NSE GAINERS AND LOSERS AS AT 7th May 2015.
EXCHANGE RATES Currency
Buying(NGN)
Central (NGN)
GAINERS
Selling(NGN)
LOSERS
US DOLLAR
196
196.5
197
SEPLAT
387
8.00
2.07%
NESTLE
900
-35.75
-3.97%
POUNDS STERLING
298.1944
298.9551
299.7158
ETI
24.55
2.27
9.25%
GUINNESS
160.56
-8.44
-5.26%
178
-1.55
-0.87%
170.15
-0.85
-0.50%
EURO
221.5388
222.104
222.6691
CAP
39.31
1.87
4.76%
DANGCEM
SWISS FRANC
214.2779
214.8245
215.3712
WAPCO
96
1.50
1.56%
FO
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Jonathan tells ministers, aides:
Expect persecution Ï Ɗ ^ ƐƈƆ ƅƆè ózƈƋƋ ƕ Ƒ Ɨƈƒ ƏƅƆ ƌƆ Ƈ Ə ƅ ƅƆƗƈ ƗƆƇƆ Ɛîô Ï Answer: Noooooooooo! Egena Egena ƄƑƉ
ÏÏÏFriends
and allies of President Goodluck Jonathan fought back tears on Sunday as he gave what could be regarded as his valedic-
tory speech. At an emotion-laden thanksgiving service held in his honour at the Church of the Advent in Abuja, the outgoing President told his ministers and other aides to exCONTINUED ON PAGE 4
Editorial: Mu’azu, the path of honour
S
even weeks after leading his troops to a colossal loss at the March 28 Presidential election, and an equally resounding defeat in the governorship and states Assembly elections on April 11, the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, has given no indication that he may step down any time soon. Also holding tight to their positions, in spite of the huge electoral beating, are members of Mu’azu’s National Working Committee (NWC). At the weekend, a top member of the party, outgoing Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, alleged that the Mu’azu leadership was planning to lead a splinter PDP should those calling on them to resign have their way. That attitude is injurious to the political health of the party and the nation. Just days ago, the leaders of three political parties in the United Kingdom, who were heavily trounced by the incumbent Conservatives-led administration, did not wait to be asked to give way CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
^ƏƆ ƈƗƆ Ɛ 1 ƗƋƑƅƊ C Ɛ æƏƈ Ɛçè ƈ ƓƈƇƆè ^ ƐƈƆ ƅƆè ƗƑƏƈ Ɛ Ɔ Ɛ Ɗ ƈƒƈ Ɨ Ƈ ƏƆƓƆƋƋ ƆƏƒƈƅƆ Ɛ Ɛ Ɔ ƑƏƅ Ƈ Ɛ Ɔ ƗƒƆ Ɛè ƈ ƄƑƉ Č dƑ Ɨ ƕ
Former Wema Bank chairman docked g4
Ï RƒƆƏ ƋƋƆ ƆƗ ƍƋ Ɛ Ɛ Ƌ Ƒ ƗƆƏ MƾƄ
It will take years to rebuild Nigeria, says Buhari g 25
Nigerian doctor, wife hold fellow Nigerian as slave for 24 years in UK g4
2
Daily Times Nigeria Monday, May 11, 2015
Daily Times Nigeria Monday, May 11, 2015
3
Politics Page Three Æ s Editorial Mu’azu, the path of honour Continued from page 1
for fresh ideas to lead their platforms: They resigned, voluntarily. It is the path of honour to toe; it is the first step in giving their political parties an opportunity for a fresh start, which the PDP sorely needs. Just as the results of the previous day’s election were being announced, and it was clear his party had lost, Labour leader Ed Miliband on Friday announced that he was stepping down. He told his party members that he was “truly sorry” for failing to lead them to victory, adding that it had “clearly been a very disappointing and difficult night for the Labour Party.” Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrat Leader who had formed a coalition government with the Conservatives in 2010, made a similar declaration, saying: “It is now painfully clear this has been a cruel and punishing night for the Liberal Democrats. The election has profound implications for the country and for the Liberal Democrats.” The head of the UK Independence Party (UKIP), Nigel Farage, followed suit, within hours. In Nigeria, PDP’s national executive members are busy blaming everybody except themselves for the electoral losses, and appear bent on sitting tight in office. That attitude is a sad reminder of an immediate past that the electoral reforms initiated by the Goodluck Jonathan administration – which has apparently consumed him the way Mikhail Gorbachev was extinguished by his reform of the then Soviet Union with
Glasnost and Perestroika – are set out to leave as the PDP’s major legacies. In the series of elections conducted by the Jega leadership of INEC, the PDP won some, and lost some – an unprecedented development in the Nigerian political system where the incumbent’s party at the federal and states levels made it a policy to win all electoral seats, at all times. Before Jonathan’s reforms, a combination of trickery, brutality and derring-do made impossible electoral results a reality, to the chagrin of opposition parties and the international community. All that changed under Jonathan, as the PDP was always quick to congratulate opposition parties whenever it lost. The Doomsday Prophecy that Nigeria would disintegrate in 2015 was also smashed into smithereens by just one telephone call, made by Jonathan to his main challenger at the last presidential election, Major General Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The tension that was building up in the country was defused. Today, Nigeria is at peace and ready to continue its march into progress under a new national leadership. Jonathan is leaving office on May 29 with much acclaim, having done his best for his fatherland. Mu’azu and his NWC members must take a cue from this honorable path and allow their party to make a fresh start. Like Jonathan, they have done their best for the PDP, but the result was proof that their best was not good enough. They can still be of immense services to their party in other capacities, from the background.
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What manner of publicity stunts? Sam Nzeh
ÏÏÏThe
recently concluded general election has given birth to a new trend in the country – publicity stunts, ostensibly undertaken to celebrate the victory of General Muhamadu Buhari (rtd), the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the March 28 presidential election. At the last count, no fewer than four persons have undertaken such stunts by claiming to trek long distances to celebrate Buhari’s victory. First was Suleiman Hashimu, who claimed to have trekked from Lagos to
Abuja, in fulfilment of his promise to do so if Buhari, won the poll. Kaduna-born cyclist, Mohammed Kabiru Jafaru, 35, was the second person. He claimed to have embarked on a journey from Kaduna to Lagos State on April 27, 2015, to thank the Yoruba for voting the president-elect. Mallam Abubakar Umar, 43 years, on April 26, 2015 also started trekking from Yola, the Adamawa State capital, to Abuja to celebrate Buhari’s victory. On May 6, an indigene of Borno State, Mallam Hassan Umar, who claimed to be trekking from Lagos to Maiduguri, arrived in Ilorin, the Kwara capital to celebrate Buhari’s victory. They have lately been joined by other persons, but
Words On Marble :
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this time, in honour of President Goodluck Jonathan. First in this list is Mr. Oladele John Nihi, a Kogi State indigene, who on May 4, 2015, claimed to have started trekking from Abuja to Otuoke, the hometown of Jonathan, to celebrate the President as the hero of democracy. He was on Thursday last week joined by a female partner, simply identified as Gloria, in the walk to Jonathan’s hometown. Though these acts have been applauded, the fact is that they are not only lacking in substance but also unnecessary distraction to the persons being eulogized. Again, the so-called ‘feats’ are suspicious as no independent body audited or verified them.
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The opinions expressed in the articles published in this newspaper are solely those of the authors. Articles may be reproduced, provided that the original source is indicated.
Ed Royce
Albert Einstein
Swami Vivekananda
Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa. If Nigeria succeeds at democratic governance it will be an anchor for all of West Africa. Africa needs a strong Nigeria.
Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.
Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life - think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success.
News 4
Daily Times Nigeria Monday, May 11, 2015
Former bank chairman docked over N2b scam Peter Fowoyo
ÏÏÏA
former Chairman of Wema Bank, Olapade Mohammed, has been arraigned before a Federal High Court sitting in La-
gos by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly stealing about N2 billion belonging to a company, AKS Steel. Olapade, who was also the
J O N AT H A N
A LEGACY OF REFORMS May 29 this year will be epochal in the chequered history of Nigeria and its years of social engineering. That day, the country will turn a new page as President Goodluck Jonathan leaves office a hero, with a bag-load of legacies. He leaves legacies for which the nation will eternally remain grateful. These include electoral reforms, giant strides in the economy, particularly the automotive and agricultural sectors, as well as infrastructure. As Nigeria’s newspaper of record, the Daily Times will on May 29 publish a special report to put the Jonathan enigma in proper perspectives, highlighting the significance of the handing over from one political party to another, as well as the innumerable giant strides of his outgoing administration. To participate in the ground-breaking event, kindly contact: OLUYINKA OLUJIMI, Editor: 08033009648, y2olujimi@yahoo.com IFEANYI EMEFU, Special Projects: 08086296714, ifeanyi642001@yahoo.com
Chairman of the company, was arraigned alongside the former Managing Director of the company, Tony Obinwa and a director, Sanni Aliyu Mohammed. The trio were alleged to have fraudulently conspired with others still at large to launder about N2 billion belonging to AKS Steel through some Nigerian banks to Dubai in United Arab Emirates (UAE) and then India. The funds were said to have been transferred without the company’s board resolution. They were said to have used another company identified as 3 Brothers Concept Nigeria Limited, to perpetrate the alleged crime. The affected banks are Diamond Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA), Spring Bank (now Enterprise Bank), Ecobank, Unity Bank, Intercontinental Bank (now Access Bank) and Equitorial Trust Bank (now Sterling Bank). The accused persons were also alleged to have forged various documents and submitted same at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) with the aim of further committing monumental fraud. The trio were said to have forged a board resolution of the company dated October 31, 2005 and filed it at the CAC on January 17, 2006 whereby they purportedly unilaterally increased 3, 250, 000 shares of AKS Alloy PVT Limited, and reduced the status of another investor, Shinning Star, from majority shareholder
in the joint venture company of AKS Steel Nigeria Limited, whereas there was no Board meeting where such decision was made. In one of the 32-count charges, the accused persons were said to have fraudulently stolen and converted to their use, a total of N1.2 billion belonging to the company, while Olapade was also said to have fraudulently converted another $500, 000 (USD) to his use. The crime, which allegedly contravened various sections of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act of 2004, Criminal Code Laws of the Federation of 2004 and Miscellaneous Offences Act of 2004, was committed between January 2006 and March 2009. Earlier, Justice Okon Abang had dismissed two separate applications by the accused persons seeking to quash the charges. The accused had argued that the charges disclosed no prima facie case against them and that the charges were unknown to law. They further contended that the EFCC had earlier exonerated them of the crime via a letter written to a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Wole Olanipekun (SAN). But Justice Abang, in his ruling, held that the charges against the accused persons were very well known to law, adding that the mere typographical error in a criminal charge could not and should not serve as a basis to dis-
Nigerian doctor, wife hold fellow Nigerian as slave for 24 years in UK Ngozi Okafor London
ÏÏÏA
39-year-old man who is suing a British-Nigerian couple of keeping him as a domestic slave for 24 years, has told Harrow Crown Court that he was once hit in his right eye by his master’s wife, Mrs Antan Edet. Giving evidence behind a screen - so as not to see Mrs. Edet and her husband - at the court last Friday, Ofonime Sunday Inuk, who had earlier told the court his passport was kept away from him for over a decade, revealed to the court how he kept a diary of the mistreatment he got in the house of his 58-year old mistress and her husband. Inuk, who had also earlier revealed to the court that he was about 14 years old in 1989, when Antan, a senior sister at a hospital and her 60-year old obstetrician and gynaecologist husband, Emmanuel Edet, brought him from Nigeria to the UK via Israel, also accused the couple of forcing him to sleep in the corridor, sit in the kitchen all day long and given pocket money of either £5 or £10. He accused Dr. Edet and his nursing sister wife of making him clean their home and to look
Continued on page 6
Continued on page 6
Jonathan to aides: Prepare for persecution Continued from page 1 pect persecution. He also, however, pledged to continue giving his best to the country, whether in or out of government. Noting the penchant of politicians for shifting loyalty as soon as power slips from one hand to another, the president said that he expects to be deserted soon by those who daily mill around him. Jonathan, who was the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lost his reelection bid to Major General Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC). He will hand over power to
General Buhari on May 29. About 18 days into the end of his administration, Jonathan pledged to continue giving his best to the country even if it meant laying down his life in the process. He noted that the country had given him a lot right from his primary school days to the present, adding that he is bowing out as a “very happy and fulfilled man”. He said he had every reason to thank his home state of Bayelsa and the country at large for all the opportunities he had had to serve, admitting that not many persons in his generation had been as fortunate as he had been in his political career.
The President recalled that he got everything from the country on a platter of gold, having been on government scholarship from primary school to secondary education, as well as for his first and second university degrees. He added that he didn’t even have to pay for his PhD course because the bill for it was picked by his then employers. He said if soldiers and police officers who do not earn anything close to him die while protecting him and other Nigerians, it would not be too much if he also sacrifices all he has, including his life, for the country. His words: “When I look at the whole picture of my life up to when
I became the President of this country; and I say that if soldiers and Police officers that have not received 0. 5 percent of the benefits that I have received from the state can lay their lives for this country, I should do anything in the interest of Nigeria, including paying the supreme price.” The President continued: “As long as live, I will continue to do my best for the state because the state has helped me as a person. I have to thank Nigerians especially my state for giving me the opportunity to serve as deputy governor and the whole country gave me the opportunity to serve as Vice President and
then President. The first was to complete the tenure of the late President and later serve as President from which I am exiting now as a very happy and fulfilled man.” His speech was greeted by wild applause from the congregation. Continuing, the President said that before he was able to clean up the country’s electoral process and achieve other reforms, he had to take certain hard decisions which might have caused him reelection. Giving insight into what he expects after leaving office, President Continued on page 6
Daily Times Nigeria Monday, May 11, 2015
5 News
Why we blew up oil installations - Urhobo group Joe Ogbodu Warri
ÏÏÏA militant group, Urhobo
Gbagbako, which blew up oil facilities at Ughelli North and Ughelli South communities, recently, has explained why it has returned to the trenches. It said that gross marginalisation and neglect of the Urhobo nation by the President Goodluck Jonathan was to blame for the
development. Its National Chairman, ‘General’ H. M Otega Obire, said; “Urhobo, as the fifth largest ethnic group in the country, has long been marginalised in the presidential amnesty programme and pipeline surveillance jobs and contracts. “Even the Delta Steel Company that is supposed to be the only federal government presence in Urhobo land had been grounded for years.”
He warned that the Urhobo hospitality, simplicity and maturity exhibited to ensure a smooth functioning of government at all levels should not be mistaken for cowardice. Obire suggested that the incoming government should create a level-playing ground for bidding and allocation of contracts in the oil pipeline surveillance, with particular reference to the Urhobo people, who are the major host
Plateau FRSC boss lauds Buhari on traffic rules Chijioke Kingsley Jos
ÏÏÏThe
Sector Comander, Federal Road Safety Corps, Plateau State, Mr. Sunday Maku, has said that the directive from the Presidentelect Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari that all the security personnel attached to him should obey traffic rules is a step in the right direction on
road morals that the FRSC had been trying to inculcate in Nigerians. He made this statement while interacting with the Daily Times correspondent in Jos. He stressed that it was only on moral grounds that Buhari made the statement. Maku said: “I want to appreciate the Presidentelect, for making this pronouncement, which is
purely on moral grounds and I want all stakeholders in the country to emulate the President-elect. Charity should begin at home and if our leaders will learn to do things following strict adherence to rules and regulations, Nigeria will be better for it. We don’t have to use our position to intimidate others. If leaders will do the right thing, their subjects will emulate them.”
communities of oil facilities and gas plant in line with the Local Content Act. The group urged that the Delta Steel Company, Ovwian/Aladja, should be revived, fast, to create employment and help crime rate in the area and, by extension, promote the economic fortunes of the people. “We the Urhobo agitators accepted change before the elections, because we strongly believed in the capacity of
the President-elect, General Muhamadu Buhari (rtd), to correct the wrongs done to us by the out-going administration. “We have resolved to prevail on and calm all free nerves for a cease-fire after due consultation and meetings with our channels of communication, with the in-coming government, but it has to be quick, in order to avoid a return to the dark age of militancy”.
PDP’ll never die, says Niger gov Dutse Mohammed
ÏÏÏGovernor
Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu of Niger State has given an assurance that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), would never die, despite its unimpressive performance in the recent general election. Rather, it would wax stronger, be united and get re-invigorated, so as to reclaim its pre-eminence, in the country. Speaking, while inaugurating a multi-million naira access city roads network constructed by
the Jigawa State Government, in Dutse, Aliyu reminded the PDP leaders to be steadfast in upholding their constitutional obligations. According to him: “Leaders are those who are able to contribute to the development of their community even outside office. Leaders are also those who have been able to earn public respect by creating credibility and integrity in the course of their duty. He described Governor Sule Lamido as a role model for aspiring leaders.
Uduaghan commends party for deepening democracy Remi Oladoye
ÏÏÏDelta
BUHARI’s DATE WITH
HISTORY
In a time of great turbulence and challenge, Providence always throws up certain individuals to calm the waters and sail the ship to safety. It always places the task on one man, one team leader. Fate has just placed Nigeria on the broad shoulders of the Daura, Katsina State-born Major General Muhammadu Buhari who will begin to steer the ship of the country from May 29. As Nigeria’s newspaper of record, the Daily Times plans a special report on The Man, Buhari. To be published on June 1, as he takes office, the report will weave the past and the present with the future on the nation and the incoming leader. It will be a collector’s item. To participate in the publication through congratulatory adverts, kindly contact:
OLUYINKA OLUJIMI, Editor: 08033009648, y2olujimi@yahoo.com IFEANYI EMEFU, Special Projects: 08086296714, ifeanyi642001@yahoo.com
State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan has lauded the Peoples Democratic Party PDP for deepening democratic values and institutions in the country. Uduaghan was the guest speaker at the 2nd National Public Service Lecture of the
University of Ibadan Alumni Association, held on Friday, at the Trenchard Hall of the university. He spoke on the theme: “Good Governance, A Catalyst for Development in Nigeria”. Uduaghan said: “I know the PDP can be criticised for many reasons, but this party which did not exists before 1998 came
together and with many strange bedfellows was able to stabilise the polity and began the process of massive economic reforms that has never been seen before in Nigeria.” He added: “As far as I know, PDP is a true national party. APC is a vehicle to capture power. It has to be tested before it can be labelled a national party.”
Economy won’t collapse, says Okonjo-Iweala ÏÏÏFears
over the economy were on Sunday allayed by the Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. The Minister, in a statement by her Special Adviser on Communications, Mr. Paul Nwabuikwu, gave the assurance during a chat with some broadcast journalists Nwabuikwu quoted the minister as saying that the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan had instituted solid economic legacies for the incoming government. She faulted claims that the economy is currently in ruins. “Despite the economic challenges the country is facing, the
Jonathan administration is leaving some solid economic legacies for the incoming Buhari government. So the allegations that the economy is in ruins are absolutely untrue,” she said. The minister added: “The significant achievements in several sectors attest to this. We cannot take away the fact that the Jonathan administration in spite of the challenges caused by 50 per cent decline in the price of oil has made a clear and measurable difference in many important areas and anyone who says nothing has been done and nothing is being left behind is being very unfair to facts and to history.
“Attempts to rewrite history will not stand. You cannot just wipe the slate clean for political reasons. We are not perfect but no one can take away the fact that we are leaving some good legacies behind.” She advised politicians and opinion leaders not to talk down the economy. Her words: “These negative and unsubstantiated comments are not wise because they can lead to what we do not want for the economy.” “There is nothing wrong with factual assessments of the economy; I have always told Nigerians the truth about the economy.”
News 6
Daily Times Nigeria Monday, May 11, 2015
Jonathan tells aides to prepare for persecution Continued from page 4
L-R: Engr Bello Sulaiman; Wantaregh Paul Unongo; President-elect Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd); leader of the Northern Elders Forum, Amb. Maitama Sule and Sen. JKN Waku during a courtesy visit by members of NEF to the Presidentelect in Abuja… on Sunday
Nigerians hold fellow citizen as slave in UK Continued from page 4 after their children. He made many entries of how he was allegedly maltreated by the Edets in a diary he secretly kept. In one, he wrote: “Tonight “ma” ( Mrs Edet) hit me so hard in my right eye because she saw me holding my phone in the kitchen.” Before he was cross-examined by prosecutor, Roger Smart, the court heard of another entry, where he noted that the fridge door came off its hinges when he was opening it, and that he
would surely be blamed for that. When Smart asked Inuk why he thought he would get the blame for the door coming off, the 39-year old replied, “because they said I had a destructive hand, that I was always mishandling things.” Among others, Inuk also said though he was not allowed to charge his phone nor use the landline in the house. He did so at night without the couple’s knowledge. The couple both deny assisting unlawful immigration and cruelty to a person under the age
of 16, and pleaded not guilty to holding a person in slavery and servitude. They were also accused of threatening Inuk that if he left the house and reported the matter to the Police, he would be arrested as an illegal immigrant and sent back to Nigeria. He also told the jury that when he tried bringing it to their attention in 2005, the Police said they couldn’t help, because it was a family matter. The case continues before Judge Arran at courtroom 1, on Monday morning (today).
EFCC docks bank chairman Continued from page 4
miss such charges. His words: “I disagree with the learned counsel for the accused persons that the counts were unknown to law. They were charged for money laundering and mentioning the wrong section in the charge and year cannot, in my view, invalidate the charge”. On the letter to Olanipekun, Justice Abang held that there was no law that says the EFCC cannot re-investigate an alleged crime that has not been decided by the court, adding that he was satisfied with a new report of investigation conducted by the
EFCC which was contained in the further exhibit attached to the charge. The judge then ordered the accused persons to take their pleas. After their arraignment, they all pleaded not guilty, while their lawyers orally applied for bail. The oral applications were not opposed by the EFCC lawyer, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), but he urged the court to impose a condition that would ensure the presence of the accused persons for trial. Justice Abang then granted them bail in the sum of N20 million with two sureties each in like sum. The sureties, according to the
judge, shall be owners of landed property in Lagos, and shall deposit their title documents to the court. The Deputy Chief Registrar of the Court in charge of litigation, according to the judge, must confirm the title documents at the Lands Registry, while the sureties shall also produce three years tax clearance certificate. The sureties are also to swear to affidavit of means with their three recent passport photographs. The judge remanded the accused persons in EFCC custody pending the fulfilment of their bail conditions, and fixed June 22 and 23 for trial.
Jonathan predicted that his ministers and aides would be persecuted while more of his friends would also desert him in the days ahead. He recalled the story of the last ruler of apartheid South Africa, F.W. de Klerk who was divorced by his wife for abolishing minority rule in his country. Jocularly, he expressed hopes that his wife, Dame Patience, would not also divorce him for accepting defeat in the last Presidential election, to which the First Lady, who accompanied her husband to the ceremony, replied with a resounding “Nooooo.” The mild drama drew another applause from the worshippers. Waxing philosophical about his electoral defeat, the President said: “I believe there are reasons for everything. Some hard decisions have their own cost, no doubt about that; that I have run the government this way that stabilized certain things, the electoral process and other things that brought stability into this country. They were very costly decisions which I myself must be ready to pay for.” He continued: “Some people come to me and say this or that person, is he not your friend that benefitted? Is it not your government that this person benefitted from? But this is what the person is saying. But I used to say worse statements will come. If you take certain decisions, you should know that those close to you will even abandon you at some point. And I tell them that more of my so-called friends will disappear. When FW De clerk took the decision to abolish minority rule in South Africa, even his wife divorced him. I hope my wife will not divorce me. But that is the only decision that has made South Africa to still remain a global player by this time. If we still had that minority rule there, by this time, nobody will be talking about South Africa now.” The President said further: “If you take certain decisions, it might be good for the generality of the people but it might affect some people differently. So, for ministers and aides who served with me, I sympathize with them, they will be persecuted. And they must be ready for that persecution.” Quoting the immortal words of the late activist elder statesman, Dr. Tai Solarin, the President told his aides: “May your ways be rough. To my ministers, I wish you what I wish myself. They will have hard times, we will all have hard times. Our ways will be rough. “ The President thanked Nigerians for their support and urged the church and other religious groups
to pray for the success of the incoming administration, saying what matters is not the person in charge of government, but how the citizens get the dividends of democracy. He said: “We are happy that the ordinary people appreciate what we did and that is most important. It’s not what the elite or the privileged few talk or say about you but what the majority of the Nigerian public think about your actions and inactions that matter. We came to Abuja peacefully and we are returning peacefully. “I thank the church and Nigerians because they stood by us at our most difficult times. “Even for the election, we had people who supported us all over the country but things went the way they did because God wanted it that way for a purpose. “We will continue to pray for the peace of the country and for the success of the incoming administration. When the country is in good shape, people benefit. When things are going well, people are happy. You don’t need to know Mr President or Mr Governor. The issue is not about Jonathan or Buhari or any other person. The issue is how the government functions. Stability, buoyant economy that will enable Nigeria to move forward and live happily is all I am interested in. That is our interest; that is my prayer point. All religious groups should pray for the country.” Speaking earlier, former Minister of Information, Prof Jerry Gana described the President as man who was favoured by God in many ways, thanking God for what He used Jonathan to achieve for the country. “Jonathan is a man of favour. He is highly favoured by God. We thank God for what He has done for Nigeria through the man. Despite the big positions he occupied in the country, Jonathan has remained humble and he has succeeded in deepening democracy in the country. He revived the rail system of transportation. He brought back hope to Nigeria and to cap it all he conceded defeat to his opponent in a heroic manner,” the former minister said. Minister of Power, Prof Chinedu Nebo also praised the President while reeling out some of his unique qualities and achievements in office. “He is humane, gentle and unassuming. He has transformed Nigeria. He is not vindictive. He loves the youths. He empowered, mentored and motivated youths and women. He is a listening leader. He listens to everyone in Council before making judgement. He fixed the electoral process and brought credibility into it. He is Nigeria’s greatest leader,” Nebo said
Daily Times Nigeria Monday, May 11, 2015
Accept your defeat, group tells Uzor Kalu Mathew Dadiya Abuja
A socio-political group, Peace and Media Advocacy Group (PMAG) has urged former governor of Abia State and Senatorial candidate at the just concluded general election, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, to accept his defeat at the poll in good faith and stop making false allegations against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The group stated this in a press statement signed by its National Coordinator, Mr. James Okoronkwo and made available to Daily Times in Abuja on Sunday. According to him, it is a wellknown fact that the Abia North Senatorial Election was conducted transparently by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and that Hon. Mao Ohuabunwa won the said election with a landslide victory as declared by the electoral umpire. Furthermore, Okoronkwo said: “We condemn in the strong terms the current propaganda being spread by Chief Orji Uzor Kalu and his band of electoral liabilities aimed at distracting the Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Umuahia by alleging that some of the ad-hoc staff that participated in the March 28 National Assembly election “allegedly” carted away falsified electoral materials.”
