Daily Times of Nigeria

NSE GAINERS AND LOSERS AS AT 12th March 2015.

EXCHANGE RATES Currency

Buying(NGN)

Central (NGN)

GAINERS

Selling(NGN)

LOSERS

US DOLLAR

196

196.5

197

GUARANTY

25

0.77

3.08%

GUINNESS

126.61

-1.97

POUNDS STERLING

295.1564

295.9094

296.6623

ETI

18.99

0.69

3.63%

UNILEVER

34.05

-0.81

-2.38%

25

-0.73

-2.92%

26

-0.65

-2.50%

EURO

207.8776

SWISS FRANC

208.4079

194.9279

195.4252

208.9382

DANGCEM

154

0.45

0.29%

BETAGLAS

195.9224

FBNH

8.93

0.42

4.70%

STANBIC

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NIGERIA

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FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2015 VOL. 1. NO.65

ABUJA

ENUGU

Low 24°C High 42°C

KANO

Low 27°C High 37°C

Low 21°C High 38°C

MAIDUGURI

LAGOS Low 26°C High 34°C

Low 24°C High 38°C

-1.56%

N150

P/HARCOURT Low 24°C High 33°C

Boko Haram: Mercenaries

killed in error

Ï d ƑƐ ƇƏƈƅ ô GƆ G ƐƖè ƗƏƈƒƆƏ Ɛ ƗƆ Ɨ ƈ óƇƏƈƆ ƗƋƕ ƇƈƏƆô

ÏÏÏIN

a communication glitch, two South African mercenaries assisting Nigeria in the war against Boko Haram were on Monday killed in error by the military in Bama, Borno CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

INSIDE

X4

The late Lotz (right), his widow, Almari, and their son, Leon Jr. Lotz sr. before the ill-fated trip to Nigeria.

EXTRATIME

NFF AFFIRMS BOLIVIA FRIENDLY X2

Poster!

OBINNA NSOFOR

X4,5

OFOR NS OBINNA

PERSONAL INFORMATION

XT Exclusive

Photo: Netwerk24

Name: Full name: Date of birth: Place of birth: Height: Playing position: Current team: Youth career 2003: 2004: 2005: Senior career 2005–2008: 2008–2011: 2009–2010: 2010–2011: 2011–2014: 2014–present: National team 2005–present: Honours Silver:

About Obinna Nsofor Victor Nsofor Obinna (born March 25, 1987 in Jos, Nigeria) is a Nigerian footballer who plays as a supporting striker for FC Lokomotiv Moscow of the Russian Premier League.

He made his full international debut for Nigeria at the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations, scoring once in three appear ances as the Super Eagles were eliminated in the semi-finals.

Obinna played for Nigerian clubs Plateau United and Kwara United where he was discovered by FIFA agent Marcelo Houseman. He went on trials with Italian clubs Internazionale, Perugia and Juventus before signing with Brazilian club Internacional, but international clearance problems meant that the transfer was never finalised.

He rejoined Enyimba to take part in their domestic league campaign and CAF Champions League defence.

Obinna was signed by Italian club Chievo on a five-year contract in July 2005 and in his first season with Chievo he scored six goals in 26 games.

In summer 2008, Obinna moved back to Internazionale for 1.2 million Euros in 3-year contract.

On August 26, 2009, Spanish La Liga side Málaga CF signed Obinna on a season-long loan. He scored his first goal for the Andalusian club on October 4 in 1–1 a draw against Xerez, a match in which he was also sent off.

On August 27, 2010 Obinna signed for West Ham United on a season-long loan with the option of a permanent deal in 2011.

On June 19, 2011, Obinna signed a four-year deal with Lokomotiv Moscow on free transfer.

At the international level, Obinna was a member of the U-20 Flying Eagles that won Gold in Benin in the African Youth Tournament in 2005.

Friday, March 13, 2015

Xavi

ROBBEN, RY RtIofBBrE emen clash ou

X3

undecided on his Barca future X8

NPFL:

Tanze vows to down Nasarawa in Lafia X6

Robbers in Army uniform kill four in Lagos 7

Jonathan woos Awujale, Buhari pledges focus on education P.6 NTIC: Maths Olympiad excites govt

7

Single mother hides heroine in private part

6

2

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, March 13, 2015

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, March 13, 2015

Politics Page Three

3

s

Editorial Making the National Health Act work

F

ollowing the signing into law of the 2014 National Health Act by President Goodluck Jonathan, the stage is now set for a total revamping and overhaul of the country’s health care delivery. Before the presidential assent, it was public knowledge that legislative work on the bill took a whopping eight years. The delay was not unconnected with the conflicting positions of the various medical bodies, each of which wanted to secure advantages in the provisions of the Act. With this Act, the country has taken a giant, international best-practice step towards Universal Healthcare Coverage for all Nigerians, which guarantees them fundamental human rights to health.

The Act provides a statutory framework for collaboration in healthcare delivery among the three tiers of government and stipulates the roles of the federal, state and local governments, while providing for the financial base for their successful performance in that respect. Furthermore, it calls for a harmonised, nationwide regulatory framework including uniform standards for health establishments under both public and private ownership in the areas of service delivery quality, personnel, facilities as well as infrastructure.

We welcome the Act because it would aid in no small measure to eliminate quackery and curb the proliferation of illegal clinics all over the country. At present, Nigeria has the highest infant and maternal mortality in Africa. A recent Demographic Health Survey reportedly found that Nigeria contributes about 13 per cent of global maternal

mortality, with estimated 36,000 deaths annually.

Even with all the accolades, we still have our reservations, especially with the segment that allegedly authorises doctors or other medical practitioners to remove human organs without the consent of the owner. But that should not diminish the benefits to be derived if the Act is fully implemented. For example, the new health law provides funding from the federal government (with counterpart funding from states and local government) for guaranteed basic minimum health care package for all; children below the age of five, pregnant women, the elderly and people with disabilities. It requires universal acceptance of accident and other emergency cases by all health facilities, both public and private hospitals.

Importantly, it curbs the use of public funds by Nigerian public office holders and civil servants seeking treatment abroad, a trend that sees thousands of medical tourists spending millions of naira worth of taxpayers’ money overseas. While the Act has so far received generous commendations, it still remains to be seen whether such good intentions will be equally matched by stringent oversight by those charged with the responsibility.

It is on this score that we are calling on development partners and civil society organisations to ensure strict implementation of the Act. More so, other relevant stakeholders must play their part in its full implementation and enforcement. There is also the need for adequate sensitisation of the populace so that everyone can positively take advantage of it.

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Coming to terms with Umahi’s revelation Sam Nzeh ÏÏÏWhen the Deputy Gov-

ernor of Ebonyi State David Umahi, was reported to have stated at the weekend that he wants to succeed the incumbent, Martin Elechi, having “invested” in his party’ and that it is his “time to chop government money,” not a few Nigerians expected an immediate and sharp rebuttal from him.

About one week after the controversial comment, Umahi who is the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has neither affirmed nor refuted it.

Nonetheless, informed

Nigerians know that Umahi was stating a fact which many of his colleagues and majority of public office seekers prefer to hide.

They openly declare, especially when canvassing for votes, that their goal is to better the lot of the masses.

Alas, when they get into office, they do the opposite – ‘bettering their pockets’.

They short-change the masses on most occasions.

Few months into office, the poorest of them become millionaires, own several houses, cars, and live extravagantly whereas the masses who they are in office to serve are left their plight.

What ordinarily should accrue to their constituents from the government is first in most cases cornered by

Words On Marble :

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them. A good example is the Constituency project which has become a honey pot for lawmakers at both federal and state levels.

And if at all these public office holders ever remember the masses, it is crumbs that they allow to get to them.

This sadly is the truth about most public office holders in Nigeria, which many Nigerians who hitherto had been ignorant of, should commend Umahi for.

But this ought not to be the case. While public office must rub off on the occupiers, such persons must always remember that they are nothing without the electorate, a reason they should ensure that they leave the people better than they met them.

STATEMENTS BY THOSE WHO MATTER

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Publisher

Fidelis Anosike

Group Managing Director

Editor, Standard, Archives and Special projects

Chief Commercial Officer

Deputy Editors

Noel Anosike

Doyin Awomosu

Group Managing Editor Gabriella Osamor

Editor

Yinka Olujimi

Tunji Okegbola

Yemi Ogunsola Sam Nzeh

Bureau Chief, Northern Operations Celestine Okafor

Group News Editor

Online Editor

Editorial Page Editor

Business Editor

Segun Adio Okay Osuji

Sports Editor

Andrew Ekejiuba

Head of Operations Innocent Nwankwo

Adetayo Adelaja Emmanuel Ogbonnaya

Head ICT (Shared Services) Banjo Ayorinde

Head Graphics King Ododoru

The opinions expressed in the articles published in this newspaper are solely those of the authors. Articles may be reproduced, provided that the original source is indicated.

Festus Obinaike

Engr. Odedokun

Bill Clinton

“The strategy that NCDMB is talking about has always been there; it is the political will and conscience of the players in government that have always been the problem”

“Corruption crept into the textile industry and became a habit; then it became a spirit, and graduated to a demon. Now corruption is a principality”

“People are more impressed by the power of our example rather than the example of our power”

4

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, March 13, 2015

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, March 13, 2015

5 News

FG gas project to create 5m jobs in 2015, says minister Henry Omunu & Augustine Aminu, Abuja

ÏÏÏMinister of

Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, has predicted that the Gas Revolution Industrial Park, billed to host fertilizer, petrochemical and methanol plants, will generate additional five million jobs for Nigerians.

The minister, who disclosed this yesterday, during the defence of her ministry’s budget at the House of Representatives joint committees on gas, petroleum (upstream) and (downstream), maintained that pre-construction

GMD/CEO, UBA Plc, Mr. Phillips Oduoza (4th left); MD, UBA Foundation, Ms Ijeoma Aso (5th left); Executive Director, UBA Plc, Mr. Dan Okeke (3rd right); Principal Girls Secondary School, Awka, Anambra State, Lady Winnie Ibezim (3rd left), with Secondary School students in Anambra State during financial literacy training programme for students, an initiative of CBN, held in Awka, Anambra State… on Thursday

activities have already created over 1, 000 jobs while additional 50, 000 jobs would be created at the peak of construction activities.

Allison-Madueke informed the joint House committee that when the gas industrial park becomes fully functional, the fertilizer and petrochemical plants will produce over 5 million value-chain jobs.

She said that already over 400 youth have been trained as internationally-certified welders, while 15 highly specialised pilots have already been trained under a pilot training scheme.

Four die as robbers invade bank in Lagos ÏÏÏFour

people were killed on Thursday evening when a gang of armed robbers invaded a new generation bank at Plot B, Waterfront Plaza, Admiralty Way, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos state.

According to a witness, the four people were three police escorts of a passing civilian Coaster bus and a fish seller.

The robbers, numbering at least 12, reportedly arrived a few minutes before 5:00pm via a boat, and immediately began

We’re ready for 2015 polls – David Mark Celestine Okafor,

Bureau Chief (Northern Operations)

ÏÏÏSenate

President, David Mark, has assured the international community that Nigeria is prepared for a smooth, transparent and peaceful conduct of the 2015 elections.

The Senate President also dismissed insinuations that the present administration is ill-prepared for the elections, saying that the initial postponement was necessitated by the security challenges in the country as well as shortcomings in the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

Sen. Mark, while exchanging views with the visiting Irish Ambassador to Nigeria, Ambassador Sean Hoy, in Abuja, yesterday, said Nigeria was conscious of the impression of

firing gunshots into the air in an operation that lasted exactly 25 minutes.

“It was a well-coordinated attack,” the witness said. “The robbers arrived in military camouflage and immediately distributed themselves, three of them manning each of the four exits of the bank. As I am talking to you now, the bodies of the three policemen that were killed are still on the ground.”

He added that after forcing

the international community on the nation and would not do anything to undermine national interest.

He wondered what would have been the outcome of the polls if elections were held on February 14, when over 23 million Nigeria were yet to get their PVCs. He said the postponement was the needed respite for the electoral umpire and the security agencies to put things in proper perspective before the conduct of the elections.

Said he, “For now, things have positively improved and Nigerians are happy that the coast is clear for the conduct of credible elections that would be acceptable and in conformity with international standard.

INEC appeals against YDP’s registration

their way into the banking hall, the robbers immediately announced their intention, and everyone cooperated with them.

All the four people killed were shot outside. The fish seller was crossing the road while the robbery was going on. “So it was a successful operation for them, because they made away with a lot of money. They even hacked into the ATMs and carted away the money stuffed there. “When they finished, they escaped us-

ing the same speed boat they came with.”

The robbery attack enthroned fear in the area, as people abandoned their cars on the road and scuttled to safety, causing traffic obstruction that last well over an hour after the attack.” the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Kayode Aderanti, who visited the bank, said the police was assessing the situation and promised that the robbers would be apprehended.

Aderanti

Nigeria-Morocco diplomatic row: APC seeks Presidency’s explanations ÏÏÏThe

All Progressives Congress (APC) has asked the Presidency to come out clean with Nigerians on the cause of the ongoing diplomatic row between Nigeria and Morocco that has forced the Kingdom to recall its Ambassador to Nigeria, while portraying Nigeria as a liar.

In a statement issued in Lagos on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said President Jonathan must, in particular, clarify the thorny issue of whether or not he spoke

with King Mohammed VI of Morocco.

The statement read in parts, ‘’According to published reports, the Nigerian Foreign Affairs Ministry had said President Jonathan spoke on the telephone with the Moroccan King. But the Kingdom, in a very scathing statement, said no such conversation took place. ‘’The statement said ‘Morocco is surprised at the incredible twist given by Nigeria to an alleged phone conversation that never took place between

HM King Mohammed VI and Nigerian President’. ‘’This is very serious because, in effect, Morocco has called Nigeria a liar. Therefore, it behoves President Jonathan to personally intervene to address such an international embarrassment. ‘’The questions seeking answers are: Did President Jonathan speak with the Moroccan King? If not, who is responsible for this egregious misrepresentation that has embarrassed a whole country and its leader?’’ it queried.

Andrew Orolua

Democratic Party (YDP) as a political party.

The electoral body also filed a stay of execution of the court order made by Justice Ahmed Mohammed last week.

INEC counsel, Wole Balogun, informed the Court that the court’s decision meant that INEC must in-

clude YDP’s logo on the ballot papers to be used during the March 28, Presidential election.

But, at the hearing of INEC’s motion for stay of execution on Thursday, Justice Mohammed said the party officials have imported into the judgment what was not contained in the order he gave.

Abuja

ÏÏÏThe

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has appealed against the judgment of an Abuja Federal High Court which ordered it to issue certificate of registration to the Young

News 6

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, March 13, 2015

Mercenaries killed in ‘friendly fire’ Continued from page 1 State.

A military contractor, Leon Mare Lotz, and his driver, whose name was given simply as Nangombe, were shot dead when a convoy in which they were travelling was mistaken for that of Boko Haram insurgents.

The fatal shooting took place in “pitch dark,” Reuters reported on Thursday.

Text messages to the Director of Defence Information (DDI), Major General Chris Olukolade, were not responded to at press time.

Although military sources who spoke with Agence France Presse (AFP) refrained from giving the name of the military contractor, an Afrikaner website called Netwerk 24 gave the

names of the victims on Thursday. It also quoted the widow, Almari, as saying: ““I just know Leon was killed. I know that he went to Nigeria with his eyes wide open and was aware that it was a dangerous operation.”

The widow was said to have added: “He was with some of his brothers-in-arms who have walked a path with him for many years.”

A military officer, who AFP said requested anonymity, confirmed the account, describing the death as “friendly fire”.

It said that there was no immediate response from the Federal Government when contacted by AFP about the claims of foreign mercenaries assisting the operation.

Two companies were involved in the training but he did not

identify the firms or indicate the trainers’ nationalities or numbers.

Brigadier General Xolani Mabanga, spokesman for the South African defence department, said he could not confirm Lotz’s death.

“What I know is from the press but (he’s) not a serving member of the SANDF (South African National Defence Force,” he said, adding that Lotz may have previously been with the military.

Netwerk 24 attributed the killing to a “communication problem between Nigerian soldiers and the South African trainers who help them train.”

It said that the 59-year-old Lotz was a former Koevoetlid and experienced private military contractor. The driver, an Ovambo

also died “instantly.”

The shots were said to have been fired by a “Nigerian T72 tank,” while the South Africans were said to have been in a “Reva vehicle.”

It quoted Nigerian military sources as saying that “faulty radio communication contributed to the possible misunderstanding,” and that the assumption was that “a directory with the Revas should move to show them where to go.”

The incident was meant to be a surprise attack on Boko Haram strongholds, the report added.

Lotz and Nangombe were said to have been in the first vehicle.

It said: “The vehicle for the tanks moved past when the Nigerian soldiers opened fire on them. Two shots of the tank hit it, while those and a second Reva was shot full of bullet holes AK47.”

The South Africans were said

to have been under a contract with the Federal Government to provide more mobility to give the Nigerian forces.

“The guys deserve good and you can not blame the Nigerian contract was not attractive to them,” Netwerk 24 quoted one informed Beeld as saying, adding that the command group earned apparently N5,882,181.22, (R360 000) per month, while the more “junior” contractors earned about N2,941,090.61 (R180 000.)

- Almari Lotz was quoted as saying on Thursday that her husband’s remains were expected in about two weeks in South Africa.

Meanwhile, the family last Saturday held a memorial service at the Methodist Church in Port Edward. “Afterwards we will all at the ski-boat club, one of Leon’s favorite places to hang out,” she was quoted as saying.

Jonathan woos Awujale, Buhari pledges to revamp education Abiodun Taiwo Abeokuta

ÏÏÏPresident

L-R: Ag. Registrar/Chief Executive, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN); Mr. Seye Awojobi; Executive Director, Commercial Banking, Access Bank Plc, Roosevelt Ogbonna; President/Chairman of Council, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Mrs. Debola Osibogun and former CIBN President, Professor Wole Adewunmi during presentation of Accreditation Certificate to Access Bank Academy by the CIBN in Lagos… on Thursday

Single mother hides heroine in private part Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo

ÏÏÏThe

National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested an Aba, Abia Statebased 31-year-old single mother for concealing 430 grammes of heroin in her private part.

The arrest took place at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos during the inward screening of passengers on an Emirate flight.

NDLEA commander at the Lagos airport, Mr. Hamza Umar while commenting on the incident said that the arrest was fa-

cilitated with the aid of scanning machines.

“During the inward screening of Emirate passengers, one Aladi Onyinye Juliet tested positive for narcotic ingestion. While under observation, the drug was subsequently expelled, field-tested and weighed” Hamza stated.

Preliminary investigation carried out by the NDLEA indicates that the suspect was returning from Pakistan where she was given the drug.

A release by one Mitchel Ofoyeju on behalf of the agency, said the suspect also has established links with some Pakistani drug-

traffickers who sponsored her trip in collaboration with some local accomplices.

According to Ofoyeju the lady in her statement, said that she engaged in drug trafficking to settle her bills.

“I am a single mother and I need money to take care of myself and child. I used to sell clothes but the profit is inadequate to sustain my family. I would have earned half a million naira to pay for my rent and my child’s school fees if I had succeeded in bringing the drug.

Continued on page 12

Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday took his campaign to the hometown of the vice-presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof Yemi Osinbajo in Ijebuland where he promised to execute programmes that will transform the area.

The same day, the APC presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, lamented the decay in the educational sector and promised to reverse the trend.

He also promised to stop lack of accountability in governance which sees the children and cronies of politicians raising vouchers in billions of naira without doing any work while the masses of Nigerians languish in poverty.

Jonathan who arrived at the Awujale’s Palace in Ijebu-Ode with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, Adamu Muazu and other party chieftains, extolled the virtues of the Ijebu and vowed to transform the area.

His words: “Ijebuland is a great land and there’s no government that will neglect the people of Ijebuland. I have to take that very, very seriously.

We promised as a party and as a government that we will make sure that we don’t play with the unity of this country, we will do all we can to bring Nigeria together. All what we can to make sure that we pioneer economic activities. The Ijebus are well known in the area of commerce and industry, even as a child, I was shown how hard-working the Ijebus were before I travelled to any Ijebuland.”

While promising the Awujale that his party would do its very best for the country, he solicited the monarch’s blessing pledging to work with fellow Nigerians to encourage commerce and industry, education, health service delivery and infrastructure, “ because for us, to progress as a nation, infrastructure must be in place, especially the power infrastructure which is a priority to this government.”

Responding, the Awujale and paramount ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, said, “It is not possible for any Oba, not even in Ijebu, in Yorubaland, to go out and say ‘vote for this, vote for that’; that person is looking for trouble. But give them the opportunity to present their programmes so that people can make up their minds on what to do. I think this is a very sound Continued on page 12

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, March 13, 2015

7 News

Presidential election: APC has conceded defeat - Fayose Gbenga Sodeinde Ado Ekiti

ÏÏÏEkiti

State Governor, Mr Ayo Fayose has said that the ego of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been deflated, as it has tactically conceded defeat few weeks to the March 28 presidential election.

The governor, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Idowu Adelusi, in Ado-

Ekiti, on Thursday, said that the sudden U-turn made by the North, which had realised that General Muhammadu Buhari would be made to shortchange them, had rattled the party.

Fayose also disclosed that the issue of health of the former general had become worrisome, and did not want to forget in a hurry the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua saga.

According to the governor, the APC was forced to cancel presi-

dential rallies in Enugu and Kaduna, because Buhari was not yet physically and mentally fit to go for any.

The governor said that while Buhari was still recuperating in a London hospital, he had to come back home, due to pressure mounted on him by certain leaders of his party who wanted to douse the growing apprehension

by Nigerians over Buhari’s state of health.

Fayose also noted that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and his supporters were already retracing their steps back to the PDP, and that the North had seen the deceit in APC South-West leaders in pushing forward Buhari, even against the man’s interest.

“We thank the APC for conceding defeat in the coming elections. At least they, for the first time, appear realistic. General

Buhari’s insistence that he must be allowed to attend to his health is commendable.

“It is glaring that he needs to rest and not waste energy on a failed project. The man has been abandoned by those who claim to be his backers, and Buhari’s people have told him the bitter truth, and that they would prefer to wait for another four years than to get trapped by some selfish SouthWest leaders for eight years.

NASS adopts $53 oil benchmark for 2015 Budget Celestine Okafor & Sunday Isuwa Abuja

ÏÏÏThe Senate and House of

Representatives, on Thursday, settled for $53 per barrel as the realistic oil benchmark for the 2015 Budget proposal.

The lawmakers approved the benchmark, following the approval of the Conference Committee’s report of both chambers, which harmonised the variation in the benchmark earlier approved by both chambers in Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF).

It would be recalled that the Senate had earlier approved $52 per barrel as its own benchmark for oil in the 2015 Budget, due to the downward trend in the price of oil in the international market, while the House of Representatives approved its own benchmark at $54 for crude oil.

Therefore, in a their bid to arrive at a common ground in the oil benchmark for the budget, both chambers set up a Conference Committee to resolve the discrepancies arising from the variation in the benchmark approved by both chambers.

In their meeting, the committee, which was made up of

I am nobody’s political godfather – Tompolo

L-R: Chief Executive Officer, National Mathematics Centre (NMC), Prof Adewale Solarin, presenting an award to the Group Managing Director, Nigeria Turkish International Colleges (NTIC), Mr. Mehmet Basturk, during the NMC 2014 Awards, held at the Sheraton Hotels, Abuja… on Thursday.

With them is Chairman of Governing Council of WAEC, Barrister Daniel Uwazurike.

members of both the upper and lower chambers, therefore resolved that given the economic realities, the oil benchmark be pegged at $53 per barrel.

This harmonised benchmark, which was approved on Wednesday by the House of Representatives, was equally adopted by the Senate during its plenary.

Centre honours Turkish schools over performance at Mathematics Olympiad Segun Adio

ÏÏÏThe

National Mathematics Centre (NMC) has commended and honoured the management of the Nigerian Turkish International Colleges (NTIC) for the performance of its students at the recently concluded International Mathematics and Physics Olympiad.

The Turkish schools had won five medals of the six won by Nigerian schools at the recent international competitions, held in Europe and Asia last year.

Speaking at the award presentation ceremony of the National Mathematical Centre at the Ladi Kwali Hall of Sheraton Hotel, Abuja, Chief Executive Officer

Omon Esene Warri

ÏÏÏFormer

Niger Delta militant, Mr. Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, on Thursday refuted allegations that he was currently dictating the pace of political events in Delta State.

of the centre, Prof Adewale Solarin, expressed satisfaction with the instructional system put in place by the management of the schools, which resulted in its students’ top-of-the-world performances at local and international competitions.

