Daily Times of Nigeria

EXCHANGE RATES AS AT 14th May 2015 Currency

Buying(NGN)

Central (NGN)

NSE GAINERS AND LOSERS AS AT 13th May 2015.

GAINERS

Selling(NGN)

LOSERS

US DOLLAR

196

196.5

197

7UP

170.1

8.10

4.76%

TOTAL

155

-1.90

-1.23%

POUNDS STERLING

309.8368

310.6272

311.4176

GUINNESS

160

5.00

3.13%

FO

152

-1.00

-0.66%

28.01

-0.97

-3.46%

35

-0.50

-1.43%

EURO

223.9692

224.5406

225.1119

BETAGLAS

33

3.00

9.09%

PZ

SWISS FRANC

215.5741

216.1241

216.674

MOBIL

151.3

1.30

0.86%

FLOURMILL

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NIGERIA

ABUJA Low 26°C High 40°C

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FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015 VOL. 1. NO.107

ENUGU Low 26°C High 37°C

KANO Low 21°C High 43°C

LAGOS Low 26°C High 34°C

MAIDUGURI Low 27°C High 43°C

N150

P/HARCOURT Low 24°C High 34°C

OBJ presents growth formula to Buhari Monday Agu Jnr

ÏÏÏIndications

emerged yesterday that months before the presidential election was conducted, a think-tank on moving Nigeria forward in a new regime had been working away from public glare.

This became evident on Thursday when a document CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

Tinubu,g12 Amaechi agents of change – Soyinka 12 Edo officials arrested over cult killings g 12

L-R: APC National leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Justice Adolphus Karibi-Whyte, wife of Rivers State Governor, Judith Amaechi, book reviewer, Tonye Cole, former Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, Governor Rotimi Amaechi and Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka at the public presentation of a book in honour of Amaechi in Lagos... on Thursday

Lamido, Aliyu to Buhari: Stop giving excuses

Power supply g 7 drops by g6 1,700mw UK ‘slave’ trial: British, Nigerian ‘experts’ give contrary opinions g12

2

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, May 15, 2015

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, May 15, 2015

3

Politics Page Three Æ s Editorial

West Africa and lessons from Ebola

L

ast Saturday, May 9, 2015, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared Liberia free of Ebola virus.

That was coming 42 days after the last confirmed patient died on 28 March 2015. This good news should be welcomed by all Africans, especially those in the West African sub-region who have since 2014 been at the receiving end of this deadly disease.

Happily, this interruption of transmission is a monumental achievement for a country that reported the highest number of deaths in the largest, longest, and most complex outbreak since Ebola first emerged in 1976. It would be recalled that at the peak of transmission, between August and September 2014, Liberia was reporting from 300 to 400 new cases every week.

That time, Monrovia, the capital city saw the most tragic scenes, as gates locked at overflowing treatment centres, patients dying on the hospital grounds, and bodies that were sometimes not collected for days. Moreover, fuel and food ran low, while schools, businesses, borders, markets, and most health facilities were closed. At one point, virtually no treatment beds for Ebola patients were available anywhere in the country.

We join in commending the courage of the government and people of Liberia who despite the shortage of health facilities and drugs never wavered in their determination to defeat the Ebola scourge.

For the nation, it was a call to duty

and sacrifice, as doctors and nurses defied all odds to treat patients, even when supplies of personal protective equipment ran out. Incidentally, such sacrifice came at a cost, given that 375 health workers were infected, while 189 lost their lives.

While celebrating the feat, it is pertinent to remember that neighbouring Guinea and Sierra Leone are still caught in the throes of Ebola virus, thereby creating a high risk that infected people may cross into Liberia and other contiguous states, especially with the sub region’s notorious porous borders. It would be recalled that the first case of Ebola virus disease was reported in Guinea in December 2013.

It was only on August 8, 2014, that the WHO declared it a public health emergency of international concern.

Nigeria had its own share of the Ebola scare when an affected Liberian, Mr Patrick Sawyer arrived in the country.

It took the swift intervention of the Federal, Lagos and Rivers State governments to bring what could have been a national disaster under control.

Nigeria’s spectacular success proved that Ebola can be contained, given that Lagos where the first case was recorded is not only a large metropolis, but also characterised by a large population living in crowded and unsanitary conditions in many slums.

Perhaps the only good news from the tragic Ebola epidemic is that it may serve as a wake-up call for Africa to prepare for future epidemics of diseases that may spread more effectively.

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Beyond the ultimatum to petrol tankers Sam Nzeh

ÎÎÎGood as it may appear,

the 48-hour ultimatum by the Lagos State government to petrol tanker drivers to relocate their trucks off the roads and bridges leading to the Apapa axis of the state may only bring temporary relief to the residents.

The ultimatum was the high point of the communique arrived at after a meeting of the Lagos State government with the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), the Petroleum Tankers Drivers (PTD),

the National Association of Road Transport owners (NARTO) and other stakeholders.

According to the Commissioner for Transportation of the state, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, who read the communique, tankers parked within 300 meters of fuel depots are to relocate immediately pending the availability of petroleum products.

The order, no doubt, has become necessary in view of the menace fuel tankers have become to commuters, especially those plying roads leading to Apapa where several of the fuel depots are domiciled.

But beyond the ultimatum, there is the need for permanents and holistic solutions to the menace.

Words On Marble :

dailytimesng

These will surely be short and long term solutions. In the short term, there is the need for expansion of existing designated parking lots in the state and building of new ones, including providing necessary amenities therein.

On the long term, there is the need to diversify modes of haulage of fuel including ensuring that the nation’s rail system is in top shape for greater percentage of petroleum products currently being hauled through the roads to be moved through the rail.

Also, there is the need to make other ports in the country conducive for fuel importers to patronize. Expansion of the nation’s petroleum pipelines network is also necessary.

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

Olusegun Obasanjo “Has Bishop Oyedepo spoken out to condemn the legalised looting of billions of dollars taking place under the watch of President Jonathan?”

Goodluck Jonathan

Remi Bello

“Nigeria our dear country will not be held hostage by rice importers.

There will be no sacred cows under my watch. All those owing Nigeria on rice import duties must pay.”

“When the oil price was high, the argument was that landing cost was high, but now that … oil price is low, we no longer incur landing cost … so, subsidy should be totally eradicated.”

4

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, May 15, 2015

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, May 15, 2015

Transition: APC insists FG not cooperating ÏÏÏ The All Progressives Con-

gress (APC) has insisted, for the umpteenth time, that the Jonathan administration is not cooperating with the party’s Transition Committee, while describing PDP’s spokesman Olisah Metuh as a man with an incurable disdain for the truth.

“We say, with all sense of responsibility, that as of today, May 14, 2015, just about two weeks to the May 29 handover date, no shred of information as to the status of governance from any ministry, department or agency of government has been given to our Transition Committee,’’ the party said in a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday, by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

“If that qualifies, in Metuh’s lexicon, as cooperation, then there is a problem somewhere. We dare Metuh, or anyone for that matter, to controvert the fact that not a line of handover note has been handed over to our Transition Committee. Until then, Metuh has egg on his face,’’ it said.

APC restated its earlier advice to Metuh to urgently undertake a crash course on how to be an opposition party spokesman, so he won’t talk or write himself into avoidable trouble in the days ahead.

The party admonished the PDP spokesman to always cross-check the information available to him in order to separate rumours from facts, saying had he done that, he would not have issued the statement in which he tried to cast aspersion on the APC, by ac-

5 News Benin president hails Jonathan’s handling of elections

Egena Egena Abuja

ÏÏÏ President of the Republic

President of Benin Republic, Mr Boni Yayi (left) and President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd) during a courtesy visit to Buhari at the Defence House in Abuja… on Thursday

cusing it of ‘fabricating lies’ over the issue of the Jonathan Administration’s non-cooperation with the APC’s Transition Committee.

“Metuh decided to put his foot in his mouth when he latched on to the statement made by our Transition Committee chairman, forgetting that in making his statement, the chairman was only acting the statesman that he is, by not saying anything that will put the federal government in bad light.

“A discerning party spokesman, rather than a rabble-rousing one, would have understood the elder statesman’s stand for what it is, instead of using it as a peg to issue a needless, hollow statement

that puts his party and government in bad light.

“We had decided to allow sleeping dogs lie, but now that Metuh has stirred the hornet’s nest, it is time to put out the facts for Nigerians to judge. ‘’What happened was that following the request by our Transition Committee to meet with them, they invited us to what was the first formal meeting between both Transition Committees, but the meeting was a mere photoop, as it yielded nothing concrete as far as handover notes are concerned.

“In fact, what we met at the socalled meeting was far worse than what we had thought. Whereas,

we had hoped to get their handover notes on May 14 (the date they had indicated to us informally), they told us point blank that the notes won’t be ready until May 24. And because this date falls on a Sunday, that means we won’t be getting the handover notes until May 25, just four days before the May 29 handover date.

“How do they honestly expect us to peruse thousands of pages of handover notes, ask pertinent questions and seek necessary clarifications within four days?

Because we want a smooth transition, we asked if we could meet with some of the ministers, pending the release of the handover notes, but they said ‘no’, it added.

of Benin, Boni Yayi, on Thursday, paid glowing tributes to President Goodluck Jonathan for what he described as his exemplary leadership style.

According to Yayi, President Jonathan had mediated in achieving peace in many countries such as in Mali, Guinea Bissau, among others.

Yayi said he would have come much earlier to congratulate Jonathan for presiding over a hitchfree and successful election and for congratulating his challenger, Gen. Buhari, even before the result was announced, but due to the legislative election held in his country.

He said: “I came to congratulate my brother, President Goodluck Jonathan. He is a very great statesman; he organised the election peacefully in the largest country in sub-Saharan Africa.

Fire guts Federal Secretariat, Abuja

ÏÏÏ A combined team of Fed-

eral Fire Service and FCT Fire Service, on Thursday, put out a fire which engulfed a part of the Federal Secretariat in Abuja.

The fire started at about 1.45 p.m and affected the 5th and 6th floors of Phase 3 of the secretariat, which houses the Federal Ministry of Education.

As at the time of the incident, the Minister of Education, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, was holding meeting with principals of Unity Schools from across the country.

Anambra gov’s aide in N39m land scam

US trains Nigerian women on financial prudence

Nkiru Nwagbo

Joy Ekeke

Awka

ÏÏÏ

Personal Assistant to Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State, Mr. Ekume Amaechi, has been charged to the Ogidi magistrate’s court in Idemili North Local Government Area, following his alleged illegal acquisition of over 500 plots of land in the area.

Ekume was also accused of selling 10 plots of land in the area, totaling N39 million, belonging to the family of Igwe Amobi, the traditional ruler of the Ogidi community.

The Personal Assistant to Obiano on Urban Development (Ekume), was charged to court

alongside Mr. Arinze Okonkwo, Sunday Nwoka and Maduako Peter Obi, by the state police command.

Speaking with reporters in Ogidi, one of the plaintiffs, Chief Chibuzo Amobi, alleged that the accused persons had sold four plots of land at the cost of N15 million, and another six plots at the cost of N24 million.

They were sued on a four count charges of breach of peace, misdemeanor and removing of land beacons belonging to Chief Chibuzo Amobi and the entire Igwe Amobi family.

The charges read thus: “That you Arinze Okonkwo (m), Sunday Nwoka (m),

Maduako Peter-Obi (m), and Ekume Amaechi (m), on same date and place in the aforesaid magisterial district, conspired among yourselves and unlawfully removed twenty (20) boundary beacons belonging to Chief Chibuzo Amobi and Igwe Amobi family.

You thereby committed an offence punishable under section 427 of Criminal Code, Cap 36 vol.11, revised laws of Anambra State of Nigeria 1991, as amended.

“That you, Arinze Okonkwo (M); Sunday Nwoka (m); Maduako Peter-Obi (m), and Ekume Amachi (m), on the same date and place in the aforesaid magisterial district, willfully and unlawfully destroyed

twenty (20) beacons valued at one hundred thousand naira (100,000) and some economics trees valued at one hundred and twenty thousand naira (N120,000), all totaling two hundred and twenty thousand naira (N220,000), property of one Chibuzo Amobi and Igwe Amobi family. You thereby committed an offence punishable under section 415(1) of the Criminal Code Cap36 vol.11, revised laws of Anambra State of Nigeria, 1991 as amended,” it stated.

When the matter was called for mention, the accused persons were said not have been in court and the matter was adjourned to Monday for mention.

ÏÏÏ The United States Consul-

ate-General in Lagos has trained about 85 Nigerian women on how to be financially independent.

The training came in the form of a seminar, tagged “ Take Charge of Your Financial Future” and held at the Multi-Purpose Room, U.S. Consulate General, Walter Carrington Crescent, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The programme was organised to expose young and middle aged to the processes of becoming financially independent.

Consulate-General’s Public Diplomacy Officer, Mrs Rhonda Watson, said that the training was part of the U.S government’s commitment to the empowerment of Nigerian women.

News 6

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, May 15, 2015

11 Edo officials arrested over cult killings ÏÏÏNo fewer than 11 officials of

the Edo State government were among the 56 persons arrested by the Police in connection with cult-related killings in Benin City, the capital, the Daily Times learnt on Thursday.

The state government described the development as “shocking” and called for calm among the residents.

A special squad was set up by the Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, following recent cult-related killings in the state capital.

About 10 persons had reportedly been killed in reprisal attacks by cult groups in the state.

The state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Louis Odion, in a press statement on Thursday, expressed shock at the development.

He said that the state government would not want to “jump to conclusion” on the issue, but noted that the alleged complicity of government officials negated the values of the governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, who he said had waged relentless war against cultism in the state.

Odion, however, assured the people that the rule of law would take its course if the officials were found guilty.

The statement read, “The reports came as a big shock to us.

While it is inappropriate to jump to conclusion until police investigations were concluded, let me put it on record that cultism, in whatever form, negates the values Comrade Adams Oshiomhole holds dear.

“This is easily verifiable from his zero tolerance of thuggery and any form of political violence over the years. If found guilty, be rest assured that the Comrade Governor will ensure the rule of law prevails against officials involved.

“We encourage members of the public to cooperate with the police to root out cultism from our neighbourhood and communities.”

The Edo State Police Command said investigation had commenced into the matter.

Oshiomhole

How to make Nigeria great, Obasanjo tells Buhari Continued from page 1 containing recommendations to guide the incoming government on a smooth take-off was submitted to the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, at his private office on Lobito Crescent in the Wuse 2 area of Abuja.

The committee, raised by former President, Olusegun Obasanjo under the Centre for Human Security of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, focused on five key areas of education, power, the economy, security and infrastructure.

Head of Buhari’s Media team, Mallam Garba Shehu, told newsmen that vice chairman of the committee and former Minister of Finance, Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu,

presented volumes of the report of the committee to Buhari during a brief ceremony held behind closed doors.

Garba Shehu also said that former Chairman of Cadbury Nigeria, Dr. Christopher Kolade, who was head of the power committee, listed various stages of the proposed power sector development plan to include, short term, medium term, long term solutions.

Shehu said under the short term solution, the plan seeks to raise the country’s power generation to 10,000 MW, adding that “the whole idea was that Obasanjo set up his own think-tank with the aim of carrying out a study on challenges facing the country in five key areas of Education,

Power sector, Economy, Security and Infrastructure. The study was commissioned four months ago so that the outcome will be made available to the incoming administration after the election.”

Shehu quoted Buhari as appreciating the efforts of Obasanjo and his team, describing their intervention as a great impetus for the incoming government.

Buhari, he said, regretted that the outgoing government that is supposed to give him tips on how to take off has done nothing so far and thanked Obasanjo and his team for their gesture, assuring them that his incoming administration will be needing their advice as time goes on.

Speaking with journalists after the meeting with the Pres-

A Section at the Ministry of Education Gutted by fire at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja … on Thursday PHOTO.: TEMITOPE BALOGUN

ident-elect, Chairman of the Governing Board of Centre for Human Security of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Professor Akin Mabogunje, said the centre had been working on some critical areas of the economy which they hope will be of help to the incoming government.

He said: “(The) Centre for Human Security of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library has being working on a number of critical issues for the development of this country and they have now sent a delegation of those who’ve been involved with the preparation of those policy documents to talk to the President-elect and get him to appreciate what is being done to help his administration. That’s why we are here.”

Asked how the President-elect received the report, the Professor of Geography said, “He was very happy that we’ve been thinking about how to help him hit the ground running and he expressed his appreciation for what we’ve been doing.”

However, Chairman of the all Progressives Congress (APC) Transition Committee, Ahmed Joda, who was also present at the ceremony refused to comment on the work of the committee, saying “I am here not in the capacity of the chairman of the transition committee. I am here because I am chairman of one of the committees of the centre that considered security issues at the Obasanjo Centre for Human Security.”

Nigerians won’t accept excuses, Lamido, Aliyu tell Buhari

Ï Ɗ LƑ ƖƑ Ɛ ƅƅƆƍƐ ƄƋ ƌƆ Ƈ Ə ^#^ô ƗƆƇƆ Ɛ Ï#Ɔ ƕ ƍƋ Ɛ Ƈ Əƌ ƆƓ ƍ ƏƐƕ

Pita Chikwem Minna

ÏÏÏGovernors

of Jigawa and Niger states, Alhaji Sule Lamido and Babangida Aliyu,both of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday told the Presidentelect, General Muhammadu Buhari, to stop making excuses but to fulfill his campaign promises to Nigerians.

The two spoke at the commissioning of the ultra-

modern, multi-billion naira Shiroro Bridge in Shiroro Local Government Area of Jigawa. According to them, Nigerians will hold Buhari and the All Progressive Congress (APC) accountable whether the economy is okay or not.

According to Lamido, “You (Buhari) must fulfill your promises, because there was no condition given on how to do it. Whether the economy is favourable or not, do not give us

any excuse. “…We will not tolerate any excuses because when you were asking for votes and making promises, there were no conditions given.”

In apparent reference to decampees from the PDP to the APC, Aliyu declared: “A party of evil men is a party that raised them. Whatever they are, they owe it all to the PDP because PDP, one way or the other, brought almost all of

them into politics. It is about time for them to reflect, because Nigerians will definitely hold them accountable.

“They try to turn tribe against tribe, brother against brother.

They try to break and distort Nigeria’s harmony raising false hopes. They must fulfill all their promises.”

Lamido on his part said that throughout the APC’s campaign, the party never raised any Continued on page 12

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, May 15, 2015

Rivers Assembly threatens to arrest Amaechi's commissioners, aides Faith Faithful Port Harcourt

ÏÏÏRivers

State House of Assembly has extended its invitation to commissioners and Heads of Government parastatals to Monday, May18, 2015.

The Deputy Speaker of the House, Leyii Kwanee, who presided over the plenary, ordered the extension following the absence of some commissioners others.

Kwanee declared: "If any person wants to test the will of this House, on Monday 18th 2015, 10 a.m., we will be compelled to issue a warrant of arrest. No one can test the will of the House.”

The House had summoned nine commissioners including

Finance, Agriculture, Power, Health, Tourism, Information, Budget, Works and Transport.

Others are Heads of ministries, department and agencies (MDAs), the Accountant-General, Chairmen of Board of Internal Revenue, Rivers State Assembly Service Commission and Secondary School Management Board.

But, on Thursday, only three Commissioners – Transport, Budget and Power – as well as the chairman, Rivers State Assembly Service Commission, appeared before the House.

The state lawmakers had summoned the government officials over the state’s economy and conflicting reports from govern-

ment, which they said were “very embarrassing” to them, following a motion brought by the Deputy House Leader, Nname Ewor.

As the session commenced, the Deputy Speaker, Kwanee, had suggested that the House should adjourn to the next sitting to allow other officers invited to be present, adding that some of the commissioners wrote in to asking for permission.

Kwanee's suggestion was strongly opposed some of the lawmakers, particularly the Deputy House Leader, Ewor, representing Ahoada East Constituency I and Benibo Anabraba, representing Akuku-Toru Constituency II. Ewor, who presented motion,

expressed: “If we want to screen them, they will rush down from any part of the world to attend because they want to get job. This is a matter of urgent importance. I do not know what is more important to them than this. We need to do something, so, that we can be taken serious".

Gov. Amaechi

7 News

Jonathan signs new criminal justice bill into law Egena Egena Abuja

ÏÏÏPresident

Goodluck Jonathan has signed the Administration of Criminal Justice Bill 2015 into law.

Passed by the Senate on May 5, the bill seeks to address the problem of delayed criminal trials, among others.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, in an interview with journalists, on Thursday, confirmed the development.

NJC is not Appeal Court – CJN

Power generation dips by 1800mw

Andrew Orolua

Sunday Isuwa

Abuja

Abuja

ÏÏÏChief

Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mahmud Mohammed, said, on Thursday, that the reform in the judiciary has begun, with the implementation of the 2014 Revised National Judicial Council Guidelines and Procedural Rules for the appointment of Judicial Officers of all Superior Courts.

He said that “the National Judicial Council (NJC), is not a venue for venting dissatisfaction with the decisions of courts.”

Justice Mohammed stated this, in an address, he delivered at the swearing-in of Justice Amiru Sanusi, as a Justice of the Supreme Court.

He said it is worrisome that an erroneous impression had been formed in the minds of some Nigerians about the roles of National Judicial Council.

“Some litigants and their counsel no longer avail themselves of appropriate judicial processes, but would rather petition the Council.

“A most worrisome trend has begun to emerge where petitions are now written to the NJC against the decisions of the Supreme Court", he added.

The NJC, he stressed, was not a venue for venting dissatisfaction with the decisions of our courts.

ÏÏÏNigerians

L-R: Computer System and Network Engineer, Covenant University (CU), Prof. Samuel John; Adviser, Ivory Banking, Heritage Banking Company Limited, Titilayo Babaoye; Chairman, Planning Committee, Prof. Olawale Daramola and Dean, College of Science and Technology, CU, Prof. Chinedu Shalom, during the CU International Conference on African Development Issues at the university’s campus in Otta, Ogun State… on Wednesday

Heritage Bank pledges consistent, seamless service ÏÏÏ Heritage Bank has identi-

fied excellent customer service as the major plank for the continued well-being of the banking business in the country. To this end, the bank has assured the public that its on-going process of integration with the acquired Enterprise Bank would result in the building of a more dynamic brand that would offer good services.

Speaking during the Covenant University’s three-day Interna-

tional Conference for African Development Issues (ICADI), which was held at the institution’s campus in Ota, Ogun State, the bank’s Adviser, Ivory Banking, Titilayo Babaoye, said the bank would continue to strive to be known for innovation and excellent service delivery, tailored to suit customers’ banking needs. She added that the bank’s strategy of partnering with various customers to help improve their businesses and take same to desired heights

would remain constant.

“Heritage Bank is a customer- needs-driven entity. All our platforms, processes and systems have been configured to work for our customers and drive their banking satisfaction. Every step of the way, we are with the customer. This is the way to go. Businesses must pay more and more attention to the peculiar needs of the customer. Banks cannot afford not to work with this golden rule, if they hope to survive,” she said.

may continue to experience power outage, following a drop in power generation from 4,500megawatts to 2,700 megawatts.

This was disclosed, on Thursday, in Abuja, by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Power, Amb. Godknows Igali. He told journalists after briefing the Senate Committee on Power, Steel Development and Metallurgy that gas and crude oil pipeline vandals were responsible for the drastic drop in power generation.

He said the high rate of vandalisation carried out by vandals on both oil and gas pipelines across the country, within the last five weeks, have made the country to lose 1,800 megawatts of power generation, which was 4,500megawatts as at April 4.

He added that as a way of preventing them from throwing the entire country into darkness, security agencies have swung into action against the vandals, with 200 of them already arrested and awaiting prosecution.

He said: “We have been able to explain to electricity consumers that the current power outage is as a result of high rate of pipeline vandalisation. They vandalise both the crude pipelines and gas pipelines on daily basis".

8

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, May 15, 2015

Politics

Æs

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

Marginalisation, Nsukka people demand ministerial slot from Buhari The Nsukka Platform Asaba, a socio-cultural organisation, has appealed to the President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, to appoint an indigene of Nsukka to represent Enugu State in his cabinet when he assumes office come May 29.

According to them, they have been so marginalised that since the country returned to democracy in 1999, no person from Nsukka has been appointed a

minister.

Consequently, The group of professionals resident in Asaba said in a statement in Asaba that Nsukka area, the Enugu North senatorial zone should produce a minister in the incoming administration.