Tambuwal to S’South: Expect better deal under Buhari Titus Akhigbe Benin-City
ÏÏÏThe Speaker of
the House of Representatives and Governor-elect of Sokoto State, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, on Sunday, assured that the President -elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) will be fair to all Nigerians irrespective of political or ethnic affiliation when he assumes office, just as he assured the people of the Niger Delta of a better deal
under Buhari’s administration. Tambuwal also said the leadership of the party is consulting on how to zone political offices across the country, asserting that contrary to the belief that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is being torn apart over sharing of political offices, “the party is consulting and I am sure after consultation, the party will announce its decision”. He stated this shortly after he was given a traditional title, the
Port Harcourt
ÏÏÏThe Greater Together Cam-
paign Organisation (GTCO), the campaign outfit of the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Rivers State, Dr. Dagogo Peterside, has condemned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)] for taking another step belittling the nation’s democracy. In a statement signed by its Director, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, the campaign outfit alerted the public that the PDP sponsored some persons to the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt, where they deposed to an Affidavit that the Card Reader machines al-
Onosejile (God sent) of Opoji kingdom by the Onojie of Opoji, His Royal Highness Ehidiamen Aidonojie 1. The Speaker in company of Governor Adams Oshiomhole had earlier paid a condolence visit to the Minority Whip of the House, Mr. Samson Osagie, at Urhokosa, Uhumnwonde Local Government Area of Edo State. Tambuwal noted that since the election of Buhari as presidentelect, Nigerians have been calm
L-R: President / Vice Chancellor, Babcock University, Prof James Kayode Makinde; Speaker, Babcock University 4th Inaugural Lecture, Prof Steven Oladele Fapohunda and Registrar, Babcock University, Dr Jonathan Nwosu during Fapohunda’s presentation held at the university’s main auditorium at IlishanRemo, Ogun State ... at the weekend
and hopeful for better days to come. According to him, “now we have a brand new President, elections are over and the country is calm and quiet. All of us elected officials dedicate this victory to God Almighty. It is only God Almighty that gives power and he takes it away from whoever he designs at any time. Let me assure all Nigerians that our party, particularly the President-elect, Gen. Buhari, will do justice to all manners of people of this great nation.“ “He is a great man that is aware of the enormity of responsibilities as President of all and not President of a political party. And indeed in particular, the people of the South South and South East, President Buhari will be fair and very kind to all of us as soon as he resumes office come May 29”.
Tambuwal
Rivers APC slams PDP, INEC over polls Faith Faithful
7 News
lotted to the state for the April 11 governorship/House of Assembly elections were stolen by hoodlums. “We not only condemn this resort to judicial cloning, but insist that INEC and PDP have no hiding place from arm of justice no matter how they twist and twine facts,” GTCO Director. Semenitari, wondered why INEC has fallen to this depraved state and seemingly irredeemably hooked to the moral harlotry that is PDP. The statement read in part: “The attempt to hide under the judicial certification by the Court of Appeal in securing an Affidavit to strengthen their fraud of April 11 cannot excuse the law of compulsory use of Card Reader machines for the
elections. INEC had declared that for the purpose of the April 11 election, where Card Readers failed to function or unavailable, polls should be shifted to the next day, or in extreme case, be called off. INEC and PDP’s attempt to stand this declaration on its head has no locus standi”. “We are aware that INEC and PDP have built an evil marriage, but we also know that justice has its own way of exposing falsehood and punishing the wicked”, Semenitari added. Continuing, the GTCO Director drew the attention of the public to INEC’s refusal to oblige APC access to election materials as factual indicator of the fact that the Commission never conducted any election in Rivers State.
Kwara Rotary donates to school Kehinde Akinpelu Ilorin
ÏÏÏThe Rotary Club of
GRA Ilorin, Kwara State capital, has commissioned the multimillion naira facilities donated by the club to Senior Secondary School, Isolo-Opin in Ekiti Local Government Area of the State. Some of the facilities donated by the club include 85 lockers and chairs, borehole, laboratory materials and school signpost. While speaking at the event, the president of the club, who is also a former military administrator of Osun and Bauchi states, Colonel Theoplilus Bamigboye (rtd), said it was disheartening that
some schools in the country lacked basic facilities. He expressed the hope that the incoming administration of General Buhari would overhaul the education sector in order to arrest the dwindling quality of education in the country. “There is no doubt that there is fall in the standard of education in the country but I am very optimistic that the incoming administration of General Buhari would rise up to the occasion and move the education sector forward,” he said. He said the club donated the facilities to the school as a way of contributing its quota to the development of the town. Bamigboye, however, advised the staff and students of the school to ensure that the facilities are well maintained in order to encourage other wellmeaning Nigerians and nongovernmental organisations to contribute to the development of the school.
8
Daily Times Nigeria Monday, May 11, 2015
Politics
JONATHAN
Æs
Politics Editor: Akinjide Akintola E-mail: akinjide.akintola@dailytimes.com.ng
Real reason Jonathan lost Dr. Tokunbo Pearse, is a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former governorship aspirant of the party in Lagos. In this interview with Political Editor, AKINJIDE AKINTOLA, Pearse, who was also Director General of Lagos Goodluck- Sambo Independent Campaign Group spoke on the
loss of the party in the last election which he described as painful and avoidable but added that PDP will rise from the ashes to clinch victory in 2019. Excerpts: In what appears as unexpected, your party lost out to the opposition in the last Gen-
eral Election. As an insider, what actually happened? Once we had the issue of the New PDP, it was the beginning of the crises that culminated in the loss of the party at the national level, the states and the National Assembly. Indeed, from the onset, the first thing that happened when Jonathan took over reigns
of government, was that many of the governors from the north insisted that he would not run for another term. That all he had to do was to complete late President Umaru Yar’Adua’s term in office. But he felt he had an option. He did not tell them outrightly that he was going to run or not. But to CONTINUED ON PAGE 9
Controversy over Nigeria’s economic status Akinjide Akintola There is a growing controversy over the real economic status of the country following Tuesday’s pronouncement by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi OkonjoIweala that Nigeria is broke and has resorted to borrowing to pay workers salaries. The Minister’s shocking pronouncement is coming barely eight months when she proclaimed a ranking that Nigeria is the greatest economy in Africa, a development that is now at variance with the reality on the ground. This is coming at a time the European Union has described Nigeria as a rich nation but the people
Jega
are poor and does not require any foreign aid from donors. The minister emphasized that managing the economy since the crash in oil prices had been very tough for her team which had to adopt various strategies to keep the economy running. She said: “As you know, I have been honest with you since the current economic problems started. I would like to repeat: we have serious challenges, things have been tough since the beginning of the year and they are likely to remain so till the end of the year. We have serious challenges but we also have strengths and if we do the right things we can keep a steady course and emerge out of the current situation. “As a result of the 50 per cent decline in oil revenues, the coun-
2015 General Election: Man rides bicycle to Abuja for Jega, Jonathan, Buhari
try has faced a difficult cash crunch and the Federal Government has focused on keeping the economy stable and the government running through a series of measures. We have front-loaded the borrowing programme to manage the cash crunch in the economy. “In January we had a deficit in terms of the money we had and the expenditure we had to carry out. So we had to borrow to add to what we had. In February, it was the same. “In March, we were able to have more internally generated revenue that enabled us to offset but in April, we had to borrow to cover up some gap. This is how we have been managing the economy on a month-by-month basis”, CONTINUED ON PAGE 10
Victor Jibrin, Kaduna A Kaduna based frontline politician, Dr. Sargir Auwal, has joined the leagues of concerned Nigerians that identified themselves with the outcome of 2015 presidential election undertaking one form of sporting activity or the other to express their
Okonjo-Iweala
feelings. Unlike those of them that earlier embarked on road walks from Lagos, Kano and Adamawa states to Abuja in solidarity with the victory of General Muhammadu Buhari in the March 28 presidential race, Auwal is embarking on a journey from Kaduna to Abuja on bicycle as a mark of appreciation to God,
President Jonathan and Prof. Attahiru Jega for the peace and unity during and after the election. Auwal is a national officer of APGA and contested governorship of Kaduna State twice with Arc. Namadi Sambo and late Sir Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa respectively but was defeated. CONTINUED ON PAGE 10
Daily Times Nigeria Monday, May 11, 2015
9 Politics
‘PDP will rise again’
Pearse
‘‘What can you do when the governors are hell bent on an agenda? This was simply a northern agenda. They had decided that this time around, power must go back to the north. And anything short of that would not be acceptable. Jonathan did his best, but there was nothing else he could do stop short of bringing down the roof.’’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8
ensure that he does not run, they insisted to have a National chairman of the party that would not work for the emergence of Jonathan’s candidature. And for which reason, they did not want Bamanga Tukur as National Chairman. Tukur, on his part insisted that since Jonathan is a Nigerian and if the courts deem it fit for him to run, then he would support Jonathan’s candidature. And that was exactly when the problem started for Bamanga Tukur and by extension, Jonathan. Because he knew that most governors from the north did not want Bamanga Tukur, they wanted Baraje as chairman and Oyinlola as secretary.
Tukur
But Oyinlola and Dr. Jaja, deputy chairman of the party were to act the script of the governors to frustrate any move for Jonathan’s emergence. This led to the formation of the New PDP led by Baraje to want to take over the PDP. And that was the beginning really, of our problem in the PDP. If that were so, what efforts were made to ensure that the crisis was resolved in order not to get to this stage? Before the crisis graduated to this level, we tried everything but it appears there was no going back. Everybody stuck to their guns. And Jonathan felt and I agreed with him that the idea of his not running was out of it. The
crisis started with the Governor’s Forum when many of the governors sided with Amaechi and polarised the forum, this further galvanised the tension and at this point, it was like there was no going back. Despite this, Jonathan was trying everything possible to resolve the crisis but it just didn’t work out. Part of this was to relieve Bamanga Tukur of his duties as National Chairman of the party due to the insistence of the governors. But that did not solve the problem as other people who also came on board were asked to commit themselves to ensure that Jonathan gets the second term. Unfortunately, we now know that the new chairman, Muazu was not in tune with that agenda. But why couldn’t the president ensured that he pacified the five aggrieved governors who decamped to the APC as some of them actually controlled states with huge voting populations? What can you do when the governors are hell bent on an agenda? This was simply a northern agenda. They had decided that this time around, power must go back to the north. And anything short of that would not be acceptable. Jonathan did his best, but there was nothing else he could do stop short of bringing down the roof. They felt it was the turn of the north, it was the mandate of the north that it was time for the north to get the power back. Don’t forget that 61 percent of the PDP delegates are from the north. Therefore, anywhere the northern delegates go; any party they go to will certainly win the election. This is where majority will go. 61 percent of PDP governors are from the north and if they decide to go anywhere, that’s where the party will go. So, therefore, that’s the situation. And that’s the tragedy of Nigeria as nobody can win any election in Nigeria without the support of the north. The north will always control. When the north says go here, they go.
‘‘And that was exactly when the problem started for Bamanga Tukur and by extension, Jonathan. Because he knew that most governors from the north did not want Bamanga Tukur, they wanted Baraje as chairman and Oyinlola as secretary. ‘‘
That’s the reality of the situation in Nigeria today because they have the number to dictate the situation. But this did not happen in 2011 as Jonathan won fair and square when he again faced Buhari and Ribadu in the Presidential election? That was because the PDP wanted him to win. And the PDP is northern controlled. So, when they want you to win, you win, when they want you to go, you go. That’s the problem with Nigeria’s socio-political situation. But the north was against Jonathan’s candidature? Yes, the northerners in PDP helped him to win the election. It is their number and their clout that they used to clinch victory for him. And it has always been like that. In 2011, Jonathan came in as painted a picture of an average Nigerian who didn’t have shoes while going to school; a graduate with a promise to turn things around in the country. And he enjoyed the support of the generality of the people not only the north. But he disappointed a lot of Nigerians for non-performance. Isn’t this what was responsible for his loss? Well, performance is one thing while pure politics is another. What created the rift in PDP between the governors and Jonathan, was it about performance? It was not. it was simply politics. But there were complaints about non-performance too? No, it was not performance. It was not a question of performance. I will give you a list of President Jonathan’s strings of performance, I have a copy in the car. History will be kind on Jonathan. Some people tried to damage his character that he didn’t perform. But the problem is that Nigeria is so big that if you do things and you don’t manage your media properly, a lot of things will go unnoticed as if you didn’t do anything. His media handlers did
‘‘The crisis started with the Governor’s Forum when many of the governors sided with Amaechi and polarised the forum, this further galvanised the tension and at this point, it was like there was no going back.’’
not work on this aspect at all, its not that President Jonathan did not perform. Before Jonathan came on board, only five percent of Nigerian roads were motorable. Now, more than 25 percent are motorable. Since he took over, power supply in the country has improved even though it will take time before it is fully felt. In agriculture and trade, we are now exporting rice, we are now exporting cement; in the oil industry, there is local content; there have been improvements in the educational sector. How many power plants were in operation Jonathan came into office? He has built many even more than Obasanjo in his eight years in office. I refuse to believe that Jonathan did not perform. When the governors decided to move against him, it was not because of performance; it was not because of economic downturn; it was not because of insecurity as at that time, Boko Haram had not become so huge; it was because it was time for him to go, the time given him by the north has expired; if he wasn’t performing, why didn’t they get a replacement for him from within PDP? Why did it have to come to this? This is just because it had to go to the north. It’s all about tribalism and ethnocentric nature of the people. Go to Bayelsa, he did not do anything for them, he concentrated development in the north trying to please them yet they didn’t vote for him. But his people just voted for him because he is their son, not because he did anything for them. That is the tragedy of history. He tried to do some fundamental projects in the north. What he has done in the north towards the development of Agriculture, education, the roads and all sorts of infrastructures all in the north, nobody in the history of Nigeria has ever done that. But with what he has done, it’s like he has not done anything in that part of the country because the hole is so big that it will take a long time to fill.
Amaechi
Politics 10
Daily Times Nigeria Monday, May 11, 2015
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8
she stressed. Okonjo-Iweala disclosed that the Federal Government had already utilised more than half of the budgetary provisions for borrowing in the year, in the first four months to pay salaries and provide funds for overheads. She said: “Of the N882 billion budgetary provision for borrowing, the government has borrowed N473 billion to meet up with recurrent expenditure, including salaries and overheads. No capital release so far. “Traditionally, the first part of the year witnessed low revenue because tax receipts come in from the middle of the year. This has compounded the challenges caused by the steep drop in revenues due to the oil price fall. As a consequence of the revenue challenges, there has been no capital budget release so far this year but we have kept the recurrent expenditure going”, she said. She added however, that in spite of the cash flow challenge, government has managed to keep the economy stable to the point that the Nigerian economy which is projected to grow by 4.8 per cent this year, according to respected analysts, is doing much better than many other oil producing countries. “One positive feature despite the clear challenges is the fact that food prices, though inching up, are still quite stable. Also, inflation is still in single digit. This has helped reduce some of the pressure that Nigerians are going through.” Dr Okonjo-Iweala, disclosed that the task of managing the nation’s economy has given her, the Minister of State, Amb. Bashir Yuguda, Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mrs Anastasia Daniel-Nwaobia and about 70 per cent of the ministry’s staff high blood pressure. According to her, “70 per cent of my staff have high blood
Jonathan
Buhari
Cash crunch: Biggest economy in Africa goes a borrowing pressure. This goes to show the amount of stress we go through. All three of us here (referring to herself, Amb. Yuguda and the Permanent Secretary) have high blood pressure. “Minister of State has high BP and you are on medication. Perm Sec has and I have. The amount of stress in the ministry is unbelievable. Many times we are in the office until 1 am, looking for ways to push out money to make payment. Many people don’t know this. We now have a clinic so that people With a parlous state of the economy, state governors have sought for a bailout from the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari ahead of his inau-
‘‘Okonjo-Iweala disclosed that the Federal Government had already utilised more than half of the budgetary provisions for borrowing in the year, in the first four months to pay salaries and provide funds for overheads.’’
guration on May 29 lamenting that the state of the economy is in bad shape. They stated that the situation has hampered them from paying salaries in their respective states. The state chief executives stated that even the Federal Government has not been able to pay the April salary because of the drop in revenue. The governors spoke during a meeting with Buhari in Abuja. Governors and governors-elect at the meeting with the Presidentelect were: Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), Kashim Shettima (Borno), Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), Rochas Okorocha (Imo), Tanko AlMakura (Nasarawa), Abubakar
(Bauchi) Hon. Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto), Umar Ganduje (Kano), Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Sen. Bindow Jibrila (Adamawa), and Simeon Lalong (Plateau). The governors had on Monday night met at the Imo State Governors’ Lodge where they agreed on what to present to the PresidentElect. Speaking on behalf of the APC Governors’ Forum, Okorocha, said: “One of the issues that became of concern to all of us is the state of the Nigerian economy which is really in bad shape. We have come to notify the incoming president of the challenges ahead of him. As it stands today, most CONTINUED ON PAGE 11
Man in Unity Ride for Jega, Jonathan, Buhari CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9
Tagged: “Unity Ride”, Auwal took off from Kaduna on Wednesday with a stopover in various villages on his way to have a feel of the living conditions of rural wellers with a view to reaching out to the government for appropriate attention. Speaking in an interview with our correspondent, to explain the reason for his journey, he said “it is on record that Nigeria has witnessed the best election
ever organized under the leadership of Prof. Attahiru Jega. We must thank God for that. “The essence of my journey which I call Unity Ride under the Messenger of Peace is that we had a general election ranging from presidential to national, governorship and state assemblies elections. Before the election, there was speculation that Nigeria was going to break in 2015 but as God willed, nothing of that nature happened. “You will recall that our neigh-
Auwal
boring countries were preparing to move away their nationals from Nigeria and within the country, people were relocating to perceived safer places for fear of unknown, but God prevented the calamity, using Jonathan. “Even before Jega released the final results and declared winner of the presidential election, President Jonathan conceded defeat to Buhari and called Buhari on phone to congratulate him. That calls for appreciation because you hardly
find an African leader who can be so magnanimous. “The entire exercise was not about Buhari or Jonathan but Nigeria and Nigerians. As far as I am concerned therefore, I am not looking at the winner or loser situation but looking at Nigeria as a country that has come up more united, contrary to the fears, during and after the democratic exercise”, he said. Speaking further, Auwal reCONTINUED ON PAGE 11
Daily Times Nigeria Monday, May 11, 2015
11 Politics
Why South-South, South-East should not be undermined Following the outcome of the 2015 elections, many Nigerians have been calling on the incoming government not to undermine the south-south and south-east geo-political zones which voted massively for the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari. The latest is Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan who has cautioned against any attempt to undermine the two regions of the country by the in-coming Government of the Federation. According to him, it would be dangerous and disastrous for the regions to be ignored just because they did not vote for the in-coming government. “I must counsel here that the
South- South and the South-East regions must not be ignored or undermined by the in-coming Federal Government on account of their voting patterns in the general elections”, he stated. According to him, it would be precarious for such strategic regions or any region for that matter to be undermined solely because of their political leanings. He canvassed that every part of the country be treated fairly and equitably. Besides, the Governor assured that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), his party, was prepared to form a formidable opposition party in the country adding that the party would bounce back sooner than expected.
Buhari
Abuja Unity Ride for Buhari, Jega, Jonathan CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10
Uduaghan
EU: Nigeria is rich, the people poor CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10
states of the federation have not been able to pay salaries and even the Federal government has not paid April salary and that is very worrisome. “By May and June, salaries will be in cumulative of three months. We wonder with the huge expectation from Nigerians and people who have voted us into power, we are hoping that the President-elect will do all the things that are humanly possible to bring about a bailout not only on the states but the Federal Government at least for people to get there salaries and turn around the economy. “We have seen the reason to work together and support Mr. President and we have also called on all our brothers in other political parties to come along with us to build the Nigeria of our dream. Buhari expressed worries over the state of the economy. “The expectation is too high and I have started nervously to explain to people that Rome was not built in a day,” the President-elect reportedly told the governors. He said: “For this to be corrected please give the incoming government a chance. Here, I will like to recall what happened during the Abacha regime which led to the emergence of PTF. The Abacha regime was a military regime and it thought that the only way was to increase the prices of petroleum product, but they did not take Nigerians for a ride. They would have said that if Nigerians
decided to riot, they have the guns and so they can have their way. They decided to tell Nigerians that they were going to increase prices of petroleum products and the money we get, we will put aside for development. That was how PTF came. “So, this time around, under this system, to bounce back with the issue especially with the backlog of salaries which are of immediate concern to individuals and states, I think we should look for a better way to address the issue and think of how to persuade people to give us a chance to organise the economy immediately and get something to pay salaries”, he said. The European Union Delegation says Nigeria is a rich coun-
Okonjo-Iweala
try which should not depend on aid from foreign donors, Mr. Michel Arion, the EU Ambassador and Head of Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, has said the in Abuja. He told newsmen that any money given to Nigeria by the EU was “seed money.” Arion explained that aids given to Nigeria by the EU were to fund projects on a pilot scale while the Nigerian Government was expected to replicate them on a larger scale. “Please note that our aid is strategically tailored to unlock Nigeria’s potential. Nigeria is not an aid-dependent economy, with aids constituting less than one per cent of its GDP. “Therefore, when we fund proj-
ects on a pilot scale, governments at various levels can replicate them at a larger scale for wider reach and greater benefits. “Nigeria is a rich country, but Nigerians are regrettably poor. “To really develop the economy in a sustainable way, the core issue will be to redistribute social benefits through fiscal measures using taxation, and social measures using safety nets. “Strengthening the institutions is absolute key in this regard”, he said. The EU official added that the EU’s development assistance to Nigeria, under the 11th European Development Fund, would focus on the North. According to him, the focus on the Northern part of the country was due to the fact that development indicators in the area were “unacceptably worse.’ He said the emphasis would be on improved access to basic social services such as health, nutrition and social protection. “The fund will also be on improved access to electricity which will lead to economic growth and improved security”, he said. Arion said the EU recently signed an agreement with the Nigerian government to fund a pilot project. According to him, the project is aimed at providing communitybased psychological support and protection services for children and adolescents affected by the Boko Haram insurgency in Borno.
called that “before the election, there was speculation that Nigeria was going to break in 2015 but as God willed it, nothing of that nature happened. “As it is now, Jonathan has made history, Nigeria has made history and of course Buhari, as a result of his steadfastness and resilience, has finally emerged president of Nigeria after several attempts and therefore made history. “This journey I am embarking is not about the winner or loser but it is to celebrate the unity and progress of Nigeria”, he emphasized. Unfolding his movement, he said he is billed to meet the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, on arriving Abuja, “to say thank you to him for the credibility of the election”, pointing out that “I have three letters. One of the letters is for Jega commending him for the job. One is for Jonathan for his show of magnanimity and another one is for Buhari, the president-elect. “I am using five days to do the journey because as I move, I want to have stopover in villages on Abuja road to see the life style of Nigerians at the grassroots level. What I want to have a look at include the kind of schools the children attend and the proximity, their source of water, health facility among other things. “I have been involved in development activities for the past 25 years now. Whatever is my finding therefore, will be documented and presented to appropriate authority for necessary action as my contribution to the well being of the society”, Auwal stressed.
News 12 2, 680 batch ‘A’ corps members deployed to Rivers Faith Faithful Port Harcourt
ÏÏÏA
total of 2,680 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members have been deployed to Rivers State, for the compulsory one-year service. The corpers, who comprised 1,165 males and 1,515 females, took the oath of allegiance to observe the rules and regulations guiding the NYSC, at their permanent Orientation Camp in Nonwa-Gbam, Tai Local Government Area of the state. In a message to the corps members, President Goodluck Jonathan, declared that government would not relent until the country was safe for all.
Daily Times Nigeria Monday, May 11, 2015
US to rehabilitate 275 rescued Sambisa women Tom Garba Yola
ÏÏÏThe United States Ambassa-
dor to Nigeria, Mr. James Entwistle, has assured that his country would assist in the provision of support to 275 women and children rescued from the Sambisa forest. He made this known when he paid a courtesy visit to the Governor of Adamawa State, Mr. Bala James Ngilari, at the Government House, in Yola. “I am in Yola to attend the commencement ceremony of the American University of Nigeria
but, it is my hobby to visit the internally displaced persons (IDPs) whenever I come around”, he said. Entwistle described the situation of the displaced persons as pathetic and worrisome, pledging that urgent support would be given to the rescued women and children to make up their psychology imbalance. He said the support by the U.S. would not be for Adamawa only, but for the entire north-east of the country devastated by insurgency. He disclosed that the U.S. Agency for International Development is engaged in the reconstruction
and rehabilitation of displaced persons in the north-eastern part of the country. According to him, what is before the government and the international donor agencies is a big challenge of reconstruction and rehabilitation, creating environment so that the victims of insurgency could go back home. He commended the Adamawa Peace Initiative for living up to the expectations of the public. Nggilari thanked Entwistle for visiting the IDPs to see things for himself and commended international donor agencies for their support.
