Daily Times of Nigeria

NSE GAINERS AND LOSERS AS AT 11th May 2015.

EXCHANGE RATES AS AT 11th May 2015.

Currency

Buying(NGN)

Central (NGN)

GAINERS

Selling(NGN)

LOSERS

US DOLLAR

196

196.5

197

NB

156.9

3.40

2.17%

GUINNESS

155

-5.56

-3.59%

POUNDS STERLING

303.7608

304.5357

305.3106

FLOURMILL

36.95

1.66

4.49%

FO

157.5

-5.51

-3.50%

23.27

-1.22

-5.24%

20

-0.42

-2.10%

EURO

218.344

218.901

219.458

CADBURY

39.9

0.65

1.63%

ETI

SWISS FRANC

209.8276

210.3629

210.8982

BERGER

9.52

0.45

4.73%

INTBREW

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NIGERIA

ABUJA Low 25°C High 37°C

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TUESDAY, MAY 12, 2015 VOL. 1. NO.104

ENUGU Low 26°C High 35°C

KANO Low 26°C High 45°C

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N150

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Boko Haram: 30 top Army officers for trial g4

FOR COURT MARTIAL: 1. Brigadier General EA Ransome-Kuti, 2. Colonel OC Ajunwa 3. Lieutenant Colonel UG Yusuf 4. Lieutenant Colonel A Haruna 5. Lieutenant Colonel MO Eteng 6. Lieutenant Colonel MY Lawal 7. Lieutenant Colonel JO Ememe 8. Lieutenant Colonel HM Bukar 9. Lieutenant Colonel GA Suru 10. Major AA Malgwi 11. Major C Amah 12. Major N Akpagher 13. Captain EE Ayegba 14. Captain BT Bamisaiye 15. Captain CU Okereke 16. Captain EO Ogundile 17. Captain F Abajah 18. Captain UJ Atumeyi 19. Captain RG Mohammed 20.

Captain DY Chiwar 21. Captain P Dangnap 22. Captain JA Maku 23. Captain EU Omatighene 24. Captain BE Alfred 25. Lieutenant AA Tijjani 26. Lieutenant GM Gomo 27. Lieutenant AV Chijioke 28. Second Lieutenant IS Mekwunye 29. Lieutenant AJS Gulani 30. Major ES Okore

APC to Jonathan:

Stop playing the victim g5 Rivers Assembly, Amaechi on collission course g 4 L-R: Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Fidelity Bank Plc. Nnamdi Okonkwo, Chairman, Board of Directors, Chief Christopher &ƖƆ è L0`è &ƔƆƅƑƐƈƒƆ #ƈƏƆƅƐ Əè G Ɨ d ƑƐ zƆ Ɛè 9ƊƆƌƑƆƇƑ LƄ ƓƑ Ɛ Ɛ Ɔ ƈ ƈ Ƈ Ɛ Ɔ Ƅ Ɗô MƢƠƄ ơÕêƿƤü ƇƈƔƆƗ Ə ƐƆ bond in Lagos ... last Friday.

Officials send reporter out of Aso Rock over embarassing question g 6

PDP crisis spreads to Lagos Ï dƐ ƐƆ ƅ ƈƏƌ ƅƊƆƗ Ƈ Ə ƄƆƈ ƆƏƈ Ƌ Ƌ ƆƏ g4 Ï Shelle: They’re jokers, I’m in charge

Nigerian ‘slave’ in UK story, a big lie, we treated him as son – Couple tells court g4

2

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 12, 2015

3

Politics Page Three Æ s Editorial Governors and workers’ salaries

T

he recent brouhaha between the federal and state governments over delay in payment of workers salaries in some states is not only embarrassing, it smacks of puerile buck passing.

For past two weeks, both federal and state government officials have continued to indulge themselves in bizarre accusations over who is responsible for the continuing delay in paying these group of workers.

While some governors are openly accusing the presidency of starving their states of funds, the Federal Ministry of Finance continues to insist that monies accruing to all the states have been fully remitted. These theatrics are not helped by the fact that some governors on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had at a recent meeting with the President-Elect, General Muhammadu Buhari(rtd) pleaded for financial bailout to pay their workers.

We condemn this scandalous show of shame in its entirety and advice that both parties reconcile their positions with a view to paying the salaries of the affected workers. It is unfortunate that this issue is taking a controversial turn shortly after the country went through what to all intents and purpose stands out as the most banal and expensive elections in its history.

Estimates put the money spent for election campaigns by both state governors and the presidency to the scandalous tune of N1.5trn. It is therefore an affront on the sensibilities of Nigerians for the same dramatis personae to be shouting themselves hoarse at the lack of money to pay workers salaries.

While the campaigns and elections lasted, not even the state chief executives spared any thought at the plight of their unpaid workers. Rather, they were only after the selfish desire in winning elections at all costs in spite of the negative implications on the financial state of their workers. Before now, states had always received their quarterly financial allocations from the federation accounts without rancour.

In addition, some of the enterprising governors had always looked for ways of internally generating revenues to make up for any financial shortfall. It is therefore surprising that the same governors are now protesting profusely over the lack of money to pay their workers salaries. With dwindling revenue accruing to the federal government from crude oil sales, it has become urgent that both levels of government must prioritise their expenditures and go for those that would have maximum positive benefits to their states and workers.

Moreover, governors should reduce the number of political appointees and hangers-on in their employ as well as their jumbo salaries and allowances.

Recently, it was revealed that some state governors have up to 700 personal aides with thousands others receiving salaries for doing nothing. We are therefore calling on the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), to view the delay in payment of these workers with all the seriousness it deserves. They should also impress on the defaulting chief executives to pay up immediately. For long the Nigeria, workers have been made scape -goats for the licentious lifestyles of state governors.

An end must be put to such shibboleths.

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Impeachment as instrument of blackmail?

Sam Nzeh

ÏÏÏOf

recent, there has a been an increase in the number of state governors contending with impeachment threats by their Houses of Assembly, heightening fears that the constitutional provision is fast becoming an instrument of extortion and blackmail.

As at the last count, about four state governors have had to contend at such impeachment notices. They include Governors Ayodele Fayose (Ekiti), Martin Elechi (Ebonyi), Sullivan Chime (Enugu) and Saidu Dakingari (Kebbi).

They have lately been joined by Governor of Niger

State, Babangida Aliyu, who in a move to secure his job, last Wednesday, got an interim injunction from a Minna High Court, restraining members of the State House of Assembly from setting in motion any process to impeach him.

Also, there were reports last week that some members of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly have concluded plans to impeach the state governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson.

In the case of Fayose, 19 All Progressives Congress (APC) members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly are seeking his impeachment over sundry offences including impunity, violence and stalking.

On May 4, 2015, 14 members of the Enugu State House of Assembly commenced moves to impeach the governor, Sullivan Chime, accusing him

Words On Marble :

dailytimesng

of forging a N12 billion supplementary budget in 2012 among others.

In the case of Dakingari, 12 of the 24-members of the Kebbi State House of Assembly on April 29, 2015, served him an impeachment notice.

Clearly, these impeachment notices coming at the twilight of the tenure of the governors are suspicious.

This is because most of the lawmakers have been accused of resorting to this constitutional provision whenever the governors fail to do their bidding, particularly granting them financial favours.

This is unfortunate and needs to stop. Legislators should be reminded that the impeachment as a constitutional provision should be undertaken as a last resort.

It should not be used to armtwist governors.

STATEMENTS BY THOSE WHO MATTER

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Publisher

Fidelis Anosike

Group Managing Director

Editor, Standard, Archives and Special projects

Associate Editors

Tunji Okegbola

Isime Esene Remi Ogunkoya

Chief Commercial Officer

Editorial Director

Group News Editor

Group Managing Editor

Deputy Editors

Editorial Page Editor

Noel Anosike

Doyin Awomosu

Gabriella Osamor

Editor

Yinka Olujimi

Chude Jideonwo Yemi Ogunsola Sam Nzeh

Acting Bureau Chief, Northern Operations Lateef Ibrahim

Segun Adio Okay Osuji

Sports Editor

Andrew Ekejiuba

Head of Operations Innocent Nwankwo

Online Editor

Adetayo Adelaja

Business Editor

Emmanuel Ogbonnaya

Head ICT (Shared Services) Banjo Ayorinde

Head Graphics King Ododoru

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.

Chinua Achebe

Thomas Hardy

Albert Einstein

A functioning, robust democracy requires a healthy, educated, participatory followership and an educated morally grounded leadership.

The offhand decision of some commonplace mind high in office at a critical moment influences the course of events for a hundred years.

The world is a dangerous place not because of those who do evil but because of those who look on and do nothing

News 4

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Army to court martial 30 officers over Boko Haram ÏÏÏThirty

top Army officers are to face military court-martial over their conduct in the ongoing war against terrorism, PREMI-

UM TIMES reported on Monday.

One of the officers, Brigadier General Enitan Ransome-Kuti, may be related to music maestro,

the late Fela Anikulapo Kuti.

Military authorities neither confirmed nor denied the report when contacted by the Daily

Amaechi, Rivers Assembly on collission course Faith Faithful Port Harcourt

ÏÏÏSigns of a frosty relationship

between the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, and the House of Assembly emerged on Monday.

The legislators suspended three Local Government Care-taker Committee chairmen over insecurity and alleged financial recklessness. They also summoned nine commissioners of the Governor over the state’s troubled finances.

The suspended chairmen are Cassidy Ikegbidi (Ahoada East), Ojukaye Flag-Amachree (AsariToru) and Derick Mene (Khana).

The House also set up an Ad Hoc Committee to investigate the activ-

ities of the affected chairmen.

The Assembly also summoned nine commissioners, and four heads of ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to appear before it on Tuesday (today) by 10am to explain their roles in the economy of the state.

Those invited by the assembly are the Commissioners for Finance, Agriculture, Power, Health, Tourism, Information, Budget, Works and Transport.

The House also invited the Accountant-General, Chairmen of Board of Internal Revenue, Rivers State Assembly Service Commission and Secondary School Management Board.

This is the first time the Assem-

bly is summoning nine aides of the state governor, Chibuike Amaechi, to give explanation on the state’s economy and unpaid workers’ salaries.

The Assembly took the decisions at its 169th Legislative Session, following two motions presented by the Deputy Leader of the House, Nname Ewor, representing Ahoada East Constituency 1.

It expressed worry that while the state government had claimed it had paid salaries of civil servants up to March, 2015, there were conflicting reports indicating that civil servants and retirees were being owed salaries as well as arrears.

Times over the report.

Text messages to the Director of Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Usman, and the Director of Defence Information (DDI), Major General Christopher Olukolade were not responded to at press time.

The online newspaper reported sighting an Army internal memo to that effect, dated March 11, 2015.

The memo directed the 30 of-

ÏÏÏThe

crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has spread to the Lagos State Chapter.

On Monday, the state chairman, Mr Tunji Shelle, was sacked by 34 members of the State Working Committee.

Shelle was reportedly sacked by the committee after being found guilty of about 13 allegations against him.

The committee accused Shelle of mismanaging election campaign funds and manipulating the

party’s primaries last year leading to the defeat of the PDP at the polls.

He was immediately replaced

by Kamaldeen Olorunoje, who before his new appointment, was the vice chairman of the party.

But in a swift reaction, Shelle described the sack as null and void, dismissing those involved in his alleged removal as “jokers”.

His executive also issued a statement nullifying the removal.

Shelle was accused, among others, of being responsible for the loss the PDP suffered during the March 28 and April 11 elections

elections.

Addressing newsmen at the party secretariat, the PDP state secretary, Alhaji Wahab Owokoniran, said the decision was a protest against the way the party was being run.

He said: “We members of the exco have all agreed that the way the party is being run should not be allowed. You will all agree with me that this party is not well run before, during and after the elections. There is need for restructuring. If we want restructuring, there is no way the chairman can continue in office.”

Continued on page 6

J O N AT H A N

A LEGACY OF REFORMS

PDP crisis spreads to Lagos Akinjide Akintola Political Editor

ficers to proceed to the Army Headquarters Garrison in Abuja to face a judicial panel, according to the report.

They were instructed to depart their current posts and head for the garrison for “jurisdiction”.

Although the specific offences of each of the officers were not stated, the online newspaper

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

He was no slave, we adopted him as son – Nigerian couple tells UK court Ngozi Okafor London

ÏÏÏThe

Nigerian who has accused a Nigerian doctor and his wife of keeping him as a servant in the United Kingdom for 24 years was in fact adopted by the couple with the hope of giving him a better life, jurors were told at the Harrow Crown Court, London, on Monday.

The accuser was also said to have been regarded as one of the couple’s three children.

Ofonime Sunday Inuk, 39, was adopted by Dr. Emmanuel Edet, 60, and his wife, Antan, 58, at a cultural adoption ceremony in

Calabar, Cross River State, in 1988, prior to the relocation of the Edet family first to Israel, then to the UK, the court heard.

Helen Valley, defending the gynaecologist and obstetrician husband also told the court that one of the couple’s two children didn’t even know Inuk was adopted until the boy was “either 9 or 10.”

Cross -examining him on Monday, the defence lawyers for the Edets also told the 12-man jury that not only was Inuk regarded as a son, like the Edets’ two biological sons, Emmanuel jr and Anthony, it was actually Inuk’s uncle who paved the way for the

then teenager to be given the opportunity of a lifetime by going to live with the Edets in Calabar.

The court was also told that when Inuk lost his father at a young age, things became tough for his petty trader mother, who then had to provide for her eight children. Inuk’s uncle, Imeh Ekong, who worked for the Edets as a security man in Calabar then asked the couple to adopt him with the aim of giving him a better life and also lightening his mother’s burden. He wasn’t sent to work for them, lawyers for the Edets argued.

When asked: “Who told you (that) you were going to get paid

working for the Edets?” Inuk said: “My mother.”

When Mrs Edet’s lawyer, Emma Akuwudike , told the court that it was Ekong who brokered the adoption deal, which culminated in a “cultural adoption ceremony that took place at the Edets’ family house in Calabar, on December 2, 1988,” Inuk bluntly denied that any such thing took place.

“It never happened,” he said, giving his evidence behind a thick curtain that shielded him from where the Edets sat in the dock.

Continuing, Akuwudike told the court that not only were Inuk’s mum and Ekong and others in attendance at the said event, on

that same date, Inuk took on the Edets name as his surname and was very much a part of the family from then on till the time they moved to Israel and later the UK. They all travelled to Israel from Nigeria on the same Edet family passport, the lawyers disclosed.

“His name was changed to Edet then, and the adoption procedure was about his welfare and not payment,” because he wasn’t adopted to come and work for them.

Inuk denied being regarded as part of the family. When reminded that Mrs. Edet had a nanny who looked after her two biologiContinued on page 6

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 12, 2015

5 News

Stop playing victim, APC tells Jonathan Segun Adio

ÏÏÏThe

All Progressives Congress (APC) has said the incoming Buhari administration would not persecute anyone, contrary to statements credited to President Goodluck Jonathan.

In a statement issued, on Monday, by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, it said that those who had played poker with the nation’s destiny must be willing

and eager to clear their conscience before man and God. “That the President-elect is a man of integrity is not an issue for debate, and he has made it clear that he will not be bogged down by endless probes.

“However, the hands of the incoming government will not be tied by those who have chosen to play the victim and exhibit a persecution mentality. Whoever has any reason to be afraid must lay bare

such reason before Nigerians,” the party said.

It said that under the climate of change that Nigerians have ushered in with their votes, only the guilty needed to be afraid, and those with a guilty conscience, on account of their actions in the public sphere, must clear such, so that they could be at peace with themselves.

The party wondered why Jonathan chose a public forum to express his fears when he could have

Okupe to Nigerians: Don’t weep for Jonathan, weep for yourselves

Okupe

Mathew Dadiya Abuja

ÏÏÏSenior

Special Assistant on Public Affairs to President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr. Doyin Okupe, on Monday, said that Nigerians should not weep for President Goodluck Jonathan

as he is preparing to bow out of office, rather they should weep for themselves and pray that the country remained one, since they had made their choice at the polls.

According to him, Nigerians misunderstood President Jonathan’s meekness for weakness, restraint for lack of strength, reticence for inaction and calmness for indecisiveness.

Okupe stated this via his twitter handle @doyinokupe, while reacting to comments by some Nigerians on President Jonathan’s speech, during the thanksgiving service held in his honour by the Anglican Church, in Abuja.

He maintained that “President Jonathan has done well and served his country well; he exits office as a great President.

Perhaps Nigeria’s greatest Pres-

ident of all time; greater than the best before him. He excelled in achievement, in humility, tranquility and simplicity.”

Okupe, who noted that, in a few days, Jonathan would bow out of office, gracefully, said: “. . . History will judge differently.

He will be remembered as a great man, a good man, humble and humane, purposeful and focused. A great African hero, who fought against all manners of evil and conspiracies.”

Okupe, known for his criticism, upheld that Jonathan fought religious, ethnic, national and international, and lost the war.

“But ultimately he triumphed because of the inherent goodness that God deposited in him, for he said: ‘My ambition is not worth the life of any Nigerian,’ the spokesman further noted.

Nyanya bombing trial: Court Fidelity Bank orders witnesses to be shielded raises N30b trial on April 15, 2015, ordered Bond to Andrew Orolua that the prosecution witnesses Abuja should be screen-shielded to al- finance SMEs ÏÏÏA Federal High Court, low defence counsel, accused in Abuja, on Monday, ordered the prosecution witnesses, testifying in the trial of Aminu Ogwuche and six others in the Nyanya bombings to be shielded.

Aminu Sadiq Ogwuche, Ahmed Abubakar, Mohammed Ishaq, Ya’u Saidu (alias Kofar Rama), Anas Isa, Adamu Yusuf and Nasir Abubakar are facing terrorism charges for allegedly master-minding bomb explosions, in Nyanya, on April 14, 2014, in which 78 persons were killed.

Justice Ahmed Mohammed, in his ruling, on the prosecution’s application that stalled

persons, prosecution counsel and judge have the witnesses’ facial view.

Ogwuche

ÏÏÏFidelity

Bank Plc has signed a N30 billion bond due in 2022. At the ceremony, which had the Board, Planet Capital Limited, Lead Issuing House/ Underwriters, representatives from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Registrars and Stock brokers, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Fidelity Bank Plc, Mr. Nnamdi Okonkwo, said that the initiative was part of the bank’s efforts at deepening the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) sector, which arguably is the engine room of the economy.

done so privately during his meetings with the President-elect. ‘’Since the presidential election was won and lost, Jonathan President and the President-elect have met privately a number of times.

Why didn’t Jonathan express his apprehensions during these meetings?

“Even if the two have not met, the Jonathan could have reached out to the President-elect over any fear that he may be nursing, instead

of engaging in an action that seems like he was being pre-emptive and seeking to curry public sympathy,” it said.

APC insisted that the priority of the in-coming government would be the welfare and security of the longsuffering people of Nigeria, and enjoined all citizens to support the administration in charting a new path for the country - away from the rapaciousness and impunity of the past years.

Freddie Adamgbe

Fulani herdsmen kill 5 in Kwande

Makurdi

ÏÏÏHundreds of

Fulani gunmen, in the early hours of Monday, invaded Ikyoawen, in Turan Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State, killing five persons and leaving eight others, including a threeyear- old child, wounded.

It was further gathered that most of the victims were parishioners of St. Luke Ikyoawen near Jato Aka, home town of an elder statesman and one time Minister of Steel, Wantaregh Paul Iorpuu Unongo.

The Fulani herdsmen, had earlier attacked the home of a popular politician in the area,

Mr. Orya Konijyo.

Daily Times gathered that the Fulani herdsmen, who were armed with dangerous weapons came in their numbers and attack the unsuspecting villagers and retreated into the neighbouring Taraba State.

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

News 6

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Presidency ejects journalist from Villa …Chadian leader declines speaking on Shekau’s whereabouts Egena Egena Abuja

ÏÏÏSecurity details at the Presi-

dency on Monday withdrew the accreditation of the Radio Dutch correspondent and ordered the journalist out of the Villa. The journalist is Ubale Musa, the State House correspondent of German Radio, Deutsche Welle.

Musa probably irked the security operatives because of his ‘embarrassing questions’ to visiting Chadian President, Idris Derby.

The question in contention, according to Musa was the one relating to the relationship between the Chadian troops and the supposed South African mercenaries.

“What is the relationship between the multinational task

force fighting in Lake Chad and the South African mercenaries fighting with them?,” Ubale had asked the Chadian leader.

He was said to have been invited by the security aides to President Jonathan soon after Derby’s departure and had his accreditation card seized and escorted out of the Villa.

Meanwhile, the Chadian President, has said that he would not provide information on the whereabouts of Boko Haram leader, Ibrahim Shekau even if he knew his hiding place.

The Chadian leader spoke on yesterday at Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja during a visit to President Goodluck Jonathan.

“I cannot tell you today that I know where Shekau is hiding and

even if I knew I won’t tell you,” he stated while answering questions posed to him by State House correspondents.

This position is, however, contrary to his earlier reported stance that that he knew where the Boko Haram leader was and would order his arrest if he failed to surrender.

President Derby also denied any knowledge of South African mercenaries allegedly working with the multinational forces in the fight against the insurgents, even as he expressed regrets over the inability of the Nigeria and his country to undertake joint field operations in the fight.

He said: “It’s regrettable that the two armies, that is the Nigerian army and the Chadian Army are

L-R: former President, Alh. Shehu Shagari; President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) and Capt. Bala Shagari during a courtesy visit to Buhari at his residence in Aso Drive, Abuja… on Monday

‘He was no slave, we adopted him as son’ Continued from page 4 cal boys and that he was never a houseboy, “Inuk, who admitted that he referred to the couple as his parents, even in police statement he wrote last year, answered, “yes , I was “ a houseboy.”

Continuing with her crossexamination, Akuwudike asked Inuk: “Have you ever come across a houseboy before in Nigeria?”

His answer was “no.”

Asked if he had conversations about his future course and career with Dr. Edet, he said “never.”

When asked if Dr. Edet wanted

him to get a career and to move out of the family house like his own biological sons had done, Inuk also said: “No, never.

When asked if Edet wanted him to get his own place and start his own life, the 39-year old said: “No, that’s not true.”

When told that when the family newly arrived in the UK, it was Mrs. Edet’s sister who looked after the children, Inuk also faulted that, claiming, “No, it was me.”

Akuwudike pressed further querying: “Was it not a cousin of his who suggested you should get some money from the Edet be-

cause he is a doctor and they are rich?”

Inuk paused a bit and said, “no, it wasn’t so.”

He was also asked: “Was it any member of your family that put the idea in your head?

“He replied, “No.” She also posed another question: “When you left the house in December 2013, did you speak to anybody about money?” Although he said, “not really,” she argued that It was when his family needed assistance that he thought of getting money from the Edets.

working separately in the field, they are not undertaking joint operation. If they were operating joint operation probably they would have achieved more results.

“I have no information concerning mercenaries from South Africa.

“Still on the issue of Boko Haram, in the Lake Chad Basin there

are four countries Cameroon, Nigeria, Chad and Niger that are currently securing the area. The four countries have managed to form a multinational mixed force that will metamophose into what is probably known as a Rapid Response Force that the African Union is trying to form for Africa.”

30 Army officers for trial Continued from page 4 quoted military insiders as saying that it had to do “with their conduct in the fight against the Boko Haram extremist group.”

General Ransome-Kuti is the commander of the Multi National Joint Task Force, who has been blamed for the loss of Baga in January.

With his chief of staff, Lieutenant Colonel GA Suru and some other senior officers, RansomeKuti was arrested for failing to repel terrorists attack on the headquarters of the MNJTF. The posting was signed by the releasing officer, Military Secretary, II Abba, a Major General.

The 30 senior officers are: 1. Brigadier General EA Ransome-Kuti, from MNJTF to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction 2. Colonel OC Ajunwa from MNJTF to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction 3. Lieutenant Colonel UG Yusuf from 202 Battalion to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction 4. Lieutenant Colonel A Haruna from 134 Battalion to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction 5. Lieutenant Colonel MO Eteng from 174 battalion to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction 6. Lieutenant Colonel MY Lawal from HQ CAR to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction 7. Lieutenant Colonel JO Ememe from 21 SERV to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction 8. Lieutenant Colonel HM Bukar from HQ 7 Division to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction 9. Lieutenant Colonel GA Suru from MNJTF to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction 10. Major AA Malgwi from MNJTF to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction 11. Major C Amah from OTD to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction 12. Major N Akpagher from 243 battalion to AHQ garrison for ju-

risdiction 13. Captain EE Ayegba from 101 DES to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction 14. Captain BT Bamisaiye from 525 SR to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction 15. Captain CU Okereke from AHQ DO G to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction 16. Captain EO Ogundile from STF (OP Safe Haven) to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction 17. Captain F Abajah from 134 battalion to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction 18. Captain UJ Atumeyi from 241 battalion to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction 19. Captain RG Mohammed from NASI to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction 20. Captain DY Chiwar from 174 battalion to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction 21. Captain P Dangnap from 174 battalion to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction 22. Captain JA Maku from 174 battalion to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction 23. Captain EU Omatighene from S1 list (UNAMID) to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction 24. Captain BE Alfred from MNJTF to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction 25. Lieutenant AA Tijjani from 541 BS to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction 26. Lieutenant GM Gomo from MNJTF to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction 27. Lieutenant AV Chijioke from 174 battalion to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction 28. Second Lieutenant IS Mekwunye from 149 battalion to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction 29. Lieutenant AJS Gulani (posting amended to read AHQ garrison for jurisdiction) 30. Major ES Okore (posting amended to read AHQ garrison for jurisdiction

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Court registrar aided Ajudua to defraud Bamaiyi –witness Titilope Joseph A witness in the ongoing $330,000 alleged fraud, instituted against a registrar of an Ikeja High Court,

by Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi (rtd), Emmanuel Afanda, on Monday accused the court registrar, Oluronke Rosolu, of aiding a onetime Lagos socialite, Fred Ajudua, to defraud the former Chief of Army Staff.

