Dtn 15 9 15

PDP, APC trade words over fiscal direction, economic team Lateef Ibrahim, ƄƑƉ

ÎÎÎThe Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

on Monday restated its call on the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, to pay urgent

attention to the management of the economy.

In reaction, however, the governing par-

ty described the PDP’s call as a needless distraction.

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2015 VOL. 1. NO.191

GAINERS

N150

LOSERS

NSE GAINERS AND LOSERS AS AT 10th September 2015.

NESTLE

820

18.00

2.20%

DANGCEM

165

1.94

1.18%

CADBURY

23.06

-1.45

-6.29%

UACN

31.68

-0.62

-1.96%

GUINNESS

138.05

6.57

4.76%

PZ

26

1.00

3.85%

STANBIC

23.66

-1.24

-5.24%

ETI

18.16

-0.59

-3.25%

Lecturers storm Osun House, sit on bare floor Ï RƒƆƏ Ƒ ƍ ƈƗ Ƌ ƏƈƆ Ï MG è 1 ƒ ƈ ƅƏƑƅƈ Ƌ ƌƆƆƐƈ

Sodiq Adekunle R Ƅ

ÎÎÎLecturers,

under the aegis of the Council of Academic Staff Unions of Osun State Owned Tertiary Institutions on Mon-

day took their protest over unpaid salaries to the state House of Assembly.

However, the Speaker of the Assembly, Mr. Najeem Salam, walked out on them.

The workers are protesting the non-payment

of their salaries for eight straight months.

It was learnt that the Speaker walked out on the lecturers after spending some minutes with them.

The lecturers had been on strike for the past three

months.

Chanting various antigovernment songs, the lecturers carried various placards some of which read: ‘Save our Souls’, ‘Enough is Enough’, ‘Pay our Salaries’ and ‘We Reject Half Sala-

ries’.

The workers, who were led by leaders of the body including Chairman, Lasisi Jimoh; Secretary Olusegun Lana and Public Relations Officer, Dotun Omisore decried the speaker’s action.

The Secretary expressed surprise that despite not being paid, the government had declined to negotiate with them.

Lana also noted that most Continued on page 6

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`Ɔ ƈ g17 ƈ ƒƆ Ɛ Ə ô ƅ ƇƈƗƆ ƅƆ ƎƑƈƅƊƋƕ – Analysts urge Buhari

Kontagora to Buhari: ƐƐƆ Ɨ Ɛ Ɔƅ ƌƕ Ɠ g 8

Sunkanmi Ogunade

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Times Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Sunkanmi

Buhari

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Ogunade

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Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, September 15, 2015

3

Politics Page Three Æ s Editorial Dissolution of Medical and Dental Council

R

ecently, the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (NPMCN) raised objection over the dissolution of Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) by President Muhammadu Buhari. According to the council, the dissolution will not only promote quackery in the health sector, it will allow cases of malpractices to continue unabated. Making a case for its reinstatement, President of NPMCN, Prof. Rasheed Arogundade argued that MDCN be exempted as was in the case of the Universities Governing Councils because such premature dissolution had caused disastrous consequences in the past. Definitely, we are in line with this plea because as a regulatory body set up by statute, the dissolution of MDCN is the same as stopping all the functions.

For example, the Council’s functions include medical education, accreditation of professional institutions, maintenance of standards, enforcement of discipline and monitoring of health institutions that are training doctors all over the country among others. We recall that the board of MDCN has been dissolved several times in the past 20 years and which is responsible for the unsavoury developments and instability in medical education, practice and discipline in the country. For the avoidance of doubt, the Medical and Dental professions are regulated by the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act Cap 221, Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1990 and prescribes the kind of sanction that could be imposed on a medical doctor who is found liable for misconduct.

Without the council, there is no regulation for medical colleges and medical curriculums to train doctors, even as there will be no disciplinary body to sanction unethical conduct. Incidentally, dissolution of the council not only had devastating and detrimental consequences to both the professions and society, it encouraged sub-standard medical and dental schools, even as programmes were granted accreditations; thus producing incompetent practitioners.

In addition, curricula for education remained un-reviewed and updated for decades; codes of ethics remained obsolete and could not meet the challenges of time while practitioners engaged in unethical conducts without trials and sanctions. We believe the council and other professional regulatory bodies should be shielded from political influences, as meddling with its functions will be detrimental to the medical profession.