Ibori, others bag fellowship award Joe Ogbodu Warri
Ekiti nurses body laments intimidation, inadequate security of members
ÏÏÏFormer governor of
Gbenga Sodeinde Ado-Ekiti
ÏÏÏThe
National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, Ekiti State council, has called on the government and other security agents to come to its aid, as its members were faced with assault, harassment and intimidation by some hoodlums, while performing their duties. Speakkng at a press briefing, at the weekend, in Ado Ekiti, the chairperson of the association, Comrade (Mrs.) Adewumi BadeGboyega, explained that two cases of assaults and two kidnap cases were reported to the police through the association. According to her: “A nurse Floranmi Oluyemi was beaten up by patient’s relative, while on duty at Efon Alaaye General Hospital, April 15, 2015. A similar case was also recorded at the state specialist hospital in Ikere-Ekiti.” She also said that there cases of abduction of two other nurses, one of whom was named as Ajiboye Titilope who disappeared mysteriously on November 30, 2014, while returning from morning shift along Ifaki/Orin Road in Ido/ Osi Local Government.
Ibori
Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan (middle) bagged the University of Ibadan Alumni (UIAA) Honorary Membership, as he delivered the association’s 2nd National Public Service Lecture held at the University campus… on Saturday
Three cable vandals caught in Lagos ’Niyi Omo-Okiri
ÏÏÏNemesis
caught up with three electricity transformer cable thieves at Era, a town in the Oto-Awori Local Council Development Area of Lagos State. They were apprehended by members of a neighbourhood volunteer group before they could carry out their nefarious acts. The suspected thieves, who gave their names as Henry Reuben, Eze Obiesi and Chika Okpara, were with industrial spanners, pliers and a pushtruck with which they were suspected to have planned to loosen and cart away the power connecting cables, had they had succeeded. However, luck ran out on them when a member of the
vigilance group had to go into a nearby bush to defaecate. His sudden interruption spooked one of the thieving gang, who had been lying low and waiting for the appropriate time to commence their plans. When the hoodlum took to his heels, the watchman raised the alarm and subsequently alerted other members of his group. They gave chase and apprehended the three-man gang at about 1.30a.m. When quizzed, the leader of the suspected thieves, Eze Obiesi, confessed that this was not their first visit to the town, saying that they were the same gang that vandalised and carted away the cables that connected one of the community’s transformers to the power grid, about a week earlier.
In confirming the gang’s confessions, the leader of the watchmen group, Mr. Amodu Saminu, disclosed that “before the arrests, the community’s youths were prime suspects in the cable vandalisation issue. With these arrests, however, the youths have been exonerated.” One of the suspected vandals, Henry Reuben, revealed that the cables earlier stolen from one of the transformers were sold off at N5,000 per metre, fetching about N300,000 for cables worth almost N700,000 at N10,500 per metre. “I was given N40,000 from a total booty of N130,000,” he added. The suspects are now helping the police in their investigations, and some of the earlier stolen cables have been recovered.
Delta State, Chief James Ibori, was among persons that bagged fellowship awards during the 1st combined convocation of the Delta State Polytechnic, OtefeOghara held over the weekend. Ibori is serving jail terms in the United Kingdom for alleged fraud perpetrated during his time in office. Also among the awardees were Minister of Niger Delta, Chief Steve Oru and Senatorelect for Delta Central Senatorial district, Chief Ighoyota Amori. Prof. Solomon Okobia, Dr. Elizabeth Gardner and Chief Davidson Oghenekevwode bagged the award. The pioneer rector of the institution, Dr. Stephen Ijaha, pioneer bursar and pioneer registrar of the institution, Chief Stanley Sagboje and Dr. Y. M Ovwigho respectively also got a recognition award. Speaking at the occasion, the State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan who was the guest of honour at the event applauded former Governor James Ibori for his foresight in the establishment of the polytechnic and others in the State. He commended the management of the institution for its recognition on Ibori. Uduaghan noted that the proper recognition would be done on Ibori physically when he returns adding that, that would be very soon. Addressing the graduands, the Governor urged them to continue to sustain the educational development and growth of the institution in their various fields of endeavours.
Daily Times Nigeria Monday, May 11, 2015
WHO declares Liberia Ebola-free
ÏÏÏ The UN health agency on
Saturday declared Liberia Ebolafree, hailing the "monumental" achievement in the West African country where the virus killed more than 4 700 people. "The outbreak of Ebola virus disease in Liberia is over," the World Health Organisation (WHO) said in a statement, adding that 42 days had passed since the last confirmed case was buried. That period is double the number of days the virus requires to incubate, and WHO hailed its eradication as an enormous development in the long crisis. "Interruption of transmission is a monumental achievement for a country that reported the highest number of deaths in the largest, longest, and most complex outbreak since Ebola first emerged in 1976," it said. The declaration was a source of both great pride to Liberians who had been stalked by the deadly virus they simultaneously sought to battle. "We are out of the woods. We are Ebola free. Thanks to our partners for standing with us in the fight against Ebola. We are Liberians," tweeted Liberian Information Minister, Lewis
Members of the Women in Peacebuilding Network (WIPNET) dance, sing and pray in Monrovia ... on Friday
Because of that risk, MSF also tempered its applause of the declaration with reminders that the crisis will not be over for any one nation until the virus has been eradicated everywhere. For average Liberians, the development was a source of both relief and sorrow. "I lost a brother in the Ebola crisis so I am happy and sad," said 40 year-old Monrovia taxi driver Nyaningo Kollie.
Burundi forces begin clearing barricades
Guinean opposition cancels protest in favour of dialogue
Burundi's security forces began clearing barricades in the capital Bujumbura on Sunday after the government ordered an immediate end to protests against President Pierre Nkurunziza's third term bid. Protesters have pledged to continue weeks of street demonstrations, branding the order a "declaration of war". On Sunday, one man was shot, and later died, as police and soldiers used force to remove barricades erected in some city neighbourhoods, following the government order that all barriers must be dismantled within 48
Brown. The news was also cheered by international organisations like the Red Cross, UNICEF and Doctors Without Borders (MSF), as well as officials from the US and European Union. However, hailing the "important marker" White House spokesperson, Josh Earnest, in a statement, said: "The world must not forget that the Ebola out-
hours. Police were deployed early on Sunday morning while some people were still sleeping and others were preparing to go to church. "They surprised us," said Claude, a 25-year old student protester. "Even if they clear the barricades, we will rebuild them. There has been a lot of gunfire and some wounded," he said. "The military came to tell us that the roads were to be cleared and we could not resist armed men with guns. We decided to let it go," said Fabrice, a leader of the protest movement. At least 19 people have died
since Nkurunziza announced his intention to run for a third term in elections due next month, sparking weeks of angry demonstrations. The latest confrontations between demonstrators and security forces came after a one day "truce" declared by protest leaders on Saturday allowed a semblance of normality to return to Bujumbura. In a decision issued on Saturday, the national security council demanded an "immediate and unconditional" end to what it said was an "insurgency" and ordered security forces to remove all barricades "within 48 hours, in Bujumbura and the rest of the country".
MDC questions Mugabe poll ÏÏÏ
The 63 percent of Zimbabweans who told pollsters they trusted President Robert Mugabe might have been too frightened to say anything else, a spokesperson for the main opposition, Movement for Democratic Change party, suggested on Saturday. Obert Gutu said the MDC took "very seriously" the results of a survey released last week that appeared to show the majority of Zimbabweans trusted long time leader Mugabe, 91, much more
Gaddafi's son appears in Libyan court on murder charges ÏÏÏ
break still persists in neighbouring Sierra Leone and Guinea. "We must not let down our guard until the entire region reaches and stays at zero Ebola cases." The WHO warned that because the Ebola outbreaks were continuing in neighbouring Guinea and Sierra Leone, the risk remained high that infected people could re-enter the country.
ÏÏÏ
13 Africa
than they trusted the opposition in the southern African country. The survey has been greeted with triumph by Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF party, which rejects all claims that its victory in the last elections in 2013 was due in part at least to a combination of fear, rigging and an electoral playing field that was far from level. Gutu said in a statement: "The majority of Zimbabweans are fearful and traumatised." "While taking note of the sur-
vey, the MDC also recognises the prevalence of fear and this, naturally, has got an impact on how people react to any questions of a political nature," Gutu added. It is still a criminal offence to criticise the Zimbabwean president, who has been in power since independence in 1980. The MDC spokesperson said significant changes had taken place within the MDC and Zanu-PF in the six months since the survey was carried out.
ÏÏÏThe
Guinean opposition on Saturday cancelled a protest set this week, saying it wanted to give "frank and sincere dialogue" a chance following deadly unrest over an election timetable deemed too favourable to the regime. The move came "after broad consultation with the other opposition leaders and to give a chance for consultation that will certainly lead to a frank and sincere dialogue between the opposition and the government", opposition leader Cellou Dalein Diallo told AFP. The protest had been set for Monday after clashes between Guinean security forces in the capital Conakry on Thursday led Diallo to pull out of planned talks with President Alpha Conde. The opposition are calling for local elections to be held before a presidential vote due in October. They believe Conde wants the calendar to remain unchanged because he wants to keep his cronies in local administrations, to help him rig the October vote. The president denies the claims, arguing that local officials will not be involved in the vote.
Muammar Gaddafi's son Saadi, who fled abroad during Libya's 2011 revolution and was extradited from Niger last year, appeared in a Tripoli court on Sunday at the start of a trial on murder charges but the judge adjourned his case until July. Saadi, who had a brief career as a soccer player in Italy and had the reputation of a playboy during his father's long rule, appeared in the Tripoli courtroom wearing a blue jumpsuit and watched the proceedings from behind bars. "The trial of Saadi Gaddafi has been adjourned today by the court of south Tripoli until July 19," the chief of the investigation office of the attorney general, Sadiq AlSour, told Reuters. "The defence lawyers had asked for more time to read the case file and prepare for a plea." Saadi Gaddafi faces charges of killing a football player and unlawful imprisonment. Since the 2011 fall of Gaddafi, Libya has slipped deeper into chaos with two rival governments and the armed factions that back them fighting for control. Islamist militants have gained ground during the period of lawlessness. Gaddafi's more prominent son, Saif al-Islam, is being held captive by fighters in the western Libyan town of Zintan. They refuse to hand him over to a government they deem too weak to hold him. Since escaping Libya in 2011, Saadi had been held under house arrest in the Niger capital Niamey. Libyan authorities believe he was active from there in fomenting unrest in southern Libya. He was extradited back to Libya in March 2014.
Saadi Gaddafi
World 14
Daily Times Nigeria Monday, May 11, 2015
Pakistan mourns seven killed in helicopter crash
Yemen rebels accept Saudi ceasefire plan ÏÏÏ Shi'ite Houthi rebel fighters
Pakistani army soldiers carrying bodies of helicopter crash victims in coffins wrapped in national flags at the Nur Khan air base in Islamabad ... on Saturday.
ÏÏÏ Saturday was a national day
of mourning in Pakistan, following the helicopter crash Friday that killed seven people, including the ambassadors to Pakistan from the Philippines and Norway, and the wives of the ambassadors of Malaysia and Indonesia. Three crew members were also killed in the crash. Officials said the helicopter, with at least 17 people onboard,
Blair: UK's Labour must reclaim centre ground ÏÏÏFormer Labour Prime Min-
ister, Tony Blair, says Britain's Labour Party must return to the political centre ground if it is to rebuild support after suffering a crushing defeat in Thursday's general election. The Conservatives won a surprise overall majority, gaining almost 100 more parliamentary seats than Labour and are forming a single-party government. Labour leader, Ed Miliband,
crash landed Friday in Naltar valley in northern Pakistan. Army spokesman, Major General Asim Bajwal, said on Twitter, that the ambassadors of Poland and the Netherlands were among the survivors. The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for downing the aircraft, saying it was targeting Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. However, Defense Minister, Kha-
widely seen as having steered the party leftwards after a more centrist period under Blair's "New Labour", resigned on Friday, blaming himself for the defeat. Blair, the most successful vote winner in Labour's history having won three elections in a row to be prime minister from 1997 to 2007, wrote in The Observer newspaper that Labour should be more inclusive and aspirational - comments echoed by one of the frontrunners to replace Miliband, Chuka Umunna. "The route to the summit lies through the centre ground. Labour has to be for ambition and aspiration as well as compassion and care," Blair wrote. "Hard-working families don't just want us to celebrate their hard work; they want to know that by hard work and effort they can do well, rise up, achieve ... We have to appeal to those running businesses as well as those working in them."
waj Asif, said the crash occurred "purely due to technical fault and not because of any terrorist action." Prime Minister Sharif's office had said he was on a plane en route to the Gilgit area at the time of the crash, but returned to Islamabad after receiving news of the incident. In a statement, the prime minister expressed his "deep grief and sorrow over the tragic incident."
He extended his "heartfelt condolences to those who lost their lives in this incident." A Foreign Ministry statement said that heads of diplomatic missions of more than 30 countries and their family members as well as some Pakistan dignitaries were being flown to the main town of Gilgit by a C-130. From there, they were being taken to Naltar in four helicopters for a three-day excursion trip.
Cuban President, Raul Castro, has said he was so impressed by a Vatican audience with Pope Francis that he might return to the faith he was born into. Castro praised the pontiff's wisdom, adding: "I will resume praying and turn to the Church again if the Pope continues in this vein." He thanked the Pope for brokering a rapprochement between Cuba and the US. The communist leader had stopped at the Vatican after attending Russia's World War Two Victory Day in Moscow. The Catholic Church has maintained ties with Havana since the 1959 revolution. For Pope Francis, the restoration of relations between the US and Cuba - agreed during secret talks at the Vatican - has been a major diplomatic achievement, said the BBC's David Willey in
Rome. The US had imposed a trade embargo after Cuba's revolution, which it began to lift late last year. After the 50-minute private audience on Sunday, Castro told reporters: "The pontiff is a Jesuit, and I, in some way, am too. I studied at Jesuit schools." After suggesting he might turn again to the Church, he added: "I mean what I say."
in Yemen said they have accepted a five-day humanitarian ceasefire proposal from Saudi Arabia, set to begin Tuesday. Sunday's announcement came just hours after warplanes from the Saudi-led coalition bombed the residence of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh in the capital, Sana'a. Saleh was not believed to have been home at the time, and later appeared on television standing in front of the rubble. Last week, the United States and Saudi Arabia announced plans for the cease-fire in Yemen, where the Saudi-led coalition is waging an air campaign against the Houthis, a northern Yemeni militia that overran parts of the country in recent months. Aid agencies report Saudi bombings and Houthi fighting have killed hundreds of civilians since March. The conflict has also left the country in need of basic supplies. The United Nations World Food Programme said a ship it chartered has docked in Yemen, carrying fuel needed to extend humanitarian relief throughout the embattled country.
Drunk Malaysian Pope Francis inspires Cuba's passenger Raul Castro towards Church forces plane ÏÏÏ to return
Pope Francis
ÏÏÏA
Malaysia Airlines flight to Colombo had to turn back to Kuala Lumpur due to a drunk passenger, the national carrier said on Sunday. Flight MH179 had taken off from Kuala Lumpur late on Saturday. "The intoxicated passenger started harassing Malaysia Airlines' crew shortly after the flight was airborne," the company said in a statement. "Due to his big size, other guests had to assist the crew to restrain the passenger." The airline said the plane was forced to return to "ensure safety and comfort of those onboard" and the unruly passenger had been handed over to authorities.
Daily Times Nigeria Monday, May 11, 2015
15 Opinion
The imperatives of new orientation paradigm
T Prof Chris Nwaokobia
he aftermath of the 2015 elections leaves our country with profound questions seeking urgent answers; questions ranging from how tenuous the woodwork of this collective edifice sustains to how variegated the fouled waters of our corporate existence appear. We cannot pretend that all is well; we cannot pretend that governance will sail pretty without national cohesion; we cannot pretend that the CHANGE we preached will not meet with despair, if we do not etiolate the fires that raged during the campaigns. We saw a campaign that was inundated with hate, a campaign that was replete with caustic diatribes, a campaign that snow-balled the deluge of dichotomies that litters this space; the dichotomies of creed, clan and of region. Debates on issues were in short supply. That the CHANGE MOVEMENT prevailed at the polls compels a national task that must be handled as imperative and germane. We must heal the wounds and unite our peoples. The linchpin of the present challenge is a vibrant national orientation paradigm. We must water the trees of patriotism. We must clear the bushes of ethnic distrust. We must level the mountains of
religious fundamentalism. We must diminish the shrubs of partisan discord. In addition, we must coalesce at a place where Nigeria becomes the winner. Today our national orientation mantra must soar beyond ‘ONE NATION GREAT PEOPLE’; we must begin to address the fundamentals of national integration. We must remember the halcyon beats of our history, we cannot forget that not only were we a nation of great wealth, we were the Big Brother to most African nations. I have worked my mind on the realities of history. I have discovered that most nations emerged like Phoenixes from the ashes of the civil wars that sought to immolate them to forge great symphonies of brotherhood and community. History is replete with statesmen who did not sulk over the pain of battle and the internecine conflagrations that traumatised their space, but who seized the moment and wove nations out of variegated seas of distrust and angst. I was born a year after the Nigerian Civil War, I did not meet three of my grandparents because they died during the War. I was suckled by the only one standing, Ma Christiana Nwanze my grandmother. She did a marvellous job teaching me to love and to think. She was so
forgiving that she saw nothing but a great Nigeria where the difference in creed and clan will count for nothing, where our strength will devolve on the well of our minds and the content of our character. She died at 92. She lived in the North before the 1966 pogrom, she returned home just before the Civil War, she lost her businesses in Northern Nigeria to the War but that did not stop her first daughter Justina my mother’s elder sister from making Funtua and later Malumfashi in Katsina State her abode and base for close to 30years. My Igbo brothers have made the North their home irrespective of the many pitfalls that rehearse the shortness of our National Orientation stratagem. Lagos is today a copious experimentation of our love for each other; we can replicate the same spectacle across the country. The shortcut to the nation we seek is to make patriotism our pride, wealth and job creation our passion, corruption our national foe, social security a collective challenge, and to make a rework of our national canvass an urgent imperative. I am not saying that we do not have cause to worry; I am saying that it is not sufficient to lose faith in the journey set before us. I am not saying that leadership has been
responsible; I am saying that we can make leadership responsible and responsive to all. I am saying that we can set forth to the Isle of Peaceful Co-existence when we make follower ship engaging and commit leadership to decorum and sincerity. An era where the National Orientation Agency (NOA) made its primary responsibility reportage and documentary of and on terror and the attendant war thereto must be made Shibboleth. A proactive national orientation must seek to foist a template of dialogue and national concord such is the basic quid pro quo. We must lampoon quick fixes, corruption, villainy, hail hard-work, and rectitude. We must salute dedication to service of fatherland and condemn any form of dereliction of national trust. I cannot be more hopeful that the incoming regime understands the urgency of now. We must fix square pegs in square holes and round pegs in round holes. We must as was promised the electorate create jobs, and kill corruption. We must ensure human capital development and improve national security. We must provide social security and more homes for the masses, and make real the promises of our 31-page manifesto. We must make true the promises of democracy.
Chibok Girls: Did Boko Haram fool us all?
D Segun Adesokan
ecoys and camouflage are tools in military warfare. Camouflage is to hide targets while decoy is to draw fire or attention away from real targets. Today’s modern warfare is multidimensional. It combines military, propaganda, camouflage and decoys to wage a successful war against an enemy. The role of propaganda at is to demoralise enemy nations and it also seeks to break-down an enemy’s will to resist assault through various carefully painted words and over blown ‘half-truths’. Deceptions are also aided by false radio transmissions and manipulated video footages to influence an opinion or propagate a false belief. Let me use this opportunity to extend my warm greetings to the families and well wishers of the over 293 women and girls reportedly released from Boko Haram last week. I also say a big welcome home to the additional 234 women and children liberated from the Sambisa forest. I stand in solidarity with other well meaning Nigerians to wish our newly freed women and girls a happy reunion with their loved
ones. Although, when the long overdue good news of the first batch of 293 freed captives hit the air waves, after several failed promises, many Nigerians heaved sigh of relief only for the Defence headquarters to further clarify the reports that the Chibok girls were not among them! Let me also wish our dearly beloved abducted Chibok girls a safe return from captivity. The purpose of this article is to exhume some deceptive tactics behind Boko Haram’s strike and to also remind Nigerians the several circumstances that surrounded the Chibok abduction, the strategic and diversionary role the Nyanya bombing in Abuja played in ensuring the abduction of over 250 school girls in Chibok. How, also, the popular Nyanya motor park bombing helped the Boko Haram to keep Nigeria’s security apparatus and media much busier and engrossed so as to make them turn a blind side to some parts of the country like Chibok. We should not forget that Nyanya bombing happened on 14th April, 2014 at 7am, while Chibok abduction also happened same day at midnight Some Nigerians seem not to understand the connection behind the two incidents, its timing, why Abuja,
Nigeria’s capital, was picked for the first strike, a city that played host to a very important national event (National Confab), and a day after Palm Sunday. Reason is that Abuja was considered as a flash point that could generate the much needed military and media attention. Sambisa debate was another puzzle that generated thousands of questions without answers. Was Sambisa a dummy cleverly sold to Nigerians? By whom? The night the abduction took place, were all the girls ferried along Sambisa route? What prevented security agencies, parents and other stakeholders from beaming the search lights on other locations even within the city? Did the first released video by Shekau, the Boko Haram leader on May 12, 2014 have any specific role in reinforcing Sambisa ‘deception’? These and many more are posers to examine with a view to understanding the ‘play book’ of Boko Haram. It was reported in one of the dailies that about 14 girls escaped while they were being taken to Sambisa forest simply because the truck conveying them had some mechanical faults. This scenario must have been stage managed by their captors so as to use those unsuspecting girls as
a medium to propagate the ‘gospel’ of Sambisa. Of course, weeks after the Chibok debacle, all what every stakeholder in Nigeria cared for was how to comb Sambisa and nothing else! Now let’s talk about the video released. Barely a month after the Chibok abduction, Shekau, released a video claiming responsibility for the abduction. In the video, he also threatened to sell off the girls, while showing us some of the them as evidence that he truly had them in his custody where over 54 girls were identified in the video. If we may ask, could Shekau in his senses sell the ‘wanted’ girls to a Nigerian or in Nigeria? Could Shekau keep all the kidnapped girls in one location? Shekau was using the video strategically to dissuade Nigerians from looking for them. Securing the location where he kept those girls was part of the propaganda the video was meant to achieve, after all the number of identified girls was only 54, where did he keep the rest? At that time, somewhere within Nigeria was likely the location but no one gave it a thought! Once again, I wish our Armed forces a fruitful search for our missing Chibok girls.
16
Daily Times Nigeria Monday, May 11, 2015
At Acorn Petroleum, we remain committed to delivering unrivaled products and services to our customers. Acorn Petroleum Plc., your new energy
Daily Times Nigeria Monday, May 11, 2015
Business Times Æ s
17
Business Editor: Emmanuel Ogbonnaya Email: emmanuelogbonnaya@dailytimes.com.ng
Australia, Norway to partner NIMASA on maritime development Funmi Coker The Australian Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Angela Tierney has stated her country’s desire to collaborate with the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) in the provision of technical support and human capacity development. The envoy, who was on a visit to NIMASA headquarters in Lagos, commended the human capacity building drive of the Agency and conveyed the willingness of her country to work with NIMASA in building the requisite capacity for the industry.
Earlier, the Norwegian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Rolf Ree, had visited the Agency and stated his country’s readiness for the provision of technical support to NIMASA towards realising the full potentials of the Nigerian maritime industry. Receiving the Australian High Commissioner and the Norwegian Ambassador separately, the Director General of NIMASA, Dr Ziakede Patrick Akpobolokemi said that the Agency would appreciate partnership with major maritime nations such as Australia and Norway particularly in the area of capacity building.
“Australia is a nation that enjoys high respect among the comity of maritime nations and partnership with your country will surely help us realise the potentials of building a competent workforce that is poised to take the Nigerian maritime sector to greater heights,” Akpobolokemi said. The DG assured the Envoys of an improvement in monitoring Nigeria’s maritime domain in real time using a satellite surveillance system that covers the whole of Nigeria’s coast and the Gulf of Guinea. This progress, he said, should attract more commercial activity from around the world.
Ugochukwu Onyeocha
Ree
Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, Fidelity Bank Plc., Nnamdi Okonkwo, Chairman, Board of Directors, Fidelity Bank Plc., Chief Christopher Ezeh, MFR, and Company Secretary, Fidelity Bank Plc., Ezinwa Unuigboje at the Bank’s 27th AGM in Lagos recently.
Unilever to increase investments in Nigeria by N43bn Adesola Akindele In its bid to return Unilever Nigeria to profitability, Unilever overseas last week opened an offer to increase its equity stake in Unilever Nigeria from 50.10 per cent to a maximum of 75 per cent which has been approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission and Nigerian Stock Exchange. The offer provides shareholders who wish to sell some or all of their shares in Unilever Nige-
ria opportunity to do so. Citigroup Global Markets Limited and Chapel Hill Advisory Partners Limited have been appointed financial advisers to Unilever Overseas Holdings. The offer price represents a premium of 33.8 per cent to company’s closing share price on March 23, 2015. Unilever would acquire up to 942,215,930 shares in company at N45.50 per share in cash and the offer will remain open for acceptance until June 10, 2015.
Total value of transaction at intended offer price is approximately N42.871 billion. The management of Unilever Nigeria in recent times had been compelled by cash flow pressure to increase its borrowing considerably in the year. Short-term borrowings multiplied four times to N12.06 billion in 2014. The company had announced a drop in profit by nearly one-half in its 2014 financial year in its unaudited report ahead of its upcoming AGM.