According to Prof. Solarin: “I am very impressed with the kind of system NTIC has in place, so I am not surprised that we have to celebrate their achievements.”

The Mathematics Centre’s Director, however, charged the management of the schools not to rest on their oars in bringing further improvements to the schools.

Prof Solarin also commended the partnership between the

centre and NTIC, saying that the symbiotic collaboration had led to enormous gains in stimulating students’ interests in Mathematics.

He continued: “NTIC has been a formidable partner of NMC. If we want to look at the achievements we have had so far in international competitions, starting from Pan-African Olympiad, NTIC contributed significantly to the numbers of medals we have.

“If we look at the International Mathematics and Physics Olympiad, in which we had six medals so far, five of the medals can be credited to NTIC,” he added.

Also at the event, Minister of State for Education, Professor Viola Onwuliri, who presented the

awards to the schools, praised the management of NTIC for ensuring that quality students emerge from there.

The minister, represented by the Director, Basic and Secondary Education, in the ministry, Bar. Chike Uwazuoke, explained that the emergence of NTIC as winners at the international competitions was a result of commitment and dedication on the part of the management of the schools. He called on them to continue in that light.

While receiving the award for the school, Group Managing Director of NTIC, Mehmet Basturk, reiterated the commitment of the school to excellent education delivery to its students.

The former leader of the defunct Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), who spoke in Oporoza, during this year’s annual Gbaramatu (Amaseikumor) festival, noted that though he supports the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate, Ifeanyi Okowa, he would not attempt to control him

if he wins next month.

Ekpemukpolo was speaking against the backdrop of insinuations that he single-handed picked the running mate to Okowa, Mr Kingsley Otuaro, and has been the chief financier of the governorship candidate’s aspiration to rule Delta State.

Tompolo

8

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, March 13, 2015

Politics

Olapade Agoro

AGORO INEC’s disobedience of court orders, cause for concern

s

POLITICS EDITOR: Olumide Akinjide Akintola E-Mail: akinjide_akintola@yahoo.com

Dr. Olapade Agoro, founder of the National Action Council (NAC) and its former presidential candidate, speaks on the rescheduled general election, the controversial card readers, INEC’s seeming incompetence and its alleged disregard of court orders. JONATHAN EZE reports.

What is the implication of the election postponement on Nigeria?

Obviously, the postponement of the 2015 election from Feb-

ruary 14 to March 28 is like the Almighty God saving Nigeria from crisis that would have been caused by treacherous people. I had, carefully, studied the situation and discovered that Professor Attahiru Jega, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), was at war with himself, waiting for someone to help and, this, I promptly did by going public on Thursday, February 5, 2015, in Abuja and alerting the nation that “INEC was not prepared for the election”. It is appropriate

for me to say that as at February 5, 2015, INEC was only about 40 percent ready to go ahead with the general election. Unknown to many people, a few hours after the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) aired my views, two top officials of INEC called to thank me for rising to the occasion and saving the situation. It is pertinent for me to say that the seeming poor preparation or lack of seriousness on the part of INEC was a deliberate intention to CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

SENATOR LEKAN BALOGUN:

Buhari, a fascist, will set Nigeria at war Senator Lekan Balogun is a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a High Chief of Ibadan land. In this interview, he exposes the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari, as a fascist, a leader who has complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, like Adolf Hitler of Germany and Benito Mussolini of Italy. He submits that such leader would set Nigeria at war with other people, if he becomes President. Excerpts:

“They don’t know the meaning of progressive politics.

If they do, they won’t be where they are. They want a Yoruba Vice President, so what?”

How do you see the ploy by the All Progressives Congress (APC), to garner support from the South West by fielding a vice presidential candidate from Yoruba land?

We’ve gone beyond that level in Nigeria, where we look at things closed-mindedly. I keep saying it, ideologically, Buhari is a fascist. You can get nothing good out of a fascist for the country, except turbu-

lence, civil war etc. that would be tragic for Nigeria and the world, as far as I’m concerned.

If it had been a Yoruba man that is there now, I’ll still say the same thing. These are part of the excuses people put up to support the trend. Even when they are not comfortable with

Avoid partisan politics, cleric tells colleagues

The Senior Pastor of Liberation City Church, Dr. Chris Okafor, has advised Christian leaders to avoid partisan politics, because their primary assignment is to win souls for the kingdom of God. Speaking at a special Sunday session organised to pray for the country, as the nation prepares for

what it entails. He locked up some people, he killed some, he was after his own pound of flesh, typical of how a fascist does things; and that’s why a fascist is a die-hard leader; a fascist moves in that direction; if you are a victim of that, forget a sane governance of the country, because they just create confusion in the land. The last two fascists the world had were (Adolf) Hitler, who ruled Germany and (Benito) Mussolini in Italy; what did they do? They caused a World War. That’s what we will get, a local war in Nigeria if Buhari gets there. Buhari is not providing details of what he did in the past and I’m not surprised, it’s just mere rhetoric. A fascist is a fascist, he does not do good things, I’m not surprised, and that’s their nature. We must consider national and global interests of Nigerians. When there is a global measure of good governance, everybody benefits, but, when there is CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

the rescheduled general election, he said it was not right for some self-styled men of God to abandon their major responsibility of winning souls but engage in partisan politics and making public comments in favour of their ‘anointed’ candidates.

Okafor also frowned at the raging issue of turning Nigeria into

Balogun

an Islamic country if a certain candidate won, saying if that, eventually, happens, all the Christian leaders have failed in their responsibility.

He said the country needed a revolution, because corruption had taken the front burner in Nigeria. The cleric who disclosed that God had already revealed to

him the winner of the presidential election but was not permitted to mention the name, advised Nigerians to use their PVCs to vote for candidates of their choice.

He urged Nigerians to pray against the plan by some elements to destabilise the country, but that with prayers, God would take control.

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, March 13, 2015

9 Politics

‘NAC can never merge with PDP, others’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

cause chaos in the polity and that would have justified his (Jega) being allowed to stay longer in office, beyond his current term.

How will you rate INEC in terms of its preparation for the general election, especially, given the distribution of Permanent Voters Cards (PVC)?

The Permanent Voter’s Card, although, a novel idea in the history of elections in Nigeria, is not well managed by INEC. This raises questions like why should INEC, which had almost four years to prepare after the 2011 general election, had to be dashing everywhere testing card readers and/or distributing Permanent Voter’s Cards, with no end to the full distribution yet in sight. The most worrisome of the situation is, for example, Borno State, which, despite the ‘war’ there, would be recording 93% success in PVC distribution, with Lagos State recording 45%. The situation becomes unacceptable, unless someone, somewhere, is deceiving somebody, somehow.

Do you think card readers should be used?

Contrary to the diverse opinions for or against card readers being used to authenticate the PVCs, I believe that INEC should be allowed to execute the general election the best way it could.

March 28 is fast approaching and there are fears that the general election may be shifted again. What do you think?

Although, I will not like to be associated with those calling for

Jonathan

a further shift of the general election beyond March 28, I believe that what is worth doing at all, is worth doing well, so, if there is a necessity to suggest otherwise, why not? Nigeria is at war and it is the duty for one to say that no nation at war holds elections, not even Great Britain dared change Lord Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister during the Second World War. More so, the bloody war being waged by the Boko Haram insurgents against the (President Goodluck) Jonathan administration, was, notably, fuelled by General Muhammadu Buhari’s alleged unsavoury pronouncement that he was going to make governance impossible for Jonathan after the 2011 elections. Some disgruntled elements opposed to Jonathan’s presidency have, indeed, continued to fuel Buhari’s ungodly incitement and that has made governance almost impossible since then.

From your viewpoint, are you optimistic that the general election will hold?

With the recent pronouncement by a Federal High Court in Abuja, giving an order to INEC to include the name of Young Democratic Party on the ballot paper, I doubt if the election will hold as scheduled without infringing on the court order. It must, however, be noted that the court order came harmfully too late, yet for political necessity and the rule of law guiding the democratic process, I don’t see the election holding, without infringing on the court order.

What is your position on the raging argument on the use of

military during the general election?

On the issue of deploying the military during elections, Nigeria must be seen to observe a recent court order in favour of the deployment, irrespective of what might have happened in the governorship election in Ekiti State during which Mr. Ayo Fayose was elected the state governor.

Irrespective of how bad a court order is, it must be obeyed until it is set aside. INEC, under Jega, is habitually disobedient of court orders, particularly, of note is its unlawful deregistration of political parties, as against a court order. But, for the love of the country, I could have gone back to court to ask for another order stopping the forthcoming elections until the order restraining INEC from its deregistration of political parties is obeyed.

Why are you not fielding candidates in the rescheduled elections?

“There is no way the National Action Council… will ever merge with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or any other party.”

“The bloody war being waged by the Boko Haram insurgents against the Jonathan administration, was, notably, fuelled by General Muhammadu Buhari’s alleged unsavoury pronouncement that he was going to make governance impossible for Jonathan after the 2011 elections.”

AGORO

Founder of the National Action Council (NAC) and its former presidential candidate The National Action Council (NAC), as, presently, constituted, does not fall under the hammer of INEC’s deregistration, bearing in mind that it has a subsisting suit No. CA/L/621/2011 AGORO vs INEC pending before the Court of Appeal, Lagos. Until that case is disposed, with a possible pronouncement against it, under the rule of law, NAC remains an existing political party in Nigeria. The recent court order directing INEC to put the name of Young Democratic Party on the ballot papers may be an eye-opener for me to explore asking for a court order to put the forthcoming elections on hold until NAC is also put on the ballot papers, after all, elections are about the rule of law. It will be in my best interest and NAC to, actively, participate in the forthcoming elections, fielding

“The…lack of seriousness on the part of INEC was a deliberate intention to cause chaos in the polity and that would have justified his (Jega) being allowed to stay longer in office…”

credible candidates, far better than those on parade by some of the political parties. Jega needs to explain to the world why he disallowed some parties, known to oppose his draconian rules, on the basis of their not having won any seat or having any representation at the federal or state level, while he allowed others, with no voice in the polity, presence on the ballot papers.

There are rumours that your party might merge with the PDP. Is that true?

I have stated it many times that there is no way the National Action Council, destined by the Almighty God to uphold values, will ever merge with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or any other party. We are waiting for our time, which, hopefully, will be soon.

Jega

Politics 10 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

bad governance, some people will benefit, while many others would suffer, so, ideologically, a fascist will subvert good governance. What amazes me is that people in the APC claim to be progressives.

But they are progressives?

They don’t know the meaning of progressive politics. If they do, they won’t be where they are. They want a Yoruba Vice President, so what? If, supposing he’s not a fascist, or he’s a fascist in the making, even if he’s my blood brother, we can’t work together. I’m glad I identify myself with a Yoruba group, I’m happy as a Yoruba man, but the issues at stake are much beyond group or parochial reasoning.

But Buhari said, publicly, that all he did then were during a military government?

It doesn’t matter, it’s just the man that we got to know.

(General Ibrahim) Babangida headed a military government, he doesn’t have that record. For God’s sake, what are we talking about? The man is, fundamentally, and irredeemably, a fascist and he can’t change. Christians in Nigeria will suffer, Muslims on the wrong side of government will suffer. There is a chance for Nigerians to choose a balanced government and everybody benefits than looking, parochially, at local politics, many people will suffer. I don’t care where the President or Vice President comes from, but, let’s have a good government.

What assurance do you have that Jonathan will do better, if he wins?

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, March 13, 2015

‘Forget Buhari, Nigeria will be peaceful with Jonathan “Is it not better for us to continue with the Boko Haram insurgency than having thousands of militants in the creeks and the national economy destroyed because some people want to get to power at all costs?”

Buhari His resilience saw us through four years, without a personal provocation of conflict nationwide, those four years would serve as example to other people. Those who put him there at the beginning thought he would do their bidding, but, it took some time before they reproached him, and his own people disowned him. If we, actually, want to see the benefit of having a PhD holder at the helm of affairs in this country, let’s give him another chance,

then, he would be governing on his own terms and find out the kind of person he is. There are many things he had handled quietly and beautifully, which if handled otherwise, would have been something else. But he handled them that way, because he had been exposed. In any case, if some people say they would make governance impossible for him and they, really, have made governance difficult for him, then, somebody from their own group would

now take over and you expect those ones to fold their arms and let you rule peacefully?

And that’s the kind of provocation he needs to show his fangs and fascist tendency. It’s, potentially, a very dangerous situation that we have found ourselves. Let’s just pray to God that Nigeria doesn’t reach that level.

If Jonathan wins, the North will go back into the trenches and if Buhari wins,

the militants will collapse the country. Is that not like a double-edged sword?

Is it not better for us to continue with the Boko Haram insurgency than having thousands of militants in the creeks and the national economy destroyed because some people want to get to power at all costs? The country belongs to all of us, for God’s sake, North, South, East and West. Let’s look at people who CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

ACHONU:

Okorocha has put Imo in perpetual debt The Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), candidate for Okigwe Senatorial zone, Chief Athan Nneji Achonu, has taken a swipe at the Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, saying that at the end of the governor’s tenure, the people will realise the high level of damage he would have inflicted on them. In this interview with, BEN WACHUKWU, he accuses Okorocha of embarking on reckless borrowing that has plunged the state into perpetual debt of over N200 billion.

What informed your desire

to aspire for a senatorial seat?

I wasn’t just motivated by the fact that there are many inadequacies in the present representation; it was purely borne out of the fact that there is the need to change the direction of our democracy.

We are doing well so far, but, we can do better and there are some constitutional issues that are limiting us, as a people, which they have not realised. I think with improved national economy and better well-being of the people, we would be better positioned, as a people, for a robust growth of the economy and that requires sound

legislative back-up.

What are these new directions?

I believe that every Nigerian worker, who is gainfully employed, has the right to a mortgage. I know that giving our workers a mortgage will generate more employment, which will not cost government anything. You find out that people have worked all their life and yet cannot afford a roof over their head; even to rent a good accommodation is impossible, this is because there is no legislation to make it work. All

these have not been possible because the way government thinks is a carryover from the military dictatorship.

Will your perception of the activities of government inform your contributions in the Senate if elected?

I don’t want to disclose everything I am going to do in the Senate here. Do you know that there is no, I mean, almost no mineral resource that we do not have in this country? If so, why don’t we have other people from all over AfCONTINUED ON PAGE 11

Achonu

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, March 13, 2015

11 Politics

‘Media yet to maximise FoI Act in fighting graft’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

rica coming here to look for jobs in our various factories, which we are supposed to have established?

What is the problem? Do you think we don’t have international investors who will come here to build those factories? Suffice it to say that I believe that this is a big shame to us as a country, that many years after oil was found in Oloibiri, we are still importing petroleum products, that’s the greatest shame to Nigeria. The reason is not far-fetched; there is no legislative determination to compel the Executive to do what should be done in this sector.

Let’s narrow it down to the senatorial zone you want to represent at the National Assembly…

The Okigwe senatorial zone is, totally and completely, underdeveloped and everything I am talking about is on economic development. There is no gainsaying the fact that I will concentrate most of my efforts to improving the lot of people in my zone, definitely, which is why I am being elected in the first place and I am will do more for my senatorial zone, through massive development.

Already, long before I went into politics, I had designed a master plan of transforming my zone into an industrial hub and I said it many times that I am getting worried people might copy and go to implement it in their zones before I get elected, so I decided to keep it close to my chest.

What is the master plan about and have you been involved in philanthropy?

Before I tell you the efforts I have

“I cannot readily tell you the amount, but, it is in the neighbourhood of N200 billion and it will take over two decades for Imo people to come out of it.” been making to create massive employment, not only in Okigwe, but, in the state, generally, I have always been taunted by Governor Rochas Okorocha, with the support of Ben Uwajimogu, Speaker of the House of Assembly. The multiple housing schemes I spoke about earlier were to the benefit of the state, but, Okorocha was against it, while he is busy plunging the state into debt that would take our great grand-children more than two decades to pay and while Uwajimogu is a willing tool to actualise this. I don’t talk about philanthropy, I don’t blow my trumpet, it’s the duty of the Press to do that, dig into my affairs and find out who Chief Athan Nneji Achonu is and what he has done for his people that made them give him the mandate.

How do you plan to make your idea relevant in the Senate?

In the first place, this Senate

Okorocha

Achonu

has done well, so far. The National Assembly has been very effective, for example, the Freedom of Information Act, which made it possible for your profession, especially, to take its proper place and defend democracy, was passed by this National Assembly. Now, we are talking and hearing about corruption, yet, nobody has been prosecuted and convicted because the media has not been utilising the FOI Act effectively. The National Assembly listened to our yearning for the Act believing that when it was passed, then true democracy, which would take us out of military dictatorship mentality would have been enshrined in our Constitution. But, till date, the media has failed to utilise it, maximally. So I know that in democracy, it is always a give-andtake situation, in the sense that when I have an idea that I want to push, in order to get it through,

I will also accommodate other ideas from my colleagues. What I mean is that I will not be rigid.

In your zone, there are also vibrant politicians contesting against you. What stands you out?

I am not Okigwe, it is Okigwe people that will say what they have seen in me that made them choose me, but, as a person, I know Benjamin Uwajimogu very well, but I don’t know Clement Owunna, although, I have watched him closely, he came into politics through the All Progressives Congress (APC) and from APC he moved to the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA). People who behave like that do not have self-confidence and I do not reckon with them. I don’t really respect them. For Uwajimogu, I have already told you the kind of person he is. Mind you, Okorocha does not own the Police; he does

not own the military, Prisons Service etc. yet Uwajimogu could not use his constitutional powers to save Imo from this terrible slavery, is it at the National Assembly that he will be relevant when the President controls the Armed Forces and the Police? As a Speaker, he watched while the ceramic industry, established by the late Chief Sam Mbakwe in our senatorial zone, was relocated. What did he do till today? Senate is not for children. He has helped Rochas (Okorocha) to ruin his people; Okigwe people cannot be happy with him.

How much is the debt?

I cannot readily tell you the amount, but, it is in the neighbourhood of N200 billion and it will take over two decades for Imo people to come out of it.

Where do you think the pendulum is swinging in the general election?

There is no stopping (President Goodluck) Jonathan. I am not saying it because I am in PDP. His performance is, surely, speaking for him. Don’t be carried away by the chanting of change. Many people are chanting that, but, do not know what they are saying.

Already, the coming of Jonathan brought the desired change, so, all we need to do, as people that want progress for our country, is to assist him to consolidate the good job he started, by voting, massively, for him on March 28.

As for Imo State, PDP is also returning to power. Okorocha has dealt with us and the earlier we stop him from a second term, the best for us or we will be sold into irredeemable debt.

‘Jonathan is people’s choice, not Buhari’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

Jonathan

are wishing to lead us, individually, let’s consider their orientation. The country has been more peaceful under (President) Jonathan than it would be under Buhari. There have been less provocations than it would be under Buhari; you find out that there would just be motions without movement or direction, are we not going to be in trouble? Are these not some of the reasons upsetting governance in Nigeria?

One of the reasons the Yoruba leaders gave for supporting Jonathan was that he pledged to implement the report of the National Conference, what do you think?

Hasn’t he started already?

We would be back to regionalism and each region would develop at its own pace, isn’t that good? We will be governed by the Constitution and not by the whims and caprices of a man, who is not guided by reason. He set up the National Conference and said he would implement

the outcome and, I think, he’s started already. For now, we have peace and order, but if it’s Buhari, everything would be wahala. I don’t care where the President hails from, it would be a dangerous precedent, because some people from a section of the country want to be ruling always and we are encouraging them. We should be careful, it’s not right, it’s not ideological and it’s not nationalistic. That reasoning is not, intellectually, tenable, why are we even thinking of it?

Buhari

News 12

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, March 13, 2015

Jonathan woos Awujale, Buhari pledges to revamp education Continued from page 6 democratic principle and that is what I have decided to do, to give you the opportunity of meeting with the people.”

He added, “Once, they see you as a person, how beautiful you are, whether to engage with you or not, to listen to you and see if there are areas where we can meet. As a result, everybody congregating here, they belong to different groups; they are PDP members, APC members, APGA members. They belong to various interests, and when they come, they get to the gate,

they shed their togas.”

He said further, “PDP will remove their PDP, APC will remove their own, APGA will remove their own, they are going to the palace, to meet their ruler, their paramount ruler, to receive that important august visitor who is coming to their lands and give him all honour that is entitled to him.”

“In all our churches, after prayers, they will pray for you, pray for the governor, pray for me and all their leaders both in the mosque and churches as it is so required both in the Bible and the Qur’an. Therefore, I

thank you Your Excellency for having this opportunity to address our people to listen to you, to hear your programme, what you have in stock for them and we shall all pray to God for guidance…

“Muslims would say ‘guide us to the right path’, and God will show us the way because He is the only one that can show the way to people. Therefore, I thank you Your Excellency most sincerely for making this trip.

God knows the best, He is the ruler of the Universe, He knows everything and He can do everything, everything is possible in

L-R: Convener, Free Lagos, Chief Kitoye Brancho Rhode; Director General, Jonathan-Agbaje Independent Campaign Group (JAICG), Mr Vincent Omatsola and Director of Mobilisation, (JAICG), Mr Oyewole Olurin at an interactive session and distribution of souvenirs by Free Lagos, held in Lagos… on Thursday PHOTO: BOLAJI OLASUNKANMI

PDP faults APC’s claim of interim govt offer to Tinubu ÏÏÏThe

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described as baseless and false a claim credited to Senator Bola Tinubu that he was offered the position of Vice President by the Presidency in an Interim National Government (ING) if he would part company with General Muhammadu Buhari.

The Director, Media and Publicity of the PDP’s Presidential Campaign Organisation (PDPPCO), Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, made the rebuttal in a press statement on Thursday.

The Tinubu Media Office had on Wednesday declared in a press statement: “From what can be gathered through in-

formed sources, the PDP and Jonathan Presidency had recently tried to fracture the APC by offering Tinubu the position of vice President in an interim government if he would agree to Part Company with the popular Buhari. Once Tinubu rebuffed the offer to participate in the interim scheme, the presidency decided to change tactics.

It would no longer try to entice Tinubu with sugar but would now move to silence and if necessary neutralize him.”

But Fani-Kayode, in a reply, said: “These allegations are baseless and false. These people have become prisoners of their own delusions and they have be-

come victims of their horrific and terrifying hallucinations.

“We are not in the least bit interested in the formation of an interim government and we are even less interested in participating in any contraption in which Bola Tinubu would play any role.”

He said further in response to another claim that “Those that killed Funso Williams know who they are and it is very clear that his spirit is now tormenting his murderers. Let them be fully aware of this: whoever it was that killed Funso William will suffer the judgment of God both in this life and in the life hereafter. God would see to that.”

the presence of God. That is why I occasional go to the Church to put up songs.

“Each time I have course, occasionally to talk to our people, I have always told them, in the churches and mosques that when you’re going to vote, make sure, you back your sons and daughter who will give something back to you, not the ‘Ojelus’. Those who will be honest with you, who know the way of God, those are the people you should vote for, not those who will give you two, three spoons and mortgage your future, it is not right.”

Also yesterday, General Muhammadu Buhari while addressing the party’s supporters at a town hall meeting in Lagos lamented the decay in the educational sector in Nigeria due to the neglect of government in developing it in terms of infrastructure and human capacity.

He cited the era of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo who made education free in the Western Region with over 43 per cent budget being expended on education, adding that the present government spent less than 15 per cent of budget on education leading to dearth of infrastructure in the tertiary and secondary institution and poor quality of teachers.

He promised that APC would spend more of the nation’s budget on education to ensure that the youths are given quality education in the country.

On the nations refineries, Buhari said the refineries at the moment were producing about 60,000 barrels of oil daily as

against 456,000 barrels per day from the four refineries working at full capacity.

He hinted that when he was in charge of the Petroleum Trust Fund, the country was exporting 100,000 barrels of oil per day, adding that the tide had now changed such that Nigeria goes to the oil market to buy oil, and diesel and kerosene, while the children and cronies of politicians are raising vouchers for payment without doing anything.

According to him, the party will correct all these anomalies as soon he takes over the helm of affairs of the country come May 29 this year.

Meanwhile the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organisation (PDPPCO) has counselled the All Progressives Congress, APC, to stop playing politics with sensitive matters that border on the interest and credibility of the country.

The PDPPCO has also challenged the APC to tell Nigerians whether or not Buhari is considering the request of some foreign nations to scrapthe country’s anti-gay laws and allow same-sex marriage, in order to secure their support.

The Director of Media and Publicity of the PDPPCO, Chief Femi Fami-Kayode, threw the challenge in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

Fani-Kayode said this was more important to Nigerians than the issues that have been raised over Morocco’s withdrawal of its ambassador from Nigeria.

