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Female computer engineers:

Triumphing in male dominated terrain

Ladesope Ladelokun, Idris Oyindamola, Babalola Mujeeb and Obi Lovelyn, Lagos

ÏÏÏAlways

in the business of dispelling the stereotype ideals held of women as belonging to the weaker sex, some daughters of Eve have dared to triumph in the terrains dominated by men with the bravery of a lioness. In business, politics and virtually all professions under the sun, they have refused to be intimidated by men, throwing the ‘weaker sex’ tag into the trash bin.

In many fields, their courage and talent have stood them out and there is no stopping them.

Such is the story of Temitope Khadijah, otherwise known as Alhaja. Unlike some Nigerian graduates who allow their university degrees to

go to their heads, Alhaja had her future carved out for her right from her days as an undergraduate at the Lagos State University (LASU).

“I established myself as an independent woman in an era when my peers either depended on their parents to sustain their education or ran into the arms of “sugar-daddies” to survive financially,” she told The Daily Times crew at her busy office in the bustling Computer Village in Ikeja, Lagos.

Alhaja said she confidently paid her school fees and other bills from what she earned as a laptop and cellphone technician while on campus.

I call my husband by his pet name ‘Omo Boy’ –Joke Silva L2 & L3

Continued on page 6

Terror tag: IPOB wants court to set aside it’s proscription 6

INEC REC links graduates unemployment 7 to outdated curriculum

Lawmakers’ salaries: Meeting with Saraki raises 5 more questions than answers-SERAP

UNN to take over ANAMCO –Vice-Chancellor 7

2

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, September 23, 2017

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, September 23, 2017

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Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, September 23, 2017

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, September 23, 2017

5 News

Lawmakers’ salaries: meeting with Saraki raises more questions than answers –SERAP

ÏÏÏSocio-Economic Rights

and Accountability Project (SERAP) has confirmed that its representatives yesterday met with the Senate President Bukola Saraki to discuss issues relating to details of annual salaries and allowances of lawmakers.

In a statement today by Timothy Adewale SERAP deputy director the organization said that, “While we appreciate the expressed commitment by Saraki to transparency and accountability of the National Assembly, and the rare opportunity to dialogue with him, we remain deeply concerned that the leadership of the Senate has unfortunately not satisfactorily addressed the damaging

allegations by Professor Itse Sagay, Chairman Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption (PACAC), that a Nigerian Senator gets N29 million in monthly pay, and over N3 billion a year.”

According to the organization, “There is an apparent discrepancy in some areas between what Saraki said at the meeting and what the Senate is doing in practice to improve transparency of its operations and accountability of members. For example, the Senate President’s response to Sagay’s allegations was simply to refer SERAP to the National Assembly budget for 2017, which is available on its website.

However, a careful study of

the document shows that it contains only some general information and not specific details that respond directly to allegations raised

by Sagay.”

The statement read in part: “The meeting with Saraki raises more questions than it answers. The Senate budget on its website is incomplete. The absence of specific details on salaries and allowances of each senator not only makes analysis difficult, it also points to underlying weaknesses in monitoring and transparency mechanisms.”

“Without including some level of details, Nigerians may see the published National Assembly budget as nothing more than window-

dressing. SERAP hopes that the leadership of the Senate doesn’t want this to be the case---and we certainly see no reason why it should be the case. As we have noted, improved transparency on the exact salaries and allowances of senators and indeed members of the House of Representatives is in the interests of all.

“In SERAP’s view, rather than referring us to the seemingly incomplete National Assembly budget, the Senate President should have provided a line-by-line response to Sagay’s allegations. It’s important that the leadership of the Senate provides additional information that is lacking from the published budget if it is ever going to satisfactorily

clear the air on the issues.”

“Continuing failure and/ or refusal to provide a lineby-line response to Sagay’s allegations is counter-productive. Although the issues of transparency in the salaries and allowances of members of the National Assembly may seem like sensitive issues, they are exactly the kind of issues the Senate and House Representatives need to urgently address and clarify if Nigerians are ever to trust their lawmakers.”

“As the 2017 National Assembly budget does not appear to record all allowances received by senators, it’s in the best interest of the Senate to now publish a line-by-line response to Sagay’s allegations rather than simply providing a blanket denial. If the Senate is disputing Sagay’s figures on the salaries and allowances of its members it should at least provide what it considers to be the current amounts, including on ‘hardship allowance’. One way the Senate

can do this is by moving swiftly to publish details of senators’ payslips and other relevant documents on the salaries and allowances of members for Nigerians to compare and judge.”

“In addition, we agree with the Senate President that there are corruption issues within the executive that need to be fully and effectively addressed. But the reality of corruption in the executive branch of government doesn’t mean that allegations of corruption in the National Assembly especially as they relate to budget padding and constituency projects, should be minimized or ignored.

The leadership of the Senate should have provided examples of how the Senate is preventing corruption in the budget process and initiatives like constituency projects rather than shifting the blame as to why corruption is so pervasive in the implementation of such projects.”

Nosa Akenzua,

down those aspects that may not portray the nation in a positive light. With the human capacity, work ethic and natural resources, Nigeria is a sure place for people to invest in.”

He stated that when investments are thriving in the country, there will be less crisis and more employment opportunities and used the occasion to challenge CIBN to proffer solutions to high cost of funds and interest rates which has discouraged a lot of local industrialists.

“I hope that in your top priorities, you will continue to fashion out policies that will truly help the people, especially in partnerships with the various banks because, we need to begin to redirect the rules that govern our various financial institutions in the lending process in particular bearing in mind that at the moment, it is not very encouraging and most times, it does not encourage the productive sector of our economy,” he said, adding, “the situation with the lending process is getting very worrisome because, most of the countries that are developing are moving much more faster than us due to the fact that the cost of funds is less and the integrity process of other countries is much more better than ours.

Okowa urges Nigerians to portray country positively Asaba

ÏÏÏDelta

L-R: Chief Executive Officer, CitiBank in Nigeria, Akin Dawodu; Chief Executive Officer, Middle East and Africa Region, Atiq Rehman; Chief Executive Officer, Europe, Middle East and Africa, James Cowles, all of CitiGroup; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Executive Director, Nigeria, Funmi Ogunlesi and Vice President, Corporate Banking, Nigeria, Baba Kulloma, all of CitiBank, during a courtesy visit to the Vice President in Abuja… on Thursday.

OPEC endorses Nigeria’s position on oil production cut Idu Jude Abuja

ÏÏÏThe

meeting of the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee of OPEC and Non OPEC Countries held in Vienna Austria endorsed Nigeria’s position that the exemption granted it at the November 2016 Ministerial Conference and extended by the May Ministerial Conference should be sustained until it stabilizes its crude oil production.

According a press statement signed by Chief press secretary to the Minister of petroleum resources Mr. Idang Alibi, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachik-

wu, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, who led Nigeria’s delegation to the meeting had argued that although Nigeria’s production recovery efforts have made some appreciable progress since October last year, Nigeria is not yet out of the woods. He noted that even though Nigeria hit 1.802 million barrels per day in the month of August, that was not enough justification for a call by some countries for Nigeria to be brought into the fold.

The statement said that Dr. Kachikwu emphasized that Nigeria, as one of the older members of OPEC

will continue to work for the good of the Organization and its member countries, respecting whatever agreements and resolutions are collectively made. He stated that Nigeria will be prepared to cap its crude production when it has stabilized at 1.8 million barrels per day.

The Minister also said that although Nigeria is not a member of the 5 nation Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee, he had gladly accepted the invitation of the co-chairs of the Committee and the OPEC Conference President to attend the meeting because he believed that the committee was doing

a good job and needed to be support and also to clarify Nigeria’s position on its crude oil production.

The meeting noted that overall compliance by OPEC and Non OPEC participating Countries to the Agreement on crude oil production cut for the month of August was 116 per cent, the highest since the agreement came into effect on January 2017. It further noted that the objectives of the Accord was steadily being achieved with the gradual drawdown of inventories by nearly 50 per cent since the agreement came into effect.

State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa has challenged Nigerians to portray the country positively before the world to boost investor’s confidence.

“There is no doubt that we are in a very difficult financial situation in our country and I believe that we need to begin to find ways to sell a good image of our country outside because, it is very common for us to see the press highlighting the very negative aspect of our country and that will not help us grow and unfortunately, sometimes too, as government, we have also made the mistakes of actually making more pronounced the negative aspect of the country and that is not good for investments at all.”

Governor Okowa spoke yesterday when members of Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) led by its National President and Chairman of Council, Prof. Segun Ajibola paid him a courtesy call in Asaba.

The Governor who observed that Nigeria is too endowed to be poor, continued, “as much as possible, for every Nigerian, we need to show the right attitude and also project the best of our country and try to play

News 6

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, September 23, 2017

Female computer engineers: Triumphing in male dominated terrain Continued from page 1 Now all of 15 years in the business of phone and laptop repairs, the skilled technocrat says she has no regret dumping her first degree in accounting for phone and laptop business.

Dispelling the notion that unemployment forced her into the business, Alhaja said she had always nursed the ambition of self employment from her youth.

“I’d always preferred working as a businesswoman to working for anyone. Moreover, my passion for this job has nothing to do with unemployment.

I started this work while I was in higher institution and since I was versed in it, I decided to establish myself after school.

“Though this terrain is known to be largely dominated by men, I never, in way, felt intimidated, oppressed or inferior to the sea of male competitors around the Computer village.”

The feminine bond In the course of time when many other ladies came into the business, The Daily Times learnt that the womenfolk formed a bond to assist themselves in the business of computer repairs and software trading.

“We seek assistance from each other when we encounter any difficulty in areas like internet, software or programming issues,” Alhaja revealed.

Looking into the future, the self-made boss declared that there is no going back.

“My skill and passion has brought me fulfillment. Now, my utmost wish is to expand this business beyond its present state,’’ she said.

Another female computer entrepreneur, Mosunmola also acknowledged that her interest in computer workings and repairs

encouraged her into the business.

A wife and mother of many children, Mosunmola, who has explored and pitched her tent in the phone and laptop repairs for over a decade, is an alumna of the Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTEC).

This is her story: “The inspiration to start this business is my life story which I hesitate to talk about. I acquired the skill of repairing phones secretly while working as a sales girl with a phone company; but somewhere along the line, my boss discovered I had mastered the skill of repairing phones and he did the unthinkable: he withheld my salary and announced that he was taking it as my apprenticeship fee.

“That spurred me on. I became determined because the exposure caused a bubble to burst in me: that was when I discovered my love and flair for the job, so I determined to push and succeed in that path and today, over 10 years down the road, I am happy that I made that decision.”

Her testimony does not exclude some valleys and pitfalls, though.

“In my line of business, there are certain challenges that I face. For instance, in the process of repairing a client’s phone, it has the tendency of getting damaged the more. The phone which would have been repaired for a mere N500 may end up costing N7000 at my expense, but I still have reasons to be happy.”

“Happily, the huddles do not affect her family because “My husband understands and trusts me with what I am capable of doing. He also promised to expand my business, so I have no intention of quitting anytime soon.”

Mosunmola advises young

women who may be interested to come on board. “All you need is determination and good plans. You will find it a source of sustenance, but be ready also for challenges,” she warned.

The Daily Times crew, in the course of combing the Computer Village, found that Mosunmola is not alone.

Olamide, another entrepreneur’s journey into phone and laptop repairs business, also started when she was an apprentice about 12 years back.

In a chat with our team in between her work, Olamide said she had always wanted to be an employer from childhood, instead of a job seeker.

“I loved everything technical as a child, so my inspiration for this work came from different places. After my secondary school, my dad said I should

study accounting.

“But I said to myself that rather than go to school and later start looking for job, I decided to venture into something that will make me independent.

“Then I went into phone repairs and after two months on it, I proceeded into laptops repair, because they are two different things entirely. Thereafter, I went into software engineering and combined it with hardware engineering which involves dismantling of systems and reassembling them back.’’

The young lady reasons that technology requires passion, “Especially for us women interested in it. Over the years, I’ve had employees that had worked for me and I have trained many apprentices with very good results,” she added.

But the mother entrepreneur

had a word of caution for aspiring entrepreneurs.

“Studying computer engineering is not enough to make you an engineer, but the passion you have will make you practice and excel in it.”

Technology, she said, involves the practical aspects and not the classroom theory.

“As an engineer, you must be ready to update yourself regularly and face challenges that come with the profession.’’

Are all these confirming the cliché that what the menfolks are doing here, the women are doing it better? The answer may be a matter of individual opinion, but there is a unique signature of professionalism visible everywhere in the Computer Village, - and The Daily Times found that the fingers that form the signatures - are women!

L-R: Non-Executive Director, Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, Prof Fabian Ajogwu(SAN); Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Dr. Demola Sogunle; International Monetary Fund Country Chief, Amine Marti and Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, Mr. Yinka Sanni, at the 2017 Standard Bank East to West Africa Investors’ Conference in Lagos… on Wednesday.

Terror tag: IPOB wants court to set aside it’s proscription

Andrew Orolua, Abuja

ÏÏÏThe

banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on Friday challenged its proscription as a terrorist group by the federal government and asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to set aside the court’s ex-parte proscription orders.

The Acting Chief Judge of the Federal High Court , Justice Abdu Kafarati, on Wednesday , issued the proscription order, following an ex parte application filed and argued by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF)

and Minister of Justice , Mr . Abubakar Malami (SAN) on behalf of the federal government.

While granting the order as prayed, Justice Kafafati declared as illegal, all activities of IPOB particularly in the South-east and South-South geo-political zones of the country.

He also restrained “any person or group of persons from participating in any of the group’s activities”.

The Acting CJ directed the AGF to ensure that it published the order proscribing IPOB in the federal government official gazette as well as in two national dailies.

In its motion filed yesterday before same judge by IPOB ’s lawyer , Mr . Ifeanyi Ejiofor, the group contended that the proscription order was unconstitutional because the order “was made without jurisdiction”, saying that the court order was “granted against an entity unknown to law,” The motion, brought pursuant to Section 6(6) (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), is asking the court to set aside the order made by Justice Kafarati on Wednesday on.

Some of the grounds of the application read in part: “ That the ex-parte order made on September 20, 2017 by this

Honorable Court was made without jurisdiction , as the order was granted against an entity unknown to law .

“That there is a clear suppression and misrepresentation of facts in the Attorney General’ s Affidavit evidence, pursuance to which the Order was granted.

“That the Order is unconstitutional , as it was made in clear violation of the constitutionally guaranteed right of the IPOB to self determination ; Article 20 ( 1 ) of the Africa Charter on Human & Peoples Rights , now domesticated into our Law under ( Ratification and Enforcement Act ) ( Cap 10 ) Laws of the

Federation of Nigeria 1990 ; Right to fair hearing , Right to freedoms of expression , and the press and rights to peaceful Assembly and Association ; clearly provided for under Sections 36 , 39 and 40 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as ( Amended) 2011.

“That a declaratory order cannot be made pursuant to an ex parte application , without hearing from the party against whom the order was made .

“The IPOB who are majorly of Igbo extraction , have no history of violence in the exercise of their rights to self determination .”

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, September 23, 2017

7

News

UNN to take over ANAMCO –Vice-Chancellor Myke Uzendu, Abuja

ÏÏÏThe

Vice-Chancellor of University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN, Professor Benjamin Ozumba , has announced that the institution will soon take over Anambra Motor Manufacturing Company, ANAMCO, with a view to commencing the manufacturing of tractors in collaboration with some foreign countries.

The exercise which he tagged ‘tractorization programme’, according to him, will be producing no fewer than 500 tractors yearly for the whole country.

Professor Ozumba who was speaking during a visit by a group of Nsukka Opinion Moulders comprising eminent sons and daughters of Nsukka town including traditional rulers, stated that the development will lead to the industrialization of the town and Enugu state in general adding that it will take care of employment and other needs of the people of the town.

He also announced that a science park will be established in the university and experts from Sweden were already in the country to rub minds with officials of the university and expressed happiness with the visit of the people of Nsukka to acquaint them with what is happening in the campus.

“As soon as I was appointed the VC here, the first thing I did was to meet Nsukka people in a town hall parley before commencing

work. I am happy to note that most of your humble requests here have been taken care of without prompting. On the issue of erosion, we have commenced serious work on that and the World Bank has taken up the issue. As the foremost university in the country, we recently won educational leadership award and many other awards in the country.

“We have embarked on many laudable projects which will soon materialize. The university, in collaboration with foreign countries like Turkey, China, Israel, are taking over ANAMCo with a view to commence manufacturing of tractors at cheaper rates for the whole of Nigeria and would be producing not less than 5oo tractors yearly. It is called tractorization programme. When this industrialization programme takes off, we all know that it will take care of employment and Nsukka people will be the greatest beneficiaries’ from the programme.

We are also embarking on the establishment of a Science Park, which has not been done in this part of the country before and experts from Sweden are already here to rub minds with us over the project. The project will attract many companies to Nsukka town.”

He commended the people of Nsukka for their steadfastness and support for his administration and assured that he will do his best towards improving the university and making it one of

FG to establish oil and gas institute in Bayelsa state –Minister of Science Akam James, Yenagoa

ÏÏÏThe Minister for Science and

Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, yesterday disclosed that the federal government will soon develop finger print (DNA) of its crude oil, noting that crude oil theft can easily be identified when crude products are stolen.

The minister who stated this during the commissioning of the ultra modern Bio-resource Laboratory complex and the livestock feed milling complex at the Bioresources Development Center (BIODEC), in Odi, Bayelsa state.

Onu, who reiterated that the quest for DNA test through finger print for Nigeria crude oil will soon be answered, added that no nation has ever become great without science and technology, so Nigeria can never be an exception.

He emphasized that with the facility at the newly commissioned laboratory, oil theft will soon be a thing of the past, as the finger printing of Nigeria crude oil will enable the country to track its crude oil anywhere when stolen and solve the problem of economic sabotage.

He said, “This lab, the ultra modern laboratory, I feel very

happy; for me, Nigeria is changing. With this capacity here now, we will able to do many things. I just gave them instruction that by the end of the year, we should have finger printing of our crude oil, so that if anybody steals it we will be able to identify it, because even crude oil can have finger prints and with the equipment we have here we can do it in Nigeria.

“One problem that we have is that we rely on outside, from other people to solve our problems. We produce crude oil, we export it, but we now import refined petroleum products.

We exports our woods and we bring in toothpicks. We don’t want that anymore and for you to do all this things we rely on others, we have to look inward and we need to build capacity and what this facility is doing for us.

Normally, this is something we spent a lot of money and you ask other people to do it. Now, when we do it here, it Is our people that will do it here, that is how to create jobs, that is how to create wealth because that money you could have sown outside will now be here and be use it here. Even though we are the largest economic in Nigeria, we want to bigger than that that.

the best in the world.

The leader of the group, Igwe Spencer Ugwoke, the traditional ruler of Obimo community, in his speech commended the Vice-Chancellor for the developmental projects going on in the university and assured of the unalloyed support of the people of Nsukka to his administration.

According to him; this is the first time since the establishment of the university, opinion moulders are paying such visit.

He recalled the glowing achievements of some of his predecessors and noted that the group had to come to show solidarity with what he has been able to do so far stating that the Vice chancellor came in and effected glaring impressive changes worthy of emulation. “Our visit here today is to express the

appreciation of the people of Nsukka to the changes you have made so far in the university and give unalloyed support to the growth of the institution.

“We urge you to intensify efforts towards the provision of adequate security in the campus by ensuring the fencing project was completed. We have seen the new structures going on in the campus; we have come to show that we are remembering you and we shall continue to remember you because of the projects going on in the campus. Nevertheless, we will appeal that you should consider the employment of our people in the university and the erection of a mini- market for trade and commerce to thrive for petit traders that throng the varsity.

“We are begging that admission quota for our people should

be strictly adhered to as applicable in other universities in the country. We are also appealing for efforts to be made towards checking the erosion problem and its attendant health hazards from Obukpa lane which is affecting those living around the campus and beyond. Our people should also be carried along in the issue of contracts in the university. We expect you to hearken to our demands so that your successors will not fail to toe the same line towards achieving amicable relationship with our people. Finally, we must commend you for the good work you are doing in the university. We also wish to be meeting with you quarterly so as to continue to appraise all the good work you are doing in the university,”Igwe Ugwoke stated.

L-R: Head of Leaf, British American Tobacco Nigeria (BATN) Agronomy, Iseyin, Thomas Omofoye; Alexis Beel Foundation Programme Coordinator, Mrs. Folakemi Ayemo; Deputy Director Department of Rural Development, Ministry of Agriculture, Oyo State, Mr. Ramoni Afeez; Area Head of Corporate Affairs, BATN, Abimbola Okoya and Chairman, State Steering Committee on Child Labour, Mr. Ayodele Olaniyi, at the Child Labour Eradication Seminar in Otu, Oyo State… recently.

INEC REC links graduates unemployment to outdated curriculum

Moses Oyediran, Enugu

ÏÏÏThe INEC Electoral Commis-

sioner in Ebonyi state Prof. Godswill Obioma has said Nigerian graduates lacks the prerequisite skills for the twenty-first century global market due to the nation’s outdated educational curriculum.

Obioma a former executive secretary, Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) stated this at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in a keynote address titled “Higher Education, Graduate Employability and Curriculum Change in Nigeria” during the first conference of the International Association of Economics Educators (IAEE).

He said it was unfortunate that lecturers in tertiary institutions were still teaching students with knowledge of what was used in getting employments in 1960s and 1970s without talking into cognizance evolution of science and technology.

“Majority of our graduates today are unemployable because

their teachers are still recycling and imparting in them the same knowledge used in getting job in 1960s and 1970s.

“These teachers have not taken into consideration that science, technology and ICT have revolutionized ways of doing things from analogue of 1960 to digital of 21st century that made the world a global village,” he said.

Obioma also said that to make Nigerian graduates employable globally there is an urgent need to review the nations educational curriculum by tailoring it towards skills acquisition and self-reliant.

“The present curriculum is defective because it makes graduates job seekers instead of job creators.

“The review of the tertiary institutions curriculum will not only make our graduates employable global but also make them job providers instead of job seekers “Government should as matter of urgency review the curriculum of tertiary institutions in the country in order to move the education sector to the next,” he said.

He decried shortage of infra-

structures in tertiary institutions which he said had also contributed in poor teaching and learning.

“Science, technology and ICT thrive with adequate infrastructure. With adequate infrastructure and equipment students will put into practice what they are taught in class,’ he said.

In a remark the Vice-Chancellor of University of Nigeria Nsukka, Prof Benjamin Ozumba who was represented by the Deputy ViceChancellor Administration, Prof Charles Igwe, commended the organizers of the conference and urged them to develop economic module that would help to solve economic problems in the country.

“Most times our problem in this country is that we copy modules used in US, Britain China and other developed countries without looking inward on how to develop a module that we solve the problems of our people locally.

“Tertiary institutions should be a place of buying and selling of intellectualism as well as using researches to find solutions to people’s problems,” he said.

8 For The Records

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, September 23, 2017

PUBLIC HEALTH AFRICA POLICY FORUM Primary Healthcare Policy, Universal Health Coverage & Health Security in Nigeria: Optimizing Global Opportunities and Partnerships for Success Keynote Address by Senator Dr. Olanrewaju Tejuoso, Chairman, Nigeria Senate Committee on Health 22nd September 2017, Chatham House, London 1. All protocols duly observed. Permit me to start by thanking the organizers of this event – Center for Global Health Security of the prestigious Royal Institute of International Affairs also known as Chatham House, for inviting me to be part of this important and high profile occasion dedicated to advancing the cause of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and health security in Nigeria. I bring you good tidings form the President of the 8th Senate who coincidentally is a medical doctor and one of the proponents of Nigeria’s UHC agenda as you will hear in the course of this talk.

2. I will use this opportunity to share with you ongoing efforts geared towards moving Nigeria closer towards its Universal Health Coverage goals and mostly from a legislative standpoint. The unique opportunity to have medical practitioners at the helm of affairs at this point in time in the Nigerian legislature is a health policy makers dream and one we are determined to make good use of.

3.The Nigerian legislature expectedly, has been very instrumental to Nigeria’s UHC aspirations and I must acknowledge the achievement of the 7th Assembly in passing the 2014National Health Act which provides legal framework for health system strengthening in the country and established an earmarked fund called Basic HealthCare Provision Find (BHCPF) which is aimed at providing additional statutory resources from the Federal Government to fund the provision and delivery of a Basic Minimum Package of Health services. The implementation of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund is the first test for the legislature in super charging the momentum to UHC. Let me spend some time in explaining the rationale for the BHCPF. 4. RATIONALE FOR BHCPF: Low prioritization of health in public expenditure by previous governments has been compounded by a complex fiscally decentralized system which has resulted in a huge out of pocket expenditures and impoverishments for millions of Nigerians. In 2014, government health expenditure was 0.9% as a share of GDP and 2.2% as share of government expenditure, amounting to just US$29.5 per capita; this spending level accounts for about 25.1% of total health expenditure, far below Government expenditure as a share of total health expenditure in conflict-affected countries like Afghanistan, Eritrea, Mali, Niger, Chad and Central African Republic4, . Further worsening the health financing situation is the fact that States and local government are given the responsibility of service delivery (secondary and primary care) without adequate capacity to raise funds nor fund it. The BHCPF of the National Health Act is supposed to be funded from one per cent of the consolidated Revenue of the Federal Government. The BHCPF effectively does three things.

