State, engaging new and existing voters praised Ndofa for advancing progressive ideas, protecting the interest of the Nigerian people and improving the standing of the ruling party. “We need people of character in the Senate,” Tatua said. She described Ngofa as a pragmatist, good leader, competent administrator and an asset to Nigeria. “We are certain of Ngofa’s victory. Other candidates do not pose serious danger to Ngofa. They have nothing to offer,” she added.

office. I have been the Editor-In-Chief and Publisher of the Newsletter of the PDP in the state, I was the spokesperson of the PDP in Lagos State, when they had the Ali Modu Sheriff and Makarfi factions. I was with the Sheriff fraction. That was where Jimi Agbaje emerged then. In 2015, I was the Director General of Musiliu Obanikoro Campaign for Governor. I was a governorship aspirant also and I stepped down for Obanikoro. After we lost the election and Obanikoro was appointed the coordinator of Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation, I was the DG of the organisation. I have been in this for long, I have been a public affairs analyst. What is your view of restructuring and local government autonomy? All of them still talk about decentralisation of government. I truly believe this is the only way Nigeria can grow and states can run effectively. Ondo State produces bitumen, but it cannot use it the way it wants. I have been supporting the Presidential candidate of the PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar on this. We also need state police to enforce the laws we make and they need to control their resources. Every state has enough resources that can make her grow. Restructuring will help the states to develop. The state government must not be the only one doing everything in the state,

the local governments should control their resources. We need state police, and community police to create employment. That is what they do in the US, United Kingdom, India and China. I will confront the Federal Government on this. Lagos State cannot be the most populous state in Nigeria and yet it will have only 20 local governments. Kano has 44 and Jigawa that was created out of Kano has 27, which is seven more than Lagos. We need a courageous governor to fight this out. The Lagos State Government wanted to take over the National Stadium and they did not allow them. If I am there, nobody, either President Muhammadu Buhari or Atiku can stop me. Who would they call to stop me. I would tell them that they would have to get a visa to come to Lagos. We will take a stand for Lagos. If you go to Tejuosho, around NTA station there, you would see a lot of land there. The state can take over the land and develop it. Lagos State can generate 1000 megawatts of electricity in less than 18 months, but how much is the whole country generating now. All the states of the federation would follow suit. Many of them like Governor Ambode cannot do so many things because of the way they got there. My campaign slogan is education is the antidote to poverty.

Lagos gov: Arewa Community denies endorsing Agbaje, disowns award The Arewa community in Lagos State has rejected the endorsement of the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the forth coming governorship election in the state, Mr. Jimi Agbaje by some traditional rulers and traders from Northerner Nigeria in the state. In a statement signed by the secretary of the group, Alhaji Musa Sale, after a meeting held at Arewa House, No. 1 Abdullahi Daura Close, Agege, the Arewa community in Lagos also urged the public to ignore what it described as fake award given to Agbaje by purported members of their community. The group also read a riot act against erring Arewa traditional rulers and marketers who engage in what it called denigration of the sanctity of traditional institution. While making reference to a statement issued by the Chairman, Agege Local Government, Hon Ganiyu Egunjobi over the visit of Mr. Jimi Agbaje to the Sarkin Hausawa of Agege and his purported endorsement, the Arewa Community said it has not approved of the endorsement of the Lagos State governorship candidate of the PDP and that whoever does that is not speaking on behalf of the Arewa people. “Rather, the person speaks for himself,” the statement said adding, “when you invite candidates of different parties to pay homage purposely to make financial benefits, you are obviously bringing the sanctity of the traditional

institution into disrepute. “Also when you invite people with the aim of giving them awards so as to make benefits from it, you are also bringing into disrepute. What Award do you have that you want the traditional institution to be brought into disrepute. It is not from the Arewa community,” the statement said. The group urged their members to desist from using the name of Arewa community for what it described as shameful acts, promising to bring to bear appropriate actions against such people forthwith. “The Arewa community is a body registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission and therefore cannot be toyed with,” the statement said advising members of the public, especially politicians to be vigilant to avoid falling prey. “The resolutions of the Arewa Parliament were presented to the leader of the Arewa Community, Arch Ahmed Kabiru Abdullahi who in turn granted approval for its implementation. Mr. Abdullahi, however called on the Lagos State Council of Arewa Chiefs to take appropriate disciplinary actions against such erring Arewa traditional rulers.” “We have not endorsed Jimi Agbaje. Rather, we endorsed Mr. Babajide Sanwoolu for the governorship of Lagos State because of his track record of performance, credibility and ample experience,” the statement added.