Woman hides heroine in private part Continued from page 6 They paid for my return ticket and hotel accommodation. While in my hotel room, a Pakistani woman came to give me the drug.

She also instructed me to conceal it in my private part to avoid arrest. Unfortunately, the NDLEA officers detected it”.

The NDLEA statement said Juliet is a 2007 graduate from Saint Anthony Secondary School, Aba, Abia State.

Chairman/Chief Executive of the Agency, Ahmadu Giade said that the Agency would con-

tinue to detect narcotics with the help of technological tools. “The NDLEA is investing in capacity building and modern equipment in drug detection. We hope to dislodge drug trafficking cartels through superior intelligence and best global practices. Investigation is on-going to arrest other members of the drug cartel connected to her case”. Giade stated.

The NDLEA called for more public support stressing that drug control thrives on the principle of collective responsibility.

The suspect will soon be charged to court.

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, March 13, 2015

13

International 14

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, March 13, 2015

Mexican mayoral candidate murdered

ÏÏÏ A protester demonstrates

outside Downing Street in central London on March 3, 2015 over the abduction of 43 students in Mexico over four months ago, on the first day of Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto's state visit to Britain There have been worldwide protests against the high level of violence in Mexico.

The decapitated body of a politician has been found in one of Mexico's most violent states, Guerrero, where she had been standing for mayor in June's elections.

Aide Nava's body was discovered on a road near the state capital, Chilpancingo. She had been kidnapped on Tuesday.

A note near her body threatened the same treatment for other politicians.

Violence in Guerrero has cast doubt over polls scheduled there for June.

The note near Aide Nava's body said if politicians did not "fall into line" they would be executed.

It was signed by Los Rojos, one of the main criminal groups in

Kremlin denies Russia president's health rumours ÏÏÏ

Spokesman for President Vladimir Putin has denied rumours that the president is unwell. The rumours started after a trip to Kazakhstan, scheduled for Thursday and Friday, was postponed. President Putin's last public appearance was on 5 March when he met Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said those making the claims had themselves caught "spring fever".

"When the sun comes up in the spring, and as soon as spring is in the air, then the fever begins," said Mr Peskov. "We are calm on this fever, and respond to the questions with patience."

Reuters quoted a Kazakh government source on Wednesday as saying: "It looks like [Mr Putin] has fallen ill." Insisting the president was "fine", Mr Peskov said Mr Putin had meetings "all the time" but not all of them were public. Besides the trip to Kazakhstan, Mr Putin was due to sign a treaty of integration be-

There have been worldwide protests against the high level of violence in Mexico

the state.

Last year Aide Nava's son was kidnapped and has never been found. Her husband, a former mayor, was also murdered.

Guerrero and eight other Mex-

tween Russia and South Ossetia - a breakaway state formerly part of Georgia - but the ceremony did not take place.

There may be technical reasons for that - it was reported that the document had not been fully agreed. Mr Putin had also been slated to attend a federal security meeting on Thursday but a government source told Russia's Ria news agency it was unlikely to go ahead. President Putin with a delegation of women President Putin meeting a delegation for International Women's Day RBC Daily, a Moscow business newspaper, reported that the video of Mr Putin posted to the Kremlin's website on 8 March, meeting a delegation for International Women's Day, had been prerecorded on 5 March. One participant at the meeting told the paper the president had looked tired.

Since then, more videos of Mr Putin have appeared on the site.

Footage of a meeting with the governor of Russia's republic of Karelia was published on Wednesday. The videos have been the subject of scrutiny, with pundits looking closely at Mr Putin's clothes and the digits of a calendar in the background for clues about when the filming took place.

ican states hold local elections in June, but there are doubts elections can take place in Guerrero because of the high levels of violence. Last year, 43 students in Guerrero disappeared, and re-

Pakistan, Afghanistan to document refugees ÏÏÏ

Pakistan and Afghanistan have announced plans to work together over the next four months to try to document about one million Afghans who are believed to be living illegally in Pakistani cities. The documentation effort is aimed at trying to determine the deadline for when all Afghan refugees in Pakistan are expected to be safely and voluntarily repatriated.

The protracted Afghan refugee situation in Pakistan has become a major irritant in bilateral relations because Pakistani authorities are increasingly blaming the refugees for a rise in criminal and militant activity in parts of the country. The United Nations estimates there are 1.6 million registered refugees, and about one million who remain undocumented.

Islamabad’s renewed counterterrorism efforts include measures to repatriate both

main missing.

According to the government the students were abducted by corrupt local police and handed over to a criminal gang for execution.

official and unofficial Afghan refugees from Pakistan. Over the past three months, police raids against Afghan-dominated neighborhoods and refugee camps have helped spur an exodus of more than 50,000 Afghans back into Afghanistan. Most of them are said to be undocumented Afghans whom Pakistani authorities consider a security threat.

Pakistan wants all registered Afghan refugees to leave by the end of 2015. But the sudden increase in returning Afghans has already worried the government in Kabul, which is facing severe budget and security problems at a time when there is less international assistance.

However, this week’s highlevel discussions in Islamabad appear to have eased tensions and led to a more cooperative effort to document unregistered Afghans.

Chief Commissioner of Afghan Refugees Imran Zeb Khan tells VOA his institution will lead the process of documenting more than a million Afghans.

He says a joint six-member committee of Afghan and Pakistani experts will oversee the massive exercise.

China’s terrorism cases on the rise

ÏÏÏChina's top judge says the

country saw a double-digit increase in the number of terrorism and separatism cases last year, and that more than 700 individuals were convicted.

In an annual report to the National People’s Congress, Zhou Qiang, the chief justice of China’s Supreme People’s Court said Chinese courts carried out prosecutions for 558 cases last year. He said the number of cases increased by about 15 percent for terrorism charges and a little more than 13 percent for separatism.

Zhou did not say where the majority of the trials took place or give a break down of the number of cases for terrorism or separatism, but China did see a sharp increase in violent attacks in its remote and restive region of Xinjiang last year.

Xinjiang has long been troubled by ethnic tensions between its Uighur Muslim group and the country’s Han majority.

Rights activists and exiled Uighur groups say it is the government’s repressive cultural and religious policies there that are fueling the unrest, but China says the spread of religious extremism is to blame. Earlier this week, a top communist party official in Xinjiang warned that some extremists have even traveled overseas to join the Islamic State and recently returned home.

Xinjiang has typically led the rest of the nation in convictions related to crimes labeled as endangering state security. A broad grouping that includes crimes such as separatism, subversion and terrorism among others.

According to Dui Hua Foundation, a human rights advocacy group based in the United States, its own estimates and an annual Xinjiang report on court cases shows that while the number of cases of endangering state security in Xinjiang stayed flat at about 300, the number of criminal trials increased by 40 percent to more than 29,000.

Zhou Qiang

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, March 13, 2015

15 Opinion

How APC is hurting Buhari

B Prof Sullivan Odumegwu

etween now and its inception as an amalgam of two opposition parties, with a motley mix of disaffected PDP members, APC appears to have gained some momentum that even surpassed its best expectations.

Yet, in recent times, there is this noticeable downward spiral that is sure to adversely affect the party’s chances at the polls, most especially that of its presidential candidate, Buhari. While it is easy for many discerning minds to see why APC is losing its way and thereby hurting Buhari, the party itself seems sadly blinded by much hype and vainglory, while it continues, as it were, to be persisting on a path of self-immolation.

Here are some illustrations.

First, Nigerians are evidently tired of hearing the same hackneyed singsongs and negative cliches about President Jonathan.

The reason is simple. Since time, APC has been telling Nigerians that the President is clueless, without explaining exactly what it means by that. It has become so funny that each time you go to social media or venture into APC newspapers, the word ‘clueless’ is sure to be the favorite cliché.

Even as the Nigerian troops are defeating Boko Haram, APC is un-

abashedly unhappy and projects it by sticking to this funny mantra that the President is clueless. That hurts the party and Buhari, not President Jonathan, especially because vast majorities of Nigerians now view the party as unpatriotic, and treacherous to boot.

Second, APC talks about corruption without producing a single evidence of corruption against Mr President. It also talks about sending people to jail for corruption without stating how it’s going to go over the heads of the judiciary and due process to accomplish that overnight. Is the party implying that it will suspend the Constitution in fighting corruption? Or, that Buhari will again start crating Nigerians like he did to Umaru Dikko? Will Buhari’s corruption war exclude Tinubu, Amaechi, Atiku, and all those PDP decampees that ran to APC with their loot, and are now funding Buhari’s campaign?

Third is allowing Buhari and his fundamentalist supporters to continue to posture him as a religious and sectional candidate in the hope of clinching the Northern vote. Even worse, Buhari appears to bask in such infamous glory. While this may work with some rank tribal and religious partisans, it is at the same time alienating APC’s Southwest

base and moderate Northerners.

And to say that this has permanently hurt APC and Buhari in Southeast and South-South is stating the obvious. Buhari fails to understand that the reason Obasanjo, Yar’Adua and Jonathan had roundly defeated him in the past was because they garnered enough votes from outside their tribal and religious enclaves.

Campaigning as a fundamentalist Muslim may transitorily whip up some violent sentiments but in the end it scares away even moderate Muslims.

Fourth is the Buhari certificate saga. Rather than going to great lengths to secure a credible certificate or transcript from Cambridge, APC and Buhari unleashed defamatory attacks on those who dared question the sham credentials. Buhari himself became visibly angry and utterly defensive, thus suggesting that he is still the same intolerant tyrant.

If anything, these whole disgraceful conduct resulted in scaring away millions of voters that had initially considered voting for Buhari just for the heck of the ‘change’ he was touting. Yet, to this day, APC has persist in sweeping the certificate issue under the carpet.

Fifth is the many questionable characters that constitute Buhari’s kitchen cabinet; the very

people who will govern with him if, perchance, he wins. They are in the legions. There’s Tinubu, with all his many troubles and scandals, there’s Atiku with a tainted past.Then, you have Amaechi, now considered a grave error, if not a loose cannon; yet, just because he has spent billions of Rivers money on propping Buhari, they have no other choice than to let him traverse the nation, damaging the party. It has become so bad that Tinubu is said to be now disaffected and interested only in Lagos governorship election.

Same for Kwankwaso, who to his credit, has recoiled away from Buhari and the many viruses he parades as his rank campaigners and henchmen.

Sixth, in the many states APC initially appeared to be doing well, the popular angst generated by Buhari’s many scandals is beginning to scare away party apparatchiks. Most notable is Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, who is now so afraid that his continuing to campaign for Buhari may cost him the a second term that he has begun to tactically distance himself from Buhari. His recent poster-campaign is remarkable for excluding Buhari’s picture. It has become so bad that, in Imo State, Rochas is said to be campaigning for Jonathan by night while posturing as APC by day.

Controversy and politics of card readers

O

Adetayo Adegbemle

ne of the major talking points that has generated heated discussions and arguments surrounding the Nigeria’s 2015 general election has been the readiness of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct the elections, and one that has resulted in the shifting of the polls by six weeks from February 14, 2015 to March 28, 2015.

While INEC has declared its readiness for February 14th date, different sides have also presented their arguments, depending on which divide they belong. It was first the National Security Adviser (NSA) that said the elections could not go on due to security concerns. The All Progressives Congress (APC) insinuated that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), orchestrated the shift because the party was afraid of defeat.

Needless to say that the introduction of the PVC card readers

by INEC is a novel idea, and it would go a long way to make the election free of rigging. However, it is also important to critically analyse issues surrounding the use of the technology, especially taking into consideration the Nigerian environment.

This is not the forum to discuss the technology behind card readers, or how they work, but this is to raise the question of “If ” it would work as INEC suggests.

If the general elections go ahead with the use of the card readers, the 2015 elections would be the pilot run for their use in Nigeria. As a technologist, who has grown through the ranks, and has experienced working in fields ranging from support to system design, to system integration, it is my belief that we should have used them either in the 2014 Ekiti State election, or the Osun State election as test drive—preferably both.

Failure of the card reader technology on the election date would be a disaster with a long ripple effect on subsequent elections,

not minding the cost incurred on the 2015 general election.

INEC swore that it was ready, but five weeks to the February 14th date, they were still battling with the distribution of the Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs).

I was surprised when INEC declared the 7th of March, 2015 as a mock test date for the PVC and Card Readers, with varying degrees of successes, if we could even call it that.

What I expect from Nigerians, especially those in the opposition, and those who have decided to politicise the issue, is to sit down and critically think through the issues surrounding the deployment of such technology.

On the Permanent Voters Card, this should be a year round exercise that would only be suspended few weeks to the elections. We have had reports of people who registered in pre-2011 elections but could not locate their PVCs; simply because their data could not be located, or was affected by virus.

I have advocated on several

platforms to establish National Civic Centres(NCC) in all local governments where a national database will be domiciled, and things like civic registrations (voters card, birth registration certificates, death registrations/ certificates), national ID cards, drivers licensing and the likes) will be issued. The National Civic Centre would have eliminated most of the issues we face today with PVC card readers.

We need to be forward thinking, stop all these kneejerk reactions, and stop politicising all issues to the detriment of the Nigerian public. Nigerians are always losers in the end.

As a professional, I strongly recommend that INEC jettison the introduction of the card reader for the forthcoming elections. They had four years to prepare for this, prepare user manuals, distribute PVCs to the public, and carry out voters’ education around them. Why is INEC stampeding Nigeria into a mistake that will carry more grievous consequences than simply fumbling the 2015 elections?

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Daily Times Nigeria Friday, March 13, 2015

bringing it all together www.bglgroupng.com

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, March 13, 2015

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Daily Times Nigeria Friday, March 13, 2015

Features

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FEATURE EDITOR: Gbubemi God’s Covenant Snr E-Mail: Godscovenant2011@yahoo.com

How to identify a pickpocket in action Many attend events but come out with drawn faces at the end of the day. Many set out to work in the morning, but, arrive with tearful eyes, courtesy of pickpockets! How do you escape the snare of the sticky-fingered villains? FUNMI SALOME JOHNSON reports.

It was a carnival-like wedding

ceremony: the daughter of a royal family was getting wedded, with the crème de la crème of the society present. But in the midst of the gaily dressed people were another kind of human beings: the pickpockets, who, at the end of the day, turned the once jolly faces of some guests into tearful ones, because they have been dis-

possessed of some valuables, without their knowledge by the light-fingered, but well-dressed young men and ladies, who also came as guests.

“You find them mostly in rowdy places, like the bus stops and social parties. They also operate in the thick of traffic”, according to Alaba Oseni, a former pickpocket.

Alaba became a street boy at the age of 12, when he lost his parents and it never took him too long to become a pickpocket: a trade by which he fed himself for some years. There is a warning, though, from him.

“It is not only those who live on the streets that are pickpockets.

Although, they do not have an association, they know them-

selves,” Alaba added.

Hence, it would amount to absolute recklessness to think that only the filthy-clothed youths, living on the streets, with their guttural, raucous language are pickpockets. Even as many are wont to think they are, street kids, mostly, would go everywhere to beg or scavenge CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

OBA AKINSEMOYIN DAY

A celebration of royal Eight vibrant branches of Lagos State’s first royal dynasty – the Oba Akinsemoyin Royal Family - last week, rolled out the drums in colour and pomp. GOD’S COVENANT SNR and JOY EKEREKE joined the week-long celebration and filed in this report.

Eight vibrant branches of Lagos State’s first royal dynasty – the Oba Akinsemoyin Royal Family ---on Sunday, March 8, 2015 rolled out the drums in colourful celebration to re-proclaim and reassert theimmortality of the Oba Akinsemoyin Day Celebration.

Never had so many people of all ages from all walks of life, in Lagos and in the diaspora celebrated religion, culture and tradition with such enthusiasm and passion under one umbrella as was seen in the city of Lagos in the week-long celebration of a genealogy and a dynasty that is older than the city itself.

Chairman of the Elder’s Council and head of the Royal Family, 82-year-old Prince Saliru Laiwola Olowonifela Akinsemoyin, a.k.a.

Allah-Dey, in an interview at his residence in Ebute-Meta (East) explained to Daily Times the necessity of celebrating their progenitor who was the 3rd and longest reigned Oba of Lagos to date (from 1704-1749).

“The Akinsemoyin Day is an annual event celebrated by us, the descendants of King Akinsemoyin in remembrance of our progenitor.

“The annual event is a forum for the different branches of the Akinsemoyin Royal Family to interact and socialise with each

other. We also use the occasion to give awards to deserving members and friends of the royal family.

But especially, we use the occasion to raise a common voice in the actualisation of our common dream of regaining our rightful throne of the Oba of Lagos.”

According to the chairman’s account, the history of Akinsemoyin cannot be divorced from that of the Olofin Atekoye as it relates to the Idejo Chiefs. It is also intertwined with Ogboni Fakorede (Baba Alagbigba), whose divination motivated Akinsemoyin to greatness and that of his step sister, Princess Ikuti-Lekun (later known as Erelu-Kuti).

With the consent of the Oba of Benin kingdom around 1630AD, the pioneer Progenitor, Asipa was to be crowned as the 1st Oba of Lagos, but he died before he could be crowned. So, his only son, Addo, was crowned as the 1st Oba of Lagos in Iddo Island. Addo himself was survived by two males and a female – Gabaro, Akinsemoyin and Erelu-Kuti.

The reign of Oba Gabaro (1669-1704) Though an introvert and flexible in his administration, Gabaro’s continued drive for taxation/ tributes in Lagos for the Oba of Benin was resented by the Idejos.

But being a moderate monarch unwilling to use his total authority on the people, heresorted to pleading with the urban Idejos to allow him move his seat of power to within their land holding.

But a more radical Prince Akinsemoyin who believed in the supremacy of the crown found the rebellion of the Idejos unacceptable

L-R: HRM, Oba of Igbobi-Sabe, Prince Alade and members of the Elder’s council. and was ready to make war with them. He was worried that despite a treaty with the Benin Empire for military support if need be, his brother, the king was tolerating the Idejo rebellion. So Prince Akinsemoyin began to mobilise his private force to subject the Idejos to the authority of the crown or be crushed. But the Idejos got wind of the threat and embarked on a plot to assassinate the prince.

News of these moves got to Oba Gabaro who, in order to avoid bloodshed, invited his younger brother and the Idejos. Akinsemoyin admitted his plan to over-

run the Idejos because of their arrogance to the Oba. Unimpressed by his younger brother’s martial loyalty, Gabaro banished Akinsemoyin from Lagos, essentially to avoid bloodbath and make peace with the Idejos.

But before leaving for exile, Akinsemoyin, being a man of tradition and vision, soughtdivine guidance. He made contact with an Ijesha priest called Ifakorede better known as Baba Alagbigba.

At the time, the oracle used by Ifakorede,Agbigba, was totally strange in Lagos.

Through divination, it was re-

vealed that Akinsemoyin should accept his banishment, return to his mother’s native land (Apa kingdom). There he should perform special rituals and sacrifices. The oracle told him that in his mother’s native land, he would make contact with whiteskinned foreigners and would acquire great wealth, power and fame. Akinsemoyin would become friendly with the Oba of Benin and would eventually come back to Lagos triumphantly to rule as Oba. CONTINUED ON PAGE 29

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, March 13, 2015

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18

for food while only picking the pockets available to them.

Pickpockets come in different levels. There are the rough

ones, amateurs and professionals and they are both male and female. They dispossess people of their valuables, without using force or weapons.

The professionals just move

past you, before you’re aware, you have lost something! Alaba further disclosed that these ones are usually well-dressed, clean-faced and eloquent in speech. Some even drive classy cars and you will never suspect their ulterior motives. “You have all sorts of pickpockets and they have different modes of operation. Some are clean and educated and, gorgeously dressed, will go to events uninvited looking for easy preys.

Some would even dress in the same uniform with friends and relatives of the celebrant, just to fit in and have easy picks of the crowd of prospective victims.

They travel to other states or

19 Features

even out of the country to operate, depending on their level,” explained Alaba. When asked how they get to know of these events, he disclosed to Daily Times that one of the fastest and major ways they get information is through the mass media.

“I can tell you that most of these pickpockets read the newspapers and listen to the television and radio more than any other person. They know where and when any event is holding and who is hosting it.

Some even go to these event venues ahead of time to survey how the place is, so as to plan an easy entry and if need be, gain entry forcefully. Another thing is that

rights and rites “The Akinsemoyin Day is an annual event celebrated by us, the descendants of King Akinsemoyin in remembrance of our progenitor.”

Mothers of the Royal family celebrate with a masquerade.

Geneology CONTINUED FROM PAGE 28

Prince Akinsemoyin did all the oracle directed and proceeded on exile where he threw himself into trading. He went into supplies of spices, ivory palm oil and palm produce and slave trade. He did, indeed, get deeply involved with the Portuguese merchants and was able to speak and understand their language. In fulfillment of the Ifa oracle, Akinsemoyin acquired fame, wealth and power and was a force to reckon with in Apa kingdom. There he married an Apa woman named Sonate and had two children, Princess Fuji

and Prince Pinishin.

About the year 1702, the seat of government moved from Iddo Island to Lagos Island after Oba Gabaro and the Idejos had agreed on some conditions. Iga Idungaran, meaning ‘palace on a pepper farm’ was granted Oba Gabaro, while he honoured his promise

and elevayed the Idejos to hereditary Chiefs, making them permanent members of the Ose-Iga. Some two years after the consensus, Oba Gabaro joined his ancestors (died).

Chiefs from the Benin kingdom who were the king makers, sent for Akinsemoyin to become the

next Oba of Lagos, an endorsement by the Oba of Benin of Akinsemoyin.

On his return to Lagos, aware that his arch enemies, the Idejos were now better positioned as hereditary titled Chiefs, Akinsemoyin came back with a large retinue of armed, trained slaves, captained by his two special warlords, Egbe and Suenu. He was crowned the 3rd Oba of Lagos in 1704 amidst tight security.

The reign of Oba Akinsemoyin (1704-1749) Now on the throne, Oba Akinsemoyin’s reliable diviner, Ifakorededecided it was time he returned to his native land, Ilesa to marry and raise his own family. But unwilling to let his diviner go, Akinsemoyin directed his only daughter, Princess Fuji to marry Ifakorede to secure the services of the priest.

But the princess turned down her father’s request.

Allentreaties fell on deaf ears.

This refusal upset Oba Akinsemoyin. But his step sister, Princess

most of them work in groups.

They don’t work alone. Once one picks an item, he passes it on to members of his group.

They also work in collaboration with the bouncers, security officials and waiters at the occasion.

“They move very fast, and nobody, usually, notices anything until it’s too late, except the person who is knowledgeable in such things. However, for some, when there are no events to attend, they dress up every morning and go to bus stops to operate during the rush hours.”

“They always dress like a corporate office worker, who is set CONTINUED ON PAGE 21

Erelu-Kuti, saved the situation by offering to marry Baba Alagbigba.

That was how Alagbigba was persuaded to remain in Lagos and give his life-long loyal and devoted service to Oba Akinsemoyin.

Akinsemoyin caused the marriage to be performed in his palace and at their wedding,pronounced Princess Erelu-Kuti as Erelu-Oba and a member of the kingmaker’s chieftaincy class known as the Akarigbere.

Princess Erelu-Kuti became pregnant in the second year of Oba Akinsemoyin’s reign and was delivered of a male child. The Oba who had waited patiently for this, ordered that the naming ceremony be performed in his palace.

On the eight day, he adorned the infant prince with one of his robes and placed him on the throne, coral beads adorned the neck of the infant while all other royal paraphernalia of office were put in place.

Placing a white cap on the infant head, Akinsemoyin named the child Ikutire and, to the astonishment of all present, pronounced him his successor to the throne.

Oba Akinsemoyin’s multiple marriages Oba Akinsemoyin reigned for 45 years, (1704-1749) succeeded by eight children. Apart from the first two children, Fuji and Pinishin (from his first wife, Sonate) both of who incurred the displeasure of their father, Oba Akinsemoyin later had other children from other wives who now constitute the eight branches of the Akinsemoyin Royal Family of Lagos. They include Ambose, Sadeko, Abisako, Gbosebi, Amore, Jolasun,Adeailu andArogba.

End of a glorious reign Oba Akinsemoyin, the OlowoEko and Olori Ogun, died in 1749 and was succeeded by Oba Ologunkutere, his nephew and son of his younger sister, Princess Erelu-Kuti.

This year’s Oba Akinsemoyin Day celebration teed off with a thanksgiving and Church service CONTINUED ON PAGE 21

Features 20

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, March 13, 2015

Pictures from Akinsemoyin Day celebration

‘Oba Akinsemoyin made CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

at the United African Methodist Church, Iduganran St, Isale Eko,on Sunday March 1. Wednesday, March 4 saw selected members of the royal branches and friends visiting motherless babies’ homes in Lagos, followed by the Traditional Day on Thursday March 5.