It provides additional funding for the health sector on top of the budgetary allocation. It funds a set of prioritized service through the Basic Minimum Package of Services and lastly it serves as a conditional Inter Governmental Fiscal Transfer (IGFT) which will incentivize States and Local Government to commit more resources into the health sector, thus increasing the overall public expenditure on health, in addition to addressing the inefficiencies at the sub-national level if efficiency performance indicators are leveraged as conditions. Clearly the BHCPF remains a veritable legislative tool which my committee is using as a key tool to leverage in moving the UHC agenda. The National Assembly is yet unable to appropriate for the BHCPF since the 2014 that it was signed into law as budget proposals from the executive never contained it. Therein lies the challenge. However, we are determined that going forward, the 2018 appropriation whether this is proposed or not the National Assembly will appropriate for the BHCPF as required by Law. 5. REVIEW OF NHIS ACT: The National Assembly is in the process of amending the law that set up the National Health Insurance Scheme. My committee is already in advanced stages of this legislative review. The following principles will guide the review - Making health insurance mandatory for all Nigerians, Subsidizing premiums payments for those who cannot afford it, reflecting more strongly the 2014 National Health Act in the current implementation of the NHIS, guaranteeing a basic minimum package of services in the current implementation of the NHIS, specifying the role of states in the implementation of the NHIS, introducing telemedicine and telehealth as part of the package, paying more attention to delivery of service at the primary health centers and finally, expanding the regulatory powers of the NHIS to effectively carry out its functions. You can be rest assured that this review will be passed into law within the next few months.

6. ESTABLISHMENT OF STATE SUPPORTED HEALTH INSURANCE SCHEMES: To leapfrog health insurance coverage in the country, State lawmakers in Nigeria have passed into law or are in the process of passing into law state Health Insurance Scheme legal framework which will ensure the decentralization of national level efforts. Equally Many State Houses of Assembly have also passed into law, legal frameworks setting up State Primary Health Development agencies which is pivotal to actualization of the Primary Health Care Under One Roof (PHCUOR) policy thrust.

7. LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY FOR UHC IN NIGERIA: The Senate committee on Health under my leadership has successfully established the Legislative Network on UHC in Nigeria. The network was officially launched by the President of Nigerian Senate, Distinguished Senator Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki on the 25th of July 2017. The occasion attracted participation of more than 200 lawmakers from federal and more than 30 states of the country. It was the largest gathering of lawmakers ever dedicated to advancing the cause of UHC in Nigeria. The consensus building forum signaled a turning point in the history of lawmakers’ involvement in health system strengthening in Nigeria as the communique of action jointly agreed upon at the forum will serve as reference for deploying legislative functions towards improved health care delivery in Nigeria. With the birth of the Legislative Network on UHC, the Nigeria legislature at both the Federal and state levels is now better repositioned to face the numerous challenges that constitute clog on the wheel of Nigeria’s UHC progress.

8. EFFICIENCY OF SPENDING IN NIGERIA: I am not naïve to assume that additional funding alone as advocated through the BHCPF or through the review of the NHIS Act will lead Nigeria to improved health outcomes. There is a need for a concerted effort to make the best out of available public & private resources.

We must embark on a new agenda for health financing to make the best out of available resources and ensure sustainability of spending. My committee is already on the lookout for improved geographic targeting that will disproportionately increase spending gaps between rural and urban areas and we will bias spending towards rural areas and the most impoverished Nigerians; we are already changing the allocation of spending across care levels – the current practice of allocating more resources to teaching hospitals and specialist hospitals will be a thing of the past. UHC is about prioritizing available resources to the populations that need it the most.

9. OPPORTUNITIES FOR WORKING MORE EFFECTIVELY WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR: As a medical practitioner who spent all his life in private practice and a second-generation proprietor of a successful medical practice (My father established the first industrial hospital in Nigeria) – I am amazed at the lack of a successful engagement between the public and private health sector in Nigeria. Let us make no mistake – Nigeria like most other African countries will not be successful in their UHC aspirations if they do not recognize and harness the potential of the private health sector as a key partner in improving health outcomes and making private expenditures more equitable. Subsequently my committee has proposed that the private health sector in Nigeria is incorporated to deliver the Basic Minimum Package of Health Services in the BHCPF implementation especially through the NHIS gateway.

10. ADVOCACY TO ADDRESS MALNUTRITION IN NIGERIA: In December 2016, My committee hosted a high-level policy dialogue to address the rerising issue of Malnutrition in Nigeria As you know, nutrition is a key driver of development. However, malnutrition remains a serious public health challenge in Nigeria, one third (33 percent) of children in Nigeria under five years of age suffer from chronic malnutrition or stunting. Stunting is even more prevalent among the poorest. This negatively impacts

not only health but also economic development in our country with economic consequences representing almost losses of 11 percent of GDP. Yet on the flip side, investing in nutrition can yield permanent and inalienable benefits in our UHC journey. Our strong advocacy efforts have led to the commitment of a sum of 350M USD to accelerate Nutrition results in the most affected states in Nigeria.

11. ADVOCACY TO SUPPORT NIGERIA TO HARNESS THE DEMOGRAPHIC DIVIDEND: You are all aware that Nigeria is on a dangerous demographic trajectory a scenario which presents risks to Nigeria’s economy and society. However, the current situation can be turned into a great opportunity and the potential gains from change are dramatic. I was privileged to attend the last FP 2020 summit here in London a few months ago, and my colleagues and I are poised to support a number of policy interventions which can ensure that Nigeria begins a transition to a more productive population structure – one with a larger share of workers and a smaller share of child dependents. Such a change can provide the opportunity for massive gains in terms of GDP growth, poverty reduction and improved human development outcomes. Our UHC efforts needs to support the scaling up of Family planning efforts, addressing Girl child education & support to out of school girls whilst we also engage our faith and religious leaders.

12. VIEWS ON GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS: For sustainable health solutions in Nigeria, as regards global partnerships, our partners should help us think NIGERIA FIRST. Donations must be planned to make us develop the capacity to continue with the service or product delivery after the donations stop coming. For example, we are grateful to GAVI for donations of much needed vaccines to Nigeria over the years. We have now been notified of the cessation of these donations in another three years or so.

Meanwhile, we are yet to manufacture this in Nigeria. Likewise, UNICEF, we are grateful, have also been donating replacement therapy for malnutrition of our children for years, all imported into Nigeria. We appeal to these our friends and partners to patronize only International companies that show evidence of immediate plan to situate manufacturing plants in Nigeria. The world bank is also appealed to, to fund only projects that have plans to develop the capacity of Nigeria to be self sustainable.

This must be very easy to do because our partners greatly love Nigeria to have been donating this much over the years.

13. PERSONNEL CAPACITY: It is a known fact that the exploits of Nigerian Doctors and Nurses is positively legendary in the developed world. The health system in the United Kingdom or the United States of America may probably collapse if the Nigerian Government withdraws its citizens from both Nations. It is quite a paradox that the health system of this same Nigeria, is begging for more qualitative personnel in its health sector. As soon as our medical doctors or Nurses qualify in Nigeria, they are consumed by these developed nations and we even lack enough lecturers to teach the new medical/nursing students. Hundreds of new medical doctors seek non existent house officer jobs that is mandatory before eligibility for employment. Can’t these developed nations, who are our friends and donors, device a solution to send our doctors back home at intervals to assist in the reversal of the health practitioners deficit we are presently battling in Nigeria?

This can be for our mutual benefit. This means they donate these our trained doctors instead of the products they presently give us yearly. If this is done, the donations needed would drastically reduce as the much needed services of qualitative medical personnel will upscale preventive medicine rather than the curative that is now the bane.

14. CONCLUSION: The quest for Universal Health Coverage spans beyond speeches but is one that needs to be characterized by concrete actions – I have shared with you several actions we are taking in Nigeria which no doubt will move us closer towards our UHC goals. Undoubtedly there is a need to explore mechanisms to improve relationships between the executive and parliament – it is not a relationship that should be defined by the annual budget cycles but one that is holistic and driven by a UHC agenda. Indeed, I would like to commend the renewed global interest geared towards galvanizing support for Nigeria’s UHC quest as progress made by Nigeria on the path of UHC has a multiplier effect on other African countries especially the West Africa sub region. Our efforts need to be situated within the ensuing global partnerships dedicated to advancing the UHC cause in Nigeria and I call on all our partners to support our efforts through collaborations and capacity building and knowledge exchange and learning.

I thank you all for the opportunity to share with you a few thoughts on our UHC aspirations in Nigeria.

Thank you.

Senator Dr. Olanrewaju Tejuoso Chairman Senate Committee on Health Nigeria

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, September 23, 2017

Politics

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Excuses, blame game won’t save you, Moro slams Gov OrtomP ≥≥≥12

Army/IPOB clash, proscription and political intervention Patrick Okohue, Lagos Following the recent clampdown of members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), by men of the Nigerian Army and the subsequent intervention of governors of the South East region and proscription of the group and also naming it as a terrorist group by the Army, a political party, the New Nigeria Peoples’ Party (NNPP) has welcome the quick intervention of the governors noting that “there was the need to do something urgently to check the perceived excesses of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).”

However the political party faults the proscription and tagging of the group as a terrorists group, saying “we think that tagging them terrorists and proscription thereto may be hasty in democratic norms.”

The NNPP, a political party inclined to the South East, in a release signed by its Head Strategy & Planning, Dipo Olayoku, said its opposition to the proscription and tagging of the group as a terrorist group stems from the fact that “Biafra agitation is not new in Nigeria and the agitators are well known people with a case in court. It is even more worrisome when the agitators are a non-violent group and most of the issues necessitating their agitation are prevalent.

“Therefore we suggest there should be restraint and caution in the application of excessive force in dealing with what is purely civil unrest.”

The NNPP however said that it understands the extreme provocation, “because common sense should have prevailed that you do not throw stones, pebbles and broken bottles at soldiers of the Federal Republic.

“These are professionals duly trained to defend themselves and the territorial boundaries of Nigeria with guns, whenever the need arises. It is also rebuttable that statements that tend to threaten the sovereignty of Nigeria are being made without reservation.

“We believe that it is too far an adventure to buttress the existence of Secret Service made up of men and women in uniform, without backing by an instrumentality of law e.g. the legislature in a sovereign state Quoting from the write-up of the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu extensively, the party noted that “We believe the Deputy Senate President, His Excellency Ike Ekweremadu captured the situation aptly when he submitted that “beyond sentiments, it needs to be emphasised that Nigeria is a sovereign state, with a defined territory recognised by the international community. She is a member of the United Nations (UN), African Union (AU), and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), among others. This territory includes the South-east region”.

“While the right to self-determination is guaranteed under the international systems, specifically the United Nations and African Union, this right has laid down procedures that must be religiously followed.

For instance, while the call for referendum

EKWEREMADU

BUHARI

UMAHI

is legal; they do not come by fiat. Referendum is the ultimate result of wide and long negotiations, consultations, and processes involving the international community as we have seen in the cases of Scotland in the United Kingdom, Catalonia in Spain, Quebec in Canada, and recently in Puerto Rico as well as the successful secession of East Timor from Indonesia, Eritrea from Ethiopia, and South Sudan from Sudan.”

“Unless these due processes are observed, as in the case of Eritrea, East Timor, and South Sudan, such enclaves will not be recognised as sovereign states by the international community. I have followed incisive arguments on this matter and looked at the history of other secessionist efforts in other parts of the world. For example, about 43 years after it broke away from Cyprus

KANU

in 1974, with the help of the Turkish Army, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (Northern Cyprus) is yet to be recognised as a sovereign nation by any nation because of lack of due process.

“The citizens can only travel with the passport of Turkey as citizens of Turkey, not Northern Cyprus. Today, there is widespread agitation by citizens of North Cyprus to be rejoined to Cyprus.”

“There is also the case of Somaliland.

Almost three decades after it declared itself a sovereign state from the Federal Republic of Somalia, the best the self-declared Republic (British Somaliland) has achieved is recognition as an autonomous state, but still part of Somalia in spite of the fact that Somalia is a failed state.

“We also have the Russia-backed breakaway Eastern Ukraine, which still uses the Ukrainian international passport and currency, several years after. It does not matter that it is backed by Russia, a world super power.

“In the Caucasus, the breakaway South Ossetia and Abkazia from Georgia are only recognised by Russia more than 10 years after. They can only travel as Russian citizens with Russian international passport. The international community still recognises them as citizens of Georgia.”

The NNPP advised that the Ndigbo must study the political trend across the world before making any move that may make or mar it, “Ndigbo also need to understand both the local and international political tides and sentiments to be able to make the right choices because the considerations for self-determination go beyond just the South-East.

“Already, extreme utterances and actions by some key elements in the agitation for Biafra are taking tolls on our goodwill, friendship, and the sympathy we enjoy.

Insults hurled at religious and political leaders of other regions are not helping us, politically.

“Today, discordant tunes over the boundaries or territories of a prospective sovereign State of Biafra is growing in proportions with the hard wickets hurled at our neigbours and compatriots.

“Indeed, as things stand today, the greater part of South-south region have continued to discountenance the idea of Biafra, perhaps, for these utterances or fear of becoming a minority within another sovereign state,” the party said.

They also advised that the Ndigbo must also consider its economic wellbeing and think of its economic interest and ensure that their agitations align with their interest in that regards, “South-East’s political future should therefore be put in context of its economic interest and survival. The Igbos have larger chunk of their investments outside the South-East. Our people have CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

Politics 10

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, September 23, 2017

APC had more problems at inception than now – Aganaba As a party, we have done very well. We did not know how much rot was in the system before we came into government and with the foreign exchange crisis that we were faced with, things were somewhat steep but I can assure things are looking bright, especially the economy is beginning to pick up. We still have one year before we get into any semblance of election. I am sure that by this time next year, we will be able to draw the curtain and say in definitive terms whether we have done well or not doesn’t mean that if one of us doesn’t get to be a delegate there is a problem. It is all about interest.

Are you not worried that this interest is tearing the APC apart in the state?

I have so much confidence in this party.

From our first congress here in Abuja to the day we demonstrated to shut down the police headquarters to our presidential primaries in Lagos, I was there and I saw APC leaders couple together something that Nigerians never thought could come out of an opposition political party. I have confidence in the leadership of this party to resolve every issue.

AGANABA

What is your take on the crisis the state’s chapter of the party?

I don’t think the Bayelsa APC is in crisis, but it depends from where you are looking at it. In a political party, people have their different views and different interest and so, it is inevitable that different issues should arise. Eventually, however, those issues are always resolved politically and somehow we are getting to a point of resolving the issues in Bayelsa APC. The pioneer chairman of the APC in the state is a good man who put in a lot to the establishment of the APC in Bayelsa State. The same thing with the former governor, Timipre Sylva without whom, the APC in Bayelsa State might not have been a reality.

Everybody contributed their quota.

There are bound to be issues and I wish and hope that those issues are resolved. Right now, there is an Acting Chairman in the state and we are looking at how to rebuild the party and move forward from there.

What is happening is all politics and at the end of the day, a solution will be found, steps will be taken. But what we have now is an acting chairman whose mandate is to rebuild the party and bring everybody together. in

Does that mean that the former chairman has agreed to work with the acting chairman?

Though he has not agreed, there is hierarchy of power in a political party. If the NWC has met and concluded that it was the best decision for now, then, I believe that everybody should tow that line. That may not necessarily mean that the aggrieved parties will go home and sleep, of course, they are still making their case, but for now, we have an acting chairman whose mandate is to

Preye Aganaba, a founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and a 2015 senatorial candidate of the party in Bayelsa State in the last general election, speaks on the crisis in the state chapter of the party. He also bared his mind on other recent national political development.

TOM OKPE reports. build the party and gather all party faithful together.

What about the allegation of antiparty against the former chairman, especially the allegation of hobnobbing with the governor. The information is that the Bayelsa State government paid for the party secretariat, how true is that?

That is not true. I paid for the first APC secretariat in 2013 with my personal cash as there was scarcity of funds then in the party and that was the secretariat we used for the general elections in 2015. The property we now moved to from there is being claimed by the Bayelsa State government alleging that the property belongs to the state government. But that matter is in court. So, I am not aware that Governor Dickson is funding anything in APC. There was a time when the Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Timi Frank and the former governor, Timipre Silva had issues. Has the party been able to deal with this issue, also with the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi and Senator Magnus Abe? I don’t think there were any personal

issues between Timi Frank and former Governor Sylva. I am sure it is all about interest and at the end of the day people were sent down to resolve those interests. I don’t think there are still issues because the bulk of them, as I was aware, were resolved behind the scene.

There are no issues in Rivers State because if there were, at the time the governorship candidate was brought out in 2015, you would have seen those issues playing out. Most of the issues are media creations.

If there are issues, I would have been aware because I am very close to most of the actors in River State. There is a lot going on right now and most of the things you get to read in the press on River State are not true.

But there were physical clashes during the congress.

I think the congress matter is being handled by the NWC. I don’t have any information about that. But in most states, there were issues with the congresses. It is all about interest. You go for an election and your interest is not carried along, but that does not mean that people have problems.

For example, in my local government we, big wigs like I, Timi Alaibe and others who, on their own rights, want to be delegates. It

There are fears that the process that brought people together to set aside their personal ambition and interest to forge a common front may not be there in 2019. Are you still really convinced that the party will put up a good fight?

In my own opinion, I think we had more issues putting this party together in 2013 than we have today. Maybe because we are in government, everybody is seeing what is going on. There were lots of issues in 2013 and 2014, but the leaders were still able to put this party together and go into an election. If you remember, in Kano, Shekarau was the leader of the APC and when Kwankwaso moved in, he was made the leader and that turned into a crisis. It happened in Rivers State. The current SSG in Wike’s government was the person leading the APC and when we moved in, there were issues. It happened in almost every state, even in Edo State with Tom Ikimi leaving the party. We had all these issues. I remember going into our first congress to elect our national chairman. We almost postponed it and Tom Ikimi left the party that very day. We almost shifted the congress. I was with our leaders, moving from house to house and we were able to bring everybody together to go for that congress to elect our current national chairman. Maybe because we are in government, everybody is seeing what is going on. Meetings are going on and very soon, you will see most of these things being resolved.

Are you satisfied with the current NWC? Don’t forget that this NWC took an opposition party into government, which is something that has never happened in the history of this country. There is no way one can begin to look down on them now because of certain issues going on. So, I will CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, September 23, 2017

11 Politics

APC had more problems at inception than now CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

What is your view about the clamor for restructuring?

I am from the South- South. One of the things that attracted us to the APC in 2013 was devolution of power, creation of state police, restructuring in very vague terms.

These were things we have heard right from when we were teenagers, that these were the things that would fix our region. Naturally, these things made the APC attractive to some of us. It is encouraging our party has set up a committee to advice the party on how to go about it because you can say you want to restructure, but if you don’t build a framework for it, you will not get anywhere with it. I am sure that the committee will come up with a framework and I hope it is established on time so that it will not be another campaign weapon.

say we are satisfied. I don’t think anybody who can trace our history can cast aspersions on members of the NWC. We know that the tenure of this NWC expires next year, 2018. Anything can happen and we are not certain. There can be an extension of tenure.

If the party, in its wisdom, decides to retain the position of National Chairman in the South - South, will you support the current chairman to continue in that position?

These are hypothetical questions. When we get to the bridge, we will cross it. But the NWC has done well by moving us from an opposition party to a party in government.

There is no way you can cancel that feat. We were part of the decision making process in the South - South that met and eventually settled on Oyegun who was one of the three candidates. He is our candidate and I don’t know if that will change any time soon.

One of the things Nigerians will be looking at in making a decision in 2019 is the performance of the party. Are you satisfied with what the APC has done so far as a government?

Government wise, I think we have done well, but we may not be where we ought to be and that could be because we did not know that the country was where it was when we got into power. But we have done well. A few days ago, the story of Nigeria getting out of recession was all over the news, the prices of basic foodstuffs is going down. I get a minimum of 20 hours light per day. I am not too bothered about the economy because it is in good hands, but perhaps by the politics within the various zones. That is what will determine the outcome of the next election. The APC with Buhari will win that election, but to what margin is what I cannot say. We will also do well in the National Assembly elections.

During the party presidential primary, the campaign slogan for Buhari was 12 million assured votes and I don’t think that one vote has left kitty.

Considering the health of the President and other factors, would you encourage the President to re contest?

Do you think he can still win?

If President Buhari runs for election today, he is going to win. I don’t think the President is as ill as the cynics are trying to sell. Like every other human being, he can fall sick. The problem is that because he is in government and he is President, there are lots of stories. But he is back and healthy. I don’t think that for now the APC has any other choice than to field him.

People are free to contest the primary, of course. I was in the convention committee and we had a free and fair primary in Lagos and he won with more than half of the votes.

You said “we have done well”, yet most of the federal roads across the country are not passable; the people have been cut off. In Abuja, those who live on the outskirts cannot get home easily because the roads are in terrible shape...

About five years ago, there was this theory that Nigeria could not absolve more than N200 billion worth of capital fund injection into the economy. Some believed that we could not spend N200 billion for capital development in Nigeria because the economy was not buoyant enough to seamlessly absolve it. Last year, almost a trillion naira was released. I don’t want to believe that some of the stories you are telling me

AGANABA

are true. I know some of the roads are bad, but don’t forget that there are not enough to serve Nigeria and her high population.

But I am also sure that most of the roads in the South East are being worked on as we speak. Two weeks ago, the East- West roads falls along my constituency and I was inundated with calls by my people, promptly, I called the Minister of Works who told me that people had been calling him and he had responded by instructing and mobilising contractors to sort out the problem. I don’t want to believe that most of the roads you claim are bad are actually that bad.

During campaign, the APC made lots of promises. Would you say that almost three years down the line, you have actually delivered on those promises?

As a party, we have done very well. We did not know how much rot was in the system before we came into government and with the foreign exchange crisis that we were faced with, things were somewhat steep but I can assure things are looking bright, especially the economy is beginning to pick up. We still have one year before we get into any semblance of election. I am sure that by this time next year, we will be able to draw the curtain and say in definitive terms whether we have done well or not.

Majority of government agencies are being run without boards as required by law and many of those who have been given appointment by this government were not there during campaigns.

Do you think these same people will be willing to make the same sacrifices to bring the APC back to power?

Like I said earlier, it is all about interest. I am sure that in the next couple of months, most of these issues will be addressed.

There are lots of meetings going on and most of these issues will soon be addressed.

Most of the big players in the APC today were in the PDP government and knew the workings of the country. Are you saying these people did not know what they left or did not derive any benefit from that government?

I have said that we just came out of recession, food prices are dropping, cost of PMS also dropped. By next year September, we

will be able to draw the curtain on whether we have performed or not.

There are calls on the President to change his cabinet in other to move the country forward. If you are to advice him, what will you be telling him?

I will ask him to come back home and get those people who campaigned for him based on the promises of the APC; People believed before they went along campaigning for him. It will require people not waiting for him to give directives before things are done because you have people who believed in you, worked with you and are now with you in government. So, they already know where we are coming from and the consequences of not keeping to our campaign promises. When somebody gets something without working for it, he tends to not value it and that sometimes create disconnect between the government and the people.

The Minister of Women Affairs said she will not support the President for a second term bid. Are you worried about this comment?

She has a right to her choice, but I think she’s not being fair. If you want to make such public statement, you should resign and then make such statement. She has a right to make such statement, but she wasn’t fair making them as a Minister.

Also, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar claimed that after using his resources to ensure victory for the party, he has been sidelined. Do you subscribe to this view?

Those are his personal comments and his franchise in a democracy.

As a national party, how do you think the APC can carry everybody along in the interest of national development, and equity and unity?

From what I know, there are efforts to resolve most of these issues that people complain about. Whether you like it or not, we are going into a major election soon and we cannot do that with a divided house. I saw leaders of this party couple together a dysfunctional system, put it together, went into an election and won. I still believe in the ability of the leaders of this party to put it together before 2019.

We want your own personal opinion The restructuring most Nigerians are talking about is very vague. But what I talked about is devolution of power to states, resource control, state police and people should not forget that the biggest problem in Nigeria today is failure of governance. If you do restructuring and move the whole power to local government, if governance fails, restructuring will have no effect on the people. So, as an Ijaw person from the Niger Delta, we have always canvassed for our issues and those issues cut across party lines.