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Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, January 5, 2019

Trump says he’s ‘prepared’ to keep government shut for years US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he is prepared to keep parts of the government closed for years if he does not get the billions of dollars he has requested to help fund a wall on the border with Mexico. Following a meeting with congressional leaders, Trump confirmed that he told top Democrats that he would keep the government closed for months or years if he did not get wall funding. “Absolutely I said that,” Trump told reporters outside the White House. “I don’t think it will. But I am prepared,” he added. “I hope it doesn’t go on even before a few more days. It really could open very quickly. We had a very, very productive meeting, and we’ve come a long way”. The comments came after the president and congressional leaders failed to strike a deal to end a partial shutdown, now into its 14th day, that has centred on Trump’s demand for funding for a border wall, one of his key campaign promises. Trump’s tone was more positive compared to the Democrats, who said the conversation was “lengthy and sometimes contentious”. Nancy Pelosi, the newly elected Democratic speaker of the House, said that her party recognises “that we really cannot resolve this until we open up [the] government and we made that very clear to the president”. Key parts of the US government shut down on December 22 after Trump refused to back down on his request for more than $5bn in funding for a wall on the southern border, which the Democrats oppose. ‘We can call a national emergency’ Trump on Friday also said that he has consider declaring a national emergency to build the wall - a move that if he moved forward with would likely be challenged in the courts.

“We can do it. I haven’t done it. I may do it ... But we can call a national emergency and build it very quickly,” Trump said. The US Constitution assigns Congress the power over funding the federal government, so Trump would likely face legal challenges if he tried to bypass Congress on financing the wall. He dismissed those concerns, saying that his administration can call a national emergency because “of the security of our country, absolutely”. Asked if declaring a national emergency was a threat hanging over Democrats, Trump said, “I’d never threaten anybody, but I am allowed to do that, yes.” Unease among some Republicans Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell also said on Friday that administration officials and congressional staff will meet this weekend to attempt to reach a deal to recommend to Trump to reopen the government. Late on Thursday, the House passed two Democratic bills to immediately reopen government agencies for varying lengths of time, despite a White House veto threat. McConnell, a Republican, rejected the House effort saying the president would not sign into law, although the Senate last month approved identical legislation. McConnell faces increasing pressure from within his caucus, especially from vulnerable Republicans up for re-election in 2020, as several conservative senators urged action to reopen the government, according to US media. His colleague, Susan Collins, also called for the Senate to pass the funding bills, while several other Republicans urged an end to the shutdown, the Hill and New York Times reported. “We should pass a continuing resolution to get the government

Trump addresses a press conference in the Rose Garden of the White House following a meeting with Congressional leaders on the government shutdown back open. The Senate has done it last Congress, we should do it again today,” US Senator Cory Gardner told The Hill on Thursday. Pelosi on Friday urged McConnell to bring the measures up for a vote. “The president can sign or not but he should never say, ‘I’m not even going to put it on the president’s desk,’” she told MSNBC, noting Congress can pass bills without Trump’s support. Democrats back other border security measures aside from the wall, and their two-bill package passed on Thursday includes $1.3bn for border fencing and $300m for other border security items such as technology and cameras. Without a deal to end the partial government shutdown, the Department of Homeland Security will not be able to bring some furloughed workers back

to their jobs while others continue to be forced to work without paychecks for the time being. Other federal agencies were also hobbled, including the Justice Department, Commerce Department and departments of Agriculture, Labor, Interior and Treasury. The partial shutdown also is straining the country’s immigration system, worsening backlogs in courts and complicating hiring for employers. More than 800,000 federal workers are affected. In a December 11 meeting with Pelosi and Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer, Trump said he would be “proud” to shut the government over the security issue and would not blame Democrats. He has since said they are responsible.

g 20 Suspected Ebola patient in Sweden ‘not infected’ A patient in Sweden who was admitted to hospital with a suspected case of Ebola, was found not to be suffering from the highly infectious and potentially fatal disease, healthcare officials have said. “The young man... who had symptoms... is not suffering from Ebola. That is what the result of tests shows,” the health authorities in Uppsala, about 70 kilometres (45 miles) north of Stockholm, said in a statement on Friday. The regional authority said the man’s condition had improved over the course of the day and that while tests had also ruled out diseases such as Marburg and dengue fever, further examinations were needed to determine the nature of the illness. Patients at the emergency ward in Enkoping had also been kept isolated pending the test results, as were the man’s relatives, but all were now free to go home, it said. “The patient came in this morning. He was throwing up blood and had bloody stools,” which can be a symptom of Ebola, Mikael Kohler, a medical director for Uppsala Region, told AFP earlier on Friday. The young man, whose identity has not been released, lives in Sweden and had returned from a trip to Burundi three weeks ago but was not known to have visited any Ebola-contaminated area, Kohler said. The symptoms first appeared on Friday morning. An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has killed 356 of the 585 people known to have been infected over the past six months. The epidemic in a volatile part of Congo is the second worst ever, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The largest outbreak was one in 20132016 in West Africa, where more than 28,000 cases were confirmed.