Afanda, an investigating officer with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), made the allegation while giving witness before Justice Lateef Lawal Akapo of Lagos State High Court, Ikeja.

Rosolu, a former registrar to Justice Joseph Oyewole, is facing a two-count charge of conspiracy; to obtain money by false pretences and obtaining money by false pretences.

She was alleged to have helped Ajudua to fraudulently collect the money from Bamaiyi between November 2004 and June 2005, while both of them were being remanded at Kirikiri prison for separate offences.

The anti-graft agency alleged that Ajudua obtained the money from Bamaiyi by claiming that it represented the professional fees charged by Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) to handle his case.

Led in evidence by the EFCC counsel, Mr Seidu Atteh, Afanda told the court that he was a member of the team which investigated Bamaiyi’s petition to the EFCC regarding the scam.

Afanda said during his inter-

Kidnapped OAU lecturer not killed - ASUU Sodiq Adekunle Osogbo

L-R: Former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Princess Sarah Sosan; Lagos Deputy Governor, Hon. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, and Wife of Vice President-elect, Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo at the Award Dinner of the 2015 Annual Conference of the African Women in Leadership Organization held at Sheraton Hotel, Lagos … at the weekend

rogation of Bamaiyi, it was revealed that Rosolu visited him thrice at the prison facility and collected the money on Nov.20, 2004, adding that the team also interviewed a prison officer, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Abdullahi Garuba, who also confirmed the visits and the transaction.

The witness said the defendant was invited to the EFCC office on July 25, 2013 and made four statements voluntarily, denying that she never visited the prison.

He noted that a search warrant was consequently executed at the defendant’s residence somewhere in Ogun State, and a document which emanated from Ajudua was recovered by the officers.

He added that Rosolu was also

identified by Bamaiyi and Garuba at the EFCC office on Dec.19, 2013.

Afanda further stated that the defendant was thereafter subjected to a polygraph test by experts and the result showed that the defendant actually visited the prison.

Under cross-examination by the defence counsel, Mr Bamidele Ogundele, the witness admitted that they could not locate the record showing the defendant’s visit to the prison.

He also told the court that the team did not take the statement of Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Vincent Obi, who was in charge of approving visitation at the prison facility during the period.

Lecturers at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, have debunked the rumour that their kidnapped colleague, Dr. Femi Omisore, has been killed.

It would be recalled that Omisore was abducted on his way to attend a funeral at Oye Ekiti, in Ekiti State on Saturday.

Omisore, a lecturer at the Department of Environmental Design Management of OAU, was specifically abducted in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital.

Apart from Omisore that was abducted, his driver was killed and car burnt.

The Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), OAU chapter, Dr. Caleb Aborisade, said the kidnappers used Omisore’s telephone to call his wife on Sunday and demanded N70 million ransom.

“He is not killed,” he added.

However, the lecturers who held an emergency congress on Monday, lamented Omisore’s kidnap.

While giving report of the congress, the ASUU chairman, said, “The congress sympathised with the family of the driver and also with the family of our colleague. The whole congressmen condemned the kidnap of our colleague and the killing of the driver.”

Two persons jailed 31 years each for kidnapping Titilope Joseph Two persons were yesterday sentenced to 31 years imprisonment each by an Ikeja High Court after finding them guilty of conspiracy to commit robbery and kidnapping a mariner, Omosebi Oluwafemi.

The convicts are Sunday Akala, 35, and Monsuru Odutan, 38. One Tunde Fayomi, 32, who was 2nd defendant in the case died in the course of trial.

Akala, a Master Degree holder, was said to have arranged with Odutan and others to kidnap his friend (Oluwafemi) because he was in need of money to pay his house rent and the victim was not

willing to assist him.

The duo were arraigned by the police on a three-count charge of conspiracy to commit armed robbery, armed robbery and kidnapping, which they pleaded not guilty.

They were said to have committed the offence on March 30, 2011 around 11:00p.m at Abule Egba area of the state, by robbing the victim of N1.3 million, a diesel wristwatch valued N6, 500, a Tewei wristwatch valued N2, 000, a Blackberry Storm 2 mobile phone valued at N100,000, black Italian trouser belt valued at N7,000 and Nokia 3 sim mobile phone valued at N10,000.”

According to the principal state’s counsel, Hafeez

Owokoniran, the offence was contrary to Section 402 (2) (a) of the Criminal Code Law Cap C.17 Vol 2 Laws of Lagos State 2003.

Delivering judgment, the presiding judge, Justice Lateefa Okunnu, held that the statement of Akala and Odutan (convicts) were not obtained under duress, and the prosecution was able to prove beyond reasonable doubt.

Justice Okunnu also held that the prosecution was unable to prove whether the offensive weapon used by the convicts was a gun, noting that by the evidence there was robbery and not armed robbery.

Said she, “I have considered carefully the facts of this case.

As I have always said, it is for the prosecution to prove beyond reasonable doubt.

Judging by the evidence, I find that there was a robbery when the money was collected from the victim (Oluwafemi).

The prosecution has largely succeeded in proving its case.

I hereby find them guilty of conspiracy, robbery and kidnapping of Oluwafemi,” the judge said.

After listening to the defence counsel who urged the court to temper justice with mercy, the judge sentenced the duo to 21 years for conspiracy to commit robbery and 10 years for kidnapping.

“The sentences are to run concurrently,” the judge added.

7 News Ekiti tribunal begins sitting with six petitions Gbenga Sodeide Ado Ekiti

The Senatorial and State House of Assembly election petition tribunal, on Monday, held its inaugural sitting in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, with only six petitions from all the elections The three-man panel, headed

by Justice A.N. Erahor, has Justices A.T. Lamina and P.A. Obayi as members.

Mr A.K. Olanrewaju, led the team of lawyers to represent the All Progressives Congress (petitioner), while the Peoples Democratic Party (respondent) legal team was led by the party’s State Legal Adviser, Mr. Kolapo Kolade.

PDP mourns Chinyere Asika Lateef Ibrahim Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed grief over the death of Dr. Chinyere Asika, wife of the late Administrator of the defunct East Central State, Dr. Ukpabi Asika and Senior Special Assistant to former President Olusegun Obasanjo on New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD).

The PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, on Monday, eulogised Dr. Asika, who was also the elder sister to PDP National Woman Leader, Dr. Kema Chikwe as “a true Nigerian who dedicated her life for the development of the nation.”

The PDP said the nation “will remain proud of Dr. Asika’s commitment to national development including her stewardship in NEPAD, her roles as the Chairman of the National Working Group of Africa Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), as well as her contributions to numerous women empowerment programmes in the country.”

Asika

8

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Politics

Æs

Politics Editor: Akinjide Akintola E-mail: Akinjide.akintola@dailytimes.com.ng

Okogie: We are expecting too much from Buhari

Okogie

Catholic Cardinal

My worries on assumption of office,

by Kano Governor-elect Ganduje

The Catholic Archbishop Emeritus, Anthony Cardinal Okogie, has expressed the fear that Nigerians might be expecting too much from the Presidentelect, General Muhammadu Buhari when he assumes office saying change is gradual.

In a statement, he said: “Yet sincerely, I think we are expecting too much too soon. Change will come but it will be gradual but surely.

“It will amount to putting the cart before the horse to expect radical revolution from the General.

“We must exercise patience and give him chance to deliver on his promises. What he needs more than anything is our support, cooperation, collaboration and goodwill,” he said.

Cardinal Okogie urged Gen. Buhari to focus on providing quality governance on assuming office, and pay less attention to distractions.

Okogie’s advice came as the Labour Party also urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) to avoid chasing shadows but concentrate on transforming their promises into reality once it assumes office.

Cardinal Okogie advised the President-elect to adhere to the blueprint and road-map of his party that had brought about growth and development in the states where they had been implemented.

“It is heartening to know that he has made anti-corruption campaign the metier of his administration.

“In order for this not to run out of steam, he must build institutions, both formal and informal,

that will fight corruption and ensure Nigeria becomes a society of law abiding citizens.

“His transition team and board of advisers should shun the temptation to secure their selfish interest and come up with pragmatic action plan that will help the president-elect realise his goal,’’ he said.

The cleric said that the task ahead of the President-elect was enormous and appealed to him to explore available economic and social opportunities in rebuilding the nation. “ More than anything, the Gen. Buhari-led government must run an inclusive government of credible people with requisite competence that will ensure that no part of the country is left behind,’’ he said.

According to him, Buhari must do so bearing in mind the fact that he will preside over a nation that comprises people who voted for him, people who did not vote for him and people who did not vote at all.

“He must ensure that no group, class, gender or religion is discriminated against politically, economically, socially and infrastructurally.

“This is the watershed moment to break the walls of ethnicity, elitism and religious bigotry that has continued to polarise the fragile unity of our nation.

“He has a duty to turn the nation into a bridge in which every person, irrespective of his background and orientation, would see the state as a collaborator and an ally through which his dreams

Wale Akintunde

said most, if not all fraudulent leakages and corrupt tendencies would be checkmated with all seriousness by his administration.

“Most of these fraudulent leakages and possibilities of corrupt utterances in the revenue generation section and other government departments will be checkmated accordingly.

“With that, I am optimistic that we will be able to see light at the end of the tunnel, God will-

Yola

Kano State Governor-elect, Engr Abdulahi Ganduje has expressed worries about the financial status of the state which he said is going to be his priority when he takes over.

Speaking with newsmen on how he is going to improve his state’s internally generated revenue, IGR for more fund, Ganduje

CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

Tension in Adamawa over Fintiri’s N22 billion expenditure Adamawa state is enmeshed in tension following allegations that the speaker of the state house of assembly, Umaru Fintiri spent over N 22 billion during his stay as acting governor of the state.

The allegation is coming as the 86-day tenure of former Acting Governor and Speaker Adamawa State House of Assembly Fintiri came under scrutiny at the weekend as a group of concerned citizens under the aegis of Adamawa Progressive Movement described it as sleaze infested.

The convener of the group, Joshua Sunday Wugira, noted that from explanation offered

by Fintiri on how he ran his 86-

CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

Fintiri

ing”, he emphasised.

The Governor elect talked tough on corrupt officials noting that there will be no hiding place in the new administration come 29th May, 2015 and advised the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari to probe corrupt cases in all sectors of government with a view to sanitizing the system entirely.

Besides, the synergy between CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 12, 2015

9 Politics PDP’s loss: Two trek to Kaduna in sympathy with Gov. Yero

Amaechi

According to him, Gov Amaechi has no reason not to comply with the rule of law by doing the needful, which is handing over to the Governor-elect on the scheduled date whether he likes it or not” With Barely two weeks to the May 29 hand over date, anxiety is mounting in Rivers State over the refusal of outgoing Governor, Rotimi Amaechi to constitute a transition committee that will liase with new incoming government for a smooth transition.

While Amaechi has announced that he will handover, the incoming Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Government is crying foul over the development describing it as a ploy by the outgoing governor not to hand over power.

The situation further degenerated at the weekend, when the deputy governor of the state, Tele Ikuru, who has defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) described Amaechi’s action in not constituting the commit-

Wike

Ikuru

Handing-over: Tension in River State tee to liase with the incoming government as irresponsible.

Expectedly, his comment has received flaks from the APC in the state which described him as a betrayer.

Chairman of the Rivers State chapter of the PDP, Bro Felix Obuah said Governor Amaechi’s admission of readiness to hand over on May 29 should be backed up by inaugurating a Transition Committee to interface with the Transition Committee inaugurated by the Governor-elect, Barr. Nyesom Wike.

Speaking in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Jerry Needam, the PDP State chairman, regretted that just a few weeks to the swearing-in date, Amaechi is yet to set up complementary Transition Committee to ensure a smooth handover.

According to him, Gov Amaechi has no reason not to comply with the rule of law by doing the needful, which is handing over to the Governorelect on the scheduled date whether he likes it or not.

“It’s a moral obligation and he is duty bound to do so, as not doing so is not only un-

democratic but also felonious”, the PDP Boss reasoned.

Obuah said the reason why Amaechi has refused to inaugurate his Transition Committee to interface with the Governor-elect’s Transition Committee borders on fraudulent practices of his government.

How can Amaechi explain demolition of Primary Schools across the State without rebuilding them, abandon projects littered all over the State, non payment of Civil Servants and pensioners salaries and allowances andBillions of Naira unpaid loans” Also dismissing Gov Amaechi’s argument that his deputy, Engr. Tele Ikuru, is already part of the PDP’s Transition Committee to justify his participation, the State chairman while describing the argument as uncharitable, said there is a clear line of distinction between the outgoing administration led by Amaechi taking part in, and facilitating the process of his handover and his deputy, who is a PDP member and does not represent the APC government.

On the allegation of com-

plicity between the PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which the APC said was responsible for the PDP’s landslide victory, Obuah advised Amaechi to stop belaboring the issue of the elections since he has approached the election petition tribunal but should do the needful, that is setting up a complementary Transition Committee and cooperating with the Governorelect, Barr. Nyesom Wike for a smooth and peaceful handover.

Meanwhile, the Rivers State Chapter of APC has branded Deputy Governor Tele Ikuru as the modern Judas who is willing to sell his master for material gain. The party in a statement in Port Harcourt by the State Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, lambasted Engr. Ikuru for his unprovoked attack on Governor Amaechi.

“We read with shock the description of Governor Amaechi as ‘irresponsible’ by Engr.

Tele Ikuru during his ill-fated press conference in Port HarCONTINUED ON PAGE 11

As several people trekked long distances to felicitate with winners of the just concluded 2015 general elections, two people have commenced trekking from Makarfi to Kaduna to sympathise with Gov. Muktar Yero.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Yero lost the Kaduna State Governorship seat to Malam Nasir El-Rufai during the April 11 election.

Speaking in an interview with Journalists in Zaria on Sunday, one of the trekkers, Malam Rabi’u Sarkin-Musulmi, said they started the journey early Sunday morning at about 2:00a.m.

“We started the journey from Makarfi, headquarters of Makarfi Local Government Area of Kaduna State at about 2:00a.m. and we expect to be in Kaduna by 1:00p.m. on Monday, May 11.

“The essence of our trekking is to go and sympathise with Gov. Muktar Yero over his defeat during the governorship election.

“We want to show him love, concern and encourage him not to give-up on his political ambition,” he said.

His co-trekker, Malam Abdulmuminu Dakare, said as bonafide PDP members, they believed that power comes from God Almighty, “this is what our leader, Gov. Muktar Yero is preaching.

“He always believes that nobody can give you power except God Almighty, the giver and taker of all powers,” he said.

Dakare also said that they initiated the trek to satisfy their urge and to convey a message of succour and relief to the outgoing governor.

Yero

Politics 10

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Okogie, Labour Party to Buhari: Focus on good governance, avoid acrimony CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 and ambitions can be realised,” he said.

“Nigeria seems to be on a collision course with destiny and the hopes of many are hanging in the balance. I can understand the sense of urgency and expediency in the expectations of Nigerians.

The cleric assured the President-elect of continuous prayers and support where necessary.

“I reassure the President- elect of our prayers and spiritual solicitude, we look forward to seeing a President that will be the Nelson Mandela and the Le Kuan Yew of Nigeria.

“A President that will deliver the dividends of democracy, a President that will respect the rule of law and follow due processes in prosecuting his agenda.

“A President that will be a father to all Nigerians, irrespective of their colour, tongue, tribe, class or political party; a president who will be a statesman to the core.

“A President that will be a comfort of the afflicted, hope of the despondent and the symbol of unity of the divergent Nigeria.

That is the President that Nigeria needs and deserves,’’ he said.

(NAN) A statement issued by the National Secretary of the party, Barrister Kayode Ajulo, said: “It is quite unfortunate that a party that should be more interested in strategizing on how to transform its campaign promises to reality is busy chasing shadows and pursuing frivolities. If the APC or any other group and their hirelings have evidence of wrong-doings on the part of the out-going government of President Jonathan, it is rather more

Okogie

Honourable to produce or publish such instead of engaging in slanderous and baseless accusation.”

“We are particularly miffed by such claim that Jonathan’s government is recruiting workers.

The first question that should interest all is: are the people being employed not Nigerians? Secondly, are they not qualified for the posts? And lastly, is due process not being followed? This is important because the APC needs to be reminded that government and the civil service is a continuum and there is no reason why government activities, including recruitment exercises should be halted simply because there is going to be a change of baton.”

“We are equally worried that such baseless claims could actually be basis for retrenchment of workers in public service when the APC government takes over come May 29. If anything at all, Nigerians are expecting the APC government to create more jobs and also improve the conditions of Nigerian workers. There should be no excuse to short-change the

“I reassure the President- elect of our prayers and spiritual solicitude, we look forward to seeing a President that will be the Nelson Mandela and the Le Kuan Yew of Nigeria” Nigerian workers and the ordinary masses in anyway. APC did not promise Nigerians austerity and lack of jobs. It gave hope to the people, and this is the time to reap. That is not miracle. That is the only way Nigerians can make meaning out of the so-called common sense revolution. ” He called on the President-elect and his aides to show respect for freedom of speech and exhibit tolerance, saying: “We condemn in totality the attempt to gag AIT as this is seen as a dress rehearsal to bring the dreaded and infamous Decree 4 into our jurisprudence once again.

“The extant Constitution is clear on the freedom given to our media as well as other Nigerians” “Labour Party commends the APC for quickly rising to the occasion to correct the unedifying ban on the coverage of the President-elect’s activities by Africa Independent Television (AIT), it is clear from unfolding events that a lot still needs to be done to transform the dictator of yesteryears to a modern democrat”, he said.

Buhari:

Nigeria President-elect

I’m worried about state of finances – Kano Governor-elect

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

outgoing governor, Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and his deputy and governor-elect Engr Ganduje has been described as a phenomenon worthy of emulation by politicians.

Ganduje who observed this in Yola, during a chat with news men said this synergy can play

a greater role in attaining the yearnings and aspirations of the electorate especially in the performance of state and Federal government.

Engr. Ganduje stressed that, in governance, emphasis on democracy, is always good for the electorate to allow continuation so that those in the corridors of power can complete the already ongoing projects that have direct

bearing on the populace as the case with Kano State in particular.

He explained that with the mandate given to him by his people, and the experience garnered from his boss, he will surely do all it takes to provide dividend of democracy to his people, urging them to be patient, supportive and prayer able to his administration.

Responding to a question on his speculated ambition of becoming the next chairman of Nigerian Governors Forum, (NGF) Ganduje said he is a new comer in the fold and needed to gather more experience as substantive governor before dueling into such venture saying: “among us there are old governors who are better off than we J.J.C, but you know our people can speculate issues, so that is my stand on that”. He maintained.

Ganduje

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Rumpus over Fintiri’s N22 billion expenditure as acting governor for 86 days CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 day government during a world Press Conference he addressed in Yola, it was glaring that the state was robbed of colossal amount of funds.

He noted that during the said Press Conference, Fintiri had claimed to have cited projects in Kirchinga, Garta and Kamale when the areas were under Boko Haram insurgents, challenging Fintiri to show the world the projects he executed in the areas having been liberated now.

Wugira noted that in the same manner, Fintiri’s administration could not account for the billions of naira it claimed to have invested in the construction of the Faculty of Law and

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9 court few days ago, which he addressed in his new capacity as the Chairman of the Transition Committee set up

by Chief Nyesome Wike, the INEC-declared Governor of Rivers State.

It is sad that after serving as Amaechi’s Deputy for over seven years, Ikuru, who several times in the past described Gov. Amaechi as the Hero of Rivers Politics and the best political exponent from the State, is suddenly singing a different tune. This is the height of ingratitude and paints Ikuru in his true colours as a Judas who is ever ready to sell his master for mundane gain,” Rivers APC said.

The party described Ikuru’s attack on Amaechi as unwarranted, saying: “Amaechi’s love for Ikuru is legendary. He

Health in the state-owned University adding that since the project was commissioned, no single block was mobilized to site.

“Before Fintiri’s administration awarded the said contracts, students of the institution used to play football on the piece of land on which the Faculty of law was to be constructed.

“As at now, the place is still being used by students as a playground, then where are the so called billions of tax payers funds alleged to have been expended?” He queried.

While noting that he was not holding brief for the incumbent administration, Wugira said as concerned citizens they were compelled to start talking about the maladministration in the state as politicians have

11 Politics

Fintiri

“Let Fintiri tell the world what he has done with such a colossal amount of fund in just 86 days if he wants us to take him serious, Wugira pointed out” made the state their Guinea Pigs adding that very soon they will unravel the atrocities being committed by the incumbent regime.

“Our quest to beam our search light on the administration of Fintiri follows the serious questions of financial sleaze which his 86-day administration left unanswered. In the same vein, we shall also beam our search light on the activities of the current administration and will make our findings known very soon,” he noted.

Wugira while debunking the

huge debt profile left by Fintiri noted that it was surprising for a government that serves for only 86 days to incur a debt of over N5 billion.

“Recently, Fintiri was accused of incurring a debt of over N5 billion by the incumbent administration when he served as Ag Governor and up till now he has not done anything substantial to exculpate himself from such blame.

“Let Fintiri tell the world what he has done with such a colossal amount of fund in just 86 days if he wants us to take

him serious,” Wugira pointed out.

He urged the people of Adamawa state not to be swayed by the fact that Fintiri has given a number of contracts as he noted that most of them fell short of due process and were inordinately over inflated.

On the issue of payment of backlog of two months salary, Wugira said the former acting governor should not be given undue accolades over that as salary is the right of the workers adding that “A government cannot receive credit for paying its workers their salary. It can only get credit if it was able to improve workers condition or even employ more work-force to reduce unemployment, the same cannot be said of Fintiri’s government,” he noted.

Tension builds up in Rivers over handing over chose him as his Deputy despite Ikuru having teamed up with Sir Celestine Omehia and others to frustrate Amaechi’s governorship ambition during the ill-fated PDP Primaries of 2007. With God’s intervention the Supreme Court in its wisdom revalidated Amaechi’s mandate as the authentic PDP guber candidate, thus making him the Governor.

“In 2011, against the advice of many well-meaning Rivers people, Amaechi went ahead to again select Ikuru as his running mate as he successfully sought re-election. It is also instructive that Governor Amaechi has refrained from either speaking ill of Engr. Ikuru or engineering his removal as Deputy Governor despite his defection from APC to the

opposition PDP shortly before the 2015 elections. For Ikuru to now have the effrontery to describe his benefactor, a fellow who loves him with all his heart and who on various occasions left the running of Rivers State in his care, as a disgraceful leader does not only show him as an ingrate of the highest order but also indicates that Engr. Ikuru may need to subject himself to psychiatric tests.”

Rivers APC said while it is understandable for Ikuru to be tempted to engage in excesses in view of Wike’s promise to appoint him as the Secretary to State Government (SSG), he should tread with caution, especially as the declaration of Wike as Governor would soon be reversed by the Election Pe-

tition Tribunal.

The party congratulated the gubernatorial candidates of KOWA party, Mr. Kemka Elenwo; All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Mr. Charles Harry; Social Democratic Party (SDP), Mr. Minaibim Harry; and Labour Party (LP), Prince Tonye Princewill, for joining APC’s governorship candidate, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, to challenge Wike’s purported election at the Election Petition Tribunal. “With the evidences adduced by all these great Rivers State leaders, we are confident that bloodthirsty desperados who believe that they can seize the governorship seat by hook or crook will soon be put to shame and showed the exit door by the Tribunal,”

Wike

News 12

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Fayose links Ekiti kidnap cases to jail break

Delta NULGE down tools

Gbenga Sodeinde

Monday Osayande

Ado Ekiti

ÏÏÏ

Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, has condemned the persistent abduction cases in the state, saying the recent jail break in the state might be to blame, just as he promised to ensure the release of the kidnapped victims soonest.

He made the declaration, while addressing the staff of the Federal

Teaching Hospital, at Ido Ekiti, on Monday, who had demanded that one of their own, Mrs. Margret Aladeneka, who was kidnapped on May 6, be rescued.

Fayose, who assured the health workers that his government, in collaboration with the security operatives, would bring back those kidnapped recently to rejoin their families, however noted that: “When we had a jailbreak, they regrouped and started terrorising

our state, but we subdued and got them. We have rearrested over 199, and others have fled the state.”

The Governor assured the staff that: Mrs. Aladeneka would soon be with us. I appreciate you for being your brother’s keeper. It could be anybody. It could be your brother. Let me tell you that I share your sorrow. This is one of the burdens I carry with you. I am sure that she will come back soon to join us.

"It is not about the All Progres-

sives Congress (APC) or Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Everybody must join hands with government to unravel the security issue, and bring it to an end. We are calling on all Ekiti indigenes, irrespective of their political affiliations and all security agencies to support the government to bring this untidy development to an end in a bid to get the kidnapped released and put paid to such occurrences.”

