Dtn 12 5 16

Buhari demands immediate, unconditional release of stolen funds Ï ƋƋ Ƈ Ə ƈ ƐƆƏ Ɛƈ Ƌ ƈ ƇƏ ƐƏƑƅƐƑƏƆ Ɛ ƌ ƈƐ Əè ƐƏ ƅƆ Ɨ ƏƆƐƑƏ Ɛ ƋƆ ƆƐ Ï d ƕ è ó Ɔ è Mƈ ƆƏƈ ƈ óƇ Ɛ Ɛƈƅ ƋƋƕ ƅ ƏƏƑƍƐô Ï ó9 ƆƆƗ ƌƆƐ ƈ Ɛ ƈƄƋƆè Ɛ ƍ Ƌ ƕ ƇƏ ƌ ƌƆƏ ô Ï z Ɛ ƈƋ Ɛ ƆƇƐ ƗƆ ƈ ƐƆƗ ƈ ƐƆƏ Ɛƈ Ƌ ƅƏƈƌƆ ƋƈƊƆ óƄƋ Ɨ Ɨƈ ƌ Ɨ ô Ï d ƕ è ó ƐƏƈ Ɔ Ɛ ƏƑƋƆ ô ƍƍƋƈƆƗ ƈ ƇƆƓ ƅ Ɔ Ɛ ƍƏƆƒƆ Ɛ Ɔ ƅ ƍƆ ƇƏ ƌ ƉƑ ƐƈƅƆ

Egena Egena, ƄƑƉ

ÎÎÎPresident

Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday in London stressed the need for immediate and unconditional repatriation Continued on page 6

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THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2016 VOL. 2. NO. 107

GAINERS

N150

LOSERS

NSE GAINERS AND LOSERS AS AT 9th May, 2016.

UNILEVER

35.54

3.30

10.24%

UCAP

1.764

0.11

6.67%

GLAXOSMITH

20.36

-1.07

-4.99%

BERGER

8.11

-0.42

-4.92%

ETERNA

2.90

0.20

7.41%

TRANSCORP

1.12

0.07

6.67%

CADBURY

15.64

-0.82

-4.98%

UBN

4.66

-0.24

-4.90%

Labour kicks, marketers hail new N145 PMS price Ï ƕ Mƈ ƆƏƈ Ɔ ƐƈƐƕ Ɠ ƇƏƆƆ Ɛ ƈƌƍ ƏƐ ƍƆƐƏ Ƌè ƑƄƉƆƅƐ Ɛ ƑƈƗƆƋƈ Ɔ – FG Ï zƆ ƋƋ ƏƆ ƈ Ɛ Ɛ ƈ ƅƏƈƌƈ Ƌ ƈ ƅƏƆ Ɔ ƓƈƐ ƆƒƆƏƕ ƌƆ ƋƆ ƈƐƈƌ ƐƆè ƕ MG Ï 0 ƕ Ɔ ƅ ƋƋ Ƈ Ə ƍƏ ƐƆ Ɛ è ƕ Mƈ ƆƏƈ Ɠ Ɛ ƌƆƏƅƕ Ƈ Ɛ Ɔ ƒƆƏ ƈ Ƅƕ ƗƆƅƆƈƐ Ï 9Ɛô Ƒ ƍ Ƌ Ɛ ƄƋƆè Ɔƅ ƌƕ ƋƏƆ Ɨƕ ƈ ƌƆ è Ɛƈƌƈ ƈ ƓƏ – Manufacturer Egena Egena, ƄƑƉ Opeoluwani Akintayo, Joy Ekeke, Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo, Charles Okonji, Lagos

ÎÎÎReactions trailed the announcement of a new pump price for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), better known as petrol, by the Federal

Government on Wednesday, with labour leaders kicking against the increase from the current N86.50 per litre to N145 per litre, while market-

ers hailed it.

Ekiti state governor, Ayo Fayose, in a quick reaction on Wednesday, described the hike in petrol price

as a “demonstration of the level of hatred the President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) government has for Nigerians,” just as a manufacturer, Abimbolu Babatunde said “It will push up inflation, and this is not the right time for such decision.

The timing is wrong; the economy is already in a mess.”

Continued on page 6

CBN assures public gB4 over EFCC clampdown on banks

Former Edo Speaker too greedy g8 – Ativie $115m Diezani bribe: EFCC grills ex-Gov Imoke, detains Yuguda g24

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Pipeline explosion: Shell declares force majeure on Bonny Light exports g12

Lil Kesh

From the streets to stardom L1 g

2

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, May 12, 2016

F id e li ty B r id g e A c c

ount

RC 103022

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, May 12, 2016

Page Three Æ s

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PHOTO TIMES

Editorial Time to revive agriculture

A

ny student of history would readily admit that time was before oil was discovered that agriculture was the mainstay of the Nigerian economy. In fact, before the discovery of oil in 1958 at Oloibiri, Bayelsa State, the country earned more than 70 percent of its revenue from agricultural produce. It was common knowledge that Nigeria produced vast quantities of groundnut, palm oil and cocoa to be able to undertake massive infrastructure development all over the country. Even among African nations, Nigeria was as an agricultural giant that produced enough food to feed its teeming population and for export.

Sadly, all that is now distant memories, as oil has suddenly replaced agriculture as Nigeria’s foremost revenue earner and with it, the uncertainties that have continued to pervade the crude oil market. Before the present oil price fall, very many Nigerians have called on successive administrations to revive agriculture not only to earn revenue but also to feed its growing population.

Unfortunately, these calls have gone unheeded. There is no denying the fact that Nigeria is currently undergoing hard times due to diminishing demand for oil, thereby making it difficult for the government to meet its financial obligations. It is worth restating that the discovery of crude oil, a commodity, which for the past 70 years has become the index of wealth and power, has brought more pains than gains to Nigerians.

In fact, if anything, oil has become more of a curse than a cure.

However, the present harsh times can be overcome if the authorities look inwards and restore agriculture to its lost glory. It is even sadder to

know that the country now imports some of those commodities that once made it famous. Only recently, the Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele revealed that Nigeria loses at least N20 billion yearly to importation of palm oil. This also goes for rice, cocoa, rubber, cotton and other farm produce.

It is shameful that Nigeria is importing palm oil, rice and many other agricultural produce, especially when it is on record that Malaysia, a country that imported its first palm seedlings from Nigeria, has grown to become the largest exporter of the product in the world. Aside palm oil, the country also imports cashew nuts, rice, kola nuts and maize all of which were previously exported by Nigeria.

Indeed, there is every reason for Nigeria to revive agriculture as the mainstay of the economy. Firstly, the country boasts of vast arable land that can support every kind of agricultural produce.

Moreover, mechanised agriculture has the capacity to employ thousands of Nigerians through the value chain in contrast to oil that places emphasis on advanced technologies to the detriment of human labour.

We make bold to posit that agriculture would revive the country’s moribund manufacturing industries that employed millions of workers in such sub sectors as textiles, food processing, fish farming and wood lumbering. In addition, the revival of agriculture would help end ruralurban migration that is responsible for high levels of crimes and antisocial activities in our cities. Even though the Nigerian economy is a growing one, it can become better if the potentials in the agricultural sector are harnessed.

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L-R: Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi; his wife, Wuraola and former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo during the courtesy visit of the Ooni to Obasanjo at his Hilltop residence in Ibara, Abeokuta … on Wednesday.

PHOTO: DAVID IDOWU.

L-R: Regional CEO, Anglophone Africa, UBA, Emeke Iweriebor; GMD/CEO, UBA Plc, Phillips Oduoza; Chairman and President US EXIM Bank, Fred Hochberg; Group Managing Director-Designate, UBA, Kennedy Uzoka; and, Group Head, Global Financial Institutions & Development Organisations, Sola Yomi-Ajayi, during the signing of a $100 million trade finance deal between both institutions in Kigali, Rwanda... on Wednesday.

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Katsina State Governor, Aminu Masari (right); Acting Managing Director, Bank of Industry (BOI), Waheed Olagunju (middle), and Executive Director (Corporate Services) BOI, Mr. Tobin Jonathan after signing a Memorandum of Understanding between Katsina State Government and BOI in Katsina State… on Wednesday.

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STATEMENTS BY THOSE WHO MATTER

Aminu Kano

Nelson Mandela

Nnamdi Azikiwe

“The road to freedom is full of thorns and fire, yet happy is he who follows it!

“The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”

“No matter how old an individual may be, no matter if he is young or old, if he thinks in accordance with the times he is immortal.”

4

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, May 12, 2016

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, May 12, 2016

5 News

COSEG vows to subdue Niger-Delta militants in Lagos Gboyega Adeoye

ÏÏÏThe

Coalition of Oodua Self Determination Groups (COSEG), has said it is fully prepared to outwit members of the NigerDelta Avengers (NDA) and bring them to their kneels, should they carry out their threat to attack Lagos.

According to COSEG, the threat, coming at this time of stern economic recession in the country, is capable of throwing the nation into another civil war.

It, therefore, enjoined the Federal Government to attend to treat the threat with the kind of seriousness it required.

The group, however, said it is fully prepared to curtail such invasion, hinging its right on the globally approved right to self defence.

NDA recently issued a threat, saying its members are planning to unleash terror on the city of Lagos as a way of registering their disapproval to the current state of the nation.

Kayode Adelowokan

ÏÏÏTraditional

rulers in Kosofe Local Government Area of Lagos State, have backed the call for the inclusion of Awori indigenes in the state’s daily social, political and economic activities of the local government and the two LCDAs in the area.

The Oba of Ikosi land, Oba Alamu Oloyede and Oba of Ketu land, Oba Isiaka Balogun, recently at separate visits to their palaces by the Awori Indigenous Forum (AIF) in Kosofe Local Government Area, led by Hon. Yakubu Balogun, assured the youth that the traditional rulers in the local government have agreed to intensify the call for the inclusion of Awori indigenes in the governance of the State rather than the norms of people from other states running the affairs of local government.

Oba Isiaka Balogun, during the visit, called some

Reacting, Dayo Ogunlana, Chairman of COSEG, described the threat as “empty as well as a suicide mission on the part of the NDA, as COSEG would not spare any rod in dealing with any external aggressor decisively.”

To this end, Ogunlana said all members of COSEG has been put on red alert to resist any form of violation of law and order in the entire south west of Nigeria, with force.

COSEG is a coalition of over 36 Yoruba self-determination groups, including the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), Oodua Liberation Movement (OLM), Oodua Renaissance Movement (ORM), the Covenant Group and several others.

Ogunlana, who spoke with our correspondent in Lagos, said COSEG viewed the recent threat by NDA as an affront on the Yoruba people by a section of the country who had enjoyed enormous political sup-

port from the race in the past, but now paying back in bad coins.

He described the bid to attack Lagos by the NDA members as political, wondering why such is coming now that their own is out of government as President of the country.

“Why are they coming out now that Goodluck Jonathan is out of government? Where was this amorphous group when the last administration was squandering our commonwealth? Does it mean they do not see anything wrong in the last administration despite the mind boggling revelations that are currently unfolding?”

Ogunlana queried.

The COSEG boss therefore urged all Yoruba sons and daughters to be very vigilant of happenings around them and report any strange or suspicious movement to the law enforcement agencies to forestall unpremeditated attack.

Monarchs seek Awori indigenes’ inclusion in Lagos governance traditional rulers in the local government on his mobile phone as witness to their demands from the state government during a recent meeting with the governor which he said lasted eight hours.

The Awori Indigenous Forum (AIF), in a letter presented to the traditional rulers, applauded Governor Akinwumi Ambode for his decision to relocate the Mile 12 market following a fight that broke out between the Yorubas and the Hausas.

The decision they said is in the best interest of Lagosians living in the area but urged the governor to enforce that all shops and markets must close by 7:00pm and that on no condition shall anybody be found to be sleeping at any of such markets, as all markets gates should be shut by

7.00pm.

Besides: “That adequate security should be provided around such markets and other public facilities and especially the Mile 12 market and others henceforth; “That all miscreants, waives and strays around such markets and public facilities should be strongly discouraged from milling around as they face the risk of being arrested and prosecuted for constituting public nuisance and security risk; “That the Traditional rulers like Obas, Baales, C.D.A Executives, Youth Leaders and elderly in each neighbourhood should be at the vanguard of joint and cooperative security outfits with the Law Enforcement Agents (Police and other Para-military force); to ensure water tight security of all areas within the state;

News Analysis

Before the ‘randy lecturer’ Bill is passed (2) Segun Adio

ÏÏÏ From the outset, it is

necessary to say that the bill criminalising lecturers, students’ sexual relations is essentially made to protect female students from so-called randy lecturers. There is no problem there anyway, after all our children deserve any protection they can get from the hands of the randy teachers.

But wait a minute!

Granted that it is abnormal for a lecturer to “grab, hug, rub or stroke or touch or pinch the breasts or hair or lips or hips or buttocks or any other sensual part of the body of a student,” yet I am a little worried about a section of the bill which makes a lecturer guilty “if he whistles or winks at a student or screams or exclaims or jokes or makes sexually

complimentary or uncomplimentary remarks about a student’s physique.”

I am also piqued at the punishment awaiting chief executives of institutions “if they fail to act within a week on complaints of sexual harassment made by students.”

Senator Omo-Agege and his co-travelers may be hitting below the belt with the suggestion that “the consent of the student shall not serve, in anyway, as a defence as the bill seeks to completely ban lecturerstudent relationships,” as stated in the Bill.

The sponsors of the bill, while conceiving lecturers as the guilty of ALL sexual assaults in institutions, albeit erroneously, fail to appreciate that most students in these institutions are NOT minors as the bill seems to conceive.

There are many adult/ matured students in tertiary institutions who are capable of determining their

future and understand their wants. The 1999 Constitutions as amended sees an 18-year-old as capable enough to determine his or her future and make appropriate choices. By my understanding, the minimum age requirement into a tertiary institution in Nigeria is 16. That is two years short of the constitutional age limit for adulthood in Nigeria.

When you criminalise grabbing, rubbing, stroking, touching and pinching hair, hips or any other sensual part of the body of the student, some people in the institution would run afoul of the law easily. I know assuredly that teachers and students of some disciplines, by the nature of their courses do come in bodily contact in the line of duty. At what point would the teacher be deemed to be guilty of this offence?

Continues tomorrow

Court upholds Oduah’s election

Andrew Orolua Abuja

ÏÏÏThe

Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja, on Wednesday, struck out a preelection suit filed by Margery Okadigbo challenging the election of Senator Stella A. Oduah as the Senator representing Anambra North Senatorial District.

Trial judge, Justice Adeniyi Ademola, said the legal action instituted by the Margery Okadigbo following the controversy that

surrounded the Peoples Democratic Party primary in Anambra State, was incompetent.

Okadigbo had challenged the primary election that produced Oduah as the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2015 Senatorial election.

Delivering judgement in the legal action, Justice Ademola held that Section 31 of the Electoral Act, 2010 and 251 of the 1999 Constitution are categorical and unambiguous to the effect that

the primary election is an internal affairs of a political party and should not be enquired into by any court of law.

The Judge held that he had carefully studied the case of Senator Okadigbo and found that there was no dispute in the fact that the issue in contention was the PDP Primary election of December 7, 2014, conducted

by Mr. Simon Izuora and which produced Oduah as the candidate of the Party for the Anambra North.

News 6

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, May 12, 2016

Labour kicks, marketers hail new N145 PMS price Continued from page 1 However, the Executive Secretary, Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Mr. Obafemi Olawore, supported the decision to remove subsidy calling it the right step in liberating the downstream sector. “It is a step towards deregulation.

At MOMAN, we support full deregulation,” he said.

Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu, announced the Federal government’s decision to jerk up the petrol price on Wednesday at a press conference held in the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Full text of the press briefing read: “We have just finished a meeting of various stakeholders presided over

by His Excellency, the Vice President of the Federal Re-

public of Nigeria.

“The meeting had in attendance the Leadership of the Senate, House of Representatives, Governors Forum, and Labour Unions (NLC, TUC, NUPENG, and PENGASSAN).

“The meeting reviewed: The current fuel scarcity and supply difficulties in the country. The exorbitant prices being paid by Nigerians for the product. These prices range on the average from N150 to N250 per litre currently.

“The meeting also noted that the main reason for the current problem is the inability of importers of petroleum products to source foreign exchange at the official rate due to the massive decline of foreign exchange earnings of the federal gov-

ernment. As a result, private marketers have been unable to meet their approximate 50% portion of total national supply of PMS. “Following a detailed presentation by the Honorable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, it has now become obvious that the only option and course of action now open to the government is to take the following decisions: “In order to increase and stabilise the supply of the product, any Nigerian entity is now free to import the product, subject to existing quality specifications and other guidelines issued by Regulatory Agencies.

“All Oil Marketers will be allowed to import PMS on the basis of FOREX procured from secondary sources and

accordingly PPPRA template will reflect this in the pricing of the product.

“Pursuant to this, PPPRA has informed me that it will be announcing a new price band effective today, 11th May, 2016 and that the new price for PMS will not be above N145 per litre.

“We expect that this new policy will lead to improved supply and competition and eventually drive down pump prices, as we have experienced with diesel. In addition, this will also lead to increased product availability and encourage investments in refineries and other parts of the downstream sector. It will also prevent diversion of petroleum products and set a stable environment for the downstream sector in Nigeria.”

L-R: Head, Business Development, Stanbic IBTC Asset Management Ltd (SIAML), Mr. Babalola Obilana; Chief Executive, SIAML, Mrs. Bunmi DayoOlagunju and Chief Executives, Progsco Wise Global Ltd, Mr. and Mrs. Godson Osuagwu, at SIAML’s client engagement dinner in Abuja… on Wednesday.

Reacting, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) in a statement by its General Secretary, Dr Peter Ozo-Eson said: “The unilateral increase in prices of petroleum products today by government represents the height of insensitivity and impunity and shall be resisted by the Nigeria Labour Congress and its civil society allies.

“With the imposition on the citizenry of criminal and unjustifiable electricity tariff and resultant darkness and other economic challenges brought on by the devaluation of the Naira and spiraling inflation, the least one had expected at this point in time was another policy measure that would further make life more miserable for the ordinary Nigerian “The latest increase is the most audacious and cruel in the history of product price increase as It represents not only about 80 per cent increase but it is tied to the black market exchange rate.

“Furthermore, the process through which government arrived at this is both illogical and illegal as the board of the PPPRA is not duly constituted. In our previous statements and communiques, we had stressed the need for reconstituting the boards of NNPC and PPPRA and wean both away from the overbearing influence of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources who has assumed the role of a Sole Administrator.

“The allusion to the fact that the this increase was arrived at after due consul-

tation with stake holders is not only ridiculous and fallacious, it goes to show that the brief meeting held today during which government was advised shelve the idea until at least it meets with the appropriate organs of the Congress was in bad faith.

“Accordingly, we urge the government to revert the prices to what they were. We would want to put everybody on notice that we shall resist this criminal increase with every means legitimate.

“Already an emergency NEC meeting has been scheduled for Friday, May 13, 2016 to decide on the next line of action. Meanwhile, our affiliates, state councils and civil society allies are requested to commence mobilization immediately.”

Similarly, National President of TUC, Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama in a telephone chat with Daily Times also said “What we are saying now is that we have to see the template, we have to discuss with our organs like our sister union, NLC and we will come up with a position and keep the media posted on our decision.

Also reacting, Comrade Joe Ajaero, factional President of NLC, told Daily Times that removing subsidy without fulfilling the agreement reached with the unions was a betrayal.

According to him, “We do not in any way support full deregulation of the downstream petroleum sector driven on the import of finContinued on page 12

Buhari demands immediate, unconditional release of stolen funds Continued from page 1 of identified stolen funds to their countries of origin by leaders in whose countries such assets are kept.

Buhari also called for the establishment of an international anti-corruption infrastructure that would monitor, trace and facilitate the return of such assets to their countries of origin.

Speaking at a Commonwealth event entitled ``Tackling Corruption Together: A Conference for Civil Society, Business and Government Leaders,’’ held at Malborough House, President Buhari ex-

pressed deep frustration in effort by his administration to retrieve huge public funds illegally taken abroad from Nigeria.

Also on Wednesday in London, Buhari admitted that his country, Nigeria is “fantastically corrupt.”

He was asked by Sky News Diplomatic Editor, Dominic Wagborn whether Nigeria was ‘fantastically corrupt’ as sarcastically depicted on Tuesday by the British Prime Minister, David Cameron and he responded in the affirmative.

Cameron was caught on camera on Tuesday describ-

ing Nigeria and Afghanistan as two ‘fantastically corrupt’ nations.

The conversations between Buhari and Sky News Editor, as posted in a video by the news platform went thus: “Will you like an apology from the prime minister?”

“No, no, not at all.”

“Are you embarrassed by what he said?”

“No I’m not.”

“Is Nigeria fantastically corrupt?”

“Yes!” Buhari reiterated the ‘no apology needed’ stance while speaking at the Commonwealth event, saying “I am not

going to demand any apology from anybody.”

To cheers from Nigerian delegates in the audience, he added: “What would I do with an apology?”

Instead, he said Britain could be quicker to return assets wrongly brought to London, saying “I need something tangible,” instead of apology.

He observed, in the keynote address that he presented, that the tediousness and almost frustrating procedures being demanded need not be as there are provisions in the appropriate United Nations’ Conventions that require countries to return assets

where they were stolen from once it had been proven that they were illegitimately acquired.

President Buhari also blamed international criminal cartels for the flourishing of corrupt practices in several countries, saying that the local perpetrators work handin-hand with the cartels.

He said, “It is important to stress that the repatriation of identified stolen funds should be done without delay or preconditions.”

President Buhari equally pointed out that the quantum of illegal activities in the oil sector in Nigerian, especially

oil theft, had been made possible through the collaboration of staff of the oil companies.

“In addition to the looting of public funds, Nigeria is also confronted with illegal activities in the oil sector, the mainstay of our export economy. That this industry has been enmeshed in corruption with the participation of the staff of some of the oil companies is well established.

Their participation enabled oil theft to take place on a massive scale.

“Some of us in this hall may be familiar with the ReContinued on page 12

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, May 12, 2016

7 News

Face your N700m EFCC charge, Edo govt to Ize-Iyamu Titus Akhigbe, Benin

ÎÎÎ The Edo State Govern-

ment has asked a gubernatorial aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, to sort out his problems with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and stop displaying crass ignorance of the workings of government and modern development.

In a statement, the state Commissioner for Information, Prince Kassim Afegbua, said that Ize-Iyamu should be more concerned

about defending the charges levelled at him by the EFCC on the N700 million illicit campaign funds collected by him to prosecute the re-election of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

According to the statement: “We read with amusement a report credited to Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu alleging that the Edo State Government had collected over N1 trillion in almost eight years, which was used on projects, which, in his estimation, were not evenly distributed.

“It is gratifying to us

that Pastor Ize-Iyamu, a member of the opposition PDP recognises that the Edo State Government, under Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has done projects across the state. That, alone, is a gratuitous statement for which we remain grateful.

“However, Pastor IzeIyamu exhibited his lack of knowledge of what is happening in the state, when he said the State Government ‘chose deliberately to ignore agriculture, industry’.

“Is Ize-Iyamu aware of how many industries have

been set up in Edo State in the past few years of this administration? Has he not heard of the $1 billion Azura Independent Power Plant project in Benin City?

“Is he unaware of the $1 billion Dangote Cement Factory in Okpella, which will offer close to 50,000 direct and indirect jobs to people of the state? Is he not aware of the BUA Cement Company in Okpella that has already commenced production of an annual three million metric tonnes of cement? Is he not aware of the expansion of the Presco Oil Palm production

that has further created employment for our teeming youths? What about the Time Ceramics that has employed over 500 youths in the last six months? Has he not heard about the $750 million Wells and Carlos Farms which will employ over 85,000 people? Has he not heard of the expansions carried out by Okomu Oil and which have necessitated the employment of thousands of Edo youths?

FUTMINNA VC backs Buhari on corruption fight Pita Chikwem, Minna

ÎÎÎThe Vice-Chancellor of

the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna, Prof. Musbau Adewumi Akanji, has thrown his weight behind President Muhammadu Buhari on the fight against corruption which has destroyed the economy.

He said, on Wednesday, at the Personality Platform organised by the Niger State Correspondent Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), in Minna, that anyone who had a normal sense and wants a better Nigeria would support the drive.

According to him, “I am L-R: CEO, Multimix Limited, Dr. Obiora Madu; Deputy Director, South-West Region, Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Mrs. M.B Kehinde; Divisional Head, Managed SMEs, Fidelity Bank Plc, Ken Opara; Assistant Comptroller-General, Nigerian Customs Service, M. P. Binga at the two-day Export Master Class Workshop organised by Fidelity Bank in conjunction with the NEPC in Ibadan... recently.

Enugu NURTW battles RTEAN over revenue collection Moses Oyediran, Enugu

ÎÎÎThe

National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has said it was prepared to fight Road Transport Employee Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) to a standstill over revenue collection.

With about 120 commercial bus and shuttle taxi drivers carrying placards the NURTW trooped out in a peaceful protest to reject the revenue collection by RTEAN. The Daily Times gathered that but for police quick intervention the crisis over collection of ticket levy would have caused bloodshed between the two bodies at Nsukka park.

According to an observer “it took the intervention of the police to calm down the frayed nerves”.

Some of the inscriptions

on the placards included, “We say No to being members of RTEAN”, “We have the right to choose the association we will belong to.”

Speaking to newsman the Chairman of Nsukka Commercial Bus and Shuttle Drivers, Mr. Chika Ozioko, said that after a meeting by his members, they unanimously rejected membership of RTEAN, since they belonged to NURTW the body that regulated and controlled activities of drivers in the country.

“We, the drivers in Nsukka town and its environs, say no to membership of RTEAN. We will resist any anybody who wants to force us into belonging to an association that we have nothing to benefit from,” he said.

Ozioko said that drivers took the decision after holding a meeting, as well as consulting with the Enugu

state chairman of NURTW, Mr. Matthew Asogwa, “who told us that the only union approved by trade union act for commercial drivers is NURTW.” “Since the state chairman said no RTEAN because it is illegal, we, the drivers in Nsukka, also say no RTEAN. “Is it this little money we make in a day, that we will use to be paying dues and buying emblems from two unions,”

he queried.

He alleged that it was the former state chairman of NURTW, Mr. Joseph Ugwu, who conspired with RTEAN to come and extort money from commercial drivers in Nsukka “We were told it was the former state chairman that was conspiring with this people called RTEAN to come and extort money from drivers in Nsukka,” he said.

Gov. Oshiomhole

with President Buhari one hundred and twenty percent (120%) in the fight against corruption. It has eaten deep into the system. It is dragging us back and also destroying us.

“I know it is biting hard on some people, but, of course, we have to suffer before we start enjoying. Anyone who has the betterment of Nigeria at heart will support Buhari’s drive.”

He added that FUT had set up an anti-corruption unit that would help to check activities in the school, especially in protecting our students from fraudsters, who are plying and sniffing everywhere.

Return to PDP, Esiso calls on Delta decampees Uche Matthew, Asaba

ÎÎÎThe Delta State chapter

of People Democratic Party chairman (PDP), Mr. Kingsley Esiso, on Wednesday, called on all decamped members of the party to return in the next three months without sanctions.

Esiso stated this while addressing the press after the official handover by his predecessor, Chief Edwin Uzor at the party secretariat, in Asaba.

He noted that the party had been victorious in the

state, adding that his executives would ensure its continuity in government.

“And in 2019, we want to return the President of PDP extraction to Aso Rock, Abuja.

“Therefore, as the state chairman, I want to say that those who left this party for one reason or the other to seek greener pasture, should come back without sanctions.

“My door is open to welcome them back as a family to which they belong; the family of PDP, and I pray that they all come back willingly and we will accept them,”Esiso said.