‘Tense period’: Pressure mounts as DR Congo awaits vote results The Democratic Republic of Congo’s ruling coalition has accused the country’s Catholic Church of behaving in an “irresponsible and anarchic” way after the church said it knew the winner of last Sunday’s presidential election. The retort on Friday came a day after the Church’s bishops’ conference, known as CENCO, said its vote tallies showed a clear victory in the December 30 poll, a pronouncement widely seen as a warning to authorities against rigging the vote. The church, which deployed some 40, 000 electoral observers, cannot say publicly who the clear winner appears to be, as Congo’s electoral regulations forbid anyone but the electoral commission CENI to announce results. Barnabe Kikaya Bin Karubi, an adviser to outgoing President Joseph Kabila, said the country’s ruling coalition “firmly deplores...the partisan, irresponsible and anarchic attitude of CENCO”. Kikaya, who is also spokesman for Kabila’s hand-picked candidate, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, said the church’s comments “seriously violates not only the constitution but also the electoral law”. One of Congo’s most powerful

institutions, the church represents about 40 percent of its 80 million people. CENCO’s statement has also angered the election commission, which said the church’s announcement could incite an “uprising”. The commission is scheduled to announce results on Sunday, but it has said that there could be delaysbecause of the slow arrival of tally sheets. The opposition, represented by its two main candidates, Martin Fayulu and Felix Tshisekedi, say the poll was marred by serious irregularities. But the government says the election was fair and went smoothly. All three major players - Fayulu, Tshisekedi and Shadary - have claimed they are on course to win, without posting specific figures. ‘Reflect people’s will’ The poll is meant to lead to Congo’s first democratic transfer of power, but the international community has raised concerns that a disputed result could spark unrest, as was the case after the 2006 and 2011 elections. On Friday, the European Union issued a statement urging authorities in the central African country to ensure

“the upcoming results conform with the Congolese people’s votes”. The African Union made a similar appeal earlier this week. The United States has also urged the electoral commission to publish accurate results, and threatened sanctions against anyone who sought to undermine the process. Kabila’s government cut access to the internet as well as Radio France Internationale (RFI) and some local media this week, saying it wanted to prevent fake results from circulating. The United Nations’ human rights office warned on Friday that the move could cause a violent backlash when results are announced. “This being a very sensitive, a very tense period, we are concerned that these efforts to silence dissent could backfire considerably when the results are announced,” Ravina Shamdasani, spokeswoman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, told reporters in Geneva. “We are watching carefully and we are calling on all sides to refrain from the use of violence,” she said. An election dispute could further

Electoral commission says results could be delayed because of the slow arrival of tally sheets destabilise Congo’s volatile eastern father in 2001, helped reunify the country provinces, where wars around the turn of amid civil war and has presided over the century resulted in millions of deaths, strong economic growth, driven by most from hunger and disease, and where exports of copper and cobalt, a component dozens of militia remain active. of electric car batteries. Pre-election opinion polls showed But critics say there has been little Shadary trailing Fayulu and Tshisekedi, improvement in the quality of life for who have been buoyed by rising average Congolese and accuse the dissatisfaction with Kabila’s tenure. government of brutally suppressing Kabila, who succeeded his assassinated dissent.

ARTS & CULTURE TIMES g21

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, January 5, 2019

House of Oduduwa’s Queen Moremi the Musical records huge success Stories: Chris Onuoha The musical drama coming from the House of Oduduwa in collaboration in Rejuvenee , ‘Queen Moremi the Musical’ has just been concluded. The show, tagged as the greatest sold out stage-drama by some spectators was worth it, with some saying, ‘it is a show that one never gets tired of watching time and time over.’ Produced by Bolanle Austen-Peters Production BAP, the show premiered on December 21, 2018 that ran till January 2, 2019, at the Terrakulture mini theater, Victoria Island Lagos witnessed a command performance on December 23 with the Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi alongside, Ogun first lady, Mrs. Amosun, Information minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Jimi Agbaje and others in attendance. Described as one cultural initiative away from the regular contemporary projects by Bolanle AustenPeters Production by some, Queen Moremi the Musical lived up to its billing to entertain numerous people who trooped in numbers to watch the show. An anonymous spectator disclosed that his entire family had to watch the show four times until the seats became hot cake. Many families who booked in advance but was a bit late had to stand to watch the show. The casts comprising celebrated Nollywood stars and regular theatre actors were very phenomenal and the stage was equally elevated to suit the cultural set. Notable stars that featured include Bimbo Manuel, Kunle Afolayan, Femi Branch, Rotimi Adelegan, Deyemi Okalawon, Omotola Jolade-Ekeinde, Tosin Adeyemi, Kemi Lala Akndoju, Bamike Olawunni and others. Measuring the success of the first outing of the musical, the global ambassador of queen Moremi Ajasoro Initiative, Princess Ronke Ademiluyi disclosed: “The musical has been very receptive even a lot more than we actually thought. In the beginning, the idea was conceived to have the story join the story of Moremi project but we recorded a huge success beyond that.” She also said that creating a musical out of the story of Móremí history actually came about in 2017 December and since then it wasn’t easy. “We had approached Bolanle Austen-Peters production to direct the production and she eventually refused because of