Daily Times was on time to witness the sacrifice and rituals at the Oju-Eegun (Sadeko Oba Akinsemoyin) shrine at the ancient family house, Simpson Street, Isale Eko on Thursday March 5.

Officiating Priest, Ishadepo Biosegun Akinsemoyin, told Daily Times that they gather before the shrine during the annual ceremony to pray for all living Akinsemoyin descendants and celebrate those that have passed on. “This is to let their spirits rejoice in the

knowledge that we acknowledge and celebrate his existence though no longer on the throne physically.”

On this day, young ladies of the royal house roused at dawn to prepare fried bean cakes aplenty. Biosegun explains the significance: “Everywhere,akara is used by the living to re-enact the right of passage and praise those that have passed on. In tradition we call it Oju-Eegun. This rite is observed before sunrise; our daughters make haste to fry bean cakes and everyone, no matter their class or status, will eat of it. This in turn gives us the blessings of our ancestors who are there in the heavens because they hear what we say.”

It was a full house when Daily Times team arrived at about 4 pm and met a scenario that was picturesque. Men, women and people of all age grades sat around picking

their teeth. Empty bottles of wine littered the shrine floor. Anyone who was not eating eba and meat, had eaten and was just enjoying the convival atmosphere. A visitor would easily mistake them for ordinary folks enjoying a free meal and drinks. But no: Daily Times learnt that everyone here was a descendant of Akinsemoyin royal family from the eight branches. Among them are technocrats, top military personnel, business tycoons, members of the Bar and the Bench, bankers, mothers and grandmothers and traders of old Isale-Eko fame who all put away their businesses and official duties for this traditional day. And they did it as they did when they were children --- straight from the heart and loving every minute of it.

“We killed a he-goat and a shegoat for this day celebration and

as you can see, everybody has been around since morning, keeping touch with tradition. We use this event to learn and know the tradition, every step of the rituals and ceremonies which have been passed on to us from our ancestors,”explained the priest.

Friday March 6 was the Jumat Service at the Lagos Central Mosque where all the verses of the Holy Koran were recited. Saturday March 7 was the Sports Day while the grand finale was at the Boys Academy Junior High School, Simpson Street on Lagos Island.

Dignitaries from across the land graced the occasion, including Oba of Igbobi-Sabe. Awards were also given to deserving members and friends of the royal family.

Some of the awardees include Chief Adekunle Olaiya, Dr. Abiodun Sule, Mrs. Serifat Folasade

Jaji, Lawal Pedro, SAN and Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice and Alhaji Ayinke among others.

Chairman of the organizing committee, Alhaji Prince Shakirudeen Olatunji Giwa, of Ambose branch, told Daily Times he was happy the event had turned out as planned.

“We started since Sunday and today is the grand finale in the form of a jamboree; all eight branches of the family have been together, we have seen ourselves and revisited our roots in happiness and in joy.

“We have some of our members from America and Europe.

Some here now even wished they had known on time because they would have brought friends and colleagues from abroad to rejoice with the Royal family.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 21

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, March 13, 2015

21 Features

?????

How to identify a pickpocket in action CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

Lagos popular’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20

On this year’s celebration, Giwa said: “Today’s ceremony is to showcase ourselves to the country, especially Lagos State, that the Akinsemoyin Royal Family still exists and very much on ground. Though it is true Oba Akinsemoyin is dead, his descendants are alive and are bent on taking our rightful position. We thank God that things are now taking shape and by God’s Grace, in due course, we will get our right.

“We have been celebrating this every year successfully; but this year’s is more significant and most successful. Like some of the programmes we did, though we have been doing it, not as elaborate as we did this year. Last year’s venue was so small it was like we just choked ourselves, but this year, we have so much space for all the

branches. The merriment is most pronounced and significant.”

General Secretary of the Ambose Family, Prince Abdulrasaq Tolani Oshodi Akinsemoyin, also of Ambose House had this to say: “As the name implies – Akinsemoyin Royal Day is for the remembrance of our progenitors. It starts from Oba Asipa, Ado, Gabaro to Akinsemoyin who was the 3rd Oba of Lagos that ruled between 1704 to 1749, the longest reigned Oba in the history of Lagos to date.

Among all the Obas that have sat on that stool, Akinsemoyin was the most enterprising. He opened trade between Lagos and the outside world; he made Lagos popular.

“You cannot mince words when you describe Oba Akinsemoyin because it is both the maternal and paternal side that were of Royal blood. Even I, standing here,

the family comprises eight solid branches of which Ambose is the oldest, the first born.”

What does this Day celebration mean to people of Lagos State?

Captain Sule Abiodun Akinsemoyin chipped in: “Great in Lagos State because it is a rite that we must perform and we have done the three rites – the Christian, the Muslim, the traditional. And this is the grand finale and, as from today, you and Daily Times will be blessed. Children in Lagos will be blessed more and you will come back and say, Thank You God!” Captain Sule Abiodun Akinsemoyin is the Provost and CEO of the Federal Marines, Lagos.

As the family branches, friends and well-wishers headed for home to meet again same time in 2016, prayers of blessings, good health rounded off the celebration.

for work. They rush, like every other person trying to board a bus, but, will not, eventually, go with the bus.

“They use the rush hour to pick people’s pockets and dispossess them of their cash, cell phones and other valuables.

Some even have standby customers, who buy the items off them. The standby buyers, usually, go for cell phones and that is why, cell phones and cash are usually the targets of pickpockets. While some will pick pockets during rush hours, others are daring enough to enter the commuter buses and pick pockets of unsuspecting passengers, Alaba added.”

He also disclosed that many youths find themselves in this habit due to circumstances beyond their control. “Some got involved because they were introduced into it while living on the streets. Some of these street kids joined, because of the harsh conditions they faced at home, while others, like got on the streets because there was no one to cater for us, but we had to make a living and while on the streets, they teach you all kinds of bad things like pickpocketing, scavenging and others. Some graduate into full armed robbery. While others may be lucky to get away, some get caught and are mobbed and, sometimes, killed. It is a very bad way of life and I thank God for rescuing me”, he said.

For others like Umukoro, who was, reportedly, arrested by the Police in Apapa, Lagos, he said his mode of operation was to dress like a university undergraduate, complemented with a school bag. He said he

“Some got involved because they were introduced into it while living on the streets. Some of these street kids joined, because of the harsh conditions they faced at home.” would board as many commercial buses as possible, where he would pick the pockets of unsuspecting passengers.

His loot included money and phones. He said, “I only steal Nokia phones, because you can sell them easily. I steal about three phones daily and have a buyer at Boundary bus stop in Ajegunle. I give him the phones and get paid in return. I make about N10, 000 daily.”

An Assistant Superintendent of Police, who craved anonymity, disclosed to Daily Times that the issue of pickpocketing is widespread, especially, during festive periods. “It is a serious issue, but, the funny thing is that it is a bailable offence.

We have several of such cases here and we have been trying hard to see to the security and property of the country and society as a whole.”

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Daily Times Nigeria Friday, March 13 , 2015

Today in History Compiled by ‘Tunji Okegbola

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Cartoons from our Archives

1879 Albert Einstein born On March 14, 1879, Albert Einstein was born, the son of a Jewish electrical engineer in Ulm, Germany. Einstein’s theories of special and general relativity drastically altered man’s view of the universe, and his work in particle and energy theory helped make possible quantum mechanics and, ultimately, the atomic bomb.

After a childhood in Germany and Italy, Einstein studied physics and mathematics at the Federal Polytechnic Academy in Zurich, Switzerland. He became a Swiss citizen and in 1905 was awarded a Ph.D. from the University of Zurich while working at the Swiss patent office in Bern. That year, which historians of Einstein’s career call the annus mirabilis--the “miracle year”--he published five theoretical papers that were to have a profound effect on the development of modern physics.

In the first of these, titled “On a Heuristic Viewpoint Concern-

1922

ing the Production and Transformation of Light,” Einstein theorized that light is made up of individual quanta (photons) that demonstrate particle-like properties while collectively behaving like a wave. The hypothesis, an important step in the development of quantum theory, was arrived at through Einstein’s examination of the photoelectric effect, a phenomenon in which some solids emit electrically charged particles when struck by light. This work would later earn him the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics.

In the second paper, he devised a new method of counting and determining the size of the atoms and molecules in a given space, and in the third he offered a mathematical explanation for the constant erratic movement of particles suspended in a fluid, known as Brownian motion. These two papers provided indisputable evidence of the existence of atoms, which at the time was still disputed by a few scientists.

Mack Truck founder killed in car crash

John “Jack” Mack, who co-founded what would become one of North America’s largest makers of heavy-duty trucks, was killed when his car collides with a trolley in Pennsylvania on March 14, 1922.

In 1890, Jack Mack went to work for Fallesen & Berry, a carriage and wagon company in Brooklyn, New York. Three years later, Mack and his brother Augustus bought the business. In 1900, the siblings founded the Mack Brothers Company and began making motorized vehicles. In 1905, they began producing trucks in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where the company continues to be headquartered today. In addition to trucks, the business built buses and railway cars. In 1910, Mack Brothers developed the first motorized hook-and-ladder fire truck for

Morristown, New Jersey.

After the brothers sold their company to investors in 1911, it continued to flourish, and during World War I, Mack built thousands of trucks for the American and British governments. The company acquired its trademark bulldog logo when British soldiers said the truck’s blunt-nosed hood and durability reminded them of their country’s mascot, the bulldog. In 1922, the year Jack Mack died in a car crash, the company was renamed Mack Trucks Inc. In 2001, Mack was acquired

by Volvo of Sweden. Today, Mack trucks are sold in over 45 countries worldwide and the expression “it hit me like a Mack truck” (meaning something that creates a powerful impact) is part of the American lexicon.

Daily Times March 13, 1961

1943

Germans recapture Kharkov

On this day, German troops re-entered Kharkov, the second largest city in the Ukraine, which had changed hands several times in the battle between the USSR and the invading German forces.

Kharkov was a high-priority target for the Germans when they invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941, as the city was a railroad and industrial centre, and had coal and iron mines nearby.

Among the most important industries for Stalin’s war needs was the Kharkov Tanks Works, which he moved out of Kharkov in December 1941 into the Ural Mountains. In fact, Joseph Stalin was so desperate to protect Kharkov that he rendered a “no retreat” order to his troops, which produced massive casualties within the Red Army over time.

Hitler’s troops first entered Kharkov in October 1941. In May 1942, the Soviets launched an effective surprise attack on the Germans just south of Kharkov,

enabling the Red Army to advance closer to the occupied city, and finally re-enter it on February 16, 1943. Hitler began planning an immediate recapture as early as February 21— Red Army Day—hoping that success there would reverse the Soviet momentum of the previous three months. On March 10, German troops launched their major offensive; the Soviets had already suffered the loss of 23,000 soldiers and 634 tanks in the recapture and defence of Kharkov and were forced to rely on 1,000 Czech troops for aid.

On March 14, the tide in Kharkov turned again, and the Germans took the city once more.

“We have shown the Ivans we can withstand their terrible winter. It can hold no fear for us again,” wrote an SS officer.

This proved to be a meaningless boast when the Red Army liberated the city that summer, and untrue, as the brutal Soviet winter actually did take a terrifying toll on German troops.

1950 The FBI

debuts 10 most Wanted On this day in 1950, the Federal Bureau of Investigation instituted the “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” list in an effort to publicize particularly dangerous fugitives. The creation of the program arose out of a wire service news story in 1949 about the “toughest guys” the FBI wanted to capture.

The story drew so much public attention that the “Ten Most Wanted” list was given the okay

by J. Edgar Hoover the following year. As of 2011, 465 of the criminals included on the list have been apprehended or located, 153 as a result of tips from the public. The Criminal Investigative Division (CID) of the FBI asks all fifty-six field offices to submit candidates for inclusion on the list. The CID in association with the Office of Public and Congressional Affairs then proposes finalists for approval of by the FBI’s Deputy Director. The criteria for selection is simple, the criminal must have a lengthy record and current pending charges that make him or her particularly dangerous.

PUBLIC Notice NOTICE 23 21Public

Daily Times Nigeria Daily Times Nigeria Friday, March 2015 Friday, March 13,13, 2014

WINDING UP WINDING UP In the matter of Newland Elementary school limited RC : 987565.

In Member’s Voluntary Winding Up and in the Matter Of The Companies And Allied Matters Act ( LFN ) 2004.

Notice of Final Meeting.

Notice is hereby given that in pursuance of section 468 of the Companies And Allied Matters Act (LFN) , 2004. The final general meeting of Newland Elementary School Limited (in members’ voluntery winding up) will be held at No 13 Olayinka Adenubi Street, Aviation Estate, Lagos on 3rd of April 2015 at 10.00am for the purpose of laying before the meeting the account of the winding up of the above named company and of giving any explanation thereof towards the final dissolution of the company. Dated this 2nd day of March 2015. Mrs. Bukola Obatayo. (Liquidator).

NOTE. The member of the company entitled to attend and vote at the meeting is entitled to appoint aproxy to attend and vote in his stead. Aproxy need not be a member of the company.

PUBLIC NOTICE This is to notify the general public that the autism handbook titled “ An Insight to Special Needs in Autism” by Nwokolo Okey Martins in year 2007 contains statements alluded to and or taken from Karen Siff Exkorn’s “ The Autism Source Book: Everything You need to know about diagnosis, treatment, coping and healing (2005) edition”, without appropriately giving credit to the latter. Nwokolo whose attention to this omission was recently called, apologises for this and shall publish a revised edition of the handbook wherein he will specifically give full credit to Karen Exkorn and include an apology page.

Signed: Nwokolo Okey Martins

CARITAS LIFE-AID ORGANIC CENTER

SOARWITHGLORY INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION

The general public is hereby notify that the above named center has apply for the corporate Affairs commission for registration under part C. of the companies and Allied matters Act 1990

The general public is hereby notify that the above named foundation has apply for the corporate Affairs commission for registration under part C. of the companies and Allied matters Act 1990

The Trustees are : 1. Mrs Abel - David Ebunolu-Chairperson 2. Fasola Olaniyan - Vice Chairman 3. Olajide Olujimi Joseph - Treasurer 4- Soniyi Semiu Tobi - Secretary Aims and objectives 1. To promote practices that enhance food security, rural development, sustainable livehoods and environmental integrity through modeling organic agricultural farming system, and building capacities of farmers in organic production and processing.

2. Social Development, Care and Welfare Support For Women, Orphans and all vulnerable persons.

3. Research, Training and Production of Organic Foods.

The Trustees are : 1. Glory Odemene 2. William Coe 3. Patti Greene 4. Kayode Adeboye.

Aims and objectives 1. To initiate, organize and promote educational and literary activities and events aimed at encouraging writing and creative arts.

2. To provide platform for the development and distribution of creative works and programs.

3. Capacity development initiative via symposiums, workshops, local and international conferences aimed at boosting individual and corporate capacity development.

4. Establish support schemes, charity, scholarships and sponsorships for qualified and less privileged persons.

5. To develop and manage religious, social and media programs.

Any objection to the registration should be forward to the registration general corporate Affairs commission. P.M B 198, plot 420 Tigris crescent Aguiyi Ironsi street maitama Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: Secretary

Any objection to the registration should be forward to the registration general corporate Affairs commission. P.M B 198, plot 420 Tigris crescent Aguiyi Ironsi street maitama Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: ZIONGATES SOLICITORS

HUMANITARIAN HOPE ALIVE NETWORK

DOMINION ARMY EVANGELICAL OUTREACH

The general public is hereby notify that the above named foundation has apply for the corporate Affairs commission for registration under part C. of the companies and Allied matters Act 1990

The general public is hereby notify that the above named foundation has apply for the

The Trustees are : 1. Mr Johnwayne Steven Akwu 3. Mrs Blessing Akwu

The Trustees are :

2. Mr Ejiba Uzoma Steve 4. Mr Stephen Chiyem Igwe

Aims and objectives 1. To touch peoples lives.

2. To raise hope for the needy.

3. To encourage skill development amongst youth and capacity building.

4. To provide a platform for the creation of socio-economic awareness.

corporate Affairs commission for registration under part C. of the companies and Allied matters Act 1990

1. Evang. Ikechukwu G. Orji

2. Orji Maryrose Ujunwa

3. Mrs. Eze Felicia

4. Pst. Jemegah Abraham

5. Mr. Okechukwu Ebosie

6. Dr. Anago Amanze

7. Bar. C. I. A. Onwuegbusi Aims and objectives To propagate, spread and advance the gospel of Jesus Christ disciple nations for him and teach the truth of the bible, the inspired word of God and set the captive free.

Any objection to the registration should be forward to the registration general

Any objection to the registration should be forward to the registration general corporate Affairs commission. P.M B 198, plot 420 Tigris crescent Aguiyi Ironsi street maitama Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

corporate Affairs commission. P.M B 198, plot 420 Tigris crescent Aguiyi Ironsi street maitama Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: Evang. Ikechukwu G. Orji 23 Sec Okito Drive, Federal Housing Estate Graceland Otakpo Layout

Signed: Peter Ehijinwa ESQ. (Legal Practitioner)

CHRIST THE KING VICTORIOUS EVANGELICAL MINISTRY This is to inform the general public that the above named club has applied for Registration to the Corporate Affairs Commission under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

Trustees 1. Pastor David Anyalewach i Onyeodirinma -Chairman 2. Mrs. Favor Ndidi David Onyeodirinma-Member 3. Evang. Samuel Nwadigo-Secretary Aims and objectives 1.To preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

2.To be used as a forum to encourage miracle and religion.

3.To encourage the study, understanding and practical application of Bible truths in everyday life.

4.To organize Prayer Meetings and conduct Open Crusades at any place as deemed fit and in the interest of the Church.

Any objection to the Registration should be forwarded to the Registrar general, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Signed:EVANG. SAMUEL NWADIGO(secretary)

QUEEN’S COLLEGE OLD GIRLS ASSOCIATION - CLASS OF 1989 This is to inform the general public that the above named ASSOCIATION has applied for Registration to the Corporate Affairs Commission under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

Trustees.

1. Tokunbo Giwa-Amu. - Chairlady.

2. Ewemade Atake. Secretary.

3. Aduke Oduneye. - Treasurer.

Aims and objectives; 1. To promote unity among its members.

2. To cater for the welfare of its members.

Any objection to the Registration should be forwarded to the Registrar general, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Signed : AMOLD USHIADI. ESQ. TF 10 / 11, 3RD FLOOR, METRO PLAZA CBN , ABUJA.

THE BROOK ESTATE RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION REDEMPTION CAMP The general public is hereby notified that the above named ASSOCIATION has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission (C.A.C.), Abuja for registration under Part “C” of the Company and Allied Matter Act 1 of 2004.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1) Oyefolu Babatunde Olukun Chairman 2) Oyewole Francis Olufemi 3 Engr. Abia Godwin Daniel 4 Adewale A. Kehinde 5. Sadoh Dorcas Modupe 6. Bamigboye Kunle Tayo Secretary AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE: 1 To safeguard life and property in the Estate.

2. To promote social interaction vote, neighborliness and mutual help among residents..

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: SECRETARY (07036345958)

TRIUMPHANT GRACE CHAPEL

G.R.A Trans - Nkisi Onisha

THE SCROLL POWER MINISTRY

This is to inform the general public that the above named CHAPEL has applied for Registration to the Corporate Affairs Commission under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

This is to inform the general public that the above named MINISTRY has applied for Registration to the Corporate Affairs Commission under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

Trustees.

1. Pastor Marshal Williams.

3. Engr. Barry Adaba.

5. Pastor Ike Daniels.

7. Engr.Hope Edet.

TRUSTEES; 1. Georginia Ibegbu - Chairman.

2. George Ibeegbu - Tresurer.

3. Promise Ibegbu - Secretary.

4. Charity Ezem. - Member.

5. Vivian Neme Aworonye. - Member.

2. Pastor (Mrs.) Charity Williams.

4. Engr. Anietie Iwe. 6. Engr. Edozie Ezek.

Aims and objectives 1. To reach the world with the great and powerful gospel of Christ.

2. To win souls to the kingdom of God. Any objection to the Registration should be forwarded to the Registrar general, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Signed . FREDMERC ATTORNEYZ. (BARRISTERS $ SOLICITORS).

OWUMI ANTHONY FOUNDATION This is to inform the general public that the above named FOUNDATION has applied for Registration to the Corporate Affairs Commission under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

Trustees.

1. Dr. Owumi Anthony. - President.

2. Owumi Susan.

3. Owumi Perkins.

4. Owumi Precious.

5. Owumi Felix.

Secretary.

Aims and objectives.

1. Skill acquisition.

2. Scholarship scheme to brilliant student.

Any objection to the Registration should be forwarded to the Registrar general, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Signed; JOHN ONOKPASA.

PLACE YOUR ADVERT HERE

Aim and objectives.

To preach the gospel of our lord Jesus Christ.

Any objection to the Registration should be forwarded to the Registrar general, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: PROMISE IBEGB (SECRETARY)

OLUSOLA KEHINDE DORCAS

OMOTAYO ADERONKE FAMODU

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Solomon Kehinde Dorcas now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Olusola Kehinde Dorcas. All former documents remain valid.

General public should take note.

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Omotayo Aderonke Okegbola now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Omotayo Aderonke Famodu. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

AKINMULERO OLUWASEYI SUSSAN

ASUZU CHINWE PHILOMINA

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Olokodana Oluwaseyi Sussan now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Akinmulero Oluwaseyi Sussan. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

INYENE RAYMOND JOSEPH I formerly known and addressed as Miss Inyene Okokon Effiong now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Inyene Raymond Joseph. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

PLACE YO U R ADVERT HERE

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Ugoh Chinwe Philomina now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Asuzu Chinwe Philomina. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

PLACE YO U R ADVERT HERE PLACE YO U R ADVERT HERE

News 24

Daily Times Nigeria 0ƏƈƗ ƕè L Əƅ ơƢè ƾƠơǀ

Army’ll reclaim territories under insurgents – VP Yakubu Salisu

ÏÏÏ The Federal Govern-

ment is committed to reclaiming territories under the control of Boko Haram and crush the terrorist group.

This view was expressed, on Thursday, by Vice-President, Arc. Namandi Sambo, in an interactive session with reporters, in Kano.

He said that the Boko Haram insurgency was a new kind of crisis, but was gratified that with new weapons bought by the Jonathan administration, many territories under the control of the Boko Haram had been

recovered, and that soon, all would be brought under the control of the country’s armed forces.

Sambo said that there ongoing plans on how to assist people affected by the Boko Haram crisis.

He further stated that it took the Federal Government and all security agencies quite some time to face the insurgents, because their mode of operation was a new development to the training received by the country’s security agencies.

He said the Nigerian Army was known for its gallant performance, in some countries in Africa, because the people they fought con-

fronted them, which their identity easy, unlike that of the operatives of Boko Haram, who not only live among civilians, but hit and run. He called on Nigerians to support the government in its fight against the Boko Haram, pointing out that the Boko Haram insurgency had brought about a breakdown of law and order in some parts of the country, which was one of the reasons for the postponement of the general election.

He said there are lots of security breaches going on in the country, since the outset of insurgency, which would make it impossible to have an election free of vio-

lence.

Sambo also explained achievement under the Jonathan administration in such sectors as transport, agriculture, and education, amongst others.

d ƌƄ

nity has denied rejecting the rebuilding of the Government Girls' Secondary School, (GGSS), Chibok, Borno State, razed by Boko Haram insurgents, during the abduction of 219 school girls on April, 14, 2014.

This was disclosed by the Director of Publicity, Kibaki Area Development National Association, Dr. Manessah Allen, during the sit-out of the #Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG), a group crusading for the return of the abducted girls.

Allen said the rejection

Awka

ÏÏÏGovernor

Willie Obiano of Anambra State has flagged off the operations of N16 billion Ekcel Farm, which would exclusively focus on the cultivation and processing of tomato and cassava.