Four students escape death as two-storey building collapses in Ilorin Kehinde Akinpelu, Ilorin.

ÎÎÎFour

secondary school students in Ilorin metropolis narrowly escaped death, on Wednesday, when a two-storey building collapsed on them.

The Daily Times gathered that one of their teachers,

Mr. Muritala Obalowu, had brought them to the building site to carry concrete blocks when the building located at Opeyemi Street, Saw Mill area, collapsed at about 9:00 am.

Sources said that students were usually brought to the building site as a form of pun-

ishment.

It was also gathered that the teacher, said to be a son of the owner of the house, was in the habit of taking the students to the building site for menial jobs.

The sources also said that the students, who were frightened due to the incidents, were quickly taken to the

building next to the collapsed one building where water was poured on them.

It was also gathered that the teacher was also said to have sneaked the four male students though the back door of the building where they were allegedly kept from enraged members of the public.

8

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, May 12, 2016

Politics

Æs

APC, Fayose tango over inflated debts, non-payment of workers’ salaries The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has accused Governor Ayodele Fayose of deceit over claims on the projects he commissioned last week as well as reasons for non-payment of workers salaries.

Besides, the party claimed that there is no truth in the governor’s claims during his monthly media chat on the projects he commissioned, including claims on non-receipt of refunds on federal roads and debts owed by former Governor Kayode Fayemi.

It also berated the governor over insistence to poison Ekiti waters to kill herdsmen cows if they reared their cattle in Ekiti State.

In a statement, Publicity Secretary of the party in the state, Taiwo Olatunbosun, faulted Fayose’s figures on state debts and salary figures, including claims on some projects, saying the governor was allegedly on “a familiar terrain to con Ekiti people”.

“Contrary to Fayose’s claim in his media chat that he built Funmilayo Olayinka Women

Centre, the truth is that Ekiti State Government did not spend one kobo on that project, as it is a TETFUND’s project planned for Ekiti State University campus, but which Fayose forced its relocation to Ado-Ekiti town to achieve the purpose of deceiving the people.

“The same is Ikere road dualisation project, which was financed by a bank as its social responsibility project for the community’s development, but which Fayose is claiming credit for,” he explained.

Accusing the governor of

reckless conduct in his insistence to poison state’s waters to stop herdsmen from grazing in Ekiti State, Olatunbosun described Fayose as “a man of violence with uncanny appetite”.

He also accused the governor of lying in his claims on the state debts and salary figures, saying that there was no truth in the governor’s claim of N1.5b monthly debt deduction in the state allocation.

“Fayemi paid N13b out of N25b he borrowed before leaving office. The Federal GovernCONTINUED ON PAGE 9

Fayose

APC: Mass killings continue in Rivers as Wike eyes 2019 Stories by Akinjide Akintola & Tom Okpe, Abuja

As mass killings continue in Rivers State, the National Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has alerted security agents and Nigerians to the design of the state governor, Nyesom Wike ahead of the 2019 General Election.

The ruling party, in a statement by its National Secretary, Mai Mala Buni cautioned security agencies and Nigerians at large not to be hoodwinked by the latest ploy of the governor to deflect attention from the continued and increased spate of mass killings and violence being perpetuated under his watch as

Wike

Former Edo Speaker was too greedy — Ativie

Elizabeth Ativie, the newly elected Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly spoke to some journalists on why they moved against the former speaker and other issues.

TITUS AKHIGBE was there.

Excerpts: What necessitated the ac-

tion that brought you in as speaker?

The former speaker, like I said in the chambers, was very corrupt. His high handedness in managing his colleagues...

We’re all equals, he is just one among equals. We all contested for election and came to the house together. We also elected

governor and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

Wike had stated in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital on Tuesday that the PDP is currently being “reorganised” to takeover the “seat of power” in 2019.

According to the APC, the spate of killings in Rivers State has now assumed genocidal dimensions with horrendous killing and maiming of residents and security personnel almost on a daily basis.

Buni recalled that on Monday, five mobile policemen including a Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mr. Nasiru Halidu were ambushed and killed at Okobe in Ahoada West Local Government Area of the state. On Tuesday, five persons were killed

and scores injured in attacks in different parts of the state. The state high court premises in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital also came under attack.

“Clearly, Rivers State has been transformed into a killing field under the watch of the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike and the PDP in the state. The APC calls on the Police and other security agencies to as a matter of urgency, rise up to stop the breakdown of law and order which has resulted in mass killings and other forms of violence in Rivers State”, the party stressed.

APC said that instead of joining issues with Wike’s idle 2019 postulations, the APC-led administration would rather concenCONTINUED ON PAGE 10

him to be our speaker. But to the extent that the majority leader, who is the leader of everybody in the house, including the speaker, does not know anything about the finances of the house. What comes in and what goes out of the house he doesn’t know, and that is not right. And CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

Ativie

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, May 12, 2016

‘‘He queried Fayose’s claim of paying the same salary figures as Fayemi after he had cancelled Fayemi’s Youth Volunteers Scheme involving 5,000 youths, each taking N10,000.00 monthly while Fayose also announced to Ekiti people that he had discovered 500 ghost workers during staff auditing he carried out last year.’’

Fayemi

9 Politics

Ekiti APC: Fayose on familiar trail to con the people CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

ment has rescheduled debts payments among the indebted states to ease their debts burdens, making Ekiti State to now pay less than the N480m debt repayment that Fayemi was making monthly, but which Fayose has been deceiving Ekiti people that he pays N1.5b as debt monthly.

“During his media chat, Fayose cleverly avoided declaring to Ekiti people that he had, in collaboration with the members of the House of Assembly obtained another N20 billion loan.

“Even with the new loan he took, monthly deduction on the state debt cannot be up to N1.5b, yet Fayose keeps lying to Ekiti workers that after deduction of debt, there is no money to pay salaries.

“It should be noted that Fayemi appointed 708 board members, but Fayose has 80. While Fayemi had 429 SAs/SSAs, Fayose has 11 and while the former governor had 735 appointees

in local governments and local council development areas, Fayose has only 80.

“Exco members in Fayemi’s cabinet numbered 43 while Fayose has 21, and in his social security schemes, Fayemi had 800 peace corps members, each taking N20,000 monthly while Fayose has none.

“Under road management scheme, Fayemi hired 535 men each taking N25,000.00 per month but Fayose has 35, while in paramedics, Fayemi hired 160 hands but Fayose has none, even as Fayose has cancelled Fayemi’s social security for the elderly scheme that took care of 19,627 elderly people, each taking N5,000.00 monthly,” he added.

He queried Fayose’s claim of paying the same salary figures as Fayemi after he had cancelled Fayemi’s Youth Volunteers Scheme involving 5,000 youths, each taking N10,000.00 monthly while Fayose also announced to Ekiti people that he

had discovered 500 ghost workers during staff auditing he carried out last year.

“If with all these appointments by Fayemi, the former governor still paid a monthly wage bill of N2.6b, where does Fayose get the same N2.6b figure he claims to be paying as a monthly wage bill after cancelling all Fayemi’s programmes?” he queried.

Olatunbosun also accused the governor of frustrating a lawyer’s request through FOI Law to examine state accounts on allocations and expenditures while at the same time “deceitfully” asking Ekiti people during his media chat to approach the office of the Accountant General for information on the state finances.

He asked Fayose to explain how he spent the N9.6b bailout he took at the time he was owing one month salary and urged workers to insist on payment of their four months salary arrears.

Ativie: Its cheap blackmail to say we’ll impeach deputy governor CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

all the resources that come to the house are stipulated; how it should be used in the house. He came up with his own ideas and he just moved everything. Members were not being taken care of properly. To the extent that, you can even observe that members were living like paupers. I don’t want to go into his reckless spending. Almost one year in office, members cannot even feed properly. The most annoying one is each time members complain that the POC (Principal Officers of the Council), they’re supposed to take care of members; they are given the responsibility of liaising, doing all the letters to the executive...because we don’t have autonomy, whatever approvals, they bring them to the house. So, we left that for them to do that’s why they’re elected.

So, they failed because those resources are being diverted for personal use and it is not used for what it’s meant for. The most painful thing was that when we asked him, (deposed speaker), he told us that it was the chief executive that was not releasing it and now ignited us to be fighting the chief executive and that

led to almost three months of war between us and the chief executive. But the chief executive one day told the leaders of the party that he’s going to expose these things. It’s enough. The fight is enough. Then he called a meeting of honourable members and he was asking us what are the issues? And we were saying our money has not been released. He said okay out 14 items, he has paid and released 12. He started enumerating the figures to members’ hearing. We have heard that kind of rumour before but when asked he (former speaker) will deny. That’s why people wonder why do you have to wait for almost one year because we believe whatever he told us until the man opened up and he (former speaker) did not deny it, he did not argue with the man. That was where members came back and said, “ha, this must stop.” Otherwise...

One year is gone now. We just have 2016, 2017 and 2018 we’re preparing for another election.

So, when will you be able to do something in your constituency that you can use to campaign.

Now, we’re going for governorship election. We cannot even go home to talk to our people

because those things we have done that brought us back that our people saw that made our people vote for us to come back, we cannot do one-tenth of those things. So, what has happened?

Members started going into papers, civil servants were bringing them out and it became very clear. Some members said, no, they can’t lead us again. Those people that were fingered, that is the speaker and his deputy, they said they have to go. We now did a little adjustment.

Apart from that you also know that our level of productivity has gone down as a house. When the head is rotten, what do you expect from the rest part of the body? This new set of lawmakers are educated. Many of them are widely travelled. Some of them are former local government councils chairmen. They are not babies, you cannot cheat them. Some of them are activists. The moment that cheating was established anger flared.

In the process of trying to take care of this anger more revelations came every day. Another revelation: yesterday a certain amount of money was paid into his personal account. That was why I announced that we’re set-

Odubu

ting up a committee. We actually set up a committee to look at our finances from June last year to May this year because every day, new revelations are coming out.

In fact, I just told some people that I won’t start spending any money there until proper auditing is done then the line is

drawn, everyone knows where I am starting from. I don’t want to be part of that mess. I have come a long way. My integrity, my personality and all that I have achieved I have achieved in this state as a former youth leader in this state; former youth leader at CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

Politics 10

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, May 12, 2016

Mass killing in Rivers: APC links Wike’s 2019 agenda CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

trate on ongoing efforts to deliver all-inclusive development in the country adding that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is already working assiduously to repair the rot caused by the PDP’s 16-year misrule and pillage of the country’s commonwealth.

“Since the APC-led administration took over the governance of the country, the fight against Boko Haram have been invigorated with regional and global support and cooperation against the terror group.

“The recently assented 2016 National Budget caters for many of the promises made to the Nigerian electorate by the party in the course of the 2015 presidential campaign. This includes the safety net created to cater for the poorest and most vulnerable Nigerians amongst other pro-people developmental policies.

“Also, President Muhammadu Buhari’s shuttle diplomacy has

been able to restore Nigeria’s integrity among comity of progressive-minded nations. The shuttle diplomacy has also had positive effects on the country’s economic policies and counterinsurgency efforts”, the party said.

APC pointed out that in spite of desperate attempts by the PDP and it’s agents to discredit President Buhari’s anti-corruption efforts, the war against corruption is being won and have been wellreceived and supported. The generality of Nigerians agree that the days of impunity are over. The political will and sincerity of purpose of the present administration to tackle corruption from the roots to the upper echelons no matter whose ox is gored remains unwavering, adding “happily, Nigerians can look back, with relief and attest that since the APC-led administration took over governance, Nigeria is back on the right track - economically and security-wise”.

‘‘Clearly, Rivers State has been transformed into a killing field under the watch of the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike and the PDP in the state. The APC calls on the Police and other security agencies to as a matter of urgency, rise up to stop the breakdown of law and order which has resulted in mass killings and other forms of violence in Rivers State”, the party stressed.’’

Buhari

Ondo APC knocks AAAU Management over imposition of reparation fee ‘Tosin Ajuwon, Akure The Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) says the reduction in the reparation fee from N25,000 to N15,000 imposed on students of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, (AAAU) as a condition for their readmission into the institution, sequel to the rampage that greeted the death of one of them, Afolabi Ojo, is unacceptable and a travesty of justice.

A statement issued by the party’s director of media and publicity, Steve Otaloro, on Wednesday, said the reduction in the fee has given credence to the party’s earlier statements that the school authority erred in imposing levy on the students in the first place.

He re-emphasised that the levy was hurriedly done to divert the attention of the public from government negligence in doing the needful for the state university noting that there was no reason students should be punished for a preventable death of one of their colleagues.

Otaloro said the government was culpable for the action of the students when it refused to provide a backup healthcare facility for Ojo, like it actually participated in his death.

“Making scapegoats out of the students is a precarious

move the government applied to save its face in the public. But we have bad news for you - it’s not working and will never work as the public had since exonerated the helpless students.

“While not condoning any act of violence, we must however get things right. It’s natural that emotions always run high in human seeing the death of a colleague that could be prevented; the way Afolabi Ojo seems to have been killed unattended to through non provision of good healthcare services at his disposal.

“If adequate Medicare had been provided for him- as he might have probably paid for health centre fee as part of school fee, the situation would have been different and understandable. The students would not have gone on peaceful demonstration that was allegedly hijacked by hoodlums and resulted in violence.

“As we all know, times are hard in the state, people are hungry and consequently angry with the government for non payment of their salaries for an unprecedented five months which had resulted in low economic activities in the state.

Anyone could have tapped on the people’s anger for the PDPled government in the state to perpetrate violence.

“Therefore, forcing the stu-

Mimiko

dents to pay reparation for a crime they did not commit- as there was no investigation that suggests otherwise, and having lost one of their colleagues to the cold hand of death in such a painful, shocking and unforgiving manner is excruciating enough to provoke another rounds of anger at the slightest provocation after their resumption.

“It’s a callous reflection of their desire not to give value for life and a blatant disregard to the feelings of the parents of the deceased who are still grieving the loss of their son at this time and hoping to put a closure to the actual cause of the death of their only son by instituting a panel of inquiry to that effect instead of capitalising on their son’s death to raise unwarranted funds and attract a flurry of press statement hostile to the school authority which unfortunately includes their son’s name”, the party stressed.

“It’s a callous reflection of their desire not to give value for life and a blatant disregard to the feelings of the parents of the deceased who are still grieving the loss of their son at this time and hoping to put a closure to the actual cause of the death of their only son by instituting a panel of inquiry to that effect instead of capitalising on their son’s death to raise unwarranted funds.’’

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, May 12, 2016

We’ll bring sanity to Edo Assembly— Ativie CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

the federal level; leader of women and youths, I have to sustain that integrity that I have built over the years. I have just told my aide now that we’re going to write on Monday to the chief auditor to send us an auditor to come and audit the account of the establishment so that after this I will now have my own clean slate. At the end of my tenure let people come and audit me too. We’re going to bring sanity to the house. Of course, if you’ve been entering that chambers you will see that in recent times when we’re sitting, some hoodlums will be at the gallery.

That has not been part of our business. It’s responsible people that come to the gallery and watch their legislators talking about their issues. But this time what you see is hoodlums. Why are you afraid? Right from day one when he started he has been bringing these hoodlums. Why are you afraid that you are going to be removed if your hands are clean, if you believe in what you are doing or you have the calling of what you’re doing? Why are you afraid? Right from the day he started, hoodlums all over the whole place you’ll be walking at the corridor you’ll see all sorts of boys, all sorts of human beings and we don’t have such people. Have you not noticed it?

His press secretary was on a local radio station this morning claiming that his principal is still in charge.

Have you taken over the office fully now?

Yes, we have been working now. Today, we had some familiarization visit to the commissioner of police, the DSS, and we’ve frozen the account. We’re

working now. It’s not radio matter. Were you not there yesterday?

Have you retrieved the assembly properties that are with the former speaker?

You know there are processes to that. We have to follow due process. We’ve asked the clerk to write to him to deliver those things. Even the mace. He took the mace away. We have also asked the chief whip to go and collect the mace.

The talk in town is that the change in leadership in the house is because of the perceived fight between the governor and his deputy. Is this true?

No, far from that. We have no business with what is happening in the executive We’re all politicians from our various constituencies. We have leaders. We have our constituencies mindsets. You cannot go against your constituencies mindsets. It is a cheap blackmail. I read in one of the papers yesterday that we were made to go and do that so that we can impeach the deputy governor. Far from the truth. He is still the one that is getting people to write these things so that there will be diversionary therapy. (General laughter). He wants to divert us. You know, while we have not made all these things public we have already set up a committee of five persons headed by Honorable Emmanuel Agbaje, who is a seasoned accountant. They are going to get us results. Like I said in my speech, if he is found wanting he would be prosecuted. But if he is not found wanting we’ll recall him from suspension let him also feel what other members have been feeling (General laughter).

11 Politics

Corruption: APC UK blasts Cameron

Cameron

The statement by UK Prime Minister and leader of the conservatives, David Cameron, to pooh-pooh President Muhammadu Buhari’s effort in fighting corruption has been condemned by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the UK. President Buhari currently in the UK for the anti-corruption summit hosted by David Cameron had received commendation from the Prime Minister in the past and other world leaders over his stance against corruption.

During the 2015 Election campaign, PMB as he is fondly

known, pledged to fight corruption and he has not reneged on his promise.

The group said it should be noted that within a year of being sworn-in, President Buhari has achieved a lot in his fight against corruption in Nigeria.

President Buhari is known for his zero tolerance against corruption. He has made major efforts to change the image of the nation within and outside the country; and this government’s policies are working. In the recent list of the top 10 most corrupt countries released, Nigeria was not on the list.

Even while the Prime Minister made the comment about Nigeria being one of the “fantastically corrupt Countries”, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby quickly corrected him and acknowledged in the presence of the Queen of England that President Buhari “is actually not corrupt and he is doing a great job in Nigeria”.

Nigeria and indeed the world are aware the new sheriff in town is working to tackle corruption unlike the previous government which allowed corruption to thrive.

A statement issued by Adenike Lucas, the press secretary of the APC UK chapter, reads: “The APC-led government has empowered the anti-corruption agency (EFCC) resulting in several high profile investigations and prosecution of individuals involved in corruption and misappropriation of funds.

“This is an ongoing process that includes blocking leakages, sensitising the system, re-training of stakeholders amongst other measures put in place to curb corruption. It is crystal clear to all that President Buhari is determined to root out corruption from the system.

“APC UK and Nigerians in the Diaspora have confidence in the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari and believes that the current administration is moving Nigeria forward, away from the rot and decay suffered under the previous administration.”

Edo legislature summons electric company over estimated bills

Ativie

Mrs Funke Oshibodu, Managing Director of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC), has been summoned by Edo State House of Assembly.

The Speaker of the House, Mrs Elizabeth Ativie, gave the directive when protesters, under the aegis of Network of Civil Society of Nigeria, visited the assembly in Benin on Wednesday.

Oshibodu was asked to appear before the House on May 12 over alleged extortion of electricity consumers in the state with estimated bills.

Mr Abraham Oviawe who led the protesters to the assembly said the BEDC was over billing the consumers through estimated bills.

Oviawe appealed to the House to intervene in the matter as it had brought untold hardship to the people.

The Speaker described the protest as timely, adding, ``the state Governor had in the past made concerted efforts to call the management of BEDC to order.’’

Ativie urged the BEDC to regulate the billing system to reflect transparency. ``I want to commend your effort today for representing the voiceless in the society. ``It is good that you have brought this issue of estimated billing system used to exploit Nigerians to the attention of the public’’, Ativie said.

She assured the protesters that

the members of the House will join in demanding for fair, accurate and transparent process of billing electricity consumers in the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the speaker and other lawmakers joined the protesters to march round the King Square.

Oshiomole

News 12

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, May 12, 2016

Pipeline explosion: Shell declares force majeure on Bonny Light exports Ï # ôƐ ƍƏ ƒ ƊƆ ƏƆƍƆ Ɛ Ƈ RƗƈ ƌ ƅƏƆè #ƈƅƊ Ɠ Ə Ɔ ƍƈƏ ƐƆ è ƌƈƋƈƐƈ Ə Ƒƍ Akam James Ɔ

ÎÎÎIn a further blow to Nigeria’s oil industry and exportation, Shell Petroleum Develop-

ment Company of Nigeria Ltd on Wednesday announced the shutdown of its 250,000 barrels-per-day Bonny Light export terminal in Rivers State.

This is even as the Bayelsa

State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson, on Wednesday, condemned the recent killing of seven personnel of the Nigerian Navy and Joint Military Task Force, Operation Pulo

Shield in the state, warning that the killings could set a stage for a repeat of the ugly incident that led to the 1999 Odi Massacre in Kolokuma/ Opokuma area of the state.

Lƈ ƈ ƐƆƏ Ƈ dƐ ƐƆ Ƈ Ə ^ƆƐƏ ƋƆƑƌè #Əê 9ƄƆ E ƅ ƈƊƓƑ Ƒ ƅƈ Ɛ Ɔ ƆƓ ƍƆƐƏ Ƌ ƍƑƌƍ ƍƏƈƅƆ ƈ ƄƑƉ Č zƆƗ Ɔ Ɨ ƕê

Buhari demands immediate, unconditional release of stolen funds Continued from page 6 port released by Chatham House, here in London, in 2013, titled “Nigeria’s Criminal Crude: International Options to Combat the Export of Stolen Oil.” The important findings of the Chatham House document are illuminating and troubling.

“Part of the Report concluded that: Nigerian crude oil is being stolen on an industrial scale and exported, with the proceeds laundered through world financial centres by transnational organized criminals.

“Oil theft is a species of organized crime that is almost totally off the international community’s radar, as Nigeria’s trade and diplomatic partners have taken no real action.

“Nigeria could not stop the trade single-handedly, and there is limited value in countries going it alone.

“It is clear therefore, that the menace of oil theft, put at over 150,000 barrels per day, is a criminal enterprise involving internal and external perpetrators. Illicit oil cargoes and their proceeds move across international borders.

“Opaque and murky as these illegal transactions may be, they are certainly traceable and can be acted upon, if all governments show the required political will. This will has been the missing link in the international efforts hitherto. Now in London, we can turn a new page by creating a multi-state and multi-stakeholder partnership to address this menace,” Buhari declared.

Accordingly, he called on the international community to designate oil theft as an international crime similar to the trade in “blood diamonds”, as it constitutes an imminent and credible threat to the economy and stabil-

ity of oil-producing countries like Nigeria, urging the critical stakeholders present at the conference to lead the charge in that regard.

The President noted that a main component of the anti-corruption partnership “is that governments must demonstrate unquestionable political will and commitment to the fight. The private sector must come clean and be transparent, and civil society, while keeping a watch on all stakeholders, must act and report with a sense of responsibility and objectivity.”

In a veiled reference to the continuous detention of the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, Buhari admitted that agencies of government had applied stringent rules in certain cases to prevent escape from justice.

Dasuki has remained in detention since last year following his arrest in connec-

tion with about two billiopn dollars arms deal, despite court orders.

Buhari also sought the support of countries in effort to prosecute some wanted persons residing there.

“I admit that there are a few cases where apparently stringent rules have been applied as a result of threats to national security and the likelihood that certain persons may escape from the country or seek to undermine the stability of Nigeria.

“It is for this reason that we are seeking the support of many countries for the prosecution of certain individuals residing in their jurisdictions. Of course we will provide the necessary legal documents and whatever mutual assistance is required to secure conviction of such individuals, as well as facilitate the repatriation of our stolen assets,” Buhari submitted.

A community leader in the area where the Bonny Light export terminal is located said an explosion of an oil pipeline triggered the shutdown.

“There was a blast on the trunk line around Kalabari community of Rivers State,” said Nengi James, a community leader dealing with oil and gas companies operating in the region.

“We don’t know the cause and who is behind the explosion.”

Meanwhile, Shell in a statement on Wednesday signed by its spokesperson, Mr. Bamidele Odugbesan, said the force majeure took effect by 12pm on Tuesday, May 10, 2016.

It said the decision came as a result of a leak that led to the closure of Nembe Creek Trunk line for repairs by the operator, Aiteo Eastern E & P Company Ltd. The company did not however disclose the cause of the leak in the statement.

The shutdown at Bonny Light will plunge Nigeria’s oil export to its lowest in more than two decades.

If all Bonny Light production is cut, it would bring the

nation’s output to below 1.5 million bpd for the first time since September 1994, according to Energy Information Administration data. Nigeria exports almost all its production.

Last week, a group known as Niger Delta Avengers attacked a Chevron facility in the Delta State after claiming a strike in February against a Shell pipeline, which shut down the 250,000 bpd Forcados export terminal.

Meanwhile, apparently disturbed by the recent killing of seven personnel of the Nigerian Navy and Joint Military Task Force, Operation Pulo Shield, the Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson, on Wednesday, condemned the killing along the Nembe Creek and Foropa community in Nembe and Southern Ijaw Local Government Areas of the state respectively.

According to Gov. Dickson, the unwarranted attacks and killing of the nation’s security personnel were putting the state and the region in bad light and setting a stage for a repeat of the ugly incident Continued on page 21

Labour kicks, marketers hail new N145 PMS price Continued from page 6 ished products. This to us, remains ill-advised, impoverishing and a gang-up by the ruling elite against Nigerian workers and masses.

“We have observed unfortunately that the federal government did not make any provisions for supporting the existing subsidy on petroleum products especially Petrol and Kerosene (in the 2016 Budget).

“We are worried that the Government feels it can badger Nigerians into submission by subjecting them to continuous harrowing experiences of petroleum scarcity so that through suffering Nigerians may get used to increased prices of the products.

“This to us is most un-

fortunate especially for a Government that preaches change and came into power on the enormous goodwill of Nigerians.

“We shall be mobilising Nigerian workers and masses to resist this. Government must keep its promises to Nigerian people and end this increasing angst and deprivation in the country.

“We do not see in this budget any attempt to immediately boost local refining capacity either by ensuring a quick Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) on the existing refineries or by establishing new refineries as promised during last year’s elections,” he said.

In his reaction, Ekiti State governor, Ayo Fayose said Continued on page 21

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, May 12, 2016

13

News 14

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, May 12, 2016

Nigerians urged to support FG to bring about change Segun Adio

ÏÏÏNigerians,

irrespective of ethnic and political divide, have been urged to support the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government to fulfil its campaign promises to the people, even as closer collaboration is being sought between the Presidency and the legislative arm of government.

Alao

…Buhari lauded for assent to budget, directive on killer herdsmen This plea was contained in a release issued by the Supreme Head of the Cherubim & Seraphim Unification Church of Nigeria, His Most Eminence Solomon Prophet Adegboyega Alao, a copy of which was made available to Daily Times in Lagos, on Wednesday.

Prophet Alao, who commended the thoroughness of both the legislatures and executive arm on the 2016 budget, however, urged the government to hit the ground running and begin real work on the budget as Nigerians can barely wait to enjoy the dividends of change promised.

Also, Prophet Alao called on agitators of secession in the country to retrace their steps and support the new government to

move the country forward. The renowned clergy also warned against any renewed hostility in the Niger Delta region, saying all hands must be on deck at this stage to move the country forward.

The statement read in part: “After a long, but necessary wait for proper scrutiny of the 2016 budget, Nigerians can now heave a sigh of relief that the document has been assented to by the President. What is left for everyone in the country now is to continue to cooperate and collaborate with the government to focus on implementing the letters of the budget.

“The government needs our support and understanding to be able to provide what they

promised us during campaigns.

That is what we owe the government.”

On the agitation for secession and renewed militancy in the Niger Delta, Alao says, “We all need to learn from history. No right thinking Nigerian will want a repeat of what happened during the civil war. Everyone has a legitimate right to ventilate his grievances, but it must be done in accordance with laid down laws and procedures. What this government does not need now is any form of distraction that is capable of derailing it from its path to development.”

The clergy also condemned the rising wave of killings by suspected herdsmen of farmers on their lands.