Teacher jailed for rape in Jigawa Dutse Mohammed

ÏÏÏ

The Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees, (NULGE), Delta State Chapel, on Monday, embarked upon an industrial action over non-payment of four months salaries to it members.

The aggrieved workers of the 21 councils, whose salaries had not been paid, were denied access to their various offices, by both political and appointed office holders, when they threatened to embark upon the strike last weekend.

But four of the councils – Bomadi, Burutu, Warri North and Warri SouthWest – have paid their workers’ salaries till date.

The state President of NULGE, Comrade David Ofoeyeno, who spoke with Daily Times, in Asaba, on phone, expressed with the development.

NACJ honours the late Adadevoh

ÏÏÏThe Dutse Chief Magistrate

court, presided over by Justice Amina Dahiru, has sentenced one Malam Aminu Lawal, 35, two years imprisonment without an option of fine for alleged defiling a minor.

Lawal is a teacher with the Government Girls Secondary School, Danzomo.

Lawal had been standing trial for offenses of defilement and raping a 12 year old Junior Secondary School student inside his office toilet on countless occasions.

The accused had also admitted was guilty for the offense but begged for clemency.

Lawal was arrested through the joint efforts of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) detectives and the police.

The NSCDC through its Commandant had stated that it secured a confessional statement from the accused of committing such a terrible offenses.

In his judgement, Justice Amina Dahiru lamented the act of committing indecency act the teenager, an offence she said was contrary to Section 285 of Jigawa State Penal Code Laws.

Also speaking, Jigawa State Commandant of the NSCDC, Dr. Muhammad Gidado Fari, advised criminally- minded people to have a rethink of their actions before the long arm of the law caught up with them.

Asaba

Nduka Uzuakpundu L-R: Managing Director/CEO Nestle Nigeria Plc (NNP) ,Mr. Dhamesh Gordhon; Chairman, Mr. David Ifezulike; Company Secretary, Mr. Bode Ayeku; Executive Director , Mr. Syed Saiful Isla and Non Executive Director, Mr. Giuseppe Bonanno during the 46th Annual General Meeting of the company at Muson Centre Lagos ...on Monday. Photo: OLAWALE ROTIMI

Ministry gives SAHCOL ultimatum to recall sacked workers Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo

ÏÏÏ The Federal Ministry of La-

bour and Productivity has directed the management of the Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL) to reinstate four sacked workers of the company within two weeks before any dialogue can take place.

A letter to the General Secretary, National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) dated May 5 2015, signed by Mrs C.C. Dike of the Department of Trade Union Services and Industrial Relations, said that in the interest of fair labour practices, premised on equity and natural justice to ensure peaceful national industrial relations system, SAHCOL had been directed to recall the sacked labour leaders and reverse the dis-

claimer published.

The letter reads: “I am directed to refer to Form TD/3 dated April 23, 2015, filed by the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) notifying the Honourable Minister of Labour and Productivity of a trade dispute against Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited SAHCOL over the following points in dispute: (1) Victimisation of union chairman /secretary; (11) Refusal to respect right of employees to peaceful assembly / association (111) Refusal to conclude review of conditions of service.”

According to the letter, there were evidence of lack of proper understanding of the principles and practice of trade unionism in

the organisation by the management of SAHCOL, as well as the national labour laws on the matter.

It also noted that to sack and subsequently publish disclaimer notice in a national newspaper, was in breach of the provisions of Section 9 (6) of the labour Act, Cap L1, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

Fashola

ÏÏÏThe

annual Couple’s Dinner and Integrity Award”, organised by Nigerian Association of Christian Journalists (NACJ), is set to honour the late Dr. Stella Adadevoh with a special, post-humous award tagged “Professional Integrity Award.”

It would be recalled that Adadevoh died, late last year, from Ebola infection.

This was disclosed by the Secretary-General of the Association, Mr. Charles Okhai, during the inauguration of the planning committee for the NACJ’s “3rd Annual Dinner & Award Nite 2015”, slated to hold at Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Ikeja. This year’s award, he said, promised to be a high-society celebration and a well-deserved honour to Nigeria’s illustrious sons and daughters, who have demonstrated a high sense of integrity in either public service or private life.

The main objective of the award, Okhai said, “is to encourage Nigerians to be integrityconscious and thereby shy away from corruption.”

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Ugandan Army launches de-radicalisation campaign ÏÏÏA spokesman for Uganda’s

People's Defense Forces says the army has launched a de-radicalization campaign in an effort to thwart recruitment drives by terrorist groups, including the Somali-based Islamist group alShabab.

Colonel Paddy Ankunda says the move came after the Allied Democratic Front - a terrorist group - began recruiting radical youths for al-Qaida in the region.

Ankunda says the military aims to stop the terrorist recruitment by educating the population about activities of the group.

“This is targeting areas where those who have been recruiting terrorists and would-be radicals have been operating, particularly in areas of central Uganda.

What we’ve done now is to engage with the public to engage with the communities that are being targeted by the terrorists through campaign in the media to ensure that we show them the dangers of getting involved in radical activities,” he said.

On Tuesday in New York,

President Yoweri Museveni met with U.S. National Security Advisor Susan Rice and exchanged views on regional developments.

Topics discussed include the importance of cooperation between the United States and Uganda to counter terrorism and prevent

violent extremism in the region.

Ankunda hailed the significant support the UPDF receives from the U.S. government in the fight against terrorism.

“The partnership between Uganda and the United States is very critical, considering the

role that we are playing in the region to deal with these radical characters. Right from Somalia through to dealing with the Allied Democratic Forces and the Lord’s Resistance Army, operating now in the Central African Republic,” he said.

Soldiers of the Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF) patrol in the jungle in the Central African Republic, as they look for Lord's Resistance Army fighters.

Burundi protesters defy govt as Belgium cuts election cash ÏÏÏProtesters

in Burundi on Monday defied government orders to end demonstrations against President Pierre Nkurunziza's controversial bid for a third term as Belgium suspended key funding for the elections.

Hundreds of opposition supporters demonstrated on the streets of the capital Bujumbura, despite the security services ripping down barricades set up during days of protests.

At least 19 people have been killed, including protesters and police, and scores have been wounded since late April, when the ruling CNDD-FDD nominated

S’Africa's opposition party gets first black leader

Nkurunziza to stand for re-election, triggering daily protests.

Belgium, the former colonial ruler, said on Monday it had suspended aid to the electoral process in Burundi, withholding $2.2m of backing. The first half of the aid, another two million euros, has already been paid.

Belgium, the biggest bilateral backer of Burundi, has also halted support for a police mission in the country, Belgium's international development ministry said.

Development Minister Alexander De Croo "believes that in the current circumstances the payment of the remaining tranche

ÏÏÏIndependent

South African political analyst Harald Pakerndorf said he hopes Mmusi Maimane, the first black leader of South Africa’s mostly-white main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) party, was selected for his leadership qualities, not skin color.

Delegates attending the DA’s convention in Port Elizabeth on Sunday chose Maimane to replace Helen Zille, who stepped down last month. Maimane reportedly told party members that “freedom means nothing without opportunities,” as South Africans struggle

of two million euros must be suspended," the statement said.

It cited the fact that the EU's electoral mission in Burundi had said last week that "conditions for free elections have not been met at the moment".

Nkurunziza, a former rebel leader from the Hutu majority who has been in power since 2005, has come under intense international pressure to withdraw from next month's election and stand down. The latest confrontations between demonstrators and security forces in parts of Bujumbura came after a one-day "truce" declared by protest leaders on Satur-

day allowed a semblance of normality to return to Bujumbura.

While the main barricades have been removed, opposition supporters set up "checkpoints" to stop people going to work. "We continue our demonstrations to prevent Nkurunziza having a third term," said Joseph, a 43-yearold protester.

In one district, a gang of some 20 men hurled petrol bombs at a bus, but no one was hurt. Nkurunziza has ignored protests and international pressure, and on Friday was the first of eight candidates to register for presidential elections due on June 26.

with poverty, high unemployment and economic inequality.

Pakerndorf said the election of Maimane is significant, particularly at a time when support for the ruling African National Congress has been declining, even among black voters.

“It’s an important step for the Democratic Alliance which actually started in 1958 with about just over one percent of voter support and at the last election got almost 23 percent. But, its leaders were mostly white and then they started changing four, five years ago and

now we have a black, a young charismatic leader. He’s only 35 years old, Mmusi Maimane,” he said.

Pakerndorf said Maimane’s election comes at a very good time for the Democratic Alliance party.

“The cry of the ruling party that liberated South Africa from apartheid is gradually no longer enough to sell. So, it’s an important step, but I myself hope that Mr. Maimane was elected because of his leadership qualities and not because he’s black. It’s an advantage that he’s black, but I hope that’s not the only reason,” Pakerndorf said.

13 Africa Libya rejects EU military plans over Mediterranean migrants

ÏÏÏLibya

has criticised EU proposals to authorise the use of force against people smugglers taking migrants across the Mediterranean to Europe.

The Libyan ambassador to the UN told the BBC that the EU's intentions were unclear and "very worrying".

The EU is seeking a UN mandate to allow military action to destroy or halt smugglers' boats in Libyan waters.

The measures are part of the EU's proposed plans to stop migrants drowning in the Mediterranean.

The UN estimates that 60,000 people have already tried to cross the Mediterranean this year.

More than 1,800 people are feared to have died making the journey in 2015 - a 20-fold increase on the same period in 2014.

Many of the migrants are fleeing conflict or poverty in countries such as Syria, Eritrea, Nigeria and Somalia.

10 CAR rival groups sign peace deal

ÏÏÏThe government of

Central African Republic and 10 armed groups signed a peace deal on Sunday aimed at ending two years of fighting that has killed thousands.

U.N. Special Representative Babacar Gaye said, "I want to believe that the commitment is sincere and that we will engage in the construction of progressive peace."

U.N. negotiators said all sides agreed to formally disarm, give up using guns to settle their demands, and enter a process of "disarmament, demobilization, reintegration and repatriation."The deal also includes an agreement not to use children as soldiers or forced laborers.Muslim rebels seized the CAR capital of Bangui in 2013, leading to often brutal attacks and reprisals between rival Christian and Muslim militias.

Gaye

World 14

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Ukraine crisis: Kerry to meet Putin, Lavrov tomorrow ÏÏÏUnited

State Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to Russia this week for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the State Department announced on Monday. It will be Kerry's first visit to Russia since the Ukraine crisis began.

Relations between Moscow and the West have been badly damaged over Ukraine. Western nations have accused Russia of supporting separatists there with arms and manpower - a charge Moscow denies. Russia, meanwhile, has bristled at Washington's pledge to provide Ukraine with military assistance in the form of hardware and training.

The State Department said Kerry will meet Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Tuesday. It's Kerry's second trip to Russia since taking office.

The announcement said Kerry will "discuss a full range of bilateral and regional issues, including Iran, Syria, and Ukraine.''

The trip is part of a U.S. effort "to maintain direct lines of communication with senior Russian officials and to ensure U.S. views are clearly conveyed,'' the State Department said. After his brief stop in Russia, Kerry will travel to Turkey for a meeting of NATO foreign ministers and return to Washington for a summit of Gulf Arab leaders that President Barack Obama is hosting at Camp David.

coalition continued airstrikes against Houthi rebel targets in Yemen on Monday, a day before a humanitarian cease-fire is due to go into effect.

The jets bombed the Saada region near the Saudi border, as well as Taiz in southwestern Yemen and the oil-producing Marib province in the east.

Saudi and U.S. officials announced the cease-fire proposal last week to allow badly needed food, fuel and medicine to reach civilians in Yemen. The Houthis said Sunday they had accepted the plan, which is scheduled to begin Tuesday.

ÏÏÏA

crowded bus veered off a rocky village road and fell into a deep gorge on Monday, killing at least 23 people in the Indiancontrolled portion of the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, police said.

The driver apparently lost control of the bus while negotiating a curve, police inspector general Danish Rana said. At least 25 other people were injured in the accident. Rana said police had reached the area and were evacuating the injured.

The 48-seat public bus was traveling to the town of Uthampur when the accident happened near the village of Marotthi, more than 200 kilometers south of Indiancontrolled Kashmir's main city of Srinagar.

Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan, but claimed by both in its entirety.

Israeli president on three-day visit to Germany ÏÏÏIsraeli

U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, right, meets with Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov.

Airstrikes Saudi King to skip US-Gulf summit ÏÏÏ continue in Yemen ahead of ceasefire ÏÏÏWarplanes from a Saudi-led

Bus crashes in Kashmir, kills 23

Saudi Arabia's King Salman will not take part in a U.S.-Arab summit hosted this week by President Barack Obama, Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said on Sunday, canceling also a planned White House meeting that had been announced only days earlier.

The summit begins on Wednesday with delegations from the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council visiting the White House, then continues on Thursday with talks at the president's Camp David retreat.

Jubeir said King Salman will send Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef in his place. He cited the summit's overlap with a fiveday cease-fire and humanitarian effort in neighboring Yemen where Saudi Arabia has led a campaign of airstrikes against anti-government fighters.

An Obama administration of-

ficial said the change was "not in response to any substantive issue."

With King Salman skipping the summit, only the leaders of Qatar and Kuwait will be heading their delegations. Kuwait's emir, Sabah Ahmad al-Sabah, traveled to Washington on Sunday and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani was due to depart Doha on Monday.

Oman's Sultan Qaboos bin Said and United Arab Emirates President Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan are not taking part because of health reasons. Bahrain's delegation will be headed by the tiny island kingdom's crown prince rather than King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa. No reason has been given.

White House spokesman Eric Schultz said last week that the summit would include discussions on deepening security co-

operation with Gulf nations and "seeking common approaches" to the conflicts in Iraq, Syria, Libya and Yemen.

The talks will also likely include the ongoing negotiations on Iran's nuclear program and Gulf concerns that Iran would gain freedom from sanctions while still retaining the ability to develop a nuclear weapon.

King Salman

President Reuven Rivlin received an official welcome to Germany on Monday, beginning a three-day state visit to mark 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The visit starts three days after the 70th anniversary of the surrender of Nazi Germany in World War II and the end of the Holocaust, in which 6 million Jews were killed and which led to the creation of the state of Israel in 1948.

German President Joachim Gauck provided a red-carpet welcome with a military guard of honour and band before the two men walked in a close embrace inside Bellevue Palace, Gauck's official residence.

Later Rivlin was to lay a wreath at the Platform 17 Memorial on Berlin's western outskirts, where tens of thousands of Jews were deported by rail to concentration camps during Nazi rule.

Both presidents were to visit a German-Israeli youth congress Monday afternoon.

Rivlin will meet Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Tuesday. Their talks are to centre on the new right-wing coalition government formed last week in Israel and the future of the Palestinian-Israeli peace process.

M

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 12, 2015

15 Opinion

Sanusi Abubakar: Of lies and twisted logic

C John T. Kyaave

olumnists like Sanusi Abubakar, who should ordinarily pass for ‘intellectuals’ appear to have completely lost it – they can no longer tell the difference between what is clearly white and what is so very clearly black.

He belongs to a pitiable clique of social analysts who have succeeded in poisoning the media space.

In his latest piece, sensationally but unintelligently titled ‘Ngozi’s economic model destroyed PDP; GMB needs a different one’ which appeared in the Daily Trust on Tuesday, 5th May 2015, Sanusi deliberately ignored publicly known facts, twisted logic and forcefully tried to bring the name of Dr. Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala to disrepute.

I do not expect Sanusi Abubakar to accept that Okonjo-Iweala has done a good job of managing the Nigerian economy. He and his likes have long shut their ears and closed their eyes to anything good that has the tag Okonjo-Iweala on it. However, facts are facts and they cannot be hidden. Under her watch, we now know that we have the largest economy in Africa that despite the steep fall in oil prices is still projected to grow at an enviable 4.8 percent. Under her watch the

Nigerian economy has attained its highest level of economic diversification with the non-oil sectors like Agriculture, Manufacturing, Services driving growth; under her effective coordination, the Nigerian economy has not caved in, food prices are relatively stable, inflation is still single digit, salaries are being paid promptly after six months of suffering a 50 percent cash crunch from the fall of oil prices.

This economic model which Sanusi Abubakar questions has also seen the birth of strong government backed but private sector led institutions like the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) which is set to ignite the strong growth of small businesses.

These are just very few of the several economic legacies of OkonjoIweala. The world and objective Nigerians have all hailed these as representing good strategies for fixing unemployment and poverty in Nigeria. Even though Sanusi supposedly anchored his piece on the alleged “economic model” of Okonjo-Iweala (whatever that means), his prejudice was quite evident in his narrative. Not long into the write up, he went completely off his titled tangent and dedicated over 90 percent of it to his main objective: – to malign Okonjo-Iweala by forcefully linking her to contro-

versial issues even when it is very evident that she had absolutely nothing to do with such.

Unlike Sanusi Abubakar who jumps off without a care about his name and runs purely on malicious prejudice, Okonjo-Iweala is a thoroughbred professional who understands the importance of reputation. She understands the power of a good name, something that is clearly alien to Sanusi.

The issues concerning the abuse of the fuel subsidy and import duty waivers predate Okonjo-Iweala’s appointment as minister. When she resumed as the Finance Minister in 2011, she was confronted with the shocking fact that over N1 trillion had already been paid for fuel subsidy with over a trillion still outstanding. As a professional economist, she studiously went to work and initiated moves that eventually led to the setting up of a presidential committee to investigate fraud in the subsidy regime. Today, as a result of her efforts, the high level of manipulation and fraud that existed in the management of fuel subsidy has been substantially dealt with.

He will also not be ignorant of the fact that Okonjo-Iweala has within her time as Finance Minister undertaken a successful restructuring of the import duty waivers

and substantially reduced the blatant abuses that characterised the scheme. He will also know that Okonjo-Iweala stopped the award of waivers to individuals who constituted the greatest points of abuse and has been using the waivers as an economic tool to spur growth of agriculture, power, manufacturing and other sectors. As a result, business opportunities have increased and jobs have been created. And all Sanusi can see is fraud?

I am also not surprised that Sanusi tried to make heavy weather out of the falsehood that OkonjoIweala has ‘disowned’ PwC, the consultants that handled the audit of the NNPC accounts. This is utter nonsense. It is public knowledge that she recommended the audit of the NNPC Accounts in the wake of former CBN Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi’s allegations over the unaccounted for $20 billion. But it was the Auditor-General who eventually appointed the consultants, PwC to carry out the exercise.

By forcefully and wrongly linking Okonjo-Iweala’s name to problems that she spent her time courageously fighting at great risk to herself and family, Sanusi Abubakar ended up showing himself as a mischievous man desperate to tar her image in the course of executing a hatchet job for vested interests.

Nigeria and the Buhari Leadership

A Prof. R.A. Ipinyomi

s Nigeria rolls on to change its leadership from Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GEJ) to General Muhammad Buhari (GMB) on May 29, 2015 the question of what the future holds for Nigeria and its people becomes paramount. Indeed the entire world is turning upside down and the changing dynamism affects other nations just as it affects the Nigeria. Those who hitherto prefer to forecast or write about Nigeria have been mostly non-Nigerians or Nigerians living abroad. They are doing only descriptive or comparative analysis at best with no baseline in many cases, or comparing Nigeria with the Western nations. Where the western world is today is not where Nigeria may want to be.

Therefore, the essential questions are still unasked and unanswered.

Where is Nigeria now and where should its position in world politics, economic and social systems really ought to have been. What are the contributions of Nigeria to world peace and its decision making process? On domestic issue, is it safer to live in Nigeria or elsewhere

in the years ahead? What moral value system should be considered universal for emulation?

However, GMB is coming in and leaning more toward the position of a possible restoration of moral value system, minimising social decadence and installing broken down societal discipline. The Nigeria society is becoming completely out of order indexed by insurgencies, kidnappings, armed robberies, corruption and embezzlement of public funds. GMB’s objectives are not as simple as they sound and it is likely that his friends and admirers will be getting fewer as his government genuinely pursues the agenda of setting things right.

On the other side of the coin is the very high expectation of people of Nigeria. They are still dancing and trekking distances. They have come to believe GMB on job generation to reduce unemployment, grow the economy both to reduce socioeconomic inequalities and ensuring that the rich can safely invest in Nigerian. If GMB comes from his discipline angle only, as he did as a military Head of State (19841985), the needed capitals to grow the economy may fly away. If he chooses growing the economy on

false corruption and indiscipline pillars the entire system will collapse sooner rather than later. The system needs a holistic approach and inclusive participation. Hence, the cleaning broom GMB and his party members usually hold, may have different interpretation to different audiences. The ordinary Nigerians and the public are expecting GMB to come and sweep dirt away from the system and offering them jobs, energy and lighting, water and make available essential commodities. Their belief is that the broom can do it because of GMB and not because of APC. Another level of thought comes from the political opponents and some public who believe that the outgoing government is perceived to be corrupt and that key members of that government deserve to spend the rest of their lives either in prisons.

GMB has risen the stake too high for himself that he is now at a position where he must set a balance so that his word, his body language, his every appointment must operate in consonance. Yet, a few others believe that only a foundation of good governance can be laid within the short period of four years.

Charity to this group must begin

at home and with members of APC, elected and appointed members of governments, public and private officers. That is, GMB can only start a new page and set a new foundation for Nigeria. Everyone will still go through the prevailing hardships until the new policies have their positive effects.

In the interim GMB can still fast track his administration and cushion the undue hardships members of the society are currently subjected to due to perceived previous bad governance. We must not turn back the hand of government in anyway without a proof and a reason; governance must be transparent, open and inclusive. Internal democracy must be allowed to work fully. I wish also that GMB would be an example of a one-term president so that he would not be detracted in any of his policies. Usually anyone who sets out to be a one-term president of their nation often always achieves more and can step on toes and get away with it. Just as GEJ conceded an election he lost, and has thereby earned enormous accolades, GMB coming out on May 29, 2015 and telling the public the life of his tenure would go a long way to earn him national and international support.

16

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 16, 2015

Business Times Æ s

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 12, 2015

17

Business Editor: Emmanuel Ogbonnaya Email: emmanuelogbonnaya@dailytimes.com.ng

Heritage Bank gives backing to Okpekpe Road Race

Ugochukwu Onyeocha Heritage Bank Limited has extended its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) vote for wellness and physical fitness of Nigerians to the 10-kilometre Okpekpe Road Race as the Official Banker.

The annual international event, which has been certified by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) as a bronze label event on its calendar, is on its third edition. The event will take place on Saturday May 16, 2015 at Okpekpe Town in Etsako Local Government Area (LGA) of Edo State.

It will be recalled that Enterprise Bank Limited, which has been acquired by Heritage Bank Limited, was the Official Banker of the second edition of the race

last year.

Both female and male winners in the race will be going home with juicy monetary rewards in the event, which incidentally attracts the highest total prize money for a 10-kilometer race in the world. For both the female and male categories, the 1st 2nd and 3rd prize winners would receive $25,000, $15,000 and $10,000 respectively. Similarly, 4th to 8th winning runners would be rewarded with cash prizes of $8,000, $6,000, $4,000, $2,000 and $1,000 respectively totaling $142,000 (about N30 million). There are many other prizes to be won, including cash prizes for the first eight place finishers who are Edo State indigenes.

The Heritage Bank sponsorship of the10-kilometre race is also meant to partner with the

Edo State Government and the event organisers, PAMODZI Sports Marketing Limited, in the joint bid to create a platform of support and exposure for Nigerian and African youths to international marathons.

The Okpekpe Road Race, which is the only IAAF labeled marathon in Africa will feature in this edition over 28 professional athletes and participants from more than 10 countries, including Kenya, Ethiopia Eritrea, Morroco, Nigeria and Norway among others.

Top officials of IAAF will be on hand to witness the event while the Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole among other top dignitaries will also be taking part in the race. SuperSport Television and local TV stations will give cover the event.

L-R: Group Head, Customer Experience Management Group, Sterling Bank Plc, Mrs. Titilayo Ogundipe; Executive Director, Finance and Strategy/ Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Abubakar Suleiman and Head of Strategy, Mr. Ighodalo Aimienwanu, during the bank’s Pre Annual General Meeting press conference in Lagos…

Emmanuel Ogbonnaya Sterling Bank has said it plans to raise between $100million (N20billion) and $150millon (N30biilion) in Tier 2 capital this year to fund its expansion plans.

The Bank’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO)/Executive Director, Mr. Abubakar Suleiman, disclosed this at an interactive session with Business Editors in Lagos recently. He explained that the Bank was on track on its expansion targets which it unveiled in 2013 and would soon embark on another phase of its growth strategy.

According to him, the bank currently has 1.5 million customers and has been able to achieve over three per cent mar-

Sterling Bank projects expansion, fresh $150m capital ket share from 1 per cent a few years ago. He revealed that from 84 branches in 2006, the lender’s branch network should hit the 200 mark by the end of the year adding that it would increase the number of its Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) to 1000 by the end of this year. He also stated that the bank will soon deploy a new core banking application which would significantly boost the quality of its operations and service delivery The Executive Director said that the bank’s goal was to be among the top five lenders in the industry not in terms of bal-

ance sheet size but in the areas of quality service delivery and compliance to regulations.

He pointed out that there were banks with much bigger balance sheets which were not meeting customers’ expectations in key areas, stressing that as Sterling Bank expands and becomes a bigger financial institution, it will continue to outperform its peer group.

As he put it, “We have consistently outperformed our peer group and we will outperform the next group. We want to be there when it comes to service delivery, in terms of compliance

to regulations and how we are perceived as good corporate citizens.”