Fidelity Bank share dividend surges 29%
Yaw Nsarkoh, managing director of Unilever East and Southern Africa
Shareholders of Fidelity Bank Plc are to claim about 29 per cent more on dividend for the financial year ended December 31, 2014, with the unanimous approval of 18 kobo per ordinary share of 50 kobo dividend, from 14 kobo in 2013. In its released financial statements for the year ended 31, December 2014, Fidelity Bank’s revenue climbed to N132.401 billion from N126.918 billion in 2013 while profit after tax rose by 78.68 per cent to N13.796 billion from N7.721 billion. Fidelity Bank Plc posted interest income of N104.3 billion in 2014, up 21 per cent from N86 billion in 2013, while net interest income before impairments increased by 58 per cent to N48.8 billion from N30.8 billion in 2013. Profit before tax (PBT) increased by 72 per cent to N15.5 billion from N9.0 billion in 2013. Speaking at the bank’s Annual General Meeting held at the Civic Centre, Lagos, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Fidelity Bank, Nnamdi Okonkwo noted that the 2014 performance is a positive reinforcement of the medium term strategic objectives. He explained that the bank has a solid platform for growth, underpinned by strong customer loyalty and significant investments in physical and electronic distribution channels. “Our retail banking strategy gathered increased momentum in 2014 with the bank acquiring over 471,000 new retail customers, consumer loans growing by over 21 per cent and core low-cost retail deposit by 18 per cent which lowered our average cost of customer deposits”. He revealed that Management’s resolve to support the productive sector of the economy and grow a new generation of passionate entrepreneurs was further accentuated with the creation of the Fidelity Managed SME team that provides financing, business advisory services, capacity development and shared technology platform to SMEs. “In recognition of our leadership role in the MSME banking space, we were invited to partner with the Federal Government and its agencies on various SME schemes.
Aviation18
Daily Times Nigeria Monday, May 11, 2015
300 trained to operate Bi Courtney’s check-in equipment The management of Bi Courtney Aviation services limited operators of MMA2 says it has trained 300 staff on its new check in equipment. The managing director of Bi Courtney Aviation Service Christophe Pennick disclosed this at the commissioning of the selfcheck in equipment at the MM2. The managing director of BASL said the commissioning of the common user passenger
Pennick
processing System and the first self-check-in kiosk in the country remained a landmark in the country’s aviation sector. According to Pennick the check in kiosk will eliminate duplication of boarding pass and enable customers to experience a seamless technology like other part of the world. He said MM2 was upgrading its equipment to make the terminal more customer friendly
Stakeholders list gains of radio navigation implementation Stories by Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo
He stressed the importance for the completion of the AIS automation adding that the International Civil Aviation Organisation ICAO has developed a road map to reflect the importance of the evolution and to address the required changes which was being referred to as transition from AIS to ATM. According to Shittu, there was a global concept to accommodate the rapid changes in the role of AIS from services mainly based on manual involving papers to digital base for more efficiency. Shittu announced that this year’s World AIS May 15 day will be held worldwide while it will be observed in Nigeria in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state.
adding that it remained the only terminal without power failure being experienced. Pennick explained that in August 2015, the number of bank ATMs will be 21 which started with 6 ATMs few years ago. While announcing the training of 200 aviation security staff, Pennick called on the government to continue to improve on safety and security of the aviation system.
Discovery Air sets date for resumption
Reduce presidential air fleet, FG advised
Discovery airline which had its Air Operators Certificate (AOC) restored about two weeks ago will start flight operations in July this year. Investigation by Daily Times showed that the management of the airline was planning the repositioning of the airline for better performance as soon as it takes off. The airline it was learnt, was planning a new management team and acquisition of about three more aircrafts to resume its operations. The airline is said to have been strengthened with foreign investment running into hundreds of millions of dollars. The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) earlier this year suspended the AOC of Discovery air following its inability to meet up with its financial obligations, but the suspension was lifted few weeks ago when the management of the airline settled all the debts owed its staff.
The Federal government has been urged to reduce the large fleet of aircraft in the Presidential Air Fleet (PAF). An aviation expert, Olu Ohuanyo who made this call in an interview explained that the large fleet was unnecessary for a country bleeding financially due to prolonged mismanagement and recent low crude oil price. According to him “The fleet should be reduced to the barest minimum, and the remaining aircraft should either be sold off or used as the bed rock for a new aircraft leasing company not to
Jonathan
The Aeronautical Information Service Association of Nigeria AISAN says the role and importance of Aeronautical Information data has changed significantly with the implementation of Radio Navigation RNAV/RNP an airborne computer based navigation system. AISAN National President Babatunde Shittu Speaking to journalists on the essence of World AIS day celebrations in Lagos, noted that the systems were all data dependent while aeronautical data has become critical components of the system.
start a national carrier” Ohunayo noted that illegal charter flights were operated by civil and military aircraft, an issued he said has remained unresolved. He said military participation in civil charter was illegal and detrimental to commercial charter operators which remained a threat to security and professionalism. Ohunayo urged the incoming government to address the issue through the industry regulator by educating the users about the dangers of illegal charter issu-
ing that it was capable of putting insurance coverage in jeopardy, create unfair competition and hinder the growth of legitimate operators. According to the aviation expert, the recently introduced luxury tax for charter and private operations by the ministry of finance was a bit too late but commendable warning that it must be implemented to achieve its objective. On appointment in various parastatals in the last four years, Ohunayo said the organisations were improperly structured not-
ing that the airport authority was worse off urging unions to brace up by protecting career professionals and public servants. He said the agencies needed reforms and reorganization to ensure improved service delivery and revenue generation. Ohunayo explained that the consolidation of the industry will be the best transformation and there was need to stop the rot and foot dragging of operators, regulators and government. He urged NCAA to focus on technical and safety oversight and their core competence.
Daily Times Nigeria Monday, May 11, 2015
19 Money
Mother’s Day: Firm excites consumers with Dubai trip Godwin Anyebe
L – R: Mrs. Taba Peterside, General Manager/Head, Listings Sales and Retention, The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE); Mr. Haruna Jalo-Waziri, Executive Director, Business Development, NSE; Mallam Bello Maccido, Group CEO, FBN Holdings and Mr. Bisi Onasanya, Group Managing Director/CEO, FirstBank at the FBN Holdings Facts Behind the Figures presentation at the NSE last week.
Access Bank to post N43 billion profit Adesola Akindele Access Bank Plc has impressively navigated the heady winds which challenged the financial sector in 2014 to post a Profit after tax of N43.06 billion, signifying a 19.5 per cent improvement for the financial year ended December 31, 2014 from N36.03 billion recorded in the same period of 2013. The Bank’s Gross earnings for the reviewed period was announced as N245.55 billion, an 18.5 per cent increase from N206.89 billion recorded for the same period in 2013. Similarly, the total assets of the bank shot up by 14.6 per cent from N1.8 trillion recorded in December 31, 2013 to N2.1 trillion for the financial year ended December 31, 2014. Speaking on the result, the bank’s CEO Herbert Wigwe de-
scribed their strategy of strong risk management as a critical pillar for the maintenance of the banks financial health. He said “Strong risk management remains a critical pillar of our strategy and the maintenance of our financial health.” The chairman of the bank, Mr. Gbenga Oyebode also noted that “Access bank will remain nimble and innovative, promoting customer-centricity through the refinement of our digital platforms; thereby developing a competitive advantage that provides value to the customer while reducing the cost of business for the bank” Further analysis of the bank’s balance sheet showed that the bank’s loans increased by 38.5 per cent to N1.1 trillion in the reviewed year from N810.6 billion recorded in the same period of 2013, as customer deposits fur-
ther appreciated by 9.2 per cent to N1.5 trillion in 2014 from N1.3 trillion, announced for the same period of 2013. Shareholders commended the bank on their performance and gave their approval on the dividend payment of 35 kobo per ordinary share held, for the financial year ended December 31, 2014.Access bank Plc, an independent, locally owned bank held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) to comprehensively report the banks activities throughout the preceding year. This year’s AGM was held at Lagoon Restaurant, Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue, Victoria Island, Lagos on Thursday, May 7, 2015, had the bank’s management and senior team members meet with retail shareholders to discuss the Banks performance strategy and other concerns to benefit to all shareholders.
In commemoration of the 2015 Mother’s Day celebration, Nigeria’s leading milk brandThree Crowns Milk from the stables of FrieslandCampina WAMCO has rewarded its esteemed consumers in the Mother’s Day Activation campaign. The grand prize winner Mrs. Olamide Olaleye who emerged as the ‘Mum of the Year’ won an allexpense paid trip to Dubai alongside a companion of her choice, while 29 other mothers were also rewarded with a whopping amount of N50,000.00 shopping voucher each. The Three Crowns Milk Mother’s Day Activation is a Facebook based campaign in which consumers were expected to write on the Three Crown’s Facebook wall why their mum is the best mum in the world. These posts are judged on a daily basis starting from April 28 to May 7 (10 days) and three winners will be picked daily, while the overall winner to emerge was adjudged on the last day of the campaign. According to the Marketing Director, FrieslandCampina WAMCO, Mr. Tarang Gupta, the
Three Crowns Milk Mother’s Day campaign is in line with the brand’s new Theme Campaign which is deeply rooted in recognising the key role of mothers in the family. Gupta noted that Three Crowns Milk as a low cholesterol milk brand that cares for the health and well-being of its consumers is joining the rest of the world to put a smile on the faces of mothers for their love and care for the family. “The Mother’s Day campaign is another way Three Crowns Milk is reaching out to all Mother’s especially in Nigeria at this year’s occasion of the Mother’s Day Celebration for their significant role in the family ’’ he said. In her reaction, the Grand Prize winner, Mrs Olamide Olaleye expressed her appreciation to FrieslandCampina WAMCO and passion for the brand with the promise to remain a Three Crowns Milk brand ambassador for a life time. ‘’ I am indeed very delighted to be named the Three Crowns Milk Mum of the Year, I want to thank the company for the opportunity and also my son for celebrating me’’ she said.
Gupta
Dangote Cement leads Nigerian firms on Forbes 2000 global list Adesola Akindele
Dangote cement factory
Forbes’ annual compilation of 2,000 biggest and most powerful companies globally, this year was made up of companies from 61 countries and account for combined revenues of $39 trillion, profits of $3 trillion, with assets worth $162 trillion, and a market value of $48 trillion. Thanks to a bull market, the total market value of Global 2000 companies grew nine per cent yearover-year, the most among the
four metrics. Dangote Cement led the Nigerian four companies on the list, followed by Zenith Bank Nigeria, FBN Holdings Nigeria and Guaranty Trust Bank in that order. South Africa also featured a quartet comprising Standard Bank Group South Africa, Sasol South Africa, MTN Group South Africa and FirstRand South Africa in that same order. For the first time, China’s four biggest banks own the top four spots. Industrial and Com-
mercial Bank of China tops the list for a third consecutive year, while Bank of China jumped five spots to the No.4 spot, knocking down JP Morgan Chase. Berkshire Hathaway stays at the 5th place, making Warren Buffet’s conglomerate the largest U.S. firm this year. In the Forbes 13th annual snapshot of the World’s largest the duo of U.S. and China split the top 10 spots for a second year in a row. Beyond the top 10, U.S. still leads the list with 579 companies.
ICT 20
Daily Times Nigeria Monday, May 11, 2015
APP TO WATCH
Digital business card called Haystack app
Attempts at substituting a physical business card for a digital one has gradually moved into reality space with a newly launched mobile application called Haystack, which allows users to not only create their own digital card, but also scan and store the cards given to them. Over the years, a number of startups have attempted to kill the business card, but these antiquated pieces of paper have managed to stick around, despite our move to a digital age. However, that doesn’t mean people will stop trying to end the reign of the business card once and for all.
Prior to its recent launch in the U.S., Canada and the U.K., Haystack’s app has been in beta testing in Australia for several months. There it has already grown to include 3,000 businesses on its service (and even more users), even though the team only marketed the app in the city of Brisbane, where founder Ran Heimann is based. Heimann says he was motivated to try his hand at creating an app to displace the business card after spending years working as a consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he and his colleagues were heavy users of
business cards. While some of the apps that have launched in this space have tried to ignore the fact that paper business cards still exist, what’s interesting about the new Haystack app is that it allows you to transition from the world of paper-based cards to digital. That is, instead of ignoring the fact that you’re still going to have to deal with receiving physical business cards, it offers you a way to import them into your phone simply by snapping a photo. While Heimann is hopeful that Haystack will be the app that helps to put business cards to rest
for good, I’m less optimistic. As he noted himself when detailing the problem, “these pieces of paper refuse to die.” However, the app can serve as a simple way to snap photos of cards and send them to your contacts app on your smartphone, and can it works as an easy way to share your own contact details for those times when you either forgot or ran out of your own business cards. Whether or not that will motivate you to stop printing paper cards entirely is to be determined. Haystack is a free download for both iOS and Android.
Olumide Samuel, Chief Executive Officer of Priority communications Ltd, an indigenous IT company spread across four African countries including Nigeria, insists that political will and policies are critical to the development of the ICT sector in the country, in this interview with TONY NWAKAEGHO, he canvasses for the continuation of development in the ICT ecosystem by the private and public sectors despite an imminent change of government at the centre. Do you think the country has the right regulation within your space? Regulation is very important because it helps those of us that are providers because when you’re able to provide quality service you’re going to be getting the best of customers. Like the International Oil Companies, (IOCs), they prefer to approach the international companies rather than the local companies with local content; but maybe the laws now are forcing them to talk to some of us but the issue is that the only reason they talk to these foreign companies is because of the quality they get there. So if there’s something that will force you to toe the line of quality then you need to have it; it is good. And of course the quality strategy has to be supportive, not primitive to help some companies grow. A lot of government parastatal like the NCC, NITDA etc. are set up for that and if they’re supporting organisations like ours, then I’m sure that we’ll get to that level and then we can now even go beyond Nigeria and provide the kind of service for countries outside of Nigeria who know that Nigerians are good at what they do. What is your assessment of the Broadband for all campaign by 2018? It is possible, you know we talk a lot about political will and I’ve come to believe that it is a very important parameter in everything that we do. If there’s the political will and we really sup-
port it then it is possible. Those of us in the private sector have an advantage because we do not have the political backlog, you can wake up, make a decision, get people to support it and you move on. But in a political environment there’s a lot of discussions, dialoguing and impact assessment. If there’s a strong political will there’s almost nothing we cannot achieve. There’s nothing impossible once our government is keen and there’s adequate follow up and support. What informed your venture into data communication as a line of business? We felt that there is a lot of gap in terms of quality support that people want for their operations and the kind of service we offer is of international standard and we also found out that a lot of people find it difficult to engage the services of these foreign companies. We set our target to offer the services with a lot of local content and very good international standard. We however assure our customers of international standard service delivery. We have a lot of highly rated companies we work for; most of the banks in Nigeria are on our network as well as manufacturing companies. What is the nature of your collaborations the telecommunication companies? Most of the major telcos are like partners to us. What we discovered is that you can never have all the necessary infrastruc-
Samuel
ICT growth should be sustained despite change of govt – CEO Priority Communications ture you need to provide the kind of quality service we have right now, so what we do is partner with a couple of them that have the necessary infrastructure already in place because at the end of the day customers don’t want to wait for you to build infrastructure; they want service and what is really key about service is the support and if you can offer reliable support people will love you for it and that is what we focus on. What are your strategies in laying cables for connectivity?
Nigeria as you know has a lot of construction going on virtually every day and as such when you’re laying fibres you’re bound to face the issue of fibre cut due to such construction works going on. We also have the issue of touts, community problems, double taxation etc. For us these are the normal business challenges that one has to face. Like you know in business, the higher the stage the higher the profit but at the end of the day we just have to provide service to our customers whichever way
we have to do it. Customers are not interested in your problems or challenges; you look for how to solve them and provide service which is key. But what we’ve done on our part is to provide another technology that we call air fibre. This is a fibre service that works on wireless network; it is almost like a radio that has fibre characteristics; quality, performance, level of response time etc. this is what we use in areas where we’re having problems with fibre deployment and we run the service at par with the laying of fibre.
Daily Times Nigeria Monday, May 11, 2015
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Daily Times Nigeria Monday, May 11, 2015
Today in History Æ s Compiled by ‘Tunji Okegbola
Cartoons from our Archives
1934 Dust storm sweeps from Great Plains across Eastern states On this day in 1934, a massive storm sent millions of tons of topsoil flying from across the parched Great Plains region of the United States as far east as New York, Boston and Atlanta. At the time the Great Plains were settled in the mid-1800s, the land was covered by prairie grass, which held moisture in the earth and kept most of the soil from blowing away even during dry spells. By the early 20th century, however, farmers had plowed under much of the grass to create fields. The U.S. entry into World War I in 1917 caused a great need for wheat, and farms began to push their fields to the limit, plowing under more and more grassland with the newly invented tractor. The plowing continued after the war, when the introduction of even more powerful gasoline tractors sped up
the process. During the 1920s, wheat production increased by 300 percent, causing a glut in the market by 1931. That year, a severe drought spread across the region. As crops died, wind began to carry dust from the over-plowed and over-grazed lands. The number of dust storms reported jumped from 14 in 1932 to 28 in 1933. The following year, the storms decreased in frequency but increased in intensity, culminating in the most severe storm yet in May 1934. Over a period of two days, high-level winds caught and carried some 350 million tons of silt all the way from the northern Great Plains to the eastern seaboard. According to The New York Times, dust “lodged itself in the eyes and throats of weeping and coughing New Yorkers,” and even ships some 300 miles offshore saw dust collect on their decks.
1981 Bob Marley dies In what proved to be the next to the last concert of his tragically short life, Bob Marley shared the bill at Madison Square Garden with the hugely popular American funk band The Commodores. With no costumes, no choreography and no set design to speak of, “The reggae star had the majority of his listeners on their feet and in the palm of his hand,” according to New York Times critic Robert Palmer. “After this show of strength, and Mr. Marley’s intense singing and electric stage presence, the Commodores were a letdown.” Only days after his triumphant shows in New York City, Bob Marley collapsed while jogging in Central Park and later received a grim diagnosis: a cancerous growth on an old soccer injury on his big toe had metastasized and spread to Marley’s brain, liver and lungs. Less than eight months later, on May 11, 1981, Bob Marley, the soul and international face of reggae music, died in a Miami, Florida, hospital. He was only 36 years old.
Nesta Robert Marley was born on February 6, 1945, in rural St. Ann Parish, Jamaica, the son of a middle-aged white Jamaican Marine officer and an 18-year-old black Jamaican girl. At the age of nine, Marley moved to Trench Town, a tough West Kingston ghetto where he would meet and befriend Neville “Bunny” Livingston (later Bunny Wailer) and Peter McIntosh (later Peter Tosh) and drop out of school at age 14 to make music. Jamaica at the time was entering a period of incredible musical creativity. As transistor radios became available on an island then served only by a staid, BBC-style national radio station, the music of America suddenly became accessible via stateside radio stations. From a mix of New Orleans-style rhythm and blues and indigenous, Africaninfluenced musical traditions arose first ska, then rock steady— precursor styles to reggae, which did not take shape as a recognizable style of its own until the late 1960s.
Daily Times May 11, 1961
Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer performed together as The Wailers throughout this period, coming into their own as a group just as reggae became the dominant sound in Jamaica. Thanks to the international reach of Island Records, the Wailers came to the world’s attention in the early 1970s via their albums Catch a Fire (1972) and Burnin’ (1973). Eric Clapton spread the group’s name even wider by recording a pop-friendly version of “I Shot The Sheriff” from the latter album. With the departure of Tosh and Wailer in 1974, Marley took center stage in the group, and by the late 70s he had turned out a string of albums— Exodus (1977), featuring “Jamming,” “Waiting In Vain” and “One Love/People Get Ready;” Kaya (1978), featuring “Is This Love” and “Sun Is Shining”; and Uprising (1980), featuring “Could You Be Loved” and “Redemption Song.” While none of the aforementioned songs was anything approaching a hit in the United States during Bob Marley’s lifetime, they constitute a legacy that has only increased his fame in the years since his death on this day in 1981.
Clooney makes 2000 George return appearance on ER On this day in 2000, in a sixth season episode of the NBC television drama ER entitled “Such Sweet Sorrow,” Nurse Carol Hathaway (Julianna Margulies) watched one of her patients, a woman dying from cancer, bid goodbye to her family. Realizing that life is too short to not take chances, Carol rushed out of Chicago’s County General Hospital and boarded a plane to Seattle to pursue her former and future love, Dr. Doug Ross (George Clooney). Clooney had left the popular show in 1998 and his appearance in the May 11 episode was a surprise cameo; his five seasons playing Ross on ER had provided a launching pad to big-screen stardom and a solid place on Hollywood’s A-list. Clooney grew up around Cincinnati in an entertainment family: His father, Nick, was a successful talk- and game-show host and the brother of the singer Rosemary Clooney. George moved to Los Angeles in 1982 after a failed attempt to play pro
basketball and a stint studying journalism at Northern Kentucky University. He signed a contract with Warner Brothers that landed him in several TV pilots, and first gained notice in supporting roles on series like Facts of Life, Roseanne and Sisters. In 1994, he was cast in a new medical-themed drama, created by Michael Crichton and produced (at least in its first season) by Steven Spielberg. The show was called ER (not to be confused with E/R, a short-lived sitcom on which Clooney appeared in 198485). When ER premiered on September 19, 1994, it became an immediate hit. As the drinking, womanizing yet still sympathetic Doug Ross, Clooney emerged as the show’s biggest breakout star. Over the course of five seasons, he shot to big-screen stardom as well, thanks largely to starring turns in Out of Sight (1998) and the big-budget films Batman & Robin (1997) and The Perfect Storm (2000).
Daily Times Nigeria Monday, May 11, 2015
23 Public Notice
SWORD OF RESCUE MINISTRY INTERNATIONAL
HOME OF GOD’S GRACE ORPHANAGE
The general public is hereby notified that the above named ministry has applied to the corporate affairs commission Abuja for registration under the part c of the companies and allied matters act 1990.
The general public is hereby notified that the above named body has applied to the corporate affairs commission Abuja for registration under the part c of the companies and allied matters act 1990.
The Trustees Are: 1. Pastor Ogochukwu Egesimba - General Overseer 2. Mr. Andy Ilechie -Member 3. Mr. Adebambo Olugbenga David - Secretary 4 Mr. Richard Oluwaseye Ojo - Member 5 Mrs. Sofoluwe Adesola Georgiana - Member 6 Mrs. Nnabundo Loveth Chika - Member.
The Trustees Are: 1. Mr. Deji Felix Ikuesan 2. Mrs. Mercy Felix 3. Miss. Anne Atinuke Felix 4. Mr. Oscar Martins 5. Mr. Abimbola Ayodeji Akeredolu.
Aims and Objectives: To preach the gospel of Jesus Christ
Aims and Objectives: 1. Reaching out to the downtrodden 2. Reaching out to the Widows 3. Reaching out to the less privilege.
Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar general corporate affairs commission, plot 420 Tigris crescent, off aguiyi ironsi street, maitama Abuja within 28days from the date of this publication. Signed: seccretary
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PIONEER SATELLITE CLUB 2014 The general public is hereby notified that the above named club has applied to the corporate affairs commission Abuja for registration under the part c of the companies and allied matters act 1990. The Trustees Are: 1. Ogunmodede Sunmaila 2. Akinbola Rasaki Amobi 3. Aminu Sulamon Ayinde 4. Oyekanmi Oluwatimilehin 5. Koleosho Ismaila Omotesho 6. Folorunsho Ade Ahmed Aims and Objectives: 1. To promote cooperation among club members. 2. To create and sustain brotherly love and harmony among members. Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar general corporate affairs commission, plot 420 Tigris crescent, off aguiyi ironsi street, maitama Abuja within 28days from the date of this publication. Signed: Trustees
ERI OGO CHERUBIM & SERAPHIM CHURCH WORLDWIDE
The general public is hereby notified that the above named club has applied to the corporate affairs commission Abuja for registration under the part c of the companies and allied matters act 1990.
The general public is hereby notified that the above named ministry has applied to the corporate affairs commission Abuja for registration under the part c of the companies and allied matters act 1990.
The general public is hereby notified that the above named ministry has applied to the corporate affairs commission Abuja for registration under the part c of the companies and allied matters act 1990.
The Trustees Are: 1. Ikenna Ajere 3. Udegbunam Ifeanyi 5. Obisike Chibuzo Josephat 7. Akaeme Simeon Tochukwu
The Trustees Are: 1. Stephen Simeon Chizor 3. Obi Chika Liveline 5. Metu Chinelo Maureen
The Trustees Are: 1. Snr. Prophetess Mojisola Juliana Oretade - Gen. Overseer. 2. Rev’d. Akinwunmi Elijah Oretade 3. Prophe Tess Oluyemi Oretade Bello. 4. Evang. Oyekoya Oretade 5. Evang. Muyiwa Samuel Omosola. 6.Elder/Chief Ademola Timothy Oyelami. 7.Evang. Bunmi Oyetunji.
2. Onyebosi Benjamin Chikwado 4. Aforka Stanley Okwudili 6. Ihediwa Chukwuma 8. Amadi Chibuike.
Aims and Objectives: 1. To promote cooperation among club members. 2. To create and sustain brotherly love and harmony among members Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar general corporate affairs commission, plot 420 Tigris crescent, off aguiyi ironsi street, maitama Abuja within 28days from the date of this publication. Signed: Trustees
THE HOLY MOUNTAIN OF BLESSING CHURCH OF ZION
2. Obi Damian Dele 4. Nwosu Kelechi Vivian 6. Nwosu Miriam Chioma
Aims and Objectives: 1. To propagate the gospel of Christ. 2. To create and sustain brotherly love and harmony among members
Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar general corporate affairs commission, plot 420 Tigris crescent, off aguiyi ironsi street, maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication. Signed: Trustees
MERCYSEAT DELIVERANCE AND PRAYER MINISTRY
Aims and Objectives: 1. To preach the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. 2. To assist the needy. Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar general corporate affairs commission, plot 420 Tigris crescent, off aguiyi ironsi street, maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication. Signed: OTUNBA GBEMIGA ADEWUMI. 08062969700, 09093121693
THE POWER OF TRUTH MINISTRY
The general public is hereby notified that the above named church has applied to the corporate affairs commission Abuja for registration under the part c of the companies and allied matters act 1990.