But most times, some people attempt to use party coloration to make demands. Some of the persons making demands for restructuring are doing it not out of patriotic or genuine motives but for superficial and political reasons. But devolution of some powers to state government and local government, resource control and state police are the three basic things I think we should concern ourselves with when we talk about restructuring.

The Niger Delta agitators have joined the fray of issuing quit notices. What is your view about this?

In 2013, when we were about going to establish the APC in Bayelsa, we had a lot of resistance from the state government and the police. The Ijaw Youth Council issued a statement asking us not to come to Bayelsa State because it was, according to them, going to create crisis in the state. The state police command refused to give us police protection and we came to Abuja here and they gave us police and we went to Bayelsa to open our state secretariat. Most of these calls are all political calls. I have been involved in the issues of the region and for me it is best to discountenance it.

But recently, youths in Bayelsa went on rampage inside the premises of the Local Content Board, asking them to pack and go, if they could do that, why do you think these agitators should be ignored?

That was the central zone of the Ijaw Youth Council who alleged that the Executive Secretary of the Local Content Board is trying to move the activities of the board from Yenagoa to satellite towns like Lagos and Abuja where they are building some offices against the local content Act. For me, that is not militancy, but a peaceful protest and I am sure that they were able to arrive at some compromise. Most of the calls from certain persons from the region should be discountenanced. They are mostly political calls from people seeking relevance and attention from government. I worry about our region because if this is how we want to go in the next five to ten years, I don’t know what will become of us when oil becomes

12 Politics Patrick Okohue , Lagos The immediate past Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro, has declared that despite efforts by the Samuel Ortom-led All Progressives Congress (APC) government in Benue State to silence him, he would continue to remain a potent voice in the state to entrench good governance.

Moro, a staunch member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), made the declaration in a statement he personally signed and issued on Thursday in Abuja, in reaction to the article of Governor Ortom’s media aide, Tahav Agerzua, captioned: “Innocent blood haunts Abba Moro daily”.

The said piece was written as a response to Moro’s critical remarks on the industrial action by the organised labour in Benue State.

Benue workers under the auspices of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) had penultimate week, embarked on a strike action to demand the payment of the backlog of salaries owed them by the state government.

Moro who has been a frontline critic of the current Benue State government had asked Ortom to stop lamenting and

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, September 23. 2017

Excuses, blame game won’t save you, Moro slams gov Ortom

MORO

pay the workers their entitlements. He had also insisted that the governor has not done any meaningful project, in spite of the huge amount of money that has accrued to the state since Ortom assumed office in 2015.

“My attention has been drawn to the vituperation, tirades and diatribes from the government of Benue State

ORTOM

that trailed my innocuous query of the handling of governance in Makurdi that is hurting the Benue people against the backdrop of the strike called by the Benue State chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and its affiliate unions over their unpaid salaries and allowances and pension arrears.

“This is not surprising because it has become the trade mark of the Benue

State government and its officials to avoid answering pertinent questions on misgovernment in Markudi to go after perceived opponents of government. It is unfortunate that people like Tahav Agerzua around Governor Ortom continue to mislead him into believing that things are well even when people wallow in misery as a result of the negatives of government’s poor policy thrusts.

“Rather than address germane questions being asked, the Agerzuas will quickly point to ‘frustration’, ‘mischief ’ and ‘partisanship’ as the reasons for the concern being expressed over the deteriorating state of governance in Markudi.

“Governor Ortom and the APC campaigned on the change mantra. The governor and the APC hoodwinked the Benue people into believing that they possessed answers to the many problems that Benue State faced. They got elected in 2015. Two years on, can Benue State be said to be any better off than it was when Samuel Ortom took over in 2015?” Moro asked.

Army/IPOB clash, proscription and political intervention CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

invested heavily in every nook and cranny of Nigeria. They are into trading. Imagine a situation where a Republic of Biafra would have to depend on Nigerian passports to travel out.

“Importantly, as I mentioned earlier, we are not certain that the South-South will go with the Biafra idea. And in the event that they do not, what are our options for economic survival? Flowing from this, what guarantee do we have for international support if the main oil bearing region pulls out, knowing that no nation is a Santa Claus?”

While noting that Nigeria has never been as divided as it is today, the party said, “the hate rhetoric is getting worse by the day.

Parting ways under such level of bitterness could be risky to the investments and lives of the South Easterners. Realistically speaking, is it possible that all Ndigbo living in the other parts of Nigeria, many of whom were born and bred outside Igbo land, and have been well assimilated by their host communities will return home?

Many have never visited home and do not even speak Igbo language. Can we realistically expect those who have their investments in other parts of Nigeria to willingly abandon them and head home?

“Although international systems seek to guarantee the security of lives of peoples and their properties on either side of the divides, should there be a self-determination process that leads to the emergence of a new nation, such guarantees are not absolute and difficult to enforce, especially in a society such as ours. The quit notice and hate spewed by the Arewa youth to Ndigbo point to the fact that all is not well. And it calls for caution because the mother hen does not run without looking back to know the fate of her chicks.”

In the face of such uncertainty and widening levels of mistrust amongst the people, the party opined that it agrees with the deputy Senate President that the best agenda to pursue at this time is restructuring of the polity in such a way that the various peoples that make up the entity will

have a sense of belonging in the whole.

“The other option left for us is a restructured federation. Ndigbo need to develop and market what it believes to be the right template for restructuring. The Eastern Region was rated the fastest growing economy in Africa in the First Republic because the regions were relatively autonomous; resources were largely developed and controlled by the regions.

“I believe Ndigbo will thrive, probably more than other regions, under a federal structure that guarantees substantial autonomy, justice, equity, security, and prosperity for Ndigbo wherever they live.

“What we need is a federalism where each constituent part fends for itself to promote industry. We need a federal arrangement that guarantees and allows every constituent state or region to be primarily in charge of its aspirations and preferences to catalyse competitive development. We need a mutually agreed arrangement that allows every component to take charge of the security of lives and properties of citizens through decentralised policing, while the Federal Government takes care of defending our territorial integrity.

“We need a federal arrangement where the best excel, and does not have to be sacrificed in the name of federal character.

We need a restructured federation where the Igbo man or woman, and indeed, every Nigerian can live and ply his or her business without any form of discrimination, molestation, and destruction of his or her life and property on the flimsiest excuses.

“Igbos should be better off in a federation where they freely exercise their democratic rights without being hounded and killed by security forces. We need a federal structure that guarantees smart and efficient government. And I believe these are possible if the leaders and constituent parts of the nation come to the table with sincerity of purpose.

We should push for that, please.”

Proposing a way forward, the NNPP proposed in line with Ekweremadu’s suggestions that, “Going forward, we need to set up a committee for a continuous engagement and moderation of IPOB, other

pro-Biafra organisations and their leaders to avoid hate speeches and reckless statements that will make us lose our friends and sympathisers.

“We need to send a team of South-East leaders to have yet another meeting with the Presidency, this time to tell them, in clear terms, the need to address the fears and complaints about marginalisation of the people of the South-East by this government, which is fueling the agitation in our region. Government needs to take concrete steps and demonstrate commitment in addressing the said complaints. This will help the South-East leaders to manage the restiveness.

“The Igbos must continue to emphasise restructuring, which is presently enjoying acceptance by the South-South, South-West, North-Central, and well meaning people from other parts of the North. I believe that at the discussion table for restructuring, we will have sufficient allies that will enable us extract a good bargain for a just and equitable society, where we will, no doubt, excel.

“Ndigbo need a bigger space to operate.

In fact, Nigeria as a country is even a small space for the enterprising spirit of the Igbo, hence our people are scattered all over Africa and are capable of dominating the economic space.

“We need to send delegations to different entities of the North, especially Sokoto, Kaduna, Kano, Maiduguri, Adamawa, Katsina, Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, among others, to engage the respective governors and top traditional rulers and clerics who will also help to moderate the utterances and actions of the Northern youths. These, I believe, will secure the lives and properties of our people all over the North and avoid their possible mass movement ahead of the October deadline contained in the threat by the Northern youth.

“We need to send another delegation to meet with the Chief of Defence Staff, Inspector-General of Police, National Security Adviser, and the Director-General of the Department of State Security to express our concern over the safety of the lives and

properties of our people living in the North and to urge them to take every necessary step to protect them.

“Finally, whatever choices we make, we must not allow ourselves to be ruled by our emotions, but by reasoning. The same tree stump does not trip a wise man twice. We must learn from the past and act wisely and decisively. Likewise, we must endeavour to present our demands in a civilized manner and in a language that is cognizant of other people’s sensibilities, not in a provocative or rancorous manner.”

In explaining its position, the NNPP said, “We have taken time to copy verbatim His Excellency, the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu as reported online because the thoughts expressed therein are in tandem with ours, especially in this critical period in our history. We also use this medium to call on other highly placed Nigerians to speak out to arrest the current drift which is like an ‘ill-wind that will blow none any good’.

“Having said all these, may we advise that Mr. President should continue to exercise patience as a father of the nation when dealing with aggrieved persons moreso when it concerns persons who were born after the civil war and who may not even know its consequences.

“It is most unfortunate that Nigeria failed to document and teach the younger ones in schools who may not know what transpired during the war. This would have helped in letting them know the evils of war. In our opinion, Mr. President shall write his name in the sands of history if only he can put in place a platform and together with the legislatures to restructure Nigeria using the constitutional means. We have listened to all shades of opinions, Government and the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) agitators, it is apparent that both parties may have acted in accordance with their wish and thoughts. The use of excessive force on the part of the government, undue confrontation and unguided utterances on the part of the agitators were uncalled for and unnecessary,” it added.

News 13

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, September 23, 2017

Delta Police arrest Ghana returnee, School drop-out for alleged robbery Nosa Akenzua, Asaba

ÏÏÏThe police detectives in

Agbor Delta State have arrested a 23 year-old man Ndidi Emmanuel and a secondary school drop-out for allegedly robbing pedestrians in the area.

Confirming the arrest of the suspects, the Police Image Maker in the State, Mr. Andrew Aniamaka, said the secondary school drop-out, Chuks Okpehoro as the ring leader in accomplice with others at present at large, had harassed and robbed several persons along Sunny Ojougboh area before they were identified and picked up in a church (name withheld) during an all-night on Thursday.

The Police Image Maker

disclosed that the suspects upon interrogation confessed to the crimes, adding that they are still being detained for further investigation.

It was reliably gathered that Emmanuel a native of Ohunmere Quarters, Agbor, and a Ghana returnee was a bus driver before his failed adventure to Ghana, while Chuks, 23 years old hails from Ohunmere too and a school drop-out alleged that Emma invited him to the scene of the crime Sunny Ohougboh area during nightfall.

Speaking to journalists yesterday in Asaba on the arrest of the suspects, the chairman Agbor, Gha Ihun Vigilante, Mr. Fidelis Omoile expressed appreciation to members of the public for their support, and called on the youths in Ika

South Local Government area of the state to stay away from crime and violence as there is no hiding place for criminals.

In another development, a suspected agent of Benin Electricity Development Company (BEDC), Nwuzor Fred, has been charged before an Asaba Chief Magistrates Court for allegedly defrauding one Mr. Ugwuja Cyril of the sum of N50, 000.

The prosecutor said the 40-year old Fred allegedly obtained the money under the false pretense of supplying the victim a prepaid meter, which was false.

The prosecutor, Sergeant Blessing Kafor, said the accused also allegedly forged prepaid meter receipt, which is an offence punishable under section 467 of the criminal code cap. c21 Vol. I Laws of the Delta State of Nigeria, 2006.

Mathew Dadiya, Abuja

ÏÏÏThe

Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Brigadier General Paul Boroh (Rtd) has called on youths in the Niger Delta region to take advantage of the federal government’s agricultural empowerment initiatives by engaging in farming activities and other Argo businesses.

Boroh pointed out that the agriculture empowerment scheme of the Presidential Amnesty Programme is aimed at creating job opportunities, ensure food availabilityand guarantee increase in the financial position of beneficiaries in the programme.

The Amnesty boss, in a statement on Friday by his Niger Delta Liaison Officer, Mr Piriye Kiyaramo, said that the programme would enable the youth to ,participate in productive and lucrative

Agriculture will transform rural economy – Boroh

agro-business ventures, with a view to transforming the rural economy in the Niger Delta region Represented by a senior reintegration officer and head of Amnesty Vocational Training Centre, Kaiama, in Kolokuma/Opokuma local government area of Bayelsa state, Mr. Jude Gbaboyor, during the graduation of 10 trained delegates in aquaculture and poultry farming in Okochiri, in Okrika local government area of Rivers state on Wednesday (September 20,2917), Gen. Boroh said that his office was working towards creating agro-business hubs in rural communities in a bid to raise awareness in different aspects of agri-

culture to provide agro-based services as sources of income generation for delegates in line with the ongoing reintegration phase of the Programme.

Boroh reiterated that investing in agriculture would also enhance social protection for youths in rural communities in the Niger Delta region, hinting that the Amnesty Programme has empowered several youths in the region through human capacity building initiatives in education, agriculture, aviation, automobile, tourism, ICT, professional welding and fabrication , as well as oil’ and gas related fields to enable them participate Favorably in the local economy, with emphasis on agriculture, ICT and vocational skills.

Navy nabs 82 suspected oil thieves in Delta

Nosa Akenzua, Asaba

ÏÏÏOperatives

of the Nigerian Navy (NN) says it has arrested in the last one month eighty two suspected oil thieves, and assured sustenance of peaceful coexistence at the Niger-Delta region.

Rear Admiral Peter Onaji, Flag Officer commanding logistic command, Oghara who made this known at a courtesy visit to the State Governor, Dr.

Ifeanyi Okowa disclosed that the logistic command will continue to provide logistic support for Navy formations all over the country, adding that the suspects were arrested mainly in Burutu, Bomadi including other riverine communities in the NigerDelta region.

He said: “I want to commend Governor Okowa’s administration for its numerous assistance to the Navy and other security agencies operating in

the state, we on our part will ensure peaceful coexistence continue in the Niger-Delta region” disclosing that the suspects had been handed over to the police for further prosecution.

According to the Navy Boss, several illegal oil materials, such as drums filed with legally refined oil apparatus including the recovering of 60 drums of illegally refined oil inside the thick forest of Burutu, and assured the support of

Illegal oil badges discovered by Nigerian Navy in Delta state recently.

the Navy in securing the water ways, and also to be available to tackle security issues as the need arises, emphasizing that the Navy loves peaceful environment.

Investigation revealed that the Delta water ways had been invaded by oil thieves who allegedly have been killed unsuspecting hosting communities’ persons, but the state governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa in his remarks, called on the Nigerian Navy not to re-

lent in its efforts to protect oil and gas installations in the Niger-Delta region.

He reiterated that the Navy had done lots to restore peace in the creeks of the Niger Delta, and urged them to help in checking sea privacy.

The governor said: “The activities of the Navy have helped to curb sea piracy and protection of National assets, especially facilities that transport crude and gas” It is important that the Navy does not relax on

its duties because of the importance of having secured maritime for socioeconomic activities, at present we have peace in the creeks largely responsible to the efficiency of the Navy in collaboration with other security agencies and stakeholders in the state”.

Governor Okowa observed however, that it was laudable for the Navy to make its facilities, especially its medical facilities and educational institutions available to the general public, assuring that his administration would partner the Navy to build a secondary school in the state.

Meanwhile, the Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has called on journalists, the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, CIBN and other relevant stakeholders in the state to project the image of the state in good light, to enable it attract investors for business to thrive.

The governor, who stated this in Government House Asaba, when he played host to the management of CIBN and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), challenged Deltans and Nigerians to dwell more on the positive image of the state rather than the negative.

He said that considering the difficult times in the country, Nigerians need to seek for ways to attract investors to the country so as to improve the economic situation, saying that investment is what Nigeria needs to set the country on the path of recovery.

14 News Globacom’s music show lands in FESTAC town today … Flavour, Phyno, Kiss Daniel, others to perform

ÏÏÏGlobacom’s soar away

entertainment package, Glo Mega Music Nationwide Tour, will today, Saturday, September 23, 2017, land in FESTAC Town, Lagos, the company has said.

The telecommunications firm said in a statement released in Lagos on Friday that the FESTAC show would be held at Golden Tulip Hotel, and that the cream of Nigeria’s music industry would be on hand to thrill guests to an evening of fun.

The artistes scheduled to perform at the show are Olamide, Flavour, Phyno, Timaya, Kiss Daniel, Di’Ja and Reekado Banks.

On the eligibility to attend the show, Globacom said: “The show remains free, as all any subscriber wishing to attend the event needs to do is to use airtime worth N2,000 in a month for data or voice and send SMS “MUSIC FESTAC” to the short code 207”.

The company explained, however, that those who did not meet the requirement could also be part of the fun.

Such people and new subscribers will be given tickets to enter the venue “provided that they come to the venue of the show and buy recharge card worth N2,000”.

According to Globacom, other artistes who will attend the concert include Mercy Johnson-Okojie and Juliet Ibrahim, who will anchor the show as well as Odunlade Adekola, Patience Ozokwor, and Richard MofeDamijo who will make celebrity guest appearances.

DJ Neptune will be the disc jockey at the show.

There are indications that the show will be as entertaining and action-packed as previous ones held by the company. This was confirmed by some of the artistes. Olamide said, “I am highly excited to be back to the crew of the Glo Mega Music Nationwide Tour having been out of the last two shows, and I want to use this medium to assure my fans in FESTAC area and beyond that it is going to be real wavy level on Saturday, and I encourage them to come out in their numbers to be part of the fun as nobody does it better than Globacom”.

Similarly, Reekado Banks, said: “It is going to be fun all through as all the artistes performing are world-class in their own ways and they are all on fire”.

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, September 23, 2017

VC charges graduates with good behaviour

Adewale Badmus

ÏÏÏ The Vice Chancellor

of the university of professionalism and management Gbedjromede, Sossa Cotonuo, Republic of Benin, Dr. Fatoke Miftaou, has charged the graduating students of the school to be of good character in the larger society after their academic pursuits.

Addressing the graduating students at the first convocation ceremony of the school held recently, the VC said the school had certified the graduates worthy in academics and character, adding that they should be good ambassadors of the school anywhere they might find themselves in the world.

Miftaou, who expressed his gratitude and joy for

the coorperation between the management and students of the institution, said such attitude had contributed a lot to the glory of the school despite being in its initial stage of academic development.

The students graduated from various faculties such as Faculty of Management, Faculty of Applied Science, Faculty of Social Science, Faculty of Health Sciences and Faculty of Arts and Humanity.

Meanwhile, new students were admitted to various courses, taking matriculation oath to be of good behaviour in the school and abide by the rules and regulations of the institution.

A brief seminar lecture was delivered by

Dr.Obanla A.B from Poma Business International University on ‘Importance of Entrepreneurship’ to the graduating students.

In his speech, Dr.Obanla expressed his joy to the Almighty God for making their final year academic session a huge success.

He enjoyed the outgoing graduates not to wait on government to do everything for them but rather to be more proactive and well focused by practicalising what they were taught in school to be self–employed by using it to help themselves and the people of their community so that they could be worthy and working graduates in the society.

Dr. Mrs. Willoughby Stella from Ultimate University who delivered a

lecture on ‘Academic Excellence’ to the matriculating students, charged them to always be up and doing in their academic journey in the institution, saying it would make them have a good career when leaving the university for labour market.

The registrar admin, Mr. Adhere Martins appreciated the God, parents, student and all other well wishers for gracing the occasion. He said there is a futre plan for ISEG University in the area of standard education by building a solid foundation for the students in other to make them realize the optimum goals, adding that they would have upper hand when competing with their fellow university students in the society.

L-R: First Lady of Ondo State, Mrs. Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu with Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, during a courtesy visit to the Governor at the Lagos House, Ikeja… on Thursday.

Esther Taiwo

ÏÏÏThe Governing Coun-

cil of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Ogun State, has approved the appointment of three new Principal Officers, in substantive capacities, for the University. The Principal Officersdesignates are: Professor Felix Kolawole Salako, ViceChancellor; Dr. Hakeem Adebola Adekola, Registrar; and Mr. Chukwunwike Ezekpeazu, Bursar.

According to the ProChancellor and Chairman, Governing Council of the University, Dr. (Barr.) Aboki Zhawa, “The process was guided by rules, regulations and the Act (establishing the University). We were guided by provisions of the Act, the rules of the University and Federal Character.

SON alerts on falsely declared imports

ÏÏÏ The Director General,

Standards Organisation of Nigeria Mr. Osita Aboloma has raised an alarm on the recent increase in the cases of false declaration of imports at the country’s entry posts.

Speaking in Lagos at the inspection of about 7 Container Loads of products intercepted by the agency’s Enforcement Team during the recent sallah holidays, Mr. Aboloma observed that the importers of the products are taking undue advantage of the government’s good intentions in promoting the ease of doing business in Nigeria.

According to him, the intercepted containers most of which came through the Tin Can Port, were all carrying products different from those declared at the points of clearance.

Enumerating the infractions, the SON Director General stated that plywood were declared as electric goods; used clothes as plumbing and building materials, while refrigerators were declared as cutting machines and agricultural appliances; Others according to him include, generators declared as industrial raw materials; kerosene cooking stoves and aluminium coated roofing sheets as plumbing materials.

Mr. Aboloma disclosed that some of the importers who were issued import permits for raw materials and machinery in furtherance of the Nation’s economic diversification programme ended up importing finished goods.

He frowned at the deliberate efforts of those he described as unscrupulous importers and their collaborators to undermine the Nation’s strive towards transparency and the ease of doing business especially at the entry points.

FUNAAB appoints new VC, Registrar, Bursar We, as a Council, decided to set up the committee that will do the screening for the Council. It was after screening that the Technical Committee was mandated to look at the applicants; to see if they have complied with the spirit of the advertisement. The Technical Committee came up with a good list and they presented to the Selection Board. Having looked at the list, we made a recommendation to the Council and it approved the list and the other recommendations that were submitted”.

The Vice-Chancellordesignate, Professor Felix Salako, was born in Lagos State in 1961 and hails from Ibadan, Oyo State. A Professor of Soil Physics

in the Department of Soil Science and Land Management, College of Plant Science and Crop Production (COLPLANT) of the University, he attended the famous Igbobi College, Lagos; the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where he obtained his B. Agric (Hons) and M.Sc degrees in Soil Science in 1983 and 1986, respectively before proceeding to the University of Ibadan, where he bagged his PhD Degree in Soil Science, in 1997.

Professor Salako joined the services of FUNAAB in 2000 as a Senior Lecturer and moved up the academic ladder to become a Professor in 2006. He had served the University on many fronts, which include:

Head of Department, Soil Science and Land Management; Director, Agricultural Media Resources and Extension Centre; Pioneer Director, Centre for Community-Based Farming Scheme and Deputy ViceChancellor, Development, for two terms. He has to his credit, over 80 publications in books/monographs, articles in learned journals, papers in referred conference proceedings and technical reports. He had equally supervised more than 50 students at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels in addition to being external examiners to several notable universities.

The Registrar-designate, Dr. Hakeem Adekola, was born in Lagos on January

12, 1968, is a native of Ogun Waterside, Ogun State. He attended Community High School, Ibiade, Ogun State for his secondary education, between 1980 and 1985. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in History; Master of Personnel Psychology and a Doctorate Degree in Applied Psychology (Personnel Psychology option), from the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, in 1989, 1997 and 2006, respectively. He was employed as an Administrative Officer II by the Ogun State University (now Olabisi Onabanjo University) in September 1991. He rose through the ranks to become a Deputy Registrar in October 2007 in the same university.

News 15

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, September 23, 2017

Group, Lawmaker drum support for Ambode’s second term Darlington Phillips, Lagos

ÏÏÏA group operating

under the aegis of Itesiwaju Ipinle Eko Vanguard, says it has thrown its weight behind the re-election bid of the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, for a second term in 2019.

The group, which is made up of social activists, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), artisans, political groups, youths and Ndigbo movement,

I, formerly known and addressed as OLAJIDE AINA OLAJUMOKE now wish to be known and addressed as OLAJIDE SALIMOT JUMOKE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

ONUORA NNAEMEKA JUNIOR EZE.

I, formerly known and addressed as NNAEMEKA JUNIOR EGBOH, now to be known and addressed as ONUORA NNAEMEKA JUNIOR EZE. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

made the declaration at the inauguration of its 57 Coordinators in the 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) across the State.

Speaking at the event, the General Coordinator of the group, Seyi Bamigbade, explained that the governor’s total dedication to duty coupled with the enormous developmental projects and his desire to make the State a better place to live, has automatically earned him a second

term in office.

While urging his colleagues to mobilise support for the governor’s re-election in 2019, Bamigbade disclosed that Ambode as a trail blazer and innovative forerunner, had changed the State, and taken it to a desirable height.

He added that winning the 2019 governorship election would enable him complete developmental projects, which he has already embarked on as well as complement the existing ones.