At the opening ceremony on Thursday, at Omasi community, in Ayamelum Local Government Area of the state, Obiano expressed the commitment of his administration towards reformation of the agricultural sector, noting that the state had flung its doors wide open to accommodate agro-investors, who had discovered what the it had to offer to

Joy Anyim

ÏÏÏPolicemen attached to

Chibok community denies rejecting rebuilding of school ÏÏÏ The Chibok commu-

Doris Nnabuenyi

G ƍ ƋƈƅƆ ƏƏƆ Ɛ ƇƈƒƆ ƊƈƗ ƍƍƆƏ

d ƌƆ ƌƆƌƄƆƏ Ƈ jƏ Ƈ Əƌ Ɛƈ ƆƋƈƆƒƆƏ Ƈ Mƈ ƆƏƈ ƗƑƏƈ ƋƈƗ ƏƈƐƕ Ə ƋƋƕ ƈ Ƒƍƍ ƏƐ Ƈ Ƒ ƈ ƌƈƋƈƐ Əƕ ƈ Ƈ ƏƐ ƅ ƌƈ ƆƋƆƅƐƈ ƈ ƄƑƉ Č

Chika Okafor

RƄƈ ƈ Ƒ ƑƏ ƐƆ MơÕƄ Ƈ Əƌ

of the rebuilding of the school was by the Caretaker Chairman of Chibok Council Area, Mallam Ba’ana Lawan, and that it was not the position of the parents of the abducted girls and the entire Chibok community.

Allen noted that since the abduction of the girls, the school had been closed down, adding that most of the students from the school had been at home for nearly a year.

According to him, the community had been wallowing in poverty with no help from the government, noting that it wasn't right

to mortgage the lives of the people in the community.

Allen, however, frowned upon the timing of the rebuilding of the school, wondering why such was happening after 300 days of the incident.

"About the visit of Federal Government officials led by the Minister of Finance and Co-ordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, we think it is a bad timing.

It would have come before now. ‘Why now?’ we keep asking. When the Chibok parents met the president, there were lots of promis-

es, which I call false promises. Our girls have been abducted for over 300 days and the response of the government was late, but we will not, for these reasons, reject the rebuilding of the school,” Allen said.

He cited the case of a woman who had eight children in the school, one of whom was among those abducted.

“She will not for the fact that her daughter is not yet back, say no to the school.

She needs her other seven children to go to school. It is out of place to say, we want our girls and reject the school," he said.

the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) Ikejahave arrested a five-man gang of suspected kidnappers in the Berger area of Lagos.

The gang, led by 32-yearold Edet Ekuno, also has Chukwudi Dickson, Sunday Shamiga, Hope Edet and Isaiah Unuabon as members. They were arrested while trying to kidnap a yet-to-be-identified victim in a hotel.

Titilope Joseph

ÏÏÏThe

Chairman of Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Alhaji Musa Muhammed, has blamed the recent bloody crisis at Oshodi, Lagos, on politicians.

Four people were reportedly killed and property worth millions of naira were said to have been destroyed as a result of the crisis.

Muhammad told Daily Times that the inordinate ambition of some politicians was responsible for the ugly incident at Oshodi, adding that

the investment community.

He explained that the Ekcel Farm, which would produce over 150,000 tons of tomato puree, would also attract over 13,500 direct jobs and over 100,000 indirect jobs for the people of Omasi and the state at large.

Obiano further explained that the company would allocate 5 percent of its annual profit to the host community, 10 percent to the state government and another 5 percent for provision of amenities in the community.

He advised the people to adopt harmonious relationship to the company, insisting that its coming was a blessing to the community and the state.

Under interrogation, the gang confessed to a series of robbery and kidnapping in Lagos and Akwa Ibom states.

Two locally-made pistols and eighteen live cartridges were recovered from the suspects. However, investigation into the matter is still ongoing.

In a similar development, policemen attached to the Gowon Estate division have arrested three hoodlums for robbery.

The suspects, Matthew Soeze, Johnson Olaide and Prosper Obi, were arrested following a tip-off.

It was alleged that the suspects barricaded the access road to Gowon Estate and subsequently robbed passers-by.

`j& M Ƅ ƄƋ ƌƆ ƍ ƋƈƐƈƅƈ Ƈ Ə G ƇƏ ƅ politicians polarised the workers union, inducing them with money, thereby factionalising them, which resulted to rivalry and rancour.

He said: “We regretted the wanton killing of innocent citizens and burning of properties. We demand the arrest and prosecution of all the perpetrators of the heinous crimes.”

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, March 13, 2015

Don't help politicians to rig, Oshiomhole tells NYSC members Titus Akhigbe Benin

Ă?Ă?Ă?Governor

Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has advised Youth Corps members, who would work as ad-hoc staff, in the 2015 general election, to shun politicians’ advances to rig the elections.

He gave the advice on Wednesday, at the opening of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Annual Management Conference, in Benin City.

He said: “This is easily the toughest election Nigeria will have in 16 years, and NYSC is providing the bulk of the presiding officers and polling unit officers at critical levels in the electioneering system.

I want to appeal to Corpers

that they must refuse to be compromised by very desperate politicians. “We have a political class who, if they have the opportunity, will even bribe God that they go to Heaven, even if they are actually candidates for hell. “What is at stake is their future, their place on this continent and on this planet. Every day that is mismanaged, is an opportunity lost. Therefore, regardless of the intentions of those seeking power, the Corpers must understand that their own future cannot be compared to N 5,000, N10, 000 or N20, 000. “The good news is that the Corpers have been playing this role and there is no evidence that they

have been a problem. Even where elections were allegedly rigged or actually rigged, from the proceedings in the court, that rigging wasn’t done by Corpers and, therefore, the Corpers have been playing their roles as true Nigerians, who believe in the unity of our country. “As young men, they should be more idealistic, which means they should see things done perfectly and with all the innovation that the Independent National Electoral Election (INEC) promises to introduce including the Card Reader. I expect that this election would be much freer than the previous ones.�

Furthermore, Oshiomhole said: “I remain a firm

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believer that our country is greater than any of us.

Whatever we do, Presidents will come and go, Governors will come and go and Local Government Chairmen will come and go and as I told the GOC 2 Mechanised Division, sometime ago, even military leaders will come and go. What is permanent is the institution of the Presidency, of the Governorship and of the Armed Forces."

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Oshiomhole

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Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) has predicted moderate harmattan conditions and less rainfall for 2015 in the country, with a warmer weather condition, especially in the northern part.

The Director General of NIMET, Dr. Anthony Anuforom, who announced this, at the 2015 Seasonal Rainfall Predictions by NIMET, in Abuja, explained that there would likely be such weather conditions that would be disruptive to air navigation and, so, cause flight delays and cancellations.

He also predicted increased hazardous weather conditions for aviation operations during onset and cessation periods with less rains this year.

Anuforom explained that the months of February and March, in the southern parts, and May/ June in the northern part, would be critical for safety in the air and roads across the country.

25

Obanikoro sues Sahara Reporters in New York Jonathan Eze

Ă?Ă?Ă?Two

weeks after his lawyers issued a ‘cease and desist’ letter to online newspaper, Sahara Reporters, former Minister of State for Defence and newly-confirmed Ministerial nominee, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, has sued the media outfit and its publisher, Mr. Omoyele Sowore, in New York, United States of America for defamation.

Tacopina & Seigel, Senator Obanikoro’s U.S. attorneys had issued a ‘cease and desist’ letter to Sahara Reporters, urging the media outfit to desist from further defaming Obanikoro and retract its earlier defamatory publications on the purported Ekiti audio recording, none to which Sahara Reporters complied.

In a suit filed on behalf of Obanikoro at the Supreme Court of the State of New York dated 9th March, 2015, by Tacopina & Seigel, the former Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana is seeking legal redress to the tune of a minimum of $5 million.

According to the suit, with Index No: 152332/2015, the nature of this court action is for defamation aris-

ing from false and disparaging statements credited to the Publisher of Sahara Reporters, Mr. Omoyele Sowore, during a February 14, 2015 “Sit Out� and on the Sahara Reporters website; “First, that Senator Musiliu Obanikoro “has killed many people in Lagos State� and is a murderer.� “And secondly, that the Sahara Reporters’ website has an audio recording of a purported meeting between Sen. Musiliu Obanikoro, Governor Ayo Fayose, Gen. Aliyu Momoh and others that allegedly evidence that: (a) soldiers were paid with a “huge stash of cash� to rig an election in Ekiti; (b) Gen. Momoh was bribed “for his assistance in carrying out election fraud in Ekiti�; (c) “Governor Fayose revealed that he had already bribed an official�; (d) there was “forging in INEC ballots�; and (e) the military prevented APC voters from reaching the polls.�

The relief sought is monetary damages (both compensatory and punitive) to be determined at trial, but for no less than $5,000,000, as well as prejudgment interest, and the costs and disbursements of this action.

DSS arrests fake FRSC staff Doris Nnabuenyi Awka

Ă?Ă?Ă?A 30-year-old fake staff

of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has been arrested by the Department of Security service (DSS) and handed over to the agency in Anambra State.

The FRSC said on Thursday, in Awka, that the suspect, Raymond Aghaogwu, had been defrauding people for some time in the state.

Aghaogwu is from Ebonyi State and a former staff of the agency, who was sacked in 2008.

Found in his possession, were FRSC uniforms – including head dress, jacket, trousers, safety boot and belt. In his reaction, the Sector Commander, Sunday Ajayi, said that the suspect, who resided in Makurdi, Benue State, engaged in illegal driver's licence procurement, recruitment of Special Marshals, procure-

ment of auctioned vehicles and employment racketeering.

Ajayi said the suspect, who had been under watch, in the past two years, specialised in defrauding clergymen and other unsuspecting individuals.

He said the suspect was nabbed by men of the DSS in Awka, after he went to withdraw some money paid into his account by a victim.

However, he urged the people who had fallen victim to his nefarious activities to come to the Command for consideration and further warned the public to be wary of whom they dealt with. Ajayi said: “Aghaogwu was a former staff of the FRSC but was dismissed in 2008, but has since his dismissal been defrauding people in the name of the FRSC, and this morning I am presenting him to the general public to disclaim all his activities�

26

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, March 13, 2015

Tourism

s

Tayo Adelaja Email: t.adelaja@dailytimes.com.ng

The wedding show @ AKWAABA 2015

L-R: Ikechi Uko, Olusegun Obasanjo, Sir Dawda Jawara and Danny Joordan.

Stories by Tayo Adelaja

t.adelaja@dailytimes.com.ng

Award Winners at Akwaaba 2014.

As West-Africa’s biggest Travel Expo enters the 11th year, the organisers, in a move to add more events that would deliver more value to exhibitors and visitors, as well as add more glamour and panache to the expo, will be introducing the Wedding & Spa Show at this year’s event.

Nkechi Uko disclosed that this year’s event will also include Spa Africa Day, and it is sched-

uled to hold on November 22, 2015.

The Akwaaba Travel Market was established by Ikechi Uko as a platform for buyers and sellers in the African travel trade.

It provides networking opportunities for tourists, airline operators, hotels, restaurants, government tourism boards and other key industry people on the continent.

Uko recalled that initially, it was very challenging though exciting, because it was a new journey. He said: “Organising

the travel exhibition is like going to school all over again. It has not been a bed of roses.”

Akwaaba includes awards which are a critical component of the exhibition and it has become one of the most-soughtafter and treasured reward plaques in the industry.

At each edition of Akwaaba, Uko measures success by the volume of trade transacted. At the 10th edition, he stated that a hotel group sold 10,000 hotel rooms as a first timer. Another group sold products to 10–15 hotels, while so many other contacts and negotiations were made during the fair.

He remarked about the 10th edition: “Probably, the 10th year was when the business was done and almost every exhibitor told me that this is their best year.

There were a few exhibitors and they enjoyed more attention and they could pick from the people that came, and most of the people that came were hungry for results. For some of them, there had been no business for three or four months.” The return on investments for most of the exhibitors was high.

One thing that distinguishes the travel fair is the capacity of Akwaaba to attract very distinguished personalities from around the world. Some African Heads of State had attended in the past, while some were honoured for their contributions to the industry. Uko said: “We are the first to honour the guy who organised the World Cup in South Africa. After that, we started getting honours for the other people when we did the ‘Legends of Travel’. We honoured Sir Dawda Jawara, the former president of Gambia, and Captain Mohammed of Ethiopian Airline. We have honoured the biggest Egyptologist in the world.”

Uko, in preparations for this year’s edition, is optimistic that Akwaaba will continue to open new vista of opportunities for exhibitors to meet global buyers of their products and services.

City of Eternal Spring Asia’s largest route development forum returns to China, bringing 800 aviation decision-makers to Kunming Isaac and Nneka Moses of Goge Africa, flanked by Ikechi Uko, organiser of Akwaaba.

The 13th Routes Asia, the largest route development forum for the entire Asia region, will open this weekend in Kunming, capital city of the Yunnan Province of China.

This year’s event, which will take place from March 15 to 17,

is hosted by Yunnan Airport Group (YAG) owners of Kunming Changshui International Airport, and supported by their partners Yunnan Provincial Civil Aviation Development and

Continued on page 27

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, March 13, 2015

27 Tourism

Meetings Africa 2015 promotes continent as MICE destination

L-R: Derek Hanekom, South Africa’s Tourism minister, and Thulani Nzima, South Africa’s L-R: Paul D’Arcy, Confidence Tawo, Mike Lord and Ben Asoro, all of Calabar ICC, at the just-concluded Meetings Africa 2015, in JohanTourism CEO, during the opening of Meetings Africa 2015, in Johannesburg, South Africa. nesburg, South Africa.

ÏÏÏ j ƅ ƐƏƈƄƑƐƆ $91m to South Africa’s economy in 2 years Tunde Atobatele The just-concluded Meetings Africa in Johannesburg, South Africa, celebrates a decade of success through the promotion of Africa and South Africa, in particular, as the preferred Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibition destination. In its decade of continuous promotion of Africa as the destination of choice for conferences, Meetings Africa – leading business event on the continent of Africa – has in attendance over a hundred exhibitors and 184 hosted buyers from across the world.

From Southern African countries to Nigeria in the West, there were series of exhibitors,

who afforded the space at the Sandton Convention Centre, venue of Meetings Africa 2015, to showcase their products and services to the quality business travel visitors thronging the isles throughout the 48 hours of the exhibition period. The products and services on display represented the latest trends in the business travel industry and it is comparable to the optimal standards across the globe.

While declaring the event open, Derek Hanekom, South Africa’s minister of Tourism, highlighted the importance of Meetings Africa and its contribution to the South African economy.

According to Hanekom: “It is estimated that the business generated by the 184 qualified buyers at Meetings Africa 2015 could bring 54,000 convention delegates worth nearly $100million in revenue to our shores in the next two years.” He mentioned that the three top source markets for qualified buyers

at Meetings Africa 2015 were India, the USA, Canada, and China, with a total of 66 percent of the qualified buyers being new to the market, which testifies to the major pull of what is on offer at Meetings Africa. The minister added that: “According to research conducted by the South Africa National Convention Bureau, 40 percent of all convention delegates attending meetings in South Africa return in the next five years as tourists, boosting tourism growth and job creation years into the future.

We have already secured 177 major international association meetings for the next five years – thereby attracting a quarter of a million delegates, with an estimated economic impact of $350million.

“Besides hosting globally strategic events of the magnitude of the COP17 Climate Change Conference and the 2013 BRICS summit, we have excelled in providing a homes to literally thou-

sands of other business events.

This has contributed positively to tourism growth and job creation. Business events and major conventions have become important components of the economy and plans to achieve the ambitions outlined in the country’s national development plan,” Hanekom said.

From the Nigerian perspective, Meetings Africa 2015 provides a platform for the government of Cross River State to launch the $90million investment in the business travel industry in the form of a Gigantic Calabar International Convention Centre (Calabar ICC), which is set to open in the second quarter of this year. The Calabar ICC, an iconic architectural masterpiece, is set to host a wide array of events for national and global audiences comprising businesses, government and associations. The centre will accommodate up to 5,000 delegates in 18 different venues, with as many

set to welcome Routes Asia delegates Continued from page 26 Management Bureau, and Yunnan Provincial Tourism Development Commission. The last time Routes Asia took place in China was in Chengdu in 2012, hosted by Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, which

was subsequently selected to host World Routes, the 22nd World Route Development Forum, in 2016.

Routes Asia will bring together 800 delegates, representing 118 airlines, almost 230 airports and almost 60 countries to devel-

op new air services to, from and within the Asia-Pacific region.

The event attracts the highest level of decision-makers, including many industry leaders and senior policy makers.

Mr. Tang Xuefan, President of Yunnan Airport Group Co., Ltd.

commented: “We are greatly honoured to host Routes Asia 2015 in Kunming. This great event is a good opportunity for Yunnan Airport Group and all airports in Asia to communicate with and work with airlines and tourism organisations. It is also

as 2,200 for plenary sessions and as few as two in small meeting rooms. Practically all meeting rooms can be used individually or in combination – separated by soundproof partitioning walls.

Minister Hanekom commended Nigerian government’s investment in the development during his visit to the Calabar Stand. “This investment demonstrates a significant level of confidence in Africa’s business tourism industry,” said Hanekom.

The government of Cross River State has invested over $90 million in development and has appointed Alliance Venue and Facility Management [AVFM] of South Africa as operating company of the Calabar ICC. “Nigeria’s entrance, with the Calabar ICC, into the international meetings industry is significant, not only because of the country’s large population, but also for its projected continuous economic growth,” said Paul D’Arcy, CEO of Calabar ICC.

a key platform to join the efforts of both the air transport industry and tourism industry for more sustainable development in Yunnan, China and the AsiaPacific region.

On behalf of YAG, I wish all delegates truly feel and enjoy the colourful Yunnan and paradise of tourism,” he added.

28

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, March 13, 2015

Business Times

s

Business Editor: Emmanuel Ogbonnaya Email: emihog@yahoo.com

Nigeria in the “red”, says Trading Economics Ugochukwu Onyeocha A prominent international rating agency, Trading Economics (TE), has rated Nigeria’s economy as “negative” (in red), on 27 points, indicating that the nation currently possesses a highly speculative economy.

The Trading Economics credit rating takes into account the average grade given by international credit rating agencies plus multiple economic indicators, exchange rates, government bond yields, stock indexes, commodity prices and very little discretion.

According to TE, its result is based on Standard & Poor’s credit rating of Nigeria at BB- (Negative to be watched also in red).

Moody’s rating for Nigeria at Ba3 (Stable) and Fitch’s credit rating for Nigeria at BB- (Stable) combined data from the country’s financial markets and economic indicators.

According to the regional man-

ager, Standard and Poor (S & P) Konrad Reuss, Nigeria was rated based on its six main categories and it was found to be weak in three classifications: institutional and governance effectiveness, economic structure and growth, fiscal flexibility and performance.

According to Reuss, the factors putting the Nigerian economy in danger include the Boko Haram insurgency, the fall in oil prices (because of the importance of oil for government and export revenues), as well as the forthcoming elections. Nigeria was classified as neutral in external liquidity, international investment position and monetary flexibility, while its only area of strength was in its debt burden.

In general, a credit rating is used by sovereign wealth funds, pension funds and other investors to gauge the credit worthiness of a country; and it has a big impact on the country’s borrowing costs.

Opeoluwani Akintayo

Okonji-Iweala

Nigeria, Gambia sign MoU to support less-privileged Joy Ekeke Nigeria and The Gambia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to pro-

Zainab

mote trade, investment and best practices among women, the aged and people living with disabilities from both countries.

The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Zainab Maina and VicePresident of The Gambia, Isatou Njie-Saidy, signed the document on behalf of their countries on Wednesday in New York.

The MoU was signed on the sidelines of the UN Commission on Status of Women, tagged Beijing +20, which was 20 years after the Beijing Women Conference of 1995 took place in the Chinese capital.

The Understanding seeks to empower women, children, the disabled and the elderly in both countries, as well as promote increased trade among women in the two countries.

The Gambia vice president, who is also the country’s Minister of Women Affairs, expressed satisfaction that the efforts of both countries had come to fruition and promised to begin action in her country on the terms of the agreement.

She said: ``We went through

80/70 GHz spectrum band under-explored - Juwah

a lot of reviews, discussions, changes here and there but thank God today we have signed the MoU. It is a good move; it will strengthen ties between Nigeria and The Gambia, although we always had good relationship. ``We’re looking at social issues, education, health, violence against women, and the economic empowerment of women, as well as women in business. ``In Gambia, more than half of the farmers are women, especially those in rice cultivation, but they’re going into all other areas and we can learn from each other, when it comes to women, children, the elderly and disabled, we can share lessons.’’ ``I thank the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the cooperation that we have shared. We’ve always seen Nigeria as big brother and I can assure you that following this agreement today, we will work head-on on the programmes.’’ ``We have challenges of trade, especially at the borders but there is no country that doesn’t have challenges even in the de-

veloped world.’’

Responding, Maina commended President Goodluck Jonathan for giving women voice in his government.

She said: ``I want to thank my President, Goodluck Jonathan, who is gender-friendly and made the signing of this MoU possible to help women, the aged, people with disabilities and the government and people of The Gambia, led by President Yahya Jameh. ``This MoU has taken a long time; we’ve met two or three times on the issue. Both countries have come a long way and the accord will further enhance our friendship and strengthen our relationship. ``President Jameh of The Gambia made a powerful and supportive statement during Nigeria’s centenary celebration last year and we look up to you too, big or small a brother is a brother. ``We wanted a bilateral relationship where our women will exchange best practices, have bilateral trades, and this MoU will help us in that regard.

The Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Dr. Eugene Juwah, has stated that the 70/80 Ghz Spectrum Band is yet to be fully explored and exploited in Nigeria.

He said this during the ICT Stakeholders’ Consultative Forum held on Thursday in Lagos.

The explorative meeting was aimed at advancing and multiplying the potentials of a particular range of frequency band for the benefit of the industry, and the Nigerian nation.

According to Juwah, the band is yet to be fully utilised in Nigeria compared to the rest of the world, therefore, the commission’s target is to address the growing demand, assist in the access to the broadband, reduce challenges, ensure broadband services is more available in its right quality and make for operational flexibility and robustness that would enhance available infrastructure and resources in the industry.

“You all may be aware of the diverse use to which every frequency spectrum band available in every part of the world could be used. Beyond the usage and applications lie the critical parthow to share these resources for the common good of the investor community, the service provider community and the consumer of services community,” he said.

Juwah

Daily Times Nigeria Friday,March 13, 2015

29 Maritime

Nigerian Shippers’ Council: Entrenching globalisation through port reforms Comparative analysis of Terminal operators charges in Nigeria and Benin Republic

The Executive Secretary/ CEO, Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Mr. Hassan Bello in this presentation highlights the role of NSC as the economic regulator of Nigerian ports and its effect on the industry and the national economy.

A vacuum After the implementation of the Federal Government’s port reform programme which led to the concession of port terminals to private operators, the Government noticed a disturbing vacuum in the sector, namely, absence of an Economic Regulator that will act as a referee in the industry. This vacuum has made it difficult for the nation to enjoy the gains of the programme.

The inefficiency in the procedures and operations of agencies and service providers and even users is adversely affecting and undermining Nigeria’s competitive advantage in international trade.

In a deliberate remedial effort the Federal Government in February 2014 appointed Nigerian Shippers’ Council the Interim Economic Regulator for the ports sector.

Boosting investments Economic Regulation is an attempt by Government to monitor and correct any disorder in the working of a free market to address anti-competitive behaviours.

Economic regulation focuses on: Market Rules; Tariffs; Quality of Service; Access and Incentives regulation.

Going global The global competitiveness of Nigerian Ports has a major role to play in the attraction of Foreign Direct Investment. Port Reform no doubt has brought in tremendous benefits to the national economy. However, there is still the need to harness other potential areas of the Port Sector with a view to bring down the cost of doing business and enthrone efficiency.

Nigerian Shippers’ Council was appointed the Port Economic Regulator mid-way after the Ports and Terminals were concessioned.

The Nigerian Shippers’ Council recognised the fact that there existed gaps in the Port Sector and this led to increasing clamour for an Economic Regulator by stakeholders. In our capacity as

Tariff Heading THC Customs exam Delivery Charge

NIGERIA

REPUBLIC OF BENIN

20” Container

40” Container

20” Container

40” Container

N62,682.00

N87,695.00

N24,000.00

N48,000.00

From the above table:

Similarly for 40’ Container:

Free Storage periods for various countries 1

Nigeria

3 Days

2

Republic of Benin

7 Days

3

Ghana

7 Days

4

Cameroon

11 Days

Derived from the above, NSC increased the free storage period in NigeBello

the Port Economic Regulator, our role is to consult, coordinate, moderate and harmonise the various processes and procedures with a view to achieving operational efficiency at our ports.

The task To assess options for competition; To decide on entry rules; To regulate on pricing freedom and to monitor outcomes.

Enforcement and efficiency Where there is unreasonable resistance, we shall not hesitate to apply appropriate sanctions to ensure compliance.

We shall remain open, independent, neutral and consultative and all decisions will be based on the buy-in of stakeholders.