The group lamented their marginalisation in the state insisting the area had not produced a minister since the country’s return to democracy in

1999.

The statement signed by the Chairman of the organisation and Secretary, Dr Pius Ike and Dr Leo Abonyi respectively said the five ministers appointed from the state since 1999 hailed from Enugu East and Enugu West senatorial zones.

“It is on record that since 1999 when the country returned to civilian rule, the people of Nsukka in Enugu State have not pro-

BUHARI

duced a single minister.

“All the ministers appointed from the state by the past administrations and the present one hail from Enugu East and Enugu West senatorial zones,’’ it said.

It listed the ministers as Chief Frank Nweke Jnr. and Prof.

Bath Nnaji from Enugu East and Chief Dubem Onyia, Mrs CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

Umunna: Lessons from UK on citizenship Akinjide Akintola

Umunna First Lady’s camp in shock as Court okays suspension of Bayelsa PDP Chairman

Aspiring to Labour leadership

There was celebration galore in the camp of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) loyal to Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa following the judgment of an Abuja High Court which upheld the suspension of the party’s chairman in the state, Col. Sam Inokoba (Rtd).

However, while the Dickson camp is celebration, the camp loyal to

The recent General Election in the United Kingdom where a black Nigerian won and is on a possible track to becoming Great Britain’s premier in the near future has raised questions about Nigeria’s citizenship or indigeneship laws.

Thirty six-year old Chuka Umunna, son of a Nigerian immigrant was born in the UK and has lived there ever since, thus qualifying him under the British citizenship laws to vote and be voted for even in a highly discriminatory society as the United Kingdom.

Already, he is the Shadow business secretary and is currently the bookmakers’ top choice to replace Ed Miliband as Labour leader following last week’s polls.

This development is raising questions about Nigeria’s citizenship laws and the lessons that must be learnt from the colonial masters.

It is however sad to note that, after several years of someone residing within the same geograph-

the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan is in mourning mood.

The state executive of the party had been polarised between the two camp with each battling each other to take control of the party apparatus, a development that led to the suspension of Inokoba over sundry allegations last year.

Dissatisfied with his suspension, Inokoba approached the Abuja

ical area, under the same constitution and leadership, Nigerians still find it difficult to accept the reality of being one as a country.

Though, the Nigeria constitution makes provision for her citizens to live and secure means of livelihood, own property and enjoy other opportunities without discrimination in any part of the country, it not so in practice as clearly exemplified by Britain.

However, it does appears the desire to eliminate non-indigenes from certain privileges within a given geographical area is typical and commonplace in virtually every part of the country.

This is manifest in the refusal to recognise non-indigenes even those who were born in the area at various levels; states, local governments, districts, clans, and sometimes even kinship groups.

They are discriminated against in different aspects ranging from job opportunities, admission opportunities, access to arable land and other economic opportunities.

No matter how many years one has spent in an area even if a

non-indigene that was born in an area where his parents had been living for decades, whenever the issue of election or job opening crops up, he would be asked to go back home. The question for him is where is home?

It was only recently that what happened in England was experienced in Lagos during the last General election when four people from the south eastern part of the country emerged victorious in the elections beating the natives.

This was possible because it happened in areas where the Igbos had larger populations and the other political party fielded natives.

Some people who were not comfortable with this development argued that it could never happen in Igboland for a non-native to win election.

The UK election should be an eye opener for the nation and politicians should learn a good lesson once again from Britain.

In the ongoing battle for the LaCONTINUED ON PAGE 10

High Court for redress, in the belief that he would not get justice in the state being controlled by his opponents. Bayelsa is the home state of outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan.

However, Justice Valentine Ashi of the Abuja High Court ordered the embattled former chairman, Inokoba, to stop paradCONTINUED ON PAGE 9

Patience Jonathan

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, May 15, 2015

9 Politics

ABUJA COURT JUDGEMENT:

Seriake Dickson’s camp in celebration mood

Attah

Visit to Buhari: Akwa Ibom APC disowns ex-governor Victor Attah The Chairmen of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 31 local government areas of Akwa Ibom State have disassociated themselves from last week’s visit by a group led by the former governor of the State, Obong Victor Attah, to the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari. According to them, the group purporting to represent the Akwa Ibom chapter of the APC was actually a visit of stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The Victor Attah-led delegation visited Buhari last Friday, May 8, 2015. However, the chapter chairmen in a statement made available to journalists yesterday said “the PDP delegation led by former state governor and life member of the PDP Board of trustees, Obong Victor Attah, masqueraded itself as that of the stakeholders of the APC in Akwa Ibom State, to confuse and mislead the president-elect”, adding that the state chapter of the party was at the verge of a courtesy visit to Buhari. “It would have been more dignifying for the Obong Victor Attahled team to have correctly informed Nigerians that a

delegation of the Akwa Ibom State PDP leaders were on a visit to the President-elect and was gladly welcomed by the fatherly favour of the President-elect, whose policy is to be available to every Nigerian or group no matter how treacherous, altruistic or disguised they might be. “For the avoidance of doubt, the APC Akwa Ibom Chapter, like every other chapter of the party in Nigeria, is at the verge of a courtesy visit to their president-elect to be led by national officers, BOT members, national legislator and other elders of the party, to share with their presidentelect the joy, expectations and challenges of their victory at the just-concluded national polls. “Commendable as the visit was in apprising the president-elect of his immediate challenge in office regarding Akwa Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah and his group lied to the president-elect and Nigerians by trying to pass their delegation as that of the stakeholders of the APC Akwa Ibom State, a development that could confuse the president-elect or at least mislead him.

“Interim order of injunction earlier granted on March 23 is hereby declared to subsist and shall remain in force as binding on the defendants pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.”

Dickson CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

ing himself as chairman pending the determination of the motion on notice which is in Court.

The verdict has since put the camp of the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan and her supporters who are engaged in a dangerous power play in the state in total disarray.

Inokoba was suspended by the State Working Committee (SWC) of the party over allegations of incompetence and ineptitude, including acts of financial impropriety in the alleged diversion of N70million donated to the party by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani AllisonMadueke for the Bayelsa Presidential rally.

But Inokoba described his suspension as a ruse, claiming that only the PDP National Working Committee and its chairman, Alhaji Adamu Muazu, could suspend him.

Seven members of the Bayelsa SWC of the PDP, therefore went

to court seeking among other reliefs, an order of interim injunction restraining Inokoba, his agents, privies, or appointees from either parading himself as Bayelsa State PDP chairman, pending the determination of the motion on notice now pending before the court.

They are Cleopas Moses, Hon. Godspower Kuku, Richard Perekeme, Faith Opene, Alfred I. Atiegha, Numomikari Walter and Ikpi Patterson who sued for themselves and on behalf of Bayelsa SWC of the PDP. The PDP, its national chairman and Inokoba were joined as first, second and third defendants in the suit.

Judgment for the interim order was fixed for 23rd March but was adjourned till April 20 because counsel for the defendants were not in Court.

On 20th April the case was again adjourned till11th May because the Court could not sit.

But in his judgment on the defi-

nite hearing delivered on Monday, Justice Ashi ordered that: “Interim order of injunction earlier granted on March 23 is hereby declared to subsist and shall remain in force as binding on the defendants pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice”.

Major stakeholders in Bayelsa State chapter of PDP had insisted that Inokoba must be sacked.

Since his suspension over four months ago, Inokoba has neither gone to the party secretariat nor got involved campaigns for the PDP during the just-concluded elections.

In anger over his suspension, he worked against his own House of Assembly candidate, Hon. Tonye Isenah, of the PDP in the recently-concluded House of Assembly elections.

Sources in the PDP hinted that by supporting an opposition party’s candidate against his own party, he is bound to face the party’s disciplinary committee.

‘‘Inokoba was suspended by the State Working Committee (SWC) of the party over allegations of incompetence and ineptitude, including acts of financial impropriety in the alleged diversion of N70million donated to the party by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke for the Bayelsa Presidential rally.’’

Diezani

Politics 10

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, May 15, 2015

Miliband

Cameron

LABOUR LEADERSHIP:

Beyond Umunna’s UK win CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

bour Party leadership, Umunna is bookmakers choice head of others like Andy Burnham and Yvette Cooper But Shadow international development secretary Mary Creagh has joined the race to be Labour leader, becoming the fifth candidate to declare candidacy.

Ms Creagh joins Liz Kendall, Chuka Umunna, Andy Burnham and Yvette Cooper in the battle to replace Ed Miliband in the wake of last week’s devastating General Election defeat.

Nominations for leader close on June 15 and for deputy on June 17 and members and supporters who sign up by August 12 will be

entitled to vote.

The result will be announced on September 12.

Mr Burnham, the Shadow Health Secretary, is the early favourite to take over.

He announced his bid with a video message to set out his stall for the top job.

In a swipe at the left and the right of the party, he said Labour could not just speak to one group of voters.

On Monday Mr Umunna said the party must help David Cameron win the best possible deal ahead of a referendum on Europe.

He confirmed in a Facebook video he was joining the contest then warned Labour must act “in

‘‘There is also a vacancy for shadow chancellor after Ed Balls lost out on his Morley and Outwood seat by just 422 votes.

Umanna and Burnham are also among the bookmakers’ favourites to replace him.’’

the national interest”.

Yvette Cooper also feature in the top three after Miliband said he would stand down in the face of a “very disappointing and difficult” election night.

Another favourite, former paratrooper Dan Jarvis, ruled himself out of the contest over the weekend for family reasons, leaving Liz Kendall and Tristram Hunt in fourth and fifth place. Miliband’s brother David comes in seventh place, while Harriet Harman who has been left in charge of the party comes in fifteenth.

Chuka Umunna The 36-year-old former solicitor has officially threw his hat into the ring, declaring his intention to run for leader of the opposition in a Facebook video filmed on Swindon high-street. He rejected the notion that Labour would take more than a decade to get back on its feet following their election loss, promising that as leader he would put the party back in power within five years.

“I want to lead that effort as part of a really big Labour team getting Labour back into office, and building a fairer and more equal society. That is why we joined the Labour party in the first place,” he said.

The son of a Nigerian immigrant, Umunna retained his Streatham seat for a second term with 53 per cent of the vote last week. Described by the New Statesman as a “slick performer”, he is said to be popular among the public and his colleagues. He recently admitted that the party was wrong to run a deficit before the financial crisis and condemned Miliband’s attacks on “wealth creators”.

New Labour architect Lord Mandelson fell short of endorsing him, saying: “He’s got a bit of a way to go but will get there.”

But some within the party fear that he will be less popular with the unions and is considered “too metropolitan” to appeal to voters in the North of the country,” says

Mallam Nasir El-rufai: All eyes on the patriots hero Yahaya Umar The credibility of a man is most a times, if not all the times, weighed by his activities while carrying out his personal duties or official duty assigned to him by either his superior or his people. Therefore, when he discharges his duties diligently, people then, value him, admire him, honour him and regard such a person as a man of credibility or integrity.

However, Mallam Nasir Elrufai, having served in various

public offices, such as Director General, Bureau of Public Enterprises and Minister, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, his activities while still in the above mentioned public offices, which were transparent, earned him public trust. The Governor-elect of Kaduna State, Mallam Elrufai, was honest, dedicated and always ready to take risks and was hated by people who do not want the right thing to be done.

It would interest you to know that when Mallam Nasir Elrufai was the DG, Bureau of

Public Enterprises, he recruited his classmate into the Bureau, who needed a job. After that, the classmate could not take his job serious due to the fact that his classmate, who offered him the job, is at the same time, the DG of the Bureau. That gave him the guts to do anything, anyway he wanted. Mallam Elrufai, being an unbiased DG, personally issued warnings to his classmate, just as he has been doing to others, for playing with their job. After several warnings and CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

El-rufai

Sky News.

Andy Burnham In second place as potential leader is Andy Burnham, the shadow health secretary who won similarly high support last week in his constituency of Leigh in Greater Manchester. He started out as an adviser to Tony Blair and later became health secretary under Gordon Brown, but has edged left and won support as shadow health secretary for warning against the privatisation of the NHS. In the 2010 Labour leadership election, he came fourth out of five candidates with less than nine per cent of the vote.

Yvette Cooper The MP for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford is touted as the bookies’ third favourite.

First elected in 1997, Cooper has served as work and pensions secretary and chief secretary to the Treasury under Gordon Brown.

Most recently, she took on the role as shadow home secretary.

The Daily Mirror’s Fleet Street Fox thinks Cooper is “everything Miliband wasn’t” – particularly as she comes across as a human rather than a robot, a “rare” quality in a politician, she says. Cooper is yet to officially announce her candidacy but, according to the New Statesman, Yvetteforleader.com has been registered in the name of her aide.

Liz Kendall The first to officially throw her hat into the ring, Kendall is said to be part of the Blairite right but also a “relatively unknown quantity”. She was a special adviser in the last Labour government to both Harriet Harman and Patricia Hewitt and became shadow health minister after winning the Leicester West seat in 2010. Kendall, whose partner is comedian and Inbetweeners head-teacher Greg Davies, says that Labour has “far too little” to say to middleclass voters. She told The Sunday Times that “fundamental reform is essential to the future survival of our party”.

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, May 15, 2015

11 Politics

Stop the blame game over electoral loss— PPN tells PDP

Kwasu Alhmdu

Gladiators of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have been advised to stop the blame game over the defeat of the party in the March 28 Presidential election. Instead, they should concentrate on joining forces with other political parties to form a formidable opposition to the All Progressives Congress (APC) whose Presidential candidate, General Muhammadu won the election and would take up the saddle of leadership on May 29.

National Secretary of the People Party of Nigeria (PPN), Hon Razak Eyiowuawu in a statement enjoined the PDP stakeholders to take the path of honour rather than fouling the air with com-

ments that will further dwindle the fortunes of the party and put them at a disadvantage in future elections in the country.

According to the national scribe of the party whose Presidential candidate, Prince Kelvin Allagoa stepped down for President Goodluck Jonathan in the run up to the election: “ It is better they (PDP) keep quiet and find a way to bring themselves together and form a formidable opposition, they need to come together as one and give courage to those who won elections at all levels”.

Eyiowuawi, who was the governorship candidate of PPN in the last governorship election in Ogun State said it is embarrassing the manner PDP leaders from different parts of the country are

trading accusations over the party’s loss at the polls and wondered if the scenario would be the same if the party had won.

“It is worrisome that PDP which had been managing the affairs of the country in the last 16 years will now be throwing brickbats over electoral loss, it is normal in politics and it has happened to almost all big political parties in the world”, he said, adding: “All what they (PDP) need is to go back to the trenches and adopt new strategy that can win elections”.

On the part of PPN, the national secretary said the party is seriously studying the outcome of the last general election in order to come out as a major force in 2019. “Nigerians will soon hear from us” Eyiowuawi promised.

Jonathan

All eyes on El-rufai CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

there was no compliance, Mallam El-rufai could not tolerate him anymore, he had no choice than to axe him.

Therefore, before the appointment of Mallam El-rufai, as the Minister of Federal Capital Territory by former President Obasanjo, the city of Abuja was ill looking because people built houses without following the Abuja Master Plan. When Mallam El-rufai came in as Minister, he demolished all the illegal houses, built by both the rich and the poor. He was transparent in his work. The house of

El-rufai

former National Chairman of PDP, Senator Ahmadu Ali, who was still in his position, was demolished by El-rufai to show you how transparent he was. Some of the senators were affected as well. Mind you, senators were the ones that approved his appointment as the Minister for FCT, but he did not spare them while discharging his duty.

Now, as the Governor-elect of Kaduna State, billed to take oath of office on May 29, 2015, after which he would officially assume office, all eyes are on him.

People want to see him change Kaduna State, people what to see him develop the state, people

want to see transparency and accountability in Kaduna, people want to see positive change that Mallam El-rufai would bring and they so much believe that he can do it because he has done it before.

If the El-rufai I know is the same El-rufai that is the Governor-elect of Kaduna State, then, the state is very lucky to have a personality like him. However, the people of Kaduna State should always remember that one tree only cannot make or form a forest. Therefore, let them give him their maximum support and cooperation to enable him put the state in its right position.

Nsukka people decry marginalisation CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

Fidelia Njeze and Prof. Chinedu Nebo from Enugu West.

It noted that the constitution provided that every state in the federation was entitled to a ministerial slot in reflection of the federal character principle.

“It then becomes imperative that Buhari should endeavour to uphold this constitutional

provision in choosing ministers from every state, while insisting on credibility and competence”, it added.

The Forum also commended the president-elect for insisting on appointing loyal APC members with technical competence and integrity into his cabinet, noting that the disposition of the president-elect showed that he was

determined to bring about the much-desired sanity and change in governance in the country.

It said that Buhari’s pronouncement had given Nigerians hope that he was poised to fulfill his promise of fighting corruption.

“It is expected that the APC government should ensure that every part of a given state

is given a sense of belonging in ministerial appointments,” the group said.

The association further condemned the reported physical attack on the APC gubernatorial candidate in the last general election in Enugu State, Mr Okey Ezea, by another chieftain of the party.

It recalled media reports

had the APC National Vice Chairman for the South-East, Chief Emma Enukwu, attacked the candidate at the party’s meeting in Abuja two weeks ago.

Ezea, who hails from Nsukka, was reportedly attacked when he demanded that the zone be allowed to produce the next minister for the state to ensure equity. (NAN)

News 12

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, May 15, 2015

British, Nigerian ‘experts’ disagree on UK slave claims Ngozi Okafor London

ÏÏÏThe

ongoing trial of a Nigerian couple accused of holding a 39-year-old fellow citizen in servitude in the United Kingdom for 24 years became a battle between two expert witnesses, when it resumed at Harrow Crown Court on Thursday.

It was also a day Judge Arran called the Crown - government prosecutor, Roger Smart to order, making the latter know the buck doesn’t stop at his table.

The trial saw a Nigerian based lawyer give expert witness via video link to the courtroom.

After sending the 12-man

jury out on a short break, Arran was furious with the prosecutor, saying: “It’s not for the prosecutor to start arguing the jury’s case. Mr Smart, this must stop.”

He also told him, “don’t argue with me,” and this while the prosecution’s expert witness, Dr Elizabeth Hales, was being cross examined by Emma Akuwudike, defence counsel for senior nursing sister, Mrs Antan Edet.

Cambridge and London School of Economics educated, Hales, a social anthropologist, had been called by Smart to give her expert opinion on child adoption in Nigerian society. She told the court that her report would be based on what she had read from

Nigerian academics as her PhD was on Sudan and other African cultures.

The defence, in their part, called a Nigerian-based practising lawyer, Dr Chima Umezuruike, also a PhD holder.

Umezuruike, who, though, not flaunting his long list of qualifications, but like Hales, also got some listed and apart from having practised in the UK before relocating to Nigeria, is a member of the Expert Witness Institute.

Both experts were led in giving their testimonies and also cross -examined by the opposite camps.

In her report, Hales, who focused her argument on

customary adoption, saying since that was what Mrs Edet did when the claimant, Ofonime Sunday Inuk, became a member of the former’s family at the adoption ceremony performed in Calabar, on December 19,1988.

Relying on the work she had read from two or three Nigerian academics, which she quoted, she argued that the adoption will not only confer on Inuk the status of eldest of the Edets’ three sons- including their two biological Emmanuel Jr and Anthony- , but also confer on the claimant entitlement to the family’s inheritance.

Giving his opinion through video link, Umezuruike who had also among others given expert witness at the Southwark Crown Court in the case involving former Delta State governor,

Chief James Ibori, submitted that customary adoption is in vogue on Nigeria and that there is usually no documentation to confer the rights that UK adopted children have.

Cross examining Hales, Akuwudike asked: “You based your report on what you’ve read and researched?”

She did admitted it, adding however that she had never lived in Nigeria nor witnessed any Nigerian customary ceremony.

Umezuruike in his evidence , said he had never witnessed any statutory adoption process in the Lagos High Court where he had practised for the last five years.

He added that it is very unlikely that the Edets would have given Ofonime the right to use their name if he was regarded as a houseboy.

Tinubu, Amaechi agents of change – Soyinka Mutiat Alli

ÏÏÏNobel

L-R: Governors Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari (Zamfara); Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun) and former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, during the public presentation of a book titled ‘Dynamics of Change -The Amaechi Years’, held in Lagos... on Thursday.

Lamido, Aliyu tell Buhari to stop giving excuses Continued from page 6 developmental issues but was busy harping on the troubles of the nation which include Boko Haram, corruption and other security issues.

They also lambasted the Adamu Muazu-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the PPDP), saying Muazu must throw in the towel and accept the blame for leading the party to a ‘disastrous defeat’ in the general election.

According to Aliyu, “How could you lead a party to a disastrous defeat and you are still thinking of some ideas. And it is now you are asking people or

blaming people that you have not been given chance and that the money of the campaign was not with you.

“Why didn’t you tell us before the elections? Why do you have to wait until you are defeated?

Because, assuming that we had won, you would have taken the credit for the winning. So take the blame for the loss.”

Speaking in a similar vein, Lamido said, “It is no time for blame game. It is time to think and reflect on how to reposition PDP. The party is a party of national interest and unity. We should all accept that we made mistakes and find ways to correct them in the future.”

On the alleged plan by the duo to form a new party, Lamido, who was Special guest of Honour, said: “We have both agreed not to leave the PDP. We dey kankpe for PDP, we dey shelele for PDP.” “PDP has honoured and dignified me, and I am not leaving it for tenants. I and Aliyu are from home background, while others are from mere house background.

We are well groomed right from our homes and we will not leave the party for anyone.”

Prominent traditional rulers, politicians and people from all walks of life attended the epochal event, including the new Speaker of Niger State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Isah kawu.

Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, on Thursday, extolled the contributions of former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, to nation-building, describing them as architects of the change that made the All Progressives Congress (APC) to emerge victorious at federal level as well as in most states in the recently held general election.

Soyinka made the declaration in Lagos in a keynote address at a book launch in honour of the Rivers State governor held at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos. The book titled “Dynamics of Change, The Amaechi Years,” was compiled and edited by Dr. Chidi Amuta and Dr. Yemi Ogunbiyi.

He said: “The political atmosphere, whatever you call it, be it change or hope, whatever name, I recognise two individuals in this particular process that led the chart for change.

“These two individuals are Bola Tinubu and Rotimi Amaechi; I call them the architects of the process of change”.

Speaking at the launch, former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, identified the use of Card Reader Machine as well as disdain of Nigerians for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as two fundamental things that led to the change in the political landscape of the country.

He said: “It is a known fact that the Card Reader Machine helped a great deal in the openness and

transparency of the last election.

Aside from that, Nigerians needed change and they went for it. People were tired of the Jonathan administration and requested for change.

That change will happen from May 29.”

He said that with the elections over, both the leaders and citizens must brace up to meet the challenges required to build a better, more prosperous nation.

He showered encomium on Amaechi for remaining steadfast in stand against the PDP, adding “despite all the negativities circulated about Amaechi, he stood steadfast and demonstrated the trait of a good democrat in his ruling of the people of Rivers State and other political matters”.

Responding, Amaechi reminded the political class in the country that “government must not be for one section of the country, but for all in the society, adding “it must be for the rich and the poor, while at the same time emphasising the upliftment of the poor from poverty to the state of dignity which provides them with decent living standards.”

He thanked guests at the book launch particularly his wife for support during his period of persecution in the hands of the Federal Government. He said: “I am not stubborn but I don’t easily give up to issues that matters to the country. I cannot keep quite when things go wrong. I have been tagged an extremist but I stand firm today because I have faced so many consequences and at the end, the people of Rivers State are enjoying the fruit of my struggle.”

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, May 15, 2015

Whereabouts of Burundi president unclear

Policemen clash with protesters near a parliament building during a protest against Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza's decision to run for a third term in Bujumbura, Burundi, on wednesday.

ÏÏÏBurundi’s

capital, Bujumbura, was quiet on Wednesday night following an attempted coup, but the whereabouts of President Nkurunziza remained unclear.

The president was in neigh-

boring Tanzania on Wednesday for a summit of East African leaders when an army general announced that Nkurunziza had been overthrown.

This followed weeks of violent protests against the president’s

decision to run for a third term.

Interior Minister Edouard Nduwimana told VOA’s Central African Service that President Nkurunziza had returned to Burundi, although he did not specify his location.