Bamigbade said, “We have been observing with strong concerns the generous administration of our governor. As a trail blazer and inventive leader, Ambode has taken our State to a greater height. Lagos has now become a reference point for other States in the country.

“We are also delighted to associate with his laudable achievements in making Lagos a prodigious economic center and an orientation idea for other States in the country. Let me

CHRISTOPHER GAIUS AUTA.

ACHINIKE CHINONSO CHRISPINA

STELLA NWOSU-NNUKWE

I, formerly known and addressed as CHRISTOPHER GAYUS now wish to be known and addressed as CHRISTOPHER GAIUS AUTA. All former documents remain valid. General public, please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as NWOKEIWU CHIINONSO CHRISPINA ,now wish to be known and addressed as ACHINIKE CHINONSO CHRISPINA. All. Former document remain valid.

General public take note

CORRECTION OF NAME

OROKINYANG SANDRA UDUAK

That on my First Bank Account Documents, my name was mistakenly written as SALISU TOYIN TINUBU instead of OLUWATOYIN BILIKISU SALISU TINUBU. That my correct name is OLUWATOYIN BILIKISU SALISU TINUBU. General public and Authorities Concerned should take note.

1. I formerly known and addressed as INYANG UDUAK OROK now wish to be known and addressed as OROKINYANG SANDRA UDUAK All former documents remain valid. General public to please take note.

IBRAHEEM MUSBAU OLAYINKA

CORRECTION OF NAME

I formerly known and addressed as OLAYINKA MUSBAU IBRAHEEM now wish to be known and addressed as IBRAHEEM MUSBAU OLAYINKA .All former documents remain valid. General public to please take note.

In some of my documents my name was wrongly written as IBIKUNLE SEGUN ADELODUN instead of IBIKUNLE SEGUN MATHEW. Now to known as IBIKUNLE SEGUN MATHEW All former documents remain valid. General public to please take note.

AKPA VICTORIA. I, formerly known and addressed as CHUKWU VICTORIA and OKUGO VICTORIA OKWUDIRI, now wish to be known and addressed as AKPA VICTORIA. All former documents remain valid. Banks and General public should please take note.

AGU BONIFACE OKECHUKWU

I, formerly known and addressed as ANI EMMANUEL CHIKEZIE, now wish to be known and addressed as AGU BONIFACE OKECHUKWU. My correct date of birth 18/06/1981. All former documents remain valid. Banks and General Public should please take note.

CORRECTION OF NAME In some of my documents my name was wrongly written as SALIU AFEEZ DAMOLA instead of SALIU AFEEZ DAMILOLA. All former documents remain valid.

General public to please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as NNUKWE STELLA NKEIRUKA , now wish to be known and addressed as STELLA NWOSU-NNUKWE. All former document remain valid.

General public should please take note.

MRS ADEFUYE ADENIKE AREGBESOLA I formerly known and addressed as ADENIKE KAZZIM now wish to be known and addressed as MRS ADEFUYE ADENIKE AREGBESOLA .All former documents remain valid.

General public to please take note.

OLUWATOSIN MOWANINUOLA ADENIYI I formerly known and addressed as Oluwatosin Mowaninuola Dosunmu now wish to be known and addressed as Oluwatosin Mowaninuola Adeniyi..All former documents remain valid. General public to please take note.

UCHE ONYECHIGOZIRI GREAT

MRS ORJI PATRICIA IFEOMA

I, formerly known and addressed as NWIGWE ONYECHIGOZIRI IRUBUEZE, now wish to be known and addressed as UCHE ONYECHIGOZIRI GREAT. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS NJOKU PATRICIA IFEOMA, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS ORJI PATRICIA IFEOMA. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as ODO NGOZI JOSEPHINE, now wish to be known and addressed as CHUKWUEMEKA NGOZI JOSEPHINE. All former documents remain valid.

General Public should please take note.

SUPOL SUNDAY CHIJIOKE AGBO

BITRUS DALUK ESTHER

MRS IFEYINWA EDITH CHRISTOPHER ONUAGULUCHI: I, formerly known and addressed as MISS IFEYINWA EDITH ONUAGULUCHI, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS IFEYINWA EDITH CHRISTOPHER. All former documents remain valid. General Public should please take note.

REVIVERS OF THE LIVING SOULS GLORIOUS CHURCH The general public is hereby notified that the above named church has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja for registration under part C of the companies and allied matters act, no. 1 of 1990 The Board of Trustees are; 1. Chimezie Nkemjika Stephe (President/General Overseer) 2. Chimezie Ndidi Ngozi 3. Okafor Marcel Chukwubuzo 4. Chimezie Ogechi Felicia 5. Anoruo Augustine Nwanaka AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. To preach the gospel of Christ to all nation.

2. To raise and equip men and women for the development and expansion of God’s kingdom.

3. To set the captives free, help the less privilege and the widow-telling them that God is always there for them.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama Abuja within 28 days of this application.

Signed: Apostle Chimezie Nkemjika Stephe

SUPOL I, formerly known and addressed as SUPOL SUNDAY CHIJIOKE AGBO UDE, now wish to be known and addressed as SUPOL SUNDAY CHIJIOKE AGBO. DSP Retired. All former documents remain valid. General Public should please take note.

MRS OBIAGELI ONYEAMA OBIAGELI: I, formerly known and addressed as MISS OBIAGELI EZEKWESILI, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS OBIAGELI ONYEAMA. All former documents remain valid.

General Public should please take note.

CHUKWUEMEKA NGOZI JOSEPHINE.

DALUK: I, formerly known and addressed as DALUK ESTHER, now wish to be known and addressed as BITRUS DALUK ESTHER. All former documents remain valid. General Public should please take note.

state unambiguously that Ambode’s predecessors served eight years in office, and I say without any hesitation that he will also spend eight years,” he added.

Also speaking at the event, member representing Epe Constituency II in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Segun Olulade, urged the group to stand on the idea of selfless service and support the transformation agenda of Lagos State.

He pointed out that

x

COLE SAMIAT ADESEWA

Formerly known as Cole Samiat Olaitan now to be addressed as Cole Samiat Adesewa. Former documents remains valid. General public should take note. x PIUS CHRISTOPHER CHINKATA I formerly known and addressed as CHIKA CHRISTOPHER PIUS now wish to be known and addressed as PIUS CHRISTOPHER CHINKATA. My correct date of birth is 26/12/1983 not 26/12/1988.All former documents remain valid. General public to please take note.

ANAJUBA OBIAGELI CHRISTIANA CHUKWUGOZIE: I, formerly known and addressed as CHUKWUGOZIE OBIAGELI CHRISTIANA, now wish to be known and addressed as ANAJUBA OBIAGELI CHRISTIANA. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

the State has been blessed with good leaders who have passion for making life easy for the residents, adding that, “all we need is to support them with prayers.” x

FUNMI HENRY.

I, formerly known and addressed as FUNMI MICHAEL, Now wish to be known and addressed as FUNMI HENRY. All former documents remain valid. Ecobank and general public and authorities concerned should take note. x EZENKWU EDITH NJIDEKA I formerly known and addressed as OKWUOLISA EDITH NJIDEKA now wish to be known and addressed as EZENKWU EDITH NJIDEKA All former documents remain valid. General public to please take note. x MRS. IHEKUNA CHIDINMA I formerly known and addressed as MISS ANYANWU CHIDINMA ANN, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. IHEKUNA CHIDINMA ANN. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

MRS. DURU ROSE CHIKA I formerly known and addressed as MISS EJE ROSE CHIKA, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. DURU ROSE CHIKA. All former documents remain valid.

The general public should please take note.

MRS. CHUKWUEKE NKECHINYERE PATIENCE I formerly known and addressed as MISS ENYINDA NKECHINYERE PATIENCE, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. CHUKWUEKE NKECHINYERE PATIENCE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

x EDU MICHAEL CHUKWUEMEKA

x CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, formerly known and addressed as EDU MICHAEL, now wish to be known and addressed as EDU MICHAEL CHUKWUEMEKA. All former documents remain valid. First Bank and General Public should please take note.

This is to certify and confirm that NNAMANI OGECHI PRISCILLIA and NNAMANI OGECHI PRECIOUS refer as one and the same person now wish to be known and addressed as NNAMANI OGECHI PRECIOUS. my correct date of birth 08/01/1986.

All former documents remain valid.

Banks and General public take note.

FRANCIS ACHEBE

x CONFIRMATION OF NAME

EZEKWESILI: I, formerly known and addressed as FRANCIS EZEKWESILI, now wish to be known and addressed as FRANCIS ACHEBE. All former documents remain valid. General Public should please take note.

ANI FAITHFUL NGOZI.

FAMILY CHANGE OF NAME

KALU: I, formerly known and addressed as KALU FAITHFUL NGOZI, now wish to be known and addressed as ANI FAITHFUL NGOZI. All former documents remain valid.

General Public should please take note.

We, formerly known and addressed as REV. ISAAC IKENGA, MR. PATRICK IKENGA and EUGENE IKENGA, now wish to be known and addressed as ISAAC .I. OKORIE, PATRICK OGBONNA and NWOGO ENGENE OKECHUKWU..

All former documents remain valid.

Banks and General Public should please take note.

CORRECTION OF NAME

ADDITION OF NAME

This is to inform the general public that my name CHIME PAUL ONYEDIKA was wrongly written during my BVN registration but now wish to be corrected and addressed as CHIME PAUL ONYEDIKACHI. All former documents remain valid. Banks and General public should please take note.

ADDITION OF NAME

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

That I was formerly known and addressed as OJIAKO VALENTINE (JNR) that I now wish to add CHIKWENDU to my former name that I now wish to be known and addressed as OJIAKO CHIKWENDU VALENTINE. All former documents remain valid.

Banks and General public should please take note.

This is to certify and confirm that NNAMANI OGECHI PRISCILLIA and NNAMANI OGECHI PRECIOUS refer as one and the same person now wish to be known and addressed as NNAMANI OGECHI PRECIOUS. my correct date of birth 08/01/1986.

All former documents remain valid.

Banks and General public take note.

ONUOHA GRACE NNEKA ONUOHA: I, formerly known and addressed as ONUOHA NNEKA OKWUDINKA, now wish to be known and addressed as ONUOHA GRACE NNEKA. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ADDITION OF NAME That I was formerly known and addressed as CAROLINE OGBONNE that I now wish to add ANI to my former name that I now wish to be known and addressed as ANI CAROLINE OGBONNE. All former documents remain valid. Banks and General public should please take note.

16

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, September 16, 2017

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, September 23, 2017

17

18

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, September 23, 2017

FEATURES

s

IDPs

‘WFP’s hunger relief assistance to North- East on course’ Gbubemi God’s Covenant Snr

The United Nations humanitarian agency fighting hunger on August 10, 2017, started transporting food assistance to Nigeria’s crisis-hit Northeast, where people – displaced by Boko Haram violence and the fight against it – face the threat of famine.

The World Food Programme (WFP) kicked off moving of the first batch of rice donated by the Government of Nigeria, which contributed 5,000 metric tons of rice and pledged a further 2,000 metric tons of millet.

In a recent news release, WFP’s interim Country Director, Ronald Sibanda, noted that the donation once again testifies to the quality of relations between WFP and Nigeria.

“The assistance will help feed nearly half a million internally displaced people in the country’s conflict-ravaged Northeast,” he said.

In the package, The Daily Times gathered that the United States will cover the associated costs of getting the donated rice to those displaced in the hardest-hit states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, as part of its $100 million contribution to WFP’s Nigeria response.

Hapless victims of the dragging Boko Haram insurgency has spilled over borders, leaving millions in the broader Lake Chad Basin region, unclear of where their meal would come from.

Experts have warned that without sufficient and timely humanitarian assistance, the Northeast Nigeria risks slipping into famine.

Since launching operations last year, WFP has rapidly expanded its offer of food, nutrition and cash to reach more than a million people a month. Having overcome a funding challenge, it has set

its target at 1.36 million people during the current pre-harvest lean season, the hungriest time of the year.

Earlier in the year, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomed a donation of 5,000 metric tons of rice from the Government of Nigeria. This was part of the strategy to help feed nearly half-a-million internally displaced people in the conflict-ravaged Northeast of the country.

Director General of Nigeria’s emergency relief agency, NEMA, Mustapha Yunusa Maihaja, said in a statement that the Federal Government, in recognition of the efforts of humanitarian actors and the need to ensure food security for the people affected by insurgency in the northeast, has not only approved the distribution of 35,905 metric tons of grains to the people, but has also approved the release of 5,000 metric tons of rice for distribution by World Food Programme (WFP) in some communities affected by insurgency.

As part of a US$100 million contribution to WFP’s Nigeria response, the United States will cover the associated costs of getting the donated rice to those displaced in the hardest-hit states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe.

Statistics show that Nigeria’s crisis has spilled over borders, leaving millions in the broader Lake Chad Basin region uncertain of where their meal is coming from. Experts have warned that without sufficient and timely humanitarian assistance, northeast Nigeria risks tipping into famine.

WFP is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience.

Each year, WFP assists some 80 million

people in around 80 countries.

It would be recalled that sometime last year, it was feared that the United Nations’ World Food Programme could, in a few weeks, run out of funding to feed millions living on the brink of famine in Nigeria, four people familiar with the matter said, intensifying one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises.

In the Northeast, 4.7 million people, many of them refugees from the conflict with Islamist insurgency Boko Haram, were pressed for daily rations to survive, according to the World Food Programme (WFP), one of the main aid groups handing out food. Many of those living in camps for displaced people say they already barely get enough to eat.

“With the money they have right now, and if they won’t cut rations, they can only go to May 18,” one person said, citing talks with the WFP, who asked to not be named because they were not authorised to speak to media.”

The WFP was “reasonably certain” it would get enough funding to last until late June, the person added.

“All humanitarian crises globally are woefully underfunded and for WFP Nigeria is in one of the worst situations for funding,” a WFP spokeswoman said.

“We are trying to save lives. We need over the next six months $207 million for Nigeria. At the moment the programme is 13 percent funded for 2017. It’s extremely low. Of the four countries facing famine it is the least funded.”

The conflict with Islamist insurgency Boko Haram, which seeks to establish a caliphate in Nigeria’s northeast, began in 2009 and shows no sign of ending. It has killed more than 20,000 people and displaced more than two million.

The approaching rainy season increases the risk of disease spreading, es-

pecially within camps for the displaced, adding more stress to efforts to respond to the humanitarian crisis.

The wet season also means tens of thousands of refugees are attempting to return home to farm, despite facing serious dangers, saying there is not enough food provided in the camps to sustain them.

Contingency plan In a recent meeting with the WFP in Nigeria’s capital Abuja, donor countries and organisations, criticised the group for not having a satisfactory contingency plan if funding starts to dry up, two of the people with knowledge of the talks said.

The WFP spokeswoman said meetings with donors were genial, open and frank.

“When we are funded and able to get out to the field we are getting to people.

This crisis can be averted and we want people to understand this will work if it’s funded. We can avert the famine.”

The U.S. Embassy in Abuja said the U.S. government was working “urgently and cooperatively with our partners in an effort to address the critical humanitarian needs in northeastern Nigeria”.

“There is not adequate funding to sustain the global response to those needs here. Additional resources must be found urgently so that feeding does not stop,” the embassy said in emailed comments to Reuters.

The WFP and donors have also locked horns over who is to blame for the lack of funding reaching the aid organisation, with the U.N. agency saying the money promised has not been released to them and donors arguing that basic paperwork still has not been submitted.

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, August 23, 2017

Features 19

Professionals extol virtues and qualities of Nigerian woman

Chief (Mrs.) Opral Benson

Dr. Jubril

God’s Covenant Snr, LAGOS Prof. Adeniyi Osuntogun (former VC of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and Executive Director, FEDEN, Lagos).

Every woman is fundamentally beautiful and endowed by the Creator with sterling qualities to improve family and the society to which she belongs. By taking advantage of this Nature’s gift, the aggregate values of the larger society are inculcated, acquired, and enhanced. So, womanhood presents itself a positive direction for the wider society. Chief (Mrs) Opral Mason Benson stands out primus inter pares in this regard as the best advertisement for womanhood.

Joke Silva (Actress) I think it is incorrect to think that the Nigerian woman is more dynamic now than she used to be in the days gone by because my antecedents are women who are dynamic and have always been dynamic.

My mother is one of the early medical practitioners in the skilled medical field in this country. She was a worker and she was a home maker. I had people like Mrs Kofo Olawoye who was also like the woman who raised me as well (late Mrs Oladapo).

Aunty Kofo, for example, was an administrator and she rose up to become a permanent secretary; and these were women who were good home makers and also were successful in what you might call the “market place” as well - and they did it for the love of the family.

One of the things I know about us as a people, especially the Yorubas, is that our women have always been very dynamic.

In fact, I won’t even limit this to the Yoruba women alone, the Nigerian woman and, indeed, the African woman has always been dutifully dynamic in all ages.

Silva

It was in the advent of colonialism that we began to have women who stayed at home just cooking and running the home whether they wanted to or not. I know there’re women who just want to stay and take care of their homes, they’re known as home makers and they made a very good job of it; and there are some women who like to be in the market place, and that has always been in our culture.

So I really don’t see our women as being more dynamic now than they’ve always been: our women have always been dynamic.

Dr. Sam Chidiebere I admire the Nigerian woman for the role she has played in ensuring the stabil-

ity of the family. She has gone through many challenges, but has only succeeded in retaining the sanctity of the home. Everywhere I turn to, it is family first, naturally. But even now that we want to drag them into politics, they’re doing it well.

I’ve seen them, I’ve listened to them, and I’ve talked to them. Don’t forget that women are also the mothers of these politicians. Only a week ago I was talking to a leading politician in this country, a house of reps member and whose mother sat close to me, and we found that the mother was interested in what the young man was doing. Oh, I have utmost respect for the Nigerian woman and the role she’s playing in politics.

Sarah Jubril (One 1993 Presidential aspirant who got only one vote in her party primaries) Delegates didn’t have the chance to apply the freedom of their conscience. They didn’t have the chance to express their freedom of the fear of God. The women didn’t bother to vote for me because the same system obtained. They were being teleguided by the governors and some of the party leaders because of their own various interests. That’s part of the politics.

The problem is that this type of politics does not open Nigeria up for democratic sanity. I knew it was my brother, a friend and another family friend and my own vote that was counted. They had the guts to vote for me, but this time around, some of these my personal family members or friends were not delegates.

I want to take this to account: in 1975, Nigeria went to Mexico as a frontline member of the United Nations’ Women’s Conference. In 1985 we went to Arusha, Tanzania; 1995 we went to Beijing with the largest contingent; 2005 we went to New York.

So, my effort in 1993 to run for the Presidency and for the delegates to vote for me as their presidential candidate to have come to the fourth position and after Atiku stepped down I became number three, it was no good news.

Maybe, it was ignorance I wouldn’t know. You are talking of domestication, they didn’t think that a woman who is well versed in the issues of which Nigeria was signatory to in the UN, the Commonwealth, the African Union, ECOWAS, Better Life Programme, Family Economic Advancement Programme, MAMSER, the various programmes of governors’ wives all over the states for the women is fit and qualified to rule the country.

God bless the Nigerian woman!

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, September 23 , 2017

20 News

Edo Senator Empowers 500 Youths Titus Akhigbe,Benin

ÏÏÏ

No fewer than 500 youths from Edo South Senatorial District have commenced Intensive Empowerment Training Program, courtesy of the member, representing the District at the upper chamber, National Assembly, Senator Matthew Uroghide The training was facilitated by the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) and declared opened by its Director General, Mrs China Balogun In her address, Mrs Balogun said the training was targeted at equip-

ping unemployed graduates with usable skills that will make them self-reliant for the rest if their lives.

She said tourism has the potential to re-engineer, revamp and rearrange the Nigeria economy in the face of global recession On his part, chairman Senate Committee on Tourism, Senator Matthew Urhoghide, said tourism now constitute about 6 per cent of the world Gross Domestic Product (GDP), remarking that he would work with the Edo State government to train the beneficiaries.

Senator Sam Anyanwu, who also attended

the training, praised the doggedness of Senator Urhoghide in bringing the training to his constituency, saying the lives of the beneficiaries would not remain the same after the training..

A representative of a sponsor of the programme, Consolidated Alliance, said participant would be employed as special consultant to Consolidated Alliance to the tune of N15 million.

Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Diaspora in Edo State, Osaze Osemwegie-Erosion, said Edo State has 75 tourist sites and that the state government would revive and revamp them to world standard.

Coalition of civil society organizations calls for peace Samuel Luka, Bauchi

ÏÏÏ

Anambra NDLEA prosecutes over 30 offenders annually John Ndu Awka

ÏÏÏ

Anambra State Command of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA has revealed its determination to always prosecute drug offenders to ensure drug addiction free society.

This was disclosed during a courtesy call on the Anambra State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Anali Chude, at his office in Awka, Anambra state.

The Commander of the Agency, Mr Sule Momodu stated that the agency had recorded tremendous successes in eliminating the distributive aspect of illicit drugs in the State, adding that over 30 drug offenders were prosecuted annually.

He noted that “because of the state government’s support, we have been able to arrest and successfully prosecute

up to 30 offenders annually. We have also impacted positively in routing out criminals and criminal minded elements in the State.”

The Commander commended governor Obiano for his numerous support and provision of security apparatus that had assisted them in eliminating criminals and drug dealers.

Mr Sule observed that one of the challenges the agency had was lack of resources for the development of a rehabilitation centre, as the state government had earlier allocated to the agency a parcel of Land for the purpose of building a rehab facility.

Responding, the State Attorney General, Mr Anali Chude confirmed that the ministry and the agency had been maintaining cordial relationship and working together to ensure the rid of all bad elements and drug related offences.

Christian and Muslim faithfuls across the country have been called upon to shun any act of violence and embrace peace to pave way for the socioeconomic development of Nigeria.

The call which was made on Thursday by the Chairman of Coalition of Civil Society Organizations in Bauchi state, Mr Samuel B Yelmison when he led other peace ambassadors to Bauchi emirate as part of the commemoration this years International Peace Day which was organized by the CSOs in collaboration with Development Exchange Center (DEC), calling on citizens of Nigeria to embrace peace irrespective of religious and tribal inclination to foster development.

Yelmison appealed to Bauchi Emirate council to mobilize people to live in peace with one another irrespective of their differences for peace and security to prevail in the society.

Mr Ayuba Mainas who represented the Chairman of the group pointed

out that the day was set aside by the United Nations to promote peace and mutual understanding around the world considering the importance of peace in human development.

He expressed worry over the recent happenings in some parts of the country and called on authorities concerned to address the challenges.

According to him, the coalition will continue to support all policies that aimed at ensuring peaceful Co existence and for the well-being of the less privileged in the state.

The Chairman who disclosed that due to violence many people have become orphans and vulnerable and urged Media Organizations to contribute towards ensuring peace and development in the country.

The coalition also expressed delight with the role being played by the Emir of Bauchi towards maintenance of peace in the state.

Commenting on the celebration of the Day in the state, the Communication

Officer DEC Bauchi office Mr Dogara James called on the people of the state to respect one another to ensure peaceful Co existence.

He solicited the support of traditional institution to enable them contribute positively towards maintenance of peace and harmony among various religious groups in the state.

Nigeria Union of Jour nalists,Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN), Christian Association of N i g e r i a ( C A N ) , M a rke t Peace Forum,Women Entrepreneurship in Nigeria,Bauchi Human right Network,Bauchi State Network for Civil Society Organizations(BASNEC) Rahma Women Development Association and Heal Disability Initiative were among the groups that participated at the occasion.

AGBOINWAN MARY EGBOINWAN I, Formerly known and addressed as AGBOINWAN MARY E. now wish to be known and addressed as AGBOINWAN MARY EGBOINWAN. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

21

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, September 23, 2017

Crime

s

How 71-year-old, others were arrested for diverting goods worth N40 million Stories by Joy Anyim , Lagos

The Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS), Adeniji Adele, Lagos has arreat a 71-year old man, Peter Othormor, and 10 others for diverting a truck loaded with merchandise worth N40 million placed in their care to convey to a client in Abuja to Ibadan.

The suspects, according to the police, had sold the goods for N5 million to another buyer identified as Abass Buhari bit were caught while offloading the goods for the alleged buyer.

The arrest of the suspects, according to a police source was made possible by a team led by Deputy Suprintendent of Police Olaniyi Festus, Officer in charge of ‘Strike Force One’ at the FSARS. Some of the suspects include Lawal Yusuf, Adewale John, Ebuka Agubosin, Abdul-

ramanAbdulmalik, Waheed Adewale, Kehinde Okiki, Semiu Sanni and Raheem Lawal.