Entire cast and crew of Moremi the musicals

the traditional and cultural aspect of it. Then, she is already in the contemporary projects as you can see in her numerous comprising Saro, Fela and the Kalakuta Queens among others. Doing a traditional project then was a no, no thing for her. But that took us a lot of going back and forth to convince her until Her Excellency, Mrs. Amosun, first lady of Ogun State came into the picture to further convince her to accept. And the outcome is what we have just seen as Queen Moremi the Musical today. “In all the 21 shows we had, it was a complete sold out. Right now, people have already started to book for Easter shows. We have promised our numerous fans to bring it back in Easter and after that, we will be having a global tour around the United Kingdom UK and USA including African countries and some states in Nigeria.” Princess Ronke added. Speaking further, she reiterated that the success can be rated high above our expectations. “The show was beyond our imagination. Some people booked ahead of time. Some booked from abroad, came home to watch the show severally, and at some point, people were asking why it shouldn’t be more than two shows per day, and I had to say that the casts need a break because they are human. In overall, it was a success. Generations upon generations came to watch. An entire family of mother, grandmother and great grandmother came to watch this show and it was like one particular show that swoop an entire family to a

stage. It is very phenomenal and as an Ambassador of Queen Moremi Ajasoro Initiative it is my role to look for strategic partners to portray the name of Queen Moremi out there which is what it is all about. Currently, we have been approached by some people on the film project of Móremí which is the next project that will be a Hollywood blockbuster movie.” On the issue of space challenge and over booked tickets for the show, she stated: “We are looking at different options to explore, having witnessed the surge at the just concluded show. The entire production team will put head together to figure a way out of the space challenge. We saw that people booked in advance even when the seats are not enough. Some came all the way from abroad to watch the show and did not get a seat because the show was sold out. All these will be taken care of in the Easter show of the Queen Moremi the Musical,” Princess Ademiluyi concludes Moremi the musical is an initiative of House of Oduduwa foundation, supported by Rejuvenee and produced by Bolanle Austen-Peters Production (BAP). The musical has a royal blessing from the Arole Oodua, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Babatunde Ogunwusi as part of his vision to revitalize the cultural heritage of the Yorùbá race. The monarch who has initiated several projects to immortalise the Yorùbá heroine, Queen Moremi Ajasoro is not relenting as he is poised to take the initiative beyond Nigeria to the global scene.

Erinmo Day 2018: showcasing the cultural strength of a sleepy town The quiet town of Erinmo-Ijesha in Oriade Local Government of Osun State came alive last Saturday, December 22 as the town noted for its culturally endowed, beyond being the untapped food basket of the country, celebrated her annual Erinmo Day. Amidst pomp, glitz and royal display, the Traditional custodian of the Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Oba Dr. Michael Ajayi, Arowatawaya II, the Elerinmo of Erimo-Ijesha alongside his palace chiefs, treated guests to a royal fanfare. Held at St Peters Anglican Primary School playground, Erinmo-Ijesha with the entire indigenes all dressed in a special royal uniform, the gathering was seen as a mark of unity among the people, while the palace chiefs also dressed in a different royal regalia, that showed solidarity and consent to the enviable vision of the Kabieysi, Oba Ajayi. However, the event noted as the largest turnout of traditional rulers that attended, had about 40 royal fathers within the Ijesha North traditional council, including Obas from neighbouring community from Kwara, Ondo, Ekiti and Edo states. The Arole Oodua, Oba Adeyeye Oguwunsi, the Ooni of Ife was ably represented at the festival by two monarchs from his palace. The festival started properly at the palace of Elerinmo of Erinmo-Ijesha at about 11 am with some cultural rites by the palace chiefs, followed by procession to the event venue. Several indigenes in the other of their recognition performed obeisance dance to greet his Majesty while the most fascinating side show was the royal dance by palace chiefs and visiting monarchs to pay homage to Kabiyesi, Oba Michael Ajayi. Not left out were the Regents (royal blooded females) who came in droves to felicitate with the king. In his welcome address, the Kabiyesi, Oba Michael Odunayo Ajayi who was overwhelmed by the large turnout of crowd thanked the spectators, and noted that the essence of the celebration is the coming together once a year to give thanks to God for his goodness, mercies and good planting harvest in the land of Erinmo. He also emphasized that the festival affords the indigenes of Erinmo-Ijesha land both at home and in diaspora the opportunity to come together, interact, rejoice and felicitate with one another. He also harped on the unity which has existed within Erinmo land for a long period to continue to reign.