Lagos LG begins IGR data collection exercise Iniobong Iwok

ÏÏÏIba

local council development area (LCDA) of Lagos State is conducting data collection exercise of all its revenue items and points in the council area, to update the Council’s data base towards improving the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

The Executive Secretary of the council, Hon. Isiaka Yaya, in a statement released by the LCDA, said the data collection was necessary to provide a robust information of all revenue sources available to the local government area, adding that the local government was in dire need of revenue, considering the shrinking allocation to local government.

In its determination to tap the mineral resources of the country for effective diversification of the economy, the Federal Government has promised to partner the Ondo State government towards the exploration of its bitumen resource.

Kayode Fayemi, the Minister of Solid Mineral Resources, who made the assurance during a courtesy visit to Governor Olusegun Mimiko in Akure, expressed optimism towards the realisation of the exploration of the state’s bitumen to boost the

Senator Abiola Ajimobi, has told residents of the state to be prepared to pay for the refuse being generated daily, insisting that the regime of spending tax payers’ N30 million monthly for refuse disposal is over.

The governor said the policy shift became necessary following his observation that the state was gradually returning to the old order when it was adjudged one of the dirtiest state capitals in the country.

He read the riot act while speaking at a meeting with refuse collectors, local government chairmen, environmental sanitation officers, and management of West African Energy, a waste-to-wealth contracting firm, at the House of Chiefs, Ibadan, on Wednesday.

Ajimobi said the new policy was targeted at sustaining the environmental cleanliness credentials of his administration, as well as employment generation and wealth creation.

The governor said: “We are here because we are not happy with the state of our environment. We feel appalled by the condition of our environment and it’s now that we will have to act.

“We enforced a zero tolerance against filthy environment at the inception of our administration and we were praised for it.

Plateau wearing strange garment, says PDP chair Chijioke Kingsley Jos

ÏÏÏThe newly elected Peoples L-R: Acting Managing Director, Ports and Cargo, Alhaji Mohammed Bulangu; Executive Director, Commercials and Inland Container Depots, Mr. Markus Brinkmann and General Manager, Operations, Ports and Cargo Handling Services Limited, Mr. Mustapha Mohammed at the press conference on the forthcoming 10th year of ports concession in Lagos…on Wednesday.

Photo: QUADRI OLOWOLAGBA.

FG to partner Ondo govt on Bitumen exploration ‘Tosin Ajuwon Akure

Oyo indigenes to pay for refuse used ÏÏÏOyo State governor,

state and country’s trade and economy.

Fayemi, who had earlier toured d the bitumen belt in Agbabu, Loda, Ilubirin and other communities expressed shock at the quality of bitumen from the surface, noting that the federal government would be willing to partner the State.

He assured of the federal government’ cooperation for the actualisation of the exploration, stressing that the partnering company’s team, “Liquefied Resources” had visited his office in Abuja, submitting that “with the new technology on ground, bitumen exploration is

realisable.”

Fayemi, who said the Agbabu bitumen would soon put an end to bitumen importation in the country, noted that 80% of bitumen being used in the country was imported.

He said his visit to Agbabu, Loda and Ilubirin among others clearly showed that the State has the largest deposit of bitumen in Nigeria, which he noted, when operational, would benefit the host communities and the entire people of the State.

Remarking, the state governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko lauded the roles of Dr. Fayemi in revamping the sector since his assumption

of office and also solicited his support for the realisation of the bitumen project.

Mimiko, who assured that the State would leverage on bitumen and other solid minerals in the state to boost its economy and add values to the lives of the people.

The governor noted that apart from the bitumen project, his government is also working on Ilaje Deep Sea Mining Port in an effort to complementing the diversification effort.

Mimiko said his administration would partner the Federal Government in its diversification policy to fast-track national development.

Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman in Plateau State, Hon. Damishi Sango has said that Plateau State is wearing a strange garment in the current political dispensation.

Damishi said that the All Progress Congress (APC) in Plateau has no business occupying the Government House in Jos, as Plateau State is the home of PDP. The new PDP boss stated this during his acceptance speech at the just concluded state congress that saw his emergence as the Party’s Chairman in Plateau.

Recall that the PDP has just conducted its congresses nationwide to produce the party’s leadership at all levels in order to prepare for the 2019 elections.

Emerging as the new Chairman of the state chapter of the PDP Hon. Damishi Sango, a former Minister of Youth and Sport, gave his fellow contestants miles in the votes counted after the election.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, May 12, 2016

15 Opinion

Nigeria Fulani and herdsmen of mayhem

H Ifeanyi

Izeze

ow can we live peaceably together as a people by continuously telling ourselves lies? It has now become our lifestyle toalways rationalise obvious aberrations and for how long can we afford as apeople to continue like that?

It is mind-boggling and at worse embarrassing the increasing sophistication and clinical coordination of the group of mindless attackers we still call Fulani herdsmen that have meted chained terror to our people in different parts of the country.

To think that what is happening in the north central and now virtually every other parts of the country as a mere conflict for grazing rights would only amount to naivety at best.

It is without doubt an evil wind that is blowing no section of the country any good.

The question is: why is it that these so called “Fulani herdsmen” always take our security operatives unawares? They always finish their dastardly acts before arrival of counter-terrorism security forces.

Haba! And instead of sitting together to marshal out a coordinated approach to address this challenge, managers of our security apparatuses give us the impression that some of them may be privy to these conspiracies.

How do you explain the recent incident in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue state, where Fulani herdsmen, backed by mercenary fighters invaded several communities killing more than 500natives?

Surprisingly, since the revelation that what we have been calling our cattle rearers was actually mercenaries well-trained in the act of causing mayhem, the government has not instituted any serious mechanism to unravel the identity of these contract fighters.

Who are these mercenaries- are they Nigerians or foreigners? Where do they come from and who contracts them to go kill and destroy in different parts of the country? Who arms them and how come they freely move around with ease with their sophisticated machine guns without being intercepted?

Where is our intelligence community- the SSS and NIA and even the Police CID unit?

We may need to ask: Is there anything in this Fulani herdsmen misdemeanuor that other non-Fulani Nigerians do not know?

Curiously, the federal government has been nonchalant towards devising appropriate and workable strategies to end these incessant deadly clashes in various parts of the country.

As canvassed by an analyst, “All in all, the murderous invasion of communities by herdsmen, like it

happened in Agatu and parts of Enugu and Ebonyi states, is mainly a security issue. Those in charge of security in areas where these things happen should be held to account for the lapses.

The Nigerian government must be alive to its primary responsibility of protecting the citizens”.

Several suggestions have been made for the banning of the current conflict-prone system of moving animals from place to place in search of food and water, and its replacement with the establishment of ranches.

It would be recalled that President Buhari told a delegation from theCentre for Humanitarian Dialogue in January that “a plan to map out grazing areas would soon be presented to the Nigerian Governors Forum as a temporary solution, until cattle owners are persuaded to adopt other means of rearing their cattle.”

Senator Shehu Sani in his “Road map to putting an end to Fulani herdsmen violence in Nigeria,” had suggested the need to immediately set up seven grazing reserves in Niger, Nasarawa, Kogi, Adamawa, Bauchi, Kaduna and Sokoto states .

There is no doubt that the current pastoral system urgently needs changingif Nigeria is to overcome the frequent clashes between herdsmen and indigenous populations, which have laid waste to many communities.

As suggested, the grazing reserves should be jointly managed by

theFederal Ministry of Agriculture, National Livestock Association, universities of agriculture and the leadership of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association.

Above all Senator Sani’s suggestions, my attention was attracted to what he described as the need to document, register and issue identification cards to herdsmen. He suggested the federal government, through federal and state ministries of agriculture and the Cattle Breeders Association, should embark on this on a national level as this will stem the activities of violent criminals who masquerade as herdsmen to unleash violence against innocent and vulnerable communities.

This is what the government would not want to hear but it’s the absolutetruth: violent criminals and terrorists -on -the -run are masquerading as herdsmen to unleash mayhem on innocent and vulnerable communities.

Now we have a president who himself is a cattle breeder and reportedly theLife Patron of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, the pan-Fulani herders’ union. He should rise above all prejudice and discountenance the hitherto government’s nonchalance in this evolving national securitychallenge address these incessant bloody clashes involving Fulani herdsmen and indigenous communities across the country? President Buhari is the best -suited person to address this issue. We are watching!

CBN, Shakespeare and destruction of Nigerian economy

T Dele Awogbeoba

he appointment of Godwin Emefiele as CBN governor in July 2014 may well have turned out to be Goodluck Jonathan’s (GEJ) most far sighted appointment ever and PDP’s ultimate plan B. In a classic move worthy of mention in a Shakespearean tragedy, GEJ may well have noted a number of important trends in July 2014. The alliance between the political North and the political South West put him on the political back foot. The only candidate that the APC could logically put up (that was capable of winning the 2015 election) was Buhari. Once he was able to convince the political South West to trust him, his victory was assured.

GEJ may also have known that Buhari is the ultimate tragic literary hero. Many a play has centered around a central character similar flaws that besets president Buhari. He is nationalistic, determined, idealistic, powerful, simple, arrogant, tyrannical, economically ignorant, inflexible, incapable of learning from past mistakes and intellectual lazy. It was these same qualities that allowed his former military colleagues to effortlessly overthrow him in August 1985. Godwin Emefiele on the other hand appears to be simple,

harmless, humble, soft spoken, powerless and cunning. Nigerians are being served up a live Shakespearean play.

At the time Buhari took over from GEJ, the federal government finances had been completely ruined. The challenge was to prevent a FG revenue challenge from becoming a significant impediment to the fast growing Nigerian economy.

In the past, the Nigerian state used fiscal and monetary policies in ways that checked excesses. The CBN in 2011 adopted its policies in a manner that prevented over heating of the economy when the fiscal side of government policy was pumping a lot of money into Nigerian economy.

Shortly before the swearing in of President Buhari, the CBN had started implementing its notorious forex policy. It started to implement a crude policy of exchange control. This made many foreign investors already in Nigeria concerned that any money will be hard to extricate. JPM was so concerned, that it warned Nigeria that it faced expulsion from its index and with such expulsion will go billions of foreign currency inflows.

By September 2015, JPM had expelled Nigeria from its index. Billions of foreign exchange flowing into Nigeria dried up. Other foreign investors

have stopped further investment.

Emefiele had played to President Buhari’s inherent nationalistic pride, arrogance and economic illiteracy. He had managed to convince Nigeria’s sole administrator to equate a strong Naira to the outward manifestation of Nigeria’s economic strength and independence. Buhari, before long, became the face of this disastrous policy and its chief proponent in chief. At one time, he dared anyone to convince him of the merits of “murdering the naira”.

Emefiele had been transformed to the powerless, respectful and simple CBN governor taking instructions from an incompetent powerful President.

Not done with the exchange control regime, the CBN governor then implemented a restricted imports strategy vis a vis foreign currency acquisition by the domestic manufacturing market that has now led to the unprecedented growth of unemployment.

One can only surmise that this new CBN policy was implemented to deal with rising inflation. However, Nigeria’s inflation is caused by the fall in the actual value of the Naira that has flowed into the price of imports sold in Nigeria. One can only surmise that this new CBN policy was implemented to deal with rising inflation.

However, Nigeria’s inflation is caused

by the fall in the actual value of the Naira that has flowed into the price of imports sold in Nigeria or goods produced in Nigeria that consists of imported materials. Nigeria’s inflation is not caused by an excessive demand relative to supply driven inflation. The medicine prescribed by the doctor cannot cure the ailment that afflicts the sick patient. The patient’s health will deteriorate further because of the lack of knowledge of the doctor.

Aware that the CBN Act of 2007 ensures that the CBN governor is independent of the FG and can only be removed by the President with the assent of the National Assembly, Emefiele has insulated his position by bribing the major power centres. Buhari is effectively stuck with a CBN governor that will facilitate his quick transition from messier to the most hated and unpopular head of state in recent memory. Mr Tinubu (seemingly worried about the popularity of the APC federal government and its effect on his hard won south west political empire) aimed his missile at the wrong person.

The minister of state for petroleum is not the existential threat to this APC government. It is the CBN governor.

What an interesting irony. I have always loved Shakespeare’s works. It appears that Emefiele does too.

16

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, May 12, 2016

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Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, May 12, 2016

Features Æ s

RIPPLES OF MILE 12 MARKET RELOCATION:

Traders allege govt blackmailed, armtwisted them into accenting to relocation Ï0 ƏƉƎ ƐƎ ƃƉ ƆƊ Ǝ Ǝ Ǝƍ ƕƄƍ ƍƄƄƕ Ǝ Ǝ Ƅ ƍƄƉ ƃ ƎƆ Ï`ƄƉ ƃ ƎƆ Ǝ 9Ɗ Ǝ Ɔ Ǝ ƈƆ ƅ ƕ Ƒ Ɠ ƅƍ Ɗ ƋƄ ƋƉƄ Ɔ Ǝ Ƅ ƃƆƎƓ

Daily activities going on at mile 12(1)

Oluwaseun Agbato It has been anxiety and apprehension for traders of the popular Mile 12 Market - West Africa’s biggest foods and perishable goods hub, since government announced its intention to relocate the market located in Ikosi-Isheri Local Council Development Area, along Lagos –Ikorodu Road from its present location to Imota, about 100 kilometres in the undeveloped area of Ikorodu outskirt of Lagos.

While the big time traders who haul in goods from all parts of the country to Ketu are already putting logistics in place to continue their businesses there, not a few other ranks, especially the daily petty cash traders who buy and sell within the market on daily basis are mourning the anticipated loss of their livelihood and praying God to open Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s heart to consider at least one of their many reasons to enable him reverse the decision.

But while affirming his resolve to make the relocation a success at the new location, Ambode said, “We are committed to doing this; we know it is in the interest of La-

gosians that we relocate the Mile 12 Market. The marketers themselves have agreed; the onus is now on us to ensure that we deliver this new market site within the next six months,” he said.

It would be recalled that the decision to relocate the market was not unconnected with the mayhem that claimed over a dozen lives and destroying properties worth hundreds of millions at the Agiliti/Maidan communities recently. The crisis was said to have erupted as a commercial motorcyclist of Hausa origin reportedly rode along a one-way route within the Agiliti area and was almost lynched for knocking a Yoruba woman down.

In a bid to get the motorcyclist to take the injured pedestrian to the hospital, the situation degenerated to ethno-tribal fracas between Hausa and Yoruba that lasted many days, recording the burning of houses including churches, vehicles, lootings and killing of scores of people. The Lagos state government had responded by closing the market for two weeks before decision of the relocation was announced.

Contrary to government’s claim however, traders at the market said the report which claimed that

Ambode

There are old and young women from various parts of Lagos that are using ten-ten Naira to turn over things; they come around 5a.m. and go back home early after daily transactions so they can put food on the table for their families.

Now, will this category of people afford to be going to far away Imota every day? Definitely no! Government is supposed to put food on the table of the masses - not to take it away — Chief Ossai

traders had agreed to the relocation was false.

When The Daily Times toured the market grounds recently, the traders wore a look of sober apprehension; they were like a people trading in apprehension of the dooms day, flinching from the thought that in four, may be five months from now, they would all be forced out of here, then what becomes of them...?

When the subject was mentioned for discussion, fear of the unknown was evident in their reactions; like how would they put their lives together if the place of their livelihood is moved some 100 kilometres away into the bushy area of Ikorodu?

The Chairman (provision and electronic section), Chief Sunday Ossai who has been advocating for the market men and women spoke the minds of the vast majority of the traders when he said relocation of the market is not the ideal solution to the problem of Mile 12. Putting the record straight, Ossai it was a long drawn ethnic crisis between Hausa and Yoruba residents in the area that led to the proposed relocation.

“That is where they are bringing the relocation logic from, and certainly there is no justification for that move because Agility, where the conflict erupted and ended is about 6 kilometres from here: we had no crisis in Mile 12 Market; it was the neighbouring communities that went after each other.

“The Igbos, Hausas and Yorubas here truly live as brothers and sisters, as one indivisible people. We don’t judge actions based on your tribe but by the content of your action and character. We have always lived peacefully in this Mile 12 market.”

Faulting government’s claim that traders had agreed to the relocation, Ossai said the traders were coerced by the State Government to agree to the relocation as a condition before the market would be opened after the bloody clash in the area. Surrounded by traders mourning their impending fate, Ossai gave a graphic picture of what transpired: “We agreed under duress because the market had been closed for two weeks.

Continued on page 19

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, May 12, 2016

Continued from page 18 “We were hungry, our goods were rotting away and we were recording financial losses by the day.”

Looking beyond the flimsy reason for deciding the relocation, Ossai said that if for aesthetics to befit the Lagos mega city status, Mile 12 Market can be redesigned without relocation.

“It can be rebuilt to taste and style that will sooth the State Government rather than relocating it. If the government doesn’t have ulterior motive of converting the market into an estate as it is being speculated, they should develop the market with necessary infrastructure.”

Infrastructure “Mile 12 has a massive land mass that can contain the pressure of the sudden population even in hundred years to come and the desire of Lagosians is to still have West Africa’s largest food and perishable goods market within the city of Lagos, not at the outskirts.

“If government have good intention for Lagosians and the marketers, it should not be done by taking Mile 12 Market to the bush out of the reach of people.

“I have been opportune to travel to several countries including Dubai; world acclaimed mega cities and their foods markets are always located at the centre of the cities.

“The tradition is, they produce their crops in the bush and take it to the people in the city. Taking the market to Imota is like taking the food basket away from the people.”

Moreover, Ossai appealed to the government to put women into consideration in their plans; said he: “There are old and young women from various parts of Lagos that are using ten-ten Naira to turn over things; they come around 5a.m. and go back home early after daily transactions so they can put food on the table for their families.

Now, will this category of people afford to be going to far away Imota every day? Definitely no! Government is supposed to put food on the table of the masses - not to take it away.”

On security and environment Ossai challenges rumours that Mile 12 Market constitutes security danger, environmental and traffic nuisance, and the allegations are far from the truth.

“On the environmental aspect, we have a very effective waste management disposal system that makes sure the environment is cleared everyday.

“In terms of security, our leaders are very intelligent, we have perfected intelligent ways of detecting and preventing crisis and making sure thieves don’t stay among us. “it is only in Mile 12 that you can

19 Features

Government did not dialogue with us before taking the decision – Chief Udeh ‘‘In terms of security, our leaders are very intelligent, we have perfected intelligent ways of detecting and preventing crisis and making sure thieves don’t stay among us. It is only in Mile 12 that you can open your shop and not a pin will be stolen. I have heard about gangs of armed robbers within Lagos and they have never struck in Mile 12 market been so, where is the evidence that we constitute security danger?’’

Chief Sunday Ossai

At Mile 12 - a worthy labour for a day’s survival

open your shop and not a pin will be stolen. I have heard about gangs of armed robbers within Lagos and they have never struck in Mile 12 market been so, where is the evidence that we constitute security danger?” He queried.

Addressing the traffic issue, Ossai said the market authority has effective task force committee that work from 6:30am-10:30pm to make sure the road is clear and ensure that no trader displays his or her goods beyond the walls demarcating the market.

“In dealing with the government, we are very loyal to the regulatory agencies of the government. No one can fault that; government assertion that we constitute nuisance is like giving a dog a bad name so you can hang it.

“We are just afraid if the government will not go to the extent of destroying us and destroying this market just because they want to relocate it.” Ossai concluded.

All the while the chairman was addressing our correspondent, other traders waited eagerly to

voice out their fears. Chief Peter Udeh, a major marketer said they were taken aback by the announcement.

“I don’t understand it, that relocation announcement took us by surprise. We didn’t hear anything and government did not dialogue with us before taking the decision.”

Another trader who gave her identity as Mummy Emeka said, “For our Governor to just carry this market to Imota side now is not ideal. They should be patient with us and leave the market here (in mile 12) for more years.

Mrs lucky Onyeagbo said she was shocked to hear that the Mile 12 will be relocated; she said she has been on prayer since she heard the announcement.

“We are praying to God that they shouldn’t move it. We citizens put this government in power, let this government not deprive us of our daily bread; this market is where we hold our families together. Our customers cannot go to that bush place to buy food from us.”

Meanwhile, some marketers believe the move, if carried out will split the famous market.

One Garuba Ibrahim Yaro, who has been part and parcel of the market for over three decades, had this to say: “If this market is moved to Imota, nobody in this market will be ready to go there. They will rather prefer to go to Kara market in Ogere (along Lagos Ibadan expressway), he said it will be easy for vehicles to move there due to the good road system.

“More than 80% of the market men and women here will prefer to trade in Ogere than Imota. What would Lagos state gain?”

A shopper who stopped by to voice her opinion, Madam Bridget said, “All these years the market has been within reach; by taking it to Ikorodu will bring another stress. Apart from that, if you see the great number of women coming from Badagry and Okokomaiko areas to Mile 12; you will know women are suffering.

“So tell government to pity

women because they are suffering; they are suffering because of their children and they should be considered.’

Completely deviating from what appeared to be a general consensus however, one Sunny Otubor, a tricycle operator welcomed the State Government decision. “It is good, the place is congested as you can see and the relocation will not affect our business because people will still continue here and business will still continue here. If the market is moved, there may be lull in business initially, but with time, everything will stabilise and it will be better. Even the scenery will be so nice compared to the way it is now.”

In the same vein, the people of the troubled Agiliti praised the Lagos State Government for placing a total ban on motorcycle operators in the area. One of the residents said since the bikes were moved the environment has been sober, serene and peaceful. “They were causing a lot of nuisance in this area. Placing a ban on them has definitely reduced crime in our dear community,” he said.

The people however called on Gov Ambode to provide alternative employment for the displaced motorcyclists so they don’t constitute a worse kind of nuisance.

Until the six months elapse and the relocation is enforced however, Lagosians wait to see the immediate and long term effect of moving over 30 years old market from the city.

20

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, May 12, 2016

Crime Æ s Female doctor found dead in Akwa Ibom

Late Dr. Ivys

Joy Anyim Mystery surrounds the death of a 44-years-old femle medical doctor, Ivy Umanah at her residence in Shelter Afrique Extension, Uyo, Akwa Ibom state.

The deceased who hails from Ndon Eyo in Onna Local Government Area of Akwa-Ibom State was found dead in her sitting room on the 22nd April

2016, two days after she was declared missing.

The Daily Times gathered that late Dr. Ivy before her death had been in medical practice for over 20 years and was head of Histopathology Department of the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital.

She was said to have been declared missing after she did not show up to officiate over a

resit examination for Part IV medical students of the College of Health Sciences, University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, and all efforts made to reach her proved abortive.

A close associate of the deceased who spoke to our correspondent in confidence narrates gave details to the sad incident. “Dr. Ivy was supposed to conduct an examination for the part IV medical students of the College of Health Sciences on the 20th April 2016.

The scheduled time for the commencement of the examination was 9.00 am, but by 10:30 am, the deceased was nowhere to be found and no word was received from her.

“At this point, the external examiners were restless and the coordinator for the exams tried repeatedly to get her on her mobile phone without success.

Subsequently a text message was received via her phone, informing the external examiners that she was in a meeting. Further calls to the phone found it switched off. It was at this point that we felt something was wrong, because the Dr. Ivy we know would never do that.

“We went to her residence and met one carrying her television and holding the keys to her car

so we cajoled Henry into joining our vehicle and he agreed not knowing that we were suspecting something fishy so we took him to the Divisional Police Station at Shelter Afrique Extension.

“We had to contact her family and they took a step further, to make formal complaint on the 21st April 2016 at the police headquarters where they were directed to a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP). After explaining what had transpired at the Shelter Afrique Police Station, the DCP requested the presence of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Shelter Afrique Police Station and the Officer-in-Charge of anti-robbery unit. The DPO when asked about the issue informed the DCP that he was not aware of the details of Henry as he was not on duty when the incident happened.

“The DPO later informed the DCP that his men claimed there was such an incidence the day before and the deceased house bunch of keys, three of her ATM cards and her car keys were found on the floor of the station in the morning of the 21st April, 2016. The DCP ordered the DPO to arrest Dr. Festus Abasiubong and that he

must produce Henry for questioning. Dr. Festus Abasiubong who later reported at the police division as ordered claimed he did not know Henry’s residence or how to locate him.”

Information had it that on the 22nd April 2016, the family decided to go to the deceased’s house with the keys obtained from the police, in company of some police officers. There they found Dr. Ivy stone dead in the sitting room of her home.

When The Daily Times contacted the Police Public Relations Officer of the Akwa-Ibom State Police Command, ASP Cordelia Nwanwe, to confirm the story, she said, “We may not be able to give out information concerning the death of Ivy Umanah, because we are still doing intensive investigations.

We have suspects in custody but will not want to give out their names but as I speak with you, Akwa Ibom State Police Command has a detailed investigating team led by ACP in State Criminal Investigation Department. When we finish with our investigations the world will know what happened to Ivy Umanah as the Commissioner of Police, CP Murtala Mani, will speak regarding this issue, so be patient with us,” she said.

Ten ‘in-traffic’ robbery gang nabbed in Lagos Ismaila Oguntade Operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Lagos State Police Command have cracked a syndicate of in-traffic robbery gang with the arrest of three one–chance robbery gang and seven pickpockets using Ajegunle as base of their operations.

The operatives also recovered two commercial ‘Danfo’ buses used by the gangs in operations along Oshodi – Mile 2 Expressway.

The 14–seater buses with Lagos registration numbers KTU 716 XS and GGE 532 XL, are presently in RRS Headquarters in Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.

The suspects were picked up mostly in Ajegunle and other spots in the metropolis; six of the

suspects were picked up at hotels in Ajegunle where they confirmed they normally lodge while others were picked up on operations at different bus stops along Mile 2-Oshodi and Oshodi–Iyana Ipaja route respectively.

The arrest of the one–chance syndicate and pickpockets were made possible following tip-offs from members of the public of incessant attacks of the suspects around the areas.

The one–chance robbery suspects were Akeem Fatai (42), Jerry Nwokoro (24), Olayinka Tadius (29), Lucky Thompson (36), Stanley Augustine (31), Ubah Kenneth (25) and Henry Ate (48).

In his confession to the police, one of the suspects, Henry Ate, believed to be the oldest amongst

them, admitted that they operate in shifts – mornings and evenings, adding that they retire to their hotels in the afternoon after morning operations, then re-group later in the evenings.

“As at the time we were arrested, more than half of us had gone out for morning shift operations. Seven of us were picked up at various bus stops in Oshodi–Mile 2 route while on duty. We know ourselves; we have no other job than this. It’s what we live on,” he added.

He also disclosed that, occasionally, the teams interchange members, emphasising that as a rule, every one chance team needs a driver, a conductor and a picker, who seats mostly in the last seat of the bus.

“During operations, we pick

One Chance robbery gang

only few passengers, maybe two to four. We dispossess them of their belongings, drop them and go our way. But we don’t push them down while on motion”, he emphasised.

Ateh also revealed that whenever he was not operating with his gang members, he operated alone

at Shoprite, Alausa and Governor’s office routes pick pocketing.

In addition, the arrested pickpocket suspects included Habib Nurudeen (17), Oyemi Ilesanmi (23), Kenneth Okojie (30), Chinedu Uzubi (24), Ajakaiye Christopher (26), Samson Uwaneze (23) and Wasiu Kazeem (24).

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, May 12, 2016

21 News

Ex-NAF chief, Umar arraigned, admitted to bail Andrew Orolua Abuja

ÎÎÎThe Federal Government

on Wednesday arraigned former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Mohammed Dikko Umar (rtd) before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on a seven-count charge for alleged corruption.

Umar pleaded not guilty to the charges and the trial judge, Justice Binta Murtala Nyako, admitted him to bail on self-recognition following a bail application that was argued by Hassan Liman (SAN), the defendant’s counsel.