The general public is hereby notified that the above named ministry has applied to the corporate affairs commission Abuja for registration under the part c of the companies and allied matters act 1990.
The general public is hereby notified that the above named ministry has applied to the corporate affairs commission Abuja for registration under the part c of the companies and allied matters act 1990.
The Trustees Are: 1. Oguntbeju Raphael 2. Olomode Oluwafemi Adebanjo 3. Festus Fehintola Omoyegh
The Trustees Are: 1. Adeleye Oluwayemi Funsho 3. Oseni Olakunle Sikiru 5. Kehinde Olaonipekun Abraham 7. Rachel Oluwatoyin Samuel 9. Peter Olaitan Abe.
The Trustees Are: 1. Pastor Ukpai Prince Andy -senior pastor. 2. Emmanuel Archibong -Assistant pastor. 3. Mrs. Rhoda Segun Adebayo -Secretary. 4. Otu Michael Thomas -Chairman planning committee. 5. Emeka Madu Chukwu -Usher. 6. Elder Ajewole Segun Adebayo -Men President. 7. Mrs. Mercy Emmanuel Archibong -Women President.
Aims and Objectives: To worship Almighty God Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar general corporate affairs commission, plot 420 Tigris crescent, off aguiyi ironsi street, maitama Abuja within 28days from the date of this publication. Signed: Trustees
WORKING FAITH ASSEMBLY WORLDWIDE The general public is hereby notified that the above named assembly has applied to the corporate affairs commission Abuja for registration under the part c of the companies and allied matters act 1990. The Trustees Are: 1. Okeke Ikenna Simeon (President ) 2. Okeke Evelyn Adaeze (Sec) 3. Nwankwo Christian (Member) 4. Juliet .I. Egbe ( Member) 5. Okeke Lawrence (Member ) 6. Nneoma Phyl John- Obire Aims and Objectives: To preach and teach the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar general corporate affairs commission, plot 420 Tigris crescent, off aguiyi ironsi street, maitama Abuja within 28days from the date of this publication. Signed: Secretary
OPEKETE CHARITY FOUNDATION
2. Adeleye Oluwatoyin Abiodun 4. Adesanya Adejumoke Alice 6. Hameed Oluyemi Gabriel 8. Titilayo Abayomi Nathaniel
Aims and Objectives: To propagate the gospel of Jesus Christ
Aims and Objectives: Propagation of the gospel of Jesus Christ
Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar general corporate affairs commission, plot 420 Tigris crescent, off aguiyi ironsi street, maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication. Signed: Trustees
Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar general corporate affairs commission, plot 420 Tigris crescent, off aguiyi ironsi street, maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication. Signed: Secretary
DIVINE INSPIRATION SONG MINISTRY
HON. BARRIO GOWIN YOUTH EMPOWERMENT FOUNDATION
The general public is hereby notified that the above named ministry has applied to the corporate affairs commission Abuja for registration under the part c of the companies and allied matters act 1990.
The general public is hereby notified that the above named foundation has applied to the corporate affairs commission Abuja for registration under the part c of the companies and allied matters act 1990.
The Trustees Are: (1) Deaconess Obasoyin Funmilayo Felicia (3) Elder Micheal Aina (5) Mummy Akintola Owoyemisi (7) Deaconess Akinola Deborah Olufunke (9) Deacon Odugbesan Sunday Oriyomi
The Trustees Are: 1. Hon. Rita Orji - Chairman, 3. Chimara Eric Uche - Secretary 5. Ejimmadu Charles - Member 7. Joy Ideh -Member.
(2) Ass. Pastor Aremu Olufunmiso Micheal (4) Deacon Ibidun Olushola (6) Deacon Oki Idowu Tolani (8) Elder Ajayi Olatunbosun Emmanuel (10) Sister Obasoyin Pelumi
Aims and Objectives: To evangelise through gospel song ministration: by way of producing, marketing & selling audio & video albums; books; Physical ministrations; establishment of missionary schools; missionary hospitals; Christian fellowship through Church & welfarism fund. Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar general corporate affairs commission, plot 420 Tigris crescent, off aguiyi ironsi street, maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication. Signed: Secretary
PRINCE OF PEACE TABERNACLE
2. Anyama Thomas - Vice-Chairman 4. Ayuba Zainab - Member 6. Dare Ayorinde -Member 8. Barr.Joy Okwaraugo - Member
Aims and Objectives: (1) To empower the youth for self-sustenance. (2) Creating a vocational center to train the youth to be self employed. Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar general corporate affairs commission, plot 420 Tigris crescent, off aguiyi ironsi street, maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication. Signed: Secretary
VIANNEY PROGRESSIVE GIVER FOUNDATION
The general public is hereby notified that the above named foundation has applied to the corporate affairs commission Abuja for registration under the part c of the companies and allied matters act 1990.
The general public is hereby notified that the above named ministry has applied to the corporate affairs commission Abuja for registration under the part c of the companies and allied matters act 1990.
The general public is hereby notified that the above named foundation has applied to the corporate affairs commission Abuja for registration under the part c of the companies and allied matters act 1990.
The Trustees Are: 1. Emmanuel Abiodun 2. Isaac Alaba Familusi 3. Prof. Adekunbi Banjo.
The Trustees Are: 1. Rev. Adejokun Adeleye 2. Pastor Joseph Uba 3. Pastor Ashem Timayi 4. Mrs. Adeleye Selina
The Trustees Are: (1) Vianney Stella Ndidi. - (Chairman) (3) Emmanuel Ifeanyi Vianney. (5) Ibe Ugonma Joy (7) Onyemalu Obiora Colins (9) Anas Adamau Yahaya
Aims and Objectives: 1. To promote girl child education and offer them scholarship. 2. To promote and support women development and empowerment. Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar general corporate affairs commission, plot 420 Tigris crescent, off aguiyi ironsi street, maitama Abuja within 28days from the date of this publication. Signed: Barr. Yomi
(2) Ferdinand Ikechukwu Nwosu. (4) Stella Ndidi Vianney (jnr) (6) Maria O.Oladapo (8) Benny Onyekachi Ogbuehi (10) Chilewen Nweke
Aims and Objectives: To preach the gospel of our Lord Christ.
Aims and Objectives: To promote the Vianney progressive giver foundation
Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar general corporate affairs commission, plot 420 Tigris crescent, off aguiyi ironsi street, maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication. Signed: Secretary
Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar general corporate affairs commission, plot 420 Tigris crescent, off aguiyi ironsi street, maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication. Signed: Secretary
News 24
Daily Times Nigeria Monday, May 11, 2015
APC’ll open job opportunities for Nigerian youths – Odigie-Oyegun
Senate Presidency: Benue govelect solicits support for Akume
Wale Akintunde
ÏÏÏBenue State Governor-elect,
Yola
ÏÏÏNigeria’s
university products will soon have cause to smile, as the Muhammadu Buhari administration is prepared to provide job opportunities for them. The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Oyegun, said this at the commencement ceremony of the class of 2015, at the American University of Nigeria (AUN), Yola, where 230 students graduated. Oyegun in his address urged the students to consider themselves as agents of change for graduating at a time the country is witnessing a progressive shift with the emergence of an APC government at the federal level in Nigeria. “You are graduates of change
and you are going to be agents of change. Nigeria is waiting and ready for you”, Oyegun told the graduating students. During the ceremony, the university conferred an Honorary Doctorate Degree on an educationist, Mrs. Vicky Colbert, for the role she played in the development of education. In her speech, the President of the University, Professor Margee Ensign, noted that as a developmental institution, AUN was concerned about the development of Nigeria and the entire Africa. She noted that the graduating students were fortunate to pass through a notable institution, urging them to use the knowledge, skills and technique they acquired to inject the desired development in Nigeria and the African continent. In his remarks, the representa-
Freddie Adamgbe Makurdi
Chief Samuel Ortom, has called on Benue people to embark on fervent prayers so that Sen. George Akume would emerge as Senate President. Chief Ortom made the call in Makurdi, while addressing thousands of supporters, who thronged his residence to wel-
Oyegun
tive of the Minister of Education, Prof Hamisu Mohammed, lauded AUN for its contribution to education in Nigeria. Mohammed noted that the National University Commission (NUC) has approved some courses for the university and urged it to sustain the tempo of growth.
Guest speaker, Mr. Tunde Lemo (left) and Convener, Words of Wisdom Session for young professionals, Sir Demola Aladekomo during the Words of Wisdom Session with Lemo at Wesley Chapel, Lekki… at the weekend
Business devt slow in Nigeria, says Babalakin Sodiq Adekunle Osogbo
ÏÏÏThe
Chairman of BiCourtney Limited, Dr. Bolanle Babalakin, (SAN), has expressed displeasure with the slow pace of business growth in Nigeria. He said this at the weekend during the annual re-union conference lecture and award of N3.6m scholarships to 59 students organised by the University of Ife Muslim Graduates Association. While speaking on the theme: “Challenges of
Sodiq Adekunle Osogbo
ÏÏÏThe Federal High Court sit-
ting in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, has sentenced a young man, identified as Happiness Meschach Eboh, to five years’ imprisonment with hard labour for duping job seekers. He was said to have conspired with two others, Innocent Uwadiale and Urieto Omomene Franca to dupe the job seekers of various sums. The convict was arraigned by the men of Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Osun State Command, on a four-
count charge of conspiracy, impersonation, stealing and advanced-fee fraud. According to the charge sheet, Happiness committed the crime in Osogbo between January 30 and May 7, 2013. He was said to have “obtained a sum of N5,000 from one Issa Musa under the false pretence of assisting him in securing employment with the NSCDC, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 8 (a), (b) and (c) of the AdvancedFee Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria”. Happiness was also said to have
impersonated an officer of the NSCDC, thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 484 of the Criminal Code Cap 138 Vol. 4 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria. He was further accused of stealing, an offence contrary to Section 383 (1) of the Criminal Code Cap 138 Vol. 4 and punishable under Section 390 (9) of the Criminal Code Cap 138 Vol 4 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria. Delivering his judgment, Justice Babs Kuewumi found the accused person guilty on the first count of conspiracy. He, therefore, sentenced him to five years in prison.
Managing a Business in Nigeria: The Islamic Options”, the entrepreneur noted that Nigeria has no business. He listed the challenges of business to include population, electricity, taxes and corruption. He said: “We are still at the very rudimentary level of business. After 30 years, I had expected that we would be at a very higher level; involved with businesses that can transform the lives of our people, expand our horizon. We should be doing petty trading and other business activities at high level now.”
LAUTECH to hosts conference on urbanisation Remi Oladoye
ÏÏÏThe Department of
Osun: Man jailed five years for duping job seekers
come him back from China. Ortom stated that great benefits await the people of the state if Akume emerged President of the Senate, as his administration would be disposed to partner with him for the development of the state. He described Akume as a true democrat, who is responsive to the yearnings and aspirations of the people, particularly the downtrodden.
Urban and Regional Planning of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, will, from May 18 to 20, hold an international conference with the theme: “Cities and Infor-
Peter Fowoyo
ÏÏÏA
National Industrial Court, sitting in Lagos, has ordered the National Drug Law and Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), to reinstate the suspended Borno State Assistant Commander, Prince Benjamin Saliu Ikani, who was suspended from duty recently. Justice O. A. Obaseki-Osaghe, also ordered the anti-narcotic agency to pay Ikani all his remuneration to the present time. The court order was sequel to an exparte motion filed before the court by Ikani, who was suspended for duty by the agency on February 16, 2015.
mal Urbanisation.’ The maiden conference will hold at the Tunde Afolabi Lecture Theatre of the Faculty of Environmental Sciences and is expected to have participants drawn from Nigeria and overseas.
Court orders NDLEA to reinstate suspended commander Sued also were the NDLEA chairman and its Director-General/Secretary, Mrs. Roli Bode George. Meanwhile the case has been adjourned till May 14, 2015, for hearing on the applicant’s motion on notice.
Daily Times Nigeria Monday, May 11, 2015
Ondo govt certifies Ode-Irele epidemic-free 'Tosin Ajuwon Akure
Ă?Ă?Ă?The
Ondo State government said at the weekend that it has successfully curtailed the strange disease believed to be a methanol poisoning, which led to the death of 23 people at Ode Irele, in irele Local Government Area of state. Dr. Dayo Adeyanju, the Commissioner for Health in the state, said this while updating journalists in Akure, the state capital, on government effort at completely curtailing the strange disease which has been code-named #OndoX. Adeyanju disclosed that
IGP restates commitment to fight corruption
Joy Anyim Ndudi
Ă?Ă?Ă?The
acting Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, has once again restated his commitment to fight corruption in the force by sustaining the ban on road blocks by the police in the country. The IGP, who emphasised this during his maiden visit to the Lagos State Police Command, also intimated officers and men present on his many transformatory agenda, part of which include intelligence-led policing, capacity building, inclusion of cutting edge technology, respect for human rights, community driven policing and better welfare for officers among others. According to the IGP, the ban was necessitated by the many nuisance road blocks have constituted in the country, as it has become point of corruption, which contradicts “our ideology� about service. HHe said: “We have decided that we have to enforce the ban on road blocks and that ban is going to stand. We have deployed about 16 teams to the six geo-political zones in the country to ensure strict enforcement.
the Irele outbreak has come to an end and effort of the state government, with the help of health officials from the ministry in avoiding the spread of the disease, had yielded a positive result. He said that for the past 14 days, no single cases of methanol poison symptoms has since been recorded in the town, its environs and the state at large. The commissioner revealed that out of the 33 people that were affected by the strange disease, 23 deaths were recorded while 10 alive people were still responding to treatment. "Two people out of the 10
alive, have regained their sight, while the remaining eight were still being managed and treated", he said. He noted that adequate sensitisation on why people of the community should avoid the local dry gin "Ogogoro" has been carried out and stressed that not until proper investigation into its actual causes were completed, the substance still remains prohibited. "We have been able to successfully sensitise the people of the community on the consumption of alcohol, pending the time of the outcome of our investigation.
"Though, we have been able to curtail, but we would still be sensitising the people of the community, and ensure that our active surveillance continue to do their job, in case of any possible outbreak," Adeyanju added. The commissioner further stated that the state government has partnered agencies like National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), and security agencies, in ensuring compliance with the ban on production and consumption of Ogogoro in the state.
6
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Kehinde Akinpelu Ilorin
Ă?Ă?Ă? The Kwara State Po-
lice Command has arrested a 70 -year-old woman, Mama Zanab Alabi, for allegedly kidnapping a three-year-old girl, Fatiah Mustapha. The Command’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Ajayi Okesanmi, confirmed the arrest of the suspect to journalists in Ilorin, on Sunday, adding that the victim had been released to her parents. Addressing journalists in Ilorin, thereafter, a relative of the girl’s mother, Mrs. Maryam Abdulganiyu, said Mustapha was found in a worship place, popularly called Ori-Oke, at Basin area of Ilorin, the Kwara state capital. The worshiper, according to a source, initially claimed that the missing child was her grandchild but later said, she found the
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3 yr-old old baby found on Mountain in Ilorin girl wondering about lonely, following which she picked her up using her to collect alms around the state capital. The septuagenarian, was said to have claimed that she used the proceeds from the alms to buy the missing child cloths and feed her as well. The girl, according to investigation, was declared missing by her parents who reside at old Shao garage, Ilorin on March 25. After an endless search, her parents were said to have resorted to prayers to seek God’s intervention. And in seeking God’s face, the father of the girl, was said to have approached a man of God at a popular mountain prayer known as Ori-Oke, located at Basin area, in Ilorin. The prayer mountain, for years, had been a safe haven for people seeking spiritual solutions to their problems.
For 16 years, PDP destroyed Nigeria – Buhari
25 News
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President-elect, Major General Muhammadu Buhari, has once again told Nigerians not to expect miracles from his incoming administration. He declared that the change that the people are expecting could not happen overnight. He also pledged that the incoming administration will, in the short term, place emphasis on agriculture and mining to deal with the challenge of youth unemployment. The President-elect said this while receiving in audience members of some northern groups, led by Alhaji Maitama Sule and the Northern Elders Forum, in Abuja, on Sunday. According to him, the task before the northern leaders, especially the clergy, is to help sensitise the
Buhari
public that the change they desire and voted for, cannot happen overnight. According to him, it has taken 16 years of governance by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to destroy the economy, adding that it would take time before the repair work could yield fruits. He noted that Nigeria earned more within the last 16 years under the PDP than it did since 1914, but that most of the income was frittered away. He said: “The biggest message is to try and persuade the people that it is not possible to change the state of affairs now. It took 16 years and those 16 years, most of you know it better than myself, Nigeria earned revenue more than what it earned from 1914 to then. “You know that we used to have Nigeria Airways, Nigeria National Shipping Line, Nigeria Railways. Where are they now? Where is the infrastructure? Between then and now and what we earned in-between and what is on the ground.
26
Daily Times Nigeria Monday, May 11, 2015
Our Heritage Æ s
Rastaman,
Bob Marley still vibrates, 34 years after If Bob Marley was to be alive, he would have composed a hit song on the recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa. He fought for the emancipation of the black race. He committed his phenomenal artistic talent and energy to global Blackman’s unity. He advocated a world where skin colour, tongue or race should constitute no barrier. AGOZINO AGOZINO remembers the singer who transited 34 years ago, leaving an indelible legacy yet to be surpassed. Thirty-four years ago, singer, philosopher and reggae musician Robert Nesta Marley (Bob Marley) passed on at the height of his global stardom. But the Jamaican still remains a mythical figure ever after notwithstanding the waning status of the genre of music he played - reggae. His death via cancer came at a period in his stardom when his vision of ‘One World, One Love,’ inspired by his belief in Rastafarian philosophy was spreading, across the globe, through reggae music. Marley was a uniquely talented phenomenal musician. His fame
spread like wild fire from mid 1960s to his death in 1981. The last time he travelled internationally, with his band, Bob Marley and the Wailers was in 1980. The tour of Europe and America attracted the largest audiences at that time for any musical act in Europe. Bob’s peculiar story was like fairy tale, which is why it continues to resonate like a myth. The message embodies a triumph over a squalid background marked by abandonment, political repression and personal artistic drive, metaphysical insights, gang land brawls and clashes, and various periods of mystical wilderness. Beyond these, the philosophically deep and highly prophetic lines of his poetry and songs were like global warnings of a God-sent seer that have come to pass almost as he stated them. Hence, despite his death, his audience has continued to widen. It is such that when Nigerian pop star, TuFace Idibia who idolises him visited the Bob Marley home/ museum, in Kingston, Jamaica, some years ago he dubbed it a personal pilgrimage. Like TuFace, many of the world’s celebrities and leaders still fete Marley three decades after his death.
To the West and most of the developed world, Bob’s apocalyptic truths prove inspirational and life-changing. In the Third World his impact goes much farther, not just among Africans, who he dubbed as his kit and kin being a black Jamaican, but also to other parts of the world where he is seen as a redeemer figure who used his rebel-cry penetrating songs to lead the course of liberation for black race. He sang for the low and oppressed of mankind. In the clear Jamaican sunlight you can pick out the component parts of which the myth of Marley is comprised: the sadness, the love, the understanding, the abundant natural talent. He was a man who evolved naturally from the suppressed corners of his society. He imbibed their pains and sang in their tongue in a manner that touched both the minds of the elite and the masses of every part of the world. Marley never wrote a bad song. He left behind the most remarkable body of recorded works. “The reservoir of music he has left behind is like an encyclopedia,” says Judy Mowatt CONTINUED ON PAGE 27
Daily Times Nigeria Monday, May 11, 2015
Editor: Agozino Agozino Email: emmanuel.agozino@ dailytimes.co.ng
Arts masters series
Ben Enwonwu ( 1917 –1994)
ÏÏÏ
Ben Enwonwu was an Nigerian painter and sculptor. He is a pioneer whose career opened the way for the postcolonial proliferation and increased visibility of modern African art. His work has been exhibited around the world. Born a twin on 14 July 1917 into the noble family of UmuezeAroli in Onitsha, Nigeria, his father, Omenka Odigwe Emeka Enwonwu, was a technician who worked with the Royal Niger Company; he was also a member of the Onitsha Council of Chiefs and a traditional sculptor of repute. He was a reputable traditional sculptor who created office stools and decorated doors with religious images.
27 Our Heritage
Climbing the Olumo rock Ogun, the Gateway State came into existence in February 1976 following the creation of new states by the late General Murtala Ramat Mohammed. In terms of culture and tourism the Ogun State Government, through its tourism potential, has continuously guaranteed self-sufficiency Major tourist attractions in the State are Olumo rock, the Birikisu sungbo shrine, Suna cultural centre, the Ososa home of Hubert Ogunde and Yemoji tourist centre and many more. Predominantly inhabited by the Egbas, Egbados, Aworis, Eguns, Ijebus and the IjebuRernos, Ogun State, which has its Capital at Abeokuta, also attracts many other Yorubas from neighbouring states. Specifically, Yoruba is spoken among the predominant subethnic groups but English is widely spoken as official language. The State, is noted for its hospitality to expatriates from within and outside Africa, provides entrance for thousands of people coming into Nigeria by land from Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ghana, Togo and Republic of Benin through Idiroko, the famous Nigeria-Benin Republic border
Olumo rock
town situated in Ogun State. Enriched with an uninhibited cultural milieu which gives a boost to social relationship among the inhabitants, Ogun is blessed with a peaceful religious atmosphere which engenders the spirit of solidarity among the citizenry. Adherents of
Christianity and Islam live together, but many of them still participate in traditional rites depending on family religious background. Ogun enjoys the tropical weather with the rainy season starting about March and ending November, it also enjoys, throughout the year,
a sunny weather in day time and fairly cool weather in the evenings. Notable agricultural products include Rice, Maize, Beans, Cassava, Yams, Plantain, Bananas, Tomatoes, Oranges, Cocoa, Kolanuts, Rubber, Palm Oil, palm Kernels and Sugar Cane.
Bob Marley, living on, 34 years after CONTINUED FROM PAGE 26
of the I-Threes. “When you need to refer to a certain situation or crisis, there will always be a Bob Marley song that will relate to it. Bob was a musical prophet.” Mowatt was Marley’s backup singer until his death. In Marley, the tiny Third World country of Jamaica produced an artiste who has transcended all categories, class, and creed through a combination of innate modesty and profound wisdom. Marley, the Natural Mystic, has been marked out as the most significant musical artiste of the 20th century. This is because; Marley gave the world a brilliant and evocative music. His studio recording work and international performing tours, which spanned two decades, produced some timeless and universal art pieces. Bob Marley & the Wailers worked their way into the steeped fabric of people’s lives. Marley, as a performing act was one of the most charismatic and challenging artistes to behold as his Zimbabwe, United States of America concerts buttress. His music was real as it could
only have been created from only one source, the street culture of Jamaica. His stage nuances were exclusively, his style. And none who heard him sing once could forget his vocal hallmark. It is important to consider the roots of this legend. He encapsulated the traits of Jamaica Island, the marginalised black man and the Third World in that era of Cold War. The days of slavery are a recent folk memory on the island made up, largely, of descendants of African slaves who were forcibly taken from their home lands to toil for European land lords in the sugarcane plantations in the Caribbean. That slavery consciousness permeated the mental and social essence of Jamaica’s culture, from the slave-labour plantations of the mid-19th century to the popular music of his own times. Although slavery was abolished in 1834, the Africans in the Caribbean island and their descendants developed their own culture which was actually half-remembered African traditions mingled with the customs of the British slave
masters. This hybrid culture, of course, had parallels with the emerging black consciousness society in America. Jamaica, however, remained a rural community which, without the industrialisation of its northern neighbours, was more closely rooted to its African legacy. By the start of the 20th century that African heritage was given political expression by Marcus Garvey, a shrewd Jamaican preacher and entrepreneur who founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). The organisation advocated the creation of a new black state in Africa, free from white domination. As the first step in this dream, Garvey founded the Black Star Line, a steamship company which, in popular imagination at least, was to take the black population from America and the Caribbean back to their homeland of Africa. A few years later, in 1930, Ras Tafari Makonnen was crowned Emperor of Ethiopia and he took a new name, Haile Selassie, The Emperor claimed to be the 225th ruler in a line that stretched back
to Menelik, the son of Solomon and Sheba (the biblical Queen of Sheba). The Marcus Garvey followers in Jamaica, consulting their New Testaments for a sign, believed Haile Selassie was the black king whom Garvey had prophesied would deliver the Negro race. It was the start of a new religion called Rastafari. Fifteen years later, in Rhoden Hall, north of Jamaica, Marley was born. His mother was an eighteen-year-old black girl called Cedella Booker while his father was Captain Norval Marley, a 50-year-old white quartermaster attached to the British West Indian Regiment. The couple married in 1944 and Robert Nesta Marley was born on February 6, 1945. Norval Marley’s family, however, applied constant pressure. Hence, although he provided financial support, the soldier seldom saw his son who grew up in the rural surroundings of St. Ann, north of the island.
For country p e o p l e in Jamaica, the country’s capital Kingston was the city of their dreams, the land of opportunity. The reality was that Kingston had little work to offer, yet through the 1950s and 1960s, people flooded to the city. The newcomers, despite their rapid disillusion with the capital, seldom returned to their native rural parishes. Instead, they squatted in the shanty towns that grew up in western Kingston, the most notorious of which was Trenchtown (so named because it was built over a ditch that drained the sewage of old Kingston).