He disclosed that the lender would raise between $100million (N20billion) and $150millon (N30biilion) in Tier 2 capital this year to fund its expansion plans.

He however emphasised that despite the tough operating environment Sterling Bank was still committed to meeting its expansion targets.

Abubakar Suleiman dismissed suggestions by analysts in some quarters that the Bank would not be able to achieve its

capital raising targets this year due to regulatory headwinds, recalling that such skepticisms were similarly expressed in 2013 when the bank announced that it plans to raise additional capital via equity issues.

He said, “They raised doubts in 2013; they raised doubts in 2014. But what happened? We were successful in our capital raising. Their doubts are welcome; it will spur us to work harder and ensure that we achieve our target. But we are confident we will do it. But of course, until it is done, you cannot say you have succeeded.

Energy 18

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Buhari’s aide calls for end to Urhobo/Isoko pipelines bombing

Project Aquila saved Nigeria N400 billion - Kasali

Bibi Oduku, Coordinator of Niger Delta Security, NDS, the safety wing of President–elect, General Muhammadu Buhari Support Organisation, BSO, has enjoined aggrieved Urhobo and Isoko ex-militants in Delta State to shun further pipeline vandalism and threats of violence in the Niger Delta region.

When Bibi led members of the group on a courtesy visit to the factional President General of Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), Chief Tuesday Onoge in Warri, alleged that many ex-militants were allegedly shortchanged in the Federal Government’s amnesty programme by the out-

The immediate past Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Equalisation Fund, PEF, Mrs. Adefunke Kasali, said the agency saved the country more than $2 billion, about N400 billion, through the ‘Project Aquila.’

Kasali, who stated this in Abuja during the handing over ceremony to the newly appointed Executive Secretary, Mr. Asabe Ahmed, stated that through the initiative, PEF had detected and stopped payment of more than N847million in fictitious claims by petroleum marketers.

She noted that Project Aquila is a high-tech electronic loading and delivery system introduced

by PEF to check leakages in the system, as well as enthrone transparency and due process.

According to her, PEF had been able to check fraudulent activities among petroleum marketers and ensured transparency in the system through the project.

She said: “The new initiative, also known as ‘e-loading’ ensures the delivery of petroleum products to the right destination.

“The process has checkmated the annual loss of N15 billion to the activities of some unscrupulous petroleum tanker drivers, who engaged in some unethical activities such as diversion of some petroleum products.”

Kasali maintained that the agency had taken a bold step to eliminate corruption and ensure prompt payment of bridging cost through ‘Project Aquila.’

The executive secretary said the project had also been able to remove encumbrances that normally caused distortions in the supply chain such as the issue of prompt payment of bridging claims.

She said: “Just look at the way we designed the business, we saved two billion dollars up-front because we wrote the codes inhouse and how about all the tens of billions we have saved by people that used to claim fictitious amounts.

“There was a time when we stopped N847 million worth of fake tickets and all the ones we have been saving ever since and we thank God for that.”

Kasali refuted claims that the board was under-paying some marketers or delaying their payment, saying that the PEFMB had been consistent in paying the right claims due to marketers.

This, she said, was in accordance with their capacity as approved by the Department of Petroleum Resources.

“Those who are complaining are those that the robust Project

going administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, adding that it should however, not be an excuse to go back to the days of pipeline vandalism.

He said: “I have personally made a representation to the incoming government about this issue and I have the assurance that all related cases will be given due attention, but you must first stop the acts and threats of vandalising oil facilities.”

Responding, Chief Onoge expressed delight at Bibi’s effort to bring ex-militants together for the common objective of securing a peaceful environment that will drive the much desired devel-

Pipeline on fire in Niger-Delta state

opment in the Niger Delta by the incoming government of Buhari.

“If the youths are angry, Niger Delta cannot be peaceful. Therefore, it has become expedient for the youths to forge a common front to achieve peace and attract development,” he said.

Pipeline net work, Aba depot

IPMAN accuses depot manager of products diversion Stories by Funmi Coker The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has accused the Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC) depot manager in Osisioma/ Aba depot, in Abia State, Mr. Emmanuel Mgbakiri, of frustrating products loading process meant to ensure its availability within the area.

Marketers, who expressed dismay over the attitude of the depot manager lamented that

rules were no longer followed at the depot, accusing the manager of giving priority to the highest bidders and those loyal to him.

They complained that for some time now, members already on line do not get the products, and were forced to go to private depots, where they were compelled to load at higher cost.

When contacted, PMAN Eastern zonal chairperson, Chukwudi Ezinwa, who spoke to reporters in Abuja, alleged that products meant for some marketers, who had spent several

hours and nights waiting for their turns, were later diverted on the orders of the manager.

“We have found out that the depot manager has over some time now breached the standard rules set by the PPMC for the products loading programmes.

“It has been discovered that majority of marketers who registered and queued up for their trucks to be loaded would be asked to step aside and give way for some others who are cronies of the depot manager,” he stated.

Aquila has blocked their old ways of “milking” the system and are uncomfortable with the new measures imposed to check past abuses.

“If any marketer said he was not paid it means we could not confirm that they were loaded, so if somebody said his claim has been stocked it means that they were not loaded,” she explained.

The New Executive Secretary, Mrs. Asabe Ahmed lauded the achievement of Kasali and said she was going to build on the achievement.

“I can see a team of highly motivated professional and the efficiency I have seen in the system is due to all of you I have come to carry on from where she has left off “Because the good things that are happening here is the efficiency that has been brought about by the system put in place,” she said “Not a whole lot is going to change in terms of process that is already in place, I can only build on the outstanding that has been recommended for upgrading and improving the process,” she added.

She called for cooperation of the staff, stressing that the industry was a complex one that needed the cooperation of all the stakeholders including the staff.

Kasali

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 12, 2015

19 Labour

We are open to dialogue and reconciliation- Wabba The President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade (Dr) Ayuba Wabba has spent two decades in the movement having successfully steered the affairs of the union as President of an NLC vibrant affiliate – the Medical & Health Workers’ Union. In this exclusive interview with SOLA OLORUNFEMI, Wabba spoke about his leadership readiness to return the movement back to glorious days. Excerpts: Your administration would be engaging the incoming new APC Government to be led by President elect General Muhammad Buhari, what are your expectations in terms of Government-Labour relationship?

Well as part of the larger society and as a labour movement in particular, workers have high expectations and these expectations stem from the fact that this would be the first time in history that the opposition is taking over power and they have promised to do more than the outgoing government.

Also looking at the APC manifesto I found out that there are areas where we can relate and partner to bring about desired change.

The first issue is that we expect they should be able to improve on issues of good governance where the issue of governance will be transparent and corruption should be eliminated or removed from our system because it is a major challenge that is the starting point that they need to demonstrate it because we need a new order of governance.

Essentially what I am saying is transparency in governance must be in place to conform to the global practice, when you are applying for contract or job for instance, you don’t need to know anybody that is the basis of good governance.

Two, the issue of critical infrastructure must be addressed, in Nigeria today productivity has been reduced below 50 per cent whereas that is what is needed to move development now – power is lacking. I was reliably informed that over the last ten years Nigeria has invested over $40 billion on power, when you look at the commensurate output in terms of having steady power supply there is nothing to show for it in terms of megawatts being generated.

The challenge that the new government should take as an agenda is power which can stimulate

‘‘The first issue is that we expect they should be able to improve on issues of good governance where the issue of governance will be transparent and corruption should be eliminated or removed from our system because it is a major challenge that is the starting point that they need to demonstrate it because we need a new order of governance.’’ development, in fact it is a trigger that would generate more employment for young people and motivate self-employed.

Lastly, my expectation is that the new government must be able to address the issue of lacking capacity to refine locally for domestic consumption, it is very important because you are very much aware of the subsidy scam which played out, in 2013 till today still inconclusive. Hence, the government may not be able to address corruption. Year in year out they are still budget on subsidy for petroleum products despite the fact that they told us subsidy has been removed, they are still paying subsidy for kerosene and petroleum products.

So the major area that they need to intervene where the changes will be very visible is to agree to start building our modular refineries within two years and even the bigger refineries can be built within four years. Bring in the investors, let us agree that within this four years we will not import any petroleum products.

We as workers broadly believes policy and economics are issues they can take on board which can bring drastic change we need in our polity and stabilise development. Also, issue of welfare of Nigeria workers is important, I was reading the APC manifesto

on provisions of 3 million jobs annually through public works.

They have tried to capture the concern and aspirations of workers, because instead of using consultants they will use public works. When I was growing up once a road has a problem it is the practise then that public works will fix it immediately.

I think we are going to support that initiative, we hope that they will be able to carry us along we are already working on some policies that will fit in on those proposals, there is no way you can drive development without taking along the welfare of the workers that create the wealth because labour create wealth.

So as they are sharing the booties, it is also important to have the purchasing power, keep the family alive and increase the salaries of the workers these are things they should bring on board. Presently, I hope you know that the minimum wage can no longer pay our transport for thirty days, you can’t talk of wiping out corruption without side by side putting in place what will make the Nigerian workers comfortable, committed and conform to the reality of the new regime that will not tolerate corruption.

Can you explain how you intend to return the labour movement to its glorious traditions

Wabba

given your campaign promise of “returning to the founding principles of the movement”?

I think we have actually tried to capture the challenges, there is no gain saying the fact that in terms of prestige, there is drastic change in the way workers perceive NLC over the past few years.

This is basically because of the fact that we have not been able to engage a lot of policy issues that have direct bearing with the wellbeing and welfare of workers and even the citizenry. This substantially has affected our prestige before our members and I think as a member of a very reputable union this is not issue we can just gloss over, it is a challenge.

When you look at the issue of the economy, I think over the past decades we have been on top of it, there is no economic issue government will contemplate that NLC have not had its own position whether for or against such policy.

We are going back to this basic, that is, our founding principle which is to represent only the interest of the workers. And I think for me this is very key for us to earn the confidence of the workers because once you earn their confidence, you are also able to earn the confidence of the employers.

So we are saying that once you

make a pronouncement you must be able to back it up with action and see to the conclusion of the issues. We are returning to the basic where the interest and only the interest of the workers will dominate our engagement with the government and even form the cords and basis of interactions with other social partners.

The area I intend to galvanise and bring back is the biting and confrontational aspect of the labour movement which is lacking now, when you make pronouncement, you must back it up with necessary action. We have responsibilities to bring back the labour culture of representing the Nigerian workers.

Can you kindly inform the public of concise steps being taken to reconcile the splinter group; address the Krista-Lally housing project saga and fight for the payment of backlog of salaries owed workers by federal ministries and state governments?

Of course it is unfortunate that after the conference our colleagues behaved that way because all through history labour election has been adjudged to be the best, fair and credible. Some of you were around as labour journalists at the ICC on February 12th and witnessed the electoral process which our colleagues, the

Continued on page 20

Labour 20

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 12, 2015

‘Buhari should first fix corruption, power supply and refineries’-NLC President Continued from page 19 said splinter group were disputing and disrupted the process of the election by the time we are casting our votes.

Well, we thank God that the election was however, reconvened at the eagle square and all necessary things were put in place for a conducive election so it is a settled conference. It is no longer news that even at that they tried to disrupt the process after they realised that the ballot paper for the office of the President were sorted out.

Not only that all the processes were recorded by the major media houses, I think it is rather unfortunate for anyone to say otherwise because all the processes from accreditation to the last stage of announcing the results and winners were recorded and anyone can access those tapes.

At our first National Administrative Council (NAC) and at the level of the Central Working Committee we met and decided that as democrats and as people who are legitimately elected, we should reach out to our colleagues and inform them of our desire to reconcile the issue. Actually, Committee were set up on the advice of the Veterans who also serve in the committee trying to reach out which means we are open to dialogue, negotiation and reconciliation.

Secondly, the critical challenge facing Nigerian workers is unpaid backlog of salaries in both public and private sectors, hence, we constituted a committee across the six geopolitical zones to mobilise our members to wake up to their responsibilities because some of NLC state councils have also become docile, the capacity is no longer there. If my union members have not been

paid for two or three months, I cannot found myself comfortable.

Some of them when you ask them about it, they will tell you workers have been paid whereas they have not, so, we look at it as a very serious challenge. We took the twin issues of non-payment of salaries and casualization, the committee has been constituted across the geographical zones and they are going round to engage the management so that those salaries are paid, because, if you allow it to go unchallenged it will be a problem to the new administration.

The third issue is Krista-Lally housing project which we are looking into holistically, also, we constituted a committee, although there are two aspects into it, one is the criminal aspect for which already investigation is on-going by the relevant security agency, and they have made a lot of efforts.

We are aware that Krista-Lally guy was earlier declared wanted but he has been found and arrested and he is making useful statement. They have frozen all his company accounts including his personal account and a lot of efforts have been made, we are also interfacing with subscribers to give assurance that every one of them get their money back.

Whatever it will take us as leadership, we will not allow the project to continue as it has suffered credibility problem, every workers and other subscribers should collect their money back, especially the 2.6 Billion that is paid into the Krista-Lally/NLC joint account at Access Bank which is intact according to investigative panel. We want the process of investigation to conclude, then all subscribers will be refunded via e-payment into their accounts, we

Joy Ekeke

Wabba

have gotten all the data.

This is the point we are and we took a decision that this should teach us a lesson that we are not traders but unionists whose primary focus and interest should be to protect the wellbeing of the workers and therefore we should be critical when taking decisions in future on such project.

I was reliably informed by the agency investigating the matter that the cheque to the account have been collected for forensic auditing. The bulk of the money,

N2.6 billion was safe, the N110 million withdrawn was the one in dispute which the former NLC President denied he was not aware about while Krista Lally claimed it was signed together, this is something that can be traced and confirmed.

The other one is the account singularly opened and operated

by Krista Lally himself which some workers have confirmed to have paid which he is fully liable is being investigated too.

JUSUN urges Al-Makura to honour agreement Joy Ekeke

The Nasarawa State Chapter of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) urged Gov. Tanko Al-Makura to fulfil all his promises to the union.

The chairman of the union, Mr Jimoh Musa, made the call in Lafia.

Giving a breakdown of the correspondence between the state government and JUSUN, Musa said both parties held a meet-

ing to resolve the ongoing strike, which ended well.

According to him, both parties reached a compromise but the governor is yet to honour the agreement. ``We held a meeting about a month ago and we reached an agreement to settle and end the strike but the governor has not fulfilled the state government’s part of the agreement. ``The government claims it has paid but we are still on strike, how

Union urges improvement of workers’ welfare in Ebonyi

can that be? Musa asked rhetorically,” he said.

He laid the blame for the continuous strike action at the feet of the state government, which he alleged, cited lack of funds. ``We were supposed to sign an agreement and suspend the strike but the government is not forthcoming.

“They claim they don’t have money to pay salaries not to talk of settling the issue. ``We will be waiting for them,

any time they feel they are buoyant, they will pay the workers, then we will open the courts,’’ he said.

Also, Musa explained that JUSUN staged a walk-out on the governor during the May Day celebration to express their unhappiness over the state government’s management of their welfare. ``They were not happy. When you are not happy, how can you join your counterparts to celebrate May Day?

The incoming government in Ebonyi State has been implored to ensure that workers’ welfare topped its priority list of programmes.

The Ebonyi State Chapter of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), made the call in a statement issued in Abuja.

The statement, signed by Mr Leornard Nkah, President of NULGE in the state, said there was need for the new government to declare a state of emergency on workers’ welfare.

According to the statement, there is need to promptly pay minimum wage to workers as at when due.

It also demanded that backlog of promotion arrears and leave allowances be paid, including the provision of buses to subsidize transport cost for workers. ``Our expectations are that the incoming government will end the gross misappropriation of local government funds’’, the statement said.

It further called for an overhaul of the Local Government Service Commission to ensure the eradication of mediocrity and nepotism in the local government service.

The statement pointed out that improvement in the health and agriculture sectors of the local government economy was crucial to the development of the state.

The union expressed its determination to partner with the incoming government to ensure rapid development of the state. ``We are hopeful that the administration will perform as pledged’’, the statement added.

Dave Umahi, Governor-Elect Ebonyi State

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 12, 2015

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Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Today in History Æ s Compiled by ‘Tunji Okegbola

Cartoons from our Archives

1907 Katharine Hepburn born On this day in 1907, Katharine Hepburn, who due to her performances in such films as The Philadelphia Story and On Golden Pond, will became one of the most celebrated actresses of the 20th century, was born in Hartford, Connecticut.

The daughter of New England intellectuals who stressed rigorous exercise and independent thinking, Hepburn studied at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania and went on to become a stage actress. She first gained notice on Broadway in 1932, for her performance in The Warrior’s Husband. After a screen test, Hepburn signed with RKO studios and slanded her first role, in A Bill of Divorcement (1932), starring John Barrymore and directed by George Cukor, who would become Hepburn’s frequent director and one of her closest friends. Critics and fans alike immediately took note of the young actress, with her unconventional beauty and upper-crust New England accent, as a fresh presence on screen.

For Morning Glory (1933), only her third movie, Hepburn won an Academy Award for Best Actress.

It was the first of 12 Oscar nominations she would garner over the course of her career, a record that would stand until 2003, when Meryl Streep received her 13th nomination. Hepburn would win three more Oscars—for Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967), A Lion in Winter (1968) and On Golden Pond (1981)—but never attended the ceremony to collect any of them.

Hepburn’s next few films with RKO had mixed results, and she became personally unpopular with many for her refusal to play along with the “rules” of fame and glamour that governed the industry. Fiercely independent and strong-willed, she wore trousers and no makeup, and refused to pose for pictures, grant interviews or sign autographs.

By then recognized as one of the most talented actresses in Hollywood, Hepburn also earned a reputation for being arrogant and self-absorbed on-set.

Daily Times May 11, 1961

1932 Body of Lindbergh baby found

VI crowned at 1937 George Westminster

The body of aviation hero Charles Lindbergh’s baby was found on this day in 1932, more than two months after he was kidnapped from his family’s Hopewell, New Jersey, mansion.

Lindbergh, who became the first worldwide celebrity five years earlier when he flew The Spirit of St. Louis across the Atlantic, and his wife Anne discovered a ransom note in their 20-month-old child’s empty room on March 1. The kidnapper had used a ladder to climb up to the open second-floor window and had left muddy footprints in the room. The ransom note demanded $50,000 in barely literate English.

The crime captured the attention of the entire nation. The Lindbergh family was inundated by offers of assistance and false clues. Even Al Capone offered his help from prison, though it of course was conditioned on his release. For three days, investigators had found nothing and there was no further word from the

At London’s Westminster Abbey, George VI and his consort, Lady Elizabeth, are crowned king and queen of the United Kingdom as part of a coronation ceremony that dated back more than a millennium.

George, who studied at Dartmouth Naval College and served in World War I, ascended to the throne after his elder brother, King Edward VIII, abdicated on December 11, 1936. Edward, who was the first English monarch to voluntarily relinquish the English throne, agreed to give up his

kidnappers. Then, a new letter showed up, this time demanding $70,000.

It wasn’t until April 2 that the kidnappers gave instructions for dropping off the money. When the money was finally delivered, the kidnappers indicated that little baby Charles was on a boat called Nelly off the coast of Massachusetts. However, after an exhaustive search of every port, there was no sign of either the boat or the child.

On May 12, a renewed search of the area near the Lindbergh mansion turned up the baby’s body. He had been killed the night of the kidnapping and was found less than a mile from the home. The heartbroken Lindberghs ended up donating the home to charity and moved away.

The kidnapping looked like it would go unsolved until September 1934, when a marked bill from the ransom turned up. Suspicious of the driver who had given it to him, the gas station attendant who had accepted the bill wrote

down his license plate number.

It was tracked back to a German immigrant, Bruno Hauptmann.

When his home was searched, detectives found $13,000 of Lindbergh ransom money.

Hauptmann claimed that a friend had given him the money to hold and that he had no connection to the crime. The resulting trial again was a national sensation.

Famous writers Damon Runyan and Walter Winchell covered the trial. The prosecution’s case was not particularly strong. The main evidence, apart from the money, was testimony from handwriting experts that the ransom note had been written by Hauptmann and his connection with the type of wood that was used to make the ladder.

Still, the evidence and intense public pressure was enough to convict Hauptmann. In April 1935 he was executed in the electric chair.

Kidnapping was made a federal crime in the aftermath of this high-profile crime.

Abbey, George VI and Lady Elizabeth

title in the face of widespread criticism of his desire to marry Wallis Warfield Simpson, an American divorcee.

In 1939, King George became the first British monarch to visit America and Canada. During World War II, he worked to keep up British morale by visiting bombed areas and touring war zones. George and Elizabeth also remained in bomb-damaged Buckingham Palace during the war, shunning the relative safety of the countryside, and George made a series of important morale-boosting radio broadcasts, for which he overcame a speech impediment.

After the war, the royal family visited South Africa, but a planned tour of Australia and New Zealand had to be postponed indefinitely when the king fell ill in 1949. Despite his illness, he continued to perform state duties until his death in 1952. He was succeeded by his first-born daughter, who was crowned Queen Elizabeth II in June 1953.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 12, 2015

23 News

Joda denies rift with FG Transition Committee Egena Egena Abuja Dr. Ikechukwu Muo (3rd left) flanked by family members after receiving his doctorate degree from University of Lagos (UNILAG) ...recently

Plateau NSCDC boss explains cause of Barkin Ladi crisis Chijioke Kingsley Jos

ÏÏÏThe

Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps Commandant, in Plateau State, Mr. Bature Vincent, has said the recurring attacks in most Plateau villages was as a result of cattle-rustling between the natives and the Hausa Fulani herdsmen. “The recent crisis that rocked the community is a reprisal attack from the Hausa Fulani herdsmen whose cows, numbering about 500, were stolen, before the just-concluded general election.”

Bature said but because of the heavy security presence as a result of the elec-

tions, the herdsmen could not attack the community and now that there had been some rather lax security, they had found an opportunity to carry out a reprisal.”

Although Bature said that no official report had been given as to why the attack was carried out against the natives in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, it was most likely to be a reprisal directed at cattle-rustlers.

Recall that Barkin Ladi was attacked, on Monday night, leaving no fewer than 30 persons dead and several others wounded, Bature said no arrest had been made, because the at-

tack took place very late in the night.

The Plateau NSCDC boss also pointed out that one of greatest challenges faced by his men to combat crime in the affected communities was lack of motorable roads as security personnel would have to use motorcycles, popularly known as Okada to access most villages.

Bature advised that the natives and the Hausa Fulani herdsmen would have to abide by the resolutions of all the peace meetings so far organised by the security chiefs between them and their neighbours.

The Plateau natives have often complained that the

Hausa- Fulani herdsmen were destroying their farm lands with their cows during grazing.The herdsmen feel aggrieved that the natives steal that cattle.

ÏÏÏ Head of the in-coming

government's Transition Committee, Alhaji Ahmed Joda, has said he had no disagreement with the Federal Government's Transition Committee in the course of his assignment.

Joda spoke to State House correspondents at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja on Monday at the end of his committee's meeting with that of the government chaired by Vice President Namadi Sambo.

He said his committee had received all the necessary cooperation from the outgoing government.

Dutse residents protest increased electricity bills Akor Ejumene Abuja

ÏÏÏ

As the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), in charge of

Bature

Nyako's impeachment: Court passes verdict May 22 Yola

ÏÏÏ A Federal High Court, sitting in Yola, on Monday, has set May 22, 2015, to rule on the forceful removal from office of former governor Murtala Nyako, who is challenging the move by the Adamawa State House of Assembly.

The presiding judge, Jus-

tice Bilkisu B. Aliyu, after adopting written addresses of the parties to the case and their arguments, announced that the case be adjourned.

At the resumed sitting of the case in Yola, counsel to Nyako, Mr. Ogunyele Olukoya, in his final submission prayed the court to quash the removal of Nyako, since the case did not follow proper procedure.

He argued that the applicant’s complaint in the case bordered on the violation of his right to fair hearing guaranteed him under Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

Olukoya impressed it on Aliyu to serve the cause of justice, and cited many cases, where he noted that the applicant’s plea for rights to fair hearing was

power distribution in Abuja and other parts of the country, continues to increase monthly electricity bill, over 300 angry residents of Dutse Alhaji, a suburb at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), on Monday, stormed the streets, protesting the steady increase of electricity bill.

Our correspondent who monitored the protest reports that at the branch office of the company located in Dutse Alhaji, the staff deserted the office having cited the angry protesters for fear of being rough-handled.

‘Edo govt not owing workers salary arrears’ Titus Akhigbe

Benin

Tom Garba and Wale Akintunde

He also dismissed the claims that the Presidency was not cooperating with his committee to ensure a smooth transition.

He said: "Our committee has never said to anybody that there is no cooperation. We have never said that and we are waiting for the reports, until when they come."

Also addressing the correspondents, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim, described the meeting as "fruitful and cordial."

He said there was no contending issue between the two committees as being speculated in some quarters.

breached and the courts boldly ruled, in those circumstances, in favour of the applicant, adding that, in this case, doing so would not make the heavens to fall.

However, counsel to the Adamawa State House of Assembly, Mr. Leonard Nzadon, urged the judge to rule in his favour, that the plea was “grossly insufficient.”

ÏÏÏEdo State Government

has denied owing workers salary arrears, insisting it is up-to-date in its obligation to its employees.

The government said, on Monday, that the state should not be lumped in the league of some states in default of payment of salaries as it meets its wages obligations before the end of each month.