Justice Nyako, said there was no reason whatsoever to deny the applicant bail as the offences are bailable and the defendant had being on administrative bill. Thirdly, that the applicant has no past record of jumping bail.

She therefore admitted Umar to bail on self-recognition. She however asked the applicant to submit his International Passport to the Chief Registrar of the court.

She also warned the applicant not travel out of the court’s jurisdiction without the permission of the court.

The Prosecution Counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, asked the court for an adjournment to enable him prepare his witnesses.

The court subsequently adjourned the case till June 7, 8 and 9 for the trial.

The charges as read out to the former Chief of Air Staff were as follows: “That you Umar, while being the Chief of Air Staff, Nigeria Air Force, between September 2010 to September 2012 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this court, directly converted the United States Dollar equivalent of the aggregate sum of N4,846,630,000.00, removed from the account of the Nigerian Air Force, when you reasonably ought to have known that the said funds formed part of the proceeds of your unlawful activities (to wit: criminal breach of trust and corruption) and you thereby committed an offense contrary to Section

15 (2) (b) of the money laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 as amended and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act. “That you Umar, while being the Chief of Air Staff, NAF between November and December 2010 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this court, did use the dollar equivalent of the sum of N700 million removed from the account of N.A.F to purchase for yourself, a property at no. 14 Vistula Close, Off Panama Close, Maitama, Abuja, when you ought to have known that the fund formed part of the proceeds of unlawful activity of Air Marshal Umar, amounting to criminal breach of trust and

corruption and thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 15 (2) (b) of the money laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 as amended and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act. “That you Umar, between March and April 2012, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of the court used the dollar equivalent of N860 million removed from the account of N.A.F to purchase for yourself, a property at Plot 1853, Deng Xiao Ping Street, Off Mahathir Mohammed Street, Asokoro Extension Abuja when you ought to have known that the fund formed part of the proceeds of unlawful activity of Air Marshal Umar, amounting to

criminal breach of trust and corruption and thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 15 (2) (b) of the money laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 as amended and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act”.

Count Four read that: “You Umar, while being the Chief of Air Staff between September and December 2012, within the jurisdiction of the court, used the dollar equivalent of N500 million to purchase a residential property comprising a four bedroom duplex within boys quarters at Road 3 B, Street 2, Mabushi Ministers Hill, Abuja when you reasonably ought to have known that the fund formed part of the proceeds

L-R: MO Ibrahim of MO Ibrahim Foundation; President Muhammadu Buhari with Secretary General of Commonwealth Rt. Hon. Patricia Scotland at the Commonwealth Anti-Corruption Conference for Civil Society, Business and Government Leaders at the Commonwealth Secretariat, Marlborough House, London... on Wednesday

Saraki

False assets declaration: Saraki claims ambiguity on house numbering Andrew Orolua Abuja

ÎÎÎMr. Paul Usoro (SAN),

counsel to Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, on Wednesday, continued the cross examination of Mr. Michael Wetkas, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s witness in the ongoing trial of Saraki for false asset declaration.

The Counsel took the witness through a rigorous questioning trying to establish that there was an ambiguity over the ownership of some property alleged to have been bought by Saraki from the Federal Government.

Under cross-examination, Wetkas told the tribunal that the property sold to the Senate President was privately owned. This was contrary to the claim by the witness that the property was bought from the Presidential Implementation Committee for the sales of Government Houses.

Labour kicks, marketers hail new N145 PMS price ‘Shell declares force majeure on Bonny Light exports’ Continued from page 12 he was waiting for the reaction of those who took to the streets to protest when fuel subsidy was removed by the Dr Goodluck Jonathan administration in 2012.

He urged labour unions in the country to stand by their members always, not minding the political party in government.

Fayose in a statement on Wednesday by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, said the latest hike in pump price of petrol was another vindication of

his predictions on what to expect in 2016.

The governor alleged that the scarcity of petrol being experienced in the last three months was deliberately orchestrated by the federal government to pave way for the already conceived increment.

He said: “Nigerians are now left at the mercy of political liars who took over power by deception and are governing by deceit.

“When they were seeking for votes from Nigerians, they promised to reduce petrol pump price to from N87 to N45 per litre, they prom-

ised to create three million jobs per year, they said $1 will be equal to N1 and above all, they promised to pay unemployed youths N5,000 stipends and provide one meal a day to pupils nationwide.

“Instead of fulfilling their promises, they have increased petrol pump price to N145 per litre, increased electricity tariffs, retrenched thousands of workers and imposed untold hardships on Nigerians.

“As they did in 2012, if labour leaders do not also stand up for the people at this time, posterity will not forgive them.”

Continued from page 12 that led to the 1999 Odi Massacre in Kolokuma/Opokuma area of the state.

Dickson, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, said as part of steps to check the activities of the youths and the unwholesome trend and improve the security situation in the state, community leaders, elders and other stakeholders would be summoned to a meeting at a date to be announced later, adding that the killings were regrettable and unfortunate.

He called on the perpetra-

tors of the dastardly act and their collaborators to stop it with immediate effect, saying, “Terrorism does not favour peace, neither can democracy express itself through violence”.

The governor’s condemnation came on the heels of President Muhammadu Buhari’s order on the military to go on a manhunt of the perpetrators and clampdown all security threats in the Niger Delta region.

Dickson stated that the killings were also putting the innocent ones in the state and the Niger Delta region in danger.

While warning that the government of Bayelsa State does not want a replay of the 1999 Odi massacre during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, where only the innocent people suffered the brunt of the military invasion, the governor called on community leaders and other stakeholders to check the activities of youths in their domains.

Dickson, however, said that the state government is already working in concert with the security agents to bring the culprits to book and forestall any future occurrences.

Public Notice 22 YUNUS YAHAYA GARUBA OSHOKE I FORMALLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS LAWAL YAHAYA YUNUS, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS YUNUS YAHAYA GARUBA OSHOKE. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

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HARUNA ABDULLAHI AHMED

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ABUCHI PRPGWU

MRS MOJISOLA ELIZABETH MEDUOYE

ADVERT SPACE FOR SALE

MONDAY MATTHIAS ALHASSAN

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ISEK ABIGAIL ONYAM

NWANZE NDIDI GRACE

BUKA MOHAMMED

VICTORIA OBETEN OKON

BELLO IDRIS AHMED

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AGBATAEKWE ANTHONY UCHENNA

ELIZABETH OLUWATOYIN NDIKOM

AKINWALE FUMILAYO IFEOLUWA

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ALEXANDRA LUCILLA EZEANI

MOSES OLUWATOYIN JOY

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I formerly known and addressed as MOGAJI OLUWATOYIN JOY wants to be known and address as MOSES OLUWATOYIN JOY. All former documents remain valid Nigerian the general public should please take note

SPEM QUIA FILII FOUNDATION THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED FOUNDATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. UWUBANMWEN OSASUMWEN AGHARESE 2. MARY MBIRIRI- SECRETARY 3. DR. UWUBANMWEN OTAMERE PATRICK- CHAIRMAN THE AIM AND OBJECTIVE: 1. TO PROVIDE HOPE TO THE HOPELESS CHILDREN AND THE VULNERABLE ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: BARR. FRIDAY OKOH

CMPASSIONATE & CARE ASSEMBLY (CCA), This is to inform the general public that the above name Body has applied to the corporate affairs commission abuja for registration of trustees under part c of the companies and allied matters act 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE 1 OMORODION FRANK MAJOR (PRESIDENT) 2 OMORODION JOY (VICE PRESIDENT) 3 DR EDIARE ZACCHEAUS (PATRON) 4 JOHN EMMANUEL ITUA (SECRETRY) , AIM AND OBJECTIVE ,, 1 TO MINISTER TO THE NEEDS OF THE MEMBERS AND OTHERS AS THE CHURCH IS ABLE TO DO. 2 TO DO ANY AND ALL THINGS RELATED TO,AND CONNECTION WITH THE CARRYING OUT OF THE OJECT AND PURPOSE HEREIN ABOVE SET FORTH ,, ANY OBJECTION TO THE REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CAC, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED PRESIDENT

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, May 12, 2016

JESUS FOR ALL GLOBAL EVANGELICAL MINISTRY. The General Public is hereby notified that the above named organisation has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act of 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE; 1,ELDER MUSA ABUH CHRISTIAN. 2,EVANGELIST ISAAC ADEJOH (3)PASTOR SUNDAY APEH (4)DR EMMANUEL OJONIDE ABBA (5)MRS MARY ELEOJO AKPAN (6)BARR ABAH JOE AIMS: 1.TO PROPAGATE THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST TO ALL NATIONS (2)TO ORGANISE EVANGELISM CRUSADE FOR THE PURPOSE OF WINNING SOULS FOR CHRIST Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

SIGNED BY:BARRISTER ABAH JOE

ENEMONA IGALA CLUB OF NIGERIA

The General Public is hereby notified that the above named Club has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act of 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE 1 IBRAHIM RABIU -PRESIDENT 2 MUKTARI MUHAMMED - GENERAL RECRETARY 3 UMAR ALFA - TREASURER 4 SALIFU AHMED- FINANCIAL SECRETARY 5 ALIDU SAAIBU - PRO 6 MUHAMMED ADUKWU - MEMBER 7 FRIDAY TIMOTHY - MEMBER 8 YUSUFU MUSA - MEMBER AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1 To love one another,to help one another 2 to promote the spirit of harmony or unity among lgala peoples 3 to help turn the dream association into reality 4 to promote the economic welfare and social leaving of every members 5 to promote the culture and traditional of lgala kingdom both home and abroad 6 ln order to increase the level of our social undertanding and civil right 7 to create an enabling environment for our members to know every part and passles of brother and sisters in any part of the world Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

SIGNED SECRETARY

YOUTHS CENTRE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND CIVIC EDUCATION The general public is hereby notified that the above named Association has Applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja for Registration Under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Acts, 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Odo Victor Enyi 2. Odo Celine Nneka 3. Madu Emeka 4. Odo Chukwuebuka Vitus 5. Odo Mary Nebechukwu

Chairman

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. To promote Human Rights ideals amongst the youths and individuals.

2. To preach against Human Rights abuses 3. To enhance youths employable skills and development 4. To develop special skills and abilities of youths through formal and informal education.

5. To preach peace and obedience to law and order amongst youths in the society.

6. To foster peace, Social Justice, human Rights democracy and good governance Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street Maitama , Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: Chairman

DISCLAIMENT THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE JUDGMENT OF THE COURT IS NOW TO OUR FAVOUR OVER CENTRAL BANK AND UNION BANK PETRO UNION OIL AND GAS HAVE WON THE CASE OVER THEM ON THE 11TH OF MARCH 2012 THEREFOR WE DISCLAIM ANY COMPANY OR PERSON CLAIMING TO REPRESENT US FORWITH . OUR GOD HAVE GIVEN US VICTORY ON THE 11TH OF MARCH 2012. Any objection to the Registration should be forwarded to the Registrar general Corporate Affairs Commission plot 420 Tigris Crescent off Aguiyi Irosi Street Maitama, Abuja within 28 day of this publication SIGNED MANAGEMENT

YINUOLA & ABEGBE FOUNDATION THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED FOUNDATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. RICHARD AYODELE AKINTUNDE 2. OLUWATOYIN ABEGBE AKINTUNDE 3. OLUWASAYEMIDERO ENITAN RUNSEWE THE AIM AND OBJECTIVE: 1. TO PROMOTE THE WELFARE OF THE LESS PRIVILEGE IN THE SOCIETY ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: BAR ANORUO NORA 08037144131

JUSTICE, DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE / CARITAS INITIATIVE ENUGU DIOCESE. This is to inform the general public that the above name foundation has applied to the corporate affairs commission abuja for registration of trustees under part c of the companies and allied matters act 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: 1. MOST REV. DR CALISTUS VALENTINE CHUKWUMA ONAGA 2. REV. FR. DR CHUKWUDI DONATUS ONUIGBO. 3. REV. FR. DR AMBROSE AGU 4. REV.FR GEOFFREY AGUIGWO 5. BARR. HENRY ONYIA AIM: 1. RESPONSIBLE FOR THE GENERAL POLICY FORMULATTION FOR JDPC ENUGU DIOCESE ANY OBJECTION TO THE REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CAC, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: TRUSTEES

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, May 12, 2016

23 News

Ondo farmers warn of imminent famine

‘Tosin Ajuwon, Akure.

ÎÎÎFarmers, under the auspices of the Ondo State Agricultural Commodities Association (OSACA), on Wednesday, warned of an imminent famine that would further worsen the already bad situation of the agriculture sector of the country.

Their chairman, Chief Akin Olotu, in a statement made available to journalists in Akure, the state capital said that the farmers were

being unfairly treated.

“If the situation continues, then one doesn’t need to be a prophet to know that famine is looming largely in this part of the country”, he said.

Olotu linked the impending doom to erratic rainfall pattern this year, which Nigeria Meteorological Institute (NIMET) had earlier warned that rain would come late and go early this year.

He lamented that “by May, it is not steady yet. Those that planted maize in antici-

pation that the rain would be steady by now are licking their wounds. Our agriculture in this part of Nigeria is largely, rain fed.”

According to him: “As if this is not enough, the outbreak of army worm in Ondo State is another blow. Most of the maize farms have been ravaged by worms. The outbreak was triggered by the change in the climatic condition.

“The third blow is coming from the herdsmen. Farmers are leaving the farm, be-

cause they consider it useless and needless to invest their scarce resources, time and energy in it only for the ‘sacred herdsmen and their sacred cattle’ (apology to Prof.

Wole Soyinka), to ravage it over-night and even attack them with impunity.”

He called for the adoption of a new farming system that is sustainable, while noting that it would only become a reality with a complete reorientation of the farming populace.

Olotu said that it ws time

to emphasise or give preference to organic fertilizer (compost making etc.) which would help in improving soil structure and better water retention.

“Our research institutes should come up with drought-tolerant varieties, and farmers down South should begin to try their hands on crops like sorghum and potato which have lesser demand for water.”

Reacting to the herdsmen menace against farmers, he said members of OSACA “insist that the genuine and peace-loving ones should submit themselves to regis-

tration and identification, so that tracking the troublemakers that are alleged to be non-Nigerians, will be identified easily. There is no other way out.”

The association suggested that the South-West Governors to should convene a regional meeting, as a matter of urgency, and seek a common stand on the challenges confronting the farmers.

He also advised the farmers to voice out their problems by visiting the office of the Agricultural development Project (ADP) in the state or OSACA office for advice on their challenges.

Controversies mar Osun PDP ward congresses Sodiq Adekunle, Osogbo

ÎÎÎThe congresses held by

Former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Dikko Umar (middle), during his arraignment over alleged N13.5b fraud at the Federal High Court, in Abuja... on Wednesday.

PHOTO: TEMITOPE BALOGUN.

Remi Oladoye

ÎÎÎThe Lagos State Minis-

try of Land Bureau has inaugurated 22 Technical Committees to assist in the area of land use and allocation.

Speaking at the inauguration, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Land Bureau, Mr. Bode Agoro, charged the members to be diligent in approaching the task ahead, adding that they should always ensure that security operatives accompanied them whenever they were on duty.

Commenting further, Agoro said: “The function and duties of land use and allocation committees, as it relates

Lagos inaugurates committees on land use, allocation

to village execution are clearly spelt out by the executive orders.

“Since the inauguration of the technical committees in 2009 till date, more than 1,200 application were received and considered out of which a total of 130 village were approved for grant of village execution before the end of the tenure of last administration.”

Sequel to the expiration of the tenure of the last administration and the subsequent staff movement/restructur-

ing in the State Civil Service, Agoro further averred that the issue of execution was put on hold.

However, with the rising frequency of demand for village execution, land resettlement and other related subjects, Agoro posited that it was expedient to reconstitute the technical committee, in order to eradicate slum development and ensure effective land titling and physical planning / development guide in the state in line with the state master plan policy.

After administering oath of office on the members, Mr. Kayode Ogunubi was appointed the Chairman of the Technical Committee.

In his remarks, Ogunubi said that the committee on village execution was created with members drawn from various Land Handling, Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode expected the committees to be transparent and fair in discharge of their duties.

Adamawa: PTA renovates classrooms, others in Army school Tom Garba, Yola

ÎÎÎThe

Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) of Command Children School (CCS), Yola, has renovated

10 blocks of classrooms in Gibson Jalo Cantonment of 23rd Amoured Brigade, Yola.

Its Chairman, Mallam Umar Sa’ad, made this

known, on Wednesday, in Yola at the inauguration of a classroom block renovated by the association.

Sa’ad said the association had also constructed

10 VIP toilets, refurbished the school band, purchased two hand scanners for security in the school, as well as linked the school to the state water board.

Osun State Chapter of the Peoples’ Democratic Party in the 332 wards across the state has ended with controversy and division of party members.

While a part of the party was loyal to the last governorship election candidate of the party, Senator Iyiola Omisore, others were in support of the incumbent State Chairman of the party, Ganiyu Olaoluwa.

According to members in the Omisore’s camp, the election was not supposed to be held, and insisted that the process was wrong, and subsequently rejected the outcome.

The spokesperson of Omisore camp, Hon. Bade Falade, claimed that the congress was manipulated in favour of chairmanship candidates.

“We were not given forms to participate in the exercise and contest. Apart from that, a court had already issued an injunction stopping the exercise,” he added.

On the incumbent chairman camp’s part, the election was an acceptable one.

Immediate past Speaker of Osun State House of Assembly, Chief Adejare Bello, explained that no injunction was received by his Olaoluwa camp.

He further called on members of the party to be united for PDP to win the next elections in the state.

NYSC DG urges Niger govt to complete perm site ÎÎÎThe

Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier-General Sule Zakari Kazaure, has appealed to the Niger State Government to complete work on the NYSC permanent site at Paiko in Paikoro Local Government.

The contract for it was awarded five years ago at the cost of N40 million with only ten per cent of the job executed.

Speaking during a visit to the NYSC camp under construction, Kazaure stated that completing and putting the permanent site to use would help settle the problems facing the NYSC in the state.

The DG, who was repre-

sented by the Director of Community Development Services, Mrs. Comfort Makinde, said,”We are appealing to the Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, to work on making the permanent site ready for us.”

Brigadier-General Kazaure

News 24 ÎÎÎThe

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has questioned immediate past Governor of Cross River State, Liyel Imoke, even as the anti-graft commission has also detained a former Minister of Finance, Amb. Bashir Yuguda, Both were being investigated for their roles in the alleged sharing of $115 million distributed by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke.

The former governor was quizzed, on Wednesday, at the commission’s office in Port Harcourt, the Rives State capital.

The EFCC had, last week, arrested the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross River State, Mr. Ntufam Okon, for allegedly receiving N500 million from the Diezani fund. The money in question was alleged to have been used in bribing officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission ahead of the 2015 presidential election.

The commission wrote on its official Facebook page,

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, May 12, 2016

$115m Diezani bribe: EFCC grills ex-Gov Imoke, detains Yuguda “Chief Liyel Imoke was on Wednesday quizzed by operatives of the EFCC, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, for his alleged involvement in the N500m collected by the Cross Rivers State’s Chairman of the PDP, Mr. Ntufam Okon, from the sleazy $115million, a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani AllisonMadueke lodged with Fidelity Bank in controversial circumstances during the 2015 electioneering campaign period.

“Imoke arrived at the Port Harcourt’s office of the EFCC, by 10.15am on Wednesday, and is answering questions being posed to him by his investigators.”

On the Yuguda case, the money, which was allegedly distributed through Fidelity Bank Plc, was said to have been used in bribing officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission during the 2015 presidential election.

EFCC’ statement read in part, “The EFCC has detained the former Minister finance, Amb. Bashir Yuguda, over his involvement in 23bn bribery poll. Amb. Yuguda in his statement admitted collecting a total of N450m in his capacity as a senior executive of the PDP chieftain in his state.”

Yuguda had been arrested by the EFCC last year after he allegedly received suspicious payments from a former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), who has been embroiled in the scam.

Yuguda allegedly received N1.5bn from the former NSA’s office through an unnamed

company, for unstated purpose.

He also alleged received N1.275 billion from Stallion Group during the campaign for the last general election.

Another N775 millon was also allegedly paid to him from the office of the Accountant General of the Federation for unstated purpose.

All the monies were allegedly paid to him between December 2014 and May, 2015.

In the same vein, the EFCC has also arrested a former Deputy Governor of Edo State, Chief Lucky Imasuen, and former Secretary to the

State Government of Edo, Pastor Osagie Iyamu, for allegedly collecting N700 million from the Diezani fund.

The commission alleged that the N700 million was collected from the Mission Road branch of Fidelity Bank Plc, in Benin- City in March, 2015 and the money was conveyed in a bullion van.

The statement added, “The N700m was reportedly collected from the Mission Road branch of Fidelity Bank Plc, in Benin- City in March, 2015.

Iyamu, a PDP Presidential Campaign Coordinator in the 2015 presidential election, admitted collecting the money

from the bank.

“He told EFCC’s interrogators that he went to the bank on that fateful day with Imasuen and a former House of Representatives member representing Edo-Central, Tony Azeigbemi (who has yet to be arrested by the EFCC) and the money was handed over to them by an official of the bank. Both Imasuen and Iyamu signed for the collection of the money.

Diezani

MSSN raises the alarm over strange group in Ogun Abiodun Taiwo, Abeokuta

ÎÎÎContrary

to the report that the Ogun State Executives of the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN) had been dissolved, the South West chapter of the Society has debunked the claim alleging foul play.

The Zonal Co-ordinator of the society, Mallam Mushafau Alaran, in a statement issued in Abeokuta urged the public to disregard the report of dissolution of executive of Ogun state unit of the body.

Some sections of the media had reported the purported dis-

solution of the state executive of the society where one Yahya Hassan was reported to have been sworn in as its new leader.

Alaran, who described the action as “a serious case of insurgency, impersonation, rebellion and usurping of power” urged the general public, religious leaders and groups, media, security agencies and the state government to be wary of the strange group to avoid insurgency.

He said thst the leadership of Mallam Saheed Amisu in the state was intact, urging the security operatives to go after the orchestrators of the false information.

FAAN to boost aviation security Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo

ÎÎÎThe Federal Airports Au-

thority of Nigeria (FAAN) has said that it would soon invite successful aviation security candidates, who participated in a recent recruitment exercise for interview and other pre-employment procedure.

This was disclosed by the Managing Director of FAAN, Engr. Saleh Dunoma while playing host to some of the candidates in his office recently.

He expressed appreciation for the patience and understanding showed by the appli-

cants, adding that the seeming delay in inviting them for interview was necessitated by a need to observe due diligence in the employment procedure.

Dunoma also added that successful candidates would be formally notified and invited in batches for training and documentation, in line with international best practices.

It would be recalled that FAAN, last year, advertised for employment online in various categories of the organisation to fill in vacancies in which thousands of applicants showed interest.

L-R: Executive Director News, Nigerian Television Authority, Abuja, Mr. Sola Atere; Col. Bamidele Oguntayo; Deputy Corps Marshal (Operations) FRSC, Mr. Ahmed Hassan and Acting Director General NTA, Mr. Joseph Etuk, during the 2016 West African Safety Day in Abuja... on Tuesday

PHOTO: TEMITOPE BALOGUN.

Okorocha urges corps members not to reject postings Val Okara, Owerri

ÎÎÎImo

State Governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha, has pleaded with corpers not to reject postings to any part of the country for fear of being killed.

Okorocha, who gave the advice when the Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier-General Suleman Zakari Kazaure paid him a courtesy call at the Government House Owerri, and stated that the corpers should also regard their postings as a patriotic, stressing that patriotism was not only in the fear of the law,

but the love of one’s country.

“Even the greatest love a man can show for his nation is that he dies to save his nation.

We must, therefore, never for reasons of terrorism or cult activities refuse to fight this battle of indivisibility of the nation. We must remain so united. The essence of NYSC is integration. Our country is going through a very difficult moment and harassment by men of underworld who have organised themselves to humiliate, kill and maim people.

“The NYSC members should be bold to stand up and serve their fatherland without fear of terrorism. Time has also come for the NYSC mem-

bers to begin to receive some forms of military training for reasons of self-defence. The most humiliating case is to see a man with gun, who, ordinarily, cannot beat you, because of the piece of metal he has, he maltreats you. That is the most painful.”

Okoroocha described the Kazaure as a vibrant soldier with integrity and added that the country had been in dire need of men and women of integrity, who could contribute their quota to the development of the nation and charged him to see his appointment as an opportunity in life to prove his God-given talent.

Kazaure told Okorocha that he was in the state to acquaint himself with the situation in the NYSC camp, commended Okorocha for the befitting camp he was erecting for the NYSC.

Gov Okorocha

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, May 12, 2016

25 Opinion

Echoes from Kano Wale

Fatade ÏÏÏ Returning

to Kano city after over a decade was exhilarating, especially when the trip has been postponed serially.

It nearly became jinxed, as the flight schedule appeared too rigid for my convenience. But last week, I broke the jinx, and landed in Kano when the smooth Azman flight touched down after a detour to Abuja.

Aside the official duties that took me to the city, I was also eager to see the famed roads and bridges that the former governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and his supporters boast about. There has been so much noise about the construction work under Mr. Kwankwaso that one could be forgiven for celebrating routine work under a governor who was simply doing what was expected of him. But this is Nigeria where the normal is celebrated and political leaders think they are doing citizens a favour by performing their duties.

My friend, a politically

conscious person and a professional, who drove me round the city for two nights, and others, also provided windows into the city politics. Those roads and bridges are real, and the immediate past governor actually made giant strides in giving the city a facelift infrastructure wise. For a Lagos resident, any governor that succeeded in keeping commercial motorcyclists, okada, off the roads deserve a Nobel.

Kano only has private motorcycle riders, with the suicidal commercial riders giving way to tricycles.

My taxi driver and other citizens across different economic strata were unanimous in their effusive praise of Kwankwaso, now a senator.

Interestingly, however, they were also unanimous in condemning him for seeking to control things in the state by trying to force the current governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, to dance to his tune. “The red cap revolution is dead, “my friend intoned asking rhetorically, “how many people do you see wearing red caps again in Kano?”

I know parachute visits by journalists could be dangerous in determining the correct mood of a group of people but the opinions of those I spoke with was that by and large, Kwankwaso did his best for Kano State. Though one or two added a caveat that the former governor was only interested in projects that will project his name more which was why the state became a

Sen. Kwankwaso (left) and Gov Ganduje

huge construction site under him. They further blamed him for not allowing Dr. Ganduje to govern, a reason they cited for the duo parting ways politically. “Does he want the guy to serve him for life,” one asked. For those who are familiar with the political terrain of our country, the KwankwasoGanduje duel is nothing new as we have a plethora of such.

While in Kano, however, a sad incident occurred which shone the light on the Ganduje administration in a way he himself could never have expected. The death of seven or eight students – depending on the medium that reported it – of two secondary schools, Kano

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Capital School and Unity College, Karanye with the driver and a staff of FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria Plc, makers of Peak milk and reportedly the organisers of the quiz competition that brought the students to Lagos made us to focus on Kano. They were on their way back to Kano when one of the bus tyres bust and the driver lost control last Tuesday in Ibadan. Ironically, their corpses were flown to Kano the next day after they were not deemed worthy of a plane ride when they were alive.

This threw up a lot of issues. Was the governor or any official of the state aware of the competition?

Who took the decision to

subject those students to the vagaries of our roads?

Why was an official of the organisers on the trip? Does that mean FrieslandCampina had no budget for transportation for the contestants? What was the condition of the bus used for the journey?

A national daily on Wednesday, May 4, led with a story, ‘Despite cash crunch…Govs spend billions on foreign travels’ and Ganduje was listed among the most travelled governors.

It adds, “Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, for instance, has so far travelled to Saudi Arabia three times, USA once, Dubai twice and India once since may last year.”