28
Daily Times Nigeria Monday, May 11, 2015
Features Æ
Features Editor: Gbubemi God’s Covenant Snr. Email: gbubemi.godscovenantsnr@dailytimes.com.ng
SPORTS BETTING:
New black gold, enemy of the under-aged Barely five years old in Nigeria, sports betting is a one-step innovation from the old pool stake-and-win game. ABDULRAZAQ PEDRO reports that over 60 million Nigerians are locked in the frenzy weekly while the betting companies rake in some N1.8 billion annually. No doubt, the business is building up to hit the roof in the years ahead to – believe it or not – a N100 billion venture. New age football betting is an innovation that started in Nigeria about five years ago. Like an extension of the football supporters club, the sport found ready market in the teeming millions of football fans who argue the game daily at the newsstands, offices, beer parlours, eateries and so on. It is estimated that over 60 million Nigerians bet every week; as at December 2014, records show that betting companies made 1.8 billion from betting activities. Not resting on its phenomenal success, betting companies have found new ways of making even more money with the introduction of ‘virtual games’ and online betting. A regular better and student of the University of Abeokuta, Mr. Kehinde Olewe explains the dynamics to our correspondent. “Virtual games are like synchronization of real life sports
Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade
Sports betters at a centre
.There are three basic categories: virtual dogs, virtual racing and virtual football. Unlike betting on real games and waiting for hours to get the results, virtual games are decided quickly, betting decisions are made faster and if you are on a roll, you make a lot of money.” Virtual games can be seen on plasma TV screens at betting shops where betters gather in front, urging the team or animal they bet on towards victory, like Roman spectators in a coliseum urging their favorite gladiator to go in for the kill. The popularity of the activity is increasing as football enthusiasts are getting aware of it because it creates an avenue for Ni-
Lagos CJ transfers controversial case from magistrate
gerians young and old to improve their standard of living. Tunde Orisanmi is one of the millions of young male Nigerians who hope for a windfall in the football betting game. “I have been playing for almost a year now and I can tell you that it is very rewarding. I was introduced to it by a friend I ran into at a popular viewing center in my area. As for winning, I have won six times since I started, and my highest win was N65,000. I know I will improve my winnings with time.” Explaining his passion for the game, Orisanmi said it is a comfortable way to make easy money. “It’s a less risky way of making money and it is legal; no police
will come and raid the centres as they do at some cyber cafes or other questionable businesses.” Daily Times observed that players of the game are required to predict the winner of their chosen game before placing their bet. Our correspondent found one Bolaji Adeyemi staring at the
papers pasted on the board in a hot and stuffy shop. His had some sheets of papers in one hand and a biro in another; occasionally he would use one finger to convince himself that he is writing down the correct set of codes. Satisfied at last, he went over
The 15th Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade at the weekend transferred a controversial criminal case before a Magistrate (names withheld) to another magistrate in the same jurisdiction. The Chief Judge stated that the case has to be transferred after “thorough investigation.” On April 13, 2015 when the case came up in court, the magistrate
had raised an alarm that her life was under threat as she had received letters at her residence from the suspects. She said: “Let the world know about it so that if anything happens to me and any member of my family the whole world will know who to hold,” adding: “Somebody is alleged to be in possession of firearms and he wrote letters to threaten my life, analysing my marital status, my family background, where I live and who I live with and how I move in and
out daily.” Sulaiman and Kehinde, two of the children of a deceased steel merchant, Chief Abdul Razak Sanusi are currently standing trial before the court for allegedly being in possession of firearms and disrespecting the order of court, in what started as a family dispute over inheritance with some of their siblings including a deputy director in a ministry in the state, who is currently serving at the Lagos State Safety Commis-
English clubs on the game chart
CONTINUED ON PAGE 29
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Daily Times Nigeria Monday, May 11, 2015
29 Features
Current boxing chart
Betting: Underage players should be discouraged CONTINUED FROM PAGE 28
to the counter and handed them over to the betting agent. He spoke with our correspondent outside the centre: “I play with 100 naira everyday and I hope one day I will win real bit money. People win a lot of money all the time and that is why I play the betting game. And because I am a football fan and analyst, I find it is easy to predict games.” Daily Times investigation revealed the reason for the popularity of the game. “Players find it easier to understand as football is Nigeria’s national sport,” Odinaka Agbim, an agent of one of the betting companies said. Agbim who owns a shop at Adura bus stop along the Lagos Abeokuta Expressway explained
CJ transfers case from magistrate
that people rarely bet on other sports apart from football. “Football is easy to watch and understand, other sports get little coverage compared to football because if you look at the leagues in Europe, they are readily available on satellite television. Nigerians have an insatiable appetite for football, especially the English premier league. They are willing to spend any amount to watch football and football betting has created an avenue for them to win money while watching the sport, so they must win.” Mr. Uche Kelechi is the owner of Merrybet shop at Kola bus stop also along the Lagos Abeokuta expressway. He told our correspondent the game is quite simple to understand. “Each game is given a betting code of three or sometimes four numbers. The game has odds for
each team, depending on how good they are. The odds are represented by decimals with the numbers 1 and 2 assigned to the respective teams. For example, if Arsenal and Chelsea are to play and a person wants to stake on either, the person simply picks 1 for an Arsenal win and 2 for a Chelsea win depending on what the person prefers. “If the better is not sure, he can decide to bet both ways; this is represented by 12. Also, the better can decide to play that Arsenal the home team either wins or draws, this is represented by 1x or that Chelsea wins or draws which is represented by x2. These are the basics of the game.” The online betting is accessible from any location without necessarily visiting a betting shop. Daniel Oyewunmi is a regular player online. He is excited at the
game. “It’s absolutely fantastic; it gives me an opportunity to play from the comfort of my room with my phone. It is easy to create, you just to open an account with any betting company; the next thing is to fund the account and I do mine through my ATM card.” Daily Times also found that a better can register at a betting shop and be paying through his user name recognised on the company website. When an individual wins online, the money is transferred to the individual’s bank account. The money won online takes 3 days to be transferred to a winners account. Mayowa Ogunlaye, a regular player on the betting platform of 1960bet found a disadvantage with the online platform.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 28
distressed over this baseless accusations as they are calculated to paint us as criminals to the public. Unless this charge is transferred to and heard by another magistrate, we stand convicted by (the magistrate) even before the trial starts before her.” The petitioners reminded the Chief Judge of their petition to her office dated October 29, 2014
wherein they accused the magistrate of acting the script of one of their siblings, the deputy director. In the 2014 petition, Sulaiman Sanusi had alleged that their sibling was using her connections in the system to “unlawfully oppress and intimidate, and compel us to relinquish control of the management of our father’s com-
sion. The Sanusi brothers had in a petitioned dated April 15, 2015, urged the Chief Judge to investigate the allegations of the magistrate and to transferring the case from her as they felt they could not get justice from her. They stated: “We are sad and
CONTINUED ON PAGE 30
“There was a time I played a couple of games online and won a large amount of money. I transferred it into my account in the hope that in the next 3 days the money would be deposited into my account but it was not done. I had to call the customer care line after one week had passed. They told me they were having issues with online payment and they were working on it. I later got to know from one of their betting agents that they were still sorting out winnings dating back a month. They later paid me after 5 weeks.” Our investigation also uncovered underage stakers in the betting game. Although the game is legally open to people above the age of 18 in Nigeria, several underage boys are known to play the game on daily basis. Ahmed Ayuba, a 15 year JS2 student is one of them. He spoke to our correspondent. “I was introduced to it by a friend. I play once a week and I choose Friday, Saturday and Sunday games all in one ticket. So far I have won 2500 only once.” Betting agents have defended this by saying that underage boys are allowed to play because the shop need to generate revenue. Mr. Adeola Gbenga, a betting agent admitted that though most agents do not really condone it, “but if you look at it from the angle that the location of some betting shops are remote and there are not many customers patronising us, compared to a place like Ikeja, we have to stake for any one that comes to us to play, provided the person pays.” Despite the concerns, football betting is forging on and making billions with analysts predicting that it’s going to be a trillion Naira business in the foreseeable future where the disadvantages will be overruled by multiple advantages. Even the disapproval of religious bodies against the game will be reduced to the barest minimum as people realise the economic potentials, but it is pertinent that government checks against encouraging underage betters. Agents and all stakeholders should come up with a formula to discourage school kids from forming the habit before adulthood.
Features 30
Daily Times Nigeria Monday, May 11, 2015
‘Magistrate of acting the script of one of their siblings’ – Sanusi brothers Continued from page 29 pany to her.” He alleged that he was arrested and detained by officers of the Zone 2 of the Nigerian Police over allegations that he defrauded his father’s company that he manages the sum of N6 billion. The following day, October 17, 2014, he was arraigned before the Magistrate at Igbosere magistrate court at 2.30 pm, on a totally different charge of showing disrespect to a court order and possession of firearms. He stated that in the process of his arrest, the police searched his office and took possession of a dane gun, a family relic dis-
‘‘Somebody is alleged to be in possession of firearms and he wrote letters to threaten my life, analysing my marital status, my family background, where I live and who I live with and how I move in and out daily’’- Magistrate
played in their late father’s office. For this reason, he was charged with possession of fire arms. He claimed that rather than signing their production warrant to ensure his bail, the magistrate used her private door and left the court premises. Because of this, they were taken to Ikoyi prisons where they spent three days. In response to all the allegations and counter allegations, Justice Atilade, through the Deputy Chief Registrar (Legal), Mrs. O.A Okunuga, said that after thorough investigations, the case has been transferred to another magistrate. The letter dated May 5, 2015 stated: “I am directed by the Hon.
Chief Judge of Lagos State, Hon Justice O.O Atilade (Mrs.) to refer to your petition dated October 29, 2014, in respect of the above subject matter, and to inform you that after a thorough investigation of your petition, my Lady has direct-
ed that the matter be transferred to another magistrate for further adjudication. Kindly liaise with the Registrar of Court 6 for further information.” The suit is still expected to come up on May 11, 2015.
BATN awards smallholder farmers in Iseyin Senator Anthony Adeniyi, Mr. Saka Semiu Ojo; Freddy Messanvi, Mr. Oyedokun Mosunmola, Ayantokun Mathew and Charles Kyalo.
One of BATN’s leaf growing farms
GBUBEMI GOD’S COVENANT SNR files in report of the 10th anniversary of BATN’s productivity interventions awards ceremony for smallholder farmers which took place in Iseyin, Oyo State last week. The people of Iseyin in Oyo State last week witnessed another agro-boosting/empowerment programme as the British American Tobacco Iseyin Agronomy (BATIA) held its 10th year anniversary of the BATN Foundation’s Farmers Productivity Award ceremony. The award was organised to honour excellence and best practices among smallholder farmers. Many of the farmers drawn from over 30 farmers’ groups won attractive prizes which include motorcycles, generators, sprayers and water pumps with acces-
sories, including over-head water tanks for their efforts in the 2014 farming season. Senator Anthony Adeniyi, Member, Senate Committee on Agriculture, said BATN’s effort in supporting smallholder farmers is most commendable and worthy of emulation. “It is very encouraging to see an organisation, such as BATN supporting smallholder farmers through agricultural interventions that have transformed the lives of many smallholder farmers, thereby reinforcing government’s effort in alleviating poverty and creating employment,” he said. He added, “This effort is very laudable and I want to urge other organisations that engage in production in Nigeria to emulate this example. The more an organisation gets closer to producers of its raw materials the better for them.
By adopting this practice, such organisations will be able to advise appropriately on how to advance the cause of the industry.” The over 300 farmers of the beneficiary associations who were in attendance at the award presentation ceremony include the Arigidan’s Farmers’ Group, Asaju Farmers’ Group and Sakedu Farmers’ Groups among many others. Three beneficiaries of motorcycles, Saka Semiu Ojo, Oyedokun Mosunmola and Ayantokun Mathew commended BATN for its tradition of rewarding smallholder farmers regularly. Mathew, who spoke on behalf of the awardees said: “We express our gratitude to BATN for coming to our aid. Today marks 10 years of consistent support from the organisation. We are grateful for the support they give us without relenting in their efforts.” Freddy Messanvi, Corporate and Regulatory Affairs Director, British American Tobacco Nigeria said that it is imperative for BATN to support smallholder farmers as agriculture remains
a very significant element of human life. “Agriculture is an important aspect of human life that contributes immensely to the economy through export, thus generating foreign exchange. Not only has agriculture guaranteed us food security, it has also served as a source of foreign exchange. It also supports reduction in the rate of unemployment,” he said, adding: Messanvi further said BATN recognises the impact of agriculture on the Nigerian economy, and as a global company committed to local development, they are proud to invest more in grassroots agriculture by empowering farmers with the company’s leaf growing scheme. On the challenges confronting the organisation in its agricultural interventions, Messanvi said: “Responsible farming practices are usually faced with challenges, one of which is child labour, a practice that is inconsistent with BATN’s operational standards. As an organisation, we are not against parents passing the baton
to their children, but it is not acceptable if it is to the detriment of the children’s education.” Messanvi said that BATN has organised seminars to sensitise the farmers on ways to integrate their children into their business. In partnership with federal and state ministries of agriculture and labour as well as NGOs (Non Governmental Organisations), BATN, he added, has also advocated against paid underage labour and the farmers have been very receptive of its efforts. “The seminars have been a success as results in our last survey showed that more farmers are against child labour and they attest that our communication was effective. However, we will not rest on our oars in reinforcing the evils of child labour.” The BATN Farmers Productivity Award is an annual event that has been rewarding farmers’ efficiency for 10 years, thereby contributing to sustainable agricultural practices across communities in Nigeria.
Daily Times Nigeria Monday, May 11, 2015
Federal teachers beg Jonathan over 11 months unpaid allowances Abiodun Taiwo Abeokuta
ÏÏÏ An appeal has gone to President Goodluck Jonathan to prevail on the handlers of the Federal Teachers Scheme (FTS) to pay their outstanding allowances running into 11 months now. Making the appeal are the FTS teachers, Ogun State chapter, who through a "Save Our Souls" message to President Goodluck Jonathan, lamented that government is owing participants in the scheme over 11 months stipend. The message, which was sent to the President as well
as members of the general public, was borne out of their desire to let the public know about the poor working conditions the handlers of the programme had subjected them to since the middle of last year. In a statement issued and signed by the Coordinator and Secretary of the programme in the state, Tolani Lawal and Ubong Samuel respectively, the federal teachers lamented that government is owing participants in the scheme over 11 months stipends. FTS, an initiative of the Federal Government under the umbrella of the Universal Basic Education Com-
mission (UBEC/SUBEB), was designed to address the shortfall in teaching manpower in public primary and secondary schools in all the states of the federation. The programme was designed to enable each of the benefiting states of the federation absorb the participants, and incorporate them into their Education Boards, at the end of their two years’ service to the nation. In the statement however, participating teachers said it was disheartening that the Federal Government, who recruited them into the scheme, has refused to
Jonathan
pay the N18, 000 monthly allowance "despite the meritorious services we are rendering". "It is in this light that we, participants of the Federal Teachers’ Scheme 2013/2015 Set, appeal to the Federal Government of Nigeria, under the umbrella of UBEC/ SUBEB, and on behalf of the concerned states, to pay the 11 months stipends".
Ex-Plateau gov identifies Jonathan’s greatest enemies Chijioke Kingsley Jos
ÏÏÏThe
erstwhile governor of Plateau State during the Third Republic and one of the founding fathers of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Amb. Fidelis Tapgun, at the weekend in Jos, said that PDP governors are the greatest enemy of President Goodluck Jonathan. Tapgun said their deceit was responsible for
the loss of the presidential election and consequently, the governorship seats in most of the states. Tapgun, who has been making headlines before and after the just concluded general election, has consistently expressed his displeasure in the way and manner the PDP leadership had been running the party, said their action would have led to the death of the party if President Jonathan had continued
RE: NOTICE OF SUSPENSION This is to draw the attention of the general public to a false and misleading publication made in the Daily Times of Nigeria, on Tuesday the 17th day of March, 2015, purportedly suspending Mr. Ajamu Sunday Adedayo as a staff of Comandclem Nig. Ltd, under the caption “NOTICE OF SUSPENSION”. Be informed that the purported Notice of Suspension is not from the management of Comandclem Nig. Ltd, but the handiwork of some faceless and mischievous elements bent on confusing undiscerning members of the public. Ajamu Sunday Adedayo is the substantive Director of Administration of Comandclem Nig. Ltd and has the Company’s mandate to represent and act for it.
to listen to them who also imposed their preferred candidates as successors. The Ambassador said: "PDP governors deceived Jonathan, they cost him this election and is a bitter pill and painful experience that he will live to regret for the rest of his life. In the case of Plateau State, I and some church elders
in the state told the President not to allow Jonah Jang impose GNS Pwajok on the people of Plateau, but the President will not listen to us. As you know, the APC does not have any structure in Plateau but because of the imposition, the People of Plateau protested with their votes and gave it to APC.
UNITY SECONDARY SCHOOL ADO EKITI CLASS OF 92 ALUMNI ASSOCIATION The general public is hereby notified that the above named associaiton has applied for registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja, Under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matter Act 1990. THE TRUSTEES ARE:1. Adamolekun Olaniran Adewale - Chairman 2. Akinboyewa Yejide Adeola - General Secretary 3. Ogundiniyi Oluranti Akinwunmi 4. Odunlami Adebayo Oladele 5. Adekotujo Temitope Samuel AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:To give aid in the development of Unity Secondary School Ado Ekiti
MERCY AYOMIDE OSADE
I formally know and addressed as Miss Maureen Sadiasehi Atubu, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Maureen Sadiasehi A. Oguama. All former documents bearing my former name remain valid. The General public should take note.
I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Mercy Ayomide Babatunde, now wished to be known and addressed as Mrs. Mercy Ayomide Osade. All former documents bearing my former name remain valid. The General public should take note.
Osogbo
ÏÏÏA lecturer at Obafemi
Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, identified as Dr. Femi Omisore, has been reportedly kidnapped. It was gathered that the lecturer was kidnapped early Saturday at Ado Ekiti, on his way to Oye Ekiti. The lecturer was said to be working at the department of Environmental Design Management. A source, close to the suspected kidnapped lecturer, said a car was trailing Omisore's car when his driver increased his speed but couldn't escape after a long while. The source also disclosed that Omisore's driver was shot over his attempt to escape from the kidnappers.
Bishop lauds proposed Peter varsity Nkiru Nwagbo Awka
ÏÏÏThe
Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor, has
The source said, "a car was trailing him and his driver tried to escape but he was caught. The driver tried so much to avoid being overtaken by the unknown men but it is painful that he did not succeed. They eventually killed him." It was also learnt that the kidnappers revisited the area and shot at the petrol tank of the vehicle until it got burnt. said the proposed Peter University Project, Achina Aguata Council Area, has all it takes to correct the anomalies in Nigeria education system, if given the necessary support. Bishop Ezeokafor, who stated this at St. Patrick's Catholic Cathedral, Awka, while interacting with newsmen said the diocese, after serious consultations and empirical research decided to float a citadel of learning where there would be no cutting of corners in order to pass examinations.
THE FLYERS FOUNDATION The general public is hereby notified that the above named ministry has applied for registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja, Under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matter Act 1990. THE TRUSTEES ARE:1. Atanda Tajudeen Babatunde Sule -President 2. Sulu Adedoyin Ayoka 3. Adeyinka Anuoluwapo Sule 4.Adegboyega Michael Adekun-Secretary AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:Seek a society that is free of sickle cell. 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 from the date of this publication. Signed: SECRETARY.
PAKA AWARENESS FOUNDATION
DIVINE FAMILY PRAYER MINISTRY
THE TRUSTEES ARE:1. Mpakaboari Oruwari - Chairman. 2. Ngeripakaibiya Oruwari - Vice Chairman. 3. Luke Sakifa-A - Secretary. 4. Da-Alabo Ibi-Ere - Treasurer.
MAUREEN SADIASEHI A. OGUAMA
Kidnappers abduct OAU lecturer, kill driver
Sodiq Adekunle
Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication. Signed: Ogunnaike Adebayo Stephen
This is to inform the General Public that the above named foundation has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission, for registration under ‘Part C’ of the Company And Allied Matters Act, 1990.
Signed: Clement Clement Uwemedimo. (Executive Director) Comandclem Nig. Ltd. For the Board of Directors, Comandclem Nig. Ltd.
31 News
THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE:1. To campaign against political violence. 2. Giving voice to the voiceless. 3. Support for good governance. Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, FCT,Abuja,within 28 days from the date of this publication SIGNED: SECRETARY.
The general public is hereby notified that the above named MINISTRY has applied for registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja, Under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matter Act 1990. THE TRUSTEES ARE:1. Adegoke Ayodele Taiwo. - Chairman 3. Taiwo Oluwaseun - Secretary. 5. Onaghise Grace Nowamagbe.
2. Taiwo Florence. 4. Osimen Stellamaris Ibhad.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:To preach the gospel of our lord Jesus Christ. 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 from the date of this publication. Signed: Barr. Ebenezer Akinbuli
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Peter Obi and power perception
Yinka Odumakin
ÎÎÎ The king of
The tragedy of it all is that except there is ethical adjustment in our society down the line, those kids would master the way of their parents down the line.
g Features
comedy in my growing up years in the Yoruba country was Moses Olaiya a.k.a. Baba Sala. He had the Jacobs and Papilolos as sidekicks who made people laugh, laugh and laugh. I daresay that these gentlemen came well ahead of time as they had very little to show for all their talents in terms of material rewards unlike today’s practitioners of the art. But they made their marks as pathfinders and excelled in their trade. They paid the incorporation costs for those coming behind them and they should be eternally fulfilled. I recall one of those scenes by Baba Sala in those days. He was indebted to a friend who had come to ask for the repayment of his money. Baba Sala did not have the money ready. He had defaulted on many occasions and could therefore not face his creditor. He had to device a scheme: to lie his way out to avoid
the embarrassment, albeit temporarily. He called his son to go meet the creditor and tell him that he was not at home. The pristine innocence of the child however gave him away as the boy opened the door and told Mr. Shylock “My Daddy said I should tell you he is not at home”. The boy had hardly delivered the message when the creditor took the door from him, entered the house and grabbed Baba Sala by the collar. That is the purity of the child’s spirit and the sheer incorruptibility which explains why Jesus Christ admonished the zealots around him who were going to bounce kids off him. He told them without mincing words that the kingdom of God is an exclusive preserve of theirs. Christ was using a metaphor that only the pure in the spirit would have a valid visa to cross the immigration counter at the gate of heaven. That was the import of
former governor Peter Obi of Anambra as he paid tribute to Oronto Douglas at the creative industry in Nigeria’s celebration of the life and times for the departed icon two weeks ago in Lagos. Obi in the course of his speech said one great strength of OND was the capacity to tell you the truth no matter how it hurt, a virtue in scarcity in our clime where hypocrisy defines people’s conduct most of the times. Which is the reason little men in power become tin gods because the people love it so and massage their egos with excessive praise and outlandish subservience. In the process, they are locked from reality and they can no longer see themselves in the mirror and they begin to carry about the artistic impression of them painted by those who merely want to exploit their offices for their own little gains. The immediate past governor of Anambra then
told a story of his experience with sycophancy in his days in the saddle. He had gone on official visit to a community and the drums were rolled to welcome him. Praise singers were in abundant supply telling him he was the best thing humanity was sighting since the advent of toast bread. They poured all manner of encomia to celebrate him for the wonderful feats he had achieved as Anambra governor. A normal governor in our degenerate culture would have soaked in all the praise, emit some noises and dole out cash to the band of sycophants. Visit ended and the media takes over the rest and do the needful. Not Peter Obi. He had the right perception of power as an instrument not to make your head swell but to make strategic interventions in the lives of those you are privileged to lead. His conscience told him those singing his praises could
not be a sincere crowd. He took a few steps not too far from the madding crowd and saw three of those guys whom Christ said have the keys to the kingdom. In seconds they began to rain on their parents parade as the governor asked them to tell him their areas of need. The first one pointed him to the leaking roof in their community school, the second showed him the non-existent toilet and the third spoke about their broken chairs. “I stood there looking at those kids telling me the truth while their parents were at another corner singing my praises. From that day, I decided that every Senior Prefect in all schools in the state must have my direct line so they could tell me the situation of things.” The tragedy of it all is that except there is ethical adjustment in our society down the line, those kids would master the way of their parents down the line.
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Daily Times Nigeria Monday May 11, 2015
Nigeria, most difficult place for real estate investment
- Meckson Innocent Okoro Mutiat Alli As a foremost real estate and property consultant in the country, Dr Meckson Innocent Okoro, has contributed immensely to the field of real estate, surveying and property valuation in the country. The Chartered Surveyor is also a Fellow of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) and other professional bodies. In this chat, the CEO, M.I. Okoro & Associates, speaks on his achievements, challenges and why politicians need to declare their asset to the public and other sundry issues. As an estate surveyor, what do you expect from the incoming administration as regards your field? To start with, the incoming government must play the politics of trying to repel the land use act of 1978 which was a creation the Olusegun Obasanjo administration in order to enrich himself. He created it to amass land for himself. That was why they created trusteeship for the governor of each state. This new administration should be bold enough to scrap this act and create an agency that will be in charge of land and also put professionals in their proper positions; estate surveyors getting apointments particularly in the ministry of works, housing and urban development and environment. Aside my profession, generally the new administration is expected to do a lot of changes; they must change our thinking process and they must be able to give respect to those who make their money on daily basis and make sure that the change will all clamor for is all encompassing.