The State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Louis Odion said: “We read with deep shock claims that the Government of Edo State owes workers five months’ salary

arrears. Nothing could be more misleading and mischievous. While it is true that some states are currently unable to meet their financial obligation, Edo remains an exception. For the records, the Edo State Government does not owe workers salary arrears as the government has fully discharged its obligations.”

Oshimole

News 24

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 12, 2015

PDP’ll reinvent itself, says Delta gov L-R: Former World Footballer of the Year and Member of the ECOWAS Parliament, Sen. George Weah; Speaker of ECOWAS Parliament, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu and President of the Community Court of Justice, Hon. Justice Maria Do Ceu Monteiro Silva at the opening of the 2015 1st Ordinary Session of ECOWAS Parliament in Abuja… on Monday

Joe Ogbodu Warri

ÏÏÏ Governor Emmanuel Udu-

aghan of Delta State has urged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to learn from its defeat at the polls and reinvent itself to provide a robust opposition in the country.

The governor spoke last weekend, at the second University of Ibadan Alumni Association National Public Lecture he delivered entitled; “Good Governance as a Catalyst for Development: The Delta State Experience”.

He said that the PDP must learn lessons from its loss at the last general election, dig into its reserves and provide credible opposition in the country, stating that “the PDP has to show that it is a party of credible leaders with robust and visionary programme.

“As opposition party, the PDP has to be effective as a party and as the conscience of the nation.

This is not the time to despair.

This is the time for hard work.

“I call on all committed, knowledgeable and mature leaders to step forward to pick up the pieces. If the New Patriotic Party and National Democratic Congress could do it in Ghana, the PDP could yet bounce back.

It has the resources to do so. We may have lost the election but let us not lose the lesson of the defeat” he added.

He called on the ruling class to take the developmental yearnings of Nigerians as ex-

pressed in the last general election serious, observing that the voting pattern of the recent general election has thrown a challenge of unification and healing process on the ruling class, especially the in-coming General Buhari’s government.

“The topic we are considering today is important at this juncture, in the history of our country as we transit from one government, from one ruling party to another. It is happening at a time the yearnings of Nigerians to join the league of developed states are palpable.

“On March 28 and April 11, the people spoke and we all heard. I think the decision of the people should not be taken lightly” Uduaghan said.

The governor said that the election, however, showed deep division, perhaps more than anyone could have anticipated in the country adding that it

Kwara gov dissolves cabinet Kehinde Akinpelu Ilorin

ÏÏÏ The

Governor of Kwara State, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, has approved the immediate dissolution of the State Executive Council.

Also affected by the dissolution are Special Advisers, Senior Special Assistants, Special Assistants, Liaison Officers and Youth Employment Coordinators.

A statement, signed by the Secretary to the Government of Kwara State, said all affected officials should hand over to the most senior official in the ministry.

Similarly, all boards of gov-

ernment-owned companies, commissions, parastatals and organisations, other than those of statutory status, are also dissolved.

Meanwhile, all commissioners are advised to hand over government properties in their custody to their permanent secretaries, while heads of other MDAs must handover to the most senior officers in their establishment.

Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed expressed sincere appreciation to all the affected political office holders for their immeasurable contributions to the success of his administration in the last four years, and wishes them success in their future endeavours.

was the first time the entire north would speak with one voice, and the old Eastern region also with a voice.

“The North Central, contrary to traditional pattern, backed the opposition party- the APC. In voting, the entire North West voted massively for General Muhammadu Buhari, the APC candidate, while those in the South East and the South-South voted generally above 90 per cent for the PDP. “My interpretation is that these developments have placed a huge burden on the presidentelect and his team to begin unification and healing process of the country.

He therefore charged the nation’s leaders to embark on a value reorientation in the country so as to unlock the vast potentials of the country.

According to him, “the leadership of Nigeria must col-

lectively fashion a new value system. This is because, it is the responsibility of leaders to mobilise the people towards effecting the necessary changes in attitude.

“It is the leaders’ duty to impart nationalism and patriotism in the people. The leaders have the sacred task of ensuring that there is sincere popular participation in conducting public affairs, rather than indifference, cynicism and apathy.

“I believe that the key to unlocking the great potentials of Nigeria is to increase popular participation. The people must be involved” he added.

The governor however attributed the fast pace of development and ethnic harmony in Delta State to good governance and inclusiveness of all ethnic groups in project allocation, development as well as appointment in the state.

Ebonyi traders benefit from N18.6b market project

shops it started constructing at the Abakaliki International Market.

Elechi said the 343 traders were the only ones that applied for the allocation of stalls in the market and were all successful.

“Those who are threatened by uncertainties will perhaps have themselves to blame in due course.

“There is no contradiction of any law in what we are doing.

We conceived this market, we designed it and it has taken a lot of resources.

“We think one way of sustaining the quality of the structure, one way of moving forward, is to sell the available stalls and with the proceeds continue to complete the uncompleted ones’’ the governor said.

Jacob Mbam Abakaliki

ÏÏÏ No fewer than 333 trad-

ers have been allotted shops by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry at the Ochudo International market, Abakaliki, built

by Governor Martin Elechi of Ebonyi State at the cost of N18.6 billion.

The state governor, Chief Martin Elechi, made this known while inaugurating 5,600 shops ready for use, out of the 7,077

2015 polls: Taraba PDP chieftain lauds Ag. Gov Okeafor Athanatius Jalingo

ÏÏÏ The Taraba State Commis-

sioner for Culture and Tourism, Alh Abdulsallamu Bunu Bashir, has applauded the efforts of the state acting governor, Alh Sani Abubakar Danladi, at ensuring that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) emerged victorious in the last general election in the state.

The commissioner, who stated this during a press conference in Jalingo, said that it was only a political “Think Tank” like the acting governor who could garner such victory for the party in the state.

“Most people had doubts about the party winning in the state, but I was not moved. I knew the leadership of the party in the state under Sani Danladi was capable of delivering the state, and he did it.

“Whereas other PDP states have fallen completely, Sani has ensured that the party still retains the governorship, the three senatorial seats, three House of Representatives seats, 15 state House of Assembly seats, and gave the President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, an overwhelming victory at the polls.

HURIWA seeks arrest of NIPC officials A Pro-Democracy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has asked the Finance Minister and the coordinator of the Nigerian economy, Mrs Ngozi OkonjoIweala, to name and prosecute the erring officials in the Nigerian Investments Promotion Commission (NIPC), who allegedly duped Nigeria of nearly $20 billion USD in four years through fake waivers.

The Rights group said it means little or nothing if the nation is alerted of serious leakages in the revenue generating agencies of the federation through the fraudulent activities of some civil servants in the NIPC, but only for these same officials to remain not only anonymous, but on their seats without suffering commensurate judicial sanctions for their economic crimes against the nation. The Rights group said allowing the corrupt and decadent status quo to remain, will only give room for impunity which is completely antithetical to democracy and the rule of law.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Minister cautions Unity Schools’ PTAs against meddlesomeness Okerafor Athanatius Jalingo

Ă?Ă?Ă?The

Federal Ministry of Education, in its efforts to stop the decay in Unity Schools in the country, has waded into the problems of the sector, with a view to proffering solutions.

It was against this backdrop that the Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, cautioned the officials of Parents Teachers Associations (PTAs) of Federal Government Colleges to desist from interfering in the day-to-day running of the colleges’ administrations.

The minister, who made this assertion while delivering a speech on the

occasion of the 20th Anniversary of the Federal Government Girls’ College (FGGC), Jalingo in Taraba State, held recently at the college’s assembly ground, described PTAs as supportive forum and not an arm of the colleges’ administration.

Represented by Barr.

Chike Uwaezuoke, Director, Basic and Secondary Education of the ministry, who was also represented by Mr. Omale Frank, Deputy Director and Unity Schools’ Desk Officer, North East Region, the minister said “the ministry seriously frowns at PTA officials trying to interfere in the day-to-day running of the colleges’ administration�.

He further reminded the Schools Basic Management Committee (SBMC) of the major reason they were brought into the scheme of things of the education sector, describing it as ‘to give support to government, because government alone cannot shoulder all the challenges in the schools. “The need to partner with the public cannot be overemphasized. The ideas of SBMC is to have a formidable team made up of seasoned professionals, whose expertise will be of use in the building/upholding standard and quality of education in our colleges,� he said.

While appreciating the efforts of the past and present

6

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principals, teachers, staff and non-teaching staff for their tireless contributions in bringing the college to a standard, and for the many giant strides the college has attained, Mallam Shekarau charged the students to be highly disciplined, saying such will translate to high academic achievements of the school’s management.

Speaking at the occasion, the Taraba State acting Governor, Alh. Sani Abubakar Danladi, who was represented by the Commissioner of Education, Yakubu Agbaizo, declared that education is the number one priority of his administration, adding that it must be vigorously pursued.

NUJ candidates seek colleagues’ support 'Tosin Ajuwon Akure

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vying for the position of the National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) from Ondo State, Mr. Rotimi Obamuwagun and Mr. Dele Atunbi, have promised to make the welfare of journalists in the country a priority, if they emerge victorious in the coming election.

Speaking at the official flag-off of his campaign in Akure, the Ondo State capital, Mr. Obamuwagun, who also doubles as the National deputy president of the union, promised members improved payments in salaries, if elected.

"All practising journalists in this country deserve special salary and other welfare packages," he said.

He revealed that the insurance scheme for practising journalists would be vigorously pursued, if he elected the next president of NUJ.

25 News

Senate Presidency: Ilorin elders back Saraki Kehinde Akinpelu Ilorin

Ă?Ă?Ă? Eminent elders of Ilorin Emirate in Kwara State, on Monday, expressed their support for the aspiration of Dr. Bukola Saraki as the president of the Eighth Senate.

The elders, under the aegis of ‘4 Tracks Elders Forum’, expressed confidence in the ability of Saraki to provide effective and quality leadership in the upper chamber of the National Assembly.

They threw their weight behind Saraki's aspiration in a statement signed by Alh. Ganiyu Lawal-Giwa, Alh. Tijjani Orisankoko, Alh. Tunde Saka and Alh. Musa Aiyelabegan.

The elders thanked the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for alloting the office of the Senate President to the north-central zone.

They, however, opined that the party's leadership should go a step further by ceding the position to Kwara State in the interest of equity and fairness.

They added that: "Since Saraki's foray into partisan politics, we have keenly monitored his activities and have come to the conclusion that he is one of the best leaders that God has endowed Nigeria with.

"We are highly impressed with Saraki's performance as two-term governor of Kwara State, chairman, Northern Governors' Forum and chairman of the prestigious Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF).

"It is on record that during his tenure as NGF's chairman, the Turaki of Ilorin took the now comatose forum to an enviable pedestal. Even the blind can feel Saraki's excellent performance in the upper chambers of the National Assembly, where he's representing Kwara central."

Saraki

Abia gov raises panel to review 2015 polls Sunday Nwakanma Umuahia

Ă?Ă?Ă?Worried

by the poor performance of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State has inaugurated an 18-member committee to appraise the performance of the party in the state.

The panel, headed by a former state chairman of the PDP in the state, Chief Ndidi Okereke, was charged, among others, with the responsibility of ascertaining the problems and constraints faced by the party during the elections, with a view to proffering solutions capable of leading to improved performance in future polls.

Inaugurating the committee at the Government House, Umuahia, Governor Orji said that even though the PDP won in many of the contested elections in the last elections in the

state, victory by the party did not generate the usual euphoria that characterised the party in previous elections.

To that end, he said that the committee should provide the solution for the way forward for the party, including requirements for reforming and rebuilding a stronger and more resilient PDP in the state.

The committee has two weeks to complete its assignment.

Responding on behalf of the others, Chairman of the committee, Chief Okereke, thanked the governor for the opportunity given them to serve, and promised to do the job judiciously.

It is expected that the committee will be working out modalities that the party would be adopting to enable it regain its first position in the state, come LGA polls, and in the next four years.

26

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Law

Æs

OKULAJA

Rule of Law cannot function in a violent environment Mr. Yemi Okulaja, an indigene of Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, read law at the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Osun State. He was called to the Bar over 40 years ago.

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Okulaja plies his trade in Lagos and Oyo States. He spoke with PETER FOWOYO, on the crisis rocking the Rivers state judiciary, the election petition tribunals, the Supreme Court decision on the feud between the executive and the legislatures over constitutional amendment, the woeful performance of the seventh National Assembly and sundry issues.

Okulaja

Speculations are rife that the Rivers state governor elect may not be sworn in into office due to lack of substantive Chief Jugde in that state. How do you view this constitutional crisis?

Well, that the governor elect would not be sworn in is not an issue, he will be sworn in and I believe that there’s a way around this crisis. Personally, I believe that the person who has been functioning in the position of the CJ can perform that role. I know that there’s a problem between Justice Agumagu and Justice Okocha but notwithstanding at least somebody has been functioning in that role up till now and I believe that he can do it and there is no doubt that the man has been elected for a four year term and the constitution says that he should be sworn in and when there’s substantial compliance with the provision of the constitution, nobody is likely to worry about that. Once the election has been conclusive, nobody is likely to worry about the unusual situation which we have in Rivers state. The most important thing is that he has a mandate and the little niceties about his swearing in ceremony will not invalidate his mandate.

As a senior member of the Bar, are you not worried that the Rivers state judiciary has been under lock and key for about a year now?

Well, I don’t have any other job apart from legal practice and when I see all these things happening in the legal profession, it is not only a cause for worry, it is something that make me feel very, very sad indeed and that is because all what is happening is a result of politics, nothing but politics and when you have politics creeping into legal practice that is the type of thing which you have. I believe that with the new election now and with the ouster of Governor Rotimi Amaechi that everything will be brought under control.

That takes me to the last question which you asked, you know when President Obama was to be sworn in as the

President, I think in his second term, there was some mistakes in the wordings which he was supposed to repeat and in order to ensure that nobody makes capital out of it, he had to go and repeat the swearing in ceremony in the privacy of the White House. So, this problem is not peculiar to Nigeria alone, we have it all over the place, in the case of America, it was not any political maneuvering that caused it, it was just in the statement that the CJ was gabbling over the wordings which he repeated to Obama. All these things are not as serious as one will think.

Apart from the issue of constitutional crisis in Rivers state there is also the issue of bombing of courts, do you think it is wise for the election petition tribunal to sit in the state with the spate of attacks on the judiciary?

Once the atmosphere or the position of things in the state makes it difficult or impossible for the safety of the judiciary and parties in the election tribunal panel to sit, I think alternative arrangement could be made for it, it is not cast in stone that the tribunal must sit in Rivers state. You have the case of Governor Fayose, the tribunal sat in Abuja instead of AdoEkiti because of the safety of the members of tribunal could not be guaranteed. I believe the same arrangement can be

“Once the atmosphere or the position of things in the state makes it difficult or impossible for the safety of the judiciary and parties in the election tribunal panel to sit, alternative arrangement could be made.”

made because throwing bombs in courts and things like that is very, very bad and the rule of law cannot function under a violent environment, it is not consistent with the rule of law.

Alternative arrangement would surely be made.

How do you view the Inspector General of Police direction that Commissioners of police should establish judges protection units for the protection of judges and courts in their respective areas of jurisdiction?

I think that is a salutary directive and I agree with him because you see cases where judges are being assaulted. You see a situation like that in Ekiti where a judge was beaten and his clothes torn. Apart from the fact that it derogates from the respect being given to both the judge and the judiciary and the administration of justice itself, it is something that is commendable.

I will tell you the story of a judge who was travelling from Lagos to Abeokuta and he had a flat tyre so he had to change the tyre and while the driver was changing the tyre, he stood by the road and one vehicle drove past them, later the vehicle stopped and reversed and somebody came out from that vehicle and greeted the judge and also helped to change the tyre. After that he told the judge: “of course, Your Lordship may not remember me but you actually convicted me of an offence and sentenced me to imprisonment.” The judge was in mortal fear for his life because they were in the bush, this man could kill him there and that would have been the end.

But the man said: “Don’t worry, I actually committed the offence and the judgment you gave was quite correct, I have served my term, I am free now so, there is nothing for you to worry about.”

That is the type of things that happens to judges, while they are sitting on the bench in lawful discharge of their duties, some people might feel offended and CONTINUED ON PAGE 27

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 12, 2015

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 26

be inclined to take it out on them so that the job they are doing is fraught with a lot of dangers and the state should not only see that they are well protected while in office but even after they retire because some people have long memory, if you throw them in jail they will say no matter what, you will pay.

Some of them might have tried to bribe the judge and if the judge refused to take any bribe then they will take it upon themselves to punish or even kill the judge when they are out. I believe that the directive given by the IGP is very correct. I think it should be extended to the lower bench too because they are closer to all these criminally minded people and they are the ones who really need protections.

What are your expectations from the election petition tribunals that have been set up by the President of the Court of Appeal?

Well, I expect that the Justices who have been appointed to sit on the election petition tribunal will do very well. That is because the incoming government, the President-elect is noted for discipline and already since election of General Buhari, people have already been taking their cue and sanity has been reigning in Abuja because like I was telling you before that Nigerians don’t want to go to prison, they loathe going to prison and the stigma that it will have on them and their family they want to avoid it at all cost.

So, the present atmosphere in the country now is that everybody is complying to ensure that the correct things are done. The other time my friend who came from Abuja actually told me that in Abuja now, people have been complying and that the atmosphere there is that people have been turning in money but people have also been behaving properly and I think this one will also affect the judiciary. The issue of impunity and the fact that people can get away with murder makes judicial officers to misbehave.

But now when they know that somebody who has vowed to do away with corruption is taking over, you will see a marked difference in the behavior and attitudes of justices sitting in the election tribunals.

Section 271 subsection 3-5 of the constitution states the guidelines for the appointments of Judges in the states, are you comfortable with this mode of appointment?

Well, with the present situation in the country, I think I am quite satisfied with it. I tell you why, when I came into practice people were not applying to be Judges, at that

time, they would have kept their eyes on some outstanding members of the Bar, having observed their performance at the Bar and their integrity and all that so that people were actually invited to come and take appointment as judges and it worked quite well, at that time Judges were not paid very well, not as much as they do these days so, nobody actually wanted to go to be Judges.

The people who went, went for the sake of putting their names down for posterity or for the prestige of their family names and their own immediate family because once you go there at that time, you sentenced yourself to a life of penury and you have to live within the little salary that was being paid at that time but now that people have to apply, not only that they apply, they lobby and use all sorts of connections to get it, they now change it as to what we have in the constitution so that there is a regulating body, that is, the NJC, that approves but it is the executive that will make the appointment and the whole thing will be supervised by the NJC. I believe that by and large, Judges are the makeup of the NJC and the legal practitioners and up till now, they’ve been making good appointments although you have some misfits that go in there but by and large, you can never have a perfect arrangement and this arrangement is alright.

A professor of law, Itse Sagay SAN, has condemned the judgment of a Federal High Court which asked a former Governor of Edo state, Lucky igbinedion to refund N3 million out of the N25 billion allegedly stolen from the state treasury. Do you share his view on the judgment?

Of course, I share his view.

Professor Sagay was one of the lecturers in the University of Ife when I was there more than 40 years ago so I know him very well and he has very strong opinion about that. The point is that you don’t have to be an SAN or a professor to see what is wrong in somebody who has stolen billions and then you asked him to refund only N3 million. That is the corruption that we are complaining about, forget about law, just look at the scenario where somebody stole billions and you want him to be punished so that it will serve as a deterrent to other people because the joke in Nigeria is that all you need to do is to steal enough money that will enable you to assemble about 10 SAN and you can be sure that if you stole enough money at the end of the day, you will still be able to escape with substantial amount which you can enjoy for the rest of your life. It’s only in Nigeria

27 Law

National Assembly performs woefully, steals, shares lots of money –Okulaja

Okulaja that such things happened. In saner climes, you will see that if somebody stole money, even in China, they execute them. Once you’re charge with corruption in China, you will be executed and in some other countries they take very serious view about it.

My father was a civil servant before he died in 1960 but I remember that he told me that if you stole two pounds of the colonial government, they were prepared at that time to spend more than three thousand pounds to hunt for those two pounds. But look at where we were at that colonial era, where the colonial power made sure that anybody who stole money was seriously punished to now where we have make a mess of public service. That is why I agreed with Professor Sagay that what we have is a travesty of justice and that the judge

who gave that judgment should be relieved of his appointment so as to act as a deterrent to other corrupt judges who might be inclined to toe the same line.

How do you view the Supreme Court decision that status quo be maintained in the face-off between the executive and the legislatures over the constitutional amendment?

I have not read the judgment but I believe it makes a lot of sense because in few days’ time, there will be a change of government and if there are very, very profound things that should have been done before the election and they failed to do so, they should let the new government come into place, take a look at these things and then see if the amendment they have made should be allowed to stay or that the new in-coming

“The issue of impunity and the fact that people can get away with murder makes judicial officers to misbehave. But now when they know that somebody who has vowed to do away with corruption is taking over, you will see a marked difference in the behavior and attitudes of justices sitting in the election tribunals.”

legislatures will think otherwise or make some corrections.

This reminds me of the spate of appointments and dismissal being done by President Goodluck Jonathan. This is somebody who was there when Justice Salami was removed and then the NJC saw the need to have him reinstated and they recommended to Jonathan but, up till the man retired, Jonathan failed to do anything and that was what he was doing, appointments which he ought to make, he will refused to make it, the people he ought to take action against, he won’t take action and now, just a few days for him to stay in office, he is now sacking people, telling people he remains president until the 29th of May, I mean, I am really disappointed about what he’s being doing.

For instance, the petroleum minister who was flying all over the place with billions of naira and in a private jet which she rented or owned, Jonathan did not do anything about it. So you begin to wonder what type of president he is and how were we able to survive under him because there were critical issues, issues that affects the polity which he should have taken action and he didn’t do it, a few days to the end now, he is running all over the place sacking and doing all sorts of things.

28

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

EXTRATIME

Visa hitch delays Iheanacho’s arrival

Nicot: Cardiac arrest kills Belgian star

L

M

ower-league footballer Tim Nicot has become the second Belgian player to die of cardiac arrest in the past two weeks.

The 23-year-old left-back for fourth-tier Wilrijk-Beerschot was playing in a tournament in Hemiksem when he collapsed on Friday.

He was placed in an induced coma and his club confirmed his death on Monday.

In late April, Lokeren defender Gregory Mertens, 24, died after collapsing during a reserve game.

A club statement said Nicot “fought like a bear” and was the “idol of our supporters”.

It described him as “always in a good mood, always making time for an umpteenth selfie with a fan”.

Three years ago Bolton midfielder Fabrice Muamba, then 23, suffered a cardiac arrest in an FA Cup game with Tottenham. He was “in effect dead” for 78 minutes but survived, although he never played again.

Nicot’s team-mate Wesley Snoeys said: “So many questions. Always the same question comes up: why why, why? You left us far too soon. I will never forget you. Forever in my heart.”

Jef Snyders, another Wilrijk-Beerschot player, added: “Football will never be the same anymore. Rest in peace mate.”

NDIDI

arrival boosts Flying Eagles camp

T

he Flying Eagles training camp in Nurnberg, Germany, bubbled on Monday morning with the arrival of Genk central defender Wilfred Ndidi.

Ndidi arrived the team’s Novina Hotel after a six-hour road trip with his foster father in Belgium on the steering

Wilrijk-Beerschot FC star, Tim Nicot, died of cardiac arrest on Friday in their match against Hemiksen in the Belgian fourth-tier league. wheels.

“This is the one player we have been waiting for,” said an excited skipper Musa Muhammed. “’Dogo’ is not just a teammate, he is a friend, and the whole squad are happy he has joined us.

“Personally, his joining the team

means I can go upfront from my right fullback position without any hesitation because I know he will cover for me.

“But he now has to go through the hard work we have been subjected to since we arrived in Germany.”

Ndidi, 18, himself said he is delighted to reunite with the team

anchester City’s Kelechi Iheanacho is currently being held back from the Flying Eagles camp as he is yet to secure a visa to travel to the camp in Germany.

It was gathered that the 18-yearold had submitted his passport to the German embassy in the United Kingdom but is yet to get a reply.

His case is made more curious and serious as England is not a member of the European Union meaning he can’t travel across the continent with his UK permit.

However an answer if he will be granted a visa to hook up with his colleagues is not certain but the team already has a plan B in case he doesn’t get a visa.

The plan will be for him to hook up with his colleagues in New Zealand since the crew are satisfied with his form and fitness for Manchester City EDS in their last four games.

Iheanacho has scored three times in his last four games for Manchester City youth teams including the winner against FC Porto in the final of the International Premier league cup. after his Belgian club Genk blocked him from the recent African Youth Championship in Senegal.

On Saturday, he played the full 90 minutes as Genk won 3-2 at ZulteWaregem. He played the first half as a left back and the second half as a right back.

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

EXTRATIME

Arsenal: Dangote urged not to splash cash Mike Otanwa

A

leading African businessman, Aliko Dangote, has been urged not to splash his cash on buying Arsenal.

Dangote said earlier this month he still hoped to purchase a controlling stake in the Gunners, despite having his interest rebuffed in 2010.

Dangote

“I might buy it, not at a ridiculous price, but a price that the owners won’t want to resist,” he continued, before ominously adding, “I know my strategy.”

However, he has been met with opposition from his native Nigeria.

Sports commentator, Toyin Ibitoye, thinks Dangote should focus his energies on improving football in Africa, rather than pumping cash into one of the world’s superpowers.