But Innocent Muhozi, general manager of the independent Renaissance Radio and Television, said President Nkurunziza could not have returned to Burundi because the airport is under the control of the coup makers.

“The capital city seems to be very calm even though we heard some shooting a few minutes ago coming from the international airport of Bujumbura. Those who made the coup seem to be in control of most of the main places in the capital city except the public radio and television,” he said.

Muhozi said the national radio and television station appeared to be under the control of forces loyal to President Nkurunziza, led by the minister of defense and the army chief of staff.

He said it appears the two sides are talking to each other, apparently to find a way out and avoid shooting at each other.

“It means that there is some mediation from some high ranking officers, including the minister of defense and the chief of staff of the army. They seem to want to avoid fighting,” Muhozi said.

Kenyan town savours saintly sex surge – report ÏÏÏHundreds

of prostitutes have flocked to a Kenyan town ahead of the beatification ceremony of an Italian nun, a key step towards sainthood, a report said on Thursday.

"Who doesn't need body gratification? By the way, even Christians need sex," one woman told The Star newspaper, in the central Kenyan town of Nyeri.

"It's our turn to eat," she said, using a popular Kenyan idiom meaning to make money. "We are waiting for those international

visitors."

Tens of thousands are expected to attend the Roman Catholic beatification ceremony on May 23 in Nyeri, a town about 150km north of the Kenyan capital Nairobi.

Irene Stefani, who died in Kenya of the plague in 1930, was an Italian member of the Consolata Missionary Sisters, helped the wounded in Kenya and Tanzania during World War I. A trained nurse, she was much loved by the people of the Nyeri district.

The newspaper said it had

Mali rebels sign initial peace agreement

ÏÏÏMali's

Tuareg-led rebels signed up to a preliminary peace agreement with the government on Thursday as a gesture of "good faith" to end decades of separatist fighting, but said they would need more guarantees before signing a final accord.

Mali's government accepted the U.N. and Algerian-backed deal in March, but the Tuareg-led coalition argued that the proposal fell short of their demands for the northern region, which they call

carried out a "spot check" and found that "hotels are almost fully booked by the women."

"The sex workers have already booked hotels for two weeks in advance," The Star reported, saying the women had flocked from across the country to attend prebeatification evening events.

Senior local government official John Marete admitted the town was full of "new faces", while a Catholic priest in the town urged people "not to be diverted by earthly things".

Stefani

Azawad, and sporadic fighting has continued.

Western powers want a conclusive accord, fearing turmoil will allow Islamist militants to return to the north after French military intervention drove them out.

The rebel alliance, Coordination of Azawad Movements, known by its French initials CMA, said they would still need more work on a conclusive deal with the government. They had said this week they would not attend a final

signing ceremony that had been planned for Friday in Bamako.

"Despite the constraints, the CMA agrees to initial this document in the spirit of good faith," rebel representative Ibrahim Mohamed Essadek said reading a statement from the alliance's leadership. "Some of its aspects need to be worked on with the mediators and the Mali government."

Tuaregs have risen up four times since Mali's independence from France in 1960.

13 Africa Zambia police quiz journalists over presidency graft story ÏÏÏZambian

police said they have questioned two journalists over a newspaper that published a story, illegally drawn from classified documents, about a graft investigation of a presidential aide, who was subsequently cleared.

The Post newspaper, which employed the journalists, said the affair demonstrated the government could not tolerate a free press.

Police spokesperson Rae Hamoonga said police had recorded statements from Fred Mmembe, the editor-in-chief of The Post newspaper, and a reporter about publishing a story based on classified information, which is against Zambian law.

Ugandan rebels kill 22 persons in eastern Congo ÏÏÏ Suspected Ugandan rebels

killed at least 22 people in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo late on Wednesday, local officials said, the third deadly attack on civilians in the region in the last week.

The attack took place near the town of Beni, an area in North Kivu province where more than 300 civilians have been killed in overnight raids since October.

The attacks, often carried out with machetes and hatchets, have mostly been blamed on the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan Islamist rebel group that operates on the Congolese side of the border.

North Kivu governor Julien Paluku said on Thursday that ADF fighters had attacked a location outside Beni, a regional hub, late on Wednesday afternoon, killing at least 22.

He said the massacre followed clashes between the Congolese army and ADF fighters, but that he did not yet know the name of the village where it had taken place.

Teddy Kataliko, a local civil society leader, said the attack had taken place in Mbutaba, 23 km north of Beni, and that his organization had documented 28 deaths so far, although the toll was likely to rise.

World 14

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, May 15, 2015

Poland, Baltics lobby NATO for reinforcement to deter Kremlin ÏÏÏ Poland and the Baltic states

said on Thursday they were seeking permanent NATO deployments on their soil to counter increased Russian military activity, and a Polish internal document suggested the matter may be raised at a Warsaw summit next year. The Baltic states - Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia – said they were preparing a joint approach to NATO command asking for permanent stationing of a brigade.

All three former Soviet republics have Russian minorities and fear Kremlin moves to inflame tensions there after a pro-Russian insurrection in eastern Ukraine.

Polish proposals contained in a planning paper agreed by the National Security Bureau and seen

by Reuters, underlined the depth of feeling across eastern Europe over a war that has cost over 6,100 lives and raised fears of a Russian expansionism.

There are also reports of increased military air and naval activity in the Nordic region. Moscow, subject of economic sanctions over Ukraine, denies any territorial ambitions and describes its maneuvers as routine.

Poland's then foreign minister said last year he wanted the alliance to station two heavy brigades

- a NATO brigade typically numbers between 3,000 and 5,000 troops - on Polish soil in response to what the West sees as Kremlin intervention in Ukraine. Moscow denies it has backed the rebels.

But the alliance rejected a permanent troop presence, with some

states wary of violating a 1997 NATO-Russia agreement on the size of forces the alliance can station in former Warsaw Pact countries, of which Poland is one.

Under Polish objectives listed for the NATO summit in Warsaw in mid-2016, the document refers

Indonesia faced calls on Thursday to stop virginity tests for women seeking to join the military, with a leading rights group calling the practice "cruel, inhuman and degrading".

Human Rights Watch said interviews with female members of the military showed that the examination, normally conducted through a "two-finger test" to ensure the hymen is intact, was required of women joining the armed forces or planning to marry military officers.

The armed forces defended checking female applicants' virginity, saying that people of low morals could "damage the military", but denied that those planning to marry officers were also subject to the checks.

This is just the latest controversy around virginity tests in conservative, Muslim-majority Indonesia, with the national police facing criticism last year for forc-

ÏÏÏQataris

have for the first time voted two women into the Gulf emirate's only directly elected body, the Central Municipal Council, officials announced on Thursday.

Sheikha Jufairi and Fatma AlKuwari both won seats in Wednesday's election to the 29-member council, which has advisory but no legislative powers.

Elections director General Majed Ibrahim al-Khulaifi confirmed that it was the first time in the emirate's history that two women had been elected.

Jufairi is a political veteran

by Qatari standards and has sat on the council since she was first elected in 2003.

Kuwari, though, is one of 14 first-time winners who will make up almost half of the membership of the new council.

Five female candidates stood on Wednesday and some had called for a quota system to be introduced to ensure better representation for women.

Peru's Attorney general, Taliban attack dismissed

Estonian soldiers take part in NATO military exercise, Hedgehog 2015, at the Tapa training range in Estonia, on Tuesday.

Indonesia urged to stop military virginity tests

ÏÏÏ

to "seeking NATO's permanent regional presence", and added in parentheses "military bases with heavy equipment".

Moscow would almost certainly cite the establishment of a standing NATO presence on its borders as a hostile act.

Qatar elects 2 women into council for first time

ing female applicants to undergo the examinations.

In a statement, HRW said the military "should immediately end the use of so-called virginity tests, which violate the prohibition of cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment under international human rights law".

The group described the practice as gender-based violence and said it was "scientifically baseless" as a method of proving that a woman was a virgin.

HRW interviewed 11 recruits and officers' fiancées who had undergone the tests at military hospitals in several cities on the main island of Java. They also spoke to people involved in conducting the examinations.

Those tested described the practice as painful, embarrassing and traumatic.

"I felt humiliated. It was very tense," said one applicant tested in 2013, cited anonymously in HRW's

report. She added that she was "shocked" that the doctor performing the test was a man.

The test has been standard for decades and one retired air force officer, also cited anonymously, recalled having it done in 1984.

She said four years later she got married but could not make love to her husband for months "because of the trauma that I had with that 'virginity test'."

Military spokesperson Fuad Basya defended the tests, saying they stop immoral women from entering the armed forces.

President Widodo of Indonesia

on Kabul hotel claims 14 lives

ÏÏÏThe Taliban claimed respon-

sibility on Thursday for an hourslong attack on a guesthouse in the Afghan capital that killed 14 civilians, including several foreigners.

Kabul Police Chief Abdul Rahman said the attack began on Wednesday night when gunmen began shooting at the Park Palace Hotel during a party for foreigners. Five hours later, it ended with police killing three assailants, he said.

The U.S. Embassy said one American was among the dead, while Indian officials said four Indians were killed.

A Taliban statement said the militants targeted the party because of the presence of Americans, and that only one suicide bomber armed with automatic weapons carried out the attack.

ÏÏÏ Peruvian Attorney General, Carlos Ramos Heredia, has been dismissed over corruption allegations which predate his time in the post.

He was suspended from office in December pending a probe into his alleged ties with the former governor of the rich mining province of Ancash.

Ex-governor Cesar Alvarez is in jail while on trial for alleged corruption.

Mr Ramos is accused of covering up for Mr Alvarez while he was head of an auditing department.

Mr Ramos said the allegations were part of "a plot and conspiracy against me". He has five days to appeal against the decision.

A commission which oversees the judiciary voted five to one to fire Mr Ramos.

It said it had found links between Mr Ramos and Mr Alvarez, who is on trial for allegedly granting public work contracts in exchange for bribes.

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, May 15, 2015

15 Opinion

PDP resurrection or extinction in 2019

A Muhammad Ajah

s the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) faces death penalty for its uncountable crimes against Nigerians since sixteen years ago, the remnant of its membership are consoling themselves with the hallucination of an acquittal under an Igbo President in 2019. Simply, they are inspiriting themselves with the delirium that all the South East and South South geopolitical zones will form a strong opposition that can produce a Nigerian President of Igbo extraction under the PDP in 2019. But while confusion and crisis have been rocking the party since it lost the 2015 general elections, its leadership has been speaking from different dimensions.

While some believe that the party can be a formidable opposition and reclaim power in the next general elections, others tend to believe that nothing has happened – there is no crisis. Others are secretly romancing the All Progressive Congress (APC), waiting the appropriate time to abandon PDP. Before and after the general elections, crises have been rocking PDP states. Members of the party’s leadership at the national level are at each other’s necks over the defeat

of the acclaimed largest party in Africa.

PDP leader, President Goodluck Jonathan, recently declared in Abuja that will bounce back in 2019 at the federal level if members remained committed to the vision of its founding fathers and work very hard. President Jonathan is optimistic that the party already had all that it will require to win the 2019 elections, but needed to return to the drawing board to re-strategise for the future. “Whatever happened was like a slip. You do not need to travel to America to know how power moves from the Republicans to the Democrats and from the Democrats to the Republicans. You can even go to Ghana that is very close to us. The present administration lost some years back and of they are back. So the problem is not whether we lost or won elections, which is already history, but how we can reconsolidate our party.”

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh while speaking on the state of the party, blamed the media, especially the social media for the party’s image smashing. He averred, “Some fifth columnists are working with other parties concocting some frivolous allegations and sponsoring amorphous groups against the National Working Committee. Some members of our party including

ambitious aides and associates of President Goodluck Jonathan are using their perceived closeness to him to further their heinous agenda of injecting crisis in the party with a view to highjacking the structure for their selfish interests.

We wish to state clearly that there is no crisis in the national leadership of the PDP. The National Working Committee under the Chairmanship of Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu is duly elected and is fully in control of the administration until the expiration of its tenure in March 2016.”

What is getting clearer is that the failure of the ruling party to retain power at the federal level has divided its stakeholders along geopolitical lines, with the Southeast and South-South uniting in a bid to take over the entire structure of the party. Accusations and counter defence have been raised against the members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC). The National Chairman of the party, Adamu Mu’azu was accused of playing the fiddle in the last election, thus the attempted move by the SouthEast and South-South alliance led

by Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State to oust Mu’azu and install, Liyel Imoke, in place of him. . But some PDP stalwarts believe that the move to remove PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu

Mu’azu, from the point of electoral failure and the body language of Governor Godswill Akpabio and his quest to be in power at all cost will not help the party. Some PDP stalwarts have warned that no one should under any guise terrorise the party’s NWC members or harass them in any way until a stakeholders’ meeting have been convened.

Some PDP stalwarts, including Governors Babangida Aliyu of Niger state and Fayose of Ekiti state have urged leaders of PDP to emulate the British political leaders, who resigned after leading their party to defeat, describing as unfair the plan to form a factional PDP if they were forced asked to resign.

Meanwhile, the National Working Committee of the PDP has constituted a post-election assessment to review and evaluate the party’s performance in the 2015 general elections.

Nonetheless, PDP’s plan for the South East has strong opposition by Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo state that believes that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will take the entire Southeast in 2019 general elections. “The South-East played a very key role in the victory of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, considering what happened in 2011 when the Peoples Democratic Party returned about seven million votes.

Who will save Aba from ruins?

A Lawrence Chinedu Nwobu

ba need no introduction, it was after all on its soil that the historic women’s riot of 1929, one of the first acts of revolt against established colonial rule took place.

In addition, the city was famous for its creativity and industry that came to be coined “Aba Made.” Aba should thus ideally be a very proud city. However, alas it laid in ruins, a shadow of its former self owing to bad leadership.

It is said that men do not cry, but Aba is one of the few things that have made me cry. I cried because I see in the ruins of Aba, a total failure of leadership that has shackled the famed energies, creativity and industry of the people. As Chinua Achebe said, the success or failure, wealth or poverty of a people depends only on the leadership and attendant system of their clime. In this I like to once again buttress the example of the erstwhile divisions between East and West Germany and how the two different systems presents a veritable lesson in the dynamics of how a system can make or mar a nation.

With the end of World War 11 in 1945, Germany was divided into four areas of control with the West controlling what became West Germany while the Soviet Union controlled what became East Germany. The West German economy benefitted from being under the Western market system and consequently grew into one of the most successful industrial economies. In stark contrast East Germany, stagnated economically. The outcome in both sides is a classic lesson in how leaders and systems can make or ruin a nation. It is notable that both East and West Germany was populated by the same ethnic Germans, with same work ethic, values, culture and environment. The only thing different was the systems that obtained on both sides of the divide.

West Germany having benefitted from Western liberal economic market policies soon became a powerhouse of manufacturing and industrial growth, while East Germany owing to the closed communist system suffered significant decline. The people in West Germany enjoyed considerable affluence while those in the East side were marooned in poverty.

The city Of Nogales as analysed

by Daron Acemoglu and James Rob-

inson in their book “Why nations fail” provides yet another empirical evidence of how leadership and systems can determine the failure or success of a people. The city of Nogales is found on both sides of the border between Mexico and the United States with same geography, climate and ethnic make-up; but that is where the similarities end. While Nogales on the American side of the border has high levels of affluence, industrial productivity and good medical care, the same city on the Mexican side has a dysfunctional medical system, high levels of poverty, crime and corruption.

The analogy of East/West Germany and Nogales explains the dilemma of Aba. Aba is in ruins and the energies of the people inhibited for so long because the city has been under bad leadership. The responsibility for Aba’s shameful outing falls squarely on Theodore Orji who happens to be a leader without human soul. In 2011, he had complained that the reason for his non-performance was his appendage to godfathers and promised that having been freed from the bondage he would deliver on good governance.

He organised a development conference where he unveiled his plan to build a new city. Alas, as many sus-

pected all that was election gimmick designed to help him back to power.

Those who never believed him have been vindicated. Theodore Orji has turned out to be an utterly incompetent leader. His idea of governance is to advertise mediocre projects on websites and bribe some mercenaries to launder his image. He conveniently forgets that in today’s world, it is impossible to hide anything, least of all bad governance.

Theodore Orji had a golden opportunity to serve God and humanity but he chose to fail. He has consigned himself to the pantheons of bad leadership and has no legacy to his name. As the example of East/West Germany and the city of Nogales indicated, all Aba needs is resourceful leadership and a progressive system and it would rise to become one of Africa’s foremost, industrial centres. Dr Okezie Ikpeazu will inherit the mess left behind and he will have the formidable task of proving wrong many who see in him a reincarnation of Theodore Orji by association.

Dr Ikpeazu will have to urgently prove himself by moving quickly to renew, rebuild, remodel and re-energise Aba into the modern and foremost industrial city it was always destined to be.

16

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, May 15, 2015

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, May 15, 2015

Features Hello! When last did you write or post a letter?

You may not remember, but you are not alone. GBUBEMI GOD’S COVENANT, SNR went to town to find out how relevant the Nigerian Postal Services is in a Global System of Communication (GSM) age. His report.

The postal services used to be the only link between friends, family members, organizations, lovers, applicants and employers worldwide. Since the colonial

Æs

17

Features Editor: Gbubemi God’s Covenant Snr. E-mail: gbubemi.godscovenantsnr@dailytimes.com.ng

days, Nipost was the first communication institution that ensured movement of mails, parcels, telegrams and so on.

Virtually everyone confronted with the question had to think hard to recall when they actually needed to post a letter. Insurance broker and business man, Okechukwu Innocent could not remember the date but told Daily Times of an unforgettable encounter he had with the Nipost.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

Hello! When last did you post a letter

DESPITE TEMPTATIONS...

My one wife will be my only wife till I die - Oba Olanite

HRH, Oba Alabi Olanite

In a culture and tradition that makes it mandatory for monarchs to marry as many wives as they choose, even take over wives of their subjects at their pleasure, a young monarch has risen up in Yoruba land with a resolve to stick to the wife of his youth. KEHINDE AKINPELU on a visit to the kingdom had a rendezvous with the monarch and filed in this report.

He is a described by his subjects as young and dynamic, a devout Christian, well educated and a visionary.

Oba Benjamin Alabi Oyeditan Olanite, (Oyekakanku IV), the Onimeko of Imekoland in Ogun State is indeed an uncommon Monarch among his ranks.

Though he ascended the throne of his fathers about nine months ago (September 10th, 2014), his humble beginning and sober lifestyle may have informed his dis-

ciplinary resolve, but the young Monarch holds firm to his Christian principles as his guide and guard. His pedigree, so simple and ordinary, buttresses the traditional maxim that kings are born, not made.

He gave Daily Times his profile, “Before I ascended the throne, I was a teacher. I had my early education at Abule Peter in Imeko in 1982 and finished in 1989. My secondary education was scuttled for

financial reasons, but I got over that later and went on to read English at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State.”

Marriage If there is one privilege Monarchs in Yoruba land enjoy, it is the liberty to marry many wives; the maidens want him, and the kingmakers encourage it. But this young and handsome monarch told Daily Times he will live and die a one-wife-Monarch. His

reasons are many.

“In those days traditional rulers marry many wives and that is why their offspring hardly do well. In this age, understanding that the crown does not belong to my father alone but to all branches of our lineage, I must discipline myself and do just what my finances can carry.

As a responsibility of the throne, all children of the royal lineage are my children beside the CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

Features 18

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, May 15, 2015

NIPOST: Post offices still exist all over the world – Joke Silva

Joke Silva CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17

“Ah! I can never forget one letter of interview that a company on Igbosere Street posted to me in 1974. The advertisement did not carry the company’s name and address so I waited for a letter inviting me for interview that never came.

“I had started work in Gottschalk Building Materials for eight months before a letter of interview came to my address in Mushin. That was when I knew that the company was in

Igbosere. Before I got a job, I had written over 300 letters of applications. That was how NIPOST was in those days.”

Mrs. Mabel Chisom Mmaduka, a business executive with a private holding sighed at the question. “Humn. I don’t remember when last I wrote a letter o! I really can’t remember. Since the monopoly of Nitel was broken and other telephone companies started, everything with few exceptions has been done by mobile phone calls. I don’t think NIPOST

is still relevant.”

Proprietress of a private school in Ebute-Meta West, Mrs. Olagunsoye said she had even forgotten we once had Nipost in the country.

“It is now that you mentioned it that I remember we had postal services before, but you can’t blame anybody. Who would want to remember the snail speed way Nipost staff worked in those years?

“Now I remember that a letter was once reported to have taken

90 days to travel from Lagos Island to Maryland; there were others that took a whole year to arrive their destinations, while some letters or parcels never ever got to their destinations; they just disappeared without trace especially if it is a parcel that contained valuables.

“But the worst was when large parcels of mails were dumped at inappropriate places, some on the sea shore, and some in forests, in dustbins and so on. The newspapers used to carry the news.

“As for their relevance, I don’t think they are still relevant in this age. When we didn’t have any choice, they were very relevant, but not anymore. What will make me to write a letter, when I could make a phone call, send a text message or use the internet?

Well, I don’t know about others really, but I certainly don’t need them.”

When last did you post a letter?

Ever had a pen pal? Are you still in touch and if not, how did or when did you break off with your pen pal?

Barrister Godwin Patrick James of Citadel Chambers in Ajao Estate, Lagos holds some fond memories of the Nipost of old and believes the services is still relevant.

“When I was doing my youth service in 1986, I posted a love letter to my fiancé who’s now my wife.

“I think Nipost is still very relevant. People are still posting parcels; GSM cannot carry parcels,

and now they have haulage that carries goods. The post office boxes are still there, they’re renewing them all the time. There’s still no alternative to moving parcels, though they have courier services now and I know they liaise with Nipost because they need license from Nipost to operate.

“In fact, if they do well, they should be making a lot of money from fees, licensing, and even through Value Added Tax (VAT), which means they’ll be paying according to what they’re carrying which, incidentally, Nipost is not doing. So I think Nipost will continue to be relevant for as long as people still move parcels and other items around the globe. The GSM cannot make them redundant or obsolete.”

Mr. Mordi Nelson, MD, Divine Source Studios, Lagos posted a letter 15 years ago.

“I used to write friends and my brother in Agbor my home town, but since the age of GSM has come to stay, I don’t think the tradition of writing and posting letters is still in practice, because I don’t see why anybody will leave the Short Messages Sy), or E-mail or fax and begin to write a long letter. Apart from it being a cumbersome process, you cannot be sure when the letter will arrive or whether it will arrive its destination at all or who will receive or read your letter, while you can just dial a number and speak oneon-one to your friend or family CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

Oba Olanite: I am a Christian and must live by example CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17

extended members of the community who bring their challenges to borne by me in the palace.

“As I speak, I have more than six children that are not my biological children, whose tuition fees I pay for now. I also meet the cost of another six that are learning one trade or the other. Then taking the economic situation of this community and of the nation into consideration and the fact that I am a Christian, I have to live by example and as the saying goes, cut my coat according to my cloth.

“Also, I am expected to make sacrifices in the interest of this community; there are some things that my community should have that we don’t have yet, so I will stick to and maintain only

one wife.”

Under the incoming government come May 29, Nigerians are resolved to make sacrifices to restore our economy. Should his subjects expect their young Monarch will take at least one additional wife, perhaps more?

“As a leader, my own style of leadership is guided by Biblical principles. According to 1Timothy 3, a leader, whether an overseer, a Pastor, Governor or President, is admonished to have just one wife. That will ensure peace of mind. Erroneously, people conclude that sitting on the throne is simple and easy, but the when you get there, you will understand the saying that uneasy lies the head that wears the crown. I know that now.

“Thank God I didn’t marry a

wrong person for wife; I married bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh. My Queen is God’s choice for my life.”

Dynamics of the throne A Christian sitting on the throne is not without some muscle flexing between light and darkness. Is Oba Olanite eating his cake and having it?

“Wisdom, the Bible says, is the principal thing. Therefore, get wisdom; and all thy getting, get understanding.” He quoted.

“The initial challenge came from my relationship with traditional religionists. Being a Pastor coming on board, I told them from the beginning that Christianity is my faith. I know what God has done CONTINUED ON PAGE 19 Mount-of-Salvation-Imeko

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, May 15, 2015

19 Features

Oba Olanite: Yes, I do speak in tongues inside the shrines CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18

in my life so I cannot denounce my faith because of my ancestral throne.