Writer marks a decade in creative business

Victoria Praise-Abraham is a communication expert, motivational speaker, creative entrepreneur and author of many inspirational books. She is celebrating her 10 years in active authoring and entreprenurial business. Having been in the media and entrepreneurial business for a decade, the astute writer who has whethered many storms to keep abreast of time in a seemingly challenging period, narrates how the journey has been so far and what kept her going.

Having Come thus far what where those things that kept you going? The number one thing that kept me going would have to be God Almighty because He is the wind behind my sail. He is my rock, anchor and shield and above all He is my confidence and sustainer from the very beginning till date. We all can testify of how very difficult and challenging the last 10 years have been if you do not have God as your anchor and strength chances are that you would have perished one way or the other. Secondly it would be my passion for my craft. I love writing, publishing and the world of media as a whole and my love for my craft is strong, enduring and long lasting. There were days when I was so discouraged and felt like going back to paid employment but my love for what I am doing did not allow me to take this backward step throughout the ten years gone by. Lastly it would be the lessons from the adage that ‘’Winners never quit and quitters never win’’. I realized that once I had put my hands to the plough I could not look back. I had to be tougher, wiser and smarter than the situation that stared me in the face in our country Nigeria in the last ten years. Celebrating a decade to some people maybe a stepping stone while to some a landmark. How do you classify yours? My answer would be both a stepping stone and a landmark. First a landmark because 10 years as a Creative Entrepreneur is a huge achievement because if I had quit before the 10 years it would have been a failed venture

so to me it is a landmark achievement. It is a stepping stone because I realize that the journey has only just truly began. My great desire as a business woman is to leave a transgenerational legacy to my yet to be born children. I want my businesses to last beyond my days. I want to be an enduring business concern that would still be running 100 years after I have passed on to glory so 10 years only in the life of the business is merely a stepping stone to greater days and to greater heights to attain by the special grace of God Almighty. As a writer your books are inspirational how do you measure your audience especially when reading culture is poor? It is true that reading culture is poor but we still have a certain percentage that still loves reading. People read for various reasons. People read to learn, they read to pass examinations and others read for pure entertainment. As an inspirational writer I have come to appreciate the fact that a large chunk of the lovers of my books are people who read to learn and to grow in the process. My books teach life lessons, they instruct and motivate you to take action concerning your life. I avoid writing fiction because I want to impart knowledge and not merely create escape routes for people on a short term basis. My audience are faith related persons and mainly young adults who are trying to better grapple with many of life’s challenges. I have found out that you must be creative as a writer in order to increase your audience base. You have to keep writing books that impart, impact, inspire and instruct while still remaining entertaining. My audience is growing as my dexterity in writing different types of books is expanding. Nigeria is a country with abundant talent while the youth complains of unemployment does your books inspire self reliance and if yes how do you sustain it? One of the reasons why I decided to write was to inspire young people to take action and not just merely

wait for govenments of the day to fix their individual life’s problems. Most of my titles address specific questions for example my second title ’12 Golden Laws of Success’ highlights 12 principles of success which include Purpose, Preparation and Planning, Pursuit, Positioning, Product, People, Patience, Prayer, Persistence, Peace and Praise. I emphasised these 12 principles in the book using life examples of greatly successful Nigerians who used one of these principles majorly in their lives to succeed. The book is practical, inspiring and insightful as it highlights the lives of these 12 successful persons through question and answer method. Anyone who reads this book would be inspired to take on the world and to succeed because these principles are tried and tested and have been seen to work if diligently put into practice. My other titles ‘The tiny big First Step’ deals on the subject of procrastination. I realized that one of the reasons why it took my long to achieve any kind of success in life was because I was very prone to procrastination. I delayed taking action and waited and waited until I was no longer able to do anything meaningful with my ideas. I also realized that most people procrastinate one way or the other. I finally decided to write this title on procrastination titled ‘The tiny Big First Step’ one of my finest and most practical books till date. I used the interview method to understand why people procrastinate. I also highlighted things that you can do practically to escape the menace of procrastination which is the mother of defeat in life. As a young Nigerian if you read these two titles written by me you would learn how to take decisive actions daily and how to best succeed without cutting corners and been devious. There is no short cut to success. You have to pay the price. A lot of our Nigerian youths unfortunately have poor role models to emulate because corruption looms large in our political space and life in Nigeria. Nigerian youth are disillusioned about life and they need a strong voice to help them rise above a life of fraud and corruption and this is what I am helping to do through my writing.