According to the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of FSARS, Mr. Ibrahim Kaoje , “trouble started for the suspects when Othormor was contacted by a clearing agent to help him look for a truck to convey about N40m goods from Kirikiri Phase 2, Apapa, Lagos to a customer in Abuja, Nigeria. “ Othormor was alleged to have contacted a man called ‘Dollar’ who provided the truck with Reg. No. AKD 118 XV to load the goods.” “ After the driver, now at large, loaded the goods and headed to Abuja, Othormor and the said Dollar directed the driver of the truck to drive straight to a compound in Ibadan, Oyo State and offload the goods for the alleged buyer. “ while offloading the goods, a resident in the area who

suspected their action called my office about the development.”

Following the report, Kaoje dispatched a team led

by DSP Festus to Ibadan to arrest the suspects and recover the goods.

On sighting the police team, all the suspects reportedly took to their heels, but the police pursued and arrested eleven suspects while the said Dollar managed to escape.

Othormor confessed to the crime and the police said that all the captured suspects would be charged to court when investigations have been completed.

The Suspects

EFCC arrests Man for alleged Visa scam The Ibadan Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arrested one Akomolehin Olusesan a suspected Visa racketeer.

The suspect, a self styled Canadian citizen was arrested following a petition to the Commission on his alleged involvement in the issuance of fake Canadian visa to unsuspecting members of the public.

Olusesan was said to have defrauded his victims of different sums totaling about N3 million.

According to some of the victims, the suspect allegedly charge between N200, 000 to N1 million per visa.

Eight of the victims have come forward to volunteer useful information to the operatives of the Commission.

Copies of the fake Canadian Visas were also recovered from the suspect at the point of arrest.

The Agency stated that the suspect will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.

Akomolehin Olusesan

EFCC declares wife of Turnah wanted The EFCC has officially declared Mrs. Jennifer Timinipre Turnah, wife of Barrister George Alabh Turnah wanted over a case of criminal conspiracy, money laundering and stealing to the tune of over N1 billion.

The suspect it was gathered had helped her husband, a former special assistant to the then Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission( NDDC) to launder monies.

She is said to be a signatory to some of the companies her husband allegedly used to launder monies meant for youth development.

The companies includes Celtic Pride Global Services Limited, West Oak Multi Concepts Limited, Eliben Educational Centre Limited, Cinco Ranch Hotels & Apartments Nigeria Limited and Dubai Stores & Supermarket Nigeria Limited.

The Agency stated that repeated invitations had been sent to the suspect by the Commission, but she has refused to

Mrs. Jennifer Timinipre Turnah

honour the invites.

The 30 year old native of Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA of Bayelsa State is said to be on the run.

The Anti-Graft Agency says anyone with useful information as to the whereabouts of the suspect whose last address was No. 2A9 Street, CITEC Estate, Abuja, should contact either the Commission in any of it branch nationwide, the nearest Police Station or any other security Agency closest to them.

22 Crime

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, September 23 2017

The suspects being paraded by the force spokesperson.

Police arrest 13 for Abuja-Kaduna highway kidnapping Stories by Joy Anyim The Lagos State Police Command has arrested five armed robbery suspects who are alleged to have been terrorising residents of the Egbeda and Ikotun areas of Lagos.

Some 13 suspected vicious and notorious kidnappers cum armed robbery gang responsible for several kidnap for ransom of innocent travellers along the Abuja-Kaduna Highway have been arrested by men of the Operation Absolute Sanity.

The suspects were identified as Umar Mohammed Babuga; 27 years, Umaru Kiri; 26 years, Abdullahi Tambaya; 25 years, Abdulkarim Musa; 27 years, Isah Musa; 30 years, Sani Musa; 27 years, Nura Usman; 37 years, Bashiru Yusuf; 25 years, Abdulrahman Abdul; 20 years, Abdullahi Bali; 40 years, Abdullrahman Nagoma; 28 years and Usman Babuga; 25 years and Yeti Muhammad; 32 years.

Exhibits recovered from the suspects includes two AK47 rifles,16 locally made guns, locally made Ak47 with ammunitions, cutlasses, sticks and charms According to the Force Public Relations Officer,

CSP Jimoh Moshood who paraded the suspects at the Jere Abuja-Kaduna Highway, they had been responsible for the many attack along the route.

He said, “Consequent on the reinforcement of Operation Absolute Sanity on Abuja- Kaduna Highway with additional two units of Special Police Forces by the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris, to tackle the gangs of kidnappers that escaped arrest on Abuja – Kaduna Highway and relocated to some roads around Jere to Abuja axis, these suspects were arrested in their hideouts and camps where some of their victims were rescued. Firearms and ammunition were recovered from their possession. “ In the operation that is still ongoing, A total number of 13 suspected kidnappers were arrested in the operation. They confessed to the offence and admitted to the various criminal roles they played in the commission of the crime. Some properties belonging to some of their victims, who were rescued from the gang, were recovered from them. “ Most of the suspects were identified by the victims for being responsible for their kidnap. Investigation is being intensified to arrest the other suspects

at large. All the suspects will be arraigned in court on completion of Investigation.

It was gathered that while the operation is being sustained, the Inspector-General of Police has directed the Assistant Inspectors General of Police (AIGs) and Commissioners of Police (CPs) in the zones and commands to replicate same on the highways and major roads in other states of the country.

The spokesperson said, “They are also to beef up security in their Area of Responsibilities (AOR) and ensure massive deployment of Armed Police Personnel, Patrol Teams and undercover operatives to black spots, flash points and other vulnerable criminal spots to nip in the bud all forms of crimes and criminality nationwide and make sure that detection of crimes are prompt to serve as effective deterrent to who-will-be criminals. The ongoing raids on criminal hideouts will be sustained.”

The Inspector General of Police also appreciated the effort and corporation of communities, towns and villages along Abuja – Kaduna highway for the supports and assistance being rendered in terms of prompt information and complaints to the Police Per-

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, September 28, 2017

Nuclear war imminent as Trump, Kim Jong Un intensifies hate tweets

Teenager accused of raping man at knifepoint, filming incident ÏÏÏ

Donald Trump

ÏÏÏ

Global concerns have continued to build over probable nuclear war as hate twits from North Korean President, Kim Jong Un and US president Donald Trump, continues to worsen diplomatic relation between the two countries.

Agency reports, said that North Korea Foreign Minister Ri Yongho, who was in New York for the UN General Assembly, said Thursday evening that his country could detonate an hydrogen bomb over the Pacific Ocean, but also told reporters, “We have no idea about what actions could be taken as it will be ordered by leader Kim Jong Un.” North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un had earlier said the United States would “pay dearly” for new sanctions on his country and called Trump a “dotard.”

The United States president, Donald Trump, President Donald Trump responded by calling the North Korean leader a “madman” adding in an early-morning tweet “would be tested like never before,”.

“I will surely and definitely tame the mentally deranged U.S. dotard with fire,” Kim said on Thursday, according to The Associated Press. Dotard is a word used to describe an elderly person in a

North Korean President Kim Jong Un

state of senile decay, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary.

Kim Jong Un of North Korea, who is obviously a madman who doesn’t mind starving or killing his people, will be tested like never before!

The latest war of words between the two leaders began when the United Nations passed new sanctions on North Korea unanimously earlier this week in response to the growing nuclear threat posed by the country.

Earlier in his address to the U.N. on Tuesday, President Trump threatened to “totally destroy” North Korea.

“The United States has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea,” the president said in his address. “Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself.”

Responding to the speech, Kim released a statement saying that Trump will “pay dearly” for his address to the U.N. and that North Korea is considering the strongest possible response to what he calls Trump’s provocation.

“I’d like to advise Trump to exercise prudence in selecting words and to be considerate of whom he speaks to when making a speech in front of the world,”

23 Foreign News

A teenage girl is currently facing trial in the UK for raping her former boyfriend and firming part of the rape act.

According to the Mirror, the man had testified earlier in the case that they had dated for almost two months late last year but broke up after Smith hit him.

A few months later Smith allegedly asked him to meet her and threatened him with a knife before raping him.

Smith, now 18, faced up to life in prison but could not avoid a jail sentence after pleading no contest to lesser charges, the New York Post reports.

US state laws allow a defendant to plead no contest when they neither dispute nor admit to a crime. It is not an admission of guilt, and such a plea is not permitted in UK courts.

Smith, from Saginaw, Michigan, videotaped part of the alleged incident on January 11, the court heard.

The man, now aged 20, told the court that he didn’t know why Smith wanted to meet him that day, but admitted to calling her a “whore” on Facebook just days earlier. He also said that she had

deleted a video of them having sex.

PIX: Lestina Marie Smith and the man had dated for almost two months, a court heard (Image: Saginaw County Sheriff ’s Office)

Lestina Marie-Smith

Outlaw Sex robots that normalize sexual violence –Campaigner

True Companion sex robot, Roxxxy

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An activist has called for the outlaw of sex robot’s which stimulate men to embark on rape, and debase their victims.

Roxxxy is the company’s flagship product and is a fully-customisable sexbot costing £7,700. As well as sex, True Companion says she can provide companionship and social support for lonely men.

Agency report, the Mirror in its recent report said that a barrister and campaigner has called for ban complete ban of advanced sex dolls that allow men to “rape” Kate Parker, who founded the Schools Consent Project charity, singled out the Roxxxy sex doll launched

by US-based True Companion.

The Roxxxy uses artificial intelligence to create different personalities that cater for user’s fantasies.

According to the campaigner, one of these modes called “Frigid Farrah” is configured in a way that enables the robot to resist sexual advances.

However, the company has maintained that the Robot is not programmed to participate in any kind of rape fantasy “and to suggest it does is “pure conjecture”.

However, the campaigner, Ms Parker branded the dolls as “a sinister development that normalises sexual violence” “Some say these robots reinforce the objectification of women and the commodification of sex; others, that they allow otherwise isolated individuals to experience intimacy. Either way, Roxxxy is a different beast,” she wrote on the blog for her chambers, 5 Paper Buildings.

“The fact that she is not a thinking, feeling human does not make her existence unproblematic. The robots normalise sexual violence.

They service and provide a distraction for criminal impulses that should probably be subject to psychiatric intervention.”

Young mum reveals how she passed out being raped by ex-lover ÏÏÏ A brave young mother

has narrated how her ex-boyfriend almost strangled her while raping her. She labelled her ex a “depraved animal.

“Twice I passed out and could only see black when he had his hands around my throat.

He would pin me down by the throat before raping me. I thought I would die in that bedroom” she said.

Recent Agency report said that the rapist, Andrew Thomson, 38, a convicted drug dealer, faces jail after being found guilty of raping Rebecca Ramsay, 24, and a 16-year-old girl.

The judge at the High Court in Glasgow this week said Thomson made him “ashamed to be a Scotsman”.

Controlling Thomson, 38, spiked Rebecca’s drink with diazepam, banned her from hav-

ing pals, wearing make-up and working as a dental nurse.

The report said that the victim, who preferred to be anonymous, said: “He is a depraved animal. “I thought he would kill me. He is a depraved animal. He cut me off from my friends until he was the only one I had left.

Evil Thomson was devoid of emotion after attacking his petite partner and subjecting her

to horrific abuse throughout their relationship, the Daily Record reports.

He will be jailed next month after being found guilty on Tuesday. Thomson smashed Rebecca’s phone, wouldn’t let her drink alcohol unless he was present and demanded she withdraw £400 from her bank.

He subjected her to brutal violence until she lost consciousness. She said: “When I met him

I thought he was a decent guy but then the violence started.

“I was walking on eggshells trying to please him to make the violence stop. “Once he had his hands around my throat against a wall as I held my baby and I was so scared I was going to drop her.”

She lived with Thomson during their two-and-a-half-year relationship before she managed to end it in 2015.

Saturday, September 23, 2017

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Stories by Frank Jombo with Agency reports ano Pillars forward, Rabiu Ali, scored the lone goal yesterday as the home-based Super Eagles defeated Benin Republic 1-0 to qualify for the final of the ongoing WAFU Cup of Nations in Cape Coast, Ghana. Eagles are to play Ghana that defeated Niger Republic 2-0 in Sun-

K

WAFU: Nigeria to play Ghana in Final day’s final.

It was the second time in barely one month that the home-based Eagles sent the Squirrels of Benin away from a major tournament. The first was the aggregate 2-1 defeat they suffered from the Nigerians to fail to qualify for the next edition of the African Nations Championship (CHAN).

It took the Salisu Yusuf tutored Eagles just 11 minutes to register the lone goal.

The experienced Kano Pillars midfielder drilled home a through pass from Anthony Okpotu to put Nigeria ahead in the match the Beninois had looked forward to avenging the 2-0 defeat they suffered in Kano dur-

ing the CHAN qualifier. Ali had similarly scored one of the goals against the Squirrels in the same home ground.

Deep into the first half, the ambitious Squirrels who enjoyed the advantage of having the Ghanaian fans behind them, were reduced to 10 men as de-

fender Koukpo Marcellin was sent off in the 33rd minutes for a second booking.

Deep into the first half, the ambitious Squirrels who enjoyed the advantage of having the Ghanaian fans behind them, were reduced to 10 men as defender Koukpo Marcellin was sent off in the 33rd minutes for a second booking.

Abraham

Rabiu

Abraham dumps Nigeria for England

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ammy Abraham has denied reports that he has promised to switch alliances to the Super Eagles, following claims by the Nigeria Football Federations (NFF) that they were close to securing the services of the towering forward.

Abraham, who was born in London, is eligible to play for Nigeria through his father and NFF President Amaju Pinnick is confident that the 19-year-old will switch allegiance from England.

The 19-year-old, though, has refuted any suggestions that he will do so ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, with the forward trumpeting his desire to represent the Three Lions at senior level.

The Chelsea striker, who is currently on-loan at Swansea City, has represented England at youth level.

In a statement Abraham stated: “Contrary to reports in the media today I would like to clarify that I have not agreed to switch my National team allegiance.

“I can confirm I met the President of the NFF after our last game against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley on Saturday given he is a friend of my father.

“However, any suggestion that I have made a decision to change my international representation is incorrect and wide of the mark.

“I have informed The FA that I remain available for selection for England.”

WAFU: Nigeria to play Ghana in Final

Aiteo Cup – Battles shift to Ijebu-Ode, Benin City

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do Queens defied all predictions to hold champions Rivers United to a 0-0 draw in their first leg, quarter-final match at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium, Port Harcourt on Wednesday and look forward with high expectations to Saturday’s return in Benin City. Coach Edwin Okon and his crew were somewhat stunned not to secure a win over the visitors, but will also plan for an away win when both teams take to the pitch of the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium as the 2017 AITEO Cup competition hits the home run.

A place in the semi finals is what is on offer, just as it would be in six other venues where the quarter -final matches will be concluded on Saturday, and even in Uyo, where Akwa United and Katsina United are playing their first leg due to a postponement.

In Ijebu-Ode, a mouth-watering South-West derby is at hand as Osun United, 1-0 winners over NPFL side Sunshine Stars in the first leg played in Oshogbo on Wednesday, try to dig their feet into the ground for a place in the last four.

However, they have to be wary of the Omoluabi Giants’ ace forward Tosin Omoyele, a clinical marksman who has notched a number of important goals this season and got the lone goal in Oshogbo.

Another combustible arena will be the Rwang Pam Stadium, Jos where NPFL champions Plateau United will do all in their power to overturn a 0-2 first leg reverse against Niger Tornadoes in Lokoja.

WAFU: Konadu cautiously optimistic ahead Nigeria clash

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hana coach Maxwell Konadu is cautiously optimistic ahead of his side’s WAFU Nations Cup final against rivals Nigeria on Sunday.

The Black Stars B recorded a 2-0 win over Niger in Thursday’s second semi-final to book a place in the finals.

Kwame Kizito and Stephen Sarfo scored in each half to ensure the West African giants cruise into the final showdown against their sworn rivals.

And coach Maxwell Konadu, who is under immense pressure to win the trophy after the CHAN qualification failure, is cautiously optimistic.

“We are going to face Nigeria again, of course they are a tough side, they beat us in the first game and it is important for us to be very cautious ahead of this game,” he told the media.

ano Pillars forward, Rabiu Ali, scored the lone goal yesterday as the home-based Super Eagles defeated Benin Republic 1-0 to qualify for the final of the ongoing WAFU Cup of Nations in Cape Coast, Ghana. Eagles are to play Ghana that defeated Niger Republic 2-0 in Sunday’s final.

It was the second time in barely one month that the home-based Eagles sent the Squirrels of Benin away from a major tournament. The first was the aggregate 2-1 defeat they suffered from the Nigerians to fail to qualify for the next edition of the African Nations Championship (CHAN).

It took the Salisu Yusuf tutored Eagles just 11 minutes to register the lone goal.

The experienced Kano Pillars midfielder drilled home a through pass from Anthony Okpotu to put Nigeria ahead in the match the Beninois had looked forward to avenging the 2-0 defeat they suffered in Kano during the CHAN qualifier. Ali had similarly scored one of the goals against the Squirrels in the same home ground.

Deep into the first half, the ambitious Squirrels who enjoyed the advantage of having the Ghanaian fans behind them, were reduced to 10 men as defender Koukpo Marcellin was sent off in the 33rd minutes for a second booking.

Deep into the first half, the ambitious Squirrels who enjoyed the advantage of having the Ghanaian fans behind them, were reduced to 10 men as defender Koukpo Marcellin was sent off in the 33rd minutes for a second booking.

Saturday, September 23, 2017

EXTRATIME

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25

Nigerians react to Abrahams Snub

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Aneke backs Eagles to beat Ghana

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ormer Kaduna United striker Jude Aneke believes the home-based Super Eagles will win the 2017 WAFU Cup of Nations at the expense of Ghana.

Salisu Yusuf’s men defeated Benin Republic 1-0 to book a place in Sunday’s final against Ghana who defeated Niger Republic in the second semi-final match on Thursday.

“They did very well as you can see. They haven’t conceded any goal yet which shows that they are likely to remain solid even in the final on Sunday, ” Aneke told Completesportsnigeria.com.

“But don’t get me wrong, the final match with Ghana will be tough. We have beaten them before in the group stages, so I think Ghana will be keen not to lose again.

But I think we (Nigeria) are equal to it,” the one-capped Super Eagles striker stated.

Aneke who was top scorer in the Nigeria Professional Football League in the 2011/2012 season with 20 goals to set a new goals record at that time after Ahmed Musa’s 18 goals haul for Kano Pillars in the previous season hailed Anthony Okpotu as the new face of the NPFL who has been Impressive for Nigeria at the 2017 WAFU Cup. Lobi Stars striker, Okpotu, has scored one goal in the tournament, in the 2-0 win over Ghana “Wow the guy has impressed all Nigerians, not only me, so we need to encourage him,” Aneke remarked.

WCQ: Zambia boost squad with 6 new players Nigerians tip Man U for EPL trophy

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ambia coach Wedson Nyirenda has added six more players to an initial list of 20 players summoned to a training camp ahead of their crucial World Cup qualifier against Nigeria at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium.

Allan Chibwe (Power Dynamos), Mike Katiba,

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esults from a recent opinion poll in the country indicates that an overwhelming majority of Nigerian followers of the English Premier League believe that Jose Mourinho’s men are on track to win the league.

The signing of some very talented and key players like Romelu Lukaku, Nemanja Matic, Victor Lindelof and a few others have boosted Manchester United’s chances of claiming the trophy.

Also the return of Zlatan Ibrahimovic from injury has seriously boosted their striking options. Ibrahimovic was one of last seasons top scorers in the league.

Nyirenda

Diamond Chikwekwe, Jack Chirwa (Green Buffaloes), Larry Bwalya (Power Dynamos) and Misheck Chaila (Zesco United) were added to the squad list announced on Thursday, September 21.

Chibwe is a goalkeeper while the remaining five players have been classed as midfielders.

Nyirenda will begin observing the 26 invited players at close quarters on Monday before the full complement of foreign based players join at a later stage.

The Super Eagles will be one of the confirmed participants at the 2018 World Cup in Russia if they beat Zambia on match day five in Group B on October 7.

Zambia Squad Goalkeepers (3) : Toaster Nsabata Goalkeeper (Zanaco), Allan Chibwe (Power Dynamos), Kelvin Malunga (Nkana FC) Defenders (8) : Simon Silwimba, Fackson Kapumbu (Zesco United), Adrian Chama (Green Buffaloes), Muchindu Boston, Moses Nyondo

everal Nigerians were disappointed after Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham pledged his allegiance to England over Nigeria at senior international level.

The Nigeria Football Federation put the cart before the horse when they broke the news via their official Twitter account and the post was retweeted 864 times, claiming that they were on the brink of securing the services of Tammy Abraham, which was later dismissed by the England U21 international on Thursday evening.

Below are some of the reactions from Nigerians on Twitter: @TheYomiKazeem : ‘’Tammy Abraham has done zero to deserve a Super Eagles place. Might work out later but he’s getting in now only because of his British accent’’. @pius_adesanmi : ‘’19-years-old - Tammy Abraham commits to England. 32-years-old - 3 world cups, 0 appearances, Tammy Abraham pleads to switch to Super Eagles’’. @iamOkon : ‘’Tammy Abraham: “I have informed The FA that I remain available for selection for England.” NFF have played their penalty to throw-in.’’ @booday10 :’’One day, one day, we will stop making a fool of our nation. One day. ‘’ @CalvinEmeka : ‘’When I saw the story of Abraham’s supposed switch I just sighed. We should have waited, invited him first if he accepts then announce’’ @lawizzygotswag :’’Tammy Abraham, you can only choose England if ur role model is Agbolahan of Aston Villa.. Use ur brain’’ @deejayfaremi: ‘’NFF want Tammy Abraham, but he’s not eager to play for Nigeria. He’s STILL open to playing for England. We are 2nd choice. Don’t doubt it.’’ @ngigelistic : ‘’I’m against begging players to play for Nigeria,let them earn it if they’re good. Tammy Abraham is not better than Moses,Iwobi etal.’’ @889BrilaFM : ‘’Embarrassing! Tammy Abraham denies Nigeria Switch, Commits to England’’

Onigbinde blames NFF For Abraham’s snub

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ormer Super Eagles coach Adegboye Onigbinde has blamed the Nigeria Football Federation for the publicity mess of the international allegiance negotiation with Swansea loanee forward, Tammy Abraham, Completesportsnigeria.com reports.

A picture of the Nigeria Football Federation president Amaju Pinnick with the Swansea loanee from Chelsea went viral on Thursday prompting football personalities to express their opinions on the development. Tammy Abraham put out a statement hinting he is still available for international football in the colours of England following efforts by the Nigeria Football Federation to have him switch allegiance to Nigeria “Yes, we should beg them since there is no meaningful, functional developmental programme at home in Nigeria. It’s the football Federation’s fault here,” Onigbinde said furiously during an exclusive chat with Completesportsnigeria. com on Friday morning.

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EURO…EURO…EURO… EURO…EURO…EURO… EURO…EURO…EURO… EURO…EURO…EURO…

Guardiola

EFL Cup: Guardiola backs Mourinho

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anchester City boss Pep Guardiola agrees with an unfavourable assessment of the EFL Cup offered by Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho.

United beat Southampton in the final last season but, speaking after his team began their defence of the trophy with a 4-1 win over Burton Albion, Mourinho suggested English clubs could fare better in Europe without having to contest the lesser of the two domestic cup competitions.

City won 2-1 at West Brom in the third round on Wednesday, suffering an injury scare when Ilkay Gundogan, back in the starting lineup for the first time since December after a long-term right knee injury, hobbled off following a heavy challenge from Claudio Yacob.

Addressing the media in a news conference to preview City’s Premier League clash with Crystal Palace, Guardiola was asked for his opinion on the merit of the EFL Cup in light of Mourinho’s views.

“Quite similar,” he said. “Business is business. We have a lot of games. [If] you have to play the

competition, you have to play the competition.

“It’s good for people [players] who don’t get used a lot, but it’s a title when, if you win, it’s ok, but you don’t get a lot of credit for it.”

City were relieved to learn Gundogan did not suffer a serious injury to his left knee, and the Germany international could indeed be back in action very soon.

“We will see if he is able to train,” Guardiola said. “We were lucky.”

In further good fitness news, club captain Vincent Kompany is back in full training and could even feature against Palace.

City are joint top of the Premier League, level with United on 13 points after five matches, but Guardiola rejected suggestions the battle for the title is already shaping up as a two-horse race between the Manchester clubs.

“There are six [teams in contention], we are just a few points ahead,” he said.

“When we finish our weekend, we analyse what is going to happen in the future but nobody knows.”

City will be heavy favourites to

Dele Alli

Lallana

Benitez

Benitez not surprised with improved Newcastle form

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afa Benitez said he is not surprised by Newcastle’s eye-catching form, which has seen them win three successive Premier League games.

Newcastle, who lost their opening two league games - at home to Tottenham and away at Huddersfield - have responded with home victories over West Ham and Stoke either side of an away success at Swansea. Such form has surprised a host of pundits but Benitez, who made his return to the bench in the victory over Stoke following hernia surgery, says the club’s positive run is not a surprise to him.