Finally, we wish to note that NSC is not competing with any other Government Regulatory Agency but thrives to actualise the mandate of making our Ports the SubRegional Hub and International Logistics Centre.

An efficient and effective regulator plays the following roles: Analysts/Strategist; Advocate; Detective; Prosecutor; Judge; Negotiator; Educator; and Manager.

Effective regulation requires much more than just competent economic and financial analysis but must also manage often complex interaction with the regulated firms, consumers, politicians, courts, the media, and a range of other interests; Regulators need

to provide a level playing field amongst competitors; A Regulator needs to be independent, transparent, legitimate and credible; Managing the transitions to a competitive market is a major regulatory challenge; the regulatory process should be fair to all lack of arbitrary decisions, balancing the needs of stakeholders). Professional development of staff of regulatory agencies is essential.

Enhancing reputation The involvement of stakeholders is an important source of legitimacy and public acceptability for regulatory agencies and their decision-making procedures.

Communication: information to stakeholders on timely and accessible basis; Consultation: stakeholder participations in meetings promotes legitimacy; Consistency: across market participations and over time; Predictability: a reputation that facilitates planning by suppliers and consumers; Flexibility: use appropriate instruments in response to changing conditions; Independence/ Autonomy- free from undue political influence; Effectiveness and efficiency: cost effectiveness emphasised in data collection and regulatory

policies; Accountability: clearly defined processes and rationales for decisions and clear appeals procedure; and Transparency: openness of the process.

Effect of economic regulation on regulated entities in the transport and logistics chain: (1) Seaport terminal operators Protection of their investment from undue interference leading to: Guaranteed Return on Investment; and Increased Profitability; Predictability in processes and procedures.

(2) Government Improved Revenue Generation; Improved Infrastructural Development; Creation of Efficient Market; Reduction of cost of doing business; Improvement of the Nation’s Global Competitive Index and consequent attraction of (3) Shipping companies Improved Delivery of Marine and Terminal Handling Services leading to: Reduced Turnaround age due to increased Customer Confidence.

(4) Freight forwarders Professionalisation of Freight Forwarding Practice leading to: Elimination of Touting; Sanitisation the Port Environment; and Promotion of Global Linkages; Harmonisation of Clearing Pro-

cesses and Procedures and the consequent reduction of clearing charges; Strengthening of Complaint and Arbitration mechanisms.

Other Regulatory Agencies Nigeria Customs Service Improved Revenue Generation; Enthronement of clearer Standerived from International Conventions and Practices; Transparency, Efficiency and Effectiveness and consequent improvement in Image; Improved Level of Compliance by Importers, Exporters and Freight Forwarders. Effect of Economic regulation on truckers Decongestion of Port Access Roads leading to Improved Truck Transit Time at Ports; Re-Fleeting of Rickety Trucks; Instalment of Electronic Gating and Call System; Guaranteed Loading Objective Finally, we wish to note that NSC is not competing with any other Government Regulatory Agency but thrives to actualise the mandate of making our Ports the Sub-Regional Hub and International Logistics Centre. port and cooperation of NPA, DAC, Nigeria Police, and all other stakeholders. We shall also rely on the political will and support of Government to enable us succeed in this our assignment.

Companies & Assets 30

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, March 13, 2015

Food Concept partners S/African FMCG firm Charles Okonji Sunil Bharti Mittal

Orange explores possible purchase of Bharti Africa assets Tony Nwakegho Orange SA has explored various acquisitions in Africa including assets owned by Bharti Airtel Ltd., as the French company seeks to bolster its business in the region, according to people familiar with the matter.

France’s largest phone company has held on-and-off again discussions with potential partners as it moves ahead with a plan to group its emerging-market operations into a single unit, the people said. No deal is imminent and there are no formal negotiations underway, the people said, asking not to be identified because the deliberations are private.

Orange is considering a variety of options including takeovers, partnerships and an initial public offering of its African unit, the people said. It has also looked at certain African assets owned by Millicom International Cellular SA, one of the people said.

The Paris-based company plans to complete the creation of “Orange Africa,” a new entity that will combine those operations, in the first half of the year. This could pave the way for deals, the people said.

Food Concepts Plc, with top brands including Chicken Republic, Butterfield Bakery and Free Range Farms, has announced a partnership in its Baked Good Division, with Pioneer Foods, a South African Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) company.

Phil Roux, CEO, Pioneer Foods, while speaking on the partnership, stated: “Butterfield provides an ideal opportunity to leverage our expertise to grow the bread category. Pioneer aims to be a leading FMCG company in Africa and Nigeria is a key market for any food company in search of growth.”

In his remarks, Deji Akinyanju, Chairman of Food Concepts Plc, said the partnership will benefit from the combination of the respective strengths which will be used to tap into the vast

opportunities in the Nigerian FMCG sector to deliver extraordinary value to customers.

“Food Concepts was founded

by Akinyanju, an entrepreneur, in 2001. The company, whose shareholders include International Finance Corporation (IFC), a World Bank member, and Development Partners International (DPI), a UK based private equity firm focused on African investments, continues to evolve in a remarkable story of a revolution in the Nigerian food sector.

“The company recently demerged its Baked Goods Division into Food Concepts Pioneer Limited (FCPL). Pioneer Foods acquired 50.01 per cent of FCPL while Food Concepts Plc retains 49.9 per cent. FCPL will house Butterfield Bakeries, a baked goods business specialising in bread and sausage roll production.

Martin Woolnough, GMD Nestle

Nestle, NB, Forte Oil lead in early dividend delivery Charles Okonji Nestle Nigeria Plc, Nigerian Breweries and Forte Oil have emerged the first companies in 2015 to satisfy shareholders with high dividend in this first quarter.

Nestle had released its results for the year ended December, where the directors recommended a final dividend of N27.50 per share out of which an interim dividend of N10 was paid earlier.

Nigerian Breweries N4.50 per share comes from a turnover of N268.6 billion being an increase of 50 per cent above N3 paid the previous year.

Forte Oil Plc also approved a dividend of N4.31 billion for approval at its next general meet-

ing. The energy brand recently extended its brand offering into the power sector and got rewarded by revenue increase of 41 per cent.

Nestle had strategically cut back on capital expenditure last week, Nigerian Breweries is contending every market space with all competition in the drink sector and last week launched into the bitters alcoholic sector fighting back recent successes of top contenders for consumers share of purse, and Forte oil is maximizing its turnaround efforts of the management and investment in the 414 megawatts Geregu Power Plant that ticked its share price by 1,164.55 per cent.

Roux

Oando Energy Resources optimise crude oil hedge programme Adesola Akindele Oando Energy Resources Inc. has announced the optimisation of its crude oil hedge programme and a $238 million prepayment of certain loan facilities, which it utilised for the $1.5 billion acquisition of the ConocoPhillips Nigerian Oil and Gas Business in July, 2014.

The company said it successfully realised $234 million by re-

setting its crude oil hedge floor price from an average of $95.35 per barrel to $65.00 per barrel on 10,615 bbls/day for the next 18 months and another 1,553 bbls/ day for a further 18 months until January 2019.

OER said the proceeds from the hedge unwind/reset (in addition to $4 million from cash in hand) were applied to prepay certain loan facilities as detailed below: 1. $188 million applied to

the $415 Million in the Reserves Base Lending facility, resulting in a balance of $227 million. 2. $51 million applied to the $338 million in the Corporate Facility, resulting in a balance of $287 million.

“The decline in global crude oil prices led to a substantial gain for our company and we have 10,832 bbls/day average production hedged for the bal-

ance of 2015 and 8,000 bbls/day for 2016,” said Pade Durotoye, CEO Oando Energy Resources.

“Cashing out some value from this hedge will enable us reduce our outstanding loans and leverage by $238 million, saving the company $65 Million in interest payments over the remaining term of the loan facilities, whilst preserving a floor of $65 per barrel.”

Durotoye

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, March 13, 2015

31

8

Features

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, March 13, 2015

Politics

Business

How to identifyInternational Nigeria in the 14 28

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, March 13, 2015

s

News

POLITICS EDITOR: Olumide Akinjide Akintola E-Mail: akinjide_akintola@yahoo.com

Politics

AGORO SENATOR LEKAN Mexican INEC’s Business Times s BALOGUN: disobedience mayoral a pickpocket in “red”, says China’s of court Buhari, a fascist, Trading candidate terrorism cases orders, cause Mexican mayoral 80/70 GHz action Nigeria in the “red”, saysP28 on the rise 19 Features for concern spectrum band will set Nigeria P14 Economics murdered ÏÏÏ under-explored P18candidate murdered Trading Economics - Juwah at war P8 ÏÏÏ SENATOR LEKAN BALOGUN: Daily Times Nigeria Friday, March 13, 2015

Dr. Olapade Agoro, founder of the National Action Council (NAC) and its former presidential candidate, speaks on the rescheduled general election, the controversial card readers, INEC’s seeming incompetence and its alleged disregard of court orders. JONATHAN EZE reports.

Business Editor: Emmanuel Ogbonnaya Email: emihog@yahoo.com

What is the implication of the election postponement on Nigeria?

Obviously, the postponement of the 2015 election from Feb-

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, March 13, 2015 Olapade Agoro

Ugochukwu Onyeocha

FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2015

VOL. 1. NO.65

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A prominent international rating agency, Trading Economics (TE), has rated Nigeria’s economy as “negative” (in red), on 27 points, indicating that the nation currently possesses a highly speculative economy.

The Trading Economics credit rating takes into account the average grade given by international credit rating agencies plus multiple economic indicators, exchange rates, government bond yields, stock indexes, commodity prices and very little discretion.

According to TE, its result is based on Standard & Poor’s credit rating of Nigeria at BB- (Negative to be watched also in red).

Moody’s rating for Nigeria at Ba3 (Stable) and Fitch’s credit rating for Nigeria at BB- (Stable) combined data from the country’s CONTINUEDfinancial FROM markets PAGE 18 and economic indicators.

According to the regional man-

for food while only picking the pockets available to them.

Pickpockets come in different levels. There are the rough

ruary 14 to March 28 is like the Almighty God saving Nigeria from crisis that would have been caused by treacherous people. I had, carefully, studied the situation and discovered that Professor Attahiru Jega, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), was at war with himself, waiting for someone to help and, this, I promptly did by going public on Thursday, February 5, 2015, in Abuja and alerting the nation that “INEC was not prepared for the election”. It is appropriate

for me to say that as at February 5, 2015, INEC was only about 40 percent ready to go ahead with the general election. Unknown to many people, a few hours after the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) aired my views, two top officials of INEC called to thank me for rising to the occasion and saving the situation. It is pertinent for me to say that the seeming poor preparation or lack of seriousness on the part of INEC was a deliberate intention to CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

China's top judge says the country saw a double-digit increase in the number of terrorism and separatism cases last ager, Standard and Poor (S & P)A protester demonstrates year, and that more than 700 indioutside Downing Street in cenKonrad Reuss, Nigeria was rated based on its six main categories viduals were convicted. tral London on March 3, 2015 past you, before you’re aware, evenOpeoluwani out of the country to oper- most of them work in groups.

Akintayo and it was found to be weak in In an annual report to the Naover the abduction of 43 students you have lost something! Alaba ate, depending on their level,” They don’t work alone. Once three classifications: institutiontional People’s Congress, Zhou The Executive Vice Chairin Mexico over four months ago, al and governance effectiveness, further disclosed that these explained When asked one picks an item, he passes man/CEOAlaba. of the Nigerian ComQiang, the chief justice of Chithe first day of Mexican Presieconomic structure andon growth, Commission, onesstate are usually well-dressed, how munications they get to know ofDr.these it on to members of his group. na’s Supreme People’s Court fiscal flexibility and performance. dent Enrique Pena Nieto's Eugene Juwah, has stated that According to Reuss, the factors and eloquent in events, he disclosed to Daily They also work in collaboration said Chinese courts carried out visit to Britain There clean-faced have been the 70/80 Ghz Spectrum Band is putting the Nigerian economy in prosecutions for 558 cases last worldwide protests against theSome even drive classy speech.

Times that one of the fastest with the bouncers, security ofyet to be fully explored and exdanger include the Boko Haram year. He said the number of cases high level of violence in Mexico.

Nigeria.they get inforinsurgency, the fall in oil prices cars and you will never suspect and ploited majorin ways ficials and waiters at the occaincreased by about 15 percent He said this during the ICT (because of the importanceThe of oil decapitated body of a their ulterior motives. “You mation is through the mass sion.

Stakeholders’ Consultative Fo- mefor government and export revefor terrorism charges and a little politician has been found in one Senator Lekan Balogun is what it entails. He locked up held on Thursday in Lagos. nues), as well as the forthcoming have all sorts of pickpockets dia.ofrum “They move very fast, and noof Mexico's most violent states, a chieftain the Peoples some people, he killed some, more than 13 percent for separatelections. Nigeria was classified The explorative meeting was he was after his own pound of ism.

Democratic Party (PDP)you that most of they have different modes “I aimed can tell usually, notices anything Guerrero, where she and had been as neutral in external liquidity , at advancing and multi“They don’t know body,flesh, typical of how a fascist Zhou did not say where the maand a High Chief of Ibadan standing elecof operation.

Some are clean theseplying pickpockets international investment posi- for mayor in June's until does it’sthings; too and late, except the potentials of read a par- the that’s why a the land. In this interview, he exjority of the trials took place or tion and monetary flexibility meaning of person tions. , ticular rangeand of the frequency band fascist is is a die-hard leader; a and educated and, gorgeously newspapers listen to the who knowledgeable in poses the presidential candidate while its only area of strength for the benefit of the industry, Aide Nava's body was discovfascist moves in that direction; give a break down of the number of the All Progressives Congress progressive politics. dressed, will go to events unintelevision and radio more than such things.

However, for some, was in its debt burden. and the Nigerian nation. if you are a victim of that, forof cases for terrorism or separatered on a road near the state capi(APC), General Muhammadu In general, a credit rating is a saneare governance of theto According to Juwah,They the bandknow looking for easy preys. other person. there no events at-but China did see a sharp Buhari, as any a fascist, a leader ism, tal, Chilpancingo. Shevited had been If they do, they whenget used by sovereign wealth funds, country, because they just creis power, yet to be fully utilised in Niwho has complete forcincrease in violent attacks in its Some would even dress in the where and when any event is tend, they dress up every mornkidnapped on Tuesday . pension funds and other invesate confusion in the land. The geria compared to the rest ibly suppressing opposition and won’t be ofwhere tors to gauge the credit worthiremote and restive region of XinA note near her body threatlast two world to hadoperand like holding andoftherefore, who is the hosting it. ing and go fascists to busthestops the world, comAdolf Hitler ones, profession- same uniform with friendscriticism, ness of a amateurs country; and it and has a big were (Adolf) Hitler, who ruled jiang last year. ened the same treatment for othThey mission’s target is to are. address Germany and Benito Mussolini Some even go to they these event ven- ate during the rush hours.” impact on the country’s borrowGermany and (Benito) Musals and they are er both male and relatives of the celebrant,of just Xinjiang has long been trouthe growing demand, assist in Italy.

He submits that such politicians.

Okonji-Iweala ing costs. solinialways in Italy; dress what did theya cora Yoruba to fit in and have easy picks ofwouldues ahead to survey “They like the access totime thewant broadband, re- how leader set Nigeria atof war female. They dispossess Violence people in Guerrero has cast do? They caused a World War. bled by ethnic tensions between duce ensure broadwith other people, if he challenges, becomes the there crowdThere of have prospective victhe the place is, so asVice toinplan an easy soporate office itsset Uighur Muslim group and the That’s what worker, we will get,who a localis doubt over pollsusscheduled President, of their valuables, without been worldwide protests against highservices level of violence Mexico President.

Excerpts: band is more available war in Nigeria if Buhari gets country’s Han majority. tims. entry and if need be, gain entry for June. ing force or weapons. in its right quality and make there. Buhari is not providing what?” activists and exiled UiCONTINUED ON PAGERights 21 The note near Aide They Nava'stravel the state. icanoperational states local you see the ploy hold to other statesHow or do forcefully . Another thingelections is that main missing. for flexibility and details of what he did in the The professionals just move by the Allwas Progressives Conbody said if politicians did not Last year Aide Nava's son in June, but would there enhance are doubts According to I’m thenot government robustness that past and surprised, it’s ghur groups say it is the governgarner supinfrastructure andin re-Guerjust mere rhetoric.

A fascist "fall into line" they would be ex- kidnapped and hasgress never(APC), been to available elections can take place the students were abducted by is ment’s repressive cultural and port from the South West by industry. fascist, he does do good religious policies there that are mote trade, investment and best a lot of reviews, discussions, veloped sources in the ecuted. found.

Her world.’’ husband, a former because oflence, the high levels of corrupt alocal police andnot handed fielding a vice rero presidential civil practices among women, the changes here and there but Responding, Maina commend“You all may be aware of war the etc. that would things, I’m not surprised, and fueling the unrest, but China says It was signed by Los Rojos, one mayor, was also murdered. violence.

Lastbeyear, 43for students over criminal for execucandidate from Yoruba land? tragic Nigeria and theto athat’s theirgang nature.

We must aged and people living with dis- thank God today we have signed ed President Goodluck Jona- diverse use to which every freWe’ve gone beyond that level disappeared, world, as far as I’m concerned. of the main criminal groups init willGuerrero eight other Mexin Guerrero and retion. consider national and global the spread of religious extremabilities from both countries. the MoU. It is a good move; than forand giving women voice in quency spectrum available in Nigeria, where we look at Ifband it had been a Yoruba man interests of Nigerians. When ism is to blame. Earlier this week, The Minister of Women Af- strengthen ties between Nigeria his government. things closed-mindedly. the situation by in everyI part the world could keepof that is there now, I’ll stillErelu-Kuti, say there is saved a global measure of a top communist party official in fairs and Social Development, and The Gambia, although we She said: ``I want to thank be used. Beyond thesame usage and These are offering saying it, my ideologically, Bu- the thing. part goodto governance, marry Baba Alagbigba. everybody Hajiya Zainab Maina and Vice- always had good relationship.

President, Goodluck Jonathan, Xinjiang warned that some excritical part-people put up to hari is a fascist.applications You can getlie the of the excuses benefits, but, when therewas is perThat was how Alagbigba President of The Gambia, Isatou ``We’re looking at social is- who is gender-friendly and outhow resources nothing good of to a share fascistthese support the for trend. Evenofficial when tremists have even traveled overtween Russia and South Ossetia and unofficial Afghan Balogun CONTINUEDin ON Lagos PAGE 10 and Njie-Saidy, signed the document sues, education, health, violence made the signingfor of the thiscountry, MoU except turbu-good the common of are the not invessuaded to remain they comfortable with - a breakaway formerly refugees from Pakistan. Over seas to join the Islamic State and on behalf of their countries on against women, and the ecopossible tostate help women,part the tor community, the service progive his life-long loyal and recently returned home. of Georgia - but the ceremony did vider community and the conthe past three months, policedevoted Wednesday in New York. nomic empowerment of women, aged, people with disabilities Xinjiang typically led the service to Oba Akinsemoyin. him the winner of the presidenan Islamic has country if a certain the rescheduled general election, The Senior Pastor of Libnot take place. raids against Afghan-dominatThe MoU was signed on the as well as women in business. and the government and people sumer of services community,” of the won, nation in convictions candidate saying if that, tial election but was not permitted he said it was not right for the some rest eration City Church, Dr.ed Chris sidelines of the UN Commission ``In Gambia, more than half There of The Gambia, led by President may be technical rea- he said.

Akinsemoyin caused marneighborhoods and refugee to mention the name, advised Nieventually happens, all the ChrisOkafor, has advised Christian self-styled men of God to abandon related on Status of Women, tagged of the farmers are women, esJameh. to , crimes labeled as ensons Yahya for that - it was reported that camps helped spur an riagehave to bemajor performed inexohis palace tian leaders have failed in their gerians to use their PVCs to vote their responsibility of winleaders to avoid partisan politics, Beijing +20, which was 20 years pecially those in rice cultiva``This MoU has taken a long dangering state security. A broad the document had not been fully dus of more than 50,000 Afghans for candidates of their choice. responsibility . ning souls but engage in partisan because their primary assignand at their wedding,pronounced after the Beijing Women Confer- tion, but they’re going into all time; we’ve met two or three includes crimes Spokesman for President agreed. Mr Putin had also been He urged Nigerians to pray He said that the country needed a politics and makingMost publicof com- grouping ment is to win souls for the king-into back ence of 1995 took place in the other areas and we can learn times on the issue. Both counPrincessAfghanistan.

Erelu-Kuti as ‘anointErelu-Oba against the plan by some elerevolution, because corruption of their dom of God. such as separatism, subversion Vladimir from Putin has denied slatedtries to attend a federal them arements saidin tofavour be undocumentChinese capital. each other, when ruit comes have come a longsecurity way and had taken the front burner in Ni- ments to destabilise the country, candidates.of the kingmaker’s at a special Sunday aed’ member PakistanSpeaking and Afghanimourstothat the president un-elderly meeting on Thursday butenhance a govedand Afghans whom Pakistani and terrorism among others.

The Understanding seeks to women, children,isthe the accord will further Okafor also frowned at the rag- geria. The cleric who disclosed but that with prayers, God would session organised to pray for the chieftaincy class a known as the According to Dui Hua Foundaplans empower women, children, and disabled, we can share our friendship and strengthen well.the The rumours started after a lesernment source told Russia's Ria stan have announced authorities consider security of turning Nigeria into that God had already revealed to take control. country, as the nationto prepares for ing issue disabled and the elderlytrip in both sons.’’ relationship. tion, a human rights advocacy to Kazakhstan, scheduled for newsour Akarigbere. agency it was unlikely to work together over the next four threat. countries, as well as promote in``I thank the Republic ``President Jameh of The group based in the United States, Thursday and Friday , Federal was postgo ahead.

President Putin with a months to try to document about Pakistan wantsErelu-Kuti all registeredbecame Princess creased trade among women in of Nigeria for the cooperation Gambia made a powerful and its own estimates and an annual poned. President Putin's last pub- delegation of women President one million Afghans who are Afghan refugees to leave by theyear pregnant in the second of the two countries. that we have shared. We’ve al- supportive statement during Xinjiang report on court cases lic appearance wasNigeria on 5 March PutinNigeria’s meetingcentenary a delegation for In- believed to be living illegally in end of Akinsemoyin’s 2015. But the sudden The Gambia vice president, ways seen as big brothcelebration Oba reignin-andshows was that while the number of when he met Italian Prime Ministernational Women's Dayup to you Pakistani cities. The documen- crease in returning Afghans has who is also the country’s Miniser and I can assure you that last year and we look delivered of a male child.

The Oba of endangering state setation effort is aimed at trying to already worried the government cases ter of Women Affairs, expressed this agreement too,Daily big or a brother is a ter Matteofollowing Renzi. Kremlin spokes- today,RBC , a small Moscow business who had waited patiently for this, satisfaction that the efforts of we will work head-on on the probrother. curity in Xinjiang stayed flat at man Dmitry Peskov said those newspaper, reported that the determine the deadline for when in Kabul, which is facing severe both countries had comemaking to frui- the grammes.’’ ``We wanted a bilateral relaabout 300, the number of crimiordered theproblems namingatceremoclaims had them- video of Mr Putin posted to the all Afghan refugees in Pakistan budget and that security tion and promised to begin ac``We have challenges of trade, tionship where our women will are expected to be safely and vol- a ny selves caught "spring fever".

Kremlin's website on 8 March, bewhen performed hisinterpalace.nal trials increased by 40 percent time there isin less tion in her country on the terms especially at the borders but exchange best practices, have bito more untarily repatriated.

"When the sun comes up in the meeting a delegation for Internanational assistance.

On the eight day, he adorned the than 29,000. of the agreement. there is no country that doesn’t lateral trades, and this MoU will as soon as spring tionalhelp Women's Day , had been pre- JuwahThe protracted Afghan refuHowever, thiswith week’s She said: ``We went spring, throughand have challenges evenis inin the deus in that regard. infant prince one highof his robes the air, then the fever begins," said recorded on 5 March. One partici- gee situation in Pakistan has level discussions in Islamabad and placed him on the throne, coral Mr Peskov. "We are calm on this fe- pant at the meeting told the paper become a major irritant in bilat- appear to have eased tensions beads neck of the ineral relations because Pakistani and ver, and respond to the questions the president had looked tired. led adorned to a morethe cooperative fantto while all other royal parapherwith patience."