“I coordinate the activities of religious worship in this town.

When they invite me for their programmes, I attend as father to all, whether Muslims, Traditional religionists or Christians. During their traditional ceremonies, their observers pay homage to me in my palace and I welcome them.

The Bible says we should be hospitable to all men and accepting all that visit us. I take them as visitors and entertain them as such.

For them to leave their shrines, Mosques and different homes to visit me is an honour and I reciprocate accordingly.

“Also, when Muslims invite me to their praying ground, I honour their invitation. Before I ascended the throne, when Christians invite me to Galilee, I declined due to my Pentecostal background; but now as king, when I

realised that what they are doing at Galilee is purely ecumenical connotation where many churches come together to rejoice and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, I oblige.”

The Church and his throne When news of his appointment as Onimeko of Imeko reached him, the Church did not pose a barrier. He recalled: “It was not something that happened all of a sudden. Before I was installed, I have been hearing about it, God had been revealing it to me and certain things about the town has been shown to me.

It got to a point that one of the Chiefs had to invite me to the late Oba’s Palace for discussions, but I refused.

“The first time a Pastor gave me a revelation of the throne was in 2007, seven years before the sitting Monarch passed on.

“In that revelation, the Pastor said he saw me go into the palace of the Monarch when he died, and I packed all the royal items to our own house. He said I carried the Oba seat and took all to my father’s compound, which is one of the ruling houses.

He said he challenged me in the revelation and I ignored him and continued packing them till he woke up. He told me that I might become the next Oba of Imeko.

“Initially when he told me, my response was that I was not interested in the throne because I was a Pastor. So eventually when the Monarch died, all members of the community came to meet me requesting that I become the next Monarch, then I remembered all that I have been told earlier.

“The Muslim community came to me; all other members of the community came requesting that I ascend the throne. So my Church prayed about it because they already had a revelation con-

cerning my enthronement and that was it.”

What impact is his doctrine learning from his reign?

“My motto is, Service to God is Service to Humanity. Many people claim that they serve God, but in actual fact, no man can serve God, it is God that serves us; when you want to sleep at night, you will pray that God protect and watch over you till day break, so who is serving each other, the One watching or the one sleeping? Until we render service to fellow humans, we have not served God. It is by serving fellow humans that we are serving God. “As for the throne, I see my being on this throne as a continuation of my pastoral ministry, but a wider Church because it gave me the opportunity to serve the people and it is on this that I will give account to my Creator on the last day. So as I serve my people.

I am ministering as a Pastor and

serving my God.” Of rites and rituals “Well, Wisdom has helped to cope. When we enter into the shrines, I cannot refuse that, they pray in their various religions; then when it is my turn, I do so in the name of Jesus Christ, the only name through which my prayers are answered. The Chief Priest observes his own prayers and I do my own, he prays in the name he knows, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ.”

Of speaking in tongues even at the shrines, the Oba said: “I do speak in tongues inside the shrines; that is a heavenly language and the only language that I know, God who has a purpose for all He does, placed me here and He has been seeing me through.

Speaking in tongues is part of my ways of communicating with CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

NIPOST: Technological advancement has changed many things – Papa Ajasco CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18

member. Ah, no. I don’t see the relevance of letter writing in this age anymore.”

Mrs Victoria EphraimUmoette, Ikot-Ekpene, Akwa-Ibom State “Ah!” she sighed, “That was when I was in secondary school, about 1993 to 1995; but I bought a stamp recently. I used it for my transcript.”

Veteran actress and MD, Lufodo Productions, Joke Silva feels it still serves its purpose.

“Well nowadays, what do we do? Either someone delivers a letter to your house, or e-mails it. Even if you’re going to use the post, you’re likely to use any of these courier services rather than resort to the conventional post. But if you’re talking about its relevance, it obviously is for now, because people are still using it. I think all over the world you still find that post offices still exist.

Richard Ayoyinka (Papa Ajasco) Actor/theatre artiste “I last posted a letter when I was in junior high school. I am not a love letter kind of person, you understand; but I remember

those days I did write letters, but not a love letter. I wrote to a brother of mine.

“I don’t think NIPOST is still relevant, but come to think of it again, people still post letters, so they could still be relevant to those who have need to write long letters.

“You see, technological advancement has changed many things. We use to hear of penfriends or pen pals before, but that time is gone; now what we have is text-friends, fax messages, face book and all that.”

We are very relevant An impeccable source at the office of the Post Master General of NIPOST who spoke off record stoutly defended the relevance and indispensability of the Nigerian Postal Services.

“Right now we’re doing sensitization of our services to the public. Any product you buy up to N1,000, the seller is required to issue a receipt, affix a stamp of N50 and charge it to the customer. It’s a law that has been in existence for ages, but we’re reinforcing it now.

“Presently we’re in the market because Nipost is now ICT compliant; we’re a member of the

Universal Postal Union (UPU); we’re hooking up to whatever is the current innovation, so Nipost is competing favourably with all the ICT firms.

“We have counter automation; our mails are tracked. By the time a parcel comes to our mail processing centre from abroad, the sender has already informed the owner your parcel has arrived and intimate the owner with the parcel’s tracking number. When the owner or claimer goes to the counter, they’ll use the computer to track and see where the parcel is, then they’ll tell the owner your parcel is in so and so post office, go there and sign for it.

“All the courier companies you see deliver their mails to us under what we call Bulk Mail, both individually and collectively; the banks also use our services.

Like company and banks Annual General Meetings, dividend warrants, rights issues, share certificates and the rest of them. We’re the people that deliver them to their respective destinations and the companies and the banks pay for our services.”

One would expect the volume of mails Nipost has to sort out to have reduced to the minimum with the GSM phenomenon, buy

the officer said they’re even understaffed right now.

But do people still post letters as before the GSM transformed communication globally? Certainly there should be a shortfall?

“People still post mails. They post ordinary letters, large packets, and post registered letters, express letters, etc. The volume may not be as much as before because people now use the Short Message Services (SMS) and voice calls, but every other activity is still there.”

Richard Ayoyinka (Papa Ajasco)

Now, after this spirited defence and promotion of Nipost, when last did this executive write a letter, affixed a stamp and posted it out?

“Well, I won’t lie. I have no need to write a letter for now, but whenever the need arises, of course I will do so.

“So far I communicate with my people worldwide on the telephone and we use the internet a lot, but that is not saying I will not use the postal services whenever I need to.”

Features 20

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, May 15, 2015

Oba Olanite: No man can serve God; it is God that serves CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

God, so if they reject that, they reject my God and I have no reason to continue with them, but as God is the Head even of Principalities and Powers, they accommodate my religion and practice.”

Imeko kingdom “Before Ogun State was created, even before the old Western Region was created, the people of today’s Imeko were living at a place called Ahoro-Ile in the neighborhood of Odo Isu. They were scattered all over the places before converging at that place due to the prevalent intertribal wars of those days.

There was a woman who sold pap (eko), at that place and dwelt there with her husband. This place served as a junction where people traveling from Ile Ife to Ketu stopped over to drink pap from this woman. That is why the usual slogan was, ‘let’s meet at

Imeko’ (The joint where we drink pap).

Every kingdom has a history and every crown its own history.

Of Imeko kingdom, Oba Olanite delved into the records of his ancestors.

“Imeko is an offshoot of Ketuland and Ketu is one of the children of Oduduwa from Ile Ife. This town is made up of two major clans; those from Alaketu and the other from Aafin Oyo. Incidentally, both clans emanate from Ile Ife. These two clans are the ruling houses in Imeko to date. As for me, my mother is from Aafin Oyo while my father is from Alaketu.

The Ketu settlers form Agbote which happens to be my paternal side, the late Oba happens to be my mother’s cousin, so the kingship is normally rotated between the two ruling houses.

History of the crown “The first crown won here was from Ile Ife, and it was obtained

through the leadership and authority of Alaketu. Imeko used to be a territory of Ketuland, but Ketu is now in the Republic of Benin before the encroachment of the colonial masters that came to partition Africa as it is today.

There are other Yoruba major towns like Isabe, Popo (also in Republic of Benin).

“So Imeko, Ijoun, Idofa, Iwoye, Ilara, Igua, Iselu, Ilobi, Oja Odan and few others were carved into Nigeria. You will see why our relationship with Alaketu is deeper and more cordial than to Alafin and Ile Ife, but we take are cognizance of the fact that we are Yoruba people, children of Oduduwa. So in essence, Imeko has dual international relationship with Nigeria and the Republic of Benin.”

Of his personal relationship with his subjects, the young Oba grinned: “As William Shakespeare said, “Uneasy lies the head that wears

the crown,” that adage is just true of an axiom that cannot be denied.

“The people see an Oba as a small god that can solve many people’s problems. It may be different in more urban cities, but in developing communities like

this, the Oba bears the burden of the community. When there is an emergency, they don’t go to the police, they come to the palace. They see the Oba as being richer, so a lot of demand is placed on his neck and I am trusting God that he will see me through.”

Ogun map

JUST HUMAN

9.45 a.m. Coca Cola Junction, Ikeja, Lagos

PHOTO BY GCS

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, May 15, 2015

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Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, May 14, 2015

Today in History Æ s Compiled by ‘Tunji Okegbola

Cartoons from our Archives

1896 Tornado decimates Texas town A particularly intense tornado hit Sherman, Texas, on this day in 1896, and kills 73 people. It is estimated that the tornado was a rare F5 tornado, in which winds exceeded 260 miles per hour. Storms of that strength happen, on average, less than once a year.

The strength of tornadoes is measured on the Fujita Scale, named after University of Chicago physicist Tetsuya Theodore Fujita. He was the first scientist to devote extensive study to tornadoes and how they operate. He discovered that the average tornado is 150 feet wide, travels one mile moving 40 mph in a northeasterly direction and tends to pick up strength the longer it lasts.

Fujita found that only 30 percent of twisters reach winds above 112

1937

miles per hour. The strongest tornadoes–ones that cause complete destruction on the ground, even to steel-reinforced structures–are designated as F5 on the scale designed by Fujita and only occur in North America. There were 94 recorded F5 tornadoes in the 20th century.

The tornado that hit Sherman on May 15 is considered an F5 because of the complete and utter destruction it caused. Most of the homes it demolished were totally razed–there was hardly a trace left of them when the twister passed. The Houston Street Bridge in Sherman was smashed and brought down by the tornado.

The trunk lid from a car in Sherman ended up 35 miles away. Sixty people, including whole families, perished in the town that day

Madeleine Albright is born

On this day in 1937, Madeleine Albright, America’s first female secretary of state, was born Maria Jana Korbelova in Prague, Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic).

The daughter of Czech diplomat Josef Korbel, Albright fled to England with her family after the Nazis occupied Czechoslovakia in 1939. Though Albright long believed they had fled for political reasons, she learned as an adult that her family was Jewish and that three of her grandparents had died in Nazi concentration camps. The family returned home after World War II ended but immigrated to the United States in 1948 after a Soviet-sponsored Communist coup seized power in Prague.

Josef Korbel became dean of the school of international relations at the University of Denver (where he would later train another female secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice).

After graduating from Wellesley College in 1959, Albright married Joseph Medill Patterson Albright of the prominent Medill newspaperpublishing family. With an MA

and PhD from Columbia University under her belt, Albright headed to Washington, D.C., where she worked for Maine’s Senator Edmund S. Muskie and served on the National Security Council in the administration of President Jimmy Carter. She and Joseph Albright divorced in 1982. During the Republican presidencies of Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, Albright worked for several nonprofit organizations and taught at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.

With a Democrat–Bill Clinton–in the White House again in 1992, Albright found herself at the center of Washington’s most powerful circle. In 1993, Clinton appointed her ambassador to the United Nations.

In that post, Albright earned a reputation as a straight-talking defender of American interests and an advocate for an increased role for the U.S. in U.N. operations. In late 1996, Clinton nominated Albright to succeed Warren Christopher as U.S. secretary of state. After her nomination was unanimously confirmed by the Senate, she was sworn in on January 23, 1997.

Daily Times May 13, 1961

1941 First Allied jet flies On May 15, 1941, the jet-propelled Gloster-Whittle E 28/39 aircraft flew successfully over Cranwell, England, in the first test of an Allied aircraft using jet propulsion. The aircraft’s turbojet engine, which produced a powerful thrust of hot air, was devised by Frank Whittle, an English aviation engineer and pilot generally regarded as the father of the jet engine.

Whittle, born in Coventry in 1907, was the son of a mechanic.

At the age of 16, he joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) as an aircraft apprentice at Cranwell and in 1926 passed a medical exam to become a pilot and joined the RAF College. He won a reputation as a daredevil flier and in 1928 wrote a senior thesis entitled Future Developments in Aircraft Design, which discussed the possibilities of rocket propulsion.

From the first Wright brothers flight in 1903 to the first jet flight in 1939, most airplanes were propeller driven. In 1910, the French inventor Henri Coanda built a jetpropelled bi-plane, but it crashed

on its maiden flight and never flew again. Coanda’s aircraft attracted little notice, and engineers stuck with propeller technology; even though they realized early on that propellers would never overcome certain inherent limitations, especially in regard to speed.

After graduating from the RAF college, Whittle was posted to a fighter squadron, and in his spare time he worked out the essentials of the modern turbojet engine. A flying instructor, impressed with his propulsion ideas, introduced him to the Air Ministry and a private turbine engineering firm, but both ridiculed Whittle’s ideas as impractical. In 1930, he patented his jet engine concept and in 1936 formed the company Power Jets Ltd. to build and test his invention. In 1937, he tested his first jet engine on the ground. He still received only limited funding and support, and on August 27, 1939, the German Heinkel He 178, designed by Hans Joachim Pabst von Ohain, made the first jet flight in history. The German prototype jet was developed independently

of Whittle’s efforts.

One week after the flight of the He 178, World War II broke out in Europe, and Whittle’s project got a further lease of life. The Air Ministry commissioned a new jet engine from Power Jets and asked the Gloster Aircraft Company to build an experimental aircraft to accommodate it, specified as E 28/39. On May 15, 1941, the jet-propelled Gloster-Whittle E 28/39 flew, beating out a jet prototype being developed by the same British turbine company that earlier balked at his ideas.

In its initial tests, Whittle’s aircraft–flown by the test pilot Gerry Sayer–achieved a top speed of 370 mph at 25,000 feet, faster than the Spitfire or any other conventional propeller-driven machine.

As the Gloster Aircraft Company worked on an operational turbojet aircraft for combat, Whittle aided the Americans in their successful development of a jet prototype. With Whittle’s blessing, the British government took over Power Jets Ltd. in 1944. By this time, Britain’s Gloster Meteor jet aircraft were in service with the RAF, going up against Germany’s jet-powered Messerschmitt Me 262s in the skies over Europe.

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, May 15, 2015

23 News

Minority Nigerians want Akume as Senate president Mathew Dadiya Abuja

ÏÏÏ

L-R: Guest Speaker and Vice Chancellor, McPherson University, Prof. Adeniyi Agunbiade; his wife, Jokotade; Chaiman, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (retd.); General Overseer, Foursquare Church in Nigeria, Reverend Felix Meduoye; his wife, Reverend (Mrs.) Bisi, and Royal Father of the Day, His Royal Majesty, Ogiame Atuwatse II, Olu of Warri, during the first Diamond Jubilee Lecture of the Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria, at the National Headquarters of the church, in Yaba, Lagos… on Thursday.

A socio-cultural group, under the auspices of Swing Nationalities of Nigeria (an umbrella body of all minorities in Nigeria), has called on the 8th National Assembly members to, as a matter of equity and justice, allow the minority ethnic group in the north central zone to produce the next Senate President.

This is to to give the region a sense of belonging, in the Nigerian project of the in-coming administration of the All Progres-

Factional Rivers NLC plans to down tools May 22

Awka youths in mock burial of commissioner

Nkiru Nwagbo Awka

ÏÏÏAwka,

the capital of Anambra State, was in chaos on Thursday, when the youths of the town and community leaders organised what could be described as a mock burial for the Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development.

The over 200 protesters, who marched to the state Secretariat, were led by the chairman of 20 villages in Ezinano, Comrade Obi Ochije and Rev. Ifeanyi Victor Nebe.

They carried a coffin and moved round the entire community before moving to the secretariat, chanting war

songs as they carried placards.

Some of these placards read: “remove all former governor Peter Obi’s men", "Awka and Aguleri are brothers”, “Rock land must leave Awka”, among others.

The protesters alleged that the commissioner had taken about 70 plots of Awka land without paying compensation.

Speaking at the secretariat while addressing the Head of Service (HOS), Rev. Ifeanyi Victor Nebe, Special Adviser on Lands to the community and consultant on Awka lands, said the community had petitioned the government severally on the issue to no avail.

He listed some of the areas the community conceded its lands to the government as the secretariat, Governor’s Lodge, teaching hospital, state police command, Department of State Securities (D S S), prisons, high court, among others.

Nebe said though the government owned every land, that forceful acquisition of land by individuals, especially government officials, had not taken such dimension anywhere in the country the way it was in Awka.

Furthermore, the community alleged that over 70 hectares of their land had been acquired by individuals with impunity.

Ochije demanded that

Rock Land Investment Company should not step into any land in Awka from now.

He pleaded with the state Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, to urgently intervene in the matter before it turned to bloodshed in the land.

Again, he said they would mourn the commissioner for seven days as Awka customs and tradition demand, while the men would not touch their wives and would be on hunger strike within the period.

However, addressing the protesters, the HOS, Chidi Ezeoke, told them that their demands would be quickly forwarded to Obianor, who had not been in the state for some days.

Cattle rustlers cart away 100 cows in Adamawa Wale Akintunde Yola

ÏÏÏ Osun

Cattle rustlers have carted away about 100 cattle from the farm of one Chief Kobis Ari Thimnu, immediate past secretary to the Adamawa State government.

Facts emerged from Guyuk town in Guyuk Lo-

cal Government Area that the rustlers killed one of the herdsmen, while another was injured and later shackled.

Attempts are being made to arrest the rustlers.

According to an official of the local government information department, a report to that effect had been lodged with the police,

who are investigating the matter.

When contacted on phone, Thimnu (Katuka Adamawa) said he was away in Abuja, but confirmed the story.

Police spokesman, Mr. Abubakar Othman, confirmed the story, but said figures available to them showed 36 cattle missing.

Gov. Ngilari

sives Congress (APC) led

by General Muhammadu Buhari.

The National Co-ordinator of the group, Mr. Tarsoo Ade, at a press conference on Thurdsay in Abuja, said that there was a need to get a credible senator to man the seat, and that Sen. Akume was the most eligible for the position, given his political experience.

He insisted that Akume, as Senate Minority Leader, in the 7th Assembly, gave the opposition a voice, adding that it was only natural that he emerged as Senate president.

Amaechi

Faith Faithful Port Harcourt

ÏÏÏ The factional Nigeria

Labour Congress (NLC),

Rivers State chapter, has said that it would down tools if workers’ salaries were not paid up to date by Thursday, May 22, 2015.

The faction's chairperson, Mrs. Beatrice Etubo, said in Port Harcourt, that workers salaries and allowances should be paid so that they could send their children to school.

She appealed for a decent wage for workers before Governor Rotimi Amaechi leaves office.

Kwara ADC guber candidate seeks cancellation of poll result Kehinde Akinpelu Ilorin

ÏÏÏThe governorship can-

didate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), in Kwara State, during the last general elections, Comrade Abubakar Abdulraheem, has petitioned the state election tribunal, seeking the nullification of the April 11 governorship election.

The ADC governorship candidate, who said in the petition with serial number Gov/EPI/IL/I/15, that he and his party were duly nominated for the governorship election, contend-

ed that the exclusion of his name and that of his party from ballot papers in the election was illegal, null and void.

The ADC and its governorship candidate had petitioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Resident Electoral Commissioner, All Progressives Congress (APC) and the state governor, praying the tribunal for an order setting aside the declaration of the APC and return of Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed as the winner of the state governorship election.

News 24

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, May 15, 2015

Senate approves over N299bn NDDC budget Sunday Isuwa Abuja

ÏÏÏ The Senate on Thurs-

day, passed a N299, 526, 463, 156.12 budget proposal for Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for the 2015 fiscal year.

The budget breakdown shows that N271, 089, 998, 023 billion is earmarked for project (development) expenditure; N16, 133, 377, 133.00 for personnel expenditure; N10, 423,319,000.00 billion for overhead and N1, 879,769,000.12 billion for capital expenditure.

According to the Senate

Committee on Niger Delta, the budget will be financed from a projected revenue of N300.1 billion, drawn from N160 billion contribution from oil companies; N70 billion provision from the federal government; N40 billion ecological funds; N20 billion unpaid arrears by the federal government; N10 billion as revenue brought forward and N100 million internally generated revenue.

In its presentation, the Committee Chairman, James Manager (PDP Delta South), said the commit-

tee considered the federal government proposals and observed that non-project expenditure, which comprised, overheads and the internal capital totaling N28.4 billion, represent 9.5 per cent of the total proposed budget for the year as against 8.43 per cent proposed in 2014.

He added that the N271.089 billion approved as project development, represents N90.5 per cent of the total proposed budget as against the 91.46 per cent proposed in 2014.

He said: "It is pertinent to

mention that due to the peculiar nature of the NDDC budget, the committee finds it necessary to separate the capital, meant for use internally by the commission from capital budget meant for project development".

The committee, which said the budget should be operative from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2015, also advised the Senate to relentlessly pursue the proper calculation and release of 15 per cent statutory contribution of the federal government for the funding of NDDC.

How Grandpa, 70, defiled minor - witness Titilope Joseph

ÏÏÏ An Ikeja High Court, presided over by Justice Atinuke Ipaye, was on Thursday told how a 70-year-old man, Tajudeen Shoneye, allegedly abused an 8-year-old girl sexually.

The septuagenarian was arraigned on May 13th, 2015, on one-count charge of 'defilement', contrary to Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

He was alleged to have committed the offence on June 15, 2013.

At Thursrday's trial, the

NANS shuts down FCT offices Idu Jude Abuja

ÏÏÏ The National Associa-

A cross section of Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, Lagos Chapter protesting over alleged plan to sack 1000 workers held in Lagos… on Thursday Photo: TAOFEEK BABAJIDE

Declaration of assets: Code of Conduct Bureau educates Ondo lawmakers-elect 'Tosin Ajuwon Akure

ÏÏÏ

Newly elected lawmakers into the Ondo State House of Assembly have been given an orientation on the need to declare their assets before the State Code of Conduct Bureau.

The orientation was conducted on Thursday, at a One-Day seminar, organised for the Members-elect of the State House of Assembly by The Code of Conduct Bureau, held in Akure,

the state capital.

Speaking at the event, the Ondo State Director of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), Mr. Akinola Aramide-Atolagbe said the code was to regulate the actions and behaviour of public officers while holding public office.

Aramide-Atolagbe added that the code of conduct, is a good instrument for entrenching public morality and accountability in government business, with strong personal philosophy,

to ensure the right thing is done.

He disclosed that the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Law, which is contained in the section 18 of the fifth schedule of the law, has penalties if any of its provisions were contravened, stressing that it cannot be set aside by prerogative of mercy.

"The code of conduct for public officers is a condition precedent for any elected public office holder as contained in the oath

of office, and as such, a breach of the code, renders such an officer unworthy of continuing in public office", he said.

Mimiko

tion of Nigerian Students (NANS), on Thursday, barricaded the entrance of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, demanding for the payment of their unpaid welfare packages within the FCT Educational

prosecution witness, Dr Edem Duke, a consultant Pediatrician with the Lagos State government hospital, under examination by the prosecution counsel, Akin George, told the court that in 2013, the victim was brought to the hospital for medical check-up.

“In 2013, I was with Gbagada General Hospital but have been very familiar with children, working as Pediatrician for over 10years,"she said.

She added: "In June 2013, a little girl was brought to the hospital. She was eight years old. It was in the evening and she came with two female adults. The women with her said they were her teachers in the school and they were worried with the way she was always withdrawn to herself. When she arrived, she was limping as she was walking. That was on June 18, 2013.” system.

The protest, which took the intervention of the FCT Police Commissioner, Mr. Wilson Inalegu, to calm frayed nerves, however, caused several hours of total break down of activities and the denial of vehicles of staffers and visitors into the premises.