“Maybe it is the right business decision for him, that is left for him to decide, but we can only appeal to him that while planning and strategising on what he wants to do in terms of buying Arsenal in the future, he could also look inwards as well to help develop our domestic game to the level where the English Premier League is at the moment.

“What we have lacked in Nigeria is a proper business plan or structure for our clubs and if a man of Aliko’s calibre is interested in setting a structure in place for Nigerian football that could just be the turnaround that we’ve been waiting for,” he said.

Fed Cup: Nembe sweat it out with Bayelsa

N

embe City head coach, John Aranka, has said his side will work hard to defeat city rivals Bayelsa United in tomorrow’s Federation Cup round of 64 tie at Neros Stadium, Nanka.

City out-muscled the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) side in the State FA Cup final winning on penalties.

Aranka said the matchup will be tough for both sides, but insisted that his wards will smile at the end

of the day.

“The Federation Cup round of 64 clash is more or less a rematch of the State FA Cup final between both teams.

“Of course, the clash will be tough as Bayelsa United will be out to achieve revenge of the loss of the state FA Cup title.

“Bayelsa United overlooked us in the state final and suffered for it, right now we’re ready to pull another sucker punch once again,” he stated.

S

BRIEF

Ogbeide

Bayelsa Utd fire Ogbeide Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) side, Bayelsa United have sacked their head coach, Solomon Ogbeide, following a sting of poor performances. He was thrown out on Sunday night after an emergency meeting by the club’s management. The experienced trainer was axed along with his assistant, and they have both been replaced with George Ederekumoh and Samke Nyanabofa.

Martins

‘Obafemi won’t join Bournemouth’

Obafemi Martins’ intermediary has dismissed reports linking the former Nigeria international with a transfer to newly promoted English Premier League club Bournemouth in the summer transfer market.

The 30-year-old’s representative reiterated that the Seattle Sounders attacker is enjoying his career in Major League Soccer so much so that he recently turned down a big money move to a team based in the Gulf.

CAF C-license coaching course begins in Abuja Farouk Soyoye

T

Amodu

he Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has commenced another CAF C-License coaching course.

Extra Time gathered that the course, which began on Monday in Abuja, saw over 80 coaches registering for the two–week course.

The CAF C-License coaching course will be the third of its kind in the country in less than four years.

Top technical hands in football matters are serving as instructors which includes former Super Eagles coach and ex-FIFA Technical Advisor, Adegboye Onigbinde; one-time NFF Technical Director, Kashimawo Laloko; former Eagles’ coach, James Peters and NFF Technical Director, Shuaibu Amodu.

29

Boateng

Boateng: Schalke axe Ghanaian star

Schalke 04 have thrown Ghana midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng out of its squad with ‘immediate effect’, the German outfit announced on Monday. The 28-year-old has been told to look elsewhere in a massive shake-up at the club following their embarrassing 2-0 defeat in Cologne.

The German side has cracked the whip to instill discipline in the team by releasing the suspended Ghanaian international alongside Sidney Sam while Marco Hoger has been slammed with suspension.

Sokari

Sokari

dazzles in

Flying Eagles camp E

nyimba International midfielder, Kingsley Bobby Sokari, is currently using his performances to push for a spot in Nigeria squad for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand.

It was learnt that the 19-year-old has so far impressed the coaches with his clever play in the middle and has moved up a notch ahead of other midfielders.

“Sokari is doing extremely well in camp. From day one his performances have been

consistent. We are all impressed with his attitude as well,” a team source said.

Sokari’s fine form is bad news for Abdullahi Alfa with both players presently battling for same spot which represents the vacuum created by Obinna Nwobodo’s injury-enforced absence.

“The fact that Nwobodo is not here with us due to injury has thrown up an interesting battle between Sokari and Alfa, and Alfa isn’t doing too bad but at the moment Sokari is better.”

30

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

EXTRATIME

INTERVIEW

KLINSMANN:

!

Football is on the rise in America about come only on the pitch?

It’s also a mental transition. You have to give players the belief to play against the bigger teams and get them to say ‘let’s give it a go.’ So this process, this mental process, takes years too. We’re in the middle of it and it’s exciting.

USA Coach, Jurgen Klinsmann.

USA coach Jurgen Klinsmann speaks exclusively about the new, eye-to-eye style for football in America. The German boss, a FIFA World Cup winner in his playing days, touches on what it takes to match the big boys in the international arena and why the Stars and Stripes need to become a ‘tournament team’ if they are to reach his publicly stated goal of a semi-final appearance at Russia 2018. Join FIFA.com for a frank chat with USA’s headman, whose enthusiasm for the game in his adoptive nation is nothing short of infectious. Excerpts: You promised a new style when you took over the USA post in 2011 - more proactive and less reactive.

Have you achieved it?

We started the transition from a reactive style to a more eye-to-eye, proactive style, because that’s what the best teams in the world do. In order to progress you have to look at the best teams and try to get closer to them.

In what ways have we seen it?

We’re not sitting back on our heels. We’re trying to play with the big teams. We moved the whole game a little farther up the field. We pressure high now. Step by step, we’re learning how to play out of the back. All these elements are part of a more proactive style. But we’re still in the phase of piecing it together.

It’s likely to take years.

We saw you successfully take on some big names at the World Cup last year. How do you rate a win over Ghana and a draw with Portugal in the group phase?

Some people were surprised to see us go right at Ghana and Portugal and try to implement our style on those games. We got out of the Group of Death and that is a big achievement. We fell back a little against Germany and Belgium; we fell back to the older way of doing things. We had a little too much respect for them.

Do the changes you’re talking

“Brazil 2014 gave us a huge boost.

People saw it could be so exciting and so emotional. We had public viewing events all over the country for the first time. Sports bars were packed with people sneaking away from work to watch the games.”

Do you need a new style of player to play a new style of football?

Not really. Every coach in the world works with the players they have. These players have strengths and weaknesses and you try to cover the weaknesses and build on the strengths. The formation doesn’t matter; it’s how you connect every piece together on the pitch. And this is a learning process. We need to teach everyone to be connected, all the way from the goalkeeper and his defensive line, up to the strikers.

There’s a collective movement that you see with teams like Germany and Spain – with the big teams.

You notice how close and compact they are when they have to defend and how fast they open up when it’s time to attack. You try to teach these elements. These are the things you need to teach to players no matter what system you use.

You’ve experimented a lot with players, bringing in new faces from new places. Players are coming from Europe and from Mexico, the NASL, even some university players. What are you looking for?

We have a responsibility to win our big tournaments. Like the Gold Cup this summer, that will hopefully take us to the Confederations Cup in 2017. But you have your development situations too. Right now we’re in a more developmental period. Of course we want to win all of our friendly games, but they give us the opportunity to develop players too. I can ask the question ‘how good are you?’ ‘Do you understand what it means to play at the international level?’ We have players in Europe and South America and Mexico too. The only way to meld them together is to bring them in and let them swim in the cold water.

Has the football culture changed in America since the World Cup in Brazil?

It gave us a huge boost. People saw it could be so exciting and so emotional. We had public viewing

events all over the country for the first time. Sports bars were packed with people sneaking away from work to watch the games. The locomotive of that increased attention in our country is the national team. It means a lot emotionally. That’s what we’re building on…we’re trying to find our own niche and that niche is growing very, very quickly.

You’ve publicly stated that it’s your goal to reach the semi-final in Russia in 2018. Is this realistic?

We set the bar very high because we want to explain to the players what it really takes to get to a semifinal. We left Ghana and Portugal behind us in Brazil 2014 and we almost drew with Germany and almost beat Belgium too. These are all big names. So the players understand they can actually beat big nations if everything goes well on that particular day. Now we need to educate the players what to do when the Round of 16 is over. We have to examine what it takes to win a quarter-final, to get into a semi-final. A lot of consistency is required. The path over the next three and half years is to explain constantly to the players that anything is possible. You can do this, but you have to learn to become a tournament team.

You’ve not only been to a semifinal, but you won the World Cup in 1990. How important is that for you as a coach?

Experience always helps. You can tell the players not to get nervous about certain things and not to worry too much about other things.

I lived through it. It’s not just the good side either, but the bad side of it I can pass on too. I lost two World Cups. I won one but I lost two. I can explain why I failed in certain moments in a big tournament. If they understand that, they trust you. It helps a lot when you can give them examples of why they failed or why they made it through. And the margins, of course, are very, very small.

You were criticised for making negative comments about Major League Soccer. Can you clarify your feelings?

I never made negative comments. It was written that way in the media, but I didn’t. I said that I want our players to get to

the highest possible level… A lot of people thought this was negative to our own league. I never meant that to be the way. MLS is growing with tremendous speed and it can’t be denied. They’re building toward the big leagues in Europe.

This couldn’t be more important to us in the national team. I’m the biggest supporter of MLS – and if you look at the team I had in Brazil, there were 11 or 12 players from the league.

But you still want your players striving for the highest bar?

I have a responsibility to tell the individual players to go for the highest goal. No fan or coach would argue if we had an American playing for Bayern or Real Madrid or Barcelona. You have to try for these things as a professional.

What are the best qualities of American players?

The players are open minded and hungry. They want to learn. They are like sponges. They are good listeners…

You still seem to show a lot of enthusiasm on the touchline.

What’s your reaction to that?

A coach wants to help. To give the players a little input. You don’t know how much they actually take in because players are emotional and nervous out there. They’re pumped up and in the middle of a fast paced thing. A lot of times your message will drift into the air. At the end of the day, they have to play their game.

What qualities do American players still need to work on?

Reading the game ahead is something we still need to work on.

Tactically understanding certain elements like playing a high line and shifting quickly from defence to attack and back again. Staying always connected with each other. The mental alertness, to not switch off – this still needs work. But this comes with experience and competition.

So the more experience and competition they get, the faster it will come. The more they will become consistent. It’s only matter of time before these areas get better too. We will catch up.

The positives are outweighing the negatives. The game is on the rise in America.

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

EXTRATIME

31

TENNIS

ATP Rankings:

Nadal drops out of Top Five

R Nadal

ATHLETICS

Gebrselassie announces retirement

Mayweather

BOXING

Mayweather blasts Team Pacquiao

U

nbeaten American boxer, Floyd Mayweather Jr, has taken a swipe on Manny Pacquiao and says he has no intention of fighting him ever again, partly because the Filipino boxer’s team is hard to do business with.

The Pacquiao-Mayweather fight that happened on May 2 took over five years to put together, with Mayweather winning the “Fight of the Century” via unanimous decision.

He initially offered Pacquiao a rematch, but rescinded it and said the “Pacman” was only making excuses when he admitted that he fought with an injured right shoulder.

“I’m upset. I’m very upset with Pacquiao,” Mayweather fumed.

“Did I text Stephen A. Smith and say I will fight him again? Yeah, but I changed my mind. At this particular time, no, because he’s a sore loser, and he’s a coward,” he said.

Asked if he would reconsider this stance in the future, Mayweather said emphatically: “No. I don’t want to do business with them anymore.”

“I’m a professional,” Mayweather declared. “I’ve dealt with the biggest and some of the best Fortune 500 companies in the world.”

“Bad business on that side, period,” he said of Pacquiao’s camp.

“Bad business. I knew it, I knew it, and I knew it. Excuses, excuses, excuses.”

Gebrselassie

afael Nadal dropped out of the top five in the ATP rankings for the first time in 10 years on Monday after failing to defend his title at the Madrid Masters.

Nadal, a two-time defending champion in the Spanish capital, lost to

H

aile Gebrselassie has confirmed his intention to quit racing.

The 42-year-old Ethiopian great, a two-time Olympic champion at 10,000 meters and a multiple worldrecord holder at distances up to the marathon, announced his decision to retire on Sunday after competing in the Great Manchester Run. And to underline his desire to keep going, he ran the 10-kilometer course a second time with the amateur runners just for fun.

“I am retiring from competitive running, not from running,” Gebrselassie said in a statement after the race, where he finished 16th among the top men. “You cannot stop running. This is my life.”

Gebrselassie’s management team said he was ending his 23-year competitive career to focus on his array of businesses at home, but he will appear once more in 2015, at the Great Scottish Run in Glasgow in October as part of his ‘farewell tour.’

Andy Murray on clay for the first time in Sunday’s final.

It was Nadal’s fourth loss on his favourite surface this year, only two weeks before starting his quest for a 10th French Open title.

“I haven’t been able to play two weeks in a row, well, in the whole

year,” Nadal said.

The 28-year-old Nadal dropped to seventh in the rankings, meaning he could face highestranked opponents as early as the quarterfinals at Roland Garros.

Novak Djokovic is still the topranked player, followed by Roger Federer and Murray.

BRIEFS CYCLING

Cavendish wins California Opener

Britain’s Mark Cavendish sprinted to a dominant victory in the first stage of the Tour of California. The 29-year-old Manxman, riding for Etixx Quick-Step, comfortably beat Tinkoff-Saxo’s Peter Sagan into second, with Jean-Pierre Drucker (BMC) third.

Cavendish

GOLF

Fowler wins Players Championship

Woods

Fowler

American Rickie Fowler beat Sergio Garcia and Kevin Kisner in a play-off on a dramatic final day at the Players Championship at Sawgrass. The trio finished on 12-under but Fowler beat Kisner at the first sudden death hole after Garcia was earlier eliminated.

It was his second PGA Tour win after success in the Wells Fargo Championship in August 2012.

ATHLETICS

Rutherford to jump in Birmingham Olympic champions Greg Rutherford and Christine Ohuruogu will join Mo Farah at June’s Birmingham Grand Prix. Rutherford, who won long jump gold in 2012 and Ohuruogu, the 2008 400m gold medallist, will compete at the Alexander Stadium

GOLF

Woods slips to 133 in world rankings

T

iger Woods’ slide down the world rankings continues, reaching a new low position of 133, following another below par performance over the weekend.

The 39-year-old finished in a tie-for-69th at the Players Championship in Florida, 15 strokes off the pace at TPC Sawgrass.

However, part of the reason for

his rankings slump has been his lack of competitive golf during 2015, having teed-off in only four tournaments this calendar year.

His last win came in August 2013, while his most recent major victory was seven years ago.

During his career he has topped the world rankings for a record 683 weeks but is now slipping down the table quickly.

Mo Farah

on June 7. World junior champion Dina Asher-Smith faces European and Commonwealth silver medallist Jodie Williams over 200m. The 100m sees European champion Adam Gemili race world and European indoor 60m champion Richard Kilty.

g Politics

Okogie: We are expecting too much from Buhari

g jƅƄ jƇƋƅ g News

CPCE to showcase Nigerian IT professionals

P8

TUESDAY, MAY 12, 2015

VOL. 1. NO.104

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ÎÎÎ

Nigeria, a country endowed with numerous natural energy resources such as crude oil, gas, coal, hydro, wind, biomass, solar, geothermal, tidal and even uranium, has adopted a multi-faceted approach to meet its energy requirements.

Despite the wealth of resources, emphasis has been placed on using conventional sources such as hydro, oil and gas for energy generation.

Over the past five years, at least seven power plants have been built or planned in order to augment the current 6 GW capacity to about 10 GW. However, it is clear that deficits in energy cannot be overcome based on projected requirements in excess of 10 GW. By comparing the GDP per capita energy consumption of similar sized countries that have undergone industrialization, the task ahead of Nigeria becomes apparent. Based on projections, Nigeria will need to generate at least 20 GW of electricity by 2020 to meet demand.

The difficulty to achieve these targets becomes

g Labour

We are open to dialogue and reconciliation - Wabba

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Tomiwa O. Erinosho

TT3

Ukraine crisis: Kerry to meet Putin, Lavrov tomorrow P14

dailytimesng

A nuclear energy future for Nigeria

even clearer.

Diversification of the power sector from the use of hydro, oil and coal has been undertaken as well as increased investment in clean sources of energy such as wind and solar energy. Despite the abundance of these resources i.e. wind and solar, Nigeria has been unable to fully adapt their capabilities into its national grid. Solar energy requires the use of expensive solar panels prone to degradation from the elements of weather.

On the other hand, wind requires large wind farms to harness the resource.

Regardless, the major limitation in both cases is the relatively low energy generation per capita in comparison with conventional sources of energy.

Therefore, it becomes imperative to explore other reliable forms of energy generation. Of particular interest here is nuclear energy.

Developments in nuclear energy capabilities have followed an interesting path over the past decades since its destructive birth after the 2nd world war.

Although previously considered dangerous, the benefit of nuclear energy has been extensively assessed as opposed to its proliferation. Despite the nuclear accidents/disasters that have occurred such as Three Mile Island, USA (1979), Chernobyl, USSR (1986) and more recently in Fukushima, Japan (2011), nuclear technology is still gaining pace as a reliable source of green energy. Therefore, it is unsurprising that the number of new nuclear plant builds/plans is on the rise today.

The main benefit of nuclear technology is its ability to produce clean energy at relatively low costs.

Apart from infrastructure costs, the cost of operating a nuclear power plant is relatively lower than other conventional sources. Of course, this assumption is only valid provided nuclear fuel (Uranium) is easily accessible.

Nigeria is known to possess large deposits of Uranium in several states such as Cross River, Adamawa, Taraba, Plateau, Bauchi and Kano. Therefore, in the current economic out-

look in which diversification is the watchword, it becomes imperative to evaluate the future outlook of energy generation in Nigeria. It is expected that Nigeria should begin to look towards a nuclear future on the basis of its wealth in resources and capital.

With the current spate of investments in Nigeria such as in automobiles, steel production and other energy intensive manufacturing firms, the demand for energy will skyrocket leading to increased supply gaps. It also becomes apparent that current stop start attempts to bridge the gaps using conventional sources such as gas will not correct the anticipated deficit. Although, Nigeria remains the largest supplier of gas in Africa, it is a finite resource which must be managed to ensure that future generations benefit from current reserves.

A nuclear outlook in Nigeria requires three key ingredients. First, there is a need to develop some in-house understanding of the technology through research. This has com-

menced on a small scale through the Centre for Energy Research and Development (CERD) at Obafemi Awolowo University and nuclear units in other prestigious universities such as University of Ibadan, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) and University of Port Harcourt.

More recently, the Nigerian Atomic Energy Commission was established to cater for the increasing drive for developments in the nuclear sector. It is also worth mentioning that CERD (established as early as 1978) has an accelerator and that the nuclear research centre in ABU has a research reactor for training purposes.

Therefore, it is imperative to further the build-up of human capabilities by creating tangible plans for a nuclear powered future in Nigeria.

Whilst this is not an easy task, the blueprint to achieve this is not farfetched as African countries such as Egypt and South Africa can be used as case studies. Egypt has five nuclear power plants under construction due for commissioning be-

tween 2020 and 2025 while South Africa has a currently functional plant (Koeberg). Further, the wealth of human capita of Nigerian descent currently in the diaspora with technical capabilities in the nuclear sector can be harped upon.

Frankly, Nigeria is still far off from implementing this technology however, nuclear power generation is typically regarded as a hundred year venture encompassing stages of planning, operation and decommissioning. For a country blessed with this rare resource (Uranium) well spread across its geographical zones, human capital both at home and abroad, financial muscle, and, an increasingly attractive polity for investors, a retrospective evaluation which goes beyond the current short term energy generation policies should be pursued.

Erinosho recently completed his doctorate at the Imperial College London and is currently a Postdoctoral Researcher in Nuclear Materials at University of Bristol, UK.

Published by FOLIO COMMUNICATIONS LTD, Lateef Jakande Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja. website: www.dailytimes.com.ng; email: info@dailytimes.com.ng. Tel: 018447948. EDITOR: YINKA OLUJIMI News Hotlines: 08138773277, 08173901838. Advert Hotlines: 08086296714

Life&

TIMES Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Gideon

Okeke On life as an actor L2,3 P

Teen’s world:

sex Matters Lingerie and underwear essentials L5 P

L7

P

Interview L2

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday May 12, 2015

Many don’t know I’m a trained theatre arts practitioner

was invited should probably be here.

During the Easter period, we saw a wonderful performance of you at the Saro musical concert. Which will you say you are more comfortable with; stage drama or on screen acting?

Acting is living, so there is no form of comfort in living. You just live. So whatever platform it presents itself, I will play. I will live. I must say that I am comfortable with both.

How was it performing in front of a live audience? Was it your first time?

Well many people don’t know me well enough, they don’t know where I am coming from or how I got here. A lot are just concerned with the glory of the present day. If you check the background of a few talents, you will know that they’ve been training from here and there and done a few other things to get them to where they are or to get them to where you met them. I had some training in theatre arts and also drama and as such, I have always wanted to do theatre professionally, so when the organisers, as big as Saro platform contacted me, I did not think twice before saying a yes.

During the AMVCA, you

- Gideon Okeke Mutiat Alli and Opeoluwani Akintayo Many will may not know readily place his face but his participation at the popular Big Brother Africa Nigeria Show some years ago shot him into limelight as well as his recurring role in the MNET soap, Tinsel. Gideon Okeke is one versatile actor you can’t ignore. In addition to his on screen acting prowess, he is also a good stage performer. The graduate of Nnamdi Azikiwe University was recently cornered at the just concluded Nigerian Entertainment Conference (NEC), where he spoke on his career, possible solutions to piracy amongst several other issues.

What have you been up to?

I have been working and presently I am back on the set of Tinsel after a little break.

Life&

T E A M

As a participant at this conference, (NEC), how do you think this conference would be of benefit to entertainers?

We seriously need this on my side of my divide in the industry. Besides the African international film festival which is the only legitimate convener of African talents and industry practitioners, to talk film, the NEC, is also of immense benefit to us as well.

If this is happening for the entire spectrum of entertainment industry then it’s good, because we need information to drive us forward. I am hoping that the real players who have the power to talk about our industry are being invited even if the artists or industry players are not here. It’s this same industry that feeds a lot of people and a lot earn from it so we should pay attention.

Why do you think most of your colleagues who should be here

Editor Nkarenyi Ukonu n.ukonu@dailytimes.com.ng 08029030427

Music Correspondent Akintayo Opeoluwani o.ogunjimi@dailytimes.com.ng 08126223784

aren’t here?

Well, I don’t know who the target audience is particularly. Anybody who

Movie Correspondent Mutiat Alli m.alli@dailytimes.com.ng 08115557378

showed another skill of yours in terms of music when you, alongside Femi Jacob rendered an acapella version of Shoki. Do

Society Correspondent Isaac Oguntoye i.ogundoye@dailytimes.com.ng 08069489893

Photography Quadri Olowolagba q.olowolagba@dailytimes.com.ng 08029745478

you have any plans to venture into music?

We not doing enough acting, we haven’t done enough as actors.

There is still more work to do. So let’s not try to take other people’s job from them.

Would you say actors are not in the least bit affected by piracy and that it only affects movie producers?

Piracy affects everyone at the end of the day. Because at some point, it’s not about acting it to let people know what we do professionally. It’s not just about going into play and getting your money.

At some point as you grow bigger, you would want to sell a film; you want to be on a film that sells, you want to be the face that sells it. If it’s pirated, it is bad for the producer, the actor, everybody. Because your success isn’t individual, your success is tied to a lot of people’s success. The industry hasn’t gotten to that point where we get residuals. It seems like the producer takes all at the end of the day. As we grow bigger, we hope that one day we will get residuals from our work. Besides residuals, as you grow bigger in the industry, you hope not just to be the face on the screen but be the person that sells the project.

If you were to give an advice on how to stop piracy, what would you say?

First piracy is a global thing, it’s everywhere. There hasn’t been a way to attack it, but whatever the Americans are doing with incretion encoding, seems to be working, so to speak even though it might be expensive. But we also need to address the mindset of the people accepting it. It has a lot to say about our value system. Why do you value the pirated over the original? It’s like saying you would rather eat kompo than eat beef. So it’s our value system, if you want to feel good, then pay value for what you want.

Sincerely my advice is severe penalty for anyone who is caught.

As an actor how will you enlighten people on how to differentiate the original from pirated movies?

It’s a very valid question you asking. We’ve never had that one product that says for mark of authenticity this is the original copy don’t buy anything less than this.

Their own way has been to say this is where to get the film, don’t get it outside of any of their distribution channels. It goes back to distribution, if we have a proper distribution channel then you know you have to

Graphics Austine Agbovi a.agbovi@dailytimes.com.ng 07060402397

L3 interview

Daily Times Nigeria

Tuesday May 12, 2015

go to the store and get your stuff.

There are places in Ghana were you just can’t walk on the road and see people selling DVDs. You have to go to stores to get them. Distribution channels would at least help to reduce it if not totally, but drastically.

What do youcthe government should do then?

Well clamp down on the act of the pirates and give adequate penalties.

Is there any law against piracy?

Yes there is but it’s not being enforced. It’s an intellectual property right, which is also the aim of all of these, to get people more aware of intellectual property rights, distribution rights and all those things.

Your work is what feeds you.

Shakespeare died but is still living through his works but that is not the case in the Nigeria system.

How was your growing up years?

My growing up was sheltered even though it wasn’t with a silver spoon. I was the only kid in the house so my parents tried to restrain me from doing a lot of things including going out. I was given

...On screen what I needed and wanted. I started acting at the age of six and I have never stopped acting.

is cut out for you, the stars align. If I hadn’t gone who knows what would have happened?

Let’s talk about Tinsel. How did the journey start?

I went clubbing one night with my friends a day after we got a text message for an audition. I was squatting with my friend, Chinedu in Surulere at that time and next morning, I was like “O’l boy, I wan go that audition o.” We were all drunk from the club, and he was like ‘Dey go jo I no dey go.’ And I went and came back and was like ‘I don get am o,’ he was shocked. He also talks about the story, he says it all the time like you know when something

Prior to the audition, did you ever try acting?