As per the second section of your question about sustaining self reliance amongst Nigerian youth, going forward I plan to engage the teeming youth population by offering mentorship programmes and designing mentorship events as from 2019 where we help young people learn basic skills entrepreneurship, leadership, team building and also help them start small businesses by encouraging successful persons, successful organizations and companies to give back to these youth population by encouraging them in their startups. You have written so many books and seems not tired, what more do we expect from you in the near future? As you know we might plan and even desire but it is the plan and will of God Almighty that will ultimately be done in our lives because God is the author and finisher of our faith especially if we profess to know God. I am a very strong and committed Christian and I always pray for God’s ultimate will to be done in every area and facet of my life so I will say here that may God Almighty’s ultimate plan and purpose for my life be done going forward. Book writing for me is a life-long dream and aspiration. I will always write one way or the other because I greatly love writing. You should therefore expect to see me write some more engaging and deeply insightful titles in the coming years by the special grace of God Almighty.

SPORTS TIMES Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, January 5, 2019

ITTF ranking: Aruna Quadri retains top position in Africa

Nigeria’s table tennis star Aruna Quadri maintained his position as the number one player in Africa following the latest ranking released by the International Table Tennis Federation. Quadri, despite his inactivity for the past two months is ranked in 26th position in the world. He maintained his position as Africa’s best after displacing Egypt’s Omar Assar in October. Assar maintained his 47th position in

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the ranking having dropped drastically after his suspension by the Egyptian Table Tennis Federation. Segun Toriola and Olajide Omotayo were static in their rating. Toriola is rated 136 while Omotayo, a semifinalist at the 2018 ITTF African Championship is ranked 146th. China’s Fan Zhendong and Ding Ning head into 2019 on top of the Men’s and Women’s World Rankings respectively.

Okpara: Super Eagles has improved tremendously Former Super Eagles defence trojan Godwin Okpara has revealed that he has seen and witnessed a huge improvement by players of the national team as the team get to to battle Seychelles later this year, having already qualified for the AFCON.

Speaking, Okpara stated that what he saw from the players during the AFCON qualifiers has given him extra confidence in the ability of the Eagles to do well at this year’s African showpiece. “From what I have witnessed during the qualifiers, the

team for me has improved tremendously. Every player knows what to do and why they are part of the team” “The determination and consistency is on another level, and that is what I have observed so for me, the team is good to go”.

Hibernian confirm Efe Ambrose’s exit despite improved new deal Scottish Premier League side, Hibernian FC, have confirmed the exit of Super Eagles defender Efe Ambrose from the club. Ambrose, according to a statement on the club’s official website, triggered a clause in his contract that allows him to leave Easter Road Stadium this month. It was also revealed that the 30-year-old centre-back turned down an improved threeyear contract to extend his stay at the club. “The 30-year-old centre-back has invoked a clause in his contract that allows him to leave Easter Road Stadium this month, having indicated a desire to pursue an opportunity elsewhere and, therefore, turn down an improved three-year contract to extend his stay in Edinburgh,” the statement on Hibernian’s official website reads. “A popular figure with players, staff and supporters alike, the club made every effort to keep Efe but respect his decision and thank him for his contribution. He leaves with the best wishes of everyone at Hibernian.”

Ambrose joined Hibernian on loan from Celtic in February 2017 while the club pushed for promotion from the Championship before he signed a two-year deal. The Nigerian played 68 times for Hibs and also appeared 113 times for Celtic during a five-year spell at Parkhead where he won four Scottish Premiership titles. He has been tipped for a likely move to English Premier League side, Cardiff City of Wales.

Aremu Afeez: Blame national team coaches for exodus of NPFL players IK Start midfielder Aremu Afeez insists that Nigerian players will continue to dump the NPFL in favor of moves abroad because they are underappreciated in the Country. Afeez who played for Sunshine Stars, Rivers United and Akwa United before moving abroad in 2016 argues that NPFL based players don’t get the right support to grow and even feel undervalued. In a chat, the midfielder said the lack of recognition by the Super Eagles head coach, Gernot Rohr, even worsens the matter, insisting that there are several players in the league who can hold their own against some of the current players in the Eagles.

Kwara United FC unveils 18 new players Kwara United Football Club on Friday in Ilorin, unveiled 18 new players ahead of the 2018/2019 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season. Among the new players are: Oki Olaoluwa from Kwara United Feeders Team, Kehinde Olajuyin from Ekiti United and Yusuf Muhammad from Kano Pillars. Others are: Kenneth Okoli from FC IfeanyiUbah, Muhammad Hussaini from Katsina United and Sunday Emmanuel from Sunshine Stars Football Club. At the unveiling ceremony, the Chairman of Kwara United Football Club, Oladimeji Thompson, said the new players were carefully recruited, based on their good track records and in line with ideals and philosophy of the founding fathers of the club. Thompson, who explained that

13 players were retained from the crop of players who featured last season, called on the new players to support the vision of the Club. The Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Alhaji Muideen Alalade, said the state government had invested huge money on Kwara United Football Club to enable it to make the state proud. He urged the players to live up to expectations of the people by winning all their matches and earn continental tickets. Alalade also said government had given absolute freedom to the management of the Club to select quality players, saying that there was no justification for failure. The Special Adviser to the Governor on Political Matters, Alhaji Sulaiman Olokooba, called on the players to secure continental ticket.