Speaking to newsmen on their grievances, the leader of the group, Comrade Friday Adayi, explained that, in much as the minister has shut his door behind the students after several promises, they had come to also shut the business of his administration as the last resort.

How I lost my re-election bid - Edo Dep Speaker Titus Akhigbe Benin

ÏÏÏThe suspended deputy

speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Mr. Festus Ebea, has attributed his failure to retain his seat in the next House of Assembly as a result of his betrayal by some politicians he had fought.

He denied the insinuation that the polls in his constituency was free and fair while painting a graphic picture of irregularities that was perpetrated at the polls.

"We've had an election that for now people are praising that it was free and fair. But as an active participant, I will say that the election was fraught with many irregularities.

"I do believe that Nigerians do want change as they claimed, but whatever happened in the last election, it is not something that people will know now, until probably after the inauguration, when you'll begin to hear tales of what really happened at the elections generally. I am not making any exception”, he added.

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, May 15, 2015

Be independent in choice of leadership, Ita-Giwa tells 8th NASS Ugochukwu Onyeocha

Ă?Ă?Ă?Former

presidential adviser on National Assembly Matters, Senator Florence Ita Giwa, has called on the 8th National Assembly to be independent minded in their choice of leadership.

This admonition may not be unconnected to her wealth of experience as a lawmaker and as one who served two former presidents as liaison officer and special adviser between the executive and the legislators, a period that witnessed positive and dynamic synergy between the two arms of government.

In a statement made available to newsmen on Thursday, Ita Giwa underscored the need for cordiality between the legislators, its leadership, and the executive, in other to strengthen democracy and the rule of law.

She opined that irrespective of the different political leanings of the lawmakers, they should ensure that they worked together as an entity,

without undermining the dignity of the institution.

She added that the 8th National Assembly have to hit the ground running and do the right thing and avoid distractions and unnecessary altercations with the executive arm in other to legislate excellently for the nation.

The statement reads in parts: “I urge the 8th National Assembly that will be inaugurated on June 4 to be independent minded. They should put the nation first ahead of their personal interests. “This should be reflected in their choice of leadership. The upper and lower house are symbols of pride and dignity. Nigerians look forward to them to make people oriented laws and to partner seamlessly with the executive arm of government. “Inasmuch as they are under obligation to provide check and balances and carry out other functions, there should be cordial relationship between them,� the statement added.

My campaign promises are top priority - Rep-elect Kwasu Alhamdu

Ă?Ă?Ă?The House of Repre-

sentatives member-elect in Ojo Federal Constituency, Tajudeen Adekunle Obasa, on Thursday, said that the fulfilment of his campaign promises would be his priority at the lower legislative chamber.

Obasa, who won the election under the platform of the Peoples Democractic Party (PDP), told Daily Times that he would focus his attention towards delivering on his campaign promises, when the 8th National Assembly members are inaugurated on June 2.

He said: “My people voted for me because they have confidence in me, and I’ll not disappoint them. I’ll try my best to deliver my cam-

paign promises, because that’s the main reason why they voted for me.�

Obasa also solicited the prayers and support of his constituents saying, it will be his strength as he embarks on the national assignment.

The elected representative expressed weariness that his party, PDP, which had been managing the affairs of the country in the last 16 years, will now be throwing brick bats over electoral loss. “Even though it is normal in politics, and it has happened to almost all big political parties in the world, we will go back to the trenches and adopt new strategy to win presidential election, come 2019. PDP will bounce back� Obasa said.

Bishop blames politicians on escalation of Taraba crisis Okerafor Athanatius

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Bishop of Jalingo Diocese, Most Rev. Charles Hammawa, on Thursday, shifted the blame of the continued crisis in Taraba State to the doorstep of elected politicians.

Hammawa, who stated this in an exclusive interview with Daily Times, described as unfortunate the continued killings in parts of the state for some time now which, according to him, had not occupied the minds of elected leaders of the state at national and state levels. “I don’t know what our elected leaders were doing during the crisis in the state that killed many and send thousands packing in central and southern parts of the state. Our elected leaders have been quiet for too long. “Today, crisis has crippled economic activities in many parts of the state and nobody is talking about it, not even our House of Assembly members in the state,� he said.

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I didn’t say I won’t work with Buhari – Kuku

Kuku

Ă?Ă?Ă?Special Adviser to the

President on Niger Delta and Chairman, Presidential Amnesty Programme, Kingsley Kuku, has denied saying that he would leave with President Goodluck Jonathan, rather than work

with the President-elect, Gen Muhammadu Buhari (retd), as credited to him on some social media portals.

In a press release by the Head, Media and Communications of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, it was noted that in the said report, it was insinuated through the headline that the outgoing presidential adviser said: “I’ll leave with Jonathan, rather than work with Buhari.�

According to him, there was no quote in the body of the report to corroborate the headline.

He declared that what Kuku said was twisted out

of context, for purposes that can be adduced to mischief and unprofessionalism on the part of those behind it.

The release further stated: “For purposes of clarity, the presidential aide never said or insinuated that he would not work with the incoming administration of General Muhammadu Buhari. “Rather, the chairman wishes to disappoint (those plotting against him), as he is not interested in continuing in that office, more so, as his boss, President Jonathan, is leaving office on May 29, 2015. As the President is returning to Otuoke in Bayelsa State, Kuku is also going back to Arogbo,

his Ijaw community in Ondo State. “It is, therefore, a statement of fact that with end of the tenure of his appointor, President Goodluck Jonathan, on May 29, 2015, Kuku had no legal basis to remain in office. This is in conformity with his letter of appointment. It is not about the individual but the office he occupies. “This does not also translate to Hon. Kuku rejecting a call to national service under a new administration as being insinuated. The intention is to portray him as being confrontational and hostile towards the incoming government,� it added.

News 26

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, May 15, 2015

Middle-aged man found hanged in Ebonyi

WCD: Pope tasks media on promotion of human dignity

Jacob Mbam Abakaliki

ÏÏÏTragedy

struck on Thursday, as residents of Isuokoma Street, behind Abakaliki High School, Old Enugu Road, in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, woke up to discover a decomposing corpse of a middle-aged man hanging on a tree.

The Identity of the decaesed, according to an eye witness, Kingsley Okeh, which attracted the attention of passers-by and students of the Abakaliki High School, could not be ascertained.

Val Okara Owerri

ÏÏÏPope Francis has urged the

Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr Mike Omeri (right)presenting Citizens Responsibility Recognition Award to the airport cleaner, Ms Josephine Ugwu, who returned N12 million found at the Lagos Airport toilet in Lagos... on Thursday

FG rewards airport worker who returned found N12m Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo

ÏÏÏThe Akpatason

NLC crisis, setback for workers, says Akpatason Titus Akhigbe Benin

ÏÏÏHon. Peter Akpatason, the

member representing AkokoEdo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, has described the crisis rocking the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), as a setback.

He was of the opinion that the fallout of the crisis would have a negative effect on the fortune of workers.

A former labour leader, Akpatason told newsmen that: “The crisis currently rocking the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, is quite unhealthy. It has affected the unity of the workers and, as we all know, the strength of the labour union is its unity.

“The division in the labour union is not only detrimental to the workers, but to the nation as well. When there is crisis in the labour union, the employers shortchange workers and the multiplier effect is noticeable in the home-front.”

Director General of National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr, Mike Omeri, on Thursday, presented the airport cleaner, Ms. Josephine Ugwu, who returned N12 million found at the Lagos Airport toilet, with Citizens Responsibility Recognition award for her honesty.

Ugwu is a cleaner with a concessionaire with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Patovilki Industrial Cleaning.

Omeri said government was honouring her for doing the right thing; a conduct he said was in line with the new slogan of the

agency.

He said Ugwu had redeemed the image of the country, which had been tainted by the conduct of a few Nigerians.

Omeri said the agency would not relent in rewarding Nigerians who exhibit such honest conduct in the discharge of their duties.

He urged airport staff to continue to display such exemplary conduct which is the traditional way of life of Nigerians.

He said the airport cleaner had joined the league of other honest Nigerians including Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola of Lagos State, who was rewarded for apprehending a traffic offender.

He said other Nigerians, includ-

ing a cab operator, in Abuja, who had returned money in the past, had been rewarded with the Citizen’s Responsibility Recognition award.

Omeri said: “The Federal Government through the National Orientation Agency decided to honour the airport cleaner as a way of rewarding honesty and transparency.

“This recognition is in line with our slogan to Nigerians to do the right thing .Showing good example is part of the good values that Nigerians should emulate.

Three years ago we gave similar recognition of honour to other Nigerians that have exhibited honesty.

Abuja community gives AEDC 3-day ultimatum to reverse huge bills Akor Ejumene Abuja

ÏÏÏResidents of Dutsen Alhaji

and Sokale, in Bwari Local Government Council Area, in Federal Capital Territory, have given the authority of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) a three-day ultimatum to cut down what they described as outrageous electricity bills or face action that would have negative effect on the operations of the company.

The residents, under the umbrella of Dutse/Sokale Com-

munity Concern Group, has already directed its members not to pay the bills unless the company reverses.

The group, in what it termed a warning protest, on Monday, stormed the streets, protesting against the increase.

The chairman of the group, Mr. James Amosu, said: “Why will AEDC suddenly increase electricity bill, when we don’t even have light for close to four hours a day. Now, those who have been paying N2, 000 monthly, for electricity, are now paying over N6, 000, even when power supply is not constant. This is

not acceptable, and that is why we are protesting.”

He urged all the residents who received the outrageous bill not to pay pending the outcome of the meeting of the concerned residents slated for Saturday this week at the LGA primary school Dutsen Alhaji.

Amosu expressed worry that Nigerian workers were paying much on electricity bill and fuel, even when their salaries were very low, urging the in-coming administration, led by Gen. Muhammandu Buhari, to develop a progamme that would ameliorate the sufferings of the people.

Christian community to assist parents in teaching their children how to survive in a media environment, with human dignity and in service of common good.

In his message for the 49th World Communication Day, with the theme: ‘Growing and Uniting the Family Through Loving Communication’, the Catholic pontiff observed that the modern media, which were an essential part of life for young people, could be both a help and a hindrance to communication in families.

He said: “The media can be a hindrance, if they become a way to avoid listening to others, to evade physical contact, to fill up every moment of silence and rest, so that we forget that silence is an integral element of communication.”

IGP’s crack squad arrests 56 Cult leaders in Edo ÏÏÏThe crack squad set up by

the Inspector General of Police, IGP Solomon Arase has arrested a total of 56 suspected vicious cultists linked to the recent cult related violence in the Edo state.

The squad was recently constituted by the IGP following the resurgence of cult activities by highly-organized groups in the state.

Force Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Ojukwu who disclosed this in a statement yesterday said the suspects are currently undergoing interrogation.

According to him, the Special Crack Squad designated for the assignment, had on Tuesday through vigorous intelligence, arrested 11 highly placed persons from different locations of the state who are ring leaders of cult groups linked to recent cult related killings in the state.

The IGP reiterated that no criminal will be spared, no matter how highly placed.

The Police expressed gratitude for the collaborative efforts of the public, particularly in Edo State on the achievement made so far by the squad.

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, May 15, 2015

27 Public Notice

THE WORD AND PRAYER EVANGELICAL CHOSEN CHURCH

CHRIST MILLENIUM DISCIPLES MINISTRY

JOSEPHINE OGOCHUKWU BAJEWOLU

The general public is hereby notified that the above named church has applied to the corporate affairs commission Abuja for registration under the part c of the companies and allied matters act 1990.

The general public is hereby notified that the above named ministry has applied to the corporate affairs commission Abuja for registration under the part c of the companies and allied matters act 1990.

The Trustees Are: 1. Pastor Olumorin Oluranti Samuel 2. Pastor (Mrs.) Olumorin Esther Bukola 3. Pastor Ajayi Kehinde 4. Pastor Popoola Ebenezer Adekunle.

The Trustees Are: 1. Dr. David Olusegun Iyiola 2. Deaconess Deborah Oluwakemi Iyiola 3. Elder Soji Akindipe 4. Elder Adegoke Awogbade 5. Miss Oluwatosin Adeola Iyiola

I formally know and addressed as Miss Josephine Ogochukwu Osike, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Josephine Ogochukwu Bajewolu. All former documents bearing my former name remain valid. The General public should take note.

I formerly known as Miss Felix Abolanle Caroline, now wish to be known as Miss Felix Abolanle Oluwakemi. All former documents remain valid. Local Government Service Commission and the general public note for all former documents remain valid.

OLUSOLA HABEEBA ALADE

VICTORIA ABIGEAL ADETOKUNBO

I, formerly known and addressed as Mrs. Olusola Habeeba Haastrup, now wishes to be known and addressed as Ms. Olusola Habeeba Alade. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Victoria Abigeal Sylvester, now wishes to be known and addressed as Mrs. Victoria Abigeal Adetokunbo. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

Aims and Objectives: To preach the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar general corporate affairs commission, plot 420 Tigris crescent, off aguiyi ironsi street, maitama Abuja within 28days from the date of this publication.

Signed: Trustees.

SAVIOUR MIRACLE DELIVERANCE MINISTRY

21, Mede Road, off Temidire, Ajegunle Ogosa, Ogun State.

Notice is hereby given to the general public that the above named ministry has applied for registration under Companies and Allied Matters Act, LFN 2004.

The Trustees are: 1. Pastor Umeh Lilian Uzoamaka - Chairman 2. Mr. Umeh Benjamin Okafor - Vice Chairman 3. Mr. Hedonukun Sunday Vincent - Secretary Aims and Objectives: 1. To preach the gospel of peace to all nations.

2. To gain souls for Christ 3. To Worship the lord God in Spirit and in Truth.

4. To have branches wherever converts are made, so as to mature them a disciples of Christ.

5. To conduct and perform the ministry ordinances of Baptism, Holy Communion, Marriages, Child naming, Dedication, Camp meeting, House fellowship and organize crusade using internet and television for the propagation of gospel.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar general corporate affairs commission, plot 420 Tigris crescent, off aguiyi ironsi street, maitama Abuja within 28days from the date of this publication.

Signed: Mr. Hedonukun Sunday Vincent Secretary (Board of Trustees)

FISH FARMERS ASSOCIATION OF RIVERS SOUTH EAST

Aims and Objectives: To preach the gospel of Jesus Christ Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar general corporate affairs commission, plot 420 Tigris crescent, off aguiyi ironsi street, maitama Abuja within 28days from the date of this publication.

Signed: Trustees.

JAMAAHA ITHAD HAABABULLAHI ISLAMIC ORGANIZATION

FELIX ABOLANLE OLUWAKEMI

RAINBOW BROTHERS SOCIAL CLUB OF NIGERIA

The general public is hereby notified that the above named organization has applied to the corporate affairs commission Abuja for registration under the part c of the companies and allied matters act 1990.

The general public is hereby notified that the above named club has applied to the corporate affairs commission Abuja for registration under the part c of the companies and allied matters act 1990.

The Trustees Are: 1. Fadilat Sheik Alhaji (Dr) Murithada Buseari.

3. Alh. Babatunde Muhammed Tajudeen Sadiku.

5. Alh. Busari Lawal Olawale.

7. Alh. Chief Khadija Seriki.

9. Mrs. Adeniyi Suliat Adenike.

The Trustees Are: 1. Johnbosco Magboh - Chairman.

2. Obinna Ozor - Secretary.

3. Chibuike Onyenegbuchi- Financial Secretary 4. Friday Abia - Assistant Secretary.

5. Sunday Nnamani - Treasurer.

2. Alh.Chief Yunus Habeeb.

4. Alh. Abdul-Fatai Dunmoye.

6. Alh. Ibrahim Adebayo.

8. Alh. Ramotalahi Adebayo.

Aims and Objectives: 1. To propagate the religion of Islam.

2. To preach against religious fanaticism.

3. To render service humanity.

Aims and Objectives: 1. To promote diversities of cultural heritage.

2. Humanitarian & social welfare.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar general corporate affairs commission, plot 420 Tigris crescent, off aguiyi ironsi street, maitama Abuja within 28days from the date of this publication.

Signed: SECRETARY

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar general corporate affairs commission, plot 420 Tigris crescent, off aguiyi ironsi street, maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.

Signed: SECRETARY

ULIMITED SIGNS AND WOUDERS OF THE CROSS GOSPEL MINISTRY

AUTHORITY POWER BIBLE CHURCH

The general public is hereby notified that the above named association has applied to the corporate affairs commission Abuja for registration under the part c of the companies and allied matters act 1990.

The general public is hereby notified that the above named ministry has applied to the corporate affairs commission Abuja for registration under the part c of the companies and allied matters act 1990.

The general public is hereby notified that the above named ministry has applied to the corporate affairs commission Abuja for registration under the part c of the companies and allied matters act 1990.

The Trustees Are: 1. Manna Pepple - (Pres.)

3. Abalubu Nwiluka Steve - (Sec.) 5. Kormah Stanley - (Fin. Sec.) 7. Johnson Nzorko - (PRO) 9. Ambrose Kpabari - (Auditor)

The Trustees Are: 1. Chukr Joseph. - President.

2. Sunday Afeso - Secretary.

3. Akinmoyewa Ebele.

4. Adams Rosemary.

The Trustees Are: 1. Rev.Dr.Aremo Ademola Sunday 3. Deacon Alabi Caleb Adeoye 5. Elderess Akinkunmi Safiat .

2. Lazarus Viteage - (Vice Pres.)

4. Felix Ehgha - (Asst. Sec.) 6. Lady Cicilia Tebirawa - (Tres.)

8. Samuel Ndeeyor - (Provost) 10. Nwizime Samuel Leba-Ade - (Welf. )

Aims and Objectives: To Preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and salvation

Aims and Objectives: To promote unity among members Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar general corporate affairs commission, plot 420 Tigris crescent, off aguiyi ironsi street, maitama Abuja within 28days from the date of this publication.

Signed: Barr. Emilia Okonji.

Legal Practitioners.

No.11 Nouakchott street,wuse zone 1 Abuja-FCT. 07033742877.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar general corporate affairs commission, plot 420 Tigris crescent, off aguiyi ironsi street, maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.

Signed: Victor Benison Momoh.

Rich+ Benison lawfirm.

Suite A46 Area 11 Shopping mall, Amodu Bello way, Garki Abuja.

Tel. 08066317649, 08127340620

GREAT ROYAL BOYS ASSOCIATION AMICHI

CLEGG GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

This is to inform the General Public that the above named association has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission, for Registration under Part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE:1. Ezikeakukwu Izuchukwu Favour - President.

2. Ibeagwa Nwachinemelu Nathan-Secretary.

3. Igbokwe Ifeanyi Celestine.

4. Obinani Azuka Emmanuel.

5. Umeofor Nnamdi Emmanuel.

6. Umezinwa Philip Nonso.

7. Ikeokwu Sunday Nzube.

8. Ibe Onyebuchi Michael.

9. Ajuluchukwu Osolu Jossy.

10. Nebolisa Paschal.

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE:To promote moral values in youths and their performance in society.

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 BY: SECRETARY

AZIZU – FALLAH AWQAF FOUNDATION The general public is hereby notified that the above named foundation has applied to the corporate affairs commission Abuja for registration under the part c of the companies and allied matters act 1990.

The Trustees Are: 1. Alh. Nasir Abdulsalam 2. Alh. Basheer Oshodi 3. Engr. Rasheed Bakare 4. Adeowo Tajudeen 5. Azeez Olawale Azeez

2. Deacon Talabi Adeoye Timothy 4. Elder Alabi Peter Ariyo .

6. Mrs Olowoselu Wunmi.

Aims and Objectives: To preach the word of eternal life to people Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar general corporate affairs commission, plot 420 Tigris crescent, off aguiyi ironsi street, maitama Abuja within 28days from the date of this publication.

Signed: Secretary

JAMES ONWUSA KNOWLEDGE PROPERGATION FOUNDATION

This is to inform the General Public that the above named Association has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission, for Registration under Part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990.

The general public is hereby notified that the above named foundation has applied to the corporate affairs commission Abuja for registration under the part c of the companies and allied matters act 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE:1. John Mmandu Udokang.

2. Adeleye Nkese Lynda.

3. Ita Iniobong Ekaete.

The Trustees Are: 1. Engr. Nwosa Joseph Ukweh Lucky.

3. Dr. Ogbuigba John Chimankpan.

5. Mr Cliff Ariaga.

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE:To see to the welfare of its students.

Aims and Objectives: To cater for the welfare of the member

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 BY: SECRETARY

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar general corporate affairs commission, plot 420 Tigris crescent, off aguiyi ironsi street, maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.

Signed: Barr Solomon.

CHRIST BELIEVERS CENTRE ITA-OSHIN The general public is hereby notified that the above named ministry has applied to the corporate affairs commission Abuja for registration under the part c of the companies and allied matters act 1990.

The Trustees Are: 1. Ibidapo Olumide Coker 2. Sunday Jacob Ajiboye 3. Adebowale Oyejola Oyeneye 4. Alexander kolawole Olugbodi 5. Olakunle Temitade Bayewu – (Presiding Elder) 6. Mrs. Yetunde Coker A. – (Secretary)

Aims and Objectives: To assist, empower the needy and help to eradicate poverty.

Aims and Objectives: 1. To preach the gospel as entrenched in and educate, inform and reform people through the canonized holy Bible.

2. To raise Christ like men who know their God and affect their generation to Christ.

3. To be forum for gathering of disciples of Jesus Christ who live as close as possible to the tenet and principles operational in the churches in the New Testament.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar general corporate affairs commission, plot 420 Tigris crescent, off aguiyi ironsi street, maitama Abuja within 28days from the date of this publication.

Signed: Trustees

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar general corporate affairs commission, plot 420 Tigris crescent, off aguiyi ironsi street, maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.

Signed: Secretary

2. Dr. Mrs Nwosa Nneka Loveth.

4. Engr. Sanusi. Saleh Yusuf.

6. Mr Onwusa Chima Azuka.

I formally know and addressed as Miss Giwa Risikat Abosede Adeyori Omodunni, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Orija Elizabeth Abosede Adeyori Omodunni. All document remain valid. Voice of Nigeria (VON) and the general public please take note.

PLACE YOUR ADVERT HERE

PLACE YOUR ADVERT HERE

PLACE YOUR ADVERT HERE

ORIJA ELIZABETH ABOSEDE ADEYORI OMODUNNI

28

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, May 15, 2015

Business Times Æ s

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

NIM lauds NSE, seeks collaboration on capacity building Adesola Akindele Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM) has commended recent progressive strides by the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), in its contribution to the development of the nation’s economy.

The top management and staff of NIM led by their President Dr. Nelson Uwaga made this known

on a visit to the NSE in Lagos.

The visit was aimed at fostering a collaboration between the two bodies.

Uwaga, the 19th President of the NIM expressed his excitement at the proposed partnership which had been in the pipeline since last year.

He praised the new Stock Exchange in its strides and achieve-

ments and expressed optimism in the collaboration which he foresees as a bridge towards further economic development. He stated that: “We have quite a lot in common, here at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), we find people who are highly intellectual and contribute to the development of this country. With the current Stock Exchange, the development

of the economy is assured.”

Sam Willie Ndata; a Doyen of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), urged the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM) to extend their tentacles of training Executives in blue chip companies to companies that are presently struggling on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

Uwaga

L-R: Permanent Secretary (MITI), Amb. Abdulkadir Musa; Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Chief Kenneth Kobani; and Polish Deputy Minister of Economy, Mr. Andrzej Dycha, during the visit of Poland delegation to the Ministry in Abuja.

Nigeria-Poland trade records 60% growth Emmanuel Ogbonnaya Trade between Nigeria and Poland has grown 60 per cent, this was disclosed by the Polish Deputy Minister for Economy, Mr. Andrzej Dycha on a visit to Nigeria’s Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Chief Kenneth Kobani in Abuja.

Kobani had pointed out that Nigeria gained trade surplus with Poland to the tune of N1,217,368,639 and N24,979,876,388 in 2011 / 2013.

The Minister said that government has made tremendous effort to open Nigeria’s economy to both local and foreign businesses to invest in all sectors of the economy adding that there is room for enhanced trade related activities through diver-

sifications and development of specific industrial parks with both countries.

“Poland had made tremendous stride over the year and Nigeria had also made giant stride. Poland represents a type of country Nigeria want to do business with. Your effort and reforms which have benefitted your citizens are desirable to be a copy for Nigeria to consolidate and achieve her dream of largest economy in the continent.”