The paper claimed that

a first class return ticket to Dubai on Emirates Airlines is N886, 743 while New York for the same airline is N1.4 million.

Ganduje’s last trip to Saudi Arabia was to inspect the accommodation reserved for pilgrims from the state for this year’s hajj yet less than 10 students were denied the opportunity of flying to Lagos.

While we focus on the federal government, our state governors are creaming us off with many states seemingly on life support. The least Kano can do is to fish out who put those young ones on the journey that terminated their lives abruptly, or else their deaths will be in vain.

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26

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, May 12, 2016

Health Æ s

Group tells FG to prosecute Philip Morris for acknowledging illegally importing cigarettes into Nigeria

ERA/FoEN Deputy Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi

The Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) has asked the Federal Government to begin immediate prosecution of Philip Morris International Nigeria Limited (PMINTL) for illegal importation of cigarette into Nigeria.

In a statement released in Lagos, the group said PMINTL has provided enough evidence for prosecution for flouting the National Tobacco Control Act 2015 in

a letter it purportedly sent to the Budget Office of the Federation in which it is asking for approval to import another 550 million tons of cigarette after the first illegal import.

ERA/FoEN had alerted in December 2015 that PMINTL breached the nation’s laws by bypassing the Ministry of Health as required by the NTC Act and instead, getting authorization from the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and other agencies of

government to import 122 million tons of cigarettes from Senegal.

Section 29(1) of the NTC Act signed into law last May by former president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan says: No person shall manufacture, import or distribute tobacco or tobacco products except the person has obtained license or is authorised in writing by the minister. The law also stipulates a fine of “not less than N10 million and a term of imprisonment of

not more than 10 years or both” among others for defaulters.

The products were to be imported into Nigeria under the cover of the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) between September 18, 2015 and March 31, 2016.

Media reports indicate that in a letter to the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udo Udoma, PMINTL acknowledged that

Continued on page 27

WHO: Laws to protect breastfeeding inadequate in most countries A new report by the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN) reveals the status of national laws to protect and promote breastfeeding.

Of the 194 countries analysed in the report, 135 have in place some form of legal measure related to the International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes and subsequent, relevant resolutions adopted by the World Health Assembly (the Code). This is up from 103 in 2011, when the last WHO analysis was done.

However, only 39 countries have laws that enact all provisions of the Code—a slight increase from 37 in 2011.

WHO and UNICEF recommend that babies are fed nothing but breast milk for their first 6 months, after which they should continue breastfeeding—as well as eating other safe and nutritionally adequate foods—until 2 years of age or beyond. In that context, WHO Member States have committed to increase the rate of exclusive breastfeeding in the first 6 months of life to at least 50% by 2025 as one of a set of global nutrition targets.

L-R: President, Association of Movie Producers, Ralph Nwadike; Former DG, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mrs Roli Bode-George; Dr Maymunah Kadiri; Producer of the movie-Peppersoup, Grace Edwin-Okon; Cinematograher of the movie, Obiajulu Innocent Kenechukwu at the press briefing on mental health awareness short film ‘peppersoup’

Stakeholders chart path towards effective food fortification Stories by Lara Adejoro Stakeholders from the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration & Control (NAFDAC), Federal Government of Nigeria, Association of Food, Beverage & Tobacco Employers (AFBTE), United Nation Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have jointly said food fortification with micronutrients is an evidence-based intervention which has been used as an important strategy to control micronutrient deficiencies in a cost-effective manner around the world.

This, they say at the #NigeriaFutureFortified stakeholders dialogue with the theme ‘Sharing our successes and challenges: Align on the way forward,’ in Lagos.

Nigeria is the only country in sub-Saharan Africa to mandate the fortification of four food vehicles with micronutrients, namely wheat and maize flour, vegetable oil and sugar.

In his keynote address, the Minister for Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole said, the summit is apt and timely considering that malnutrition is estimated to contribute to more than one-third of all

child deaths.

The Minister who was represented by Dr Bisola Akinbisehin said, malnutrition is a condition that develops when the body does not get the right amount of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients it needs to maintain healthy tissues and organ functions.

“Out of about 21 widely known micronutrients needed to maintain healthy life, five of them are of public health significance (Vitamin A, iron, iodine, zinc and folic acid).

“These micronutrients needed significantly add to good health and are necessary for proper

growth and development of the body. Infants, young children, teenagers, pregnant and breastfeeding mothers and the elderly who are prone to becoming malnourished, require additional nutrients at all times.”

Adewole said, Nigeria has attained remarkable success in addressing micronutrients deficiency problems with the support of partners like GAIN, UNICEF and MI. Head of Nutrition, Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH), Dr. Chris Isokpunwu said, “if we

Continued on page 27

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, May 12, 2016

27 Health

Stakeholders chart path towards effective food fortification Continued from page 26 have to achieve our goal of reducing micronutrient deficiency in Nigeria, then we have to pay attention to food fortification which is one cheap way of reaching out to everybody especially those at the bottom of the pyramid.

“We are also working on biofortification where our food crops are fortified with nutrients before they are grown, that is one way of reaching out to those at the pyramid.”

In her welcome address, the acting Director General of NAFDAC, Mrs Yetunde Oni said, good nutrition signals the realisation of people’s rights to food and health.

Defining food fortification as the act of enhancing the quality of readily available and more af-

fordable foods nutritionally by the addition of some vital minerals and vitamins needed by the body though in minute quantities, the absence of which causes severe diseases; Oni said, good nutrition is an essential driver for sustainable development.

The NAFDAC boss said, “malnutrition takes many forms: wasting and stunting in children, obesity and nutrition related noncommunicable diseases. These effects of malnutrition apply in all countries and one in three people on the planet.

“Tackling malnutrition effectively is key to meeting other targets of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Ending malnutrition in Nigeria will drive sustainable development forward. The current funding of nutrition in-

tervention is not enough to meet the 2025 World Health Assembly targets or the 2030 SDGs targets of ending malnutrition in all its forms,” she said.

In an interview with Daily Times, GAIN’s Director of Food Fortification, Greg Garrett said, the data showed that there is still micronutrient deficiency in Nigeria.

“The current food system and diet does not necessarily provide enough nutrients to the Nigerian populace. We believe that food fortification is one way of getting essential vitamins and minerals to the population that need them most in Nigeria.,” he said.

Statistics According to UNICEF, malnutrition remains an underlying fac-

tor in about one third of Nigerian child deaths and communities in the Northern parts of Nigeria are among the worst affected. It accounts for more than 50 per cent of deaths of children under age.

UNICEF representative, Dr Jean Gough said, “It’s not about reaching numbers for food fortification but efforts should be made towards reaching the most vulnerable and the poorest of the poor so that no child dies of malnutrition.”

Also speaking, the Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr Ado Muhammad of the who was represented by the Director of Community Health Services, NPHCDA, Dr Emmanuel Odu said, Vitamin E deficiency contributes to about 25 per cent

of death from measles, diarrhoea and malaria.

“It also means that, by the time we are able to handle nutrition among under 5 adequately, we will be saving millions of lives of children. Vitamin A deficiency is responsible for the significant proportion of presentable blindness.”

Challenges On the success of food fortification in Nigeria, Garrett said the country has been able to include iodine to the salt for many years, “and now, we are looking at most people having access to iodine in the diet through the salt they use.”

He also commended Nigeria for creating an enabling environment and standard put in place for stable foods to promote food fortification.

Group tells FG to prosecute Philip Morris for acknowledging illegally importing cigarettes into Nigeria Continued from page 26 it had imported and distributed the 122 million tons of cigarette in Nigeria and that it cleared the products in the country in line with its sales projections.

The new application for 550 million cigarette units was made in January 2016 and is for Marlboro, Marlboro Gold, Bond Street, Bond Street Blue, Chesterfield Mint Burst and Chesterfield Blue cigarettes.

ERA/FoEN said: “The acknowledgement by PMINTL after months of silence and secrecy around the importation of the deadly products is not only shocking, but also smacks of respect for Nigeria’s laws as espoused in the NTC Act 2015” ERA/FoEN Deputy Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi said: “ERA/

FoEN is finally vindicated. After months of evasive body language, PMINTL has finally come out of the woods to own up to importing illegally into Nigeria. The illegal imports show that PMINTL is determined to compromise the health of Nigerians through its so-called long term commitment and investment plans that will only lead to a harvest of deaths in a very short time.

“We expect the government to demonstrate that the era of impunity is over. PMINTL should face prosecution and appropriate sanctions imposed. It is very worrisome that the same company that compromised our systems to import lethal products is still asking for government nod to legally import the same death in wraps.

This government must turn down this godless request.”

L-R: Representative of the Minister of Health, Director, Pharmaceutical Services, Food &Drug Services, Federal Ministry of Health, Mrs. Abisola Akinbisehin; Acting Director, NAFDAC, Mrs. Yetunde Oni; representative of Comptroller General of Customs, Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs/Zonal Co-ordinator Zone ‘A’ South West, Charles Edike and Representative of the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Director, Economic Growth/NCFN Chair of the Ministry, Mr. Kayode Obasa, during the #NigeriaFutureFortified stakeholders’ dialogue, with theme: ‘sharing our successes and Challenges: align on the way forward’ in Lagos.

PHOTO: OLAWALE ROTIMI

Mental health: Expert launches film, health App, radio In efforts to create mental health awareness in Africa, a consultant NeuroPsychiatrist, Psychotherapist & Mental Health Advocate, Dr Maymunah Kadiri has launched a short film, health App and online health radio to render psychological, emotional and mental health services.

Dr Kadiri who is also the Medical Director of Pinnacle Medical Services, Lagos said, 1 in every 4 persons in Nigeria will develop mental health problem in his life-time, adding that about 64 million Nigerians have one form of depression or the other.

According to her, poverty, child abuse, broken homes and broken marriages, financial

problems, traumatic experiences, put one at risk of developing mental illness.

Speaking at a press briefing heralding the premiere of the short film, health App and health radio, Kadiri said, “the film titled ‘Pepper soup’ is a true life story of a religious young man working in a financial institution who doesn’t engage in smoking or drinking but at a point was behaving irrationally and was admitted into the hospital. Further investigations about him showed that there something strange in him and he was shouting Pepper soup when he woke up.

“This shows how people can get mentally unstable by eating

in random places because of the substances in the food they eat.”

She said the online health radio will deliver health solutions to Nigerians to promote the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which borders on good health and wellbeing. .

“We are not taking away the job of medical doctors but we’re offering first aid to Nigerians and direct them to the appropriate private or government hospital. We have on board over 2000 hospitals in Lagos because Lagos is like a pilot study for us even though, we are worldwide.”

The mental health advocate said, the mental health App is to help everyone check their mental wellbeing before taking any

irrational decision.

She urged everyone to “download the app, use the app, share your personal experiences on mental health issues, encourage friends and family members to download, use the app and share their experiences, incorporate mental health into your regular health check-ups, just like going to the dentist.”

With less than 200 qualified psychiatrists for a 180 million Nigerians, “this means we have 1 per 1 million as compared to 1 per 10 thousand in the UK, there is a need to aid in the accessibility of self-tests, that help to measure the healthy state of mind,” Kadiri said.

Also speaking at the briefing,

former Director General of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mrs Roli Bode-George urged people to always speak out on their mental status.

“People always shy away from mental health because of the stigmatisation. We need not stigmatise people who need support and that is why we need to emphasis on famili and community support system” President, Association of Movie Producers, Ralph Nwadike said, the movie-peppersoup, will educate people on mental health “because someone somewhere is being addicted to something even Panadol and there’s need for awareness.”

Buffon, Barzagli

Dinamo Bucharest to honour late Ekeng...if

D

Ekeng

inamo Bucharest have announced that they will honour the memory of the late Patrick Ekeng by sending the Romanian Cup to his family in Cameroun, if they win the showpiece.

Ekeng, 26, tragically passed away from suspected heart

failure during the clubs’ game against Viitorul Constanta last Friday.

“If we win the final, the trophy will be sent to Cameroun, where it will be placed on Patrick’s grave,” said Dinamo sporting director Ionel Danciulescu.

The former Romania interna-

sign new

tional told Romanian TV channel that Dinamo would ask Cluj to do the same; if they were to reign victorious.

On June 26, 2003, former Cameroun midfielder Marc-Vivien Foe collapsed and died during an international match against Colombia in Lyon.

Juve

contracts

Page 28

Thursday, MAY 12, 2016

NFF appeals to

‘Eagles won’t replace injured Samuel’

French Embassy

N

on Euro friendlies T

he Nigeria Football Federation has appealed to the Embassy of France in Nigeria with regards to issuance of visas to one player and technical and administrative officials of the Super Eagles ahead of two international friendly matches in Europe at the end of this month.

Nigeria’s matches against Mali and Luxembourg are being threatened by denial of entry visa to the only home –based player, two coaches and administra-

tive officials of the three –time African champions.

“We are appealing to the Embassy of France in Nigeria to reconsider its stance and issue visas to these officials. They are going to Europe for very important assignments as the two matches are key to the preparation of the Super Eagles for future engagements,” NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, said on Wednesday.

NFF protocol officials told thenff.com on Wednesday that about 60 per cent of the

Pinnick

passports taken to the embassy on Friday, 29th April have been returned without visas.

The Super Eagles play Mali’s Les Aiglons in Rouen, France on Friday, 27th May before engaging the National Team of Luxembourg in Luxembourg on Wednesday, 1st June. All arrangements for the two matches, including payments for stadia use, training facilities and hotel accommodation have been concluded by the organizers.

Pillars ace

igeria will not replace injured CSKA Moscow striker Aaron Samuel for the friendlies against Mali and Luxembourg.

Samuel damaged knee ligaments during the recent Russia Cup final and has been effectively ruled out of both games.

Super Eagles media officer Toyin Ibitoye revealed that Eagles will travel with 25 players for the games to be played in Europe.

“There won’t be any call-up to replace Aaron Samuel for the friendly games against Mali and Luxembourg,” Ibitoye said.

“The NFF have come out to say this. The 25 players remaining on the call-up list are okay for the games.”

There were strong indications that Portland Timbers striker Fanendo Adi would take the place of Samuel.

Nigeria face Mali on May 27 in Rouen, France, before they battle Luxembourg on June 1 as they begin their preparations for the 2018 World Cup qualifiers.

Shobowale, Al Hilal in transfer talks K Shobowale

ano Pillars winger Azeez Shobowale has flown out to Sudan, where he is expected to discuss with Al Hilal over a possible transfer.

“Shobowale is not with us in Maiduguri for our game against El Kanemi on Thursday because he is in Sudan to discuss a possible transfer with Al Hilal,” Pillars spokesman Idris

Malikawa stated.

Former ABS and Shooting Stars forward Shobowale has only recently recovered from a serious genital injury he suffered in a league match at Giwa FC. He is a speedy and direct winger, who loves to take on his marker.

He has also weighed in with his own fair

Samuel

Thursday, May 12, 2016

EXTRATIME

Italian Open:

Murray, Konta advance, Watson out

A

ndy Murray reached the Italian Open third round with a 6-3 6-3 win over Kazakh qualifier Mikhail Kukushkin.

British number one Murray, 28, who received a bye in the first round, will next face Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut or Frenchman Jeremy Chardy in Rome.

Johanna Konta also made it through with a 6-0 6-4 win over Roberta Vinci. The 24-year-old British number one will next play Lucie Safarova or Misaki Doi. Fellow Briton Heather Watson was

beaten 6-4 6-2 by Czech Barbora Strycova.

Konta restricted Italian Vinci to seven points as she won the first set in 23 minutes, before taking the break needed in the second to knock out the seventh seed.

Assistant coach Jamie Delgado and Great Britain Davis Cup captain Leon Smith were in Murray’s box for the world number three’s first match since splitting from coach Amelie Mauresmo this week.

Murray is not anticipating appointing a replacement before the French Open, which begins on May 22.

29

Murray

Ranieri in hot-chase doping cover-up for Slimani, Musa worry

Russia

I

nformation currently circulating in Europe is that Leicester City are looking at bringing Algeria and Sporting Lisbon striker Islam Slimani on board.

According to reports, the English Premier League champions are set to spend £25m on the Algerian international.

Manager Claudio Ranieri is said to be interested in Slimani and has added the player to his transfer targets, which also includes Nigeria’s Ahmed Musa.

Apart from Musa, the Italian manager is reported to have confirmed his interest in Pescara striker Gianluca Lapadula with talks said to be continuing with CSKA Moscow regarding Musa.

On the other hand, Lisbon’s Slimani, who is valued at £25m, has netted 27 goals this season sparking interest from Ranieri.

“I just want some new players who are at the level of my starters, and greater tactical co-ordination for the team,” Ranieri told reporters.

“We also looking at the Italian market. Lapadula is very good.

H

WADA

– Reedie

N

Ranieri We’ve been following him for a while.”

The Foxes manager will have to

arlequins prop Seb AdeniranOlule has died at the age of 20 in a road traffic collision.

The club say they are “deeply saddened” by the death of the England Under-20 international, who had been at the club since the age of 13.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with Seb’s family and friends at this difficult time,” Quins director of rugby Conor O’Shea said.

“He will be sorely missed by the whole squad as well as by the wider club.”

Adeniran-Olule, who played three firstteam games for Harlequins, represented England at Under-16, Under-18 and Under-20 level.

He made four appearances at the Under-20 World Cup in Italy last year, where England finished runners-up to New Zealand.

O’Shea described the former Whitgift and Wellington College pupil as an “incredible talent”, while John Fletcher

fight off interest from Crystal Palace for the services of the Algerian, with

both the Eagles and Everton said to be interested in Slimani.

Harlequins prop, Adeniran-Olule dies in road of the Rugby Football Union said the frontrow forward was an “absolute pleasure to be around”.

“He was one of the most skilful players in his position I have ever seen,” Fletcher, the national academy development manager, told reporters.

“He always played the game with a big smile on his face and could do some phenomenal things with the ball.

“As a character he was quiet, had incredible work rate, was popular and first to learn. On the pitch he would get you off your seat and as a front-row player that is fairly rare.

“He should be remembered as a great kid, I loved coaching him. It’s a tragic loss.”

Adeniran-Oluleelokhai

ew claims that Russian spies posed as anti-doping staff to cover up cheating at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics are a “cause for concern”, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) says.

Former Russian anti-doping agency worker Vitaly Stepanov made the claims on CBS network’s 60 Minutes programme.

He said he was told of a cover-up by Grigory Rodchenkov, the former head of Moscow’s anti-doping laboratory.

Wada president Craig Reedie said the agency will act “immediately”.

Rodchenkov was not interviewed by the programme, but WADA will now seek access to journalists’ recordings of conversations.

The BBC and WADA have been unable to independently verify the allegations made in the programme, while Russia’s sports ministry said it was “certain about transparency of doping control” in Sochi.

Reedie added: “Mr Rodchenkov was of course interviewed by WADA’s Independent Commission that exposed widespread doping in Russian athletics last year.

“Yet, regrettably, he was not forthcoming with such information related to the Sochi Games. It is surprising to hear these views so many months after the Commission concluded its work.”

Natalia Zhelanova, anti-doping advisor to the Russian Minister of Sport, said: “Russia acknowledges the importance of stamping out doping, and we are doing everything we can to achieve this. We acknowledge there are issues with doping in Russia, just as there are across the world.

“We are cooperating with a wide range of anti-doping organisations in these efforts, including Wada, and have nothing to hide in the fight against doping.”

30

Thursday, May 12, 2016

EXTRATIME

Buffon, Barzagli sign new Juve contracts G Buffon

ianluigi Buffon and Andrea Barzagli have agreed new contracts to keep them at Juventus until 2018, the club have confirmed.

The goalkeeper’s deal was due to expire at the end of the 2016-17 season, while his teammate’s contract was set to run out at the and the end of this campaign.

Buffon is now tied to the club beyond his 40th birthday and he expressed his gratitude for the trust shown in him.

“I’m really proud of this further act of trust from the club and the whole Juventus world towards me,” said Buffon.

“I’d like to underline that the direction we’ve taken together consists of many factors. We all converge our energies to reach the goals we all have.

“I think, together with my fellow players, we will be able to obtain that because they make us feel very confident. A player can really express his talent when they’re able to work together and are supported by skilled people.

“I hope my story with Juventus will be concluded in the best possible way.”

Since arriving from Wolfsburg in 2011, Barzagli

Suarez opens up on

named as

Nantes coach

R

ene Girard has been named as the new head coach of Nantes. The 62-year-old has agreed a deal to take charge for the next two seasons and will assume the role once Michel Der Zakarian steps down at the end of the current campaign.

His official presentation will take place on May 17 at the Stade de la Beaujoire. Girard, a three-time Ligue 1 champion with Bordeaux as a player, guided Montpellier to their first and only title in 2012 before spending two seasons in charge at Lille.

Sanches

thanks Benfica after Bayern

Barca’s playing style switch

L

uis Suarez has revealed he had concerns about his ability to adapt to Barcelona’s playing style before signing in 2014.

In his first season at Camp Nou, Suarez scored 25 goals in 43 appearances as the Catalan side completed a Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League treble.

The Uruguayan has stepped up his contribution this term, converting 56 times in 51 outings in all competitions.

Upon joining from Liverpool, Suarez did not envision such a prolific spell, admitting he was troubled about fitting into the ‘tiki-taka’ style.

“I never imagined that I would be scoring goals here,” he said. “I never

felt I would adapt to this team’s style of play the way I have.

“Sometimes they start the touches and I think that I can’t do that, that they will play it like that and I will just push it toward the goal.”

Barca looked on course to challenge for another treble this season until a run of six games with just one victory resulted in their elimination from the Champions League and a reduction of their ninepoint Liga lead to just one.

Luis Enrique’s side bounced back with four straight victories and can claim the title by defeating Granada on Saturday, and Suarez lauded the character of the team.

R

Suarez

Watzke: No

bitterness over Hummels switch B

Hummel

Girard

orussia Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke insists there is no bitterness over Mats Hummels’ transfer to Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich.

After informing Dortmund of his desire to return to his boyhood club in April, Hummels’ switch to Bayern was confirmed on Tuesday.

Hummels was booed and whistled in the 5-1 win over Wolfsburg at Signal Iduna Park after revealing his intentions, but was treated less harshly away at Eintracht Frankfurt last weekend.

The transfer has not embittered Watzke, who is hopeful that the centre-back will be given

a positive send-off by the Dortmund faithful, though he is unsure whether the player will take part in a farewell following the match.

“A positive reception is the hope and desire I have. There were no more whistles in Frankfurt.

There is no reason for bitterness, we respect his decision, even if it is very unfortunate,” he told reporters.

“We will discuss with Mats whether to have a farewell. Normally this is common, but the season does not end on Saturday with the match against Cologne. We do not want to give the impression after the game it is all over.”

enato Sanches paid tribute to Benfica after the confirmation of his transfer to Bayern Munich on Tuesday. The 18-year-old has signed a five-year contract with the Bundesliga champions and will join at the end of the season for €35million - a fee which could rise to €80m depending on success-related bonuses. Sanches expressed his pride at having secured a move to Bayern but insisted he remains fully focused on Benfica’s quest for a domestic double, with the leaders ending their league campaign against Nacional on Sunday before the Taca da Liga final against Maritimo next weekend.

Coates

extends Sporting

loan until 2017

S

underland defender Sebastian Coates has extended his loan deal with Sporting CP until the end of next season, the Portuguese club have confirmed. The Uruguay international moved to Sporting in January and has since played a key part in their challenge for the Primeira Liga title, with Jorge Jesus’ side two points behind leaders Benfica.

Coates later took to Instagram to express his delight at having extended his stay at the Estadio Jose Alvalade.

Thursday, May 12, 2016

EXTRATIME

31

ENGLISH PREMIERSHIP

Sullivan

Mahrez

apologises to

Man Utd W

est Ham’s co-chairman David Sullivan has apologised to Manchester United after their team bus was attacked on Tuesday night. The bus was pelted with bottles and cans as it was held up for 50 minutes around half a kilometre from the Boleyn Ground ahead of the last game at the stadium, which West Ham won 3-2.

Speaking before the extent of the trouble became apparent on Tuesday evening, Sullivan suggested the behaviour of Hammers fans was no more than “over-exuberant”.

crowned

Leicester Player

of the Year R

iyad Mahrez had his stunning campaign capped at Leicester City’s season awards, when he was named the club’s Player of the Year.

After helping Leicester to Premier League glory in one of the greatest sporting achievements in history, Mahrez received the team’s top gong on Tuesday, h a v i n g already been

Mahrez

crowned PFA Player of the Year.

The star playmaker - who is attracting serious interest from Leicester’s Premier League rivals - beat team-mates Jamie Vardy and N’Golo Kante to the award.

Mahrez has scored 17 goals and tallied 11 assists in Leicester’s title-winning campaign, which comes to an end against Chelsea on Sunday.

Kante and Vardy, however, did not leave the awards ceremony at King Power Stadium empty-handed.

France international midfielder Kante was named Players’ Player of the Year.

As for Vardy - with 24 goals in the Premier League this term - he received Leicester’s Goal of the Season for his stunning strike against Liverpool in February.

Iheanacho: Rashford

motivates me!

M

Iheanacho

anchester City’s teen sensation Kelechi Iheanacho said comparisons to cross-town rival Marcus Rashford only push him to work harder.

In what has been a poor season for City and Manchester by their lofty standards, the teen duo have provided silver linings for both clubs with their goalscoring heroics.

Iheanacho has been ever-present for City this season, making 34

C

Oscar

determined

appearances and scoring 13 goals across all competitions.

Across town for United, Rashford burst onto the scene in February when he scored two goals on debut in the Europa League against Midtjylland.

Since, the 18-year-old United striker ha scored seven goals in 16 games, including the winner in March’s Manchester derby.

Rashford’s rise has earned him comparisons to Iheanacho but the 19-year-old Nigerian said it only makes

to earn Chelsea stay

helsea midfielder Oscar is determined to prove his worth to new manager Antonio Conte after admitting to an unhappy season at the club.

The Brazil international picked up a knee problem early in August which limited his involvement during his side’s dismal Premier League title defence.

Oscar subsequently

him more determined to succeed.

“I love a challenge so when people compare me and Rashford, it gives me more confidence and motivation. It also makes me work even harder,” he said.

“I hope people keep comparing us because if we can keep challenging each other in the coming years it could be great for Manchester. If we both keep doing well, improving and scoring lots of goals for the team it could be interesting.”

struggled to earn a regular first-team place once Guus Hiddink replaced Jose Mourinho as manager.

Speculation has mounted that Oscar could leave Stamford Bridge in the next transfer window, but the 24-year-old says he is eager to earn a spot in Conte’s plans for next season.

“It’s been very difficult for me,” he told reporters. “I had a great

season last season, and I’m coming from two or three seasons of doing well, but I was one of those players who got injured at the start of the season.

“When I came back, the team wasn’t doing so well and I found myself on the bench and in and out of the first team. I didn’t achieve the level I wanted to achieve but hopefully next season I can do better.

Ranieri scoops

another

award

T

he awards keep coming for Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri after he was named April’s Premier League manager of the month. Ranieri’s side were unbeaten during April as they opened up an unassailable lead at the top of the table, Leicester going on to lift the title after Tottenham’s 2-2 draw with Chelsea. A return of three wins and a draw in their four games earned Ranieri’s his third manager of the month award for the season, making him the most successful Italian to have won the accolade with five – overtaking Carlo Ancelotti.

Pedro suffers broken nose - Hiddink

I

nterim Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink confirmed on Tuesday that Pedro broke his nose in a fall. Hiddink said he was unsure what exactly happened at Pedro’s home, but further revealed that Pedro’s wife was not involved in the incident.

Carrick bemoans Red Devils’collapse

M

ichael Carrick said Manchester United were not clever enough after they let a 2-1 lead slip in a 3-2 loss at West Ham on Tuesday that serves as a devastating blow to their Champions League hopes.