“It’s difficult to say because when you see them training every day you know they can play at the level that they have been,” Benitez

said at his Friday press conference.

“But you have to win any way you can. Sometimes when you’re playing well you can’t win and sometimes playing bad you are winning.

Newcastle have won three Premier League games in a row over West Ham, Swansea and Stoke Newcastle have won three Premier League games in a row over West Ham, Swansea and Stoke “In this case the performances have been fine and we’ve collected three points in each of the last three games and now we have to try to do the same again.

“It’s important to keep this confidence high but, at the same time, make sure we don’t have any overconfidence.

Dele Alli unhappy with FIFA 18 rating

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ele Alli has admitted his disappointment with his rating on FIFA 18 and has said he will not play the game as himself until the score is raised.

Despite being regarded as one of the rising stars in English football, the Tottenham and England midfielder has voiced his outrage at his 84-overall rating, despite being ranked the same as Sadio Mane and Sami Khedira.

The 21-year-old midfielder has been rated among the top 100 players in the world

on FIFA 18.

He told The Mirror: “To be honest I don’t think I’ll use myself in the game because I don’t think my rating is very good.

“I’m going to refuse to play with myself until I’m a little bit more realistic!”

Arsenal winger Alex Iwobi also said he wasn’t pleased with his rating.

“I’m not happy with my stats either,” he told the Daily Mail.

“They are the same as last year, that means there’s no improvement.”

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iverpool midfielder Adam Lallana has taken a significant step in his recovery from a thigh injury by running outside for the first time since early last month.

Lallana, who was on crutches at one stage during his recovery, has been sidelined since suffering the problem in a preseason friendly against Atletico Madrid.

The England international was expected to be out for a maximum of three months, with manager Jurgen Klopp believing he would be absent for “a couple of months, not weeks.”

But Lallana was out jogging at Liverpool’s Melwood training base on Thursday.

Speaking to the club’s official

Lallana training as injury recovery continues

website last month, he said: “I’m getting on well -- slowly but surely in the background.

“I don’t like staying away from it -- I quite like being in the mix and involved in the games, especially the home games.

“I’m well into the way on my rehab now. I’m obviously looking forward to being back.”

Meanwhile, Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren are doubts for the game at Leicester City on Saturday, while Nathaniel Clyne remains out with his long-term back injury.

Saturday, September 23, 2017

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Klopp rues Reds defensive problems

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ejan Lovren and Joel Matip must prove their fitness as the Reds aim to turn around their recent slump at Leicester City in the Premier League Jurgen Klopp could be without first-choice central defensive duo Dejan Lovren and Joel Matip when he tries to remedy Liverpool’s problems at the back against Leicester City on Saturday.

The Reds return to the King Power Stadium in Premier League action after goals from Shinji Okazaki and Islam Slimani dumped them out of the Carabao Cup at the same venue on Tuesday.

Lovren missed that match due to a back injury and Matip,

Klopp along with Germany international midfielder Emre Can, sustained a knock.

“It’s nothing major but it was enough to keep him out of two games and he is not in train-

ing so far, so that means he is also a doubt for the weekend.

That’s not too cool,” Klopp said of Lovren’s injury “It’s the same, but with completely different [injuries] for Joel Matip and Emre Can. They have little bits from the last game, so we have to see.

“Hopefully they can be back in training [by Friday], but it’s not sure at the moment so we have to wait.”

Can was pictured training later on Thursday but Liverpool could again line up with youngster Joe Gomez alongside Ragnar Klavan, who has failed to entirely convince at the heart of defence, as they try to break a run of four games without victory.

Coutinho Hughes

I enjoyed watching Diego Costa – Mark Hughes

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Rascist chants: Lukaku wants to move on

M Moscow police warn Liverpool, Man U fans

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iverpool and Manchester United fans have been told there will be a “visible police presence” in Moscow next week.

The Premier League clubs both have Champions League group matches in the Russian capital.

A combined total of 2,000 fans will make the 3,200-mile round trip from the north-west with Liverpool playing Spartak Moscow on Tuesday and United taking on CSKA Moscow a day later.

United have told fans “not to wear club colours” or “walk around Moscow alone”.

Liverpool say the Russian authorities are aware the two clubs are in Moscow at the same time so a visible police presence can be expected “wherever groups of Liverpool and Manchester United fans congregate, including at your accommodation”.

Liverpool opened their campaign with a draw against Sevilla at Anfield on 13 September, whilst United defeated FC Basel at Old Trafford.

Russian hooligans attacked England fans in Marseille at the 2016 European Championship.

anchester United striker Romelu Lukaku says he wants the club’s fans to “move on” from their controversial chant about him.

Anti-discrimination group Kick It Out have described the lyrics, about the size of the 24-year-old’s penis, as “offensive and discriminatory”.

“Great backing since I joined #MUFC,” Lukaku was quoted as saying on United’s official Twitter account.

“Fans have meant well with their songs but let’s move on together.” The tweet ends: “#RespectEachOther”.

Fans have meant well with their songs but let’s move on together “Racist stereotypes are never acceptable, irrespective of any intention to show support for a player,” said Kick It Out earlier this week.

On Friday, United boss Jose Mourinho was asked about the chants and replied: “Don’t ask me these questions.”

When subsequently asked what his message to the United fans would be, he said: “That’s what I want, the fans to support the football club and support the players.”

United posted on social media ahead of Wednesday’s Carabao Cup win over Burton Albion - in which Belgium forward Lukaku was an unused substitute - that “action will be taken against any offensive behaviour”, reminding supporters of the club’s commitment to racial harmony.

Midway through the first half a chant was heard at Old Trafford about Lukaku but with fans having appeared to tweak the words.

Lukaku joined United for an initial £75m from Everton during the summer in a deal that could rise to £90m.

Lukaku

toke City boss Mark Hughes says the Premier League will miss Diego Costa.

Hughes is preparing his side for the visit of Costa’s soon-to-be ex-employers Chelsea at the Britannia on Saturday.

It’s a shame from a football fans’ point of view.

It’s a loss to the Premier League,” he said of Costa’s imminent move to Atletico Madrid.

“I used to enjoy watching him play because he had an edge to him and the reaction of other players to him was really interesting.

“He’s a top player and the Premier League should have top players playing in it.

“Whatever happened or why it happened, maybe both sides should have got together and got a real positive out of it.

“But as it is, he’s left Chelsea and left the Premier League, which is a shame.”

Saturday, September 23, 2017

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How bad officiating is threatening Nigerian football

Amaju Pinnick

FRANK JUMBO

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igeria can safely be regarded as the land of African football. To date, no other football nation on the continent has won more trophies in every football category than Nigeria. Our footballers have, and are still distinguishing themselves all over the world.

There is a cancer that is however destroying the very essence of the sport in Nigeria – bad officiating. Our local league which in the past was the toast of Africa has been brought to disrepute by this dangerous development.

Over the last few years the level of bad officiating in the league has jumped to monumental proportions.

Crooked officials in connivance with football club owners have made our league a laughing stock to the rest of the world. They are not bothered about the sordid reputation hanging over our heads; they are not bothered that no single Nigerian referee is allowed to officiate international matches worldwide and they are not bothered that they are killing the game.

True, bad officiating exists in every football nation in the world. However, the level of bad officiating has become such an institutional-

Instead of allowing the goal, the referee blew the whistle for half time even as the assistant referee insisted on calling for a goal. As the match progressed, IfeanyiUba players became more and more incensed with her handling of the match which led to their coach and officials walking off the pitch. Instead of a thorough investigation, the League Management Company descended hard on FC IfeanyiUba and they were heavily fined in addition to loss of points in the league. Needless to say, the referee went scot free. ized activity that the outcome of any match in our league can easily be predicted.

This dangerous trend has risen to such a degree that the NFF and the Sports Ministry

appear to be helpless in exercising their regulatory powers to control it. The very essence of football which is fair play is gradually being sacrificed.

For example, the opening match of the 2016 – 2017 Nigeria Professional Football League season between FC IfeanyiUba and Kano Pillars was abandoned in the 60th minute. This was after a dubious and suspicious decision by the female centre referee, Mrs Folusho Ajayi, to disallow a goal scored from a free kick by FC IfeanyiUba striker Prince Aggrey who incidentally was a former player with Kano Pillars.

Instead of allowing the goal, the referee blew the whistle for half time even as the assistant referee insisted on calling for a goal.

As the match progressed, IfeanyiUba players became more and more incensed with her handling of the match which led to their coach and officials walking off the pitch. Instead of a thorough investigation, the League Management Company descended hard on FC IfeanyiUba and they were heavily fined in addition to loss of points in the league. Needless to say, the referee went scot free.

The ugly syndrome of win-at-home at all costs has severely damaged the popularity and quality of our football. Every host team tries every trick in the book not to lose including, but not restricted to the following – compromising the match officials, intimidation of

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Mr Tade Azeez President Nigeria Referees Association

Also in 2014, FIFA blacklisted referee Humberto Clavijo for his questionable decisions in the match between Mexico and Cameroun. He was replaced by referee Christian Lexona of Ecuador.

His offside decisions denied Mexico 2 potential goals against Cameroun.

the visitors players and fans and violence and threats of violence.

The network that fuels this highly organized activity extends to some top NFF officials and some serving and ex-state Governors.

Crooked club owners at the beginning of each season amass a war chest to bribe officials and referees. Thugs are hired and placed on standby to intimidate opponents and perpetrate violence. In some cases, the centre referees collect bribes from both sides and cleverly handle a match to a pre-determined draw. In other cases, the highest bidder gets to win the game. In such scenarios, the losing team’s fans and thugs usually attack their opponents and even the referees.

In a recent interview granted to the press in Abuja, Mr Akinade Onigbinde, coach of Federal Roads Safety Corps FC, bitterly lamented that his team had suffered severally from bad officiating due to its inability and reluctance to settle match officials. In his words “Football is different from politics and war that winning in most cases is considered the only option. These acts are destroying the game and bringing it to ridicule.” he said. He went on to urge the NFF to checkmate any corrupt official found wanting.

The Deputy Governor of Edo State Comrade Philip Shaibu recently got a bitter dose of bad officiating when he led the states team, Bendel Insurance FC to Warri Township stadium to play against Warri Wolves. The match lived up to its reputation of a classically compromised game. Questionable decisions by the centre referee Mr Isaac Ogaba, combined with assault and intimidation of Insurance players allowed the home side, Warri Wolves to emerge victorious with a 3-2 score line.

One of the decisions by the referee was to allow play to go on for extra twelve minutes after regulation time which allowed the home side to score the winning goal.

At a post –match press briefing the Deputy Governor did not mince words when he handled the microphone.

“Gentlemen, as you can see, this is a match that has brought to the fore, the ugly side of Nigerian football. The referee officiated below standard and actively assisted Warri Wolves to win at all costs. I think the NFF and the referees Association should take appropriate disciplinary measures against erring referees so that sanity can return to the sport. This syndrome of I must win at home by our teams can be arrested by considering neutral venues for home matches. Football is not war and as far as this match is concerned, my state government will pay our team the full wining bonus, because irrespective of the result, we played better and we actually won the match. In the past, which I call the golden age of football in Nigeria, teams playing at home and away are guaranteed fair play and guaranteed unbiased officiating and are protected from assault and intimidation by sympathizers in the home crowd.” He said.

The Chairman of Adamawa United FC, MR Emma Zira is convinced that club owners have a large share of the blame for this decay. Zira told the News Agency Of Nigeria recently that the owners were part of the system, while exonerating his team from the practice.

The Chairman of the Nigeria League Management Company LMC, Shehu Dikko “Officiating is part of football, so we need to raise the quality of officiating in our league, It is a fact that there are good and bad referees.

I can only plead with Referees Appointments Committee and the NFF to fish out those that are spoiling the good ones we have. It must also be emphasized that club owners are the architects of this bad officiating because it takes two to tango. If you don’t give, the referees will not collect. If club owners make it a collective decision not to give money to referees but give it to the LMC to increases wages of referees, then our league will grow. This will bring out the best in our coaches, otherwise they will just fold their arms and believe that the club management will win matches for them.” He said.

As stated earlier, bad officiating is not only a Nigerian disease because it happens all over the world and in every tournament. The difference between Nigeria and the rest of the world is our reluctance and inability to deal decisively with crooked officials and referees.

Bad officiating is not treated lightly in the western world. Referees and officials are almost always punished by football authorities whether their decisions on the field of play are deliberate or a genuine human error.

At the 2002 world cup, Referee Byron Moreno was named ‘the worst referee ever’ by the media when his bad decisions allowed South Korea to knock Italy out of the world cup. Italy was denied 3 clean goals and had a penalty awarded against them plus a red card. Moreno was investigated by FIFA and forced to retire in 2003. He was arrested in 2010 for trying to smuggle heroin in America and was subsequently jailed.

Also in 2014, FIFA blacklisted referee Humberto Clavijo for his questionable decisions in the match between Mexico and Cameroun. He was replaced by referee Christian Lexona of Ecuador. His offside decisions denied Mexico 2 potential goals against Cameroun.

At Euro 2004, referee Urs Meier of Switzerland was chosen to referee the knock out game between England and Portugal, despite protests in England due to the fact that England had beaten Switzerland 3-0 during the competition. He awarded many calls in favor of Portu-

gal and England eventually lost the game courtesy of a disallowed goal in extra time. Meier was blacklisted and forced into retirement.

Here at home, our crooked referees are hardly investigated and even when it happens , they are given mere slaps in the wrists for serious offences.

In March this year the NFF Referees Committee put up a show of sanctioning 4 NPLF referees for bad officiating and game mismanagement. They were 2 centre referees and 2 Assistant referees. One of the centre referees, Joseph Ogabor was given a limited suspension from the league. His assistants, Bosede Momoh and Hulda Nkwocha were merely warned to improve on their duties.

Another assistant referee, Tejiri Digbori was found wanting in his attempt to cancel a goal due to poor off-side judgment and was also given a limited suspension.

Abubakar Lukman, one of the few upright referees in Nigeria claims that he was forced out of refereeing because he refused to collect bribes in order to compromise games.

“I was frustrated out of refereeing because I could not cope with the dirt surrounding the profession. As a university lecturer, I enjoyed refereeing as a hobby until the suspension that eventually led me to quit, because I was not ready to compromise and favor the home team.” He told reporters in his house.

Some decent referees have been assaulted by thugs who had expected victory for their teams. Some are even ambushed on matchfree days by thugs who carefully monitor their movements The continuous on-pitch controversies and bad officiating pushed FIFA to introduce the Video Assistant Referee VAR at the Confederations cup in Russia. VAR involves two 2 video assistant referees who monitor the game on screens and draw the match referees attention to officiating mistakes. FIFA is likely to use the technology in the 2018 world cup.

In the face of the fact that our football authorities are unable or unwilling to rein in bad officiating across the country, it may well be the VAR technology that will save Nigerian football from total collapse.

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Saturday, September 23 2017

EXTRATIME

30

Stories by Andrew Ekejiuba with Agency Reports

Allegri backs misfiring Higuain

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uventus have “total faith” in Gonzalo Higuain during a slow start to the season for the star striker, according to Coach Massimiliano Allegri.

Higuain, signed from Napoli for €90million in July 2016, has netted just twice from seven appearances in all competitions for Juve early in 2017-18.

He fired blanks in a 3-0 Champions League loss at Barcelona and also failed to hit the back of the net as the Scudetto holders defeated Sassuolo away and Fiorentina at home in Serie A. Allegri, though, has no concerns about the Argentina international ahead of the derby against Torino today.

“The most important thing is that Higuain has total faith from his teammates, the coach, the club and the fans,” he told a news conference.

“These periods happen to every striker when the ball doesn’t go in for two or three games, but he will break through.

“He played well on Wednesday night against Fiorentina.”

Torino, who finished ninth last term, have made a strong start to this campaign, winning three and drawing two of their first five leagues matches, leaving Allegri wary of Sinisa Mihajlovic’s side.

“The Derby della Mole is always a special game for the city and the fans,” he said.

“It’s twice as important for us, because it’s a derby and worth three points, so we must win.

“Torino are much stronger than they have been in the past, but Juve have good defenders who can counter the technical quality of their players. This season they brought in more solid players in defence and midfield too.

“Torino were already strong last season and have been completed with players suited to their character, like Tomas Rincon, Cristian Ansaldi and M’Baye Niang, so they can target a top-six finish..

Diego Costa (right) receives tactical instructions from Antonio Conte.

Costa ‘cool’ with Conte!

Rakitic slams Barca over Neymar’s departure

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I

van Rakitic is still ruing the “bad decision” Barcelona made in not preventing Neymar’s world-record €222million move to Paris Saint-Germain.

Neymar’s switch from Barca to PSG rocked the football world at the start of August, as he became the most expensive player in history.

Speculation had been rife for much of the pre-season of a possible move, though Barca were confident that Neymar was set to agree a new contract at Camp Nou. But Barca were rendered somewhat helpless when PSG paid Neymar’s buyout clause and Rakitic is still frustrated by the outcome.

He said: “For me personally, it was really hard, not only because he’s one of the biggest players. But also, for me, because he’s a big person.

“He was really important for our dressing room, and for me he’s one of the best guys I know in football.

“So for me it was really a bad decision because I liked to have him in my team.”

Rakitic holds no ill-feeling towards the Brazilian, however, and wished him success in France.

The Croatian called for Barca to show unity following the departure of a key player.

“We have to respect Neymar’s decision to move,” Rakitic added.

“If a team can buy him and he decides to leave Barcelona, we have to respect it and wish him the best luck.

“Hopefully he can score a lot of goals and be happy in Paris, but we have to go on our way and be strong together without Neymar now.”

Neymar

iego Costa insists that he leaves Chelsea with “no bitterness” towards Antonio Conte despite reports of a fractious relationship with the Italian prompting a return to Atletico Madrid.

Chelsea and Atletico secured a deal, estimated to be worth up to €60million, on Thursday, with Costa set to undergo a medical and agree personal terms before finalising a reunion with Diego Simeone’s side.

Conte informed Costa that he was not in his plans for the campaign in preseason, with the pair reported to have fallen out in January over the Blues’ refusal to sanction a move to China, but the striker was welcomed back for Chelsea’s title run-in. A pre-season move failed to materialise and Costa opted to remain in Brazil rather than return to training, but with a departure close, the 28-year-old insists he bears no ill will because “everything is cool”.

Interviewed by reporters in a Sao Paulo airport, Costa said: “Everybody knows how much I love the fans.

“There’s nothing of the sort like anger there. I’m not upset with anyone. I have no bitterness towards anyone. Everything is cool.” Costa is expected in Madrid to complete his move, but he will be unable to feature for the club until January.

Dembele

Dembele returns to Barca after surgery

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usmane Dembele has returned to Barcelona after undergoing surgery on a torn hamstring.

The France international travelled to Helsinki for an operation on the injury, which he suffered on his full league debut for the club against Getafe last weekend.

He is expected to be out for up to four months, though there has been talk of him returning earlier.

Dembele joined Barca from Borussia Dortmund last month after Neymar left Camp Nou to join Paris SaintGermain. Barca paid €105million plus a reported €40m in add ons to sign Dembele.

Saturday, September 23, 2017

EXTRATIME

31

EURO…EURO… EURO…EURO… EURO…EURO… EURO…

Hughie Fury (right) poses with WBO heavyweight champ Joseph Parker.

Fury battles Parker for WBO heavyweight title

Broady crashes out of St Petersburg Open Andrew Ekejiuba with Agency Report

Andrew Ekejiuba with Agency Report

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ughie Fury says he will deliver the “performance of my life” to claim Joseph Parker’s WBO world heavyweight title in Manchester today.

The 23-year-old’s hunger for a first world title is obvious yet there are those who believe Parker views him as nothing more than a stepping stone as he chases a unification bout with WBA and IBF champion Anthony Joshua.

New Zealand’s Parker is desperate to make a statement in the UK market. His promotional team realise a lot is on the line and have gone as far as to call for changes to English officials for the bout this week.

But Parker’s first fight in the UK has sold little more than 8,000 seats at the 21,000-capacity Manchester Arena.

Some 20 countries will be able to watch on television, while a further 25 can access the contest on YouTube in a bold attempt to take British pay-per-view boxing online.

“Hopefully I win in incredible fashion on Saturday, maybe a knockout and then make some big fights with other big heavyweights here in the UK,” said Parker, 25.

His trainer Kevin Barry added: “We have planned on coming here for 12 to 18 months. We thought Hughie will bring the best challenge to us. “Joseph’s last two performances, even though he won a world title, were not his best work. The Joseph Parker we have here is the best Joseph Parker I have seen.”

This will be Parker’s fifth fight outside New Zealand and he says he will now base himself in the UK because its heavyweight boxing scene is “booming”.

Broady

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iam Broady’s excellent run at the St Petersburg Open came to an end with a 6-3 2-6 6-4 quarter-final defeat by Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Damir Dzumhur.

The world number 242, ranked 187 places below his opponent, broke twice in the second set to level the match.

Broady, 23, had an early break

Dalung approves media professionals for Federations

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he Ministry of Youth and Sports Development has announced names of media professionals to support the various National Sports Federations.

Sequel to a successful conduct of boards of the sports federations, the Minister, Barrister Solomon Dalung approved a list comprising 31 members of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria SWAN to be

Dalung

attached to the various associations as Associate Members.

According to Barrister Dalung their appointment is in recognition of SWAN as one of the stakeholders in sports.

“This is in recognition of SWAN as a critical stakeholder in the implementation of the ongoing reforms in the Nigerian sports sector and promoters of sports development in the country.

“The various National Sports Federations are therefore encouraged to give them every support to ensure a harmonious working relationship. The appointed SWAN members are to help in the building of sports through the promotion of various projects of the federations especially grassroots sports development.

“However, it should be noted that as Associate Members, you have no voting rights and your addition does not in anyway alter the membership of the boards as contained in Section 2.1 and 2.2 of the National Sports Federations Electoral Guidelines. I hereby congratulate you all.”

in the decider but Dzumhur fought back and then saved three break points in the ninth game.

Dzumhur then broke the British number seven in the 10th game to seal victory.

Broady went through two rounds of qualifying before he defeated Latvian Ernests Gulbis in round one.

He went on to beat fourth seed and world number 31 Adrian Mannarino to reach the quarter-finals.

Sierra Leone FA bans 19 officials for life

Sierra Leone FA boss Isha Johansen. wo officials banned for life by the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) will not accept the sanction.

The duo are among 19 officials banned on Thursday for violating SLFA and Fifa statutes concerning taking football related cases to civil courts.

The group went to court last month to seek an injunction to stop the current executive running the SLFA. In July Fifa postponed the SLFA congress and elections while integrity checks on candidates were carried out.

Among those banned is Sanusi Bruski Kargbo, who had declared his intention to run against Isha Johansen in the next SLFA

T

elections.

Kallon FC team manager Amara Kamara insists he will not abide by the ruling.

“We don’t recognise the decision because the mandate of the Johansen-led executive expired last month,” Kamara told reporters.

“They are being inconsistent as they said in court we’re not members of the SLFA and now they say they’ve banned us. This is a joke. We’re not bothered by the decision.

We’re focused because we believe we’re on the right track.”

Another banned official Kasho Hollande Cole expressed similar sentiments.

“SLFA is a limited company by guarantee, which means they can sue or be sued,” he pointed out.

“They don’t have the mandate but even then how can you ban people without any hearing?

“Investigations have to be conducted by the disciplinary committee and people must have the right to appeal if they’re not satisfied. Such a decision has to be ratified by congress.”

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Business & Economy Saturday, September 23, 2017

Why FG should meet workers demands to avoid strikes Page B2

Lawmaker tackles environmental challenges through tourism Page B3

AMCON: Hotel boss denies ownership by Kashamu Ladesope Ladelokun

The Group Managing Director of Suru Worldwide Ventures Nigeria Limited, and owner of Best Western Hotel, Mr Edward Akinlade , has dismissed media reports linking ownership of the hotel to Senator Buruji Kashamu, adding that he has never met the Nigerian senator.

He described the story as damaging and mischievous at a press conference in Lagos recently.

It will be recalled that some leading Nigerian newspapers

had reported that Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) had taken over Best Western Hotel, stating that it was owned by Nigerian Senator, Buruji Kashamu, following alleged invasion of the hotel by security agents, thugs and AMCON officials recently in Lagos over alleged non-performing loan.

According to AMCON, it acted according to a court order on August 4, 2017, granted by Justice M. B. Idris, which confirmed that the corporation sued the Inspector General of Police, the Commandant General of the Nigeria Secu-

rity and Civil Defence Corps and Lagos State Commandant of the Corps as defendants, which gave it as a government-owned agency the mandate to take over the alleged non-performing loan.

Reacting to the claim by AMCON, Akinlade faulted the claim, accusing it of being clever by half.” They obtained a judgment without joining the company as a party, or giving any notice of the pending suit to the company.