Responding on behalf of the new players, Solomon Owello, said the players were aware of the task before them and would give the state the best it deserved. The occasion also featured the showcasing of the club’s Feeders team which recently gained promotion to the Nigeria National League from Nationwide League.

Akwa United unveil Mfon Udoh, 12 others for new season Akwa United have officially unveiled 12 new players ahead of the 2018/2019 Nigeria Professional Football League this season. The new players were presented to the media, fans and stakeholders of the club at a colourful ceremony at the Nest of Champions – Akwa Ibom International Stadium on Friday. Mfon Udoh, Juwon Oshaniwa, Brazilian midfielder Alberico Barbosa Da Silva, Markson Ojobo, Emeka Atuloma and Ndifreke Effiong. Others include; Cameroonian international goalkeeper Jean Efala, Ivoirien central defender Blaise Adou, 2016 NPFL winner Ocheme Edoh, 2016 Federation Cup winner Wilson Elu and two former Golden Eaglets players Wisdom Fernando and Samuel Akpan, who both played for Akwa Starlets last season in the Nigeria National League. Two new assistant coaches were also unveiled to the public; they are; Brazilian coach and Match Reader

Isreal Jose Lira and Former Coach of Cofine FC Daniel Japhet. Chairman of Akwa United Elder Paul Bassey expressed satisfaction at the quality of players the club has signed and stressed that the players were contracted on merit. “Today, we see the return of Akwa Ibom indigenes, not because they are from the state, but because they are some of the good players this country can offer,” Bassey told reporters. “In order to start well, we have decided to add those we consider to be some very good players that will help us realise our dream. “At this point, I want to say a very big thank you to Akwa Ibom Government led by Governor Udom Emmanuel, the fans, supporters, the media community and sports stakeholders in the stated. Speaking on behalf of the new players, NPFL record scorer Mfon Udoh said they were delighted to join a top and an ambitious team like Akwa United and assured that they

will contribute to the success of the club in all competitions. “On behalf of my colleagues, I want to say that we are delighted to join a big team like Akwa United. This is a team that have won two Federation Cup titles in three years and have also played on the continent, so we are glad to be part of this great club,” Udoh stated. “I have confidence in the quality of players in this team, they are some of the very best in the NPFL and we have a young coach who is ambitious too, so we have come to Akwa United to win trophies. We are ready to give our all and help the team to achieve it’s set goals,” the striker said. The Promise Keepers have renewed the contract of 23 players and have registered 35 players for the 2019 NPFL season. Akwa United will kickstart their 2019 NPFL season campaign with a home game against El Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri on Sunday 13th January, 2019.

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, January 5, 2019

23 Sports Times

Ahmed Musa happy to end goal drought with a brace in Al Nassr win Super Eagles skipper Ahmed Musa is excited to have ended his five-game goal drought in Saudi Arabia, he scored a brace for his club, Al Nassr Riyadh in Thursday’s 6-0 win over Al-Jandal. Musa scored his side’s second goal in the 47th minute after Abdulrazak Hamdallah had shot Al Nassr Riyadh into the lead in the 29th minute of the match. Hamdallah scored two more goals in the 66th and 80th minutes to make it 4-1 and in the process bagged a hattrick before Musa completed his double on the dot of the 90th minute. Giuliano Victor had earlier scored the 5th goal for Al Nassr Riyadh in the 88th minute before Musa added the icing on the cake with the sixth

goal of the encounter in the 90th minute. “Good to start the year with a goal! We keep working hard till the end of the season. Well done mates,” Musa tweeted after the game via his handle @AhmedMusa718. Musa joined Al Nassr Riyadh on a four year deal from Leicester City last summer and he has scored seven times in 15 games for Al Nassr Riyadh. The former Leicester City forward last scored a goal in November 2018 for Al Nassr Riyadh in their 1-0 win over Shabab. Al Nassr Riyadh is currently second in the Saudi Professional League and will square up the seventh-placed team, Al-Faisaly FC in their first league game in 2019.