Having fallen behind to an early Diafra Sakho strike in the final game at Upton Park,

United turned things around through an Anthony Martial double.

But goals from Michail Antonio and Winston Reid ensured victory for West Ham in a result that leaves United two points behind Manchester City in the race for Champions League football and clinches Arsenal’s place in Europe’s premier club

Eriksen

competition.

United must now beat AFC Bournemouth on the final day of the season on Sunday and hope Manuel Pellegrini’s men suffer defeat at Swansea City “We were in a good position but we didn’t help ourselves. You have got to be better than that, cleverer than that.

“The atmosphere was loud and what we expected before the game. We have been in big atmospheres before. You have got to deal with that.

“It is Man City’s hands now to finish in the top four. We have let that slip.

We have got to win our final game and see what happens,” Carrick stated.

Carrick

Published by FOLIO COMMUNICATIONS LTD, Lateef Jakande Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja. website: www.dailytimes.com.ng; email: info@dailytimes.com.ng. Tel: 018447948. GROUP EDITOR: BIODUN DUROJAIYE News Hotlines: 08138773277, 08173901838. Advert Hotlines: 08086296714

THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2016

VOL. 2. NO.107

Price: N150

NFF,

Dalung

petitioned over

Anambra

FA polls C

Keshi

Keshi set to storm South

hairmanship aspirant in the 2016 Anambra State Football Association elections, Olisa Aniuno, has petitioned the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the Sports Minister, Barr.

Solomon Dalung following the controversial manner in which the May 3 elections were conducted.

In the petitions to the NFF (addressed to the general secretary) and the sports minister, Aniuno prayed for the entire elections to be cancelled.

Also petitioning the sports minister is Odi Ikpeazu, who was contesting to be a member of the Anambra State FA. It will be recalled that the ‘secret elections’ which held on Tuesday, May 3, instead of the Wednesday May 4 date that was announced by the NFF and the normalisation committee caused the confusion.

As a result, Ifeanyi Ubah emerged as the new chairman of the Anambra State FA in controversial circumstances, which has now prompted other aggrieved aspirants to petition the NFF and the sports minister for the cancellation of the entire process.

African League F

ormer Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi could soon be leading a club in the South African Premier Soccer League (PSL) after he agreed to work with an agency in that country.

Keshi has signed a deal with top South African sports talent agency, Quality Talent Sports.

Keshi, 54, was fired from the Super Eagles post last July, and has been out of work since.

The ‘Big Boss’ has now agreed a deal with the Johannesburg-based agency to secure a deal for him with a PSL club ahead of the 2016/17 season.

“Stephen Keshi has signed with Quality Talent Sports, one of the biggest agencies in South Africa and they will work towards getting him a club in the PSL as soon as possible,” a reliable source confirmed.

Keshi, a former Nigeria captain, has

coached the senior national teams of Togo and Mali, qualifying the former to the 2006 FIFA World Cup. His last job was with Nigeria, where he won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations as well as reaching the Round of 16 at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

Nigerian coaches Shuaibu Amodu, Okey Emordi, Austin Eguavoen and late Musa Abdullahi have previously worked in South Africa.

Dalung

Business Times Daily Times Nigeria

FG pledges cooperation with regional Labour Page B2 body

EXIM Bank, UBA sign MoU to expand trade between US and Africa Page B3

CBN assures public over EFCC clampdown on Page B4 banks

You’re no longer effective, Russia tells OPEC

Why BEDC is improving service delivery, by CEO Managing director/Chief Executive of Benin Electricity Distribution Plc (BEDC), Mrs. Funke Osibodu has affirmed that the improvement exercise embarked upon by the company in all spheres of its operations was to demonstrate its commitment to the provision of improved service delivery to customers.

She made the assertion while speaking to journalists at a Media parley organized by the company on Monday at its Headquarters in Benin.

In a statement, she stressed that company in doing so was mindCONTINUED ON PAGE B2

Opeoluwani Akintayo

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (r) welcoming Czech Republic Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Martin Tlapa during a courtesy call on the Vice President in Abuja on Wednesday, with them is Czech Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Marian.

Power: TCN, NDPHC to sign agreement on 265MW spinning reserves Opeoluwani Akintayo The management of Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), are currently working on a contractual agreement by which NIPP plants would provide about 265MW of Spinning Reserves.

The reason for the agreement, according to the General Manager, Communication and Public Relations, NDPHC, Mr. Yakubu Lawal, is to facilitate grid responsiveness during swings and disturbances on the

Thursday, May 12, 2016

transmission network following incessant attacks on gas pipeline and recent grid instability as experienced by millions of power consumers nationwide.

In a telephone chat with Business Times on Wednesday on the relevance of the NIPPs, after 10 years of conception, Mr. Lawal stated that the provision of spinning reserve and other ancillary services are being practiced all over the world and Nigeria now largely relies on NIPP plants to provide the service.

“Contrary to allegation of non-relevance, the NIPP is definitely not a failed project.

The NPDHC has over 2,000MW of generation capacity readily available for deployment as soon as vandalized gas processing projects are completed by the associated nominated gas suppliers thus presenting the best opportunity for the rapid improvement of power supply.

“In the area of power generation, eight of the 10 power plants in the NIPP portfolio, along with associated gas transmission metering/receiving infrastructure projects to support commercial operation, have been commissioned and connected to the national grid contributing over

2000MW of energy daily.

While it is a fact that power generation is often disrupted by acts of vandalism on gas pipelines and transmission lines, the NDPHC does not offer such incidences as excuses.

“The NDPHC has continued to operate these power plants in the interest of the Nigerian economy, despite undesirable security challenges and an accumulated debt of over N94bn owed it by the electricity market, that’s definitely more than a tangible contribution to the nation’s supply of electricity,” he stated.

Russia has said OPEC is effectively extinct as a united organisation and the time when it could determine global oil market conditions should be forgotten.

The statement was made by Igor Sechin, head of Russia’s biggest oil firm Rosneft.

The comment is the first from Russia’s most influential oil executive after crude producers failed to agree to freeze output to support prices at a meeting in Qatar last month.

A long-standing ally of President Vladimir Putin, Sechin, has been sceptical about OPEC before, saying that top oil producer Russia should stick to its own strategy and protect its market share.

“The 1970s, when a series of the largest Middle East producers could determine global oil market conditions by creating cartel structures such as OPEC, should be forgotten,” Sechin told Reuters.

“At the moment a number of objective factors exclude the possibility for any cartels to dictate their will to the market. … As for OPEC, it has practically stopped existing as a united organisation.”

A deal to freeze oil output by OPEC and non-OPEC producers fell apart at a meeting in Doha last month after Saudi Arabia refused to commit without Iran joining in.

Saudi Arabia, the world’s largCONTINUED ON PAGE B2

LASG allocates N10b for delivery of 114 roads Charles Okonji The Lagos State Government (LASG) has on Wednesday announced that the sum of N10.8billion would be released to its contractors for the completion of the ongoing construction of 114 roads in its local government areas by the end of June.

This was contained in a state-

ment made available to Daily Time by the Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs, Mr Muslim Folami, in Lagos, which states that construction of the roads was made possible through tax payers’ money.

According to him, the second stage payment of N5.5 billon released to contractors on Monday represents 61 per cent of the

N17.85 billion, total cost of the 114 roads.

It could be recalled that Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode had in January inaugurated the construction of 114 inner roads in the state’s 20 local governments and 37 local council development areas to boost economic activities and improve vehicular movement.

Folami stated that as long as

residents continue to fulfill their civic responsibilities and obligations, the government would continue to ensure they enjoy the dividends of democracy.

“We are using this medium to urge residents to continue to pay their taxes, so as to be able to enjoy the dividends of democracy.

The monies they are paying in form of taxes are what the government is using to construct

these roads across the length and breadth of the state,” he said.

He added that besides the completion of the ongoing road projects across the metropolis, the state government had also embarked on the Light-Up-Lagos Project, stressing that this was fast spreading across major highways and streets as well as construction of bridges, flyovers, among others.

Business News B2 Sacking workers would trigger industrial unrest, TUC warns Joy Ekeke Tiers of government have been warned to desist from embracing plans to downsize the workforce as it would force organised labour to embark on prolonged protests and industrial actions.

Trade Union Congress (TUC) gave the warning and vowed to fight any arm of government that would use Nigerian workers as scapegoats for whatever reasons.

The warning TUC said, follows the numerous ludicrous excuses coming from virtually all segments of the three tiers of government over the demand by organised labour for upward review of N18, 000 national minimum wage to N5 In a statement signed by the President, Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama and Acting Secretary General, Comrade (Barr) Simeso Amachree, the union decried the move whereby some private individuals are seeking to justify the failure of some state governments to pay the wage bill of workers and execute certain needful Worried that the likes of the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, could join such anti-labour call, barely four days after the former Special Assistant to former President, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Dr Doyin Okupe, asked governors to downsize because government is spending so much on salaries, TUC noted that the minister’s position is that the N165 billion monthly salaries to federal civil servants was over-bloated and could no longer be sustained by government.

“We recall that it was widely reported that the immediate past administration discovered hundreds of thousands of ghost workers within the civil service.

The present administration has also told us that they have discovered some and adopted series of measures to curb such cases.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, May 12, 2016

FG pledges cooperation with regional Labour body Joy Ekeke The Federal Government has pledged to give its support to the Organisation of Trade Unions of West Africa (OTUWA), which recently moved its regional headquarters to Abuja the Federal Capital Territory.

Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Babachir Lawal, made the pledge on Tuesday in a statement issued in Abuja by Mr Bolaji Adebiyi, Director of Press in the office of the SGF. Lawal while receiving a delegation from OTUWA led by its President, Mr Mademba Sock, applauded the decision of OTUWA

to relocate its headquarters to Abuja and said Nigeria will partner with labour unions in the region to secure peace which is necessary for enhancing productivity and development.

According to his statement, the proximity of the union to ECOWAS secretariat would enhance the anticipated and much desired cooperation.

“The Government of President Muhammadu Buhari is prepared to partner with the unions to achieve peace and security across the West African sub-region,” the statement quoted the SGF as saying.

In the statement, the SGF assured the delegation of the Fed-

eral Government’s commitment to ensure that the union settles down in Abuja.

Sock in his remarks told the SGF that the union was prepared to contribute to the development and integration of the West African sub-region.

It said the union president pledged to partner with governments in West Africa to lead workers to transform the entire sub-region and accelerate sociocultural, economic and political integration.

“To achieve this, the union will hold from May 11-13, 2016, a Strategic Planning Workshop in Abuja to draw up a five-year Plan of Activities for OTUWA.

L-R: Managing Director, Bank of Industry, Mr. Wahab Olagunju; Chairman Jaiz Bank, Alhaji Umar Abdul Mutalab and Corporate Services Executive, MTN Nigeria, Ms. Amina Oyagbola at the Opening Ceremony of the 1st Kastina State Economic and Investment Summit in Kastina…Tuesday.

Why BEDC is improving service delivery, by CEO CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1

ful of the health and safety of the customers for instance in the supply of power to those on its connections.

BEDC, she said, embarked on a door to door enumeration of existing customers and potential ones including the state of the network, saying that the enumeration exercise involved assessment of electricity load in each premises, filling out relevant forms and provision of acceptable identification by the occupiers of premises.

In order to provide better billing information to customers, BEDC, the MD added, has begun migration to a new billing system with effect from April saying that the new billing format commenced for all Maximum Demand (MD) customers in Edo while all other categories of customers in Delta, Ekiti and Ondo states will be moved to the new billing format within the next three months.

“Customers are to note the following relating to billing information: reading of customer’s meters is expected to be done monthly or at least once in 3 months. Whenever a reading is not done in any month, an adjustment of any estimate used in billing will be done within the subsequent reading.

Where a customer’s meter is found to be obsolete or incorrect, the meter reading will be suspended and estimated billing will be utilized prior to the replacement of the meter. Such suspension will be notified to the customer in a letter”, she said.

SAESI condemns vandalisation of Kaduna metal recycling plant Charles Okonji A Safety Awareness and Environmental Support Initiative (SAESI), Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), has condemned the vandalism of the Kaduna Metal Recycling Plant, owned by the Federal Government.

Yahaya Mohammed, Controller General of SAESI, disclosed this in Kaduna on Wednesday, stress-

ing that vandals had been cannibalizing facilities at the abandoned plant located in Kudendan Industrial Area of Kaduna.

He said, a recent visit to the plant indicated that vandals had looted metals, doors and hand pumps installed at the facility, lamenting that the ugly trend was sabotaging the Federal Government’s efforts toward completing the plant for full operation.

Mohammed stated that the

plant, when completed, would provide employment for residents, and help develop the community. ``Once the recycling plant is completed, industries in the state would no longer require importation of raw materials. The plant will also create job opportunities for the teeming youths in the state and the country at large``.

He maintained that the recycling plant was established to

stop indiscriminate dumping of metal waste and abandonment of unserviceable vehicles on roadsides.

He noted; ``The facility is meant to be a source of revenue for the country, while getting rid of scrap metals from our streets.

The Federal Ministry of Environment has mandated us to assist in monitoring the facility against vandals. We will do our best to ensure the facility is secured.”

You’re no longer effective, Russia tells OPEC CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1

est oil exporter, is the key decision maker in OPEC and a fierce rival of fellow OPEC member Iran.

Russia is not a member of OPEC. Sechin, 55, helped Putin consolidate a third of the

Russian oil industry under Rosneft’s control following chaotic privatisations in the 1990s.

He has previously said that OPEC has “lost its teeth” and has said Moscow would never cooperate with OPEC because Russia’s oil industry could withstand any price rout thanks to cheap labour

and a weak local currency.

“Sechin has long been totally against the idea (of cooperating with OPEC). He believes that as a superpower, Russia should not be making this type of alliance,” said a Russia’s biggest oil firm Rosneft from outside Russia who has been involved in meetings be-

tween OPEC and Russia in recent years.

With the Doha failed meeting, Sechin’s stock is likely to have risen in Putin’s eyes.

“The company was sceptical from the very beginning about the possibility of reaching any sort of joint agreement with OPEC’s in-

volvement in current conditions,” Sechin said.

“Just to remind you, the only question with which we responded to those interested in knowing our position was: ‘Who should we agree with and how?’ The development of the situation has clearly shown we were right.”

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, May 12, 2016

B3 Business News

Global oil rebalancing ahead of EXIM Bank, UBA sign MoU to expand trade between US and Africa OPEC’s Vienna meeting ÏLRn ƃ ƏƉƕ Ƌƍ ƐƆƕƄ ƏƋ Ǝ Ɵƞƞ ƊƆƉƉƆ Ǝ ƅƆ ƃƄ ƋƏƍƃ Ƅ ƅ ƊƄƍƆƃ ƕ ƕ ƄƍƐƆƃƄ Azubike Nnadozie Fred P. Hochberg, Chairman and President of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM Bank), and Phillips Oduoza, CEO and Group Managing Director of United Bank for Africa (UBA) yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the goal of expanding trade between the U.S. and sub-Saharan Africa at the World Economic Forum Africa (WEF) in Kigali.

“EXIM Bank is proud to build on its decade’s long commitment to financing American exports to sub-Saharan Africa,” said Chairman Hochberg, adding, “This memorandum signals to American exporters and African businesses alike that there are many

more promising opportunities to work together, and EXIM stands ready to provide the financing needed to turn more of those opportunities into realities.”

The two were joined by Uzoka Kennedy, Deputy Managing Director and Group Managing Director Designate, UBA, and Sola Yomi-Ajayi, Group Head, Financial Institutions and International Organizations, UBA, who all participated in the signing ceremony.

The MoU is a statement of general intent between EXIM Bank and UBA to promote the availability of EXIM financing of up to $100 million in the region.

EXIM Bank and UBA will work together to share information and develop export-financing opportunities in key sectors includ-

ing commodities, agriculture and food products, spare parts, and large and small equipment purchases.

UBA is a leading financial services institution in Africa, with business offices in 19 African countries, in addition to offices in the U.S., United Kingdom and France. The multinational Bank provides banking services to over 11 million customers in Africa and around the world.

Under the MOU, EXIM Bank and UBA will explore options for offering a range of financing solutions for American exporters and African buyers, including short and medium-term financing programs that allow for flexible repayment terms and competitive insurance policies guaranteed by EXIM.

Opeoluwani Akintayo

As OPEC’s next general meeting in Vienna approaches in June, global oil demand appears to be catching up with supply, a sign that prices will boost sooner than expected.

Qatar’s Energy Minister Mohammad Al Sada says the market should see a “rebalancing” in the second half of the year as cheaper crude has forced some production to close.

The rate of production shutdowns is accelerating and global demand is increasing, especially for products such as gasoline, Al Sada said in a statement. “This trend is likely to increase further from next month due to the onset of the summer driving season,” the minister said.

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries will review

Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo

Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and Department of Petroleum Resources ( DPR) auctioning petrol seized from black marketers in Maiduguri on Wednesday.

Cargo operators under the aegis of National Association of Government Freight Forwarders NAGAFF have described as cumbersome government policy in obtaining foreign currencies to import goods into the country.

Speaking in an interview with Daily Times on issues affecting the smooth operations of their business, the chairman of NAGAFF airport chapter Hon Oluwasegun Musa said the process of accessing Forex has become so rigid and time consuming.

According to Musa, clearing of cargo must be made to be very seamless stressing that the country was not prepared for fill cargo business.

The NAGAFF chairman de-

the current oil market and the outlook for supply and demand at its next meeting on June 2, Al Sada, who is also OPEC president, said in the statement. OPEC has been without a production target since its last meeting in December.

However, Al Sada did not mention any specific policy proposals in his statement. “The world oil supply is declining,” Al Sada said.

“Accelerating closures of highcost production facilities and declining numbers of drilling rigs in operation are among the main reasons for the drop in production around the world.”

Oil has rebounded after slumping to a 12-year low in January on signs the global glut is easing as U.S. output decreases. Production outside OPEC will drop the most since 1992 as the U.S. shale oil boom falters, the International Energy Agency said in April.

NAGAFF blames low cargo import on govt forex policy cried the presence of so many agencies at the airport saying that NAFDAC and Standard Organisation of Nigeria charged with the responsibility of quality of products have deviated from their functions to revenue drive.

Musa noted that as a result of the development that importers have turned to the borders to do business without hindrance adding that trade facilitation was no longer at the airport as agencies were concerned about revenue drive.

SESSPN unveils roadmap for regional development Ïd Ɠ ƄƃƏƍƆƎƓ ƈƄƓ Ƅ ƂƉƄƍ ƅ Ƅƃ ƊƆƃ ƍ ƑƎ Babajide Okeowo Sequel to the second edition of the South-East SouthSouth Professionals of Nigeria (SESSPN) forum held in Port Harcourt, the body has presented the draft development agenda for the South East South-south 2035 (DASSES 2035) while identifying security as the number one enabler of economic growth in the region.

This was contained in a communique presented after the two day forum and signed by the

President of the association Mr. Emeka Ugwu-Oju and the General secretary Barr. Dagogo KaribiWhite.

Recall that a new roadmap for regional integration and economic Development of the South-east and South-South a 20 year Development Agenda (DASESS 2035)”, which will instigate the transformation of South-east and South-South zones into a global investment destination by attracting investors, identifying areas of comparative and competitive advantages of the re-

gions and plan optimal exploitation in a synergistic manner was the thrust of the 2-day forum.

In the communique, the association stated that in view of the current challenges faced by the federal government and the need to diversify and intensify economic growth, a regional approach to economic planning must be encouraged.

The association also stated that the buy-in of the region’s state governments remain critical to the success of this drive and that SESSPN will continue

to explore strategies and avenues to strengthen their commitment to this agenda.

The association called on state governments to appreciate and play its central role in providing enabling environment for the development of the region.

‘While the regional development efforts will be private sector driven, SESSPN urge state governments to appreciate and play its central role in providing enabling environment for the development of the region, to this end SESSPN will facilitate deliberate training and re-training of the public sector staff to bring them in alignment with the stan-

dards required in this new economic order.

The forum also reveal that the DASSES 2035 is a non-partisan plan which the forum will continue to promote for adoption by all state government within the region irrespective of political leanings.

The forum also said it will align with trade groups within the region with a view of supporting them to strengthen their advocacy while pursuing as a matter of urgency the procurement of a pool of funds to help drive economic growth within the region working with the private sector.

Money Market B4

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, May 12, 2016

CBN assures public over EFCC clampdown on banks Stories by Motolani Oseni Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN) has assured the banking public and indeed financial stakeholders not to panic over the on-going investigations of some financial transactions in some banks by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The apex bank noted that such exercise is aimed at strengthening the financial sector and the economy, while assuring that all the banks would continue to do their normal businesses and meet their obligations.

The CBN, in its latest statement signed by the Acting Director, Corporate Communications, Isaac Okorafor, said that it was fully aware and was indeed a part of the on-going investigations of certain financial transactions in some banks by law enforcement authorities, noting that it was also carrying out its own special examinations and investigations to ascertain the veracity of some allegations, as well as the extent

and persons that might be involved in such activities.

According to the statement, the Bank would like to reiterate that financial system stability remains a priority and therefore assures customers and stakeholders that it would not allow the banking system to be used as a conduit for any illicit transactions.

“Some of these investigations are routine and only relate to isolated transactions, therefore it is important to state that the safety and soundness of the Nigerian banking industry remain strong,” CBN said.

This has been lingering development in the banking sector over the last two weeks, which have seen the law enforcement agency – EFCC visit, invite, arrest, detain and interrogate a number of banking executives over some financial transactions in the banking system.

It would be recalled that Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, few weeks ago arrested the Managing Direc-

tor of Fidelity Bank, Mr. Nnamdi Okonkwo, and some of his senior staff in connection with the $115m slush fund routed through the bank by former Petroleum Resources Minister, Mrs. Diezani

Alison-Madueke, for electioneering purposes.

The $115m was contributed by several oil companies, with Diezani herself, donating over $25m, all converted into N23.3bn

to bribe officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to support a second term efforts of former president, Goodluck Jonathan, in the 2015 election.

Co-Ordinator, Manufacturers Power Development Company (MPDC) Mr. Owoh Mba-Sam; chairman MPDC, Mr. Ibrahim Usman; Director, Mr. John Aluya and Director MPDC, Alhaji Ali Madugu, at the Manufactures Power Development Company stakeholders Forum in Lagos on Tuesday

FirstBank introduces debit card overdraft service As part of efforts and in line with its characteristics of providing solutions to the incessant insufficient funds issue, a leading commercial bank, First Bank of Nigeria Limited, is in-

troducing another FIRST to the Nigerian financial market - the Debit Card Overdraft Service – to avail customers of instant cash to meet urgent transaction needs.

With this service, card users can now enjoy a higher level of banking convenience as they are enabled to complete card transactions seamlessly. The overdraft service can be accessed on

Sterling Bank, Access Bank explain EFCC investigations Ï dƎƄƍƉƆ ƈô ƍƄ ƋƍƆƃƄ ƍƆ Ƅ

Sterling Bank and Access Bank have notified the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) about their operations concerning the ongoing investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

This is as Sterling Bank Plc’s shares were the toast of the stock market recently, while investors rallied the lender’s clarification over the recent issue involving the institution and the EFCC. However, the banks have since issued separate statements to the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), about investigations into their activities by the law enforcement authority.

Sterling Bank in its statement to the NSE affirmed that it did not hold account for the public officer from the previous administration, explaining that

the visitation of the officials of EFCC to the bank on Wednesday May 4, 2016 to investigate a banking relationship of a nonbank financial institution.

The bank further stated that the non-bank financial institution (Asset Management Company) purchased a number of loans on recourse basis from it on commercially acceptable terms. The statement said that the transactions were the concerns raised by the EFCC to Sterling Bank.

“Arising from this incident the bank has commissioned a review of the compliance procedures of its non–bank financial institution clients with the aim of strengthening this area of our operations.

Meanwhile, analysts at Afrinvest Securities stated that the gains by Sterling Bank and two

other banks-Diamond Bank and Zenith Bank, were largely responsible for the extended bullish run of the NSE Banking Index, which rose by 0.6 per cent.

The overall market position closed negative yesterday with average decline of 0.70 per cent, equivalent to a loss of N62 billion. The All Share Index (ASI)the value-based index that tracks all quoted equities on the NSE declined from 25,828.30 points to close at 25,646.56 points.

Aggregate market capitalisation of all quoted equities also dropped from N8.884 trillion to close at N8.822 trillion.

DTN Exchange Rate Monitor

POS, Web & ATMs worldwide with Naira and Dollar denominated debit cards.

According to the lender, this is another avenue through which the Bank is supporting the lifestyle of its customers.

Commenting on this development, Group Head, E-Business at FirstBank, Mr. Chuma Ezirim, said that card usage is fast becoming a lifestyle for the average customer in Nigeria and in order to improve the customer’s banking experience, FirstBank has continuously offered innovative and differentiated products to their customers.

His words: “The Debit Card Overdraft Service will assist in

providing our customers the highest level of service when they consummate card transactions. This service reinforces the Bank’s leadership in the provision of a full range of world class debit card services and it is targeted at Salary Account Holders as well as SME/Individual account holders.”

He noted that repayment options are flexible and the overdraft service would be valid for the three-year life span of the debit card, adding that Customers who signed up to this service would no longer need to worry about having insufficient funds when they initiate transactions with their debit cards.

CBN Exchange Rate

Date

Currency

Buying(NGN)

Central(NGN)

Selling(NGN)

5/11/16

US DOLLAR

196

196.5

197

POUNDS STERLING

10/9/00

284

284

EURO

22291.08%

223

224

SWISS FRANC

201.1288

201.6419

202.155

YEN

1/1/00

2

2

CFA

32.14%

0

0

YUAN/RENMINBI

30.0604

30.1376

30.2147

Currency

Official Rate

Parallel Market

USD

197

322

RIYAL

2/21/00

52

53

2995.48%

30

30

276.6736

277.3794

278.0852

EUR

224

364

DANISH KRONA

GBP

282

462

SDR

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, May 12, 2016

GOtv Celebrates Africa Day with New Nollywood Series on Africa Magic To commemorate Africa Day, May 25, GOtv has earmarked the entire month of May as “Africa Month”. This is in celebration of home-grown content and will witness the introduction of six series on Africa Magic Family (GOtv Channel 2).

Speaking on this development, the Public Relations Manager, GOtv, Efe Obiomah disclosed that, Every day of the month, GOtv’s Africa Magic channels will feature family-oriented and informative movies, series, sitcoms, comedy shows as well as documentaries.

According to her, Jokes Alone andHope234 will run backto-back, airing at 5:00pm and 5:30pm respectively on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Jokes Alone is guaranteed to leave subscribers in stitches, whileHope234, which stars features Afeez Oyetoro aka Saka, is a television specially designed to teach young people to have an optimistic attitude to life.

Single and career-driven women can relate to Allison’s Stand, which chronicles the life of a young, upwardly mobile female professional whose fiercely independent ways puts her in a delicate position requiring her to choose between family and career.

She noted.

Allison’s Stand airs from Monday through Friday at 8:30pm.

B5 Brands & Marketing

OAAN set to mark a decade of Poster Awards The Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN) has concluded plans to mark the 10th anniversary of its prestigious poster award. The award with the theme: ‘strengthening our partnership’ is slated to ho at the prestigious Eko Hotel & Suites on the 30th of June 2016.

Speaking to newsmen on the plans for this year’s outing, the committee chairman, Mr. Ladi Sole disclosed that the poster awards is the pride of the association. This is because it not only shows the association of creativity in the industry, but creates

a forum where stakeholders in marketing communications and other works of life meet to interact in an atmosphere of relaxation, beauty and splendor.

According to him, the categories for the awards’ consideration have not changed as he encouraged the creative and buying agencies to seize this landmark edition to also make their landmark in the number of entries they submit.