Since then, more videos of Mr authorities are increasingly effort document unregistered Reuters quoted a Kazakh gov- Putin have appeared on the site. blaming the refugees for a rise in Afghans. nalia of office were put in place. ernment source on Wednesday Footage of a meeting with the criminal and militant activity in Chief Commissioner of the Af- infant Placing a white cap on parts of the country. The United ghan as saying: "It looks like [Mr Pu- governor of Russia's republic of Refugees Imran Zeb Khan head, Akinsemoyin named the tin] has fallen ill." Insisting the Karelia was published on Wednes- Nations estimates there are 1.6 tells VOA his institution will child Ikutire and, to the astonishnext million Oba ofregistered Lagos, refugees, an endorseand lead the process of documenting president was "fine", Mr Peskov day. The videos have been the subment of all present, pronounced ment by the Oba of Benin of said Mr Putin had meetings "all ject of scrutiny, with pundits look- about one million who remain more than a million Afghans. him successor to thecomthrone.

Akinsemoyin. undocumented. the time" but not all of them ing closely at Mr Putin's clothes He sayshis a joint six-member Oba Akinsemoyin’s multiple Islamabad’s coun- mittee return torenewed Lagos, aware were public. Besides the trip to and the digits of a calendar in theOn his of Afghan and Pakistani terterrorism effortstheinclude Kazakhstan, Mr Putin was due background for clues about when will oversee the massive marriages that his arch enemies, Idejos experts Qiang to repatriate both to sign a treaty of integration be- the filming took place.

Oba Akinsemoyin reignedZhou for weremeasures now better positioned as exercise.

Buhari, a fascist, will set Nigeria at war

Nigeria, Gambia sign MoU to support less-privileged

Joy Ekeke

A celebration of royal Card rights and rites PVC And The Readers Nigeria and The Gambia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to pro-

Kremlin denies Russia president's health rumours ÏÏÏ

ÎÎÎOne of the major talk-

Adetayo Adegbemle

It is my belief that we should have used them either in the 2014 Ekiti State election, or the Osun State election as test drive —preferably both.

ing points that have generated heated discussions and arguments surrounding Nigeria’s 2015 General Elections has been the readiness of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct the elections, and one that has resulted in the shifting of the polls by 6 weeks from February 14, 2015 to March 28, 2015.

While INEC has declared their readiness for February 14th date, different sides have also presented their arguments, depending on which side of the divide they belong to. It was first the National Security Adviser (NSA) that maintained that the elections could not go on because of security concerns. The All Progressives Congress (APC) insinuated that the Federal Government, headed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), orchestrated the shift because the PDP was afraid of losing the elections.

Needless to say that the introduction of the PVC card readers by INEC is a novel idea, and it would go a long way to make the election free of rigging.

However, it is also important to critically analyze issues surrounding the

Zainab

Mothers of the Royal family celebrate with a masquerade.

Geneology CONTINUED FROM PAGE 28

Prince Akinsemoyin did all the oracle directed and proceeded on exile where he threw himself into trading. He went into supplies of spices, ivory palm oil and palm produce and slave trade. He did, indeed, get deeply involved with the Portuguese merchants and was able to speak and understand their language. In fulfillment of the Ifa oracle, Akinsemoyin acquired fame, wealth and power and was a force to reckon with in Apa kingdom. There he married an Apa woman named Sonate and had two children, Princess Fuji

and Prince Pinishin.

About the year 1702, the seat of government moved from Iddo Island to Lagos Island after Oba Gabaro and the Idejos had agreed on some conditions. Iga Idungaran, meaning ‘palace on a pepper farm’ was granted Oba Gabaro, while he honoured his promise

Jega use of the technology especially taking into consideration the Nigerian environment and its factors.

This is not the forum to discuss the technology behind card readers, or how they work, but this is to raise the question of “If ” it would work as INEC suggests.

If the general elections go ahead with the use of the card readers, the 2015 Elections would be the pilot run for their use in Nigeria. As a technologist, who has grown through

the ranks, and has experienced working in fields ranging from support to system design, to system integration, it is my belief that we should have used them either in the 2014 Ekiti State election, or the Osun State election as test drive—preferably both.

Failure of the card reader technology on the election date would be a disaster with a long ripple effect on subsequent elections, not minding the cost incurred on the 2015 general elections.

INEC swore that they

Pakistan, Afghanistan

Avoid partisan to document politics, refugees cleric tells ÏÏÏ colleagues “The Akinsemoyin Day is an annual event celebrated by ready,us,but five weeks the descendants King Akinsemoyin the of February 14th in remembrance of they ourare still progenitor. ” bat-

were after date, tling with the distribution of the Permanent Voters Cards. I was surprised when INEC declared the 7th of March, 2015 as a mock test date for the PVCs and Card Readers, with varying degrees of successes, if we could even call it that.

What I expect from Nigerians, especially those in the opposition, and those who have decided to politicize the Card Reader issue, is for them to sit down and critically think through the issues surrounding the deployment of such technologies.

On the Permanent Voters Card, this should be a year round exercise that should only be suspended few weeks to the elections.

We have had reports of people who registered in pre-2011 elections but could not locate their PVCs; simply because their data could not be located, or was affected by virus.

I have advocated on several platforms to establish National Civic Centers in all Local Governments where a National Database will be domiciled, and things like Civic Registrations (Voters Card,

and elevayed the Idejos to hereditary Chiefs, making them permanent members of the Ose-Iga. Some two years after the consensus, Oba Gabaro joined his ancestors (died).

Chiefs from the Benin kingdom who were the king makers, sent for Akinsemoyin to become the

hereditary titled Chiefs, Akinsemoyin came back with a large retinue of armed, trained slaves, captained by his two special warlords, Egbe and Suenu. He was crowned the 3rd Oba of Lagos in 1704 amidst tight security.

The reign of Oba Akinsemoyin (1704-1749) Now on the throne, Oba Akinsemoyin’s reliable diviner, Ifakorededecided it was time he returned to his native land, Ilesa to marry and raise his own family. But unwilling to let his diviner go, Akinsemoyin directed his only daughter, Princess Fuji to marry Ifakorede to secure the services of the priest.

But the princess turned down her father’s request.

Allentreaties fell on deaf ears.

This refusal upset Oba Akinsemoyin. But his step sister, Princess

Birth Registration Certificates, Death Registrations/Certificates), National ID Cards, Drivers Licensing and the likes) will be issued. The National Civic Center would have eliminated most of the issues we face today with PVC card readers.

We need to be forward thinking, stop all these kneejerk reactions, and stop politicizing all issues to the detriment of Nigerian public. Nigerians are always losers in the end.

As a professional, I strongly recommend that INEC jettison with the introduction of the card reader for these elections. They had 4 years to prepare for this, prepare user manuals, distribute PVCs to the public, and carry out voters education around them. Why is INEC stampeding Nigeria into a mistake that will carry more grievous consequences than simply fumbling the 2015 elections?

45 years, (1704-1749) succeeded by eight children. Apart from the first two children, Fuji and Pinishin (from his first wife, Sonate) both of who incurred the displeasure of their father, Oba Akinsemoyin later had other children from other wives who now constitute the eight branches of the Akinsemoyin Royal Family of Lagos. They include Ambose, Sadeko, Abisako, Gbosebi, Amore, Jolasun,Adeailu andArogba.

End of a glorious reign Oba Akinsemoyin, the OlowoEko and Olori Ogun, died in 1749 and was succeeded by Oba Ologunkutere, his nephew and son of his younger sister, Princess Erelu-Kuti.

This year’s Oba Akinsemoyin Day celebration teed off with a thanksgiving and Church service CONTINUED ON PAGE 21

Adetayo Adegbemle is a public opinion commentator/analyst, researcher, and the convener of PowerUpNigeria, a Power Consumer Advocacy Group, based in Lagos. (Twitter: @gbemle, @PowerUpNg)

Published by FOLIO COMMUNICATIONS LTD, Lateef Jakande Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja. website: www.dailytimes.com.ng; email: info@dailytimes.com.ng. Tel: 018447948. EDITOR: YINKA OLUJIMI News Hotlines: 08138773277, 08173901838. Advert Hotlines: 08169118913, 08075038528

Life&

TIMES Friday March 13, 2015

The MAVIN’S

lacklustre performance at the AMVCA

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P

Meet Shina Edo, ‘The Cave man’

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P

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Daily Times Nigeria Friday, March 13, 2015

Daily Times Nigeria

Friday, March 13, 2015

L3 Society

No club can intimidate us

– Patrick Shina Edo

Isaac Oguntoye That the Cave strip club is perhaps one of the biggest in the entire country is not in doubt. Purpose built and situated in the heart of the commercial nerve centre of the country, it has within its over four years of operation, grown to become the toast and bride of night clubbing, particularly in the Lagos metropolis. Patrick Shina Edo, the brain behind the exotic lair and who was recently honoured by the Common Wealth university, South America, for his outstanding achievement in the entertainment business, talks about his impressive success record, setting the pace for others to follow, from a distance.

You have within a short period of operation, expectations, making The Cave, one of the most sought after strip club. What is your secret weapon?

Nothing but the management skill I have put in place, competence and dedication.

I know how to manage the only the largest in Nigeria, but in the whole of Africa. So I have no choice but to run it well. Besides, Nigeria is an open and fertile ground for business; if you know what to do and how to do it well, you will succeed, regardless. Anything entertainment in Nigeria succeeds, if you know how to go about it. This forte, I know how to play the game. I know how to pick my girls, take care of them and also take care of my custom-

Western countries but now that we have it here, people are so happy that it exists.

Patronage is high and it will always be because we are giving them exactly what they want, the kind of girls they want to see.

a license but now we are licensed to operate it and that helps because people can now freely come in and generally have a good time.

Clients now patronize us without fear. We have a clientele made up mostly of the

T E A M

minors here. In any Nigerian pageant, a minor is somebody below 23 years unlike overseas where a minor is somebody below 18 years of age. Once you are a minor, whatever capacity; whether as a dancer or a customer and for guys, once you are under 27 you are a minor and we will not let you in, you must be close to 30 before we let you in, you must be very matured and very responsible.

A lot of strip clubs are springing up here and

customers, they look for us. them a threat?

How do you get the girls judging by the huge number of them that work here? they look for us. Once you are able to position yourself in this business, the girls would come looking for you.

We have accommodation here at no cost and they have all the freedom here.

They make good money while also catching their fun.

pay for feeding, their welfare is well taken care of and they make good money, that is why they all keep trooping in.

When girls outside of Lagos hear that we even pay them here, they quickly jump on the band wagon. We have about 70 girls working here if I am not mistaking.

Human wants are unlimited. Even though you say your customers

Life&

Have you had any parent or guardian come here daughter?

misgivings when you were setting it up, say, the state government being against it, among several other issues?

No, I had no misgivings.

Concerning the state clamping down on it, setting up a strip club is not against the

all of these perfectly, then

forget that Nigerians love fun especially this kind of fun because initially, you could only

I agree that human beings will always ask for more and when they do ask for more, we know what we give to them.

are you thinking of doing to keep them yearning for more?

Editor Nkarenyi Ukonu n.ukonu@dailytimes.com.ng 08029030427

They are all small timers. threaten the ocean. Some of them convert a sitting room to a strip club but this is a purpose built strip club. Like largest in the whole of Africa and one of the largest in the

Commonwealth University, South America.

Why do you think you were singled out to be honoured?

thing like this together and also run it well which is what

they must have gotten some information about me beAdam. When I saw the letter,

How do you separate your family life from your business?

Have you thought about replicating The Cave elsewhere?

Of course. Expect something bigger than The Cave, something more complia lot of new things, building other strip clubs all over Lacations now but it will be in about three strategic locations within Lagos. And we are setting up other businesses too.

You were recently honored by the

Music Correspondent Akintayo Opeoluwani o.ogunjimi@dailytimes.com.ng 08126223784

Movie Correspondent Mutiat Alli m.alli@dailytimes.com.ng 08115557378

While building The Cave club, did you envisage this turn out?

Of course, I have God

take care of your family. And on for over four years now,

you put all the strip clubs in Ikeja together, The Cave will swallow all their customers at once.

your customers as well. Take good care of the dancers like they are your sisters. Treat and pay them well. Let them feel happy and feel at home.

leading. I started the former TT bar which is now called Club Unique before setting up my own. If you know what it takes to be in the business, you will stay on it. No club can intimidate us. Our girls are comfortable, they are well-paid and our customers are well taken care off. Everything is perfect here. We have both local and foreign customer coming in here and they are all happy.

What came to your mind on to be honoured?

Well, it is a well deserved honour. I was given a PAN Africa award as the best

Society Correspondent Isaac Oguntoye i.ogundoye@dailytimes.com.ng 08069489893

nobody. So both are equally important but I try to separate my business from my family.

Once it is my business time, I face it squarely. I keep my family out of it. And that is during the day time which is when I attend to my fam-

a very strong child of God. In anything I do, I call on on any endeavor. And when God says go ahead, I move ahead. If God says stop, I will feel it and I will know that ahead.

Would you consider By the grace of God, I am

What will be your advice to any young man who wants to come into the strip clubbing business?

Strip clubbing business is a little bit complicated. You must be very serious about it. Look for good girls and

Photography Quadri Olowolagba q.olowolagba@dailytimes.com.ng 08029745478

name.

Where do you see The years?

To have given birth to the largest strip club in the whole uated in Lagos, Nigeria.

Graphics Austine Agbovi a.agbovi@dailytimes.com.ng 07060402397

Events L4

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, March 13, 2015

Friends, family bid

Molade Okoya-Thomas farewell Isaac Oguntoye

A candle light procession Thomas’ reception maestro, King Sunny Ade was

by Lagos State University onJuju hand to serenade guests as he students and staff churned out melodious tunes, one Before his death, Molade OkoyaThomas was a former Chancellor of the Lagos State University. To show that he was an invaluable asset to them, a valedictory session was held for him on Monday, March 2nd. The candlelight procession which started auditorium.

The two pronged service of song

Two service of songs were held for the multiple chieftaincy title holder.

One by the Lagos State Lawn Tennis club, where he was a member, which took place on Tuesday, March 3rd at the grounds of the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Onikan and the other, by Pastor Ituah Ighodalo led Trinity House, Zion centre, Victoria Island which held on Wednesday, March 4. The All Progressives Congress (APC), vice presidential candidate, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, was service of songs

The Lagos State government was not left out Lagos State Government felt it expedient to honour him with a night of tributes later in the evening of Tuesday, March 3rd, at the Teslim Balogun Stadium.

At the wake

Without mincing words, Molade Okoya-Thomas was very dynamic and humane. This would be the reason why friends, family members, children and business associates all gathered on Thursday March 5, at the Landmark events centre, Victoria Island to pay their last respects to a game changer.

In attendance were governors, ministers, business moguls and politicians.

His final resting place

The remains of the late business mogul was interred on March 6th at the Vaults and Gardens after a funeral service at the Holy Cross Cathedral, Lagos Island. Earlier in the day, his body laid in state both at the Lagos Lawn Tennis club and at his residence.

King Sunny Ade brings down the roof at Okoya-

after the other. The ambience of the reception was that of light bantering. As with most Yoruba parties, one prominent feature was the headgear adorned by the women present. They all looked elegant.

Deji Okoya-Thomas recounts father’s wish

TY Danjuma and wife, Daisy

Adebutu Kessington

Opral Benson

Lanre Tejuosho

Sena Anthony

One of the sons of the late business mogul spoke about how his father would want, even in death, for his passion for table tennis, a sport he promoted for 46 years, to continue long after he his gone. To this end, the family decided that the onus to continue with the promotion of the sport, fall on him - Deji.

Rasaq and Sade Okoya; friends even in death

Deputy governor fo Lagos State, Adejoke Adefulire

DG NTDC, Sally Mbanefo

Throughout the week-long burial, Chief Rasaq Okoya and his lovely wife, Sade were ever-present apart from the reception which they missed.

It was obvious that Chief Rasaq was very close to the deceased and did all he could to make sure the burial arrangements was successful.

Roll-call of guests Okoya-Thomas, Folorunsho Alakija, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Gov. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), Akinwunmi Ambode, T.Y Danjuma and wife, Daisy, Gen. Mobolaji Johnson, Florence ItaGiwa, Ernest Shonekan, Opral Benson etc.

Folorunsho Alakija

Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi

Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola and wife, Abimbola , Bola Ahmed Tinubu and wife, Oluremi Tinubu, Governor of Ogun State, Ibikunle Amosun and wife, Funso

Until his death

Okoya-Thomas was chairman of many organizations, including CICA (Nigeria) Ltd., Transcap Nigeria Ltd., Oktom INVESTMENT Ltd., Itochu Nigeria Ltd., Chiyoda Nigeria Ltd. and Anchoria INVESTMENT & Securities Ltd. He also served as Director of NFI Insurance Company Plc and Gateway of CFAO, a company he served for 52 years. He has also contributed immensely to the development of Lagos State by serving in numerous committees, including being a member, Lagos City Council, member Lagos State Development and Property Corporation, Chairman Board of Trustees, Glover Memorial Hall and Tom Jones Hall. He was a recipient of the Chevalier de la honour given by the French to a foreigner.

Razak Okoya

Sunny and Ireti Asemota

Chairman of Arik Air, Johnson Arumeni

Senate President, David Mark and Minister of Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga

Akin Olugbade

Kemi Nelson

Late Chief Molade Okoya Thomus Children

Photos: Quadri Olowolagba

Daily Times Nigeria

L5

Friday, March 13, 2015

Hot scoops from AMVCA 2015 Mutiat Alli and Opeoluwani Akintayo

-

Events

Ayo Badmus

re-surfaces

On the MAVIN crew’s epic failure on stage

Ayo Badmus

on AWOL from the movie world made a pleasant appearance at the AMVCA looking good in his

Osas Ighodaro’s opening performance

The MAVIN crew performing

-

was the shortest performance of

and Korede bello) performance

-

Did Helen Paul say Chinedu Ikedieze (of Aki and Paw paw fame) is short?

member that feeling that comes inability

to

cope

with

a

live

That is akin to how their perfor-

Osas Ighodaro performing

Television presenter, actress and former Miss Black USA 2010, Osas Ighodaro, gave a special energetic dance display of a piece

off proceedings at the awards

Desmond Elliot reveals love for RMD

Chinedu Ikedieze and Helen Paul

After getting on stage to receive her -

his height as they stood in front of

Elliot, was one of the award preDesmond Elliot

Fathia Williams reveals true ancestry

Fathia Williams

The spectacular Shoki remix

Comedian, Basketmouth dissed D’banj and Tonto Dike

Annie Idibia’s dress becomes her albatross

Annie Idibia

gown which gave way as she

ty was worse she almost fell face

-

songs or have the talent for singing, to the

time Annie, please wear a comfortable dress!

Basketmouth

OC Ukeje, Femi Jacobs, Blossom Chukwujekwu and Gideon Okeke performing

Continue on page L6

Events L6

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, March 13, 2015

Events Continue from page L5

Where did Iyanya’s muscles go?

And the best award speech goes to‌ P-square

-

on fire

-

P-square sets stage Iyanya

Femi Jacob

Society

Isaac Oguntoye

Hospitality expert Stephen Where are the members of Omamuli bereaved Abe Igi Anu club?

-

-

-

-

Rasak Olanrewaju Stephen Omamule

-

Is MC Oluomo at large?

Funmi Tejuosho plans quiet 50th birthday

-

-

Funmi Tejuosho

MC Oluomo

Daily Times Nigeria

Friday, March 13, 2015

Nkarenyi Ukonu

What is up with Caroline OlaseindeRhode’s marriage? party early last year, perhaps out of necessity, not much has been seen or heard of Caroline who was once a social scene. Not even the demands of her job as a prevented her from having a good time when she prolly wished to, which was quite often. Many had attributed her social life recently taking a back burner to her becoming a mother to a set of twin girls, citing the demands of motherhood as the reason ture at society events. Interestingly, to continue with her birthday party which many had thought would shut down Lagos, had to be moved to London. Even though it registered a sizeable number of members of the burgeoning social scene, it was to her cocoon she retreated to once the party was over. However, another angle to her AWOL from the social scene has

Caroline Olaseinde-Rhode

Unveiling Otunba Niyi and Erelu Angela Adebayo’s daughter, Morenike Pretty like her mother, though of a darker version, everyone assumes that Morenike whose presence usually lights up party arenas is nothing other than a party freak whose fame gained momentum for merely being mer governor of Ekiti State, Otunba Niyi and his wife, Erelu Angela Adebayo as well as ter of Rtd. General Adeyinka Adebayo. Not many are aware that there is indeed a serious side to the young lady who many prefer to call Keke.

A lawyer by training, she be-

gan her law practice at Bentley Edu & Co as well as at Aluko Oyebode and Co, one of the oldest and in the country, where she ran the intellectual property department of the law tional changes, marketing and overseeing accounts.

She would later go back to school for further trainLondon for an LLM in intellectual property law. With ba strong urge to start her own thing, she set up a le-

Morenike Adebayo

Legal Filings, one of the few pany in the country. In addition, the 30 year old also runs Keke

trol. Today, Keke who once had a modeling career now does lifestyle coaching in her spare time with a number of high pro-

pany she set up when her unhealthy lifestyle got out of con-

positive results with her lifestyle coaching.

Nkiru Olumide-Ojo berths at Stanbic/IBTC Hers has been a long journey in the world of public relations, marketing and communications. Having cut her teeth in brand communication, it was only a matter of time before she rate and social world. Her job at Virgin Nigeria where her word was law, gave her this leeway. Unfortunately,

been the topic of discussion among social revelers. They quite well with her union with Captain Lanre Rhodes, a pilot. Even though no reason was given for the supposed hiccups that her marriage is allegedly suffering, there are indications that Caroline might have moved on with her life with plans to revert to her maiden name.

Mixed Grill

L7 Society

threw in the towel owing to the downairline. Her social life equally took a down turn as she chose to shun the

klieg lights, preferring to concentrate on nurturing her then new found assignments; Olivia Ethan Communications, she moved to Bharti Airtel Nigeria, as head of brand communication and later to Forte oil. Just when many thought she had reached her comfort zone, as communications, slim and leggy Nkiru, moved again. This time to Stanbic IBTC Holdings as head of marketing and communication, a position she has been holding since September 2013

Nkiru Olumide-Ojo

Good and bad Catch-Words Solution 01 vertical, diagonal, forwards or backwards

e r e h W ’ ‘N hen W present, Stage play titled “The Wizard of Law” @Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos March 21st-22nd, 2015

The Chronicles of Ushbebe @Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos March 22nd, 2015 5pm.

ABOMINABLE, ADEPT, ANGELIC, ATROCIOUS, AUSPICIOUS, AWFUL, BAD, BENEFICIAL, BETTER, CORRECT, DEPLORABLE, DIRE, DREADFUL, EVIL, EXCELLENT, EXPERT, FAIR, FINE, GOOD, HONEST, HONORABLE, HOPELESS, HORRENDOUS, INCOMPETENT, JUST, LAMENTABLE, MALEVOLENT, MEDIOCRE, MONSTROUS, PITIFUL, RESPECTABLE, RIGHT, SAFE, SECURE, SKILLED, SOUND, TERRIBLE, VIRTUOUS, WELL, WICKED, WORSE, WORTHY, WRONG. Courtesy, Puzzle Choice

AY Live Complete Happiness @Eko Hotel &Suites, April 5th, 2015.

Daily Times Nigeria

Friday, March 13, 2015

Showing on

L8 Television

127

111 M-Net Movies Stars

10:00

Fri, 13 Mar | 16 L

Showing on

08:35

Fri, 13 Mar | PG

Anton Yelchin, leads a stellar cast in this touching coming-

101 M-Net West

120 BBC Entertainment

118 Telemundo

02:10 Aurora

02:30 Winnie

06:10 Aurora

04:15 Felix

10:20 Aurora

14:30 Aurora 03:30 EastEnders 15:00 Blue Bloods 16:00 The Fixer

18:40 Aurora

06:30 EastEnders 22:50 Aurora

254 Channels

154 AfricaMagic Family 00:30 Boom Town 02:00 Boom Town 02:30 Tinsel 03:00 The 5 Brides 04:30 Tinsel 13:30 Tinsel 07:00 So Wrong So Wright 07:30 So Wrong So Wright 08:00 So Wrong So Wright

15:30 Brights

128 Sony Max

X4

Friday, March 13, 2015

EXTRATIME

EXTRA

NFF AFFIRMS BOLIVIA FRIENDLY X2

Poster!