Earlier Mr. Dycha stated that Poland is one of the fastest growing economies in European Union and fastest growing in terms of industrial production in the first quarter of this year.

“Our trade turnover exceeded $440 billion and we had achieved 60 per cent increase in trade with Nigeria. Your experience

is important to us and exchange of knowledge is germane to cooperation and development”.

Dycha stressed.

He said Nigeria is a key partner of Poland in Africa and their focus is to encourage Polish investors to invest and establish businesses in Nigeria adding that their priority is to increase trade and investment in Nigeria.

Kobani assured the Polish entourage that the Ministry being the engine room of the economy, together with its officials are ready to cooperate with their counterparts from Poland to enhance cordial relations of both countries adding that government is much interested in developing agro processing, mining, industrial city and service sectors.

Olam scales up backward integration investment on rice Emmanuel Ogbonnaya As part of efforts to develop the rice value chain and enhance a sustainable self-sufficiency government policy on rice production in the country, Olam Nigeria Limited, has announced plans to scale up its investment in the staple crop production.

General Manager, Olam Rice, Reji George disclosed that his company will by June 1,2015 commence milling of 200,000 metric tonnes of paddy rice in Doma Council, in Nassarawa,.

According to the firm, backward integration plan in the sector is expected to aid local rice production and job creation.

It would be recalled that the firm had earlier this year unveiled its locally produced rice to the Nigerian market.

Olam’s Business Head for Rice, Anil Nair had explained that the launch was designed to

meet growing local demands for the commodity as well as reduce its importation.

He explained that the launch of the commodity in Lagos was strategic since the state holds the largest market of consumers of rice.

He said, “There are lots of paddy been produced and Lagos being the biggest market in the country is having local rice coming to it. It is a sign of good things to come and we hope that two years from now, we will be able to bridge the gap. We have a milling capacity of about 800,000 tonnes in the country and we hope to help this country eliminate import completely.

On placing a total ban on the commodity, George said, “I believe it should be a gradual process. Before you ban rice or any agricultural commodity you must have to develop the local strength of rice production.

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, May 15, 2015

29 Insurance

Health insurance eases cost of quality healthcare – Dr. Balla Swamy

Swamy

Dr Balla Swamy, Managing Director of Prestige Assurance Plc, in this exclusive interview with KAYODE ADELOWOKAN, expresses concern for the high cost of health treatment in Nigeria, which can be cushioned by health insurance policies.

He maintains that ignorance among the people has been an age long problem as well as rate cutting, which is largely responsible for the inability of many insurance firms to pay claims whenever the occasion arises.

Excerpts; Rate cutting remains a deadly menace that keeps drawing back the growth of the industry, also contributing to the inability of underwriters to pay claims as at when due. How will Prestige Assurance help the industry put a stop to this menace?

You see, there is a mechanism where the premium and claim will synchronise; normally, no insurance company can do business with loses. If you are into insurance business and you encourage rate-cutting, in future, you are going to suffer loses. In a long run, a stable insurance market will be established with scientific underwriting and risk inspections that will make insurance companies stable. Similarly, the customers will get better premium rate that will be able to cover their risks, which can also be refer to as better premium risks measures.

How do you think Prestige Assurance will help deepen insurance business in Nigeria?

Prestige Assurance Plc is a

strong insurance company backed up by the government of India and this is prove that it can do well though not with spreading of wings (branches) everywhere but with vast expertise of people in the company and the strong per capital that we have, we are going to help the industry deepens the business.

With your company’s years of experience in India, what do you think Nigeria insurance industry ought to do so as to match the rest of the world?

Insurance industry in every country is slowly growing, as every country is grow, the insurance business in the country is also growing because the industry is now a global village. The Nigeria industry is now reaching to India’s standard in various angles, it may even be better in many areas also, I think it is doing far better but I think the only area where the country need to act fast is that, if it can introduce health insurance to the people because the cost health treatment in Nigeria is too high and the people need to know the true benefits in the product.

What new thing is Prestige Assurance Plc bringing to the Nigeria that you think can send other underwriters to their early bed?

Prestige Assurance Plc is a stable company with standard of best insurance practices all over the world and it is an AM Best rated company. The same practice AM Best follows, we also follow; we follow ethical practices so that the customers will be happy incase if any claim arises, there will be transparent mechanism in set-

tling the claims where the customers will be comfortable. The rates are reasonable in Prestige Assurance plc.

For how long has Prestige Assurance being in Nigeria?

We have been in Nigeria insurance business for the past 63 years.

So, what is the strength of Prestige Assurance?

Prestige Assurance Plc is a stable company; we have been committed to settling claims and customers are happy and friendly in their approach.

Although there is a sentiment that Prestige Assurance Plc is an Indian insurance company that is not true. This has not allowed the company explores its full potentials. The firm is a public listed company like every other company in the country and we are making effort to advertise our self that we are public limited company so that the growing population of brokers’ community can be fixed up by Prestige in giving service to the customers.

In the area of claim settlement, how do you assure your customers that within a short period of an event, their claims will be settle?

We already have a mechanism in place to tackle that; whenever there is an eventuality, we have our own team of surveyor from office which will have to go on inspection to access the loss that may have occurred. We have professional surveyors who will be going on monitoring on a daily basis to ensure that the claims is settle on time without any delay. We have a robust Information Technology (IT) system in place to checkmate if there is any delay in settling the claims.

What prospects are you seeing in the Nigeria market?

The entire world insurance industry is growing, in Nigeria also, insurance industry will grow because the economy is growing everywhere, here also is growing.

I am sure Nigeria will have great prospect because lots of development is taking place here and the insurance industry is part of the growing economy where the industry and the banking sector will emerge stronger.

How much was the total claims settled by Prestige in the year ended 2014?

A sum of N1.9 billion was paid in the year ended 2014 as claims for 900 cases.

L -R Mr. Olubayo Adekanmbi, Chief Marketing Officer, MTN Nigeria, Mr. Mike Ikpoki, Chief Executive Officer, MTN Nigeria and Mr. Dharnesh Gordhon, Chief Executive Officer, Nestle Plc at the 2015 MTN Golf Championship Dinner in Lagos. Photo TAOFEEK BABAJIDE

L-R; Managing Director/CEO, Nigerian Breweries (NB), Mr. Nicolaas A. Vervelde, Chairman NB, Chief Kolawole B. Jamodu, Company Secretary/Legal Adviser, Mr. Uabol Agbebaku, Non Executive Director, Mr. Thomas A. de Man, during the 69th Annual General Meeting of Nigerian Breweries in Lagos, ...on Wednesday . Photo: OLAWALE ROTIMI

L-R: CEO Stanbic IBTC Bank, Yinka Sanni; Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Mrs. Sarah Alade, CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele; CEO, Standard Bank Africa, Mr. Chris Newson; Head, Investor Services, Standard Bank, Mr. Mark Kerns and Head, Investor Services, West Africa, Standard Bank, Mr. Segun Sanni; at a dinner organized

by Standard Bank with International Investors in London recently.

L-R Mr. Tochukwu Nwosu, MD, Zeph Associates, Mr. Mike Ikpoki, Chief Executive Officer, MTN Nigeria, Mr. Mike Ojiakor, MD, Correspondence Ltd, and Mr. Richard Iweanoge, General Manager, Consumer Marketing, MTN Nigeria at the 2015 MTN Golf Championship Dinner in Lagos. Photo TAOFEEK BABAJIDE

Money 30

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, May 15, 2015

OPIC boosts PAMIGA finance, renewable energy access in rural Africa Emmanuel Ogbonnaya

Cecilia Akintomide

AfDB VPs announce agenda for 2015 summit Tony Nwakaegho The Vice-President and Secretary General of the African Development Bank, Cecilia Akintomide, and the AfDB’s Acting Vice-President and Chief Economist, Steve KayizziMugerwa have announced the agenda for bank’s 50th Annual Meeting.

The duo made the agenda known at a press conference held at the Bank’s headquarters in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire where Akintomide described this year’s event as “particularly special”, noting that on May 28, the Board of Governors will be focused on electing one out of the eight presidential candidates as the next President of the AfDB. During the 2015 Annual Meeting, the Bank will also mark its 50th anniversary. The celebrations were scheduled to be held last year, but were postponed in light of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

“We took a decision to focus our time and resources to support these countries in combating Ebola,” Akintomide said.

The Bank’s Annual Meeting bring together its shareholders, and a host of other stakeholders in its work, both African and international. They review the

performance of both the Bank and the continent, and agree to plans, positions and priorities going forward.

On his part, Steve KayizziMugerwa explained that the choice of the theme for this year’s meetings, “Africa and the New Global Landscape” was to contribute to three major global events in 2015 that bear heavily on the future of Africa.

He listed these to include: the international conference on Financing for Development, to be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in July 2015; the UN conference on Sustainable Development Goals set for September 2015 in New York; and the UN Climate Change conference (COP21) to be held in Paris, in December 2015. “Africa plays a key role in each of these events.

The Acting Chief Economist and VP also indicated that the Annual Meetings will include a series of high-level seminars, as well as Opening and Closing Ceremonies, a Financial Presentation on the Bank’s performance, and the launch of some of the Bank’s flagship publications, including the Africa Economic Outlook 2015, the Bank’s Annual Report, and its Annual Development Effectiveness Review.

The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), the U.S. Government’s development finance institution, and the Calvert Foundation Wednesday signed financing agreements to expand the lending operations of Pamiga Finance S.A. (PFSA), an impact investment company of the Participatory Microfinance Group for Africa (PAMIGA).

PAMIGA for over a decade has been supporting access to finance for poor individuals, households, small farms and businesses in rural sub-Saharan Africa through its network of microfinance institutions.

OPIC’s $4.75 million senior debt joins $1.5 million from the Calvert Foundation which will help form a new $12 million PFSA investment facility that is projected to issue nearly 100,000 microloans over seven years in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Kenya, Madagascar, Senegal, Tanzania, and Togo.

Specifically, PFSA’s efforts will enable access to reliable power and water for businesses and farms by financing off-grid solar electricity kits and micro-irrigation systems. The establishment of this single lending portfolio is projected to directly improve the lives of 582,000 Africans.

“Financing access to solar energy for the poor in rural Africa has a huge social impact: more

kids can study at night and in safer conditions; people can charge their mobile phones to trade, send money, and communicate; public premises such as markets, dispensaries, and schools get light and refrigeration. Small entrepreneurs no longer depend upon rising oil prices to use their machinery. Financing access to irrigation water enables the sub-Saharan farmers to no longer depend upon the rain season and climate hazards. They can grow all year round and improve their livelihood and food security whilst monitoring their footprint on the environment,” said PFSA Chief Investment Officer Mathieu Merceret.

“PAMIGA is a partner whose work is proven and whose lending network is expansive. OPIC’s targeted support to PAMIGA will have an outsized effect in empowering nearly 100,000 small businesses and farms across eight African countries with the irrigation and renewable energy needed to make their operations sustainable,” said Elizabeth Littlefield, OPIC’s President and CEO. “This investment is also a terrific example of OPIC’s ability to advance some of the most impactful private sector projects in the world. As the first project to emerge from OPIC’s Portfolio for Impact pilot program, PAMIGA is proof that a small group of focused visionaries can make a big difference with the right sup-

Littlefield

port.”

OPIC’s financing represents two important milestones for the Agency. PFSA initially received a small amount of early-stage capital from the African Clean Energy Finance (ACEF) initiative, with U.S. State Department funding administered by OPIC. Proving the catalytic model of this program, PFSA is the first ACEF-supported project to subsequently receive OPIC project financing.

Further financial support for the establishment of the PFSA lending facility came from the Swiss Agency for Development & Cooperation and the European Investment Bank.

PFSA works with 16 microfinance institutions member of PAMIGA network in 10 sub-Saharan countries.

UBA boosts Kenya Power with $10m facility Ugochukwu Onyeocha United Bank of Africa (UBA) has given a US$10 million loan facility boost to Kenya Power Company’s target of distributing 5,000MW by 2017.

The loan is to enable Kenya Power upgrade its infrastructure and enhance the capacity of its transmission lines.

According to Kenya Power, this is part of a syndicated loan from a number of lenders to finance the planned infrastructure expansion by the firm, the country’s sole power distributor.

The financing will be used to boost the capacity of transmission lines, upgrading existing substations and constructing 37 new ones, while also installing new equipment in the power grid.

“Completion of these capital investments on time is critical

for long-term viability of our company. It will also make Kenya attractive as an investment destination,” said Ben Chumo, Kenya Power managing director.

In the recent past, industrialists have complained of power outages occasioned by aging infrastructure, leading to increased cost of production as companies have been forced to install stand-by generators.

This has made locally produced goods less competitive in the regional markets.

UBA, whose parent firm is in Nigeria, entered the Kenyan market five years ago and has now ventured into financing the local power sector.

“We remain committed to a continued relationship with Kenya Power and other key players in the public sector to take on similar or larger projects

especially in energy and the infrastructure sector,” noted Isaac Mwige, the chief executive of UBA Kenya.

Mwige

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, May 15, 2015

31 Real Estate & Environment

Buildings’ foundations and earth-tilt: Experts nervy over impact

Ikechukwu Okani Recently, scientists and Earth-watchers have alerted the human society about the Earth’s new trends of inclination; otherwise known as Earth-Tilt. There are incontestable proofs showing that the Earth, our Planet and present abode in the universe formerly inclined facing the Eastern direction of the Universe at 661/20 at its geomagnetic inclination or the eliptics, is presently tilting in the opposite direction towards the West – an additional onerous challenge to those of Global Warming and Climate change.

Against this backdrop, experts in building and geo-techniques are full of anxiety and questions over the nature of impact this new trend of Earth’s swing will pose on buildings and other geotechnical structures such as bridges, etc, and are divided in their submissions.

Mr. Kamoru Keshinro, an Executive Director in the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Lagos State Secretariat, Alausa Ikeja, Lagos, who also is into

property business, while responding to Daily Times, said he believes strongly that the Earth is a huge magnet with enabling shock absorbers, that lend it the rare capacity to carry everything it contains and those on its surface safely, including buildings without impacting dangerously on the building substructures; the roots of trees; on the baselines of rocks and minerals as it tilts.

His words, “I believe strongly that the Earth, our planet is a magnet of huge blessing, capable of holding everything within its scope as it tilts.”

Keshinro continues, saying, “You know the Earth pursues several movement courses – rotation (1860km\hour), revolution (107,200km\hour), tectonics, and each at very unimaginable speed, yet the high-rise buildings and the high mountains still stand in their positions.” He refuses to agree that the current Earth-tilt will pose any threat on the foundations of buildings.

This view was corroborated by a Principal Architect in the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), who craves

for anonymity, citing examples with mighty edifices, such as the Pentagon at Alington Vaginia (USA (with 344, 243 square metres of offices); the Sears Tower in Chicago (USA) as the tallest building in the World (standing 443 metres high), the Taj Mahal in India, the former Twin-Towers of the World Trade Centre in New York and so many other high-rise buildings including modern Sky-scrapers in China, Brazil, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and a few in Nigeria, saying, “can it be that the Earthtilt phenomenon, regardless of the stage it has advanced to, is affecting the substructure of buildings, these very tall buildings would have collapsed.”

He went further and noted that every building has two parts which must be given serious thought consideration during the design and also in the construction. According to him, the first part is the substructure which is the base-walls or foundation, and the second part which is the superstructure is the wall formation on the foundation above the ground.

He sounded a note of warning

to his colleagues in the profession, urging both the Architects and the Building Engineers to respect the Code of Practice Standard Specifications and By-laws; and to ignore selfish demands by house owners who may want them to subvert the By-laws to satisfy their desires, which have more than enough elicited numerous collapse of buildings as aftermaths.

Daily Times learnt from Engineer Chukwuma Andrew Oditah, a building Engineer with a construction firm based in Ikeja, that the Earth-tilt saga is a natural fulfillment and being natural, it must follow the Laws of Earth’s movement and geodynamics . According to him, Earth-tilt cannot become any threat to the foundations of buildings and bridges (whether overland or overwater) for so many reasons, amongst which are, first of all, the Earth’s gravity, and the fact that the Earth’s tilt mechanism involves a gradual turning sequence of the whole orb, not just a part or a small portion of it, such as during earthquakes when only a

small portion of the area is involved.

Concluding, Oditah said that the likes of the Union Bank Multi-storey in Lagos, Nigeria, the Man-mountain or Sears Tower in Chicago, and the 24-storey Crust-scrapper in Jakarta, Indonesia which is built inside the ground, such structures cannot collapse because they stand on pile foundation on steel framework, coated with concrete formations as superstructures.

But Professor E.A Antai of the Great Hebrew University Jerusalem, Israel (a Geologist and Geotechnical Engineer); from his 25 years of lecturing in Geosciences said it is unthinkable that the Earth-tilt will do no harm to the foundations of buildings. He therefore put forth the rhetoric question, saying, “If other components of the Earth decide to remain calm as the Earth tilts, what about the geologic plates, won’t they shift!”

Antai urges builders to ensure proper geotechnical installation of their buildings to ward-off crumbling of foundations and collapse.

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A good example of common sense revolution

Bola Ahmed Tinubu

ÎÎÎ In

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the course of the historic campaigns for the 2015 Presidential election I was emphatic that the election itself was a great opportunity to popularise and test the noble idea of a Common Sense Revolution in Nigeria. Soon enough we found in the resonance of the APC Change mantra with the electorate a confirmation that Nigeria needed a Common Sense Revolution that is nonviolent.

Indeed there is a publication with that title authored by me in which I argued that Nigeria was ripe for a change of leadership and Nigerians

must act in a Common Sense and rational way in choosing their leaders.

The results of the March Presidential elections and that of April have demonstrated clearly the desire by Nigerians for change.

Elections over, both the leaders and citizens must brace up to meet the challenges required to build a better, more prosperous nation. Indeed, even as we subscribe to the tenets of Common Sense Revolution, we must retool ourselves; the new leadership must embark on policies that will improve the general wellbeing of the mass of our people.

Permit me to recall here how I once attempted to encapsulate the idea of Common Sense Revolution: “… This revolution is not a violent one to tear things down, it is a revolution to rescue us from violence, injustice and poverty.

“It is a positive one to rescue, repair and restructure the nation and its institutions in ways

that further our collective prosperity and wellbeing. The only violence that is to be done is to violence, injustice and poverty themselves. At its essence, a common sense revolution is a call to return to a level of decency in the relationship between government and the governed, between each one of us and his neighbour...”

That was at the commissioning of people-centred projects on March 23, 2015 in Kano under the leadership of Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

We are here today, because one of the generals in the Common Sense Revolution Army, Rotimi Amaechi is bold and willing to show the world what he has achieved in the task to chart the critical path to total political and economic emancipation of the people whose mandate he enjoyed for eight years.

In my view, our gathering to celebrate the landmark achievements of my brother, Governor

Rotimi Amaechi, in Rivers State in the last eight years is also another justifiable celebration of idea of Common Sense Revolution for development. The publication of the book, Dynamics of Change: The Amaechi Years is a timely service to history. This occasion is all the more remarkable because of the huge challenges Amaechi has been facing especially in his second term from an extremely hostile federal government. His role as the chairman of the Governors’ Forum invariably brought him into a bitter collision with President Goodluck Jonathan.

Governor Amaechi and most of the governors want a properly defined federalist relationship with the government at the centre. The President would have none of that as in the notable example of the management of the federation account. This is, therefore, another great opportunity to salute Amaechi’s rare courage of conviction and

sense of purpose. The All Progressives Congress (APC) has every cause to be proud of him.

You can, therefore, imagine how much gratified I feel at the immense intellectual efforts invested in the publication of Dynamics of Change: The Amaechi Years. I salute the editors and authors of essays in the book. It is thoughtful of them to document the legacy of Amaechi in Rivers state. The high quality schools, hospitals, roads, bridges, security and human capacity projects, among others, richly documented in the book are a testimony that social democratic ideas can indeed be implemented in this clime.

It is our hope that the legacy of governance for genuine development that Amaechi is leaving behind in Rivers would inspire state governments to make the welfare and security of the people the focus of governance. It is important to empahasise that security

here includes social security if the war against poverty must be won.

The APC change agenda is anchored on the three Rs- Reform, Relief, Relief, and Recovery. It is the Tripod upon which Nigeria must operate in order to unleash her potentials.

Rotimi will go on from here to continue to serve Nigeria in key positions.

He will not be alone. He will share the company of many change agents and professionals who have cast their lots with the new political order under the Leadership of President elect, General Muhammadu Buhari.

Once more, I congratulate Governor Amaechi as he leaves behind this proud legacy in Rivers State. ...Tinubu, APC National Leader, delivered the speech as Special Guest of Honour at the Public Presentation of Dynamics of Change: The Amaechi Years in Lagos on Thursday

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 Hotline: 08086296714

Life&

TIMES Friday, May 15, 2015

Socialites who have quit the scene L3

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Star trek

kicks off with excitement L7

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Interview L2

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, May 15, 2015

OPC has come to stay

- Otunba Gani Adams

Isaac Oguntoye

What would you consider to be your major achievements so far, now that you are 45 years old?

Well, my major achievement has been the establishment of the Oodua Progressive Union (OPU) which came into being about four years ago. Several chapters have since been replicated both home and abroad. Before then, we had been organising 16 festivals annually through the Olokun Festival Foundation apart from the one organised by Oodua People Congress. Many people focused on Oodua People Congress without knowing that the association has given birth to about six different organizations. Apart from Oodua Progressive Union, we have established another organization called Oodua Economic Empowerment Initiatives. This new organisation will be used to empower the needy.

We will be giving out a certain sum of money to people to do business with, within and outside the organisation. By the grace of God, before May/June, we will start the empowerment programme. So, I think I’ve been opening the space to assist more people through the assistance of Almighty God. If God has used you to better the lot of people, then you need to be thanking him properly especially on your day of your birth which is my birthday. You

What is worrisome to people is the proliferation of the body, OPC and when things go wrong, people expect you to claim responsibility for it. Are you not worried?

There is no OPC faction, they are just parasites. The only two OPC groups are the one headed

by Dr Frederick Faseun and myself. The mayhem you refer to is as a result of the outcome of the elections. It was those that we did not support that were paying the parasites and urchins to issue statements against us and cause havoc. But you can see that, we’re up to the task. I don’t join issues with them. My publicity secretary and director of media, are enough to tackle them. How can you say a faceless group is a faction? When the faction between me and Dr. Faseun started, you could easily identify the crowd on my side and those who were with Faseun, so where is the structure you want to call a faction? You should not play into the hands of gullible. Somebody will just wake up and issue a statement on the internet and you will believe that the statement is from a faction of OPC. OPC has come to stay and nobody can break it. Even the two well known factions, that is mine and Dr. Faseun’s will likely become one between now and the next two years. I can assure you of

Life&

T E A M

He is a man of many parts; a visionary leader, a charismatic political activist, a reliable champion of the rights of the masses and an embodiment of political morality. The leader of Oodua People Congress (0PC)is also a well-known traditionalist who has championed many festivals within and outside the country.

The firm believer in Christianity, Islam and Traditional religions, who recently celebrated his 45th birthday, throws more light on why he is controversial and why the body he represents has been fraught with controversies.

will realize that, in making progress, I have made enemies even within my organization. Unfortunately, the external forces always use them against me. But what do you think would happen to my enemies at the end of the day? They will always fail. So like I said earlier, my birthday has afforded me the opportunity to thank God for a life well spent. Even though it was supposed to be on April 30, I decided to celebrate it on May 1st, a public holiday, in other to give everyone ample opportunity to attend the event. My major target was to wine and dine with everybody, irrespective of who you are and I did just that.

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

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

that. So, it’s a very big group and you don’t expect me to keep quiet and allow some unwarranted elements, some who are not patient enough and some who have been building away from the group to wreck my sweat. Most of them that issued those statements are not members of the group any more.

You know what ‘they’ did? They sponsored some people against me and they sponsored some people against Dr. Faseun as well, because we did not support their political party. We have 38 political parties in Nigeria and so we’re entitled to support any candidate of our choice. After all, there were 14 presidential candidates and we decided to support one. I’m old enough to determine who I will support despite the fact that he did not win and I will not deny him.

I’m not a politician, we believed in a candidate, not PDP as a party.