When they came, I told them they would have to kill me to take over this place because they have not

appealed the ruling of the high court that barred them from invading this place,‘’ he said.

Akinlade said AMCON took over the company’s performing loan in Oceanic bank in 2011 – a development that provoked his company to slam a N39b suit on Oceanic bank, as, according to him, AMCON can only take over a non-performing loan. He added that the loan was sold to AMCON at N8b by Oceanic Bank at a time records showed that his company had paid over N700 million, indicating that he had not defaulted.

L-R: Managing Director, Tormeks Global Services Limited, Umeojiaka Kingsley; Chairman Tormek Global Services Limited, Ifeanyi Udeogu; Saint-Gobain Product Manager, Heidi Olivier; Saint-Gobain Regional Director, Westtar Kapito and Saint-Gobain’s Technical Marketing Manager, Fuchs Nicolas, during Saint-Gobain’s Stakeholders workshop in Lagos, recently.

FG to expand digital governance platform – Minister Anthony Nwakaegho Minister of Communications, Barr. AbdurRaheem Adebayo Shittu on Thursday in Abuja said efforts are on to expand the number of Data Centres in the country as part of government’s plan to expand its presence on a digital platform, 1-gov.net.

The platform, apart from

BUSINESS TIMES Business Editor Ganiyu Obaaro

Deputy Business Editor Azubike Nnadozie Asst. Business Editor Simon Ugwu Capital Market Editor Bonny Amadi

consolidating existing government ICT infrastructure, it also enables MDAs to exchange data in a seamless manner while allowing each other to remain independent and maintain its privacy and the security of its operatives.

The Special Assistant to the Minister on Media, Victor Oluwadamilare in a press release said Barr. Shittu stated this in a keynote address titled Empowering Digital Governments to share latest innovative technology trends and government solutions with emphasis on Microsoft’s Technology platform to improve the capabilities of government within Nigeria”.which he delivered at the 2017 Microsoft Digital Government Conference held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.

The minister said through the 1-gov. net, government has become more participative and accessible where citizens can participate in policy process through discussions, suggestions and

online-polls.

“Various Government Departments are using this platform for seeking inputs on a wide range of issues. Using the 1-gov.net Platform, Government has been able to save 30% of what it would have expended on a unit per unit cost. As at date 90% of all MDAs within Abuja are linked with fiber backbone and 3,500 locations of different MDAs have been touched across the country. About 270 MDAs websites and applications are being hosted on the network, adding that “Government has recorded success in 1-gov. net, we now focus on some services that have direct bearing on the present administration’s priorities, and we determined to continue with the shared ICT infrastructure and services initiative in the MDAs. The 1-gov.net is promoting Whole-of-Government approaches in the information Age based on shared services.

This approach will enhance pro-

FG must support airlines for meaningful contribution to economy Page B7 Royal Exchange to raise fresh funds from capital market

… Assures on dividend payment

Bonny Amadi

Royal Exchange Nigeria Plc has given assurance of sustaining value creation to its shareholders with recommencement of dividend payment starting with the prevailing financial year 2017.

Chairman of the company, Mr. Kenneth Odogwu disclosed this on Thursday in Lagos Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE) during the presentation of cats behind the figures to market operators and other stakeholders.

The Royal Exchange chairman also discoed that the company is positioning to approach the capital market for fresh funds to boost its capital base, and take advantage of high ticket multi sectorial transactions that guarantees favorable returns.

Odogwu said that for the 100 years the company has existed, it has sustained divided payment, but was interrupted in 2014, 2015 and 2016 financial years due to losses made by the company , occasioned by huge provisioning.

He said that based on strategic innovation and transformation embarked upon by the management and board of the company his repositioning the company for increased profitability and returns on investments to all stakeholders.

According to him, digital transformation, Agriculture insurance which has been endorsed by NAICOM, with support from federal government and the world bank.

Launch of OyaNow Logistics holds in Abuja Myke Uzendu, Abuja OyaNow logistics Ltd Nigeria, a company that deals in delivery services, is to be launched today in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

OyaNow Logistics Ltd Nigeria, according to its Co-founder, Erik Obianozie, started about a year ago and it is lunching the following category of services-OyaFood, OyaNight, OyaPick & Drop, OyaHome services, OyaMed services from selected pharmacies and clinics in Abuja, OyaGlam for beauty and health products, OyaBiz and more coming through the year.

In a statement made available to Daily Times, Obianozie identified some of the brains behind the sophisticated professional platform

to include; Abbas Dayekh who is the CEO, Stephanie, Efat, Abdul and others.

Obianozie, who explained that the name “OyaNow” came about like a “joke” during a discussion, said that the company has 30 different partners who have signed with OyaNow logistics, well-trained drivers for about six months before they started working, website and an advanced Android and iOS apps.

According to him, the main objective of OyaNow is to become the number one business for consumer platform in Nigeria.

OyaNow Logistics Ltd has delivery services in almost everywhere in Abuja with the primary of providing good quality services especially their customer’s convenience.

Business Review B2

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, September 23, 2017

Why FG should meet workers demands to avoid strikes

Simon Ugwu

The need to meet workers demand has become pertinent to prevent strikes that lead to loss to the economy and the country, Nigeria.

The government must be proactive in seeing that workers are satisfied performing their duties most of the time.

It will be recalled that the Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, threatened to stop loading petroleum of products, including aviation fuel during the latest strike called by the United Labour Congress of Nigeria, ULC. During the period, the electricity workers, on the platform of National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, NAAPE, and National Union of Railway Workers, also asked members to down tools and join the strike.

Leaders of the National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Employees, NUBIFIE, said members would also join the strike.

On its own part, the Presidency, through the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, however stated that the Presidency stood by the Labour Minister’s position that the ULC was not recognised by the Federal Government.

But leaders of Steel and Engineering Workers of Nigeria, SEWUN, Iron and Steel Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, ISSSAN, National Union of Lottery Agents and Employees, Nigerian Union of Mine Workers, Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals, Private Telecommunications and Communications Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, Metal Product Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, Fitters Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, National Union of Shop and Distributive Employees and Academic Staff Union of Research Institute, among others, said their members would fully comply with the strike directive by the national leadership of ULC. Lagos State Chairman of ULC and Lagos zonal chairman of NUPENG, Tokunbo Korodo, said there will be total shut down of all loading activities by members. “What that means is that we are not going to load products across the country, including aviation fuel, from today until there is counter direc-

CHRIS NGIGE tive from the national leaders of our umbrella body, the ULC,’’ he said. Similarly General Secretary of NAAPE, Ocheme Aba, said members will fully comply with the strike, noting that that the strike would be handled strategically. “We are not going to confront anybody, but I can assure you that you will definitely feel the impact of the action,” he said.

In the same vein, Delta State Council of ULC has directed all affiliates in the state to immediately commence total withdrawal of services in compliance with the resolutions of national leadership of the labour centre. Chairman of the council, Comrade Williams Akporeha, said : “We are not deterred but only very worried to hear this sort of comment from respected government officials who allowed undemocratic forces to corrupt and cripple the NLC. “On behalf of the national leadership of congress, all our members in Delta (immediate effect without fear of intimidation and harassment.

“We shall continue to monitor compliance and effectiveness until the Federal Government

Labour Minister

meets our demands already sent to the appropriate agents of government.”

No joining issues with Labour minister — ULC boss Meanwhile, dismissing comments attributed to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, that ULC has not been registered and is therefore an illegal body, President of ULC, Joe Ajaero, said: “ULC does not have any intention of joining issues seriously with the Minister or any other persons but the only thing we can tell them is that they should wait till when the strike commences, for action speaks louder than words.

“He (the minister) has unfortunately not realised that we have to save him and his Ministry which he has allowed to be rubbished by interest groups averse to honest engagements in the sector and the freedom of Nigerian workers by this action. “We are sure that the minister must have been misquoted.

We are not surprised. Let it be placed on record that the laws of our land – the Constitution and the Trade Union Act are on our side and fortunately,

Ngige holds no judicial powers which he pretends to wield and cannot pontificate on the legality of ULC. “He cannot be the person saying this because he knows what the law says on this. Nigerians should remember that TUC operated without certificate for 27 years and that was within the ambit of the law and Ngige knows this, unless he is saying this tongue-in-cheek. We, therefore, pronounce his comments as not only unfortunate but also illegal and should be ignored by all Nigerians. “This strike on Monday must, therefore, go on, no matter their shenanigans.

We must join hands to make it compelling!

Don’t allow the ATMs to work, let the banks be closed and let us demonstrate the collective strength of Nigerian workers. “Let us show once and for all that we can neither be intimidated nor purchased! Let us show them that it is only by meeting our demands that we can back down.” It will be recalled that the ULC had earlier issued a 14-day ultimatum and and another seven-day notice to the Federal Government over an 11-point demand, threatening a nationwide strike should government fail to address the demands. The seven-day strike notice which was termed “Final Notice”, expired last Friday.

The group is demanding, among others, ‘’that the Federal Government bans the stationing of the soldiers and Policemen in our workplaces and factory premises. “This will stop employers who are now colluding with the Army and other security agencies from setting up garrisons in our factories for the purposes of intimidating and harassing workers in order to deny them their rights and privileges.

The withholding of registration certificate of the ULC be stopped and the certificate released forthwith so that the nation’s industrial relations clime will be made more inclusive and robust. “The immediate inclusion of all representatives of labour in the various committees, agencies and directorates of government and not singling out just one centre for these purposes, negating the tenets of the nation’s laws. Any of such appointments that have been done contrary to this, we demand an immediate reversal. “The immediate inauguration of the national minimum

wage negotiating committee in line with the above so that it can commence sitting instantly.’’ ULC is illegal, says NLC, TUC Reacting, General Secretary of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Dr. Peter OzoEson, said NLC had made its position known on Friday, adding that its position in asking Nigerians to ignore it as an illegal union subsisted. The Trade Union Congress, TUC, reacted in a similar manner. It will be recalled that at a joint briefing in Abuja last Friday, President of NLC and its TUC counterpart, Ayuba Wabba and Bobboi Kaigama respectively, had contended that ULC and its affiliates are fake unions that had not been registered, and will not be registered since all their areas have effective union coverage that were currently affiliates of the NLC and TUC. They claimed the promoters of ULC are “trying to take advantage of the unstable security and industrial relations situation in the country to increase the tension and give a bad name to trade unionism.”

“The issues include that the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment should set up a task force immediately to carry out factory inspection; that government should review the privatization of Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, and that the Army and Police should withdraw their men in different work places where they are currently stationed as they intimidate and harass workers in such establishments. “Also the ULC demands the immediate release of her “registration certificate”. Our immediate reaction is to remind the promoters of this association that they are not yet a Federal Government-recognized Federation of Trade Unions and cannot speak on behalf of any trade union. “The Trade Unions Act, CAP 14, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN) 2004, is explicitly clear on how a group of trade unions can coalesce to form a Federation of Trade Unions. Section 35(1) (b) states inter alia: “A Federation of Trade Unions may be registered by the Registrar if … it is made up of 12 or more Trade Unions, none of which SHALL have been a member of another registered Federation of Trade Unions.” The government should address these issues to enhance its relationship with labour.

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Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, September 23 , 2017

Lawmaker tackles environmental challenges through tourism …as Seagull Band takes centre stage in Lagos conference

FACTS BOX * Senator Florence Ita-Giwa organised a conference to educate the public on environmental changes and the dangers of degradations. * Ita-Giwa seized Seagull Band, one of the five competing bands of the annual Carnival Calabar l to promote domestic tourism. * Ita-Giwa was the chairman of the environment committee at the 2014 National Conference said her group was at that period dominated with knowledgeable academics and seasoned activists on issues of environment. * Ita-Giwa said, “She did not only learn fast on the job, the exposure opened her eyes to the damage done to the environment and the imminent catastrophe if not checked.” * Ita-Giwa decided that the implicit lessons in the Seagull Band interpretation of Climate Change topics were too important to be restricted to the carnival audience only, hence the conference. * Ita-Giwa said that the Carnival is not just dancing on the streets and road of Calabar, but it has its own peculiar way of sending a message of effect of Climate Change.

Recently the Seagull Band of Carnival Calabar led by Senator Florence ItaGiwa took their campaign to Lagos in a conference organised to educate the public on environmental changes and the dangers of degradations. In this piece, EBERE CHIBUZOR who was at the event highlights efforts made by the group to promote domestic tourism through environmental conservation.

CONTINUES ON PAGE B4

Exploring top vacation and sightseeing attractions in Nigeria.....

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Dubai Tourism plans to strengthen relationship across

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Tours & Travels

Daily Times Nigeria Satrurday, September 23, 2017

Daily Times Nigeria Satrurday, September 23, 2017

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Tours & Travels

Lawmaker tackles environmental challenges through tourism Continued from Page B3 Leader of the Seagull Band, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa used the conference on climate change held recently at the Ballroom of Oriental Hotel in Lagos to educate the public on what to do to save the declining environment globally.

Seagull Band is one of the five competing bands of the annual Carnival Calabar led by Senator Florence Ita-Giwa to promote domestic tourism.

In the conference, the band announced that it was embarking on a tourism show to share strategic insights on major environmental challenges facing Nigeria and the world.

With the theme “A Time for Action’ the conference on climate change and tourism attracted people from all walks of life.

According to the band, it is partnering with different state governments, individuals, nonprofit organizations and corporate citizens, including Heritage Bank, NIMASA, Big Cola and many others to really get the point across to a variety audiences globally. This is also in a bid to ensure that Nigeria’s domestic tourism products are effectively tapped in a sustainable manner Speaking at the event, the team leader Senator Ita-Giwa noted that the subject matter, which is environment demands painstaking preparation, wide consultation with different experts in Nigeria and abroad.

Incidentally, Ita-Giwa was the chairman of the environment committee at the 2014 National Conference. Her group was at that period dominated with

the importance of green environment. Some of the top movie stars that were present include: Ini Edo, Mike Ezuruonye, Mr. Ibu and Emeka Onyiocha amongst others.

Daily Times reports that such was the first time in the history of Carnival Calabar that one band won all the award categories.

“We have turned ourselves to climate change ambassadors and now we are going around to do presentations; so that Nigerians can learn.

We want to use this opportunity to disseminate information on the issues of climate change. We want Nigerians to know that Climate change is real”, Ita-Giwa emphasised The keynote speaker, Mr. Desmond Majekodunmi who is the Chairman of Nigeria Conservation Foundation Committee on Fund Raising and Awareness painted a horrifying picture of the possibility of Lagos and other Nigerian coastal states going completely under water.

Majekodunmi however, raised hope, that it was possible to put it in check, if we take certain proactive actions, saying “We are dumping 110 million of man-made tons of global warming pollution. We are doing the total opposite of our designated role and now it has started re-

Senator Florence Ita-Giwa (right), Guy Murray-Bruce and Mr. Desmond Majekodunmi, Chairman of Nigeria Conservation Foundation Committee during the conference on climate change and a touring show at the Ballroom of Oriental Hotel in Lagos. knowledgeable academics and seasoned activists on issues of environment.

Naturally, the Senator did not miss that singular opportunity.

She did not only learn fast on the job, the exposure opened her eyes to the damage done to the environment and the imminent catastrophe if not checked.

With hindsight at the National Conference and her commitment to excellent presentations, the Seagull Band took home the top prizes at the Carnival Calabar

2016 contest.

Beyond that, Ita-Giwa decided that the implicit lessons in the Seagull Band interpretation of Climate Change topics were too important to be restricted to the carnival audience only, hence the conference.

Explaining further, Ita-Giwa said, “We are trying to preach against the mitigation of climate change. People should know that they should not damage the trees in the bush, they should not block the drainage. It is important that they keep the environment clean the way God wanted

Exploring top vacation and sightseeing attractions in Nigeria.....

1.

MicCom Course Ada

it and not the way man has destroyed it and turn it out to be today. They should also keep the ocean clean of oil spillage.”

The Carnival is not just dancing on the streets and road of Calabar, but it has its own peculiar way of sending a message of effect of Climate Change.

The audience at the Lagos show had the likes of Mrs. Abba Folawiyo, the Emperor of Iwo, Dr. Arnold Udoka and his wife, Pamela Udoka. There were also delegation of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Mazi Nnamdi Ibe-

2.

Ikogosi Spring Resort

quility is only broken by the musical chirping of birds.

The hotel is set in the splendor of nature and the peacefulness

kwe, Emeka Ukwu, Dr and Mrs. Nicholas Igwe, and Eric Anderson, Commissioner of Tourism, Cross River State among others.

The winning dramatization of climate issues which won the Seagull Band all the categories in the 2016 Carnival Calabar contest were re-enacted in the Lagos conference.

To add colour to the event, ItaGiwa had gathered a conglomerate of Nollywood stars. Together, they worked on the topics of going green just as they dramatised

The Seagull Band dramatizing the ozone layer before its errupted to fire

Whether you are in the country or you plan on visiting, here are ten worth visiting vacation destinations in Nigeria

Golf

MicCom Golf Hotels Resort is Nigeria’s only privately owned golf course with hotel facilities attached to it. It is situated in the rustic town of Ada in Osun State. The course is set in the serene, picturesque location deep within the lovely and tranquil forests of the South-West. This tran-

acting. 2014 was the hottest area in the history of mankind and this particularly is happening right now. The fumes of generator are dangerous to human health. If you love your children you should play a part in the solution to fight climate change and environmental issues”.

The entertainment train also had Rita Dominic, Iyanya, Kelly Hansome , Tu Face Idibia amongst others.

The Chairman of the state carnival commission, Mr. Gabe Onah who led a team of officials described the carnival as an oil well, saying that Carnival Calabar is the next big thing after Nollywood, that projects the good image of Nigeria and has the potential of earning foreign exchange for the country through increased number of tourists into the country.

Meanwhile Senator Ben Murray-Bruce who was ably represented by Mr. Guy Murray-Bruce talked on sustainable climate change as the only way out.

Murray-Bruce emphasized that the utmost importance of heeding the warning signs which are already evident everywhere; and that humans are fast destroying the fabric of ecobalance that holds the world together.

and tranquility remains unbroken. The Golf course is set within the most natural hazards, and its every golfer’s delight.

Warm

In the heart of Ikogosi, a small, quiet town with rich, local customs, in the Western part of Ekiti State (Ekiti Tourism Corridor), lies a warm spring which has now catapulted IkogosiEkiti to national and international limelight. What is mysterious about the Ikogosi Warm Spring is the fact that, flowing side by side the warm spring, is anoth-

er spring, a cold one. According to experts, it is a geological wonder to have such occurrence out of the same rock formation and this Ekiti flagship tourist desti-

tory. From a few miles to the town center, a first time visiThe historic Idanre tor will not cease to marvel hills are a marvelous at the aesthetics, architectourist attraction in ture and thoroughness emOndo state. Located in Idanre town, 9 miles southwest of Akure, the state capital, Idanre Hills is no dreamland or imagery of sorts. Said to be 800 years old and reached by about 640 steps with 5 resting points on your way to the top, it is a breathtaking landscape that also provides a window to the town’s colorful his3. Idanre Hills

nation is said to be the only one of its kind discovered anywhere in the world. The meeting point of the warm and cold springs is a unique attraction to tourists.

The Seagull Band dramatizing vegetation He applauded efforts of Lagos State for ensuring that they lay down the law to check environmental degradation in the state.

Earlier, the Deputy Governor of Cross River State, Prof Evara Esu had pointed out that he was at the event to demonstrate importance the state government attaches to the annual Carnival Calabar.

The high point of the event was when Ita-Giwa, a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria came on stage. ItaGiwa who came on the stage in her colorful designer’s carnival costume and was accompanied by a group of five 2016 Seagull Band young female revelers to the stage.

SEN. ITA GIWA

ployed by nature in the assemblage of hills of various shapes and sizes at Idanre, also called ‘Oke Idanre’ by the locals.

4. Mambilla Plateau The Mambilla Plateau is a high grassland Plateau which is a part and ex-

tension of the Adamawa, Obudu, Shebbi and Atlantic mountain chain. The Mambilla Plateau, which lies to the southern edge of Taraba

State, is renowned for its rich scenic beauty. It stands at well over 1,830 meters above sea level and has a temperate climate with lush pasture green vegetation.

The access route up the Plateau and the canyons is a breath-taking delight, with snakelike winding road that ascend the Plateau and natural springs that bore through rocks adorn the road.

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, September 23, 2017

Stories by Ebere Chibuzor Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing has announced its interest in Nigeria and other African countries, with the continued aim to strengthen its relationships with key travel partners in the region.

Stella Obinwa, Regional Director (Africa) for Dubai Tourism said this at the just concluded 13 edition of Akwaaba African Travel Market, which held in Lagos, Nigeria.

Obinwa said: “With a five per cent year-on-year increase in visitors from January to July this year when compared to 2016, Africa continues to show its immense potential as a source market for tourists to Dubai. We are very pleased to return to the Akwaaba African Travel Market and meet with new and existing partners from the government and travel trade sector, as we continue to evolve our offering to be the destination of choice for African travellers.”

Following an impressive first half of 2017, Dubai Tourism hopes to capitalise on the popularity of its destinations such as the family-friendly Dubai Parks and Resorts and IMG

B6 Tourism

Dubai Tourism plans to strengthen relationship across Africa - Obinwa

Dubai Travels

Worlds of Adventure, the magnificent Dubai Opera and the expansive Dubai Canal. Earlier this year, the city also celebrated the 22nd edition of the popular Dubai Shopping Festival and the fourth edition of the Dubai Food Festival, and concluded

the latest edition of Dubai Summer Surprises last month.

More recently, Dubai celebrated the launch of La Perle, the city’s first resident live show, and is set to open the doors to attractions such as Dubai Safari Park and Dubai Frame by the end of the year. Also to come in

2017 are sales such as the Big Summer Clearance Sale and a jam-packed calendar of events, concerts and celebrations in the lead up to 2018.

“As African tourists are increasingly seeking more varied experiences, we are constantly working towards giving them

new and different options to enjoy while in Dubai. The city’s extensive affordable luxury offering across hospitality, shopping, dining and entertainment provides multiple reasons to travel to Dubai throughout the year. Through the Akwaaba African Travel Market, we look forward to strengthening our relationship with key travel experts in the region, and work together to further develop Africa as a source market, thereby increasing visitation to Dubai”, Obinwa further said.

Dubai Tourism was joined at the travel fair by select partners including Adonis Tourism; Alpha Tours; American Hospital Dubai, Emirates Airline; North Tours; Thumbay Hospital; Dubai College of Tourism; and Iranian Hospital Dubai among others to showcase the city’s ever-growing portfolio of bespoke and affordable experiences for leisure, business and health travellers.

Luxury tourism surprisingly buoyant in South Africa There’s an element of tunnel vision that can come with maintaining a fairly ordinary existence. It’s difficult to place yourself in someone else’s position, especially when that someone is, by all accounts, incredibly wealthy. While many of us scrimp and save to enjoy a well-earned holiday, for others, luxury travel is part of their lifestyle. The benefit of this to us as locals in South Africa is that this form of niche tourism contributes to sustainability in the tourism and hospitality sector.

Cape Town, for example, is a second home to the wealthy, with more than 1 500 multimillionaires (classified as those with personal wealth in excess of $10million, or about R130million) living in the city during peak holiday months.

While the city faces the internal challenge of development, there’s no doubt that this influx of the super-wealthy is adding to the region’s economy.

However, property, financial services, retail and tourism all contribute to the city’s coffers, providing extensive employment opportunities and room for growth. When analysing the contribution made by the cash injection administered by luxury travel, one insight gained is that tourism is not a singlefaceted gem, but rather a series of diamond-encrusted dominoes toppling throughout entire communities. The revenue generated

allows for construction and development projects and for infrastructural improvements.

What most of us would consider luxury is comparatively simple - an exclusive suite in a five-star property and a bottle of French bubbly, but luxury tourism encompasses much more than that.

It can mean everything from international retail adventures to private jets ferrying couples to discreet hideaways. Helicopters, polo ponies, fine dining and sports cars - all of these translate to luxurious experiences.

Luxury tourism is thriving, with the city offering the kinds of upmarket experiences the luxury traveller seeks, besides the world-

renowned landmarks of Table Mountain, Robben Island, the V&A Waterfront and Cape Point, upmarket restaurants and luxury excursions.

The AfrAsia and New World Wealth Review figures quoted above don’t differentiate between business and leisure travel, so luxury travel isn’t always about enjoying down time. It may include some large business deals that will also contribute to the economy, providing more jobs for locals.

Ease of travel is what enables these deals to take place, so the facilities must exist to accommodate the lifestyles to which highflying executives are accustomed.

Behind the scenes in hospitality you’ll find an astonishing number of CSI projects taking place, with hotels, tour companies and other tourism operations ensuring that the benefits are paid forward throughout communities.

The income enjoyed by luxury tourism operators is being poured back into skills development, community upliftment and other projects.