OBINNA NSOFOR

X4,5

R O F O S N OBINNA

PERSONAL INFORMATION

XT Exclusive

Name: Full name: Date of birth: Place of birth: Height: Playing position: Current team:

Obinna Nsofor Victor Nsofor Obinna March 25, 1987 (age 27) Jos, Nigeria 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) Striker Lokomotiv Moscow

Youth career 2003: 2004: 2005:

Plateau United Kwara United Enyimba

Senior career 2005–2008: 2008–2011: 2009–2010: 2010–2011: 2011–2014: 2014–present:

Chievo Internazionale Málaga (loan) West Ham United (loan) Lokomotiv Moscow Chievo (loan)

National team 2005–present:

Nigeria

Honours Silver:

2008 Beijing Olympics (Men’s Foot ball)

About Obinna Nsofor Victor Nsofor Obinna (born March 25, 1987 in Jos, Nigeria) is a Nigerian footballer who plays as a supporting striker for FC Lokomotiv Moscow of the Russian Premier League.

He made his full international debut for Nigeria at the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations, scoring once in three appear ances as the Super Eagles were eliminated in the semi-finals.

Obinna played for Nigerian clubs Plateau United and Kwara United where he was discovered by FIFA agent Marcelo Houseman. He went on trials with Italian clubs Internazionale, Perugia and Juventus before signing with Brazilian club Internacional, but international clearance problems meant that the transfer was never finalised.

He rejoined Enyimba to take part in their domestic league campaign and CAF Champions League defence.

Obinna was signed by Italian club Chievo on a five-year contract in July 2005 and in his first season with Chievo he scored six goals in 26 games.

In summer 2008, Obinna moved back to Internazionale for 1.2 million Euros in 3-year contract.

On August 26, 2009, Spanish La Liga side Málaga CF signed Obinna on a season-long loan. He scored his first goal for the Andalusian club on October 4 in 1–1 a draw against Xerez, a match in which he was also sent off.

On August 27, 2010 Obinna signed for West Ham United on a season-long loan with the option of a permanent deal in 2011.

On June 19, 2011, Obinna signed a four-year deal with Lokomotiv Moscow on free transfer.

At the international level, Obinna was a member of the U-20 Flying Eagles that won Gold in Benin in the African Youth Tournament in 2005.

Friday, March 13, 2015

Xavi

, N E B B RO Y R E B I R h s a l c n e m e r B f o t ou X3

undecided on his Barca future X8

NPFL:

Tanze vows to down Nasarawa in Lafia X6

X2

Friday, March 13, 2015

EXTRATIME

SDEI TELLS KESHI TO LOOK T ELSEWHERE FOR JOB

Flying Eagles star, Taiwo Awoniyi (left) on the prowl.

Andrew Ekejiuba

elecommunications giant and leading corporate supporter of football in Nigeria, Globacom, has congratulated the national U-20 team, the Flying Eagles, for booking a place in the semifinals of the ongoing African Youth Championship (AYC) in Senegal.

The Flying Eagles, who defeated

Mike Otanwa

T

he Super Eagles of Nigeria were unable to qualify for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations held in Equatorial Guinea, owing to Stephen Keshi’s failure to bring out the best from the team in prosecuting the qualifiers.

Irked by his failure to qualify the team for the tournament, the Sports Development and Empowerment Initiative (SDEI) has asked Keshi to look

elsewhere or to honourably take a bow and stop hopping around waiting to lead the Super Eagles again.

In a release made available to our correspondent, SDEI through its president, Kingsley Osuagwu said by now Keshi should know that majority of the fans do not want him anymore.

He further disclosed that notable people like Adegboye Onigbinde, Amodu Shuaibu and hosts of others have all expressed their displeasure over Keshi’s poor performance.

NFF affirms Bolivia friendly

T

Keshi

he Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Thursday reconfirmed that the Super Eagles would play the senior national team of Bolivia in an international friendly match in Uyo on Thursday, March 26. Speaking in Abuja, NFF General Secretary Musa Amadu dismissed a media report that suggested that the match had been called off. The Super Eagles will also play South Africa’s Bafana Bafana in Nelspruit on Sunday, March 29.

AYC: Globacom hails Flying Eagles’ qualification Congo Brazzaville by 4-1 in their second Group A match, currently leads the group with six points and has successfully booked a place in the FIFA Under-20 World Cup Finals holding in New Zealand in June.

The team will meet Cote d’ Ivoire in the last group match on Saturday.

A statement from Globacom in Lagos on Thursday said the Flying Eagles have all it takes to surmount the challenge of their opponents, adding that the team should concentrate and keep working towards winning the trophy.

Kwara Utd hold security meeting

G

eneral Manager of Premier League returnee, Kwara United FC, Mohammed Maigidansama, has disclosed that the club’s management has organised a security sensitisation meeting in the state to forestall recurrence of violent incidence during the club’s matches.

Maigidansama in a telephone interview with Extra Time from his Ilorin base said his management has adequately sensitised its numerous fans in the state on the need to have a violent-free matches on their ground.

Friday, March 13, 2015

EXTRATIME

G

hana forward Andre Ayew is urging his Olympique Marseille teammates to secure a vital win over Ligue 1 lead ers Olympique Lyon in their weekend ’s clash.

Les Phoceens will enhance their chances of winning the Ligue 1 title if they manage a tough win over Lyon in Sun day’s game at the Stade Velodrom e.

Marseille are currently four points behind Lyon but go into the game with an inferior form of the two.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side are desperate for a win to end their four-game winl ess run in Ligue 1.

Andre Ayew wants a big performance from his team to secure the vital three points but says he wouldn’t mind if the side wins ugly.

Ayew

AYEW CHARGES TEAMMATES TO BEAT

LYON

Weekend Fixtures Saturday, March 14, 2015

Premier League C. Palace

v

QPR

Arsenal

v

West Ham

Leicester

v

Hull City

Sunderland v

Villa

West Brom

v

Stoke City

Burnley

v

Man City

Ligue 1 Metz

v

St. Etienne

Lens

v

Toulouse

Lorient

v

Caen

Montpellier v

Reims

Nantes

Evian TG

Perez backs Ancelotti, players

R

eal Madrid president Florentino Perez called a surprise news conference on Thursday to express his support for Carlo Ancelotti and his players and

Robben, Ribery

Robben

firmly deny a report the Italian coach was facing the sack.

The world and European champions have lost their last two matches and are without a win in three games and surrendered top spot in La Liga to arch rivals Barcelona last weekend after a 1-0 reverse at Athletic Bilbao.

Sportiello

out of Bremen clash

A

rjen Robben and Franck Ribery will miss Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga clash with Werder Bremen on Saturday through injury.

Robben lasted just 19 minutes of Bayern’s 7-0 Champions League demolition of Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday, while Ribery hobbled off shortly before the hour.

The Netherlands international is suffering from a trapped nerve and Ribery has been diagnosed with a sprained ankle. It is as yet unclear how long either wingers will be sidelined.

Robben has been a key figure for Bayern so far in 2014-15, scoring 17 goals in 21 Bundesliga appearances.

Meanwhile, the 31-year-old Ribery, who missed the World Cup with a back problem, has been plagued by injuries this term and has started just nine league games so far.

In a further blow for Bayern ahead of the trip to Bremen, head coach Pep Guardiola will also have to make do without the suspended Xabi Alonso, while long-term absentees Javi Martinez and Thiago Alcantara remain unavailable due to injury.

They followed up with a 4-3 Champions League defeat at home to Schalke 04 on Tuesday, squeaking through to the quarterfinals 5-4 on aggregate, and were roundly whistled by angry fans at the Bernabeu.

Barca host Real for the La Liga ‘Clasico’ on March 22.

flattered by Reds link

A

talanta goalkeeper Marco Sportiello is flattered to be linked with Liverpool as speculation mounts over his future. The 22-year-old has attracted attention from a number of European clubs, after putting in some impressive performances for Serie A side Atalanta this season.

Reports in Italy claim Liverpool are monitoring Sportiello, who is also a reported target of Inter Milan and AC Milan.

“Liverpool are definitely a great club,” said. “We are talking about one of the top clubs in the world.

“However, I am happy to be here. This is my first year as a starter and I recently signed a new contract with Atalanta. My life has changed in a few months.”

Liverpool are looking to sign a goalkeeper this summer with manager Brendan Rodgers reportedly keen to increase competition for Simon Mignolet.

X3

v

Bundesliga Augsburg

v

Mainz 05

Hoffenheim

v

Hamburger SV

Hertha BSC

v

Schalke 04

Werder Bremen

v

B. Munchen

Eintracht

v

Paderborn

B/Dortmund

v

Köln

Serie A Palermo

v

Juventus

Cagliari

v

Empoli

Eredivisie Twente

v

PEC Zwolle

Cambuur

v

Utrecht

NAC Breda

v

Go Ahead Eagles

Excelsior

v

Willem II

La liga Espanyol

v

A. Madrid

Eibar

v

Barcelona

Rayo Vallecano

v

Granada

Celta de Vigo

v

A. Bilbao

X4

Friday, March 13, 2015

EXTRATIME

O F O S N A N N I B O

EXTRATIME

PERSONAL INFORMATION

R O

Friday, March 13, 2015

Name: Full name: Date of birth: Place of birth: Height: Playing position: Current team:

Obinna Nsofor Victor Nsofor Obinna March 25, 1987 (age 27) Jos, Nigeria 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) Striker Lokomotiv Moscow

Youth career 2003: 2004: 2005:

Plateau United Kwara United Enyimba

Senior career 2005–2008: 2008–2011: 2009–2010: 2010–2011: 2011–2014: 2014–present:

Chievo Internazionale Málaga (loan) West Ham United (loan) Lokomotiv Moscow Chievo (loan)

National team 2005–present:

Nigeria

Honours Silver:

2008 Beijing Olympics (Men’s Football)

About Obinna Nsofor Victor Nsofor Obinna (born March 25, 1987 in Jos, Nigeria) is a Nigerian footballer who plays as a supporting striker for FC Lokomotiv Moscow of the Russian Premier League.

He made his full international debut for Nigeria at the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations, scoring once in three appearances as the Super Eagles were eliminated in the semi-finals.

Obinna played for Nigerian clubs Plateau United and Kwara United where he was discovered by FIFA agent Marcelo Houseman. He went on trials with Italian clubs Internazionale, Perugia and Juventus before signing with Brazilian club Internacional, but international clearance problems meant that the transfer was never finalised.

He rejoined Enyimba to take part in their domestic league campaign and CAF Champions League defence.

Obinna was signed by Italian club Chievo on a five-year contract in July 2005 and in his first season with Chievo he scored six goals in 26 games.

In summer 2008, Obinna moved back to Internazionale for 1.2 million Euros in 3-year contract.

On August 26, 2009, Spanish La Liga side Málaga CF signed Obinna on a season-long loan. He scored his first goal for the Andalusian club on October 4 in 1–1 a draw against Xerez, a match in which he was also sent off.

On August 27, 2010 Obinna signed for West Ham United on a season-long loan with the option of a permanent deal in 2011.

On June 19, 2011, Obinna signed a four-year deal with Lokomotiv Moscow on free transfer.

At the international level, Obinna was a member of the U-20 Flying Eagles that won Gold in Benin in the African Youth Tournament in 2005.

In August 2008, he was named amongst Nigeria’s squad for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing where he scored Nigeria’s first goal in a 2–1 win against Japan.

X5

X6

Friday, March 13, 2015

EXTRATIME

NPFL

With Mike Otanwa

Gata A brothers set for league action

s strange as it may seem watching two brothers play for an elite football team simultaneously, like Manchester United who paraded the Neville brothers and the Da Silva brothers; Burkina Faso that fielded the Traore brothers and Cote d’Ivoire who paraded the Toure brothers; Kwara United fans should get a feel of such trend when they file out against El-Kanemi Warriors in a Week 2 Nigeria Professional Football League match on Saturday.

For diehard NPFL fans, it’s the turn of

the Gata brothers to blaze the trail and show their qualities.

Ismail Gata is a proven goal scorer, which, because of his talent to be in the right place at the right time, has seen him play for ABS FC, Kwara United, Shooting Stars, Kwara United, Enyimba International, Kukesi and Kogi United.

Last term, he enjoyed a brilliant season for Kogi United as he played less than 12 games and scored four goals. He grabbed a brace against Kwara United in a league match played at the Lokoja Confluence

BATTLE OF

Stadium.

Issa Gata, the younger of the two, is known for his love for praying and reading the Quran.

He passed through the rudiments at the Kwara Football Academy.

In the 2013/14 Nigeria National League season, the skillful startlet was a phobia to defenders as he dribbled them with ease. His brilliant form helped Kwara United gain promotion back to the NPFL. “It’s brilliant to see home grown talent don the jersey of Kwara United. It’s

what this club is all about. The duos are attackers and are extremely talented players. Kwara United and football fans would enjoy the soccer skills of the Gata brothers,’’ Ilorin-based football pundit Abdkareem Abdazeez said.

With Kwara United’s long lasting tradition of breeding talent from within, the Gata brothers are certainly going to be playing together at the same time and given the progression they have shown so far, they are set to cause havoc in the topflight.

LAFIA!

TANZE BULLISH AHEAD

Week 1 NPFL Results Wikki Tourists striker Shammah Tanze eyes victory against Nasarawa United in Lafia.

NASARAWA TIE W

ikki Tourists striker Shammah Tanze is bullish and hopeful his side will come out with a good result when they clash with Nasarawa United.

The Bauchi-based team will be the guests of the Solid Miners giants in Match Day 2 of the Nigeria Professional Football League at the Lafia Township Stadium on Sunday.

Wikki will be seeking to get a draw to

Week

2

NPFL Fixtures Saturday, March 14, 2015 3SC

v

Heartland

Pillars

v

Bayelsa

Sunday, March 15, 2015

consolidate on their opening day 2-0 win over Shooting Stars Sports Club, but Shammah said victory is their target on Sunday.

It was revealed that Wikki are mindful of the fact it’s a northern derby, and will fight hard to record an impressive scoreline.

“We’re well prepared to confront Nasarawa United and our target is to win in Lafia so as to consolidate on our impressive start to the

Team

Pl

W

D

L

Pts

1

Gabros Utd

1

1

0

0

3

2

Wikki

1

1

0

0

3

3

Taraba FC

1

1

0

0

3

4

El-Kanemi

1

1

0

0

3

5

Bayelsa Utd

1

0

1

0

1

6

Lobi Stars FC

1

0

1

0

1

7

Abia Warriors

1

0

1

0

1

8

Akwa United

1

0

1

0

1

9

Dolphins FC

1

0

1

0

1

10

Enyimba

1

0

1

0

1

11

Giwa FC

1

0

1

0

1

12

Kwara United

1

0

1

0

1

13

Sharks FC

1

0

1

0

1

14

Sunshine Stars 1

0

1

0

1

15

Heartland FC

0

0

0

0

0

Nasarawa

v

Wikki

Akwa Utd

v

Taraba

Sunshine Stars

v

Gabros

Kwara Utd

v

El-Kanemi

16

Kano Pillars

0

0

0

0

0

17

Rangers

1

0

0

1

0

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

18

Nasarawa

1

0

0

1

0

Wolves

v

Giwa

19

Shooting Stars

1

0

0

1

0

Lobi

v

Enyimba

20

Warri Wolves

1

0

0

1

0

season.

“It’s a derby and I must admit that the whole team is relishing such a battle away from home.

“Nasarawa United will surely come out tough to challenge for the points after they narrowly lost to Elkanemi Warriors in Kano but we’re condemned not to disappoint Bauchi fans.

“We have sound technical bench headed

Dolphins

0

0

Kwara

Sharks

0

0

Sunshine

Bayelsa

1

1

Lobi

Enyimba

0

0

Akwa

Taraba

3

2

Rangers

Gabros

2

0

Wolves

Giwa FC

0

0

Abia

El-Kanemi

1

0

Nasarawa

Wikki

2

0

Shooting

by Coach Abdul Maikaba. He is preparing us mentally and psychologically for the battle of Lafia.

“We’ve young players ever eager to go out there to do battle any day any time. We are in the right frame of mind to excel,” he said.

The contingents of Wikki are expected to depart the Bauchi today to Lafia for the weekend cracker.

Unrest hits Pillars camp

A

ccording to sources, Kano Pillars coach, Okey Emordi, ‘must improve his management skills’ if the Nigeria champions are to retain the Nigeria Professional Football League title at the end of the season, and perform creditably in the CAF Champions League.

Several first teamers have threatened to walk away from the club, even before the expiration of their contracts, as a result of Okey Emordi’s highhandedness, if he remains as coach.

A Kano Pillars insider, who spoke on grounds of anonymity, said ‘’Okey Emordi is very fond of insulting players, and this is

causing distress in the team. ‘’He disregards them, maybe he wants to force them to leave so that he can bring his own players. The players have complained to Pillars management about his attitude,

and they are not happy with him. ‘’When they make mistakes during training, instead of cautioning them, he insults them as if they are children. ‘’

Emordi

Match Day 2 fixtures rescheduled

M

atch Day 2 fixtures involving Glo Premier League clubs in continental club competitions have been rescheduled by the League Management Company (LMC).

LMC announced that the Kano Pillars vs Bayelsa United and Shooting Stars vs Heartland fixtures will now hold on Saturday,

March 14.

Matches that will hold on Wednesday, March 18 are as follows, Lobi Stars vs Enyimba International and Warri Wolves vs Giwa FC, while Dolphins play away to Abia Warriors on Thursday, March 19.

All other games remain as scheduled.

Friday, March 13, 2015

EXTRATIME

Federation Watch

X7

With Osaretin Emuze

O G O G A N A D N O S R E G I T ’ D S R TASK E I F I L A U Q T E K S A B O R AF

D’Tigers Ike Diogu (middle) with the ball during the match against US at the London 2012 Olympics.

S

ports Minister Tamuno Danagogo has charged the national basketball team, D’Tigers, to go all the way to win the first leg of the FIBA AfricaBasket qualifier against Burkina Faso in Ouagadougou.

Danagogo also enjoined them to be good ambassadors of the country by coming out victorious in their first leg encounter this weekend.

According to Patrick Omorodion, the Personal Assistant (PA) to Danagogo, the D’Tigers have been mandated to kill off the first leg, so that the second leg will be a mere formality.

“The Sports Minister urged the team preparing for this weekend’s 2015 AfroBasket qualifier to put in their best against Burkina Faso so that the second leg will be a formality,” he stressed.

Omorodion, the image maker of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), said the first leg of the match comes up on Sunday, March 15, while the second leg comes up in Lagos on March 25.

“The team which returned from their short recess last Sunday will depart for Burkina Faso today and return March 16, 2015,” Omorodion added.

F

ormer Secretary General of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Tijani Yusuf, has taken a swipe at the board of the NFF for not getting their priorities right by spending money on frivolities, while there are burning issues tearing the round leather game apart in the country.

Yusuf said the football managers should tackle the issue of employing a coach squarely for the national team and stop sending people abroad for capacity building.

“I see it as a waste of public funds.

Sending people overseas for capacity building is not our problem right now.

“Nigerian football is in a state of comatose without a coach, yet Amaju Pinnick and his group are spending money sponsoring people abroad for a programme that will not work,” he said.

Yusuf said sending people like Austin Okocha and Kanu Nwankwo to England for capacity building is waste of money because those people will not have time to carry out the duties when they are called upon.

“Both are very busy. Same with some of the serving coaches. How can you send a serving coach for capacity building? Is he going to abandon his club to carry out national assignment,” he queried.

Powerlifters may miss Rio 2016 Paralympics

Yusuf blasts NFF over wasteful spending

NFF boss, Amaju Pinnick.

The former National Institute for Sports (NIS) Director said he confronted Pinnick on the issue when they met in Lagos, but the Delta-born football administrator turned deaf ears to his advice.

“What we need now is a coach that can prepare the national senior team, Super Eagles, for the World Cup qualifiers coming up in June,” he emphasised.

Yusuf further advised the NFF to spend the money in bringing resource persons down to the country to train

more people instead of wasting millions training very few hands.

“The millions they are wasting in training few people would have been enough to bring in resource persons from same country to train our coaches and ex-footballers. More people will benefit and cost will be cut,” he stressed.

Meanwhile, the Senate has called for the probe of NFF over the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) World Cup money received by the football house.

N

igeria Powerlifting team may miss Rio 2016 Paralympic Games if urgent steps are not taken by the National Sports Commission (NSC) to sponsor them to the World Cup tournament starting this weekend in Dubai.

Sources close to Special Sports Federation of Nigeria (SSFN) told Extra Time that the powerlifting team are still struggling to raise funds to participate at the World Cup qualifiers holding from May 13-20, 2015.

“We are the engine room of the country in sports and if we miss the World Cup qualifiers we may not be allowed to take part in the next Paralympic Games in Rio, Brazil.

“The competition is the qualifier of the Paralympic Games and as I speak, we are yet to get funds to participate in the tourney,” a member of the

Jonathan

hosts Falcons next week

P

resident Goodluck Ebele Jonathan may host the Super Falcons that won the Africa Women’s Championship (AWC) last year before the March 28 Presidential Election.

federation who pleaded anonymity said.

It would be recalled that powerlifters saved Team Nigeria blushes at London 2012 Olympics when they won several laurels at the Paralympics, especially when it was clear that the able-bodied athletes could not win a single medal at the Games.

“In the last Commonwealth Games held in Scotland, powerlifters won 6 gold medals, but it is unfortunate that we have been left out to roast.

“We have written several letters without a response from the NSC. It is very sad!

“We had between Wednesday, March 11 and Thursday, March 12 to secure funds for the World Cup or miss it totally, which means we will not be in Rio for the Paralympics,” our source said with a tinge of regret.

A reliable source revealed to Extra Time that President Jonathan is a big fan of the Super Falcons and has vowed to reward the girls handsomely.

It could be recalled that Super Falcons has won the tournament seven times; beating Cameroon to the converted trophy last year.

“Letters in that regard will soon be sent out inviting the girls to the State House,” the source affirmed.

The Falcons are currently in camp for the FIFA Women’s World Cup scheduled to hold in Canada in June.

X8

Friday, March 13, 2015

EXTRATIME

EXTRATIME

BARCELONA

I V A X E D I C E D TO ON HIS

A C R A B E

Xavi

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out. s rcelona midfielder ha The 35-year-old Ba y Cit rk Yo ves to New been linked with mo st “ju are y the but says and Qatar recently, will happen until the ng thi no d an rs” rumou summer. anything and it will “There is nothing in on,” the end of this seas stay that way until

Xavi said. al still has one more The Spain internation the ing agreement with year left on his exist him let to t tan y be reluc Blaugrana, who ma yers able to sign any pla un are y the leave as until January 2016. y the veteran could sta One solution is that fer ns tra the ter can en until then, when Barca n is lifted, before ba ir the ce on t marke League Soccer where heading off to Major March. the season begins in

Barca F in IMG partnership

Messi

C Barcelona signed a strategic partnership with IMG, which will see the sports management firm exclusively represent the commercial interests of the Spanish giants in China.

The agreement covers marketing and branding strategy, sponsorships, friendlies and travel. This move will strengthen the club’s presence in the Chinese market, both quantitatively and qualitatively.

Barcelona already has an office for the Asia–Pacific market based in Hong Kong and currently has a strong presence in China via the country’s three biggest social networks: WeChat, Tencent and Sina Weibo.

In June 2014, the club and Chinese electronics retailer Suning signed an official sponsorship agreement by which the chain became the club’s first official Chinese sponsor.

Ignacio Mestre, CEO of FC Barcelona, expressed delight on the partnership agreement.

“We are impressed by the work IMG has done in developing football in China. It is the perfect partner for a strategic relationship.

“China is a very important country for us to connect with our fans and continue to be successful, and it is imperative that we work with a company that understands the Chinese market and has a history of success.”

Robbie Henchman, SVP, Head of IMG Asia Pacific, added: “FC Barcelona is an iconic football club with a rich history that reaches around the football world.

We are very excited at the idea of working with the club in China.

“Our unique experience in China will allow the club to develop its interests in various areas and strengthen FC Barcelona’s already strong presence in a country that we know very well.

“We have been at the forefront of the growing football industry in China, especially through our work to cultivate and develop the Chinese Super League (CSL) as a strategic partner of La Liga.”

Neymar returns for La Liga action B

arcelona superstar Neymar is fresh back from his trip to Brazil. The Catalan club’s manager Luis Enrique had allowed Neymar a few days back home and away from Barcelona at the request of the player.

Neymar used the time to visit friends and family, and of course get a party or two in. He’s now back in Spain and on Wednesday attended Barcelona’s club BBQ as other players also returned from a few days off. Dani Alves was there too, fresh from having to deny he’s signed a pre-contract agreement with French club PSG. Neymar has also been pushed forward for media duties on his return to Barcelona and has been quoted by Mundo Deportivo speaking about how much he rates his partners in the Barcelona trident or ‘MSN’.

“They’re great, Messi is the best in the world, Suarez is one of the best, and for me it’s an honour to play with them. I think we are better than BBC,” he said.

Neymar