Gift Monday: World Cup exposed my weaknesses

Ladan Bosso: Gombe United ready for Super Eight challenge Gombe United new chief coach, Isa Ladan Bosso, said the club’s project was the reason he agreed to join irrespective of where the Savannah Scorpions will be playing their football next season. Bosso joined Gombe United after he left Nigeria professional football league side FC Ifeanyi Ubah last season following the club’s failure to deliver their contractual obligations. The former Flying Eagles had since resumed his post with the new Gombe United which are expected to be in Aba on Thursday morning ahead of the Nigeria National League Super Eight which holds in Aba from January 5, 2019. “I am pleased to join Gombe United because it is my wish to grow with this club,” Bosso told the media. “I tried to look through the several proposals I got from various clubs that showed interest in me and I had to settle for Gombe United not that they offered me

the best payday but I was impressed with the club’s project and their aspirations to play in the top-flight. “They have shown the seriousness and it is just normal that they are rewarded with a ticket to the elite division at the end of the Super Eight. The experienced coach however added that the has worked hard to prepare for whatever happened in the Super eight which determines fate of Nigeria National League teams seeking promotion to the elite division. “I am thrilled with another assignment and I hope to make the best of it. I must state that the Gombe government and the management of the club have done extremely good work to ensure that the team does not lack anything. “The transfer of players too has been done with utmost carefulness. I can rightly say that we are set for whatever the Super Eight brings,” he concluded.

Paul Pogba’s mother gets Guinea football federation role

The Guinea Football Federation (Feguifoot) has appointed the mother of Manchester

United midfielder Paul Pogba as an ambassador for women’s football. Yeo Moriba’s nomination followed a meeting with Feguifoot President Mamadou Antonio Souare. Souare is hoping that France international Paul and his twin brothers, Florentin and Mathias, will support their mother in her new role. Moriba is a former international herself with the Guinea women’s team. “I am proud of what the Guinea Football Federation and

its president have done,” she told Feguifoot’s website. Florentin and Mathias, who have both played for the Syli Nationale, were born in Guinea before Moriba moved to France where Paul was born. Defender Florentin, who played in the Turkey with Genclerbirligi while striker Mathias i currently with French club Tours FC. The hope is that the family will be able to rejuvenate women’s football in Guinea, who have never qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations, a World Cup or an Olympic Games.

Floyd Mayweather floors Japan’s Tenshin Nasukawa in just two minutes Floyd “Money” Mayweather beat Japanese kickboxing phenomenon Tenshin Nasukawa by a technical knockout Monday after just two minutes of a New Year’s Eve “exhibition” bout that

brought the US boxing superstar out of retirement for a big pay day. In a mismatched contest, Mayweather floored Nasukawa, a kickboxer less than half his age, three times in the first round of the three-round contest before the Japanese fighter’s trainer rushed in to stop the fight. “Money” Mayweather has hinted on social media he was pocketing $9 million for the fight, meaning he earned around $4.5 million per minute for the spectacle. The American boxer at first appeared not to be taking the fight seriously, grinning at his opponent and aiming only soft punches at him. But he then demonstrated his power, launching a series of jabs and hooks to the head of the 20-year-old Japanese fighter, sending him to the canvas after

just one minute with a left hook. Sensing his opponent was struggling, Mayweather stepped in for the kill, unleashing a flurry of punches that left Nasukawa reeling again within just two minutes of the bout and facing his second standing count after a huge right hook to the head. With the Japanese fighter clearly battling to stay on his feet, the trainer rushed in and stopped the fight with less than one minute of the first round remaining. “It was all about entertainment. We had fun,” Mayweather said in the ring after the event. “I’m still retired. I don’t look forward to coming back to boxing but I did this just to entertain the fans in Japan,” added the 41-year-old.

Falconets star Gift Monday has recounted her first World Cup experience and admits she has a lot to work on to reach full potential and compete with the best young and experienced players. Gift who was one of the Falconets’

stars suffered several setbacks in a team that eventually crashed out of the tournament in the quarter-finals. Speaking, the FC Robo Queens star, who could be heading out of the club for a fresh start, stressed she has some more work to do.

Seyi Akinwunmi: Reforms committee set up in accordance to NFF statutes Chairman of the NFF Reforms committee Barrister Seyi Akinwumi says the composition and process employed in the set up of the committee was done in accordance with the NFF statutes without treating the claims of the former member Ahmed GaraGombe in Seriatim. Akinwumi dismissed the claims of the former member of the Reforms committee Shuaibu Gara-Gombe as claims without locus standi with recourse to the provision of the NFF statutes. The Reforms committee Chairman thereafter stated that the workings of the Reforms committee will be one that will accommodate contributions from the public which will be accessible via a web portal and other

stakeholders that have the interest of Nigerian football growth at heart.

U20 AFCON: Nigeria’s Flying Eagles set for final camping Assistant coach of Nigeria’s U20 national team Bala Abubakar has revealed that the Nigeria U20 national team camp is expected to open on Sunday ahead of next month’s CAF Africa U20 cup of nations in Niger. Bala speaking in a chat explained that the camp will be opened with players who qualified the national team for the U20 AFCON as well as players

who also featured in the Silver medal winning WAFU cup team. Bala thereafter said the foreign based players penciled down will join the team in two weeks; in time before the final list of players is submitted. The Flying Eagles are drawn in group A alongside host nation Niger, South Africa and Burundi and the competition starts on 2nd through to the 17th of February 2019.

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