Life&
T E A M
What then is the major effect of the Land Use Act? It increases cost escalation in terms of land acquisition. For instance, a land owner that wants to transfer his land to either his son or anyone else, will first have to obtain the consent of the governor
for the said land, which is calculated at 10 per cent of the value of the land. Apart from this, foreign investors willing to purchase land and perfect their titles may have to wait for up to three years or go back to their countries because apart from being very expensive, a lot of money will have to change hands as bribe before their land titles can be finally perfected. What motivated you to venture into the real estate business? Well, that would be my desire to con¬tribute to the development of land re¬source in Nigeria and to effectively con¬tribute to the economic development of the country. Do you think key players in the real estate business have performed up to expectation? Yes, we have, to a very large extent. There have been checks and bal-ances and even police monitoring eve¬rywhere to ensure that people don’t fall below our standards. There is a board that ensures that if you default, your of¬fice would be sealed up and your license re¬voked. So, these are the measures to en¬sure that people are doing what is right. Nigerian Institute of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) can also deregister any one of us that tries to cut corners. People must respect the membership and partnership. So, it’s a serious matter.
the real estate pro¬fession. How about government influence? There are a lot of challenges, the challenges arises from political instability which affects real estate investments. Then monetary policies affect it, government policies also affect it as well. In terms of government influ¬ence, I won’t say the practice is highly regulated compared to other countries like South Africa and Britain, where everybody knows what to do because there is a standard. If you go to South Africa, USA or UK, before you become an estate agent, you must be duly reg¬istered and you must attain a certain lev¬el of academic qualification. You can¬not just wake up one day and begin to practice, but here in Nigeria, it’s not well regulated.
Every Tom, Dick and Harry enters the profession. In fact, in South Africa, you have to take certain exami¬nations and there is a body that must make sure that you are registered which I think is what
Lagos State Estate Agen¬cy Department is trying to do but they have not perfected it yet. What is your unique selling point as a surveyor? Once you are upright, you keep your hands clean and you don’t cut cor-ners, then you are likely to go far. When you satisfy a client very well, that client will refer you to others. Even if the market is competitive, everybody has his clientele. If you know what you are doing, you will al-ways carve a niche for yourself when you identify with your clientele. Recently you advised that public holders should make their assets public. Why do you think this is necessary? It is very important and vital I must say because it’s just a system that guarantees what we call corporate governance
What can you say are the challenges faced by real estate practitioners in Nigeria? The most important thing is finance. To raise money to develop real estate in Nigeria is one of the most difficult things we face. We don’t have access to funds that would make us in turn realize the maximum benefits inherent in the business. Other countries have been there before us and no two countries are alike. The truth is that there is a global best practice which every country aspires to maintain. Nigeria has done very well in terms of maintaining the global best practice standards in
Editor Nkarenyi Ukonu n.ukonu@dailytimes.com.ng 08029030427
Music Correspondent Akintayo Opeoluwani o.ogunjimi@dailytimes.com.ng 08126223784
Movie Correspondent Mutiat Alli m.alli@dailytimes.com.ng 08115557378
Society Correspondent Isaac Oguntoye i.ogundoye@dailytimes.com.ng 08069489893
Photography Quadri Olowolagba q.olowolagba@dailytimes.com.ng 08029745478
Graphics Austine Agbovi a.agbovi@dailytimes.com.ng 07060402397
Daily Times Nigeria
Monday May 11, 2015
for anybody that is going into public office, call it State House of Assembly, House of Representatives, The Senate, Governorship and Presidency. The moment you have gone through the process of election, you have succeeded, you are now a governor. But before you are sworn in, naturally, you are expected to declare your assets. In declaring your assets, it’s not enough for you to wake up and say my asset is 2 billion naira. If you say 2billion naira, maybe you aren’t worth 10 million naira. What this means is that you are hoping to steal since you have told the public your worth is 2 billion naira. We have to do what we call investigative valuation. Who does the valuation? An estate surveyor and valuer is the only professional allowed by law of the federal republic of Nigeria that can ascribe value to a property or land resource or anything in this world that has monetary value. Any governor or any of the public servant or elective position before he is sworn in, is supposed to invite an estate surveyor or valuer, who will do asset valuation to be able to know what the worth of this governor is. What is the worth of this head of state, what is the worth of this Senator, House member, or local government chairman or even councilors? If for instance by the time we value your property, both the one in Lagos or the one in your village or anywhere and we identify that
it is yours and we okay it, we now have what we call an assets register for you. By the time you finish your tenure in office, we have to come and do another valuation called post asset valuation. What if the public office holder gives a fake declaration, what then happens to such a person? It cannot happen, that is why I say it’s not for them to wake up and tell you they are worth this or that. It is the duty of the government in power to issue a letter to the Institute of Estate Surveyors and Valuers to swing into action by evaluating each public office holder’s property, from the smallest to the largest. What is your general overview of real estate investment in Nigeria? To start with, the land administration policy is very harsh. Unlike other countries of the world where it is easy to perfect land documents within a day, one may have to wait for up to five years before one could get it done here. Getting mortgage to finance real estate development has not been very encouraging either. All these put together has made Nigeria the most difficult place for real estate investment in the world. Is there any other way you think we can curb corruption and avert financial miscalculations
L3 Interview
in the system? Well you see there are so many ways we can achieve that. But there is an adage that says that when the head is rotten, the rest of the body is a total waste. You cannot begin to preach corruption if you have not checked yourself. So that checking has to start from the head of state, governors, senators and other public holders. It’s only in Nigeria that someone will steal public fund and after one year, he will launder his image and come back and might even be given a bigger position in the government. Also on the issue of curbing corruption, we used to have the Economic Financial Crime Commission (EFCC). To what extent have they been doing their job? We want to know how many people they have persecuted. For instance, they should start from most of the permanent secretaries because they award contracts to themselves and don’t follow due process and as such most of the secretaries are the cancer eating deep into the treasury of Nigeria and they must be probed. How do you unwind after a day of hard work? I play golf. I have played golf all over the world. I play golf at least four hours straight, thrice weekly. That’s my next passion after real estate.
Living & Decor
Eco friendly tips for cleaning your home Nkarenyi Ukonu Chemical based cleaning products have their drawbacks: they’re pricey, they may trigger health issues and their manufacture, use and disposal can harm the environment. Are you wary of using chemicals to clean your home? If you wish to clean your home, why not consider these effective all-natural cleaning alternatives?
Lemon:
Lemons are nature’s cleaning wonders. They have powerful antiseptic and antibacterial properties and are a natural deodorizer due to their high acidic content. • To clean your pots and pans made of copper and restore their shine, dip half a lemon in salt or baking powder to scour your pans to their former glory. • Mix a bit of lemon juice with baking soda to remove stains from plastic containers.
• Combine lemon peel and white vinegar in a jar, allow to marinate for a few days, then strain out the peel to use the vinegar as a cleaner. A small dish containing vinegar and lemon juice will absorb odors. • Rub a slice of lemon across your chopping board to disinfect the surface.
Baking soda: Baking soda,
like lemon, is another one of nature’s cleaners. Also known as sodium bicarbonate, this mildly alkaline substance functions as a gentle abrasive, deodorant and more. • A thick paste of baking soda and water can be useful in removing surface rust. • A more liquid mixture of baking soda and water can function as an all-purpose light cleaner that’s particularly effective on grease. • A thick paste of baking soda and water can be applied to the bottom of the oven to clean it. Let it sit for a
couple of hours or overnight before scraping it off and wiping the surface. • Throw a cup of baking soda into the toilet bowl and let it sit for more than an hour. Then add a cup of white vinegar, let the mixture sit for a while longer, and flush. • When added to your washing machine, baking soda can soften your clothes and remove any unpleasant odors.
White vinegar:
White vinegar is a weak acetic acid that can be used in almost all aspects of home cleaning, as it has strong antibacterial properties. • Vinegar diluted in water is an effective stain remover for various textiles. • It’s also a great natural deodorizer, and can be combined with various other natural products, such as lemon juice, to absorb odors. Simmer vinegar with water on the stove while cooking to pre-
vent cooking odors. Vinegar can help remove strong scents left over from fish, onion and garlic too. • To descale your kettle, vinegar is your friend again here, although you can use lemon juice, too. Pour a 50/50 mixture of white vinegar and water into your kettle, allow it to boil, then rinse the kettle out once it cools down a little but is still warm. • To make your windows shine again, fill an empty spray bottle with a 50/50 mixture of white vinegar and water and use a microfiber
cloth to wipe down your windows and avoid any streaking. This also works wonders for mirrors. • The grout between tiles in the bathroom can quickly accumulate mold, which is both unsightly and unhealthy. Remove it by mixing one part carbonated water with one part white vinegar and spray it on the moldy areas. If the grime still doesn’t scrub off, add two parts baking soda to the vinegar-water mix to make a thick paste. Let the mixture sit on the grout for at least 15 minutes before scrubbing it off.
Men’s Trend L4
Daily Times Nigeria Monday May 11, 2015
lue,
lack the new
Nkarenyi Ukonu
Dr Sid
Why are men so obsessed with the colour blue? Apparently blue gives a feeling of distance, a cool vibration that is helpful for communication and it never goes out of style. The time for the blue suit is right now. Blue has never been more popular for men’s suits. The spectrum ranges from bright napoli blues, to lighter hues and of course darker midnight blues which can be worn with almost anything.
Denola Adepetun
Simple rules to follow when wearing a blue suit • Stick with a crisp white shirt, or a lighter shade of pink or blue. These colours create a little contrast allowing your blue suit to pop. • When it comes to ties the world is your oyster. Black, navy, red, burgundy and greens will also work too. • Both black or brown shoes are acceptable, in lace ups preferably. • If your suit is well fitted and shorter in the legs and body then feel free to wear a polo shirt and a pair of sneakers to look dressed down. • Be careful with the tonality of the suit because different shades look good on some and not on others, electric or violent blues are best avoided. 2-3 shades lighter than your Navy will work for most. If you are more adventurous, pastel shirts can more easily be incorporated with blue.
Big Ben
Ebuka Obi-Uchendu Kobe Bryant Noble Igwe Alex Ekubor
Daily Times Nigeria
Monday May 11, 2015
L5
Nutrition
Eat smart:
Memory
boosting foods
Blueberries : Blueberries
are antioxidant powerhouses, protecting the brain from oxidative damage and stress that lead to premature aging, alzheimer, and dementia. They contain flavonoids which improve the communication between neurons, improving memory, learning, and all cognitive function, including reasoning, decision making, verbal comprehension, and numerical anility. Other dark berries are good for the brain too.
Judith Frank- Edet
Judithjudith463@yahoo.com
Just the like other parts of your body, the brain requires nutrients essential for keeping your memory and intellect sharp. Foods can help improve your memory naturally and boost brain power. The following memory enhancing foods will help boost your brain power and reduce your risk of dementia: a disease that involves memory loss and difficulty in thinking.
Green tea: Green tea contains less caffeine but still
acts as a mild stimulant while also providing your body with antioxidants and flavonoids. Drinking a cup of green tea extract improves your memory by increasing connectivity between the parietal and the frontal cortex of the brain. A study published in the journal Psychopharmacology, found green tea isn’t just good for the body, but also for the mind, as it boosts brain power, possibly helping treat psychiatric disorders, such as dementia. So it may be time to trade coffee or black tea for some green tea.
coconut oil: Coconut oil is a heart-healthy Fish: Fish especially cold water “fatty fish” such as salmon, oilVirgin that is free of cholesterol and trans-fats, and boosts ketones. tuna and sardines are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and approximately 8 per cent of the brain’s weight is comprised of omega-3 fatty acids 3, the building block for an estimated 100 billion neurons. More and more evidence indicates that omega-3 fatty acids are particularly beneficial for brain health. In addition to boosting brain power, eating fish may also lower your risk of developing alzheimer’s disease, a disease that impairs memory. Shrimps too have a high level of vitamin B12, which has been shown to prevent memory decline and is crucial for healthy nerves and brain cells. In a study, scientists analyzed the diets of 12,000 pregnant women and found out that children of those who consumed the least omega-3 were 48 per cent more likely to score the lowest quartile on IQ tests.
Avocado pear: Every organ in the body depends
on blood flow, especially the heart and brain and avocados enhance blood flow, lower cholesterol, and aid in the absorption of antioxidants. Avocados also come with many antioxidants of their own, including vitamin E, which protect the body and the brain from free radical damage. They are also a good source of potassium and vitamin K, both protect the brain from the risk of stroke.
It contains medium chain triglycerides( MCT) that the body uses for energy, leaving glucose for the brain. Anything that benefits the heart and circulation also benefits the brain. Coconut oil acts as an anti-inflammatory as well and has been linked to helping prevent Alzheimer and dementia. The good thing about coconut oil is that it works almost instantly. In a study published in 2004 in the journal, Neurobiology of Aging, it was determined that coconut oil’s MCT improved cognitive function among older people with memory problems and even Alzheimer disease. They took 20 subjects and randomly fed them coconut oil or placebos on different days and all of them demonstrated better paragraph recall shortly after taking each dose of coconut oil.
Yoghurt: Yoghurts are sweet tasting and when you consider its brain-boosting properties, you have more reasons to take them. Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, determined that the probiotics, found in yogurt might be good for the brain. They can help keep brain cell membranes flexible, helping them to send and receive information.
Beans: Beans and legumes contain complex carbohydrates which are also mixed with fiber that slows absorption, giving us a steady supply of glucose for the brain without the risks of sugar spikes associated with many other sugar sources. Beans and legumes are also rich in folate, a B vitamin critical to brain function and essential omega fatty acids. Beans is good for the heart and also good for children’s brains since they have energy from protein, complex carbohydrates, fiber, and vitamins and minerals. They can keep energy levels high.
Beef: A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reveals that healthy iron levels aid performance of mental tasks. Iron helps transport oxygen throughout the body and to the brain Continue on L7
Buzz Bytes L6
Daily Times Nigeria Monday May 11, 2015
Stories by: Opeoluwani Akintayo & Mutiat Alli
Seyi Shay flags off ‘Jangilova’ contest
Victoria Kimani, Emmy Nyra, set to perform in Malaysia
In a bid to publicizes her new single, Jangilova into the subconscious of her fans, sexy singer, Seyi Shay, has kicked off a social media competition. The winner of the contest, stands the chance of walking away with prizes such as Blackberry Passport, N50, 000 cash and a night out with the singer. To be part of the competition, fans are expected to download the audio of the single and recreate a 15 seconds video by singing their favourite part of the song. Afterwards, they are to upload the video online and tag @iamseyishay, using the hashtag, #myjangilova. The 3 minutes video with the most ‘likes’ gets to win the top three slots and her prizes.
Nigeria songstress, Emma Nyra and Kenyan born music sensation, Victoria Kimani, will be doing what they know how to do best in Malaysia, this weekend. The two are billed to headline the opening of a new club, ‘Club Rain’ on Saturday, May 16, 2015. Tagged ‘East meets West music concert’, it will also feature performances from other foreign acts like Flava and Tex.
Seyi Shey
Victoria Kimani
Emmy Nyra
Emazi renews record deal with Zaime Media Idris Odu, a.k.a, Emazi, has renewed his record deal with Zaime Entertainment. That’s not all, the artiste has re-debuted his two singles titled Sankololo and Sexy Lover. According to Zaime Media boss, Steven Ajayi, popularly known as Teeboi, the two singles were initially released in America alongside the videos which have also been premiered via some notable media platforms in the States. Now, Sankololo and Sexy Lover, has finally hit the airwaves in Nigeria. Emazi is a Nigerian-American Afro-Pop act based in Dallas Texas. He was raised in Lagos before relocating to the US in 2002 with his family. He attended College at the University of North Texas with a Major in Business. Emazi started professional music in 20.
Wizboyy- Salambala Ft. Phyno
High life crooner, Wizboyy has dropped a collaboration titled Salambala in which he featured rap maverick, Phyno. The hot number produced by WizBoyy himself is a stellar track as the hit maker continues in the tradition of giving his fans good music. Salambala is a follow up on his debut single, Infinity and Testimony.
Emazi
Eniola Badmus clinches endorsement deal
New act to watch:
Boye Manni Adeagbo Adeboye a.k.a. Boye Manni is out with his first ever single entitled Lady Pamela. The song was officially released last week on Eko FM. Well placed on a rhythmic beat with impactful lyrics, the track is an electro anthem with driving percussions and some strong pop hooks, and it’s currently winning the consciousness of music lovers across the country. According to Boye Manni, the musical video for the song is what’s next to follow. This is not the first time Boye Manni would try out his hands in music. In 2011 precisely, he was part of Star Quest reality show where he made it to the second round, winning the admiration of Paul Play and a host of other judges on the show. With that exposure, he moved on to release a couple of songs online to build a fan base for himself. He’s also performed
New single alert!
Boye Manni at a few musical concerts. Boye Manni’s pact with music started during his teens when he would record on his mother’s favourite cassette and got beaten for it. This continued for a while until he got admitted into The Polytechnic of Ibadan where he fully launched his music career. With mentors like 2pac, Nas, Fela, KSA, Phil Collins among others, the singer has been tipped as an act who could pull a surprise this year in the music industry.
Bold and beautiful actress, Eniola Badmus fondly known by her teaming fans as Gbogbo big girls has joined the league of entertainers with endorsement deals. Excited Eniola hinted on her brand endorsement deal with ACTV via her Instagram platform. The actress wrote ‘#new beginning, ACTV we are here to stay’.
Eniola Badmus and staff of ACTV
Daily Times Nigeria
Monday May 11, 2015
L7 Buzz Bytes
ON Set
Mutiat Alli
Movie title: Ghana Must Go
Foluke Daramola to premiere movie, Cobweb
Producer: Yvonne Okoro Director: Frank Rajah Cast: Nkem Owoh, Kofi Adjorlorlo, IK Ogbonna, Blossom Chukwujekwu, Helen Paul, Ada Ameh, Okawa Shaznay
…Unveils rape foundation
Football skills on displays Dotun Taylor
Foluke Daramola Best of Nollywood winner and busty actress, Foluke Daramola-Salako will on Sunday May, 24th 2015 premiere her much anticipated movie, Cobweb at a society gathering at popular celebrity fun spot, Time Square event centre, Ikeja The actress disclosed that audience will enjoy a public exhibition of the movie and as well witness the official launch of her rape foundation, as a way of giving back to society. It is pertinent to note that the movie, Cobweb, won the best sound in a short movie at the Best of Nollywood awards (BON) in 2014.
Dotun Taylor’s laments about pirates Weeks after filmmaker, Kunle Afolayan took to the streets of Lagos to protest against the rate at which films are pirated before their due date of release, another filmmaker, Dotun Taylor, has cried out over the release of his new project titled Egberun Maili by pirates via ‘Yorubahood’, an online platform on Youtube channel. Sad as Dotun was, he disclosed to Life &Times that his company, Aroba Groove and Epsalum pictures have concluded a deal for the eventual marketing of their new film, Eko Wenjele which he has hit location for.
Nutrition
Cast of Ghana Must go
Movie title: Rivers Between
Producer: Bose Omotoyosi Director: Chris Enengi Cast: Akin Lewis, Foluke Daramola-Salako, Belinda Effah, Ibinabo Fiberesima Location: Lagos
Akin Lewis, Belinda Effah and Ibinabo Fiberesima, Foluke Salako Ibinabo Fiberesima
Continued from L5
Walnuts: Eating walnuts may improve performance on cognitive function tests, including those for memory, concentration and information processing speed. They are great sources of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, vitamin B6, and vitamin E. Vitamin E has been shown to prevent many forms of dementia by protecting the brain from free radicals, and it improves brain power. A study by School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, found that cognitive function was consistently greater in adult participants that consumed walnuts regardless of age, gender or ethnicity. Just a handful of walnuts a day could be a way to improve your memory, a great deal.
Tomatoes: Tomatoes contain lycopene, a powerful
antioxidant that protects against memory loss. Research shows that lycopene can protect against free radical damage in cells which can speed up dementia. Other lycopene sources are pawpaw, watermelon, grapefruit, etc.
Olive oil: Instead of cooking with unhealthy oils which
have saturated the market, substitute them with olive oil. Olive oil nutrition data shows that it’s a good source of vitamins E and vitamin K. Vitamin E prevents mental decline as we age especially in the presence of vitamin C, works to maintain a good memory, slow memory loss, and significantly reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Eggs: Eating eggs with its yolks provide choline, a nutrient Chewing gum: Chewing a gum can also do some magic to your memory. A study at Cardiff University had two groups of people each listen to a 30-minute recording of a sequence of numbers. When asked to recall the sequence later, the group that chewed gum had higher accuracy rates and faster reaction times than the group without the gum. This suggests that chewing gum helps us focus on tasks that require continuous monitoring over a longer amount of time.
Water your brain: Your brain needs enough flu-
id to work effectively. A study published in Psychology Today, reveals that dehydration can affect cognitive function and also impair short-term memory, focus and decision-making. Target 6-8 glasses of fluid a day. Water is the healthiest choice but natural fruit juice, the one you juice yourself, fruit smoothies and milk, also count towards your fluid intake.
in the vitamin B family. A study found that people who have a diet rich in choline, scored higher on verbal and visual memory tests and are less likely to show signs associated with dementia. Choline can lower blood levels of an amino acid called homocysteine which causes heart disease, cancer and dementia if it becomes too much in the body. Choline can also aid in constructing our “memory” neurotransmitter called acetylcholine. Try incorporating eggs into your breakfasts, but eat them in moderation as they contain dietary cholesterol.
Daily Times Nigeria
Monday May 11, 2015
L8 Television
Showing on
Showing on
127 SONY Channel
166 Z WORLD Channel
01:45
01:00
Mon, 11 May | PG13
Mon, 11 May | 16
‘S3/E3 - 3/3’. Everyone brings baggage into a relationship, but only on this game show do they bring it all to the very first date. Host Jerry Springer guides the fun as one dater chooses one of three possible love matches.
101 M-Net West
‘S1/E3 - 1/3’. Ranveer skips his wedding to fulfil his longawaited dream. His decision affects the family’s view of him. Out of desperation, Manmeet makes a decision that might put an end to Sahiba and Ranveer’s love story.
120 BBC Entertainment
118 Telemundo
128 SONY MAX
00:05 New Tricks 01:00 The Cube 01:45 Come Dine With Me 02:35 Downton Abbey 03:30 EastEnders 01:00 Penthouse North 02:30 A Fighting Man 04:00 Young Hollywood’s Greatest 05:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 06:00 Modern Family 06:30 The Newsroom 07:30 Caught On Camera 08:30 Celebrity Masterchef South Africa 09:30 NCIS: Los Angeles 10:30 2 Broke Girls 11:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 12:00 MasterChef Australia 13:00 Nashville 14:00 Arrow 15:00 Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. 16:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 17:00 The Goldbergs 17:30 MasterChef Australia 18:30 Grey’s Anatomy 19:30 Mysteries Of Laura 20:30 Elementary 21:30 Carte Blanche 22:30 Mob City 23:00 Strike Back
04:00 EastEnders 00:30 The Impostor 01:20 The Impostor 02:10 The Impostor 03:00 The Impostor 03:50 The Impostor 05:20 The Del Monte Dynasty 06:10 Labour Of Love 07:00 Fearless Heart 07:50 Queen Of Hearts 08:40 The Impostor 09:30 Forbidden Passions 10:20 Labour Of Love 11:10 Fearless Heart 12:00 Queen Of Hearts 12:50 The Impostor 13:40 Forbidden Passions 14:30 Labour Of Love 15:20 Part Of Me 16:10 Queen Of Hearts 17:00 The Impostor 17:50 Forbidden Passions 18:40 Labour Of Love 19:30 Part Of Me 20:20 Queen Of Hearts 21:10 The Impostor 22:00 Forbidden Passions 22:50 Labour Of Love 23:05 Would I Lie To You?
04:30 EastEnders 05:00 Spy 05:25 QI 05:55 The Thin Blue Line
00:45 Mad Monkey Kung Fu
06:30 EastEnders
02:35 Most Shocking
07:00 Antiques Roadshow
16:30 Deal Or No Deal
03:20 Most Shocking
07:55 The Weakest Link
17:10 The Cube
04:10 Exposed
08:45 The Chase
18:05 Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?
04:35 Exposed
09:35 Total Wipeout UK 10:30 The Cube
19:00 Celebrity MasterChef 20:00 Hell’s Kitchen USA
11:20 New Tricks
21:00 Hell’s Kitchen USA
12:20 Top Gear 13:15 Come Dine With Me 14:10 Total Wipeout UK 15:10 The Weakest Link
21:50 The Graham Norton Show 22:45 Would I Lie To You? 23:45 Tanked
16:00 EastEnders
00:40 Perfect Imperfection 01:40 Umbara Point 03:00 Good Morning Africa 04:05 Coco Bill 04:25 Perfect Imperfection 06:00 Good Morning Africa 07:00 Star Gist
05:25 Exposed 05:50 Exposed 06:15 Video Zonkers 06:40 Video Zonkers 07:10 1000 Ways To Die 07:40 1000 Ways To Die 08:10 Most Shocking
155 AfricaMagic World
09:10 What Went Down 09:40 Most Shocking 10:40 Most Shocking 11:40 Video Zonkers 12:10 Video Zonkers 12:40 1000 Ways To Die 13:10 1000 Ways To Die 13:40 Most Shocking
154 AfricaMagic Family 07:25 Next Door To Happiness 08:30 Living With Trisha 09:25 The African Child 10:00 Good Morning Africa 11:00 Tinsel 11:30 Star Gist 12:00 Music 13:00 At Home With Joselyn Dumas 14:00 Prem 14:30 Goge Africa 15:00 Making Of A Mogul 15:30 At Home With Michelle Attoh 16:30 Living With Trisha 17:30 Comfort Zone 18:00 Meet The Adebanjos 18:30 Jane And Abel 19:00 Tinsel 19:30 Star Gist
05:00 Criss Angel Mindfreak
14:40 What Went Down 15:10 Exposed 15:40 Criss Angel Mindfreak 16:10 1000 Ways To Die 00:20 Series TBA 01:30 The Dzigbordi Show 02:30 Good Morning Africa 03:30 Good Morning Africa 04:30 Prem 05:00 Good Morning Africa 06:10 City Of Kings 09:00 Good Morning Africa 10:00 So Wrong So Wright 10:30 So Wrong So Wright 11:00 Lies That Bind 11:30 Lies That Bind 12:00 Jara 12:30 Jara 13:00 Series TBA
14:00 53 Extra 14:30 53 Extra 15:00 Kakibe Ki 15:30 Noose Of Gold 16:00 Foot Print 16:30 Lies That Bind 17:00 Lies That Bind 17:30 Star Gist 18:00 Star Gist 18:30 Star Gist 19:00 Prem 19:30 So Wrong So Wright 20:00 Golden Moon 22:55 Series TBA 23:45 Why Stop Now? 18:30 So Wrong So Wright
16:40 Video Zonkers 17:05 Repo Games 17:30 World’s Wildest Police Videos 18:30 South Beach Tow 19:00 Disorderly Conduct: Video On Patrol 20:00 Lock Up 21:45 Poorman’s Bikini Beach 22:15 Kenny vs Spenny 22:45 Tool Academy 23:10 Martin Lawrence 1st Amendment Standup
RIO 2016
Ali predictsg X7 poor show for Team Nigeria
Poster! CHUBA AKPOM
g X4,5 Monday, May 11, 2015
Chelsea shatter Liverpool’s top-four finish hope Saina confirms class at Great Manchester Run X6 g
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X8
Pele released from hospital g X2
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Monday, May 11, 2015
EXTRATIME
Anxiety mounts over NFF President’s whereabouts
Maradona: Messi, Ronaldo operate at same level
D
iego Maradona reckons any debate over whether Lionel Messi is better than Cristiano Ronaldo or vice versa is flawed as the duo are equally matched. The best two players in world football have again showcased their talismanic qualities this season, Messi netting 53 goals in all competitions for Barcelona and Ronaldo scoring one more for Real Madrid. Legends of the game past and present tend to take sides when discussing the qualities of Messi and Ronaldo, but Maradona believes they are on a par with each other. “It’s not the case that Messi is better than Ronaldo or Ronaldo is better than Messi. I think they are at the same level,” Maradona said. “Cristiano is a predator in front of goal. You can’t let Cristiano shoot from anywhere in the opposition half. “Goalkeepers are scared of him. You have to be honest, goalkeepers are scared of Cristiano. They are not so scared of Messi in those areas because he doesn’t have the same power as Cristiano. “Cristiano is an incredible professional. I think at this present time he is right up there at Messi’s level.”