Which is why I said it’s not a mistake where I find myself, I have been acting since I was six in primary school. My headmistress loved me so much, apparently for my acting skills. It continued when I got into secondary school. I directed all the stage plays and other people as well, as a kid. My English teacher put a lot of trust in me, and would buy books and give me. I was also the head of debating and drama society, she used to give me books to

...On stage read and ask me to direct it for the next play. So I’d read and gather my mates do something and then present it to her and she would take credit for it. I did it from my JS1 till SS3. When I went into university, once I finish from my class, I run to Nonso Diobi’s (another actor) class

in theatre arts department and help them pack the drums. Nonso never knew me then. Now I tell him, dude, we went to the same school and I was always in your class and he is like wow! It was no mistake at all, I only got professional training two years ago.

meet a single one of his friends after months of seeing each other, something is definitely wrong. Either he’s just using you or you’re one of many; both options are bad news!

you is important or necessary. When time with you isn’t important, he probably has ulterior motives.

Relationship

Signs he is playing you Nkarenyi Ukonu Some men are just flat out users.

No one wants to date a man who is a player and a user. However, sometimes, the signs are usually obvious.

Being used is not only frustrating, it’s painful, and it definitely takes a toll on your self-esteem. In the event that you’re unsure if you are being played by your partner, here are signs he is actually.

Things are rarely consistent The relationship is a rollercoaster, to say the least. Some weeks, you two are talking and he’s initiating things and then a month later, he has completely pulled away from you and no longer seems to want to be involved or invested in the relationship. That’s because in actual fact, he doesn’t.

You pay the majority of the time There’s nothing wrong with ‘going dutch’ (originally from Dutch etiquette where it isn’t unusual to pay separately when dating). There is also nothing wrong with going out to dinner one date and your man pays and then the next one, you pay.

However, if you find that you’re paying for almost every meal and activity that you two do together, it’s a huge sign that he’s playing you. Your wallet shouldn’t be the only thing providing funds in the relationship.

He keeps you in the dark

Rushing a relationship is never good, but as time passes and things get a little bit more serious, couples usually have to talk about what the future holds. When a man keeps you in the dark about what he wants out of the relationship in the future, his wants and expectations, he probably isn’t seeking a future with you and is instead just leading you along.

Words don’t match his actions Anyone can say something but what’s important is following up on those words. Is this man someone who talks a lot of talk and says a lot of sweet words but his actions just don’t match up with them? Nice words are good to hear, but followup actions have a much bigger impact. If the actions don’t meet the words, move it along.

this man gifts while he rarely buys you anything to surprise you with?

A man who wants you and cares about you should be treating you to something special, even if it’s just a card. If you’re always the bearer of gifts, he’s probably not serious about things.

He’s available when it’s convenient Availability is pretty important in a relationship. Of course, we all have lives and with work, and other activities, we can’t always be available.

But, if this man only seems to come around or have time for you when it’s convenient for him, something is definitely off with this relationship.

You deserve a man who is around when you need him to be, not one who is around because he needs something from you.

He puts in very little effort Effortless relationships tend to rarely go very far, and things become stressful when you’re the only one trying to make things work. If you have been spending time with a man who isn’t interested in putting in much effort to get to know you or to advance things, then it’s likely that he’s playing you for his own benefit.

True affection is rare There’s nothing better than being able to feel loved and cared for by someone. Men know that emotions tend to turn a woman into putty, but wise up here. If he’s only showing you affection to get you in bed, it’s a huge red flag that he’s just playing you.

You rarely receive gifts Okay, so no one expects to receive cards and flowers on a daily or weekly basis, but it’s nice to receive a surprise gift every once-in-a-while.

Are you typically the one buying

You’re the unknown Typically when a man is proud of his relationship and the woman he’s with, he likes to talk about it and introduce you to the people that he is closest to. But, if you have yet to

You come third…or fourth Priorities when in a relationship are crucial, and it’s nice when you find a man who is willing to make you a priority in his life. If a man is playing you, it’s likely that he rarely can make time to see you and your feelings, wants, and needs aren’t at the top of his list of priorities.

He’s selfish and unconcerned Men can be a bit out of touch emotionally, but that shouldn’t stop him from being genuinely concerned and interested in your thoughts and feelings. If this man has no real concern or interest in your desires and wants, he’s obviously very selfish and self-centered, and is probably playing you so that he can benefit no one but himself

He cancels plans often Sure, things happen and sometimes plans have to be cancelled.

When you notice that this man continuously cancels plans with you and never makes plans to reschedule, it’s a sign that he’s playing you and doesn’t feel that spending time with

You feel uneasy deep down Always listen to your gut. If deep down you feel like something isn’t right with this man, you’re probably right. When you have that feeling that makes you hesitate, it’s time to re-evaluate things and possibly end them for good.

L4

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday May 12, 2015

Daily Times Nigeria

Tuesday April 12, 2015

Lingerie& underwear Eyola

eyola@aol.com

essentials

L5 Fashion &

Boxer shorts for men

Generally boxers have more breathing room than briefs. The choice is really a matter of personal taste.

It is nice to mix it up and have a mixture of boxers and briefs in your underwear drawer, unless you are committed to one type of underwear. Boxer shorts are a popular choice due to their level of comfort, freedom of movement, increased coverage, flattering fit and increased circulation in the groin area, especially in warmer climates. A more aesthetic advantage of boxers is that you are spoilt for choice with a variety of materials, prints and patterns to choose from. Breathable cotton blends are the best selection for hotter climates. Colder climates require more insulating materials such as wool and flannel.

Seamless knickers

This default style is seamless and appears ‘invisible’, eliminating VPL (visible panty line).

T-shirt bras

A great outfit begins with the right foundations. With that said, it is generally not stylish for your underwear to be a visible part of your outfit. T-Shirt bras are ideal to wear under anything tight, close fitting or lightweight, removing all signs of lines and bulges. Women of all sizes can benefit from T-Shirt bras, but it is advised that women with a smaller bra size go for a T-Shirt bra with a demi cup. While larger cup sizes are better off with a full coverage cup to attain the best fit.

Convertible bra

This bra is a great travel bra because of its versatile multiway detachable straps. It is a good idea to have at least three convertible bras in your closet to avoid repeating the same bra on two consecutive days.

Purging your underwear

It is important to purge your underwear drawer frequently by getting rid of stained, threadbare or ripped underwear. Perhaps associate purging your underwear every time you get a haircut (men) or any time you shave or wax (women).

After care for your under wear Briefs for men: Briefs give you more support

and are ideal for sports or if you are sitting for long hours behind a desk at work. Tighter briefs will lower fertility. So if you are trying for a baby, loose-fitting boxers are the best choice. Be careful when selecting your briefs making sure the fit is right, including the elastic waist band, to encourage proper blood circulation. During warmer seasons wearing briefs can cause itch and skin irritations. Other not so charming qualities are the lack of style and print varieties as well as a tendency for briefs to lose their shape quickly. Therefore you will need to replace your briefs more regularly than your boxer shorts.

Nude bra: Nude does not solely refer to beige or

tan shades, it simply refers to whatever colour is closest to your skin tone. Nude bras are best worn under lighter shade clothing and are a great option when wearing darker shade fabrics, should black not be desired. Contrary to popular belief white and black bras show through white clothing, therefore a nude bra is a vital addition to your underwear drawer.

Not washing your bras or boxer shorts often enough can cause a build-up in bacteria. It is advised that you wash your bra after three to four wears and that you do not wear the same bra two days in a row. Hand wash is the most desirable option that consists of your bathroom sink, warm water and a tablespoon of mild detergent. Leave the bra to soak for fifteen minutes, gently pressing the bra for a few seconds afterwards, rinse well with clean water, squeeze out as much water as possible (without rough handling or deforming your bra) and hang in the bathroom to dry. Don’t have the time to hand wash your bra? Then place them into a mesh zipper bag and into the washing machine they go. Choose a cold wash setting and once washed, drape the bras over a hanger to dry naturally.

Kiddies World L6

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday May 12, 2015

Austine Agbovi

Know your heroes/heroines 1.Riddles Yoruba of Nigeria riddle:

Sir, Frederick Lord Lugard

Who has a house too small for guests?

Early life and education Lugard was born in Madras (now Chennai) in India, but was raised in Worcester, England. He was the son of the Reverend Frederick Grueber Lugard, a British Army Chaplain at Madras, and his third wife Mary Howard (1819–1865), the youngest daughter of Reverend John Garton Howard (1786–1862), a younger son of Yorkshire landed gentry from Thorne and Melbourne near. Lugard was educated at Rossall School and the Royal Military College Sandhurst.

The name ‘Dealtry’ came from Thomas Dealtry, who was a friend of his father.

2. Ga of Ghana riddle: What do you look at with one eye, but never with two?

Poem:

Above the Bright Blue Sky

There’s a Friend for little children Above the bright blue sky, A Friend who never changes Whose love will never die; Our earthly friends may fail us, And change with changing years, This Friend is always worthy Of that dear name he bears.

There’s a home for little children Above the bright blue sky, Where Jesus reigns in glory, A home of peace and joy; No home on earth is like it, Nor can with it compare; And everyone is happy, Nor could be happier there.

Albert Midlane

5. Massai of East Africa riddle: Who has more courage than a Maasai warrior?

6. Congolese riddle: Who can whistle from another man’s mouth?

also visited Lake Albert, and brought away some thousands of Sudanese who had been left there by Emin Pasha and H. M. Stanley during the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition.

When Lugard returned to England in 1892, he successfully dissuaded Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone and his cabinet from abandoning Uganda. In 1894, Lugard was despatched by the Royal Niger Company to Borgu, where he secured treaties with the kings and chiefs acknowledging the sovereignty of the British company, while distancing the other colonial powers that were there. From 1896 to 1897, Lugard took charge of an expedition to Lake Ngami, in modern-day Botswana, on behalf of the British West Charterland Company. From Ngami he was recalled by the British government and sent to West Africa, where he was commissioned to raise a native force to protect British interests in the hinterland of the Lagos Colony and Nigeria against French aggression. In August 1897, Lugard organised the West African Frontier Force, and commanded it until the end of December 1899, when the disputes with France were settled.

Answers

Post-military career After he left Nyasaland in April 1889, Lugard joined the British East Africa Company. In their service, he explored the Sabaki river and the neighboring region, in addition to elaborating a scheme for the emancipation of the slaves held

by Arabs in the Zanzibar mainland.

In 1890, Lugard was sent by the company to Uganda, where he secured British predominance of the area and put an end to the civil disturbances between factions in the kingdom of Buganda. He became Military Administrator of Uganda from 26 December 1890 to May 1892. While administering Uganda, he journeyed round the Rwenzori Mountains to Lake Edward, mapping a large area of the country. He

4. Swahili of East Africa riddle: What things always chase each other but never overtake one another?

1. A turtle.

2. The inside of a bottle.

3. Until you have tested him, you can’t tell how strong he is.

4. The wheels of a vehicle.

5. Two Maasai warriors.

6. The other man.

Military career Lugard was commissioned into the 9th Foot (East Norfolk Regiment) in 1878, joining the second battalion in India, and serving in the following campaigns: •Afghan War (1879–1880) •Sudan campaign (1884–1885) •Third Burmese War (1886–1887) Lugard was appointed to the Distinguished Service Order in 1887.

In May 1888, Lugard took command of an expedition organised by the British settlers in Nyasaland against Arab slave traders on Lake Nyasa and was severely wounded.

3. Hausa of West Africa riddle: Why is a man like pepper?

Mathematics

Joke

Giraffe

Lion Elephant

Crocodile

How do You? A student named Jacob was sitting in class one day and the teacher walked by and he asked her “How do you put an elephant in the fridge?”

The teacher said “I don’t know, how?” Jacob then said “You open the door and put it in there!”

Then Jacob asked the teacher another question “How do you put a girraffe in the fridge?” The teacher then replied “Ohh I know this one, you open the door and put it in there?” Jacob said “No, you open the door, take the elephant out, and then you put it in there.”

Then he asked another question...”All the animals went to the lions birthday party, except one animal, which one was it?” The teacher a bit confused and said “The lion?” Then the student said “No,the girraffe because he’s still in the fridge.”

Then he asked her just one more question....”If there is a river full of crocodiles and you wanted to get across it,how would you” The teacher then says “You would walk over the bridge.” Then Jacob says “No, you would swim across because all the crocodiles are at the lions birthday party!” She laughs and walks away.

Tales

The two frogs Once, two frogs fell into a pot of cream. They could not get out of the pot. So they swam round and round in the cream.

“Oh, this is the end of my life,” said one of them. It stopped swimming and died.

But the second frog swam and swam and beat the cream with its little feet. The cream became a ball of butter. The frog jumped on the ball of butter and got out of the pot!

The Wise Dog

Colour me

One day nine dogs went out to hunt. They met a lion.

He said “I am hunting too. I am very, very hungry. Let us hunt together.”

So the dogs and the lion hunted together all day.

They caught ten antelopes.

Then the lion said” Now we must divide this meat.”

One of the dogs said “Why, that’s easy. We are ten, and we have ten antelopes. So, each of us will have one antelope.”

The lion became very angry.

He hit the poor dog and blinded him. The other dogs did not say a word. But then one of the dogs said, “Our brother was wrong.

We must give nine antelopes to King Lion. Then they will be ten together. And we dogs shall

take one antelope and we shall also be ten together.”

The lion liked his answer and asked the dog “Who taught you to divide like this? You are a wise dog.”

The dog answered “Oh, King Lion, you hit our brother and blinded him. That blind brother taught me, King Lion!”

All answers should be sent to: stynemail@gmail.com

Daily Times Nigeria

Tuesday May 12, 2015

L7 Teen’s World

Parents-children relationship

Sex: They need your help on this matter Ngozi Ndubisi

ngozindubisi2013@yahoo.com Aunty, I feel too pressured to have sex and then having it in my face everywhere I turn does not help matters.

Please help me out here.

Bimbo: 17yrs - Lagos

Yes dear, it’s a crying shame what is happening in our society today. This ‘temporary enjoyment of sin’ is now the order of the day and it seems the lasting physical, emotional and spiritual harm it creates in its wake is no one’s business.

The truth is, there is no pressure of sex that has not been overcome before. In our days men went as far as using voodoo, but it came and passed and many still kept themselves as many more are still pure even today.

It might not be easy, but it is doable my dear. By His Grace and with these suggestions, you shall overcome as many other boys and girls have, including me.

Tips: How to avoid premarital sex

You are not tempted beyond your

capabilities and there is always an escape route, find yours among these suggestions:

• Figure out why you want to abstain from sex and write this down as plainly as. Don’t write ambiguous reasons like “because it’s a sin” or “because it’s wrong”. Your reasons have to come from who you are. It has to be solid so you won’t reason it away in the midst of challenges.

• Define Boundaries: this could be a little tricky but necessary. Forget the question “how far is too far?”

My mother always tells us not to start what we are sure we can’t finish. Why play with fire if you do not want to get burnt.

• Avoid being alone in a bedroom or any other place where you can easily do what you shouldn’t.

• Discuss and agree with your partner ahead of time that you will not engage in sex. You must make this known right from day one, only if you are not really serious about it yourself.

• Don’t allow their laugh or jest of your decision sway you in any way. Their ‘everybody is doing it’ is not true. 90% of the kids I know still are virgins and many more out there are also. Don’t be fooled.

• Pray for strength. The Good Book says to ‘Watch and pray lest you

enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’

• Avoid dwelling on sex-related issues, and suggestive books, magazines and TV programmes.

As a matter of fact, your most sensitive sex organ is your mind; what you think about, you are likely to say and what you say and think about, you are more likely to do.

Reasons to avoid pre-marital sex Ruins the Excitement

In indulging with your future life partner, the excitement of it being your first time is dead and lost forever. No matter the decision to abstain for three–six months before the wedding, you can’t get back that first time thrill.

Confused Feelings Most times people who have had sexual dealings with someone else prior to tying the knot have the tendency to keep comparing the premarital flare and this in turn may kill the joy and enjoyment in their current marital relationship.

Insecurity Because you are comparing your past with your present, you may

think he is doing the same and finding you’re not up to his past girls. This could erode your self-confidence which might lead to a disturbed state of mind and eventually killing your sex life all together.

Incessant use of pills To prevent pregnancy, you have to keep taking one pill or the other. In time, your womb, uterus etc will be begging for mercy from all the pills you have taken. Then there is the fear of the pills affecting child bearing and all.

STD or STI (Infection) Sexually transmitted diseases or infections are often heard to have been gotten from unprotected sex.

The possibility becomes all the more

high in pre-marital sex cases.

Chances of divorce In a situation where sex is dead, other things in the marriage will also naturally come to an end and divorce becomes the only solution. All this as a result of a few minutes of ‘temporary enjoyment of sin.’

Just remember, you are not one of them; you are not a follow, follow; you have been created to set the pace for others to follow.

Better still, it is better to marry than to burn with passion and commit sin.

Keep sending in your questions and views on matters dare to your heart to: ngozindubisi2013@yahoo.com

Music & Movie Chart

Opeoluwani Akintayo and Mutiat Alli

Top 10 music chart

Nigeria

1. Tiwa Savage- My Darlin 2. Kiss Daniel – Woju 3. Falz Ft. Yemi Alade- Marry Me 4. Mavin- Looku Looku 5. D’ija- Awww (New Entry) 6. Iyanya- Finito 7. Korede Bello- God Win 8. Phyno- Yayo 9. Olamide- Falila Ketan 10. M.I Ft Moti- Bad Belle

Top 10 music chart

International

1. Wiz Khalifa Feat. Charlie Puth See You Again 2. Omi Cheerleader 3. Jason Derulo Want To Want Me 4. Mark Ronson Feat. Bruno Mars Uptown Funk 5. Ellie Goulding Love Me Like You Do 6. Walk The Moon Shut Up And Dance 7. Britney Spears & Iggy Azalea Pretty Girls 8. Maroon 5 Sugar 9. Major Lazer Feat. DJ Snake & MO Lean On 10. Little Big Town Girl Crush

Top 10 movie chart

English

1. October 1st 2. 30 Days in Atlanta 3. Contract 4. Devil in Details 5. Tango With Me 6. Unforgiveable 7. House of Gold 8. Don’t Cry For Me 9. Silence 10. Number One Fan

Top 10 movie chart

International

1. Avengers: Age of Ultron 2. The Age of Adaline 3. Furious 7 4. Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 5. Ex-Machina 6. Unfriended 7. Home (2015) 8. Woman In Gold 9. The Longest Ride 10. Get Hard

L8 Television

Daily Times Nigeria

Tuesday May 12, 2015

Showing on

Showing on

103 M-Net Movie Premier

125 FOX Channel

23:05

01:25 Tue, 12 May | 13SL

Mon, 11 May | 16VL

‘S8/E12 - Hope For The Hopeless’. Richard performs his 10 000th surgery on a pair of bickering sisters. Derek and Lexie take on a neuroblastoma case that was previously deemed inoperable.

Christian Bale heads up a star-studded cast in this crime drama about two brothers - and the cruel twist of fate that lands one in jail and the other in trouble with a crime ring. Zoe Saldana, Christian Bale, Casey Affleck. (2013) Scott Cooper

101 M-Net West

01:30 The Story Of Luke 03:15 Caught On Camera 04:00 MasterChef Australia 05:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 06:00 Two And A Half Men 06:30 Arrow 07:30 Celebrity Masterchef South Africa 08:30 The Swan Princess: A Royal Family Tale 10:00 Entertainment Now! 10:30 The Middle 11:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 12:00 MasterChef Australia 13:00 Elementary 14:00 Mysteries Of Laura 15:00 Grey’s Anatomy 16:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 17:00 2 Broke Girls 17:30 MasterChef Australia 18:30 Chicago Fire 19:30 Gotham 20:30 NCIS: Los Angeles 21:30 The Fixer

120 BBC Entertainment

118 Telemundo

00:30 The Del Monte Dynasty 01:20 The Impostor 02:10 Labour Of Love 03:00 Part Of Me 03:50 Queen Of Hearts 05:20 The Del Monte Dynasty 06:10 Labour Of Love 07:00 Part Of Me 07:50 Queen Of Hearts 08:40 The Impostor 09:30 Forbidden Passions 10:20 Labour Of Love 11:10 Part Of Me 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

00:35 The Weakest Link

11:30 Hell’s Kitchen USA

01:20 Silent Witness

12:20 Top Gear

02:15 Total Wipeout UK

13:15 Come Dine With Me

03:10 EastEnders

14:10 Total Wipeout UK

03:40 QI

15:10 The Weakest Link

04:10 Top Gear

16:00 EastEnders

05:00 Spy

16:30 Deal Or No Deal

05:25 QI

17:10 The Cube

06:00 The Thin Blue Line 06:30 EastEnders

18:00 Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

07:00 Antiques Roadshow

19:00 Big School

07:55 The Weakest Link

19:35 QI

08:45 The Cube

20:05 Would I Lie To You?

09:35 Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

20:40 The Graham Norton Show

10:20 Deal Or No Deal

22:10 Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow

11:00 My Family

21:35 My Family

155 AfricaMagicWorld

155 AfricaMagic Family

00:00 Tinsel 00:30 Living With Trisha 01:30 Family Ties 02:00 At Home With Joselyn Dumas 03:00 Good Morning Africa 04:00 Music 05:00 At Home With Joselyn Dumas 06:00 Good Morning Africa 07:00 Star Gist 07:25 Save The Day 08:35 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 Ise Dale 15:00 Family Ties 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

00:00 Noose Of Gold 00:30 Good Morning Africa 01:30 The Dzigbordi Show 02:30 Good Morning Africa 03:30 Good Morning Africa 04:30 Prem 05:00 Good Morning Africa 06:05 Golden Moon

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 Johnbull And Rosekate 22:35 Series TBA

128 SONY MAX

00:25 Most Shocking 01:15 Kenny vs Spenny 01:40 1000 Ways To Die 02:05 1000 Ways To Die 02:30 Lock Up 04:15 Most Shocking 05:00 Criss Angel Mindfreak 05:30 Exposed 05:55 Exposed 06:20 Video Zonkers 06:45 Repo Games 07:15 World’s Wildest Police Videos 08:15 Disorderly Conduct: Video On Patrol 09:15 South Beach Tow 09:45 Most Shocking 10:45 Most Shocking 11:45 Video Zonkers 12:15 Repo Games 12:45 World’s Wildest Police Videos 13:45 Disorderly Conduct: Video On Patrol 14:45 South Beach Tow 15:15 Primal Force 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 Upload With Shaquille O’Neal 20:30 Hip Hop Squares 21:00 Freakshow 21:30 Poorman’s Bikini Beach 22:00 Kenny vs Spenny 22:30 Tool Academy

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Tech Times Æ s

TT 1

Inye Kemabonta, Editor, Tech Times inye@technologylaw.com.ng

Peter Jack Omobola Johnson

National development is dependent on standards This Wednesday through Thursday, the National Technical Committee (NTC) on Information Technology (IT) standards in Nigeria will be sitting in Lagos. The NTC is a body created by NITDA under its law, and inaugurated by the Hon Minister of Communication Technology, Dr. (Mrs) Omobola Johnson on December, 5 2011.

At the time the NTC was born, it was intended as a broad-based stakeholder grouping with a definite place within the IT Governance architecture of the country.

The NTC comprises representatives of the larger ICT industry, government, the media, user community and the civil society.

Over the years, it was created as a democratic platform for developing the industry but the interesting part of its democratic approach is that consensus, and not the majority, position is usually adopted. Unfortunately, as important as this organ is, little is known about its activities.

This is why its Lagos sitting this May should be of utmost interest to the ICT industry and the larger Nigerian society. Indeed, the processes of the NTC make NITDA the custodian of Information Technology standards in the country.

It is absolutely correct to say that NITDA is to ICT what the Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) is to the whole economy. This statement rightly underscores the importance of the NTC as an organ in the IT Governance structure of the country. Just like national standards is key to the development of the Nigerian economy, the growth of the ICT industry is inseparable from industry standards. Without national standards in hardware, software and IT-enabled services, the indigenous ICT industry will remain stunted. Indeed, the Nigerian Content Program in ICT is driven by standards. Otherwise the industry will not be globally competitive.

During the two-day session this week, the body will review, debate and adopt or modify the draft standards for IT service ducts on highways. Although the process is under the auspices of NITDA, the work of the NTC, as its name implies, is national. The importance of its current assignment must be viewed against the backdrop of the perennial infrastructure deficit in the country at large. This is probably what has prompted the IT Agency, NITDA, to undertake this important project.

Up to now, infrastructure companies, especially in Telecoms, have to contend with right of way issues and taxation across states just to be able to lay fiber optic cables to extend services up country.

While the current NITDA-inspired effort may not eliminate taxes that Telecoms and IT firms have to pay, it might actually (in the future) solve the problems which occasioned the very commendable “dig-once-and-pay once” agreement brokered by the Ministry of Communication Technology to facilitate service provisioning in the hinterland.

Under the agreement, Telecoms companies can avoid multiple taxation while also preserving the landscape of States which their service cables traverse.

In others words, multiple digging on highways is also eliminated. Cost reduction in favor of consumers is the ultimate goal of the agreement. But the whole problem of digging on highways and the controversy generated by the issue of right of way would have been eliminated substantially if our roads were to come ready with service ducts which could carry several service lines including water, electricity, gas and of course communication cables

to homes and public facilities.