I’m not a member of the PDP but we supported President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan because of his antecedents. He believed that, no matter the position you’re in, you must be humble, you must accommodate people and you must not allow the position of the president to come into your head. He didn’t see those who did not have the opportunity as nothing which is one of the reasons we supported him.

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

it wasn’t about money. Look at the allegations, two weeks to the elections, they alleged that I was one of those who collected 9billion naira from the President. Supporting Jonathan had nothing to do with money. This is somebody I have had a relationship with for more than six years even when he was the vice president to the late President Musa Yar’dua. And I don’t easily lose contact with my friends.

Even though President Jonathan has lost the election, he’s still my friend and my brother. Definitely if I have a relationship with the incoming president, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, I will maintain it on the level of sincerity the way I have been sincere to President Jonathan.

Not that because President Jonathan has lost the election then I will now decamp and begin to praise the person who won the election.

What is your agenda for the president-elect?

First and foremost, I will implore him to provide free education, free health care, social security etc.

During their campaign they said they will provide 70,000 jobs in one year which is not a bad idea. Reducing the price of fuel and building new refineries and allowing private

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

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

initiatives to come into our petroleum sector like what happened in the telecommunication sector is good. And the transparency-anticorruption programme is also a welcome idea. So, if Buhari can fulfil all of his promises, he will have my support 100 per cent because the major impediment against the progress of this country is corruption. It is only God that will be with General Buhari to survive amidst corrupt people. We should pray for him because his mind-set is to change this country but what of the people who have been in the system in a wrong way. I think the man is ready to set another history for this country. I pray God would back him up.

What do you have to say about the book published by your personal assistant in you honour?

I’m happy because my aide wrote the book. He is someone who knows much about me. A personal assistant is sometimes closer to you than your wife. So, what he has done today shows that we have some intellectuals in the organisation. And the book, no matter how small, is authoritative because as an insider who is always with me most of the time, he knows so much about me.

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

Daily Times Nigeria

Friday, May 15, 2015

L3 Society

Whither these socialites? PT. 1

Nkarenyi Ukonu

They were once considered the life and so1l of most parties as a result of their charm, style, wealth and general disposition. They indeed rocked the party scene. But without much ado, their stories changed; while some put on hold their partying lifestyle, others bade a final goodbye, still others disappeared completely from the social circuit they once ruled, leaving many to wonder at what has become of them.

Bimbo Alashe-Arawole Funmi Omitowoju

She is the very enterprising lady who runs Leather World, both in Ikoyi and in GRA axis of Lagos with so much adroitness and impressive charisma. A widow, she used to be very prominent on the social scene but suddenly and without warning, went low profile, preferring instead to allow her work at Leather world, speak for her. Many attribute it to her new found zeal for Christ.

Tokunbo Durosaro

When a list of brilliant women who bestrode the Nigerian corporate sector is compiled someday, she would occupy a pride of place. A former head of operations, UBA Prestige Bank and a former general manager, South West, MTN Nigeria, Funmi is a successful career woman in all ramifications, having virtually seen it all in the corporate sector. A mother of one, Funmi who is in her late 40s was once a recurring decimal on the social scene. She not only took pride in gracing most red carpet events, she repeatedly made the cover of many tabloids. It is surprising that not much is being heard about her save for the fact that she now expends her energy running her business, Sygnet Company LTD. The last that was heard of her was when she was declared wanted by the police. The order for her arrest issued by the Office of the Assistant Inspector General of Police Zone 2 headquarters, located at No 2, Island Club Road, Onikan, Lagos. Already, a warrant of arrest has been duly obtained from a Magistrate Court, Lagos State for that purpose.

Paddy Adenuga

He is one of the sons of billionaire corporate guru, Otunba Mike Adenuga and was once a director at his father’s telecommunications outfit, Globacom. A die hard party freak who clubed and partied like his life depends on it, Paddy drank only the best of wines, spirits and cognac each time he stepped into a club, even restricting entry of other high net worth patrons to the VIP sections where he prefers to be cocooned. He always moved around without a retinue of fierce looking body guards and siren blaring convoy. Unfortunately all that came to an end when he had to relocate to America after an altercation with his father who placed him on indefinite suspension over a misconduct during office hours. Sources say he dropped his larger than life attitude in Nigeria when he relocated. It isn’t out of place to say that the social scene won’t miss him due to his brash attitude.

Jojo Dawodu

Solveigh Ojora An avowed playboy, the Managing Director of Petroleum Energy and Allied Services Limited took many by surprise when he decided to take cerebral Nana Dawodu, a former Managing Director of First Trustees Nig. LTD and now Managing Director of ALM consulting, to the altar. Friends and family predicted that it was the beginning of good things to come and hoped that he would finally bade farewell to the reckless lifestyle that had come to define him. How wrong they were. The union, not only didn’t last, the bespectacled Jojo has since beaten a retreat from the social scene following his messy divorce from his wife.

Cele Lavone Tawo She is the director of Oando Foundation. Prior to this, she was the Chief Corporate Services Officer of Oando Plc. The leggy beauty is just as popular in the corporate circles as she is in the social community. She was however forced to ease herself out of the social scene when she got pregnant for her then lover, now husband, Akin Taylor-George, a former top executive at Guaranty Trust. Many had Bank. Many had envisaged her return to the social scene but it seemed motherhood and marriage got the better of her as she soon bade a final farewell to the social circuit.

A classy lady in all ramifications, Solveigh was one socialite who made it a point of duty to only register her presence at very select and high profile events. Of both Norwegian and Nigerian origin, social outings for her became reduced to the barest minimum when her father, Ahmed Onipede, a former special adviser to former Lagos State governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was brutally murdered at his Badagry residence. A year later, the soft spoken mother of one finally gave socials a wide berth when she lost her husband, Gbegi Ojora, son of corporate titan, Otunba Adekunle and Erelu Ojuolape Ojora, two years ago.

She dominated the Lagos social circuit with charm and charisma. Years after she left Lagos, the former milliner, single mother, former flame of celebrity lawyer, Festus Keyamo and publisher of Best moment magazine, bade a final farewell to the Lagos social scene, preferring to concentrate on raising her daughter and growing her business quietly in the capital city, Abuja.

Society L4

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, May 15, 2015

Isaac Oguntoye

Where Is Femi Adekanye?

Did you follow the failed banks proceedings of the mid-90s? Do you readily recall Commerce bank or Dr. Femi Adekanye?

Femi, a seasoned banker before his disappearance from the scheme of things, was once a major player in the banking sector.

The Omu-Aran born dude who made his marks and was very popular on the social scene in the early 90’s, was the CEO of the defunct Commerce Bank and was one of those who made things happen in the banking sector. The question on the lips of many is what may have become of him having dissappeared from the social scene unannounced. From information gathered, the man is now a devout Muslim who is based in Kaduna where he has floated an Islamic school.

Femi Adekanye

COSON Chairman, Chief Tony Okoroji enrols with NEIHIS Foremost music administrator and Chairman of Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), Chief Tony Okoroji, has joined the ranks of highly influential personalities to enrol with the Nigerian Entertainment Industry Health Insurance Scheme (NEIHIS), a private customized health insurance scheme for practitioners in the entertainment industry. Representatives of NEIHIS made the official presentation of Chief Okoroji’s identity card and relevant documents available to him at COSON secretariat in Lagos last week. The team commended him for being one of the first set of stakeholders to enrol with the scheme. Speaking shortly after the official presentation, Okoroji who was full of praises for the scheme enjoined all entertainment practitioners to enrol with the scheme in other to safeguard and manage their health properly. “I am happy to be one of the first set of subscribers on this scheme and I must say it has reawakened the entire

Tony Okoroji industry on the need to place premium value on our health. This is one of the best things that has ever happened to our industry and I enjoin all practitioners to come on board.

This is not the time to play politics with our health”.

NEIHIS is endorsed by the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

Gboyega Nasir Isiaka in legal battle with Gov. Ibikunle Amosun If Gboyeka Nasir Isiaka could wish for one thing in life, it would be to turn back the hands of time, to enable him not only engage more hands to help out in his campaign but to also map out a better strategy on how he would have handled and monitored the ballot boxes of the just concluded Ogun State governorship election which he contested under the banner of the People Democratic Party. The Yewa/Awori politician has however decided to reclaim his mandate through legal means according to information going round in the Gateway state. The politician has submitted a petition to the Election Petition Tribunal in the state to challenge the INEC result that declared Senator Ibikunle Amosun winner of the election, claiming that he, Isiaka, won in 14 of the 20 local governments in the state on the day of election but was surprised when INEC declared the incumbent, Governor Amosun, the winner of the election.We wish him luck!

Gboyega Nasir Isiaka

Popular socialite Lekan Olofinjana regains freedom at age 56 Life they say is full of surprises. This simple notion is what best describes what is happening to one time big money spender, Lekan Olofinjana who regained his freedom after spending 21 years in jail. ‘Lekan Lokoso’ as the popular socialite is fondly called, ruled the social scene in the 80s and early 90s before he was nabbed by the US Drug Law Enforcement Agency for drug trafficking and was jailed for 27 years. Though his actual release date is supposed to be March 2017, he was however released on compassionate grounds by the authorities who attested to his good attitude. The former flamboyant socialite is expected to relocate home without his wife and child. Many wonder if he will be able to fit into the Nigerian system after being away for so long and if his friends and associates would be willing to associate with him again for fear of being branded the same with him.

Otunba Babatunde Tunde Debasco christens new baby

Mixed reactions trails Aliko Dangote’s plans to buy Arsenal FC Ever since one of the richest men in Africa in the person of the CEO of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, made known his plans to buy one of the English Premiership team, Arsenal FC, broke, not a few have commended his planned move while some others see it as a waste of resources. Some appreciate the fact that, the Nigerian businessman will be writing the name of the country in gold while some do not see the sense in investing in a venture that will not physically be of benefit to the country’s over 170 million people. These set of people have urged him to rather, by the likes of Enyimba FC or Kano Pillars and transform it to international standards. while those who hailed his decision have advised him to emulate Roman Abramovich of Chelsea who is a Russian and who has a club in his home town.

Debasco and wife,Olayinka

Aliko Dangote

It was excitement galore weeks back in Ijebu, Ogun State, when socialite and politician, Otunba Babatunde Onakoya, the Chairman of Mobilization Committee for the re-election of Governor Ibikunle Amosun, celebrated the arrival of his new born baby boy from his wife, Alhaja Olayinka Onakoya.

The christening which took place at the expansive Debasco Farm in Ijebu Ode, witnessed top society people both within and outside Ogun State. Co-incidentally the day was used to further celebrate the triumph of

Governor Amosun at the governorship election. Some of the socialites who stormed Ogun State to felicitate with Otunba Debasco were renowned auto dealer, Chief Lanre Shittu, Dodo Mustapha, Senator Lekan Mustapha, Ebumawe of Ago-Iwoye, Oba Razak Adenugba and several others.

The son of Late Haruna Ishola , Musiliu was on the band stand. Interestingly, Debasco named the new born Baby, Muhammadu Buhari Amosun Onakoya, obviously to mark the celebration of APC’s victory at the polls.

Daily Times Nigeria

Friday, May 15, 2015

Isaac Oguntoye

Sunny Omoregie Asemota at 80 Asemota Motors. The octogenarian was full of life as the humble business man hosted friends, family and business associates to a night of bliss. The celebration which took place penultimate Sunday at Trinity Events Centre, Victoria Island had top personalities in attendance. Some of the dignitaries that graced the event were: governor of Ogun State, Ibikunle Amosun, Abba Folawiyo, Florence Ita-Giwa, Chief Rasaq Okaya and his wife, Sade, Prince Segun Oniru and several others.

In his words, “Hard work has become my Celebrant. Sunny Omoregie Asemota JP, Chief habit, a serious kind of fun which you get Rasak Okoya and his wife, Shade Okoya self-satisfaction from, pushing yourself to It was celebrations galore as friends, the limit, knowing that all the efforts would family and business associates gathered pay off. This has actually worked for me to honour renowned businessman, Sunny and I thankful for my life and my wonderful Omoregie Asemota JP, the CEO of Sunny family.”

Why Joe Odumakin is not happy She is a human right activist who has fought tooth and nail to ensure justice prevails for the average Nigerian. She has been part of several movements within the country, fighting for the right of citizens and to make sure injustice is permanently stamped out. At the moment, the agile activist is not happy. In an interview with Life & Times, Joe noted that the unrest going on within the country has not only been barbaric but also causing sleepless nights for many, especially those who live up North.

“I’m very very unhappy seeing our people killing each other, seeing our people being burnt to death and seeing people hoarding fuel when we’re the sixth largest oil producer in the world. We have to sort out this issue of our refineries. Our refineries must work and we won’t allow anyone remove the oil subsidy without putting the necessary structures in place. The masses cannot continue to suffer for the greed of a few people. We must find out what

Society

What is up with Fidson boss, Fidelis Ayebae?

He is the managing director of Fidson Pharmaceutical Company, a company noted for producing antacid and ulcer drugs, anti-diabetic, anti-malaria, cardio vascular and many more drugs. Rumour mill is agog with the worrisome financial state of Fidson Healthcare PLC. Sources confirmed that, the company is being run at a loss and that it would require the company to take drastic measures to enable it stay afloat. The man at the helms of affairs has been fighting tooth and nail to make sure the company thrives. Already the company has started to downsize while there are rumours that some of the company’s factories may be put up for sale. Factories like the one located in Igbala area of Ota, along Abeokuta express way and the Fidson Factory behind Tomori Estate also in Ota. His plan according to inside sources is to merge all the factories into one. Fidson has about four factories in Ota alone, apart from the factory in Ilupeju, Lagos. So, it’s a strategy to cut cost.

Fidelis Ayebae

Former video vixen turned fashion entrepreneur, Lolar Shon, turns 31 Make-up artiste and CEO of Lolar Shon fashion stores, Lola Shon, is one prominent showbiz personality who has served in virtually all the sectors of the Nigerian entertainment industry. She was part and parcel of the Desmond Tourism Development (DTD) show, a talent hunt show handled by Desmond Majekodunmi. In fact, most top artistes in Nigeria today got their first break on the stage of DTD. Not too many people know that Lola was also one of the most sought after video vixens in the music industry before she took up the job of managing the defunct Lachache bar which later metamorphosed into Rumours night club. She later quit to face and grow her fashion business which is doing remarkably well. A few days ago, she wrote on her facebook wall “How time flies. Can’t believe I will be 31 soon! Ageless beauty! Baba God Noni! just so happy about where God is taking me to, no regrets so far, lessons learnt, moving higher! Lovely kind hearted husband and kids, amazing career, most blessed parents and siblings. These and lot more is my testimony, quit hating,” she concluded.

Joe Odumakin happened to the oil subsidy because it is corruption that is been subsidized. Also, the power sector, security and the Chibok girls, are all a matter of priority and several others that have been held hostage. We must see how those girls can be rescued and when they are rescued, psychological and medically, they must be properly taken care of.” she said.

Prince Buruju Kashamu’s albatross While other Senators-elect are busy celebrating their victories with their families and friends, Prince Kashamu has been battling with sleepless nights over the international related drug case trailing him.

If you remember, Prince Kashamu who hails from Ijebu has as his number one political enemy, former President Olusegun Obasanjo. So bad has their hatred for each other sunk that the crown Prince of Ijebu got a court order to prevent the former President from launching his latest book, My Watch, knowing that, some excerpts of the book will be about him. They avoid each other like a plague at public functions, with one leaving the venue of any public function before the arrival of the other or one not going anywhere near the venue of a function, knowing that the other would be there. It is no longer news that Buruju was part of the reasons the former president fell out with President Goodluck Jonathan and his purported exit from PDP prior to the elections. Several moves have also been made by Obasanjo to make sure the American Government extradites Buruju over his alleged drug trafficking case. But with the emergence of General

L5

Lolar Shon

Photo Speak

Prince Buruju Kashamu Muhammadu Buhari as the president-elect and with Obasanjo being very instrumental to his victory, there has been moves by powers that be, to sign an extradition pact with the American government to have Buruju bundled to America to answer the drug related charges on him. This has put the Senator-elect of Ogun East senatorial district, in deep thoughts as he tries to reach out to well meaning Nigerians on how the ‘hunt’ for him can be soft pedalled.

From left, Assistant Director/Zonal co ordinator, Nigeria Lottery Regulatory Commission, Fidelis Ajibogun, General Manager, Consumer Marketing, MTN, Richard Iweanogie, Winner of the House Prize, Eneh Chijioke and Chief Marketing Officer, MTN, BayoAdekanbi at the Prize Presentation of MTN Best 11 Promo in Lagos, recently.

Event L6

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, May 15, 2015

MI, Naeto C, Cynthia Morgan, others, rock Abakaliki on Star Music Trek Opeoluwani Akintayo After raising the roof off Calabar two weeks ago, Nigeria’s largest music festival sponsored by Star lager, Star Music Trek moved on at the weekend to Abakiliki, Ebonyi State with an action-packed night of fun and music. Boasting a lineup of artistes including Cynthia Morgan, Burna Boy, DJ Neptune, DJ Snoop Da Damaja, MI Abaga, Lafup and Naeto C. The show was an unmatched night of fun. With the entire city already at a halt ahead of the show, the show kicked off at 7.00pm at the Abakaliki Township Stadium which was filled to capacity. A number of local artistes from Abakaliki were given the opportunity by Star Lager to perform to a large audience and make their dreams come true in keeping with this year’s Trek theme, “My Superstar Story.”

Cynthia Morgan peforming on stage The excitement at the stadium grew as the expectant crowd jostled for a glance at red-haired dancehall phenomenon Cynthia Morgan, who continued from where she left off the previous week at Calabar. After performing her catalogue of hit tracks, she invited fans onstage to join in her performance of her new track Come And Do.

Burna Boy

Naeto C

The crowd was further entertained by a vigorous performance from Burna Boy who kept the crowd moving in his characteristic manner.

Naeto C performed his hits Ten Over Ten, 5 & 6, Helele, I Gentle, and Tony Montana, to the delight of the mammoth crowd. Following his performance.

Wande Coal working up the crowd Just as it was in Calabar, the best was saved for last as Wande Coal rounded up the evening with energetic performances of his songs from his debut album M2M such as Bumper To Bumper, Taboo, Pere, You Bad, as well as his newer materials like The Kick, Baby Hello and Wake Up. Backed up by DJ Neptune and DJ Snoop Damaja, the singer’s stellar performance left the crowd screaming for more as a long night of top-notch music finally drew to a close.

MI and a fan on stage MI Abaga took the stage with energetic performances of Action Film, Anoti, Nobody Test Me, Over Killing, Beef, Number One, Bad Belle, Bullion Van and Nobody. He then made a female fan’s night by inviting her onstage and singing a love song to her.

Tony One Week peforming on stage Tony One Week made a surprise appearance that threw the stadium into a frenzy. The immaculately dressed singerturned-politician who was last seen on a Trek stage in 2014 fed the crowd with performances of his songs Gyrate and Ife Dinma.

Continue on L7

Daily Times Nigeria

Friday, May 15, 2015

L7 Event

Continued from L6 Corporate Media and Brand PR Manager, Nigerian Breweries Plc, EdemVindah commenting on the Abakaliki Trek had this to say:

“We saw how much fun everyone had here tonight, and we ourselves had a wonderful time. This is what Star is all about at the end of they day. We represent celebration and inspiration and this is what Star Trek has transmitted for so many years. It is a thing of pride to be able to take this message all over the country and also to interact with the fan base of these artists. We love it, the artistes love it, their fans love it – it is a win-win situation all round.”

The nationwide concert tour, which has thrilled Nigerian music fans for almost twenty years, has consistently assembled Nigeria’s best artistes to entertain fans around the country and this year’s theme, “My Superstar Story” aims to inspire the youth to view their situations as a work in progress and to always keep their goals in mind. Following Abakaliki, the 2015 Star Music Trek will make the following stops: Awka on May 16, Markurdi on August 1, Sapele on August 8, Auchi on August 15, Ibadan on August 22 and Lagos on Aug 29.

The enthusiastic crowd

Another DJ spinning his wheel of steels

A DJ at work

Mixed Grill Game Sudoku mp5

This week’s game Word Search Move It Can you find the hidden words? They may be horizontal, vertical, diagonal, forwards or backwards.

e r e h W ’ ‘N hen W

Code tune live in concert featuring 9ice, 2phat, Olamide, Jahbless @Eko Hotels and &Suites, Victoria Island, May 10th, 2015

Across

Down

2. Cornelius in the 1968 movie, Planet of the Apes

1. He was Cool Hand Luke in the 1967 movie

(5,8)

(4,6)

6. Linda in the 1978 movie, The Deer Hunter (5,6)

3. Clyde Barrow in the 1967 movie, Bonnie and

8. Viktor Navorski in the 2004 movie, The Terminal

Clyde (6,6)

(3,5)

4. He directed and starred in the 1992 movie,

11. Patrick Gates in the 2004 movie, National

Unforgiven (5,8)

Treasure (3,6)

5. Director of the 1951 movie, The African

12. The Ringo Kid in the 1939 classic, Stagecoach

Queen (4,6)

(4,5)

7. He was Ben-Hur in the 1959 movie (8,6)

13. Hartigan in the 2005 movie, Sin City (5,6)

9. Mrs Robinson in the 1967 movie, The

14. Raymond Babbitt in the 1988 movie, Rain Man

Graduate (4,8)

(6,7)

10. Scarlett O’Hara in the 1939 classic, Gone with the Wind (6,5)

The Role Model Series @Main Auditorium, University of Lagos, Akoka, May 27th, 2015.

The wedding show live @ Aztech Arcum, Stadium Road, Port-Harcourt, May 16th – 17th, 2015

Daily Times Nigeria

Friday, May 15, 2015

Showing on

L8 Television Showing on

117 Universal Channel

105 M-Net Movie Family

01:20

03:30

Fri, 15 May | PG13

Fri, 15 May | PG

R&B star Eric Benét stars in this touching film. When an angel visits a young girl, she realises that her long-lost mother is in trouble and sets off to find her. Eric Benét, Erica Gluck. (2011) Joanne Hock.

101 M-Net West

00:30 The Del Monte Dynasty 01:20 The Impostor 02:10 Labour Of Love 03:00 Part Of Me 03:50 Queen Of Hearts 05:20 The Del Monte Dynasty 06:10 Labour Of Love 07:00 Part Of Me 07:50 Queen Of Hearts 08:40 The Impostor 09:30 Forbidden Passions 10:20 Labour Of Love 11:10 Part Of Me 12:00 Queen Of Hearts 12:50 The Impostor 13:40 Forbidden Passions 14:30 Labour Of Love 15:20 Part Of Me 16:10 Queen Of Hearts 17:00 The Impostor 17:50 Forbidden Passions

155 Africa Magic World 00:00 Tinsel 00:30 Living With Trisha 01:30 Family Ties 02:00 At Home With Joselyn Dumas 03:00 Good Morning Africa 04:00 Music Block 05:00 At Home With Joselyn Dumas 06:00 Good Morning Africa 07:00 Star Gist 07:30 Perfect Union 08:30 Living With Trisha 09:20 The African Child 10:00 Good Morning Africa 11:00 Tinsel 11:30 Star Gist 12:00 Music Block 13:00 At Home With Joselyn Dumas 14:00 Prem 14:30 Nowhere To Be Found 15:00 Family Ties

120 BBC Entertainment

118 Telemundo

00:45 The Weakest Link 01:30 Silent Witness 02:25 Come Dine With Me 03:10 EastEnders 03:40 QI 04:10 Top Gear 05:00 Spy 05:25 QI 05:55 The Thin Blue Line 06:30 EastEnders 07:00 Antiques Roadshow 07:50 The Weakest Link 08:40 The Chase 09:25 QI 09:55 Would I Lie To You? 10:30 Deal Or No Deal 11:05 My Family 11:35 Hell’s Kitchen USA 12:20 Top Gear 13:15 Come Dine With Me 14:10 Celebrity MasterChef 15:05 The Weakest Link 16:00 Casualty 17:00 The Chase 18:00 The Cube 19:00 New Tricks 20:00 The Graham Norton Show 21:00 Dragons’ Den

15:30 At Home With Michelle Attoh 16:30 Living With Trisha 17:30 Comfort Zone 18:00 Jane And Abel 18:30 Jane And Abel 19:00 Goal Diggerz 19:30 Star Gist 20:00 Perfect Union 21:00 Family Ties 21:30 Goge Africa 22:05 Living With Trisha 23:00 53 Extra

‘S9/E6 - Back In the Saddle’. Because he was seen on national TV, Harm is told to leave the CIA. Meanwhile, Mac defends Harm’s JAG replacement when it is discovered she never gained admission to the bar. David James Elliott. (2003).