He said that, “another interesting aspect of this year’s award is the introduction of a new category of regulatory agency of

Dettol cleans Nigeria with Dettol Multi Surface Cleaner In line with its vision, Reckitt Benckiser has introduced the Dettol Multi Surface Cleaner in Nigeria, a revolutionary product that is the first of its kind in the surface-cleaning category. The Dettol Multi Surface Cleaner provides ten times better cleaning and germ kill versus bleach and detergents while providing an all-day fragrance.

The new product was introduced with a national Dettol Clean Naija campaign, which was initiated as a public awareness campaign to attract the attention of Nigerians to the problem of germs and best hygiene practices. For the campaign, the Dettol Clean Naija team went city by city cleaning key National establishments chosen via digital voting by Nigerians.

Over One Million Nigerians

responded to the campaign and voted for places which were significant to them. Some of the establishments voted for and cleaned include; The Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital in Port Harcourt, Mapo Hall in Ibadan, the National Library in Abuja, Rumfa College in Kano and the National Stadium in Lagos.

Speaking at the final cleaning event at the National Stadium, Lagos, the General Manager, Reckitt Benckiser West Africa, Mr. Rahul Murgai stated that all of us would like to provide healthy lives to the ones we love and care, giving a complete protection against germs. This involves a process of cultivating best hygiene practices in Personal Care such as proper hand washing and body wash habits,

as well as Surface Cleaning in our homes. This is why the Dettol Multi-Surface Cleaner has been introduced into Nigeria, to provide a true hygiene based ecosystem for the families.

Also speaking at the event, the Marketing Director, Reckitt Benckiser West Africa, Mr. Silivrili stated that “a startling fact is that 80 % of hygiene related illness are acquired at home, however while cleaning the surfaces, Nigerians have been using suboptimal solutions like detergents which does not kill germs or bleach which does not properly remove stains, and compromising on all-day fragrance”. He emphasized the uniqueness of Dettol Multi Surface Cleaner and reiterated its benefits in maintaining truly clean and hygienic homes, and all day fragrance.

the year. This is to show appreciation for the role government agencies play in our industry. He affirmed that the panel of judges drawn from the various sectorial bodies and institutions to give credence to the exercise would be inaugurated on Wednesday, May 18th, 2016.”

Continuing, he pointed out that this year’s event has been designed to give great prominence to the business session where renowned players in various sectors that affect the advertising subsector would be in attendance, with the key ad-

dress being given by the doyen of the marketing communications industry, Mr. Bidun Sobanjo. Sobanjo would be talking on the topic: ‘indices of a vibrant economy: outdoor advertising, a catalyst for growth’.

Also speaking, the president of the association, Mr. Tunde Adedoyin stated that this year’s edition was no doubt going to be outstanding given the preparation underway, noting that, the Minister for Information and Communication, Chief Lai Mohammed would grace the occasion as the chairman.

CHI Limited introduces Chivita Active Vegetable & Fruit Nectar into Nigerian market Chi limited, one of the leading fruit juice drinks in Nigeria has introduce Chivita Active Vegetable & Fruit Nectar into the market. The product is said to be an innovative product and the first of its kind in the Nigerian juice market.

Speaking on this development in a statement made available to newsmen recently in Lagos, The Managing Director of Chi Limited, Roy Deepanjan, said “We are once again pioneering a new segment of the juice market with the Chivita Active Vegetable & Fruit Nectar in line with our market penetration strategy. As an innovative company, we are always looking for new ways to excite and invigorate the market which is why we will continue to develop the right products, that meets

market expectation of consumers who are health conscious, in the years ahead”.

According to him, Chivita Active Vegetable & Fruit Nectar is for consumers who desire more from their drink. The juice is almost like receiving an intravenous infusion of Vitamins, Nutrients, Antioxidants and Stamina from vegetables because it is already in an easily digestible form and goes straight into the system without having to be broken down.

He said that, “the space created by the growing need for the consumption of healthier drinks at home, offices and parties may in no time be filled in by Chivita Active Vegetable & Fruit Nectar as the popular choice going by the highly nutritional benefit of the drink.”

Capital Market B6

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, May 12, 2016

Nigerian investors lose N2.1b Stories by Afolabi Adesola The Nigerian Stock Exchange ended Wednesday’s trading session in red as the All Share index declined 0.06 percent to close at 25,630.62 points compared to a decline of 0.70 percent to close at 25,646.56 points recorded previously while market capitalization fell by N2.1 billion to close at N8.819 trillion, compared to a loss of N62.5 billion recorded previously to close at N8.821 trillion.

Volume and value of shares traded likewise declined to 198.5 million shares and N1.6 billion against 237.8 million shares and N1.4 billion recorded for Tuesday.

Market breadth for the day spanned across 31 gainers to 20 losers as top five losers were Total Oil Plc with a decline of N1.59 to close at N150.41 per share. Dangote Cement followed with a descent of N1.31 to close at N162.52 per share while Flourmill Nigeria Plc fell N1.23 to close at N23.76 per share.

WAPCO Plc also lost 50 kobo to close at N69 per share while University Press Plc depreciated by 27 kobo to close at N5.15 per share.

On the other hand, Conoil Plc led the day’s advancers with an appreciation of 83 kobo to close N18.1 per share. Union Dicon Plc followed with an increase of 61 kobo to close at N12.89 per share, while Nigerian Breweries added 49 kobo to close at N118 per share.

Tigerbrands Plc gained 46 kobo to close at N5.05 per share and Guaranty Trust bank Plc grew by 34 kobo to close at N18.35 per share.

Stocks of financial institutions retained top activity as FCMB exchanged 25.7 million shares worth N27.1 million, Guaranty followed accounting for 21 million shares worth N381.5 million; UBA exchanged 15.8 million shares valued at N54 million, while Wema Bank and Fidelity Bank moved 14.4 and 13.8 million shares each worth N10.6 million and N16.1 million respectively.

Summary of activities on NSE ASI DEALS VOLUME VALUE CAP

25,646.56 3,885.00 237,837,280.00 1,360,815,148.10 8,821,941,167,825.31

Sterling Bank, Access Bank explain involvement with EFCC’s officials Sterling Bank and Access Bank have notified the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) about their operations concerning the ongoing investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The banks on Tuesday issued separate statements to the NSE about investigations into their activities by the EFCC. Sterling Bank in its statement explained that officials of EFCC visited the bank on Wednesday May 4, 2016 to investigate a banking relationship of a nonbank financial institution.

It said that it never held the account of the customer during the previous administration to which the matter had been linked either officially or otherwise.

The bank also stated that the non-bank financial institution (Asset Management Company) purchased a number of loans on recourse basis from it on commercially acceptable terms.

The statement said that the transactions were the concerns raised by the EFCC to Sterling Bank.

“Arising from this incident the bank has commissioned a review of the compliance procedures of its non–bank financial institution clients with the aim of strengthening this area of our operations.

“In the Interim, the bank will not accept any new non-bank financial institution relationships.

“We thank our numerous partners for their support and assure you that the bank remains a compliant institution that continues to conduct its business within the ambit of the law,” the bank added.

In a similar development, Access Bank said that the EFCC officials visited the bank on May 6, 2016 to investigate a specific transaction involving a customer of the bank in the normal course of business.

L-R: wife of former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, Mrs. Bola Obasanjo; Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh; Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun and his wife, Mrs. Olufunso at the 2016 Ogun State Investors’ Forum on Wednesday.

Photo: DAVID IDOWU

SEC clarifies CMO recapitalisation deadline The Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has explained that capital market operators (CMO) who are yet to meet the requirements for recapitalization remain suspended except they provide proof of compliance within a grace period which elapses on the 31st December, 2016.

In a report issued by the SEC on Wednesday, it was stated that “This is to clear the misconception in the media of the pronouncement made by the DG of SEC regarding the grace period of December 31,

2016 given to non-capitalized CMOs. The general public is to note that the deadline for recapitalization has not been extended. However, the Commission will commence the process of cancellation of registration of non-capitalized CMOs after December 31, 2016.

During this grace period, any CMO that provides evidence of compliance would be admitted.

In April, the SEC DG, Mr. Mounir Gwarzo had explained that CMOs that were unable to meet the September 30, 2015 initial deadline for new capital

requirement had additional grace to recapitalise. He said the operators who were disqualified for non-compliance or inability to substantiate claims of compliance by the audit firms will be allowed to come back to the market once they show evidence of compliance within the stipulated period.

“We have given a grace of about 15 months from the initial deadline of September 30, 2015 to December 31, 2016.

Operators who do not meet the requirement within this period will have their operating license cancelled” the DG explained.

Katsina 2016 Economic & Investment Summit receives MTN’s support The management of MTN Nigeria has expressed delight in supporting the Katsina State Economic and investment Summit holding from May 9-11 2016.

Tagged the ‘Katsina State Economic and Investment Summit 2016,’ the summit is a demonstration of the State Government’s efforts to diversify the economy and to achieve the objectives of its policy thrust on private sector partnership, job creation, and entrepreneurial promotion through generation of viable investments

in the state.

Speaking on the rationale behind the support from MTN, MTN Executive, Amina Oyagbola, said that the company remains committed to driving economic growth in Nigeria by supporting initiatives that will truly place the country on the path of an economic renaissance. She added that the Katsina State Economic and Investment summit is another opportunity for the organization to demonstrate this commitment to socio-economic development.

“At MTN, we believe that we have a supportive role to play by partnering for development to realize our collective goal of being among the top 20 economies by the year 2020. We are excited to be a part of the huge potential for improved processes and enhanced productivity across sectors of the economy through ICT and look forward to working with stakeholders in both public and private sectors for greater national and global competitiveness”, Oyagbola said.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, May 12, 2016

B7 Capital Market

NSE DAILY ACTIVITY SUMMARY ( EQUITIES) 11-05-2016

Motoring B8

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, May 12, 2016

Hyundai, Diamond bank launch finance scheme Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo Hyundai Motors Nigeria Limited (HMNL) in collaboration with prime financial institution - Diamond Bank PLC has launched an imaginative vehicle finance scheme to inspire perceptive customers and fleet buyers to buy precision engineered and affordably priced made-in-Nigeria Hyundai vehicles.

The scheme which is ongoing is designed to encourage local patrons to own and drive Hyundai vehicles, using convenient bank credit with low interest rates from 14% without commitment and management fees.

Announcing the scheme in Lagos, the duo of Hyundai Motors Nigeria, manufacturers and distributors of Hyundai vehicles and Diamond Bank PLC explained that the scheme has convenient monthly repayment tenor of twelve months (12) to thirty-six months (36) months, depending on the customer’s payment option.

While also adding that a comprehensive insurance of 3.5% of the vehicle cost will be borne by the customer, the facilitators of the scheme said customers

HYUNDAI SUVS

would in addition be offered free registration, free service for six months or 10,000kms and five years or 100,000kms (whichever is first).

Both establishments brokered this agreement in Lagos at the launch of the scheme aimed at easing challenges associated with accessing low interest bank

credit to procure choice cars.

“The credit initiative is a seamless plan for desiring patrons and fleet managers to access low interest bank credit for the procurement of discounted Hyundai vehicles without necessarily paying commitment and management fees,” the duo explained.

Meanwhile, the Hyundai Motors head of sales and marketing Jatin Nadkarni has said: “The joint credit initiative is in line with Hyundai’s strategy and direction of making vehicle acquisition a seamless experience and essentially assists prospective customers to buy new Hyundai vehicles and experience Hyun-

JAGUAR TEST DRIVE

The success story of Ford Mustang

Jaguar test-drives XJ on Chinas innovative Skyroad Jaguar took its latest XJ to one of the worlds most spectacular m roads - the Skyroad in China - to find out how innovation in road technology and design is helping to match the improving ride of modern luxury cars.

The 240km-long road, officially named the Yaxi Expressway, cost over 20bn RMB ($3bn), took five years to build and has become a tourist attraction as it snakes through spectacular scenery in Sichuan Province.

The region - which is not only extremely mountainous but is also an active earthquake zone - required the road designers to utiliseinnovative thinking.

Engineers solved the issue by using tunnels and viaducts to make up over half the length.

Skyroad engineer Peng Li

said: Constructing modern roads is very challenging from a technology perspective because we have to keep pace with the development of the auto industry and there are many factors in the design of road surfaces and layouts.

In modern luxury cars like the Jaguar XJ, the passenger expectations are high. These cars are frequently chauffeur-driven and roads need to be designed to match the smooth ride and comfort engineered into luxury vehicles.

We incorporated a huge number of innovative technologies, materials and features to deliver this, including the worlds longest continuous slope of 51km, with an incline of 3 percent, and the worlds first double-spiral tunnel, which optimizes the ex-

perience for drivers.

One of the biggest challenges in the roads construction was its location in a geologically unsettled region prone to earthquakes. This not only impacted construction but also meant the design must be strong enough to withstand such potential natural disasters.

There were often many landslides, making construction very difficult, added Li. And in terms of design, it takes a lot of innovation to create an expressway to operate stably in an earthquake-prone region.

The road has halved the journey time between Chengdu and Liangshan and opened up a region of China known for its tea production as well as pottery, flowers, silk, spicy cuisine and wild pandas.

The hype surrounding the Ford Mustang before it was launched in 1964 was unlike anything Ford had ever experienced. The concept vehicle was put on show and numerous pictures were circulated to the worldwide press, leading to thousands of letters pouring in from across the globe from people wanting to know if Ford was really going to build this dream machine.

This in turn created the opportunity for Ford’s very first International Press Introduction of an automobile on April 13, 1964. The event was broadcast to 11 European cities and covered by over 2,000 reporters.

Ford Executive Lee Iacocca, who spearheaded the development of the Mustang, introduced it as a new line for Ford, with versatility as its key attribute. The Mustang was to be an economical, compact

dai inspiring technology.”

The offer which can accessed in all Hyundai Nigeria Limited accredited dealers nationwide includes select Hyundai models like Hyundai Accent 1.4/1.6litre, Grand Xcent & i10 1.2litre sedans, Azera 2.4litre, Creta 1.6litre and Santa Fe 2.4litre & 3.3litre variants.

OLD & NEW FORD MUSTANG

car with the style of an expensive European model along with high performance capabilities the muscle car as we know it today.

“We don’t claim the Mustang is a universal car, or that it can be all things to all people,” Iacocca told the press. “But we do believe the Mustang will be more things to more people than any other automobile on the road…We like to think that in the process we have achieved a new dimension in American motoring – perhaps in world motoring.”

Four days later, on April 17, 1964, the Mustang went on sale and the demand and the hype for Ford’s new baby skyrocketed. Mustang sales were huge: 22,000 cars on the first day, 418,810 Mustangs in the first year, and two years later more than a million Ford Mustangs were on the road.

Life&

Times Thursday, May 12, 2016

Lil

Kesh

From street to stardom

L2,3

P

Interview L2

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday May 12, 2016

The life of a star is not predictable

–Lil Kesh

For Keshinro Ololade popularly known by his stage name, Lil Kesh, music is not just a hobby but rather serious business where keen attention is pivotal and necessary. The 22-yearold Nigerian Singer, rapper and songwriter not long ago dropped his supposed first single, ‘Lyrically,’ which was quickly accepted my music lovers both home and abroad. Officially Lil Kesh shot into light after the chart toping song ‘Shoki’ rose to critical acclaims from music critics and a household national anthem till date. Born and raised in Bariga, a suburb of Lagos State, Lil Kesh is not relenting and ready to battle head to head to still remain relevant in the music scene. Affiliated to YBNL Nation as a recording artiste, Lil Kesh is currently signed under his record label YAGI Records, an acronym for “Young and Getting It”. However, not so many will know that Mr. YAGI is from a strong Christian background, composed and reserved person who is ready to relate well with people. In this chat with MUTIAT ALLI, Lil Kesh clears the air on his supposed sudden exist from YBNL, his new label, next project and other issues. Enjoy…

Life&

T E A M

It’s barely three weeks that you flagged off your own record label, YAGI and equally released your first video off the album; how is the new label doing?

Like we all know that with YBNL, I had a two year contract which ended some few weeks back and the rightful thoughts of Olamide from time is that his prayer stands firm on all his label artistes that after two years, all artistes he signed will not consider signing into another record label but rather they should be able to stand on their own and try and help other people just like he believed in me as well.

Was Olamide aware that you were going to float your own label?

Off course he was aware because we had discussed about it before my contract ended that I was going to float my own label which he is in total support of as I know I got his back always.

Entertainment Correspondent Mutiat Alli

Why choice of YAGI as the label name?

Well YAGI is the name of my debut album which means Young and getting it and YAGI is like me because everybody knows that’s my new logo now; I am 22 and I am doing well for myself. Even with the name of the album, like I said earlier, it talks basically about me. I am just starting off, I am learning and the same time, I am getting it. I stand for YAGI and YAGI stands for me.

You left YBNL at the time when your career is growing, don’t you think that it will affect your career and stand in the industry?

I am still very much around in the industry and good stuff is still going to come out from my stable and YBNL; the fact that I am floating my own label does not matter and does equally mean I am no longer under YBNL because that is where a lot of people are getting it wrong. Olamide and YBNL movement is still managing me as an artiste and the fact that I have my own label simply means that YAGI records is being managed by YBNL. We are still together; I and Olamide still record in the same studio and work with same set of producers. As you all know, YBNL is a family thing and we all support each other.

Was it as a result of peer influence or you think you are good enough that informed you floating your label?

People are still getting it wrong; no peer group or friends pressurised me to leave YBNL for no reason. To set the record straight, I don’t move with any other crew other than YBNL; so who can possibly want to influence me; nobody.

It has always been Olamide’s dream that we all grow big in the industry; Olamide has shared the idea with me before I shared it with myself.

Is Adekunle Gold also on your YAGI label?

Society Correspondent Abimbola Obatayo

Photography Quadri Olowolagba

Graphics Daniel Ekiye

(Ah) My brother Gold is still under YBNL but most people got it wrong because he designed the label logo and my album art work. Gold has always been supportive from day one as well as other people on the YBNL label. For YAGI records, I am the only artiste on it; come to think of it where do people want me to see money from to sign Adekunle Gold; my bro is expensive just like all his songs are of quality.

In one of your songs ‘Life of a star’ featuring Adekunle Gold, what informed that song and the lyrical content?

My life basically from me not being famous to me being famous now; it’s actually something, stages and experience that comes with it. Trying to adjust to a live of walking peacefully on the street and people not disturbing you but now you are restricted to what you can do and what you can say online. For me that change was quite difficult; many don’t know how freely I do my things back then before the fame came in. Basically, my album is a reflection of my past, present and probably the future as the case maybe. Life of a star came as a reflection of all I have been through. I was actually mediating when the song vibe came in; so I called Pheelz, the producer that I was ready and that Adekunle Gold will be dropping few lines too. The funniest part is that I and Adekunle went for a show together in Abeokuta and travelled down to Lagos the following morning where both of us lodged in a hotel due to fuel scarcity then and we had all the recording tools available and Adekunle did his verse, went back to sleep, woke and continued and at the end of the day, the song came out nice.

So what really is the life of a star?

Life of a star basically is all what we go through as ar-

Continued on L3

Daily Times Nigeria

Thursday May 12, 2016

‘I’ve not arrived yet in the industry’ Continued from L2 tistes; we might be having a bad day but still show up at event like everything is alright because we are public figures and we must always represent our fans so well. The life of a star is not predictable, people think all is always well with us at all times but they don’t understand the fact that we are humans too; forget the celebrity status attached to it.

What inspires your creativity generally?

Like I said, my music is usually a reflection of my life because I each time I want to record a song, I go down memory lane to where I was coming from; the street, my environment and every situation I find myself in. I equally am an online person and I play a lot; so at times, I put my hobby and character into my music.

Take the music from Lil Kesh, who is Lil Kesh?

Lil Kesh is a boy that all he’s got in this life for now is his music and trying to make the best. My story is quite different from everyone because things started happening for me at a very young age and the level of things I was able to achieve within the space of two years as so many people ordinary did not believe that I will go this far. So the only thing that is still making me relevant is the music; outside music, Lil Kesh is just a boy.

Starting off as a musician, were you parents in support of that?

My case is different because my father is a Christian and I grew up in a gospel family as my father has his own church and there I had music to enjoy from my parents; because music was all around me and that also informs the creative side of me. Despite the fact that my parents are good Christians, they are always in support of what their children are willing to do and more importantly they preach the education gospel too. My parents will give their blessings as long as you are on the right cause; they are my number one fans and have always supported my music from the onset.

Was music something you derives from your parents?

Yes but probably from my mum not dad, she has this way of singing which I actually picked up and when you listen to my music and hear my mum sing, you will notice the connection. Then my upbringing around the church too was an influence for my love for music.

How was growing up in Bariga for you?

Growing up in Bariga was fun for me and the most memorable; I represent my hood 100%, that’s why I speak about them in my music and all around. I am proud of my hood, I learnt a lot growing up there. The environment was the best fun spot for me that made me realise I had a great potential in music. I can brag anywhere that there are lots of hidden talents in Bariga. I represent my hood at every corner, on social media.

How do you juggle academics, family, concerts and busy schedules together?

Believe me sincerely, it’s crazy I must say but it’s more than an online thing (NOUN University) for me now because that works for me more than going to class as I need utmost concentration to face my academics.

Education is key and very important; if you are young and out there and making money at a very tender age, you still need to be educated as it is mandatory; that makes me want to compete with others. You may be enjoying the money now but wait until you are old, you wish you had the certificate.

What came into your mind the first day you saw your material on TV? I was happy because it was like the very first time but as at then, I am this kind of person that does not know how to celebrate what I have just achieved because what I still want to achieve lies ahead as I already have a bigger picture of what I want. Though I was excited when I saw my first video but at the same time, I was already thinking of what the follow-up video will be.

With your first album is doing quite well in the industry, what is next for you?

I am not relenting neither am I resting; next for me now is shooting videos off the YAGI album; mores singles and better work ahead, planning tours across the continent and focusing on how to make my own label stand too.

What usually informs your choice of words?

Like I said, I kind of take in whatever I hear and what comes out of my thoughtful thinking; I equally use my instinct to record.

Do you write your lyrics yourself?

Definitely, nobody understands my music better than I do nor my vibes; although most of songs comes in space of limited time. For instance, I might be sleeping and when I wake up, an idea or lyrics come to my mouth, I quickly dash into the studio to do my lines and much later I sit down and outline my lyrics and lines accordingly.

With several hit singles and an album to your career, will say you are at the peak of your career now?

(Laugh)!! Arrive ke, no I have not at all. My career will start maybe from next year. I say that because I had a nice year from two years back and this is another year. I can only hope for God’s favour and showers of blessing over me. I am positive that this year and other coming years will be better.

I am just at the start point of the career as I still have a long way to go. I am still hustling.

Just as Olamide groomed you, what

L3 Interview

is your plan with YAGI; are you considering signing an act too?

Off course I will. It’s the legacy Olamide taught us because at some point I had to look back when I had no record label and nothing at all. I knew how I felt and how badly I wanted people to know about me.

When I get to that stage when I think I am capable enough financially, intellectually, I will also discover a talent in the industry. For now, my strength basically is for me to make the brand big.

Will you say Olamide is a greater leader?

If there is another percentage after 100, I think Olamide deserves that and more.

He did not make us see being an artiste, celebrities and the fame the way every other person sees it. He made us believe so much in our potentials and always advice emphatically that when fame comes, tread softly and always remember where you are coming from. Before I was officially signed on YBNL record, I had moved and studied Olamide as a person because I was curious to know what made him successful in the industry and within a short while, I learnt a lot from him. One fact people don’t know is that Olamide does not see himself as been big in the industry yet, he hustles like he is an upcoming artiste.

Which is your favourite among all your work?

I will say ‘Lyrically’ because it is still standing as my biggest song for me because when I climb the stage to perform, the flows and acceptance is always there especially when I perform with live band. I call ‘Lyrically’ my birthday song because that was what Olamide heard and signed me despite the fact that I was discouraged not to drop the song then as peo-

ple felt it was not of standard; thank God I did and ever since, doors have been opening for me.

How long does it take you to make a song?

It all depends on my timing, mood, schedules and all that; at times, it may be longer or shorter than I expected. There are some songs that when you record them, you pulse at some point and continue later.

What is your most annoying daily routine?

For me, the most annoying routine is waking up so early at times because I like to sleep well; I sleep so late at night especially when I have recording to do and at the point of me enjoying my few hour sleep, schedules will come in that I have to be at some places at a particular time and I’ll be like ‘can you guys give me more hours to sleep more?.

Best vacation spot?

That will surely be South Africa because the very first time I travelled there, I loved the place and want to go back.

Your first experience out of the Nigeria, how excited were you?

I was just eager to get on the plane. My first time outside Nigeria was to London and then I was supposed to travel a day before but my manger had issues with his paper; so we had to go the next day and because I had my eyes on the plane and had pictured how I was sitting in the plan, I asked my manager: ‘Are there no way that I can go before him and he joins me later?

Are you aware that people tag you as been arrogant and pompous?

Why? I don’t even go out, I don’t hear that at all time because there are places where you go and people tell you Lil Kesh is a good guy and all that while there some place you are fed with negative comments. Like I said, that’s the life of a star. There are times I am having a very bad day and barely smiles; maybe that’s one of those days people meet me, or maybe I am at an event of over 5,000 crowd, you don’t expect me to take pictures with them all even though I am willing to that.

My manager sometimes restrict me when he sees that the crowd is becoming too unbearable. I am human being and I can’t satisfy everybody; let me seize this opportunity to say I am sorry; maybe people caught up with me on a very wrong day. Lil Kesh is cool headed, playful and down to earth.

What is your projection for YAGI records few years from now?

Let the will of God take charge; I will continue to work and make efforts towards the label being successful but all still comes down to God who will lead me through.

You sounded more of a church boy?

Yes I am a church boy, I don’t joke with my creator. Despite all the whole celebrity thing, this life don’t freak me. I always remember where I came from and how far God has positioned me because my story is a testimony; what excuse do I have not to praise my creator.

What is your take on beefing in the entertainment industry?

I don’t understand oo, this year has been so funny. The level of beef is so high, it is like they are just importing more cows into the country. For me, I don’t think beefing or hating your fellow is necessary but I think the social media is doing the most part of it because a lot of people get to talk nonsense and contribute in other people’s business; why because social media is allowing it. But at some point, come to think of it, Nigerians are bored and suffering, no water, no light, no fuel; if what is good or bad about celebrities is what is making them happy, they should keep it up then.

Music Gist L4

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday May 12, 2016

Mutiat Alli

Lip sync

9ice, Falz, others for Ile-Ife fiesta Top entertainers that includes Alapomeji boss, 9ice will led other stars with the likes of JAMB question crooner, Simi, Falz, Lil Kesh, Taye Currency, Efa, Oyinkanade, Keanzo and host of others talented musicians to the maiden edition of the first Ile Ife Fiesta billed to hold May 28, 2016 at the Afewonro/ Enuwa square, Palace of the Ooni of Ife. Hosted by comedian Bash, the event is expected to draw tourists from across the country to witness the best fiesta in the history of Ife under the consent of the paramount ruler, Ooni of Ife, Ooni Enitan Ogunwusi.

Tagged, Ife Fiesta ‘Music, Culture and heritage’, the guests will treated to a night of fun and razzmatazz as ribs cracking jokes will be delivered by Pastor Chinko, Still ringing, 13th disciple amongst others.

Ayo George, the project director gave more hint of

Battle Africa:

Chigul to battle with Toke Makinwa

what is lined up and what people should look out for during the fiesta while speaking with select media platforms in Lagos recently.