Organisations such as Wesgro are tapping into the possibilities that exist, developing air access and facilitating trade deals, all with a view to increasing the potential that comes from investment. International investors won’t just sign away a fortune

without visiting the destination where projects will take place, large delegations are travelling to ensure that everything is in place before deals get signed.

The bread and butter of tourism remains in encouraging domestic and international business and leisure travel, both for fun and commercial reasons. It’s imperative that tourism operators work towards ensuring that this takes place. For every penthouse suite there are a hundred rooms that exist to ensure that all tastes and budgets are accommodated, and no hotel worth its salt would ignore the fruits of providing every guest with a\ personalised visitor experience.

The point is, you can explore a destination and get as much out of it as your budget allows, whether your budget is limitless or carefully tailored.

The fabulously wealthy can be adventurers as much as the student with his backpack.

Tourism remains an aspirational activity, to see the world and all that’s in it is a privilege to all, and there’s no price tag on the value of discovering the world.

With any niche market, there are opportunities for enterprising individuals to tap into gaps, so perhaps you, too, could provide an experience that provides a luxurious take on travel within South Africa. The market is there, but is it being accommodated to the fullest?

Business Interview B7

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, September 23, 2017

FG must support airlines for meaningful contribution to economy Chief Allen Onyema Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace airline, one of the leading domestic carriers in the nation’s aviation sector. In this interview with CHUKWUEMEKE IWELUNMO, Onyema who is also a lawyer talks about airline business, general aviation and how the sector can contribute meaningfully to the sector. Excerpts: What is your evaluation of the Nigerian travel market visa-vis the performance of Air Peace?

The aviation industry in Nigeria is not at the level we should have expected it to be, but it is still growing. There is a lot of improvement needed in the industry. When I was coming in, I was warned about the harsh environment under which Nigerian airlines were operating. I dismissed such warnings with a wave of the hand, but now I have seen it all.

Air Peace will be three years on October 24 this year. In less than three years I have received my own baptism of fire. I have gone to the school of Nigerian aviation, I have seen it all and I make bold to say that there is a lot to be desired.

However, Air Peace, as I promised during our launching on October 21 in 2014, was coming to revolutionise the way the scheduled flight operations is done in the country. We have lived up to that promise we made.

From the depletion of operational aircraft and the suspension of services by some airlines, it is very evident that if Air Peace had not come at the time it did, one wonders what would have been happening in scheduled operations today. Our coming helped to sustain competitive fares in domestic travel market. We have contributed our own quota to the economic development of this nation and we are proud of what we have been able to achieve as an airline so far.

We have caused a lot of changes in the aviation industry; we brought with us on-time departure that was lacking before we came in. We provided several frequencies right from the first day.

It was the first time an airline will be doing 14 flights on their first day of operation. We opened up five different stations the same day. So we took the bull by the horns right from day one and we have never looked back. So, to a large extent, Air Peace has contributed in changing the face of aviation in Nigeria.

What is your fleet size now and what is your plan for expansion?

We started with seven aircraft; four Boeing B737 and three Donnier 328 jets. Today, we have been

able to acquire 15 more aircraft.

So we now have a total of 22 aircraft in our fleet. So Air Peace is Nigeria’s largest carrier today fleet-wise. We have 13 Boeing B737s, six Embraer 145 regional jets and one Donnier 328 jet. We also have two Boeing777 for our international operations, which are still domiciled outside the country.

This feat could not have been achieved without the corporation of our banks. And it is also the evidence of our integrity. If we are not effectively servicing our loans, I doubt if the banks would have been supporting us. Today Fidelity Bank has supported us massively, we are keying into United Bank for Africa too. I am sure they will come on stream when they see what we are doing. With Fidelity we are good to go, they have been supporting the affairs of Air Peace massively because we have integrity.

With your long-haul aircraft delivered, why are you not operating international services yet?

We will go into international operations very soon. We planned that we would go into international operations two years after we had started. So it was in our business plan to go international, to help conserve Nigeria’s foreign exchange and to help create Nigerian wealth for the people of Nigeria. Air Peace is not unaware of what the foreign airlines have been doing to our country. A ninehour flight from Johannesburg to London would cost less than a six-hour flight from Lagos to London. This country has been raped; our foreign reserves have been depleted in the hands of foreign airlines. All foreign airlines are making a kill out of Nigeria because Nigerian airlines are not firmly operating international destinations. So Nigerians are now at the mercy of these foreign airlines in terms of outrageous fares that they charge. So we decided to go international and we are taking it step by step.

As I stated earlier, we have acquired two Boeing B777, very beautiful aircraft, with state-of -the-art equipment. We should have by now started our foreign operations but for some kind of hindrances that have to do with

policy. We are ready to touch the whole world but we need the support of government and people of Nigeria. The Boeing 777 aircraft we bought have to be type certificated by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) because before now no Nigerian airline has operated the aircraft type. That is why we are waiting on Boeing and the Nigerian government, as represented by the NCAA to come together and type certificate Nigeria on the aircraft type. It is after that NCAA will be able to carry out oversight function on the aircraft.

We have facilitated the training of NCAA pilots and engineers on the aircraft. That is why the aircraft are not yet in Nigeria and it costs Air Peace hugely to maintain them where they are outside the country. After the type certification we can now bring in these beautiful birds into the country.

We will save Nigeria a lot of money when we begin to operate international destinations. We need more domestic airlines to operate international. We have received one approval from one of the countries we wish to fly to, we are not ready to announce it yet but once we get type certificated we will announce that to Nigerians and we will start operations and we promise Nigerians that we are going to compete with the best airlines in the world. These foreign airlines do not want any Nigerian airline to succeed but we are going to break that jinx.

I know that under Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), the airlines have been making efforts to make government review the alleged double taxation on airlines.

How far have you gone in this?

The Airline Operators of Nigeria took this matter to the then acting President, the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, and he called for a meeting and we met with him and gave him details of our grouses. And he called for an enlarged meeting of all the agencies and the Ministry of Aviation and the airline operators. We held a second meeting where we presented our issues. Osinbajo set up a committee to look at these issues and the committee is yet to meet. The committee comprises the Minister of Aviation and the agencies and maybe about three

Allen Onyema representatives from the airlines.

We are yet to meet and I think from the Ministers’ office they said we shall be meeting immediately after the Sallah break. So I am sure government is trying to look into our complaints. This is because aviation has to grow in this country.

The industry is beset with a lot of problems, which we believe government will help us to tackle. There is the issue of multiple taxation, poor airport infrastructure is there, the attitude of civil servants to investment in Nigeria and to investors is also a matter that calls for concern. In Nigeria people look at the ownership of investment instead of looking at the investment and its contribution to the economy and job creation.

Civil servants in government should start looking at investors as patriotic people. Anybody who looks at the investment climate

in Nigeria and decides to put his money here should be respected, supported and not the other way round.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has recommended ways African countries can boost the aviation industry to create more jobs and generate more revenue. IATA also talked about inimical government policies in Africa. What is the way out of these challenges as an operator?

Government must protect the investments that create and sustain jobs for the citizens. That should be the priority behind government policies. In aviation, government must ensure that local airlines are protected. Foreign airlines don’t create jobs for Nigerians; they don’t pay huge taxes that we pay; so government should encourage these indigenous companies.

v

Personal Finance B8

Daily Times Nigeria Saturday, September 23, 2017

Finance habits everyone should know Bonny Amadi

your car timely increases your chances of suffering a breakdown - which is both costly and inconvenient if you subsequently become reliant on hire cars or public transport whilst your vehicle is fixed.

Buying a new car — or better yet, a newer used car — and keeping it for at least ten years Buying new cars is costly because they can lose upwards of half their value by the time they are three years old.

Philip Reed in his piece “compare he cost of buying a new car and used car” counselled that while buying new car is enticing, one should take a cold, hard look at how much to be saved over time by buying used car instead.

According to Reed, the average person in US, owns 13 cars in a lifetime, each costing an average of $30,000, according to a report by the National Automobile Dealers Association. If each of those cars was 3 years old, instead of new, you could save nearly $130,000 during your lifetime.

Reel said that “The real money-saver in buying a used car is wrapped up in a sinister-sounding financial word: depreciation”

To enhance your financial wellbeing, there are key measures to be taken, these steps are tailored toward making better financial resources available to execute future projects. There are about 50 personal finance habits, some of which are enumerated below.

Spending less than you earn every month Spending less than you earn is one of the most important financial concepts to understand and live by. If you don’t live on less than you earn, you will never get ahead. Spending less than you earn may take some initial life changes, but the longer you do it, the easier it is to continue doing it. To spend less than you earn, you need to: If you are in debt, set up an emergency fund, then pay it down before sending all your money to investments. Your emergency fund can help keep you out of debt. Reducing your debt will also lower your monthly payments and hopefully increase your monthly cash flow – making it easier to spend less than you earn.

Regularly checking your credit report and account statements Constantly checking credit report, bank deductions for errors, and signs of fraud will help to identify theft and fraudulent deductions. You’re entitled to a monthly account statements from your, for properly planning, you need to read your account statements and report of any unauthorized deductions and charges you did not sign for.

Budget making Once you know where your money is going, you can make a budget. You should have a good idea of your recurring expenses and a decent idea of how much money you spend on variable costs such as gas, groceries, travel, entertainment, etc. Use your budget as a guide to control your spending. As you refine your budget, you should be able to free up some cash flow every month. If not, you will need to make extra money.

Ryan Guina in his Money Management piece titled “Spending less than you earn is the key to building wealth” Some people have habits of spending lavishly on material and immaterial things, which leaves them empty shortly after receiving their salary. Also some entrepreneurs after paying themselves from their income, lavish such funds, hoping to either dip into the working capital or the next month’s pay.

However, some people have the good personal finance habits too, which ensures that not all or more of what is earned every month is spent.

Avoid impulsive buying One of the best ways to help prevent this is to make a shopping list and then stick to it.

Shop Owners try to ambush consumers into varieties of products that you believe it was deducted a lot from its original price.

What you need to do when you see this ‘lovely’ sales is to think, is it really that low-priced? So think again because even though you might get a half-priced bargain; it will still be costly. Even though it is illegal, people to still trap consumers by this illegal proposition.

Faithfully following your budget: It’s one thing to create a budget, but if you don’t have the discipline to put it into action, why bother?

Avoiding the use of payday loans to cover temporary financial shortfalls Eliminate monthly shortfalls by following a budget and maintaining an emergency fund.

Payday lenders typically offer 28-day loans at annualised percentage rates topping 4,000 per cent. Applications are generally quick and simple with money often handed over the same day.

However, payday lenders argue that because the loans are de-

signed to be repaid quickly.

Resisting the urge accumulate bills, credit before payday Many people have developed the habit of accumulating huge bills before the pay day, which mean that as soon that the monthly pay arrives, it may not even cover outstanding bills.

If you have bad credit, a lender who doesn’t do credit checks may be appealing, but this type of loan usually has high interest and hefty fees. Be prepared to spend much more than the initial loan amount on repayments, otherwise, it’s best not to borrow the money in the first place. Today, faster bank processing makes this practice much more risky than it used to be.

Properly maintaining your car By following your car’s maintenance schedule and paying a little up front, one will end up reducing the risk of encountering more costly major issues down

the road.

Failing to service your vehicle each year to save a few pounds really is a false economy. Regular servicing can help to identify issues early on that could later become costly and expensive to rectify.

Take engine oil for example, it’s needed to lubricate and protect the moving parts inside your engine. Without it, your engine could seize up costing thousands to repair or replace. All service schedules include checking the engine oil and, if needed, replacing this with fresh oil specifically designed for cars to keep your engine running smoothly.

Regular servicing can also save motorists money at the petrol pump. New oil and air filters make for a smoother running engine and a more fuel efficient car, while addressing issues such as under inflated tyres will reduce rolling resistance and improve fuel consumption.

Furthermore, not servicing

Treating your household like a business By taking an active role in managing your finances — and looking at ways to maximize your income, you will ensure a brighter financial future for you and your family.

Ted Jenkins in his comment on “how to run your family like a business” published by Wall Street journal said that “Whether or not you accept the role, you are the CEO of your family finances” According to him, many seasoned managers and vice presidents do an excellent job at work managing the profit and loss (P&L) for their divisions. However, most don’t apply the astute management techniques they learn at work to their family finances.

Why not? The fact, according to Jenkins, is that even if you have a college degree or an M.B.A., nobody ever really teaches a personal-finance course on how to run your family finances like a business.

Life&

TIMES Saturday, September 23, 2017

Once my husband calls me ‘Joke’, I know am in big trouble –Joke Silva

L2, 3

P

Interview L2

Daily Times Nigeria

Saturday, September 23, 2017

I call my husband by his pet name ‘Omo Boy’ –Joke Silva doggedness. Cornered at the 100th premiere of Battleground, she shares

Was acting something you knew you will end up dong while growing up?

I knew from about the age of 10 and my parents supported me from about the ages of 10… (Laughs) In the schools that I went to after my A-Levels , I prayed

You are one of the celebrities whose marriage have worked and is still working. Unfortunately we get to hear too many stories of broken homes.

Does that not bother you?

mother and a lawyer father who are both at the top of

At the time you were growing up, there were certain professions that were considered noble like Engineering, Medicine, Accounting and the likes.

Did that not bother your parents? women) (claps)… so when a man all of a sudden, you

there, they nurtured the talent, they encouraged the to be a hubby (laughs…) you know, my mother played

While growing, were there circumstances that made you make a detour from acting?

With your successful marriage story; there must have been a Pet name for your husband and for you?

Are there no moments it becomes heavy for you

Life&

Daily Times Nigeria

Saturday, September 23, 2017

Violence is the spirit destroying action one can put on their lover –Joke Silva Laye (Never)! When there is Omoboy and then I I

love

both;

I

understood

the

a while in the early years so I use to

Interview L3

L4

Daily Times Nigeria

Saturday, September 16, 2017

Daily Times Nigeria

Saturday, September 23, 2017

L5

Society Circle L6

Daily Times Nigeria

Saturday, September 23, 2017

Isaac Oguntoye

Bola Shagaya still in silent mode Hajia Bola Shagaya is a Nigerian businesswoman and fashion enthusiast who has enjoy Forbes rating as one of the richest women in Africa.

For the past two years now, little or nothing has been heard about the ever-radiant socialite.

Domestic violence especially on women is a punishable offence under the law of the federation but some men still get away with it without facing the wrath of law. This believe is what best described what Yetunde Adekunle have been passing through for some years now. Penultimate week, she cried out on social media while in one of the Lagos hospitals after she was allegedly beaten by her husband. This intrigues Mrs, Elizabeth Obanla, the CEO Alizzy Cargo who visited her in hospital to con-

businesswoman who has successfully forged strong bonds with four Nigerian First Ladies, Maryam Babangida, Dame Patience Jonathan, styling relevant for almost three decades in Niin status started when she tried to get closer to the present wife of the president, Aisha Buhari but was quickly blocked by those aware of her strategic move. For the past two years now, she has been running helter skater not to lose some of her numerous mansion within and outside Nigeria and her Gulfstream G650 Private jet to anti-graft agency.

Meanwhile, some notable socialites have started mocking her saying of diamond, exotic gems and fashion.

she can reconciled the couple. Surpris-

mother of his children again.

In her word, she said “I cried to god and cry to Mrs Obanla to come and visit September 2nd night. That was why she was here at the hospital with me yesterday 19th Sept. She went to verify Bola Shagaya

Omamuli’s Class Suites honoured alongside Ganduje, SSP, others

Omamuli

Class Suites own by Lagos big-boy and hospitality guru, Barr. Stephen Omamuli was among the corporate brands honoured along with some notable individuals in the country like executive Governor of Kano State,

Alizzy Cargo Boss, Elizabeth Obanla, on Rescue Mission

Abdullahi Ganduje and Ace Musician, Sir Shins Peters among many others, at the Annual Nigeria Media Merit Award.

The award which was holding its 11th edition is a special event put together by Solkem En-

tertainment, a Media Out-Fit to recognize distinguished serving Journalists who are doing excellently well on their beat by way of encouraging them as well as honouring some corporate brands/individuals who hitherto have been supportive to Media activities and exceptional in delivery of their services. Held inside the Lagos Airport Hotel in Lagos over the weekend, Barr. Omamuli, the CEO of Class Hospitality Group got one of his brand Class Suites bestowed with Best Customer Service Award in the hospitality category ahead of many notable brand whom were also nominated to the admiration of guests at the epoch-making event. It will be recalled that the same brand couple of weeks

held Development in Africa Merit Award (DAMA) 2017, a brainchild of Barr.

Christian Akpotohwo of Delta Business School.

admitted and on the condition i was admitted. She is a good woman, despite my condition she Insist that everything will settle while instantly called my husband to make peace between us but my husband insulted her. And my husband said to her I said she cannot step into that compound again, he said to Mrs

Elizabeth

Mrs Obanla answer him. Fine let her pack her clothes. He reply Mrs Oban-

Now, Mrs Elizabeth has been calling on Nigerians through her social media where she preaches against sexual abuse, domestic violence and other -

Funmilayo Tejuosho’s next political move revealed

Funmilayo

Adefunmilayo Tejuosho is a Nigerian politician who is a fourth term Lagos State House of Assembly legislator, representing Mushin Constituency I. She is the chairperson of the Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Finance. That she has touches many lives within and outside her constituency is thropist and humble politicians who also double as a socialite. Her role in the na-

tion building we scooped has earned her trust both within the party structure and also from the people of his constituency.

While others are still hoping or expecting a go ahead from the party leaders we gathered that, come 2019 general election some political stalwarts have be surprised that Funmilayo will be vying for House of Representative according to sources within the party APC.

Daily Times Nigeria

Saturday, September 23, 2017

Isaac Oguntoye

Ralf Abiodun, a humble and resourceful banker Wanting to serve or impacting others is a common trait of a humble and resourceful person. Ralf Abiodun, the group head of corporate affair department of one the leading bank in the country, First City Monument Bank, FCMB is a quiet but resourceful banker whose strategic moves has placed the bank at the forefront of her major competitors.

Call him a roving banker who is always out to protect not only his job, the bank image but also his subordinates and

Ralf

Why you must not wait for tomorrow by Wole Arisekola Day dreaming is nothing better than waiting for things to happen magically. Our greatest glory they say is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail. There is this widely acceptable belief among parents and religious or future will always be better than the present. Meanwhile some have waited frivolously for a better tomorrow to the extent of growing grey hair ises of beautiful things never comes. As we grow older and wiser, we realized the tomorrow is now and we need to act immediately.

This curiosity must have led International journalist and public opinion commentator and speaker, Wole Arisekola, to come to the conclusion and advice that we should all channel our energy towards productive ventures that will ultimately give us the expected result rather than wait perpetually for a tomorrow that seems lost in eternity.

Wole Bowale Arisekola, publisher of Street Journal Magazine and Chairman, Association of Online Media Practitioners of Nigeria (AMPON) says; “To my brothers

Oando Boss, Wale Tinubu, gets shareholders, confidence Amid corruption, diversion and misappropriation of fund Oando boss, Wale Tinubu remained unwith the happenstances on social media before the shareholders of the company held 40th Annual General Meeting, AGM, of the leading oil and Gas Company in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, one could conclude that Tinubu is a goner.

But the reversed was the case as Tinubu seems to be having the last laugh now. It will interest you to know that, the shareholders of the company passed a

truth. One unique thing you ing to others lives in a positive way.

Society Circle L7

the meeting. According to inside sources, there was no question of lack of trust in the CEO and his management team.

Nobody ever doubted his ability to lead the company. But just like every other business, there must be some aggrieved elements who ternal thing and it has been fully resolved a source divulged.

Wale Tinubu

Encomium as Quilox Boss, Shina Peller, gets chieftaincy title

Wole Arisekola

and Sisters in Nigeria. I want you to save your time, energy and STOP arguing with a fool, onlookers may not be able to tell the difference.

Never argue with an idiot.

They will only bring you down to their level and beat you with exto free fools from the chains they are tied to. Because they have nothing to lose. Some old Nigerian men continually praise the time of their youth. In fact,

you would almost think that there were no fools in their days, but unluckily they themselves are left as an example. Please save your energy on something important and do not engage yourself in unproductive argument with an educated illiterate. What they will end up telling you is to wait and be patient that tomorrow will be better as if they are the maker of tomorrow. Anyway, Tomorrow is only found in the calendar of fools�.

Shina Peller

After the razzmatazz that went down Magic. The self-acclaimed king of night at the just concluded 20 years remem- life constructed a state-of-the-heart brance of popular socialite, Shina mansion for his mother while he also Abiola Moshood Peller has been conby the king Alaseyin of Iseyin. During the celebration we scooped the town witnessed the attendance of top dignitaries and socialites from both home and abroad. One of the things that add glimpse to the memorable event was that virtually everyone converged in the palatial mansion of the professor of

state, the light skinned Aquila boss, was presented an award as Entrepreneur of the year by Iseyin Weavers Association of Nigeria. Quilox 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.

Relationship L8

Daily Times Nigeria

Saturday, September 23, 2017

Mutiat Alli

How I almost ruined my marriage picture together on Instagram, we did try to keep our relationship and stuffs off social media for a very long while, and I kept it away from most of the people that weeks away to walking the aisle, we broke it.

Then people started to drop comments, send DMs, with: “Na the Girl be this? “ His next line was, “ No be Lola be that?

She do her NYSC for Enugu abi? .

She been dey stay College Road side for self-con” Now Arinze, has his history with girls, and also has a big mouth, but we never took his words for granted, when he drops hints like this, one just knew there was more.

So I asked Lolade, if she knew any Arinze back in Enugu, her reaction was suggestive, very reminiscent, but she said she had never had of any Arinze, except the Popular actor, Segun.

That was the beginning of our many problems.

The next day was a Friday and for every time Lolade called, I replied her with a text saying I was busy at a conference (this was however not true) her, Ex Enugu corper that stayed at college road, even even mention or tag her in the post, so there was no Stalking excuse... these other information he had were just too real, to be the case of a resemblance, say he knows me? Or anything , she just said No and that was it since Thursday afternoon, this was strange

hear it.

In just a few seconds, my mind had travel too far, my eyes brewed enough tears,,,,, this is the woman iota of trust for her. this is not the time me need jo, the wedding is only a few days away o.. Ok”

on in my head, and even though I was still receiving sure where we stood. what worried me more was the fact that Lola gave suggestive hints that she knew him, Arinze had details, before her service year, what could she be hiding from that I prayed for. weekend ritual to have her come over, my mood was before bed time, I hit my Instagram, and there was Arinze again. “Guy, you no con reply my message, na WA o.

Shey you true true wan Marry Lola?

Anyway, I dey enter lag tomorrow, we gaz relate, I get some parole to run for one chair “_ That was it, my next heartburn, not because he was coming, but I suddenly remembered his side hustle, Arinze is a Pimp.... Ideas started to roast my brains at this point Immediately Lola stepped out of the bathroom room, I hit her with the news, “Arinze is coming to Lag..., I ??”. Her eyes brightened, and then she tried to get herself back...

This was the next phase of our troubles.

The drums rolled in my head and as painful as it was waiting for the obvious explanations, I really wanted to

will not hold again, I just marked as unread, after we see the baker we would me Arinze. her new mail and realize that there is no running from Arinze today.

But the feeling was mixed, will I be able to handle this truth I seek? How will things be for us?

Lola before or if she was a “runs girl” in the middle of our courtship. toothbrush, she says “The meeting has been

Lola: Oh well, I know how over nice you can be, who be the Arinze person sef?

She managed to let this topic slide again. wrong? But what if I was correct? What if Arinze had arranged her for his chairmen uncountable times, or what if Arinze was even in the picture too? So many

was the moment, I excitedly said “So we are doing I made vegetable sauce and Spaghetti that morning, but I could only take a few scoops, I was excited and anxious at the same time so it felt like the size of my stomach reduced with my intestines belly dancing somewhere down there.

for her to sleep off so I can shove her off my body.

Her perfume had even started to irritate me.

As she laid on my chest and surfed her done, she suddenly exclaimed and then mumbled that she had to be in Abuja to help her company seal a deal.

In my mind, she wanted to run, but I just feigned

let me call him.

I mean, whatever happens after now might either Mar me or,,,, yes Mar me.

anyways. immediately I noticed she had slept, I just peeled her off my body and sat by the dressing mirror wondering if I really looked like a fool.

What was so hard for her to say?

like she was worried, wait, has she spoken with Him? Have they agreed not to tell me anything?

Suddenly my phone rings, and she started to look at me in a weird way, it was Arinze, he was at the Mall and thanks to fate, we were few blocks away.

We got to the mall, my heart was beating faster, then I saw Arinze, but the part that was interesting was that Lola started yelling happily running with arms open towards him, then she hugged the lady that was with Arinze.

she just open up?

I wanted to see that mail, I wanted to know if she follows Arinze & all.

True, there was a mail, but then there was a new one with the subject “Postponement”, the meeting

know what the cake was going to look like.