128 SONY MAX

00:20 Most Shocking 01:15 Kenny vs Spenny 01:45 Freakshow 02:15 Poorman’s Bikini Beach 00:45 The Weakest Link

10:30 Deal Or No Deal

01:30 Silent Witness

11:05 My Family

02:25 Come Dine With Me

11:40 Hell’s Kitchen USA

03:10 EastEnders

12:25 Top Gear

03:40 QI

13:25 Come Dine With Me

04:10 Top Gear

14:15 Celebrity MasterChef

05:00 Spy

15:05 The Weakest Link

05:25 QI

16:00 Casualty

05:55 The Thin Blue Line

17:00 The Chase

06:30 EastEnders

18:00 The Cube

07:00 Antiques Roadshow

19:00 New Tricks

07:55 The Weakest Link

20:00 The Graham Norton Show

08:40 The Chase

21:00 Dragons’ Den

09:25 QI

22:00 Lee Evans: Big Live At The O2

10:00 Would I Lie To You?

23:45 The Pool Master

155 AfricaMagic World 00:00 Noose Of Gold 00:30 Good Morning Africa 01:30 The Dzigbordi Show 02:30 Good Morning Africa 03:30 Good Morning Africa 04:30 Prem 05:00 Good Morning Africa 06:05 The Mastermind 08:00 Star Gist 08:30 Prem 09:00 Good Morning Africa 10:00 So Wrong So Wright 10:30 So Wrong So Wright 11:00 Lies That Bind 11:30 Lies That Bind 12:00 Jara 12:30 Jara

02:45 Tool Academy 03:40 Most Shocking 04:30 South Beach Tow 05:00 Criss Angel Mindfreak 05:30 Exposed 05:55 Exposed 06:20 Video Zonkers 06:45 Repo Games 07:10 World’s Wildest Police Videos 08:10 Disorderly Conduct: Video On Patrol 09:10 South Beach Tow 09:40 Most Shocking 10:40 Most Shocking 11:40 Video Zonkers 12:10 Repo Games 12:40 World’s Wildest Police Videos 13:40 Disorderly Conduct: Video On Patrol 14:40 South Beach Tow 15:10 Exposed 15:40 Criss Angel Mindfreak 16:10 1000 Ways To Die 16:40 Video Zonkers 17:05 Repo Games

13:00 Series TBA 14:00 53 Extra 14:30 53 Extra 15:00 Kakibe Ki 15:30 Noose Of Gold 16:00 Foot Print 16:30 Lies That Bind 17:00 Lies That Bind 17:30 Star Gist

17:30 World’s Wildest Police Videos 18:30 South Beach Tow 19:00 Disorderly Conduct: Video On Patrol 20:00 Tattoo Nightmares 20:30 Tattoo Nightmares 21:00 Hip Hop Squares 21:30 Poorman’s Bikini Beach 22:00 Kenny vs Spenny

Argentine FA suspends league over Ortega’s death g X2

Poster!

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Friday, May 15, 2015

EXTRATIME

Court suspends Spanish football strike

Argentinian football suspended after death of Ortega

A High Court has suspended a proposed Spanish football strike, it was confirmed on Thursday.

The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) announced last week their plans to suspend all domestic competition from May 16 over an ongoing dispute with the government.

The row centres on a new law relating to distribution of television money, and the strike drew the support of the Spanish players’ union (AFE).

It threatened to bring a premature end to the domestic season, with Barcelona requiring a victory against reigning champions Atletico Madrid on Sunday to win the Liga title ahead of rivals Real Madrid, while Barca’s Copa del Rey final against Athletic Bilbao was also in jeopardy.

All football in Argentina has been suspended after San Martin Burzaco’s Emanuel Ortega passed away due to a serious head injury.

In a Primera C match against Juventud Unida on May 4, Ortega, 21, went shoulder-to-shoulder with an opposition player next to the touchline, and crashed into a concrete wall close to the pitch.

He had emergency surgery on a double skull fracture, but on Thursday the sad news was confirmed that he had passed away.

Ortega

“A pity his farewell,” a statement from the Argentina Football Association (AFA) read.

“The severity of his injury led to different teams of Argentine football to express their solidarity and support with the player.

“Due to the death of the player, the President of the AFA, Luis Segura, decided to suspend the next date of all categories.

“Argentine soccer wears black to dismiss Emanuel and accompany family and friends at this difficult time.”

Mu’azu assures on CBN’s commitment to tennis development ANDREW EKEJIUBA

T

he Director, Corporate Communications Department, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Ibrahim Mu’azu, has reaffirmed the commitment of the Management of CBN towards the promotion and development of tennis in the country.

Speaking in a well-attended press con-

ference in Lagos, heralding the 37th CBN Senior Open Tennis Championship holding from May 14 to May 23 at the Main Tennis Court of the National Stadium, Lagos, Mua’zu said the championship in 1979 had produced gifted players that have flown the national flag at several local and international tournaments.

“The tournament since its inception in 1979, when Francis Kehinde Ajayi emerged as the first winner of the com-

petition, has produced gifted players that have flown the national flag at several local and international tournaments. Prominent among such players are Sadiq Abdullahi, David Imonite, Remi Osho, Sunday Maku, Veronica Oyibokia, Rolake Olagbegi, Clara Usofa and Margaret Olagundoye etc.

“The 2015 edition will invariably serve as the platform for the selection of players that will represent Nigeria at the forthcoming Commonwealth Youth Games in Sa-

moa and the All Africa Games expected to take place in Congo in September,” he said.

Mu’azu further revealed that the Wheel-Chair Tennis, introduced into the Championship in 2013 has come to stay, noting that the wheel-chair tennis players were in Kenya in March 2014 where they qualified for the World Cup which took place in Netherlands on the May 24, 2014.

He appreciated the efforts of their

partners, Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF), in mobilizing players and ensuring their effective and remarkable participation in the annual sporting event.

The total prize money for the 2015 edition is N14, 436, 000. The prize money for the winners in the Men’s and Ladies is N700, 000 each, while runners up in each category receives N500, 000 each.

There will be prizes for other stages of the competition.

Friday, May 15, 2015

EXTRATIME

X3

Glo rallies support for Flying Eagles

Yakmut

NSC:

Kelechi Iheanacho (right) expected to lead Flying Eagles attack in New Zealand.

ANDREW EKEJIUBA

N

ational telecommunications company, Globacom, has declared support for the Flying Eagles ahead of the forthcoming 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup scheduled to hold in New Zealand.

In a press statement in Lagos on Thursday, Globacom stated that the Flying Eagles need maximum support from Nigerians in their quest to win the FIFA U-20 World Cup for the first time.

“Our focus from the onset should be on securing qualification ticket

from the group, thus ensuring that the team moves to the quarter finals, from where they can compete for medals,” the company said.

“We urge the Flying Eagles to give good account of themselves as the reigning African Champions. They should make Nigeria and Africa proud during the competition by winning the trophy,” the statement added.

The Telecoms Company therefore advised the team to play top grade friendly matches and work very hard to ensure that the team remain in shape ahead of the competition.

The Flying Eagles are presently on a

training tour of Germany ahead of the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup scheduled to hold in New Zealand between May 30 and June 20, 2015.

“We want to assure the team that Nigerians are behind them to succeed in the task ahead.” the statement concluded.

The quartet of Nigeria, Senegal, Mali and Ghana emerged as Africa representatives at the last African Youth Championship in Senegal and will fly the continent’s flag in New Zealand.

Globacom is a major partner of the Nigeria Football Federation and official sponsor of Nigeria national teams.

Fed Cup: Spotlights FC win despite financial crisis Despite the financial predicament facing Spotlights Football Club of Katsina, the team on Wednesday qualified for the next round of Federation Cup. Addressing the players and coaches shortly after their 3-1 victory over Kogi United at Jos Township Stadium, the Katsina State Commissioner of Youth and Sports, Alhaji Aminu Ibrahim Safana, expressed satisfaction with the performance of the team.

Safana said that his ministry would do everything possible to secure the release of their second quarter budget before the expiration of Governor Ibrahim Shehu Shema’s tenure ends on May

29, 2015.

The commissioner further explained that the state government is aware of the team’s financial constraint and pledged efforts were intensified to settle their entitlements without further delay.

He assured that the incoming government will continue to offer its financial support in order to ensure that the team continues to project the good image of the state as far as football is concerned in the country.

The commissioner, however, charged the players to win their Pro-league opening match against host, Kogi United on Saturday in Lokoja.

Jonathan confirms Yakmut’s appointment President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has approved the appointment of Mr. Al-Hassan Yakmut as the substantive Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC).

The appointment, which takes immediate effect, was conveyed to the Sports

Giwa FC duo claim LBA for April Farouk Soyoye

Ibrahim Shuaibu of Giwa FC

Minister/Chairman, National Sports Commission, Dr. Tammy Danagogo, via a letter dated May 12, 2015.

It would be recalled that Yakmut was on April 15, 2015 appointed as acting director general of the NSC, replacing Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye.

Giwa FC head coach, Tony Bulus and striker Ibrahim Shuaibu, have emerged winners of the League Bloggers Awards (LBA) Manager and Player respectively for the month of April.

It is the first time that both men will be named winners of the prestigious award, which honours the best players and managers in the Glo Premier League.

Bulus claimed the manager’s award by fending off close challenges from Kennedy Boboye (stand-in Sunshine Stars head coach for Englishman Paul Ashworth), Abdu Maikaba (Wikki Tourists) and Kadiri Ikhana (Enyimba).

The Giwa FC manager edged the rest

of the pack by finishing the month of April unbeaten after guiding his team to two wins, including an away win against Enugu Rangers.

Boboye, Maikaba and Ikhana could only help their teams to two wins apiece.

In the player’s category, it was quite a battle among Shuaibu, Enyimba striker Mfon Udoh, Bayelsa United goalkeeper Bassey Akpan, Ubong Ekpai of Kano Pillars and Wikki’s Godwin Obaje.

However, the battle was down to three players - Shuaibu, Udoh and Akpan - and it was the Giwa FC striker who edged the others to claim the LBA for April after he scored two of his three goals at Rangers and Lobi Stars. His goals also helped his team to finish the month under review without a loss.

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PERSONAL INFORMATION About Uche Nwofor Nwofor began his career with Power United also called Anambra Pillars F.C. He left in summer 2009 to go on loan to Nigeria Premier League side Shooting Stars F.C., where he played for one season before joining Rangers FC. Nwofor signed with VVV Venlo in August 2011 and on September 11, 2011, Nwofor announced his arrival by scoring on his debut for VVV Venlo in a thrilling 3-3 home draw with PSV in the Dutch top-flight.

In his first season he scored 4 goals in the Eredivisie.

On August 30, 2013, Nwofor joined Heerenveen on season-loan move and on September 12, 2014, he joined Lierse SK on a free transfer on a one-year contact.

Name: Full name: Date of birth: Place of birth: Height: Position: Current team: Number:

Uche Nwofor Uche Innocent Nwofor September 17, 1991 (age 23) Lagos, Nigeria 1.84 m (6 ft 12 ⁄ in) Striker Lierse SK 29

Senior career 2008–2010: 2009–2010: 2010–2011: 2011–2014: 2013–2014: 2014–till-date:

Anambra Pillars Shooting Stars (loan) Enugu Rangers VVV-Venlo SC Heerenveen (loan) Lierse SK

National team 2011: 2010– Till date:

Nigeria U-20 Nigeria

Uche Nwofor

International Career In April 2011, Nwofor represented Nigeria U-20 team where he netted four goals in five games to finish highest goal scorer of the 2011 African Youth Champion continental title in Johannesburg.

In August 2011, Nwofor represented Nigeria in the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Colombia and was an instant hit, coming off the bench to score two goals in 6 minu Nwofor earned his first full-international cap for the Super Eagles on March 3, 2010 in a friendly game against the Congo DR national football team. He was als ria’s B team beat Republic of Benin 4–0 in the WAFU Nations Cup. In July 2013, the Nigerian national team called up Nwofor for an international friendly match against South Africa in Durban on August 14. He scored 2 goals i In the first of Nigeria’s World Cup warm-up matches of 2014, Nwofor scored a last-minute equaliser to spare Nigeria’s blushes against an in-form Scotland. Th Nwofor made the World Cup roster when it was announced three days later.

or

nship, as Nigeria won a sixth

utes against Croatia. so instrumental when Nige-

in the 49th and 68th minutes. he match ended 2-2.

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FEDERATION WATCH

WITH OSARETIN EMUZE

Auchi

bubbles for

Okpekpe Race

A

uchi town in Edo North is a beehive of activities as over 5000 athletes, officials and top government functionaries that includes the Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has besieged the sleepy town for the third Okpekpe Race billed for Saturday.

26 foreigners from Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Morocco, Norway, Ghana

and host country, Nigeria, are set for the 10-kilometer race with over $100,000 price money at stake.

Auchi is already bubbling with hoteliers, motorcyclists, food vendors and market men and women making brisk business.

The highlight of the race will be the elite race that would see Governor Oshiomhole running the 10 kilometer race with other top govern-

ment functionaries. Oshiomhole was a delight to watch in the last two editions.

Commercial activities in the community and its environs have peaked, where most of the hotels that will host the guests are wearing new looks, while others are expanding their facilities to accommodate more guests. Also, makeshift stores are being erected along the race route.

Some athletes said they started training early in order to be in shape not just to win the state prize, but the star prize of $20,000.

Usman Suleiman said it was absurd that foreign athletes have dominated the event since inception.

Meanwhile, former Nigeria track and field stars, Henry Amike, Tony Osheku and Yusuf Ali have hailed Mike Itemuagbor and his company,

Pamodzi Sports Marketing, for putting Nigeria among the list of countries the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has counted worthy of hosting a world class road race in 2015.

The 10km Okpekpe road race is the brain-child of Itemuagbor and his company and was late last year granted a bronze label status by the IAAF world governing body.

NSF invites 19 players for Umuahia Meet

Nigeria out of AIBA Youth tourney Nigeria is not taking part in the 2015 AIBA Junior/Youth Women Boxing Championships which started in Taipei, Taiwan on Thursday and will end May 24.

This development was due to the non-approval of its plans for the championship by the National Sports Commission (NSC).

Assistant Secretary General of the Nigeria Boxing Federation (NBF), Peter Omagbemi, said the reason could be as a result of the political development in the country.

However, a total of 441 boxers from 45 countries have registered for the competition.

Action at the Okpekpe Road Race

Nigeria’s female boxer, Edith Ogoke, who competed in the first ever Women’s Boxing at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF) has invited 19 players for the fifth Scrabble Meet scheduled for May 28-31, in Umuahia, Abia State.

The players invited are Eta Karo, Wellington Jighere, Ayorinde Saidu, Emmanuel Jose, Denis Ikekeregor, Prince Omosefe, Oltunde Ouwole, Rex Ogbakpa, Rasheed Balogun, Onota Ojiru, Azu Ogbogu, Cyril Umbiye and Nsikam Etim.

Others invited are Noble Onoshe-

vive, Oshevire Avwenagha and Tuoyo Mayuku, while Dokuin San, Bright Idahosa and Nerville Ogedegbe are selected on wildcard.

The Technical Adviser of the male teams, Tony Ikolo, said the fifth Scrabble Meet is the final selection process for players that will be camped in Abuja later in the year for the 2015 World Scrabble Championship holding in Australia in November.

AAG: Danagogo, Gumel commend volley team The Sports Minister, Tamuno Danagogo, and Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) President, Engineer Habu Gumel, has poured encomium on Nigeria volleyball teams (men and women) for qualifying for the All Africa Games (AAG) billed for Congo in September.

Danagogo said it is a thing of joy for Nigerian volleyball teams to have qualified for the AAG.

“I am really very happy for the volleyball men and women teams. The commission will do all within its power to give all the teams that qualified adequate preparation for the Games,” he said.

He urged the players not to rest in their oars until they win the gold medals in volleyball events at the games: “I employ the teams to train harder to win the needed gold

medals for the country come September.

And on our part, we will do our best to see that they have adequate preparation before the Games.”

Gumel on his part said NOC felicitates with the players and officials for qualifying for the Games.

“On behalf of the board of NOC I congratulate all the players and officials for this

great feat. NOC will assist NVBF and the players in our own little way, so that they will excel in Congo,” he said.

The NOC president who is also the president of Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVBF) charged the players to go all out to prepare well for the games and beat other qualified nations to the gold medals in the four invents.

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Fatigued

y a r r u M

out of Italian Open

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ndy Murray has pulled out of the Italian Open in Rome, citing fatigue.

The Briton was due to play David Goffin in the third round on Thursday after a run of 10 successive victories on clay.

The 27-year-old third seed, who had considered skipping the tournament to rest for the French Open, beat Jeremy Chardy 6-4 6-3 in the previous round.

“I’ve played so much over the past 14 days. I’ve played 10 matches with some

extremely late finishes and my body needs to rest,” Murray said.

“I actually felt I played a good match on Tuesday but my body is tired. I have to listen to that and respect that.”

Murray’s victory over Frenchman Chardy followed back-to-back tournament victories in Munich and Madrid, where he defeated Rafael Nadal for the first time on clay in the final.

Murray’s match against Philipp Kohlschreiber in the second round in

Madrid started at 01:12 local time - one minute short of the latest ever on the ATP tour. The match finished at 03:00.

After several lengthy matches forced the late start, the Scot said: “If they want the players to perform at their best, players shouldn’t be playing at three o’clock in the morning.”

The ATP later said it would review its scheduling policy.

Meanwhile, world number one Serena Williams has pulled out of the women’s event in Rome because of an elbow injury.

The French Open begins on Sunday, May 24.

Dasaolu ready for Gatlin showdown European 100m champion James Dasaolu said he is pitting himself against the world’s best sprinters today because he feels in such good shape.

The Briton, 27, will come up against controversial sprinter Justin Gatlin in the Diamond League opener in Doha.

Injuries have been as much a part of Dasaolu’s career as successes.

But he said: “The year has been injury free. Normally I’d open up in June but everything’s been going well so I want to get the ball rolling.”

Dasaolu, Britain’s second fastest man in history, won his first major title last summer at the European Championships in Zurich.

It was his long-awaited breakthrough, achieved despite not competing outdoors until July because of a ham-

string injury and squeezing only three races into the build-up to Zurich.

That injury, sustained while racing indoors last February, is why the Croydon athlete restricted his commitments to one 60m race this year - a 6.52-second run in January, the second fastest by a European.

Having used last season as a “stepping stone”, Dasaolu is now ready to regularly compete against the best in the world.

“I’m always a believer in racing against these guys and getting used to running against them so come the World Championships I’ll be used to running against them,” he said before toay’s 100m race in the Qatari capital.

Cavendish beaten by Sagan in Tour of California

Peter Sagan outsprinted Mark Cavendish to win the fourth stage of the Tour of California in Avila Beach and close the gap on overall leader Toms Skujins.

Slovakian Sagan, who finished second on the opening three stages, is 22 seconds behind Skujins after earning 10 bonus seconds for winning the leg.

Cavendish finished third behind Wouter Wippert after a late Daniel Oss attack scuppered the sprinter’s lead-out.

The Manxman retains the points jersey, on 40, by a single point over Sagan.

Cavendish looked to be

well positioned heading into the final six kilometres, with six Etixx - Quick-Step team-mates ahead of him.

But Oss’s burst of speed in the final kilometre, coupled with a number of tricky corners, caused confusion and Cavendish was several riders behind Sagan coming off the final turn.

The Tinkoff-Saxo rider, who earlier this season was accused of having “lost something” by team owner Oleg Tinkov, said: “I’m very happy.

“Cavendish was behind me, maybe I did some turns better, and from the last corner I just sprinted.”

Inquiry confirmed into Hughes death

Dasaolu

Cricket Australia has confirmed it will commission an independent review into the death of batsman Phillip Hughes.

Test player Hughes died in November aged 25, two days after being struck on the top of the neck by a delivery during a domestic match in Sydney.

Hughes, who also played for

Hampshire, Middlesex and Worcestershire, was hit by a delivery from bowler Sean Abbott.

His death stunned Australia and sparked thousands of tributes from around the world.

Around 5,000 people attended the funeral in Hughes’s home town of Macksville, New South Wales, with the service broadcast live to millions of people on Australian television.

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EXTRATIME BRIEFS Chelsea confirm Nathan signing Chelsea have confirmed the signing of attacking midfielder Nathan from Atletico Paranaense. The 19-year-old is to join the Premier League champions on July 1 after passing a medical and agreeing personal terms. Nathan has represented Brazil and U-17 and U-20 level during his career and netted five goals in as many games at the U-17 World Cup, where he was named as the player of the tournament.

UCL: Messi

Villa fined over FA Cup pitch invasion

from a different planet – Tevez Carlos Tevez described Lionel Messi as “from a different planet” and is relishing doing battle with his Argentina team-mate when Juventus meet Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League final.

Italian champions Juve pro-

gressed to the showpiece in Berlin by drawing 1-1 at Real Madrid on Wednesday to complete a 2-1 aggregate triumph.

With Barca having knocked out Bayern Munich in the other semifinal, it means Tevez will come up against compatriot Messi.

The former Manchester City striker is aware of the danger Messi possesses, but believes there is no reason why Juve cannot be crowned European champions.

“Right now Messi is the best player in the world and he

Evra ready for Suarez clash Juventus defender Patrice Evra will shake Luis Suarez’s hand before the UEFA Champions League final, but said he would make sure the Uruguayan felt his presence.

Suarez racially abused Evra during a Premier League game in 2011 when the pair were at Liverpool and Manchester United respectively, leading to a fine and eight-game ban.

The two will meet again in the Champions League final on June 6, when Evra’s Juve face Suarez’s Barcelona in Berlin.

Messi showed that in the semi-final,” Tevez told reporters after Juve’s draw in Madrid.

“He is capable of incredible things - he’s from a different planet. I can’t wait to take him on.

“It’ll be a great match and we want to write Juve into the history books. We need to prepare perfectly.”

Tevez, who won the Champions League with Manchester United in 2008, stated that the unity within the Juve camp is the reason for their march to the final.

Ancelotti keen for Real stay

Evra Evra, who played 90 minutes in Juve’s 1-1 second-leg semi-final draw at Real Madrid on Wednesday, said he was unfazed by facing Suarez.

“It doesn’t matter. The most important thing is that I play in the final,” Evra said.

“I am proud to be what I am, I am proud about my colour, and I will

shake his hand, it is no problem, but I will make sure he will feel me on the pitch.”

Evra said his plans going into every season included reaching the decider of Europe’s premier club competition.

The 33-year-old claimed the 200708 Champions League crown with United.

Carlo Ancelotti wants to remain at Real Madrid, but knows the European champions may opt to replace him.

The Italian is under pressure after Real’s UEFA Champions League semi-final exit at the hands of Juventus on Wednesday.

With Barcelona needing only one win to seal the La Liga title, Ancelotti and Real may finish the season with just the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup to show for their efforts.

When asked about his future, Ancelotti said: “I don’t have to say anything, “I will stay here if the club is happy with my two years here, if they don’t, they will have to take a decision.

“I would like to stay here but I know how it works in the football world, because the club has the right to change the coach if they are not happy.”

Aston Villa have been fined £200,000 by the Football Association (FA) following a pitch invasion at their FA Cup sixth-round clash with West Brom. Tim Sherwood’s men triumphed 2-0 over their local rivals at Villa Park in March, before going on to reach the final with a 2-1 win against Liverpool, with delighted Villa fans storming the pitch in stoppage time and after the final whistle. Some reports also suggested seats were thrown from a section of the ground housing away fans during the disturbances.

Friedel

Veteran goalkeeper Friedel set to retire Tottenham goalkeeper Brad Friedel has announced he will retire at the end of the season. The United States international, who is four days short of his 44th birthday and has been capped 82 times for his country, joined Liverpool from Columbus Crew in 1997 and has since gone on to play for Blackburn Rovers, Aston Villa and Tottenham. Friedel’s retirement will see him return to the US to work as a television pundit and as an American ambassador for Tottenham, for whom he has made 67 appearances in all competitions.