“At the start of this whole plan, we told Kabiesi, the Alayeluwa, Ooni of Ife that we were bringing Lagos Standard to Ile-Ife. Everything that can happen in Lagos can happen in Ile-Ife. From the kind of celebrities and performing artistes to the ambiance, to the project delivery, brand association and a whole lot. For the first time in Ile-Ife, there would be fire-works immediately after the Ooni’s address. A whole lot is under wraps for now, and would be unveiled at the event to promote Ile-Ife and also the Yoruba culture and heritage. We expect between 6,000 and 8,000 people attending for FREE, and this means a lot to the economy of the whole community,” George said.

toke and Chigul

My voice is my key element -Jaywon Falz

Adekunle Gold reveals he’s crushing on Mo’Cheddah

Adekunle

Mo’chedah

Teeblaq goes prayerful in Gbemileke Often time described as the street royalty, Eldar records act and cousin to late indigenous rapper, Dagrin, Tee Blaq has recorded huge success with the release of his first official song ‘Robo’ and with several follow-up songs that includes Nicki Minaj, Vassahi, Shope amongst others.

Teeblaq is not stopping at upping his game in the industry as he recently released yet another massive afro beat tune titled, “Gbemileke” as produced by monster hit maker, Jay Pizzle.

The Eldar record act disclosed in an exclusive chat with Life & Times that Gbemileke as a song talks about his hustle in Mushin, a suburb area of Lagos State where he grew up, how things went slow and steady till the present moment. In Gbemileke, Teeblaq showers blessing to his creator for his undying love and blessing over his career.

However, it would be recalled that recently, Teeblaq paid a visit to the tomb of his late brother, Dagrin alongside close friends and associates in remembrance of his six years of demise.

9ice

YBNL act, Adekunle Gold has revealed his hidden love for female singer, Mo’Cheddah, whom he says he has been crushing on since 2012.

In a recent interview with Ebonylife TV, the Orente crooner declared that his celebrity crush is Mo’Cheddah.

He said: “I have been crushing on her since 2012. I have always liked her style and I have always thought that she was stylish. She is very cute.’

Adekunle further said: “Mo’cheddah, I know you are hooked o but we can still negotiate. I really like you and I’m sure you know that. I’m sure you remember because I told you. Weird enough, I told her I was crushing on her when she was with her boyfriend and he was mad at me,’ he recounted.

As the battle continues at the Lip Sync challenge this weekend, comedienne Chigul will battle in fierce musical competition with TV/radio show host, Toke Makinwa.

The duo will clash in a sizzling on-screen confrontation in front of millions of TV viewers across Africa, dissing each other in comic mockery.

After lip syncing (or miming) to two songs of their choice, just one of them will lift the Lip Sync Battle trophy.

Commenting on his appearance in the upcoming episode, Toke said: “II have always been a huge fan of Lip Sync Battle; my favorite episode so far has to be with Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan. When I heard it was coming to Africa I was pretty excited, and then I got the call and I got even more excited. I have practiced day and night and I’m so ready to take Chigul down. I’ve got this, she’s no competition, and it’s on like Donkey Kong!”

Responding, Chigul said: ““My fans know that mimicking is my thing, so trust me on this one because you know as usual I’ll be bringing my ‘mar-kate’ on Lip Sync Battle Africa and it won’t be a ‘Weist’. Toke: get ready to be chewed up and spat out.”

Lip Sync Battle Africa is hosted by South African actress and TV presenter, Pearl Thusi, alongside Nigerian superstar, D’Banj.

Jaywon Next World music act, OluwaJuwonlo Iledare, fondly known as Jaywon, has revealed in an exclusive chat with Life & Times that one thing that distinguishes him from other industry acts is the fact that he has got a good voice and great vocal cord.

“What stands me out aside from my lyrical content and vibes is that I have a good voice that sounds just like the real me, I am not imitating anybody, I love my style of music and ready to break boundaries,” he said.

Cornered at the video shoot of one his singles off his recently released album, Oba Orin, titled ‘Gbadun’ featuring Mavin act, Reakado Banks, Jaywon said he is not relenting anytime soon as there are plans towards shooting more videos and more collaboration works as the case maybe.

Teeblaq

Daily Times Nigeria

Thursday May 12, 2016

L5 Movie Gist

Mutiat Alli

Excitement as Kunle Afolayan Producing Jenifa’s is tiring screens The CEO to the press Dairy -Funke Akindele ..As screening onboard holds June 1

After a 45-minute screening of Kunle Afolayan’s new movie, The CEO, to the press, testimonies abound of another blockbuster to have come out of Nigeria.

With so much expectation for every work by the filmmaker, fans, friends, sponsors also stormed the press screening of the movie which held at the Silverbird Cinema, City Mall, Alausa, Ikeja, yesterday – cheering every moment as the tape rolled.

Incidentally, the film bellies a panAfrican marketing prospect, having pooled its cast from countries such as Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Benin Republic, Ivory Coast and Morocco among others.

Speaking after the press screening, Afolayan revealed details of the much anticipated in-flight premiere of The CEO aboard an Air-France trip to Paris, where the film will headline the prestigious Nollywood Week Paris, a film festival organized by the Frenchbased association Okada Media, headed by Serge Noukoué and Nadira Shakur.

Afolayan said: “Come June 1, 2016, we shall be having the firstof-its-kind premiere of The CEO aboard Air France to Paris, France.

This special premiere will begin with a Red Carpet show at the Check-In Counter at the Muritala Mohammed International Airport. There shall be the best of media coverage from partners such as Africa magic, Silverbird Television, Hip TV and other broadcast and print media who have shown us tremendous support from the past. For our sponsors, partners, the cast and crew of The CEO and those accredited to attend Nollywood Week Paris, the fun continues with a Cocktail Party at the Boarding Gate. We will run a red carpet into the plane. Thereafter, the movie will be screened onboard the

L-R: Commercial Director Airfrance, Arthur Dieffenthaler, Hollywood-Nollywood Actor, Wale Ojo, Kunle Afolayan and General Manager Airfrance, Jean-Raoul TAUZIN plane where other passengers will partake in the show.

It is going to be a complete event show with the usual razzmatazz. Just imagine an After Party happening 35,000ft to 40,000ft above the sea level. It is sure going to be a unique experience. It is also good to know that our fans will be waiting for us in Paris where the film has been slated for a special premiere at the Nollywood Week Paris, taking place from May 2nd to 5th at the popular Cinema l’Arlequin.”

Some of the top dignitaries expected as part of the inflight premiere are the Minister of Culture and Tourism, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode, Commercial Manager, Air France/ KLM Arthur Dieffenthaler and Acting Managing Director of Bank of Industry, Mr. Waheed Olagunju Corroborating Afolayan’s disclosure on the premiere, Commercial Manager, Air France/KLM, Arthur Dieffenthaler, noted that there had never been an inflight premiere of such, even in Hollywood or Bollywood.

The initiative, according to him represents some of the big ideas that Air France/KLM and Afolayan’s Golden Effects Company stand for. He disclosed that this is the first time a Nigerian film will be shot at the Charles De Gaulle Airport, Paris, France, expressing optimism that the partnership will go on for a long time.

The CEO had wonderful casts that includes Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and entertainer from Benin Republic, Angélique Kidjo; Haitan actor and model Jimmy Jean-Louis; consummate actor, Wale Ojo; French-Ivorian actress and model, Aurelie Eliam; South African actor and presenter, Nicolaos Panagiotopoulos; Nigerian actress, Kemi Lala Akindoju; Moroccan star, Fatim Layachi; Kenyan actor Peter King, Nigerian actress, Hilda Dokubo as well as Nigerian singer, Adekunle Gold and Moroccan Afrobian artiste, Ahmed Soultan who made cameo appearances in the film.

New set, new look, new season, the marcy project is back!

Actress and Media personality, Dolapo Oni is back with the second season of her hit TV show, The Marcy Project.

The Marcy Project officially launched in 2015 is a 30-minute entertainment, fashion and lifestyle TV series mixed with exciting

Dolapo Oni

pranks, celebrity guest interviews and latest beauty and fashion tips.

Get ready to see Dolapo carry out the most bizarre projects from a lady mechanic to jet skiing. The new season is set to get viewers guessing what she would do next.

“When you love what you do momentum comes from that. This season is brighter, bolder and more entertaining. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed filming it, Dolapo Oni said.

Guests for the season includes Seyi Shay, DJ Jimmy Jatt, Wale, Burna Boy, Lil Kesh and more.

The new season will premiere on Sunday, May 15, 2016 on Africa Magic Urban (DSTV channel 153) at 6.30pm Nigerian Time/7.30pm CAT and will continue to air same time, same station every Sunday.

Dolapo, who is the director of production company, Lightbulb Productions, is also the Executive Producer of “The Marcy Project”.

Talented Nollywood screen diva, Funke Akindele has revealed in a recent interview that the work put in place to have the production of her latest effort ‘Jenifa Diary’ together at every season is tiring and time consuming.

She said: “We have actually filmed the fifth season but we are airing the fourth right now and we would soon begin shooting the sixth season. I must confess that I am tired because it is not easy writing, playing the lead character, assisting the director and also supervising the whole project.’

The actress who had revealed at the 4th edition of the Nigerian Entertainment Conference held on April 20, 2016 that she spent money from her endorsement deals in launching the series, however says there is no going back.

Funke Akindele “It is not easy writing a comedy script but each time I want to put it to rest, people tell me that the last season was lovely and they keep asking what would be happening in seasons to come. They still want to see more because everyone loves Jenifa. I believe that Jenifa is a brand that has come to stay because we use her as a vessel to pass messages across to young people,” she said.

Jenifa diary in past season and current ones has featured talented acts that includes Waje, Lolo, Falz, Tiwa Savage, Yemi Black to mention but few.

Beyond Disability debuts on DVD Months after making its appearance in cinemas and recorded positive reviews, light skinned actress and CEO Fespris world, Iyabo Ojo has finally released one of her latest work ‘ Beyond Disability’ which premiered on September 14, 2015 on DVD. Produced by Iyabo Ojo and directed by Desmond Elliott, Beyond Disability features Desmond Elliott, Iyabo Ojo, Ini Edo, Halima Abubakar, Femi Adebayo, Christy Okonkwo, Ireti Osayemi, and Festus Ojo amongst others.

Iyabo shared the news of the DVD debut in the Nigerian market via her Instagram page.

Sika Osei sheds light on the serious issue of PTSD in new short film, 3NA Ghanaian TV presenter and actress, Sika Osei has taken a bold step into the world of film making with the release of her new short film, “3NA: Three Nights Ago,” a film written by young and talented new comer, Gene Adu and directed by Idowu okeniyi.

The film also stars Ghana’s Mawuli Gavor and new comer, Kwame Annom Amfo.

Officially her second short film, her first one being #Guilty which is currently online, which touches on the broad topic of PostTraumatic Stress Syndrome but specifically of the sexual nature as a way to throw much needed light on the sensitive subject which often goes unmentioned or discussed in Africa.

Asked how difficult it was to be both the executive producer of the project and its’ lead actress, Sika said: “Extremely difficult. I definitely knew that this was a film I wanted to make because it strongly moved me to know that so many people go through such traumatic experiences not just by strangers but people they know and trust which ends up being covered up by family or themselves as a way of saving face and covering their shame and never dealing with the negative emotional and psychological effects that it may have on them.

“But at the same time I was so hesitant to step into their shoes which I had to if I wanted to do justice to their reality on

Sika Osei screen. It was really a matter of being brave as well as being delicate and respectful to these victims. The truth is my character could be your mother, sister, friend or just a stranger but this could be closer to you that you think.

And it’s time we talk about it and learn how to encourage those who’ve gone through such experiences speak up and get help.”

The film is also accompanied by a PSA from the actors and will serve as a prelude to a campaign that Sika will be championing in the months to come to really drum home the importance of the subject.

Shot in a gritty yet creative and sensitising way, 3NA definitely succeeds within 12 minutes to capture this biting truth leaving audiences both emotional and pensive. A must watch.

Mixed Grill L6

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday May 12, 2016

Mutiat Alli

Lyrics on the go

Artiste: Kiss Daniel

Kiss Daniel

Song: Mama Red Label: G-World Entertainment Feel the mama You know I like you so oh Chorus Girl I cherish you I stand for you I won’t lie to you But I fit lie for you oh oh In the night Girl am down for you oh oh Oya talk to me oh mama Bo Lorun Soro mi dayo with you Baby all I seek I find it in you

All I seek I find it in you Verse 1 If I’m to choose, girl I’ll choose you If I’m to lose, girl I want to lose with you them say na taboo but girl I see truth in you Shey wa korin fun mi, do you really care Sho le pon mi fun mi baby Shey mi ni lote oh To be sincere I would do almost anything for you Anything for you Chorus Girl I cherish you

I stand for you I won’t lie to you But I fit lie for you oh oh In the night Girl am down for you oh oh Oya talk to me oh mama Bo Lorun Soro mi dayo with you Baby all I seek I find it in you All I seek I find it in you Verse 2 If I’m to shoot, girl I’ll shoot for you Ain’t gan kill baby just to bullet who Prayed about you last night you came my way Ha, eh omo baba alayo ni If you buy infinity would you buy

for me oh When I make activity would you come for me oh Stick it to the light and let me see your face See your face Girl I cherish you I stand for you I won’t lie to you But I fit lie for you oh oh In the night Girl am down for you oh oh Oya talk to me oh mama Bo Lorun Soro mi dayo with you Baby all I seek I find it in you All I seek I find it in you All I seek I find it in you.

Nigerian breweries digital head joins Ventra media group Full-service Digital media firm, Ventra Media Group has just announced the appointment of Tomiwa Aladekomo in the role of Client Service & Strategy Director. Tomiwa Aladekomo was most recently Senior Digital Manager at Nigerian Breweries where he led digital marketing strategy and execution for a portfolio of some of the largest beverage brands in the country. The hire, which follows that of Kate Williams (formerly of Fuze.ng) as

Head of Creative & Editorial, signals a strong rise in capacity for the agency, which counts The Guardian, DSTV, Nairabet and Zenith Bank as some of its biggest clients.

As Senior Digital Manager at Nigerian Breweries, Aladekomo was responsible for the digital execution on campaigns like Star’s “Shine On Nigeria” football campaign, Legend’s #RealManNoFear and Heineken’s Trophy Tour

among others. He also steered the overhaul of the venerable company’s corporate website and digital presence. Aladekomo has over a decade of media and marketing experience across Nigeria and North America, notably having worked for firms like Atlantic Records and Headlight Vision, where he worked on global strategy briefs for clients like Coca Cola and Unilever.

Commenting on the

agency’s new Client Service & Strategy Director, Ventra Media CEO, Daryn Wober, said: “We’re excited to have Tomiwa join the Ventra Media team. He brings the experience of working on brand’s side for some of the best-known brands in the country. The work he did at Nigerian Breweries showcased a sophisticated understanding of the African digital marketplace and we look forward to putting that skill set to work in service of our clients.”

Tominwa Ventra Media is a fullservice digital marketing and rights agency whose range of services includes digital strategy, growing social media audiences and planning, as well as buying digital media for brands and content owners. The outfit

also specialises in website and apps development, social media management and content production.

Ventra’s work on the Guardian was responsible for the site winning the .ng Media Award at the 2016 .ng Web Awards.

J Martins set for European tour

DStv celebrates Africa month with local content

Singer, songwriter and producer, J. Martins is set for a month long European tour to kick off this June 2016.

The singer shared the news via his Instagram page with a poster of the tour and a few words to accompany it.

“My Europe Tour starts this June 2016 & is packaged by Shelby production. To all my sexy beautiful ladies & gentleman all over Europe I see you soon again. Shout out to my brother & friend Don Jackson you be Baba ohhhhhhhhhhhhh let’s make it happen bigger and better this time around God Almighty Bless you.”

Wangi In celebration of Africa Month, DStv will be taking subscribers on a voyage to discover the finest content from the continent. From Africa Magic channels straight to Maisha Magic Bongo, subscribers will be treated to exciting movies, series, reality shows and so much more all through the month of May. Nollywood screen diva, Omotola Jalade Ekeinde returns with season two of her reality show, ‘Omotola, The Real Me’ every Sunday at7:30pm on Africa Magic Showcase (DStv channel 151). On Africa Magic Family (DStv channel 154), follow the investigation surrounding the mysterious death of Alfred and see how his death changes his daughter’s life forever on Emerald, Mondays to Fridays at 7pm. Then, remember to check in with The Johnsons and see just how they cope with what life has to offer them. It shows Mondays to Fridays at 8pm.

On Africa Magic Epic (DStv channel 152) and Africa Magic Urban (DStv channel 153), subscribers will be spoilt for choice with the list of movies featuring both established and upcoming Nollywood stars. The movie Mad Couple starring Mercy Johnson will air on Sunday, 8 May at 7pm on Africa Magic Epic; watch screen beauties Tana Adelana and Annie Macaulay team up on the movie Eight. It airs on Africa Magic Urban, Sunday, 15 May at 9pm.

While on Maisha Magic Bongo (DStv channel 160), the marriage institution can be quite tricky with its ups and downs. The show, Sakata la Ndoa gives you the full interpretation of marriage. Catch it Wednesdays to Fridays at 5:30pm. Then follow the exiting adventure of Malaika on High Heels every Sunday 3:30pm.

Martins dropped his fourth studio album titled “Authentic” (African Edition) on March 21, 2016.

Ycee

Ycee out with Su mi

The album which is a 15-track LP and lasts for over an hour features his hit song ‘Touching body’ featuring DJ Arafat and the recently released single ‘So Good’ amongst a host of unreleased songs.

Tinny entertainment act, Ycee is not resting on his oars as he kept making his vibes known in the industry with few singles and several collaborations. Ycee returned this month with another banging single titled, ‘Su mi’ off his yet to be released EP ‘The First Wave.’

The Tinny Entertainment rapper has previously released two tracks ‘Shots’ and ‘Fearless’ off the EP.

J Martins

Daily Times Nigeria

Thursday May 12, 2016

L7 Entertainment Opinion

Femi Isaac

Street Credibility and Back to Back feud ...the new face of industry perception The streets must have really taken over indeed; I have no scintilla of doubt about that. What I can’t quickly fathom however, is how the street made it from being the obnoxious bad habit to the celebrated and money generating code. From popular music to brand endorsements and the entire entertainment circle, the tides are quickly changing to accommodate the firmly established street credibility mantra.

The stories of street kings like Olamide, Phyno, Reminisce and others dropping hit tracks consistently and bagging mouth-watering endorsement deals proves beyond doubt that the street can no longer be jettisoned either in the space of entertainment’s public opinion or in the caucus of brand ambassadors.

A section of music lovers, who have deliberately decided not to join the bandwagon of the street music enthusiasts in the name of calling a spade a spade on the unacceptability of the crafted music genre, sometimes inadvertently forget their position and groove to the rhythm of the masses and even learn to master accompanying dance moves.

has experienced a steady but progressive journey to a destination of superlative acceptance for homemade sounds and music of indigenous flows and languages.

In fact, little is remembered of the time when albums and hits of international charts took the larger part of our shelves and the period when foreign artistes took the shine with pride, even replacing themselves as rave of the moment in our musical consciousness.

Back to Back beef and Brand Endorsement It appears that there has never been a time as now, when beef and hard confrontation is being served consistently with actors and stagers calling themselves out at the mercy of public opinion.

A long road to acceptance For some of us Reminisce who grew up in the kite age, the tendency of always comparing what is obtainable now with our very own good old days seems a constant mannerism. I remember vividly how I struggled with other lads to be the first to memorize Craig David’s album “born to do it”. I had my fair share of learning dance moves too, Galala, Suo, Makossa, Konto, Yahooze, Azonto, Alingo, Kukere Shoki, Shakiti Bobo and the latest Dab were some of the interesting dance steps we struggled to master alongside their accompanying songs over the years.

So I was vigorously dancing my Galala to Daddy Showkey’s Fire Fire after school, and my Uncle looked at me and hissed “my friend go and sit down, do you think you can dance, where were you when we were dancing “twist” by Chubby Checker? He said. I laughed out loud as he tried to demonstrate the twist dance to me, I guess age must have prevented his waist from helping him achieve his intention on the day.

From then till now, the Nigerian music industry

Olamide

Truth be told, this is not the first time that a pint of bad blood will flow in the veins of Nigerian entertainers, I listened to beef tracks in the 90s and I loved the tension since it comes once in a while and slowly dies a natural death. But 2016 didn’t start like any other year, from Wizkid vs Dammy crane, to Blackface vs Tuface/wizkid and Psquare together. The faceoff between lolo 1 and comedienne princess and the public assault on beat FM OAP Gbemi by the Olumofin brothers, the list of cases continues to update itself by the day.

Perhaps the most short lived but epic feud of all time in my analysis is the Olamide vs Don Jozzy post headies awards beef, for two solid reasons First because it took the intervention of the Richest Man in Africa to settle the rift between the two elephants and second, the tweets posted during the feud generated viral punch lines and copies, hugely leveraged upon by brands such as Guinness, Etisalat, Lawma and other top Brands who were quick to adopt the slangs to push their products and colour their adverts.

For the blogs, it is certainly a free run for information dissemination thanks to the new media as they are quick to serve rumours of breakups and even predict disaster in homes of celebrities, From the Ice prince and Maima saga to the Davido, baby mama and Uncle dele’s story and just when comedian AY had to firmly assert that nothing was wrong with his marriage the media latched on to the dramatic story of Tiwa and Teebillz and even rumoured that the Mavin queen has been dropped as Pepsi’s brand ambassador until Pepsi debunked the rumour. Once again the people online or offline are exerting their powers on what trends and what doesn’t.

Will the street be the last lane standing?

Phyno

Whether or not our music now is better or worse than it used to be in the much referenced good old days is a conclusion that has never been reached without adopting the lenses of bias and whether a period of relative calm is in the offing, where a celebrity’s predicament will not be the selling point of blogs generating diverse public opinion both online and offline, we cannot predict.

But one thing is sure, the endurance of street music and attitude may have brought fame and fortune to several industry players as the new face of perception, I still think that a level of moral check and discipline should be taken by listeners to prevent a total loss of our cherished values in this everything goes age.

TV guide L8

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday May 12, 2016

Showing on

Showing on

Movies Comedy Channel 104

Movies ACTION Channel 110

22:28

13:00

Thu, 12 May |16 SL

Thu, 12 May | PG 13V

Oscar winner Kevin Spacey and Danny star in this film about three salesmen who dissect life as they wait for a man who could make or break their sales targets. Danny DeVito, Kevin Spacey.(1999)John Swanbeck

Jackie Chan turns on the charm in this action film. A chauffeur is thrust into the world of international espionage when he puts on a suit that gives him extraordinary powers.

Jackie Chan, Jennifer Love Hewitt. (2002) Kevin Donovan.

101 M-Net

23:35 Behind The Scenes: Unbroken 00:00 Chicago Med 00:50 Behind The Scenes: 1st Project 01:20 Shakesspeare School Year 02:28 Behind The Scenes: Walking On Sunshine 02:40 Behind The Scenes: Annie 03:15 Made In Hollywood

04:00 MasterChef Australia 05:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 05:59 The Middle 06:29 Sarah Graham's Food Safari 07:30 Chicago Med 08:30 From Rough 10:04 Behind The Scenes: The Theory Of...

10:30 The Goldbergs 11:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 12:00 MasterChef Australia 13:00 Carte Blanche 14:00 Shades Of Blue 15:00 Modern Family 15:30 The Big Bang Theory 16:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 17:00 Kevin From Work 17:30 MasterChef Australia 18:33 My Story

118 Telemundo

23:40 The Face Of Destiny 00:30 Elena's Ghost 01:20 Broken Angel 02:10 Broken Angel 03:00 The Face Of Destiny 03:50 Fearless Heart 05:20 Elena's Ghost 06:10 Husband For Hire 07:00 The Face Of Destiny 07:50 Fearless Heart 08:40 For Love And Justice 09:30 Cruel Love 10:20 Husband For Hire 11:10 The Face Of Destiny 12:00 Fearless Heart 12:50 For Love And Justice 13:40 Cruel Love 14:30 Husband For Hire 15:20 The Face Of Destiny 16:10 Fearless Heart 17:00 Broken Angel 17:50 Broken Angel 18:40 Husband For Hire 19:30 The Face Of Destiny 20:20 Fearless Heart 21:10 Broken Angel 22:00 Broken Angel 22:50 Husband For Hire

120 BBC Brit Entertainment

23:14 The Graham Norton Show

11:10 Would I Lie To You?

00:04 An Idiot Abroad

11:40 QI

00:54 The Cube

12:15 The Cube

01:41 Police Interceptors

13:05 Top Gear

02:29 John Bishop's Australia

14:55 Police Interceptors

03:24 Undercover Boss USA

15:45 Undercover Boss USA

04:10 Pointless

15:55 Would I Lie To You?

05:00 The Cube

16:20 QI

05:50 Would I Lie To You?

17:00 Pointless

06:25 QI5

18:00 Top Gear

07:00 Police Interceptors

19:00 Dragons' Den

07:45 Top Gear

20:00 QI

08:40 Pointless

20:30 Youngers

09:35 Undercover Boss USA

21:10 Top Gear

10:20 Ducks Quacks Don't Echo

22:05 Top Gear: Special: Best Of British

155 AfricaMagic World

152 AfricaMagic Epic

00:00 Music On Africa Magic

00:40 World's Wildest Police Videos 01:30 Freakshow 01:55 Extreme Reality Clips 02:20 Sexy Car Wash 03:15 Sexy Car Wash 03:45 Video Zonkers 04:10 South Beach Tow 04:35 South Beach Tow 05:00 World's Wildest Police Videos 05:45 World's Wildest Police Videos 06:35 Top 20 Countdown: Most Shocking 07:25 Video Zonkers

07:50 South Beach Tow

09:00 Good Morning Africa

08:40 Most Shocking

10:00 Lies That Bind

09:35 World's Wildest Police Videos

10:30 Lies That Bind

10:30 World's Wildest Police Videos

11:00 Lies That Bind

11:30 Baywatch

11:30 Lies That Bind

12:30 Top 20 Countdown: Most Shocking

13:00 Music On Africa Magic 14:00 Music On Africa Magic 15:05 Music On Africa Magic

01:00 Good Morning Africa

16:00 Star Gist

11:10 Maiden Of Destruction

02:05 53 Extra

16:35 Deal Or No Deal Sa

01:26 Mirror And Beauty

12:39 Sacred Skull

02:45 Star Gist

17:25 53 Extra

02:25 Africa Rising: Behind The Scenes

14:20 Twins Of The Rainforest

03:15 Star Gist

18:00 Jara

14:48 Behind The Scenes: The Place

03:45 Jara

18:30 Tinsel

15:00 Enemy Must Obey

04:25 Jara

19:00 Lies That Bind

17:02 Enemy Must Obey

05:00 Goodmorning Africa

19:30 Lies That Bind

06:01 Only Hope

19:10 The Mastermind

06:00 Deal Or No Deal SA

20:00 Jacob's Cross

07:50 Mother's Tears

20:55 Behind The Scenes:Next Dean

07:00 53 Extra

20:55 Jacob's Cross

09:31 Painful Secret

21:05 Royal Desire

07:30 Star Gist

21:55 Jacob's Cross

05:35 Behind The Scenes: Secret Room

23:50 World's Wildest Police Videos

08:15 South Beach Tow

00:10 Mystic Mirror

03:40 Impostor

23:00 Most Shocking

08:00 Jara

12:00 Deal Or No Deal SA 23:37 Behind The Scenes: Secret Room

128 SONY MAX

13:30 South Beach Tow

14:00 World's Wildest Police Videos 15:00 World's Wildest Police Videos 16:00 Most Shocking 17:00 Top 20 Countdown: Most Shocking 18:00 South Beach Tow 18:30 South Beach Tow 19:00 Baywatch 20:00 Extreme Reality Clips 20:30 Rude Tube 21:00 Rude Tube 21:30 Freakshow 22:00 Sexy Car Wash