In a country where the ratio of medical practitioners is still well below the accepted international standards, it would amount to encouraging all manner of quacks into the profession if the recent council dissolution holds. In the end, it will be detrimental to the health of Nigerians and the reputation of the country. Ironically, with the government action, it means that any unaccredited institution can go on to enrol and graduate unqualified dentists and other medical practitioners. It is pertinent to point out that one of the reasons given by well to do Nigerians for travelling overseas for medical treatment is that the country not only lacks modern and well equipped hospitals, the medical practitioners also do not meet up to world standards.

It would therefore amount to compounding the matter if the institution duly accredited to rectify such perceived anomalies gets caught in the anvils of politics and is disbanded by an administration that promises to address all deficiencies plaguing the country.

Before now, Nigerians have been calling on the government to direct all political officeholders to henceforth seek medical attention in Nigeria and ban them from going overseas for treatment. Nevertheless, the dissolution of the agency in charge of regulating those manning our health institutions would give grist to the arguments of those flouting such order. We therefore appeal to the Federal Government to reinstate the existing council of MDCN that has barely spent one and half years of the statutory four years.

Publisher Daily Times Mr. Fidelis Anosike, with Dr. Yemi Ogunbiyi, former MD/CEO of the Daily Times group, at a presentation of the paper to him.

Okorocha: When love for grandeur beclouds reason Sam Nzeh

ÎÎÎThere

appears to be no let-up in the love of grandeur by Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, most often, at the expense of the tax payer.

Take his jetting out of Nigeria last Wednesday, leading a 100-man delegation to Turkey on a threeday visit, which according to his handlers, is to explore business and investment opportunities in that country.

This is Okorocha’s second trip in less than a year to the selfsame Turkey on the nebulous ground of exploring business and investment opportunities.

The governor had traveled with a large contingent to the same country some months ago. The trip of course was bankrolled by the state. When asked upon return from the trip, Okorocha said the gains would be seen in no distant time.

Sadly, months after, the gains of the trip are yet to materialise despite the huge amount expended.

But Okorocha is not moved and this can be seen in his second trip with yet another large delegation.

The Governor’s penchant for foreign trips and the large delegation that accompanies him on each occasion consumes a huge chunk of money and clearly hurts Imo’s economy.

It is sad that the governor of a state which still

Words On Marble :

owes its workers arrears of salaries, which cannot pay workers and pensioners as and when due, can afford to take a 100-man delegation on a foreign trip, the cost of which course is borne by the state.

Many would have thought that in these days when governors are cap in hand begging for bailout from the Federal Government, Governor Okorocha, would cut costs and channel resources to solving basic challenges confronting Imo State.

If for nothing else, the governor should realise that in these days of Change, public officials are expected to cut down on flamboyant lifestyles, frivolities and non-essentials which drain public resources.

STATEMENTS BY THOSE WHO MATTER

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Fidelis Anosike

Group Managing Director

Group Managing Editor

Chief Operating Officer

Editor

Noel Anosike Afie Braimoh

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Bamanga Tukur

Ibrahim Gambari

Edem Kodjo

“If you get a strong government, then I can assure you will have a strong economy. If you have a strong economy, I can assure you, you will have peace and security”.

“Material wealth alone cannot guarantee the stability of a country. There is need for rule of law and rule by law.”

“Africa has yet to play a major geopolitical role because she has not yet succeeded in realising her unity.”

4

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, September 15, 2015

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Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, September 15, 2015

5

News 6

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Salaries: Osun lecturers storm Assembly, sit on bare floor Continued from page 1 of the institutions needed more staff but said that the government had refused to recruit lecturers while the admission quota keeps increasing.

He said: “We came to the House of Assembly to submit Save Our Souls letter.

The protest went well until the Speaker walked out on us.

“The state government has not been remitting pension deductions from

our salaries to our Pension Fund Administrators, this is against the law. The deductions are supposed to be remitted seven days after salaries are paid but this is not happening.”

Responding to the protesters request, Chief Whip of the House of Assembly, Mr. Folorunsho Bamisayemi, pleaded for patience.

While admonishing the workers to disregard rumours, Bamisayemi said: “Efforts are underway to ensure your demand are

met.”

In the submitted letter, the workers rejected the reported plan of the state government to pay half salaries, objected to any plan to hold a fresh staff screening.