This is what highlights the real developmental impact of the assignment NITDA has embarked through its standards development organ.

When adopted, the proposed standards on highway service ducts would require that all road designs and constructions in the country, especially highways, must incorporate Information Technology service ducts. Such ducts would of course be available for other public services. This would altogether eliminate highway digging by infrastructure companies and the vandalizing of communication infrastructure by miscreants. The drop in quality of services in the telecoms industry has often been blamed, at least in part, on the activities of local miscreants.

The NTC, as it begins sitting, must be aware of the developmental and environmental benefits of its work. The NTC must be aware that citizens’ access to government services and other utilities is dependent on the development and enforcement of standards. NITDA also needs to take definite steps to enhance the effectiveness of the NTC. For instance, the body needs more visibility and may have to

abandon its current ad hoc approach. In other words, the NTC needs to assume the position of a key component of the institutional framework for IT Governance in Nigeria under section 6 of the NITDA Act. Although the secretariat of the NTC is in NITDA, and run on an ad hoc basis by the staff of the Standards Department, the entity might become a lot more effective if its staff were full time and its meetings regular but still under the supervision of the Standards Department of the Agency. The wisdom in such an arrangement is that there will be dedicated 24/7 attention on the mandate and processes of the NTC. This is likely to have several benefits. For example, the NTC will assume a more serious status in the industry.

It would be able to develop a lot more industry standards as its primary mandate. It would bring about the leap-frogging required now to make Nigeria a knowledge-driven economy.

This is so because, all over the world, standards (whether in technology development or in service delivery) is the key to national development.

By Inye Kemabonta, email: inye@technologylaw.com.ng

Tech Times TT 2

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 12, 2015

CPCE to showcase qualities of Nigerian companies-Okene Patrick Okene is the Founder and Director, Computer Professionals Conference and Exhibition (CPCE).He is an Historian turned IT professional in UK who has handled high profile ICT projects abroad, coming back home to carry out a program by CPCE that will showcase Nigerian ICT companies to the world. He spoke with Tony Nwakaegho in Lagos in this exclusive interview on the use of ICT in electoral process, government policies, cybercrime and other sundry issues. Excerpt: developed by Dr. Ernst Friedrich “Fritz” Schumacher, to election systems in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The research will consider the social economic factors that underpin the environment into which these systems are deployed.

CPCE is the first indigenous platform that is planned to showcase the ICT capabilities of Nigerian companies to the world.

Okene

What informed your coming up with a program known as Computer Professionals Conference and Exhibition?

I am Patrick Okene, the Director, Computer Professionals Conference and Exhibition (CPCE). I have lived and worked in the UK for the past 18 years. I studied history in Nigeria and when I got to England I did not know how to use the computer so I trained myself and did all the professional exams and became an IT professional immediately. I have been working as an ICT professional since 1998 and since then have handled quite a few high profile projects in Europe and Nigeria.

The one that comes to mind very easily is the London 2012 games. I was the ICT project manager for all the Games venues before the Olympics. I also designed and led the implementation of the first email system for Jimmy Choo (the high fashion house). Recently I ran a project for Volkswagen while working for Verizon the US owned global Telecoms and ICT Company. I was the Global Project Manager for the design and implementation of a secure $10

million USD Remote Access Platform for Volkswagen AG in Wolfsburg Germany. This platform was earmarked for all Volkswagen employees and Third Party Vendors in the EMEA (Europe, Middle East & Africa). The project lasted for over 2 years and was completed last year. I also worked for Atos during which I carried out the Olympic projects and also led the data center transformation and relocation of a critical Oracle and UNIX based financial system (located on legacy mainframe systems) for the UK Highways Agency. I also led a Global Identity & Access Management implementation for Barclays Bank, this project impacted 20,000 windows servers spread across eight countries. I am currently doing a professional doctorate in Information Security with the University of East London and my area of research is the ‘enhancement of democracy using technology’ and looking at Nigeria as a case study because of the recent election. I am also looking at Kenya and Ghana where they have used similar systems before.

My aim is to apply the “appropriateness of technology” principle,

What is the CPCE all about?

My primary reason for coming to Nigeria apart from visiting family members is the Computers Professionals Conference & Exhibition (CPCE) in Nigeria that we are putting together. It is a platform we are building which is going to be the first main technology event which indigenous people will handle to showcase the ICT capabilities of Nigerian companies. Unfortunately we don’t have anything like that within the region. Most Nigerian companies if they want to show their capabilities have to go to places like Dubai which is the nearest place.

So we decided to set this up and we are going to have the first edition in August 27th and 28th 2015 at the Events Centre here in Lagos. It will be a forum for Nigerian professionals where they can come and showcase their skills and set their marks and the world will take note because I have seen great things in Nigeria in terms of technology and development.

I think it is a good story, but we need a platform to enhance that because if you think about it if Nigerian indigenous companies went to events like InfoSec or CeBIT which are the leading technology events in Europe are they going to get a lot of mention? I probably don’t think so, so we need to develop one and that is why we are developing CPCE and it will serve as the platform for the Nigerian indigenous com-

panies to showcase their skills, products and services.

What is your assessment of using ICT in a democratic setting particularly in the just concluded election in Nigeria?

There is a template and this is part of my research. There is a famous German philosopher Dr. Ernst Friedrich “Fritz” Schumacher who basically in the early 70s when technology was going into different areas came up with principle called the ‘appropriateness of technology’. You don’t just roll out technology; it has to be appropriate both from an economic and social point of view.

So if you look at the elections in Nigeria, in a way it was good in the sense that everybody agreed that it reduced corruption and rigging during the electioneering process. However, you cannot also turn a blind eye to the fact that the use of that technology disenfranchised a lot of Nigerians from voting and that defeated the whole purpose of democracy in my opinion. If you look at the whole process which is part of my research is to break the whole electoral process into three parts.

You have the first part which the pre-election activities where you have your voters register, biometrics was used in Nigeria, and then you have the Election Day where people actually go to cast their ballot and they then use technology for verification, and after voting the transmission of results. But look at what was done in Nigeria it was mostly during the voters’ registration and verification. Nigeria and other African countries however got their preparations wrong; they sort of put the cart before the horse regarding the Electoral Act. The first thing they need do is to have the right law in place.

CONTINUED ON PAGE TT 3

Ajayi, ATCON President

ATCON member -companies seek equality for telecoms players Tony Nwakaegho The Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) has underscored the need for government to provide a level-playing field for telecoms players due to the unfair competition that currently exist between foreign and indigenous companies in the country.

This position was unanimously made by the ATCON members at its Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos, stressing that the trend has become worrisome due to some unhealthy practices in the sector which force small telecoms operators to go out of business.

The association, whose members are drawn from telecoms operating companies, Internet Service Providers (ISPs), equipment vendors, infrastructure services providers, among others, described as ‘inappropriate and anti-competition’ a situation, where big operators in the country who offer wholesale services are also competing with the small and medium operators at the retail level.

Some of the ATCON members, who spoke at the AGM, had, earlier cited instances where some of the cable companies that sell bandwidths to Internet Service Providers are also selling megabytes of data to consumers and even at prices the retailers cannot compete with.

However, ATCON President, Engr. Lanre Ajayi, said while the association was not against foreign players coming to the industry, the government has an obligation to put in place policies that ensure that the operations of big players in the industry do not strangulate the growth of indigenous players, particularly smaller operators.

The ATCON President said that small and medium telecoms companies should be protected because they provide more jobs and add more value to the economy.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 12, 2015

TT 3 Tech Times

NCC boss commends NITRA on ICT quarterly seminar Tony Nwakaegho The Executive Vice Chairman of Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Engr. Eugene Juwah has commended the Nigeria Information and Communications Technology Reporters’ Association (NITRA) for putting together a seminar which is designed to enhance the skills of the Information Communication Technology journalists in reporting the dynamic ICT industry.

Juwah gave this commendation at the quarterly seminar organised by the NITRA in Lagos, adding that building capacity of ICT reporters and editors to understand and report the industry more accurately in a more simplified manner for the stakeholders, especially the consumers, is very dear to the heart of the Nigerian Communications Commission.

According to him, the theme of the seminar, ‘Engendering Local Innovation in the Nigerian Telecom Sector’, is equally as thought provoking as well as exciting, stressing that whatever comes out of the seminar would be a basis for the regulator to appraise her performance in imbibing the culture of innovation through regulatory processes and tools; to measure potentials and prospects of achieving remarkable innovation in the industry.

“From a regulatory point of view, innovation is key to the telecom industry. After the initial discoveries and development in the telecom sector, it is innovation that has catapulted growth in the sector to the height that it is achieved today. Innovation in the industry is also an attribute that is not exclusive to nations or states. The ready examples of uncountable number of apps developed in different parts of the world, riding on all available networks or platforms, shows that innovation is driving the industry.

“You may be aware that the Commission has adopted technology neutrality in its licensing process. The reason for this is to provide opportunity for creativity and innovation in the provision of services. Restriction of service to specific technologies may not allow for innovation.

“Provision of choice with the entry of multiple providers, and encouraging competition using regulatory tools is also designed to encourage local innovation in the provision of services. It is well known that innovation provides mutual benefit to bother the service provider and consumer

of the service.

“You may have heard stories about how regulators in other African countries have been visiting the Commission to learn from our experience on the successful regulation of the industry. This success is measured in terms of how we have managed to used innovations to surmount our local environment, which otherwise would have been overwhelmed by many extraneous factors,” he said.

He pledged that the commission will continue to encourage innovations in all aspects of the industry, adding that when broadband services become very much available in Nigeria as planned, it will also come with inevitable push for more innovations in the ways services are delivered today.

He emphasized that innovations in the ICT industry may have contributed to the way journalists practice their profession, and noted that today’s journalists have found life much more easier in performing their jobs as a result of innovations that have been achieved, than their colleagues of 20 years ago.

Juwah opined that the seminar will discover many more profound innovations that have enriched the ICT industry in Nigeria, but noted that “we are talking more about innovations that add value to existing technologies that are not necessarily, developed locally.”

He commended Etisalat for sponsoring this particular seminar series for this quarter and urged other service providers to borrow a leaf from Etisalat in deepening capacity and skills of the members of the fourth estate of the realm.

Juwah

Wolfsburg project

CPCE to showcase Nigerian IT professionals CONTINUED FROM PAGE TT 2

In Nigeria today, the Electoral Act does not allow for e-voting, so why is that? We need to address that. So what we did is to use technology to develop or to clean our voters register. Then on the day of voting we used technology as part of the verification process and when that failed there was a resort to the old manual system which is, and was, open to abuse.

It depends on which side of the great divide you stand. Specifically for me it was good, but that the same time it also disenfranchised a lot of people and for me that is a negative. When I talk about the appropriateness of technology you look at cost, sustainability amongst others. What happened before and during the 2011 election INEC went and bought direct capture machines (DDC) and each unit cost $1700 and they bought 120,000 units. Now when you talk about sustainability in IT, they are supposed to use that technology for different election circles. They made all of that investment in 2011 and by 2012 they had discarded all of that.

They went out and bought new devices about 130,000 units so what is going to happen in 2019?

They will probably discard all of that investment again and buy new set of devices. So this is why sometimes I think in terms of the policies, the enabling laws are a little bit suspect in Nigeria and the rest of Africa. Why is that we don’t learn from each other? Why did we not learn from the experience of Kenya in terms of using technology in elections and also

the experience of the Ghanaians?

African countries tend to do these things without considering what is happening in other places. We need to learn from other places and Nigeria should be a case study for others in the region so you know what to expect that if they make such investments in similar technology, that it might not work on election day, so what do you do to make sure you don’t disenfranchise people because the story of what happened in Nigeria is the same thing that happened in Kenya. And we don’t seem to be learning as Africans and you find that a lot of the people who recommend the technology for these countries to use are the donor agencies. Why are they going around recommending same systems that had problems in other countries? So these are the questions we should ask ourselves. And these are some of the things I am trying to bring out in my research.

What is your assessment of management of the ICT sector in Nigeria?

In terms of ICT in Nigeria I will say that we are just trying to take baby steps in Nigeria. I will give you an example, some years ago I ran a project as a technical architect for the Metropolitan Police in the UK. And as part of the bid process what the Metropolitan Police did was to give us their ICT road map and that was a guide for everybody that was going to participate in that bid. The road map was what they were projecting five years down the

road. What type of Operating System are they going to be using?

What sort of storage security and encryption standards they envisaged. You as a supplier develop a solution based on their road map. I can assure you in Nigeria we don’t have road maps for most of the government agencies. If you look at government agencies quite a few of them are building data centres everywhere. That for me indicates lack of policy or a joined up process. Why should governments’ agencies next to each other be building separate data centers? Of course we have seen it with government parastatals like the Nigerian Airways; Governments are not very good at running enterprises. Sometimes it might actually be better for them to lease out space in a privately operated data centre.

They can do that because we have companies like MainOne, Etisalat, Rackspace etc that own and operate world class data centres. Do Government agencies have the competencies to manage Data Centres? I don’t think so. In any case has anybody done an IT assessment to determine the DC space requirements for Government agencies? Why are they all building DCs all over the place?

I fear the Federal Government is going to end up with a whole lot of white elephant IT projects. I can assure you a lot of the government owned DCs are going to be underutilized and badly run.

Why not these agencies coming together and let’s look at their overall needs and if they even CONTINUED ON PAGE TT 4

Tech Times TT 4 Sunday Folayan elected as new NiRA President Stories by Tony Nwakaegho Mr. Sunday Folayan has been elected as the new Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) President during its seventh Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Lagos.

Folayan was formerly the Vice President, NiRA and from the elections he contested was unanimously endorsed as unopposed by members for the position of the President. He takes over from erstwhile president, Mrs. Mary Uduma.

The position of Vice President was won by Mr. Muhammed Rud-

Folayan

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 12, 2015

man who was formerly a member of the Executive Board of Directors of NiRA, while Mr. Segun Akano, the MD/CEO Upperlink Limited and Mr. Sunday Olutayo, the CEO Sadeeb Technologies Limited won the positions for members of NiRA Executive Board of Directors.

The new Executive Board of Directors of NiRA include: Mr. Sunday Folayan- President; Mr. Muhammed Rudman- Vice President; Mr. Sikiru Shehu- Finance Secretary; Mr. Adebiyi Oladipo- Treasurer; Mr. Bimbo Olayinka; Mr. Tope Fashedemi; Mr. Lanre Ajayi; Mr. Adebunmi Akinbo; Mr. Segun Akano and Mr. Sunday Olutayo.

Chief Operating Officer, Nigeria Internet Registration Association, Edith Udeagu who confirmed this development to the press said “We congratulate the newly elected members of the Executive Board of Directors of NiRA and wish all a successful tenure in office”.

NiRA is the registry for .ng Internet Domain Names and maintains the database of names registered in the .ng country code Top Level Domain.The Association is a self-regulating body and managers of the .ng national resource.The country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) name space in the public interest of Nigeria and global internet communities

Lagos plans metro backbone for submarine cables owners Fashola

There are strong indications that the Lagos State government is working on providing a metro backbone facility for all the submarine cables that have landed in its shores.

The initiative is expected to help the submarine cables owners, including MainOne; Glo1; WACS; SAT 3, Dolphin, among others have efficient networking system that is expected to make Lagos a smart-city and interconnect with other states.

This plan was disclosed by the Director-General, Lagos State Financial Systems Management Bureau, Abdulahmed Mustapha, at a forum in Lagos, stress-

ing that about seven submarine cables have landed in the shores of the state within the last five years, but that it is still difficult for the operators to distribute capacities even within the state.

Mustapha disclosed that Lagos targets becoming a smart city, calling on all and sundry to ensure the realization of this as soon as possible to be able to complement the state’s megacity status and projects currently going on.

“The state is focus on becoming a smart-city, along with our megacity status. We are already working with Chams to develop an ICT park in Lekki. Today, there are about seven submarine cables in the shores of Lagos. The operators have had the challenge of distributing these capacities within

and outside the state. What the current government is doing, which will be consolidated in the new regime is to get the cable operators together and help them to build an efficient metro backbone facility, where everybody will plug in and be able to distribute capacities seamlessly”, he said.

According to him, the state identifies Information and Communications Technology (ICT) as one of the biggest avenue to harness for employment generation.

“We are encouraging companies in this area to develop capacities Lagos is projecting Yaba to become an ICT hub because of the good news coming from there.

Already, the state has given MainOne Cables a free Right of Way (RoW) along Herbert Macaulay up to Jibowu,” Mustapha added.

CPCE plans to offer training, certification for IT proffessionals CONTINUED FROM PAGE TT 3

the latest technology.

have to build a data center they can build one or two data centres and outsource the management to a third party company. Currently I don’t think we are planning very well in this country in terms of ICT. We are still taking baby steps.

The Institute of Software practitioners holds annual events for app developers at Tinapa in Calabar, what is your take on this event so far?

There is nothing wrong with that, but I think we need more of that. So what we are actually to going to do as part of CPCE is to offer a training scholarship to individuals who either have finished from university, polytechnic or any other field. You don’t have to be an IT graduate just like me who studied history in Nigeria and I went to work as an ICT professional. So we are going to offer training opportunities for ten candidates, pay for their training, certification and at the end of the whole program they are going to be IT professionals in Nigeria. Again we went to avoid the quick rush to foreign training institutions so we will be working with local or indigenous ones.

How do you position the CPCE among other annual events for ICT professionals in the country?

We want to use CPCE as an event that will provide the platform for Nigerian ICT professionals all over the world. Two days in a year they can come here, we meet and brain storm and if a government agency wants to participate that will be great. The thing is to project Nigerian ICT professionals. We are not trying to rival any association because we know we have the Computer Society of Nigeria and other bodies, so we are not going to rival them but we are going to complement their efforts. Even though we have British Computer Society that has not stopped events like Infosec or Cloud Data from holding every year. So we are trying to provide a platform for the professionals to come and look at

Is the Nigerian Content Program in ICT late in Coming?

In Nigeria and other African countries we tend to put the cart before the horse. It is great we have the local content in oil and gas sector, but when we talk of

indigenous content where are the developers and where are they going to come from? We don’t even have enough developers in Nigeria. So how do we address that? If you look at a place like India you may ask why it is a power house in ICT development.

If I want SQL developers today, I can get hundreds at the click of a finger, but if I want an SQL developer in Nigeria I am going to struggle because we are not training enough of them. I don’t think it’s a matter for the association, but I think it is the matter of the government to look at policies in terms of training opportunities. For instance in England they have what is called a Career Development Loan and that is what I used to train as an ICT professional. What that simply means was that the government guaranteed the loan I was going to take from Barclays Bank and I took a loan for £2,500. All the government did was to guarantee my loan that Barclays Bank should give me this money that I am going for this training and when I start working I will pay the bank the money. I and other people took that loan; we trained and became ICT professionals. So we need something similar in Ni-

geria where somebody who read Mathematics for instance, he has no job and he says I want to be an ICT professional. He or she can go to a bank fully assured that he will be given a loan because the government is going to guarantee it for him or her to go for that training. When he comes back he is going to get a job because we don’t have enough developers in Nigeria. From my interactions with some of Nigerian ICT professionals a lot of them tend to go for the wrong courses and these are some of things we want to bring up during the conference in August. A typical Nigerian guy if you ask him, what you want to study in IT, he will tell you that he wants to study CISCO. Often times CISCO sounds great, we have a lot of CISCO people but do you have a lot of CISOC roles for them to go into and work? No you don’t. So this is why we have a lot of people who have certification but they cannot work. The sort of skills we need they don’t have people training for them.

For instance there is a company that approached me they needed somebody who was good in virtualization in Nigeria. We looked around for over a month we couldn’t get anybody who

was good at virtualization. The few that were there were already working, but if you say Cisco you have a lot of them in Cisco. So many of them are studying Cisco but where are the Cisco jobs, they are not there for them.

The things you need are things like virtualization, developers such as Java, C+ +, Visual basic, we don’t have those skills. We need the government to come in here, rather than the government saying we need the local content which is putting the cart before the horse. We want government to say we are taking a long term plan and at the end of the five years plans we hope to train X number of Nigerians to have the skills we think will become relevant in Nigeria and in the world. That is why anybody who wants to do a development will go to India. Go to the banks in Nigeria today most of their developers are Indians. They go there because those skills are available and cheap. Before we begin to talk about local content first let’s make sure we have the resources to fill those positions that will come up as a result of it.

There is no point putting up local content and you don’t have people to fill those positions.

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Full name: Sunday Mba Date of birth: November 28, 1988 (age 26) Place of birth: Aba, Nigeria Height: 1.82 m (5 ft 11 1⁄ ) Playing position: Midfielder Current team: CA Bastia Number: 34 Youth career 2004: Pepsi Football Academy Senior career 2005–2006: Enyimba 2007: Enugu Rangers 2007–2008: Enyimba 2008–2009: Enugu Rangers 2009–2010: Dolphins 2010–2013: Warri Wolves 2013: Enugu Rangers (loan) 2014–Present: CA Bastia National team 2012–Present: Nigeria

Personal Information

MBA

Sunday

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Sunday Mba

About •Sunday Mba (born November 28, 1988) is a Nigerian footballer who plays as a midfielder for CA Bastia and the Nigeria national team.

•He began his club career with Enyimba of Aba and later joined Rangers on loan in May 2013 from Warri Wolves. He scored in his Rangers’ debut, a 3–1 loss to Clube Recreativo Desportivo do Libolo in the 2013 CAF Champions League.

•He signed for Bastia in December after a drawn-out negotiation that lasted most of the year.

•Mba was a member of the Nigeria B team that won the 2010 WAFU Nations Cup and made his senior debut in the Eagles’ 0–0 tie against Angola in January 2012.

He scored a brace against Liberia in his next game.

•He was called up to Nigeria’s 23-man squad for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations and scored the winning goal in Nigeria’s 2–1 quarter-final win over Côte d’Ivoire.

•On February 10, 2013, in the final against Burkina Faso, he scored the first and only goal of the game, to hand Nigeria their third Africa Cup of Nations title.

•He was selected for Nigeria’s squad at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup.

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BARCELONA

H

aving finished as runner-up to Cristiano Ronaldo in each of the last two seasons, Lionel Messi now looks set to rule the world once again after some inspired recent displays.

Ronaldo took home the FIFA Ballon d’Or for two years on the bounce, and Lionel Messi is a man on a mission to regain top billing next time out.

The Barcelona man was selected as the world’s best player in every year between 2009 and 2012, yet has been forced into second place ever since by his Real Madrid counterpart.

However, with Barca now on the brink of recapturing the Spanish title and boasting one foot in the Champions League final after a Messi-inspired 3-0 win over Bayern Munich, their star player’s stock is in the ascendancy once again.

After captivating the football world with two majestic goals in that victory over Bayern, the Argentina international has seen his odds slashed to take home the 2016 Ballon d’Or, a price no doubt helped by his participation in this summer’s Copa America, while many of his rivals will not be in competition.

Messi

Barca set for title party

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i s s e M

eyes Ballon d’Or glory

ollowing a decisive weekend at the top of La Liga, it seems Barcelona are set for title party.

Barcelona were not at their free-flowing best at home to Real Sociedad on Saturday afternoon, but a Neymar header and then late bicycle-kick from substitute Pedro Rodriguez was enough to see off the spirited challenge of the David Moyes’ side.

Real Madrid kicked off directly afterwards but before Coach Luis Enrique had finished his postmatch news conference, Los Blancos were already 2-0 down at home to Valencia.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side fought back for a 2-2 draw, but even the Italian coach admitted afterwards their situation was now “difficult” as they are four points behind Barca with just two games to play.

Even if Madrid win both their remaining games, a Barca win either at Atletico Madrid next Sunday, or at home to Deportivo La Coruna at the Camp Nou the following Saturday will secure the title for Lionel Messi and co.

I’m not out for revenge

–Enrique

B

Pogba

Barca launch £57.6m bid for

B

arcelona have launched a £57.6m bid for Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba.

According to Italian journalist, Tancredi Palmeri, the Catalans are desperate to sign the Frenchman.

However, Barcelona are currently under a transfer

Pogba

embargo which prevents them from signing any players until January 1, 2016.

Palmeri suggests they will loan Pogba back to Juventus for another 12 months if the clubs can come to an agreement.

“Barcelona have offered £57.6m

for Pogba, leaving him at Juventus in the next season,” he said.

Meanwhile, Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea are interested in signing the Frenchman who is one of the hottest properties in world football.

arcelona coach Luis Enrique says he is not out for revenge in Saturday’s La Liga clash with Real Sociedad at the Camp Nou -- just another three points to bring his side closer to the title.

Barca’s 1-0 defeat to David Moyes’ side in January’s reverse fixture led to a torrent of criticism among Blaugrana fans and pundits, and Enrique appeared to be heading for the sack due to a breakdown in his relationship with Lionel Messi.

However, since that game Barca have won 27, drawn one and lost one of 29 in all competitions, and Wednesday’s 3-0 Champions League semifinal first leg victory over Bayern Munich has left many hailing the coach’s tactics and dreaming of a historic Treble win.

Enrique said he does not feel any particular rancour towards Saturday’s opponents as the odd defeat is always likely during the season, while an over-the-top reaction to such a loss is not a surprise.

“I am not holding anything,” he said.

“It was a defeat like any other -- apart from the reaction which follows when a big team loses. From there, the team has been on a good run. It was planned to win all 38 La Liga games, but it was not possible. I believe the team has kept to a high standard, although some low moments are normal during the season.”

Enrique