Ben Nwachukwu, Abuja
A Pele
Pele released from hospital after surgery
P
ele has been released from hospital in Sao Paulo after undergoing surgery for the second time in six months. The 74-year-old was treated at the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo back in November for a urinary tract infection, which stemmed from an earlier procedure to remove kidney stones. He was released in December, but the three-time World Cup winner returned to hospital this week for a minor procedure on his prostate. However, Pele was free to go home on Saturday evening, local time, having recovered sufficiently.
nxiety has gripped the football fraternity over the absence of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President Amaju Pinnick from the activities of the federation in the past months. Extra Time gathered reliably that Pinnick had since March travelled out of the country for medical treatments abroad which led to his not performing the function of presiding over the unveiling of Stephen Keshi on his return as Super Eagles gaffer. NFF first Vice President, Barrister Seyi Akinwumi stood in for him even without the NFF telling Nigerians the whereabouts of the President which made him conspicuously missing at the august event covered by the world press. However, few days later the NFF Assistant Director of Communications Ademola Olajire posted on the NFF website that the President has led a high powered NFF delegation to London to sign contract with sports
kits manufacturing firm NIKE to kit the country’s national teams. But palpable fears over the health of the NFF President engulfed soccer fans as the team he was said to have led to London for the contract signing has returned without Pinnick and several football stakeholders who have been visiting the NFF glasshouse headquarters in Abuja with the intention of meeting with him were disappointed. Meanwhile, in a related development, Olajire has revealed that Pinnick will return to the country on Tuesday after a four-week medical trip to the United Kingdom. He told Extra Time that a domestic accident four years ago has compelled the Delta State–born administrator to undergo regular ear surgery and the recent exercise has been as successful as previous ones. He further revealed that the NFF boss was advised by doctors that he must not, under any circumstances, travel by air within four weeks after the operation because that will be risking permanent damage to his ears.
Monday, May 11, 2015
EXTRATIME
NIGERIAN PLAYERS ABROAD
WITH MIKE OTANWA
Solanke bags
hat-trick in
Reds
C
Solanke
thriller
helsea’s Dominic Solanke continued his rich vein of form by netting a hat-trick as Chelsea defeated Liverpool 4-3 in the U-21 Premier League tie. The England youth player scored twice in the first half and added another goal in the second half to take his tally this season to 41 goals in all competitions. Solanke has now overtaken fellow Young Lion Tammy Abraham as Chelsea’s leading marksman this season on the back of his three goals against Liverpool’s U-21 team at The Recreation Ground, Aldershot. In terms of the team news, Anglo-Nigerians Fikayo Tomori and Ola Aina both started for the Chelsea U-21s like Solanke, while Young Reds boss, Michael Beale, handed Liverpool’s Sheyi Ojo his seventh start of the season. The 17-year-old Solanke has been in fine form this season and was the top scorer in the UEFA Youth League with 12 goals in 9 matches. Chelsea are third in the U-21 Premier League standings with 34 points, but have played a game less than leaders Manchester United. They will play Sunderland U-21s at the Stadium of Light today.
Solanke
Alli
bids farewell to MK Dons
O
ne of the most promising youngsters in England, Nigerian-born midfielder, Dele Alli, has shared a memorable farewell message to Milton Keynes Dons fans, players and staff as he prepares a fresh journey at English Premier League side, Tottenham. Alli who took out time to take selfies with the fans after a successful task to help Karl Robinson’s MK Dons secure an automatic promotion to the Championship after a second place finish in League One took to Twitter to express his thought about the club, fans, staff and team mates. His Tweet reads: “Thanks to all the fans here today! Can’t thank the players, staff and fans enough for what they’ve done for me. Loved every minute of such a great team, thankfully my journey ended with what we all wanted.” Alli joined Premiership club, Tottenham in January, but he was allowed to stay on loan at MK Dons till the end of the season. The fresh and tough task ahead for the talented midfielder, Alli is to break into the starting line-up and command a regular playing time at the White Hart Lane next season.
Olarenwaju threatens to drag Netanya to FIFA M
Olarenwaju
accabi Netanya Nigerian striker, Kayode Olarenwaju, has threatened to drag his club to FIFA after he claimed he was sold to Austria Vienna without his consent. Olarenwaju is among the group of Netanya players who recently called off their strike over unpaid wages and says the club treated him like a slave in selling him to the Austria side for a reported fee of 800,000 Euros. The 21-year-old demanded that the club should pay him what is due to him from an initial agreement,
Serie A T teams chase Ighodaro
hence he will not sign the deal with Austria Vienna and will drag the club to FIFA where he expects to get justice. “They did not treat me like a human being. They treated me like a slave. I want the money that is due to me, and the money that I deserve based on the agreement we had on future sales. As long as it does not happen, I would not sign anything and I’m ready to go to FIFA where I expect to get justice,” he said. “How can they say they will give money made from my sale to Emeka
he agent of Raja Casablanca forward Osaguona Ighodaro has admitted he is aware that his client is being watched by Serie A sides in view of a summer transfer. Jordan Wise, who manages the affair of the 24-year-old, told the media in Italy that he is aware of so many teams interested in Ighodaro particularly two from Italy. Ighodaro has taken the Moroccan league by storm since
his transfer to Raja Casablanca and was heavily courted by Fiorentina before his move and recent reports suggest Lazio and Torino are also eyeing him. “Lazio? I know that two weeks ago some talent scout for Italian clubs came to watch him and one of them came from Rome,” Wise said. However, according to Wise, any of the team mentioned above will have to pay a princely sum of 1 million Euros to price him away from Raja where he is presently tied onto a contract till 2019.
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Ezeala who no longer represents me, where in the world is it done that way?” Olarenwaju also shut down all rumours linking him with a move to Maccabi Haifa insisting he wants to quit Israel completely. “It’s all nonsense. I do not have any offers from Maccabi Haifa,” he said. The scorer of 13 goals this season will have showdown talks with the club president today to iron out issues concerning the agreement reached with Vienna over his sale.
Osaguona
Alli
England U-16 England U-17 England U-19 England U-20
Arsenal Brentford (loan) Coventry City (loan) Nottingham Forest (loan)
Arsenal
1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) Striker Arsenal 38
Chuba Amechi Williams Akpom October 9, 1995 (age 19) Canning Town,
Chuba Amechi Akpom (born October 9, 1995) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Arsenal. He has represented England at youth international levels. • Akpom was born in the London Borough of Newham and attended St Bonaventure’s School in Forest Gate. He is of Nigerian descent and is from a family of Arsenal fans. • Akpom joined Arsenal at the age of six. He made his debut for the Arsenal U-18 side at the age of 15, and signed his first professional contract with Arsenal on October 10, 2012, a day after turning 17. • In December 2012 Akpom received his first call into the Arsenal senior squad, when he was an unused substitute for a 2–1 Champions League defeat to Olympiakos. • He made 20 U-21 Premier League appearances during the 2012/13 season and scored 13 goals, including 10 goals in 10 games in the Elite Group stage. In the lead-up to the 2013/14 season, Akpom was selected for Arsenal’s pre-season tour of Asia and scored once in a 7–0 win against an Indonesia Dream Team, two more in a 7–1 win against Vietnam and another in Arsenal’s final game of the tour against Urawa Red Diamonds. • Akpom made his competitive debut in a 3–1 Premier League win over Sunderland on September 14, 2013. He came on in the third minute of injury time as a substitute for the injured Olivier Giroud. • On February 15, 2011 Akpom made his debut for England U-16s in a friendly match against Slovenia, which ended in a 0–0 draw. • On August 2, 2011 Akpom made his U-17 debut, scoring once in 4–0 win over the Faroe Islands. He made 13 appearances in total for the U-17s and scored five goals. • On September 6, 2012 Akpom made his England U-19 debut in a 3–1 defeat to Germany. He scored his first goal for the U-19s on September 26, 2012, in a 3–0 2013 European U-19 Championship qualifying win over Estonia. Two days later, he scored two goals
•
About Chuba Akpom
Full name: Date of birth: Place of birth: Newham,England Height: Playing position: Current team: Number: Youth career 2002–2013: Senior career 2013–Present: 2014: 2014: 2015: National team 2011: 2011–2012: 2012–2014: 2014–Present:
Personal Information
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EXTRATIME
Monday, May 11, 2015
Chuba
Akpom
in a 6–0 win over the Faroe Islands. • On October 11, 2014, Akpom scored his first goals for England U-20 coming on as an 87th minute substitute to score a brace against Netherlands U-20 in a 3–2 victory. • Akpom has been nicknamed “Titi” by Arsenal player Alexis Sánchez in comparison with the club’s former forward Thierry Henry.
Monday, May 11, 2015
EXTRATIME
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Monday, May 11, 2015
EXTRATIME
CYCLING
Saina
Wiggins dedicates career to mum
ATHLETICS
Saina
O
shines in
Great Manchester Run
K
enya’s Betsy Saina has emerged women’s winner of the Great Manchester Run and was followed by Britain’s Gemma Steel in runner-up position for the second consecutive year at the event. The 29-year-old from Leicester ran 31mins 57secs to finish six seconds behind Kenyan winner Saina. Kenya’s Stephen Sambu won the men’s 10km race in 27:30 - nine seconds off the course record. British Olympic champion David Weir claimed his sixth title in the
men’s wheelchair race, while compatriot Shelley Woods won the women’s. Weir finished in 20:57 while Woods crossed the line in 25:37. Britain’s European 10,000m champion Jo Pavey was 10th in the elite women’s race in 33:21. Saina was competing in Manchester for the first time and set the early pace before pulling ahead, as Steel battled with two-time marathon world champion Edna Kiplagat, who had to settle for third. Steel told the media about her
experience at the race: “I know Betsy likes to run out ahead so it was about clawing seconds back at the end. “It was good to be so close to her at the end. It’s a big thing for me.” In the men’s race, Stephen Mokoka of South Africa came second, eight seconds behind Sambu, while 40-year-old Kenyan-born American Bernard Lagat came in third. Two-time Olympic gold medallist Haile Gebrselassie was also among the 40,000 runners at Sunday’s event and came in 16th in the elite men’s race.
lympic champion Sir Bradley Wiggins says he owes his success to his mother, who ran up debts of £50,000 to help launch his hugely successful cycling career. And the first Briton to win the Tour de France revealed that the absence of his late father, Gary, for much of his childhood was a key factor in him becoming a professional cyclist. Wiggins opened up on how his nappies were used for smuggling amphetamines - by his drug-dealing father. Wiggins is preparing for his attempt to break Alex Dowsett’s hour track record of 52.937 kilometres (32.893 miles) on June 7. In his father’s absence, the emotional and financial support of his mum proved crucial to Wiggins. “She was quite a strong woman and I think she just lived for me from that moment on really. She wanted me to pursue my dreams.
Wiggins “My mum put herself into £50,000 worth of debt to service my sporting career. I look after her now but she is not the sort of woman who wants a lot in return. “She’s just content and proud that I’ve held a marriage for 12 years and that I’ve got two kids - that I’ve got the fundamental things.” Wiggins claimed individual pursuit gold, team silver and Madison bronze at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, but says he was surprised to find the realities of life did not match his achievement. “I thought there’d be people banging down the door with cheques for millions of pounds. I was Olympic champion but couldn’t pay the mortgage.”
TENNIS
McIlroy
Mum opened my eyes beyond tennis courts –Sharapova
I
GOLF
Sawgrass: McIlroy, Poulter in four shots off lead
R
ory McIlroy is four shots off the lead heading into the final day of the Players Championship at Sawgrass. The world number one shot 70 in Florida on Saturday to leave him at six under. The 26-year-old, from Northern Ireland, is tied with England’s Ian Poulter, 39, who followed Friday’s round of 69 with a two-under-par 70 on day three. Chris Kirk shot his second successive four-under 68 to take the lead on 10 under from fellow Americans Kevin Kisner, Bill Haas and Ben Martin. American Justin Thomas, 22, carded an impressive 65 to tie for fifth with Sergio Garcia, the 2008 champion, at eight under.
“I’m going to need something pretty special, a 64 or 65, to have a chance,” said McIlroy, who is chasing back-to-back wins after last week’s victory in the WGC Match Play. “I’ve given myself a lot of chances and really could not convert much I’ve struggled to read the greens all week.” Earlier in the day, former world number one Tiger Woods, 39, struggled to a third round of 75, to be 13 shots off the lead on three over par. The 14-time major winner recorded multiple double bogeys on par-five for the first time in his professional career as he needed seven shots at both the second and ninth holes.
Sharapova
n a recently concluded interview for her beauty brand Avon, Sharapova has praised her mother ahead of Mother’s day and has revealed that her mother opened her eyes to a world beyond tennis courts. The Russian revealed that she had spent most of her child hood and her teen years in training with her father and never really experienced the outside world. But also shed light that it was her mother who introduced her to things off the tennis court and for that she must be thankful. “I spent a lot of time playing tennis when I was growing up and I was always around my father so I think my mother’s biggest commitment was making sure I’d finished all of my homework on time and making sure I pursued my education,” Sharapova said. “I remember how she would take me to the ballet and take me to art classes, which opened my eyes to a totally different world outside of being an athlete. She has shaped me in so many ways, from raising me, guiding me in the right direction, opening my eyes to the world around me and exploring it with me.”
Monday, May 11, 2015
EXTRATIME
FEDERATION WATCH
With Osaretin Emuze
Baseball, Softball U-18 World Cup groupings released
Expect no medals in athletics at Rio 2016
–Ali T
T
he World Baseball and Softball Confederation have revealed the groups for the 2015 WSBC U-18 Baseball World Cup in Osaka, Japan holding from August 28 to September 6, 2015. According to the press release made available to Extra Time, the groupings of the 12-nation tourney revealed that Group A comprises of Australia, Japan, Brazil, USA, Mexico, and Czech, while Group B are made up of Chinese Taipei, Canada, Italy, South Africa and South Korea. The top-three teams from each group will qualify and move to the super round robin group where the two-top ranked teams will progress to the final. USA is the defending champions of the event, having won it in 2013.
Blessing Okagbare, Nigeria’s medal hopeful at Rio 2016 Olympics.
WAF wades into NAFED crisis
O
wing to the seemingly unending crisis in the Nigeria Archery Federation (NAFED) which led to the recent indefinite suspension placed on the General Secretary Olugbenga Olatunji for anti-federation activities and the registration of fake delegates for the 2015 World Archery Congress in Copenhagen, the World Archery Federation (WAF) has officially waded into the matter. In a letter to the NOC Secretary General Hon. Tunde Popoola, and signed by the WAF Sec Gen. Tom Dielen, the world ruling body has decided to send a high ranking mediator to Nigeria very soon to mediate on the matter, while urging all parties to suspend all other activities capable
of tarnishing the good reputation of World Archery until the mediator has concluded his assignment. “I therefore urge all our loyal members, coaches, archers, patrons and archery enthusiasts to respect the decision of WAF as conveyed to us by the Nigeria Olympic Committee and to desist from any further action or actions on the matter, trusting that the World Archery Federation as a signatory to the International Olympic Committee Charter will get to the very last detail to resolve all outstanding issues on the NAFED crisis. “Furthermore, I wish to urge you all to wait patiently on the World Archery and The Nigeria Olympic Committee on all issues relating to this matter,” the statement read.
Rio 2016: Rugby Sevens regional qualifiers set to begin
W
ith global excitement building ahead of rugby sevens’ Olympic Games debut at Rio 2016, World Rugby has announced the location and dates for the regional qualification tournaments that will qualify six men’s and six women’s teams to the Games. The top-four teams in the respective men’s and women’s World Rugby Sevens Series standings are set to secure their places in the coming weeks. Brazil has been granted automatic qualification for both men and women by World Rugby as the host nation for the Games.
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Attention now turns to the race to secure a coveted place via the regional qualifiers. A men’s and a women’s team will qualify from each of the six regional Olympic qualification tournaments, that will take place between June and November 2015. World Rugby Chairman Bernard Lapasset said: “This exciting announcement marks another significant milestone as the global rugby family counts down to rugby sevens’ Olympic Games debut at Rio 2016 when we will see rugby’s first Olympians in more than 92 years competing on sport’s greatest stage.”
A
thletes from seven countries are expected to participate in the third edition of the Okpekpe Road Race coming up on Saturday, May 16 in Okpekpe Edo North Local Government Area, surpassing the minimum of four countries recommended in marathon of this magnitude by IAAF. The Technical Director of the race, Yusuf Ali, told Extra Time that this year’s race will be unique because athletes from Ethiopia, Kenya, Norway, Morocco, Eritrea, Malawi and Nigeria will be taking part. He said the Athletics Federation
he Technical Director of Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Yusuf Ali, has said Nigerians should not expect any medals from Team Nigeria athletes at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, because medals are won by serious nations who prepare their athletes well. The African record holder in the long jump event revealed to Extra Time that with one year to 2016 Rio Olympic Games, Nigerian athletes are yet to start preparation of any form for the global event. He made a true confession that Nigerian athletics have gone into limbo because those in charge of sports have refused to do the right thing ahead of the Olympics. “Athletics is dead, we are just living in the periphery. In the past Nigerian athletes ranked among the best in the world. The reason was very simple; those in charge of sports in the country then took the youths seriously in terms of preparation. Training was their
of Nigeria (AFN) secretariat moved to Okpekpe on Sunday to start accreditation and putting in place finishing touches to preparation. “We are ready for this year’s race and we are expecting over 3000 athletes in Okpekpe. The issue of security, medical, transportation and accommodation has been solved. “We are also expecting over 26 foreigners to take part in the race,” Ali stated. The Technical Director of AFN said top-ten finishers of the marathon will be tested for drugs as the race will he supervised by IAAF officials.
watch word. Today the National Sports Commission is only interested in competitions, not preparations,” he said. Yusuf stressed that the only antidote to success is training and retraining of athletes, coaches and serious preparations for major competitions. “Nigerian athletes are now down the ladder due to the lackadaisical attitude of the administrators in the NSC. “Gold medals are won by those who deserved them. We are not ready for the Olympics. The All Africa Games is less than 90 days away, but we are not in camp and cannot confidently tell Nigerians who will represent this country at the Games,” he added. Ali whose 26 years old long jump African record set in 1989 is yet to be broken advised the NSC to start work immediately on the preparation for the All Africa Games billed for September in Congo Brazzaville. “The Edo State governor will as usual run the 10-kilometer race along with other top government functionaries and the winners of both the men and women races will receive equal prizes of $25,000 each, but the first Edo indigene to finish will take home N500,000, “ he added. Meanwhile, Medical Coordinator of the Okpekpe 10 kilometers race, Dr. Gab Okafor, revealed that some medical personnel would be at fixed locations to offer medical services, while first response teams to give immediate first aid along the course of the race will also be available.
OKPEKPE RACE:
Foreign athletes confirm participation
Enthusiastic athletes at the starting block of Okepekpe Road Race.
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Monday, May 11, 2015
EXTRATIME
EXTRATIME BRIEFS
Wolfsburg confirm Kruse capture Wolfsburg have confirmed they will sign Borussia Monchengladbach forward Max Kruse at the end of the campaign. Kruse has agreed a four-year-deal with Wolfsburg, who are set to compete in the UEFA Champions League next season after impressing in the Bundesliga this term.
Man City do not need a revolution –Pellegrini Manuel Pellegrini insists Manchester City do not need a “revolution” after missing out on the Premier League title. Pellegrini watched his side relegate QPR with a 6-0 victory at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, Sergio Aguero producing a clinical display to score a hat-trick. Aleksandar Kolarov, James Milner and David Silva were also on target as City secured a result that will do little other than bolster their hopes of finishing second after seeing Chelsea race clear and win the title.
Barton
Barton blasts ‘embarrassing’
End of the road! Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers dejected following a 1-1 draw with Chelsea which ended the club’s dream of making a top-four finish this season.
QPR Liverpool top-four hopes quashed L
iverpool claimed a creditable 1-1 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, although the result effectively quashes their hopes of qualifying for next season’s UEFA Champions League. Brendan Rodgers’ side came into Sunday’s clash with the Premier League champions seven points behind fourth-placed Manchester United, who were 2-1 winners at Crystal Palace 24 hours earlier. Although Liverpool became only the fourth side to take anything away from Stamford Bridge in the
league this season, their inferior goal difference means they would require a sizeable and improbable swing to overtake United in the final two matches of 2014-15. It was Chelsea captain John Terry who put his side ahead in the fifth minute with a powerful header from a corner, before his opposite number Steven Gerrard - who was described as “a champion” by Jose Mourinho this week and was given a warm reception by the crowd when he was substituted late on - nodded in an equaliser at the end of the first half.
Against a Chelsea side that showed five changes from the team that sealed the title against Palace last week, including a first Premier League start for Ruben LoftusCheek, Liverpool had the better of the second half and saw Philippe Coutinho spurn a golden opening to go ahead. However, Rodgers’ men could not find the winner that would have kept their slim Champions League dreams alive, as Chelsea maintained their unbeaten home league record this season.
Cesena relegated from Serie A
C
esena have been relegated from Serie A after just one season back in Italy’s top
division. The Emilia-Romagna club headed into Sunday’s home clash with Sassuolo realistically needing a win to keep their top-flight hopes alive, as well as Atalanta tripping up at Palermo. Atalanta’s 3-2 victory in Sicily made Pellegrini
PREMIERSHIP RESULTS Everton 0 - 2 Sunderland Aston Villa 1 - 0 West Ham Hull City 0 - 1 Burnley Leicester 2 - 0 Southampton Newcastle 1 - 1 West Brom Stoke City 3 - 0 Tottenham
Crystal Palace 1 - 2 Man United Man City 6 - 0 QPR Chelsea 1 - 1 Liverpool Today’s Match Arsenal v Swansea City 20:00
Cesena’s result immaterial, but their fans still had to endure a miserable afternoon as they threw away a twogoal lead to go down 3-2. Cesena’s season began with a victory over Parma, though they failed to pick up another threepoint haul until January, when they travelled to the Ennio Tardini. As a result, Cesena have spent the last 26 match-weeks in the
drop zone, with Sunday’s failure representing a 10th game without a win. Domenico Di Carlo replaced lastseason’s promotion-winning coach Pierpaolo Bisoli in the dugout in December and the former’s job prospects are likely to become gloomy after taking a club that has changed boss seven times in the last five years.
J
oey Barton labelled QPR’s 6-0 battering at the hands of Manchester City “embarrassing” as the club were relegated from the Premier League with a whimper. QPR had to win Sunday’s contest to have any chance of avoiding an immediate return to the Championship, but Manuel Pellegrini’s men ran riot at the Etihad Stadium, with Sergio Aguero scoring a hat-trick. Barton accused “one or two bad eggs” within the dressing room of not giving their in QPR’s battle against the drop earlier this week. And the captain says QPR did not deserve to retain their top-flight status. “Gutted for everyone involved with the football club. Today was embarrassing but it’s not been good enough since July,” he wrote on Twitter. “You get out of life what you put in. Hurts to say but the league table does not lie. We don’t deserve to stay in this league. “We have to finish our last two games with integrity and as a club come back strong for this painful experience. “Sorry to all the fans who have spent their hard earned money supporting us up and down the country all season. I feel what you feel.”
Lyon boss Fournier concedes Ligue 1 title H ubert Fournier said Lyon do not deserve to win the 2014-15 Ligue 1 crown after leaving Paris Saint-Germain on the verge of yet another title. Lyon were swept aside 3-0 at Caen on Saturday, as the French club’s title aspirations were left in tatters. Fournier and Co. are six points
adrift of reigning champions PSG after 36 rounds, with the latter only requiring a point away to Montpellier to seal a third successive championship. “We missed the game. We came up against a very good team that showed us the values,” Fournier was quoted as saying after the mame. “We had a lot of failure, and
complacency at times. This is trickier. This is a logical defeat. Caen deserved to win. “There also may have a pressure that is on our shoulders for weeks. It is a disappointment because Paris flies away. When you lose 3-0 at Caen, we do not deserve the title.” Lyon end the season with matches against Bordeaux and Rennes.
Fournier