The letter was signed

by Jimoh and Lana as well as the Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Iree, Dotun Omisore; ASUP chairman, Esa Oke, Adesola Akande; College of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), Ila-

Orangun Chairman, Segun Onifade and COEASU Ilesa Chairman, Oladele Ojo. Meanwhile, for about five hours on Monday, the National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba, led a team of labour leaders to hold a meeting with the embattled Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, on the crisis.

Journalists were barred from covering the meeting, which was held at the Governor’s Office in Osogbo.

Journalists were barred from covering the meeting which lasted for about five hours.

Workers in the state have been agitated over the delay in paying the salaries even after the state government has N34.988 billion bailout from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Addressing journalists after the meeting, Wabba said that the government agreed to use the bailout to pay workers salaries and pensions “in the next few days.”

A statement by spokesman of the state Governor, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, read: “We are using the opportunity to assure the entire workers in the state that all arrears of salary and pensions will be paid from the bailout funds as the reason for which it was received.

And this is why the government has ensured that the verification exercise is concluded and the actual figure

of workers is determined for the purpose of payment.

“It is therefore important for workers themselves to ensure effective conclusion of this process in order to ensure they reap the fruits of their labour and prevent the criminal and dubious activities of those who reap where they do not sow.

“Therefore, we must agree that civil service reforms are absolutely critical at this stage in the life of our dear state. There is a need for the engagement of all critical segments of leadership of government and labour for the necessary actions that will make the service effective, efficient and economic.

“If our state, and by all means, the entire SouthWest region, will become financially and materially viable, a wholesome review of what works and what does not must be carried out and implemented with considerable alacrity and efficiency.”

Suspected herdsmen attack Plateau villages, kill 20 L-R: Osewa of Ijebuland and Member, Ojude Oba Planning Committee 2015, Chief Mrs Bisi Osibodu; Globacom Business Director, Lagos State, Mr. Kunle Akanmu; Chairman of the committee, Otunba Wahab Osinusi; and Globacom Business Director, Ogun State, Mr. Ayo Ogunranti at the press conference on the forthcoming Ojude Oba held at Awujale’s Palace, Ijebu Ode… on Monday

PDP, APC trade words on fiscal policy, economic team Continued from page 1 The opposition party said its worry stems from the fact that the economy has remained on rapid fall since the last four months apparently due to the absence of clear-cut fiscal policy direction and an economic team to deal with the domestic and global challenges associated with a developing economy.

The party made the call in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh in Abuja.

He stated: “Whereas the PDP is in full support of the President’s efforts in tackling corruption and insurgency, the party is however concerned about the grave economic situation we now face, as well as indices from global economic watchers,

which this administration has failed to give deserving attention, despite its predictable negative impact”.

The PDP said as a responsible party, it felt dutybound, beyond politics, to draw the President’s attention to the fact that under the prevailing circumstances, the nation is evidently heading for economic crash.

It stated: “Mr. President, this is no longer about politics and partisanship. It is about the economy of our dear nation and the wellbeing of the Nigerian citizens.”

The opposition party continued: “Recall that we have severally in the past, drawn attention to official reports showing that the unemployment situation in the country as well as inflation rate are growing at frightening

dimensions, not to talk of the continued decline in domestic and direct foreign investments, all due to uncertainty created by the lack of economic direction of APC-led administration.

“The situation has become even of utmost concern following the failure of this administration to articulate any interventionist policy at this critical moment, when credible global economic monitors have continued to predict that oil price may fall as low as $20 per barrel.”

The PDP stated further: “It is worrisome that whilst other countries are taking deliberate steps to enhance their investment profiles and hedge their economies at this time, the APC-led federal government has done nothing in that direc-

tion, but has centered on partisan politics and witchhunt of perceived opponents, while the economy remains vulnerable and unattended to.

“We caution strongly that this approach to governance is not healthy for our nation. Indeed, the time has come for Mr. President to end the apparent lethargy in his administration and take urgent step to set up a crack economic team of experts to immediately swing into action and salvage the situation by opening up all economic outlets, which have been stagnated in the last four months.

“In managing this economy at this time, we urge Mr. President, as the father of the nation, to look beyond partisan politics Continued on page 12

Moses Ikyaa-Gba Jos

ÎÎÎThey

arrived in the dead of the night. By dawn when they had disappeared, no fewer than 20 persons lay dead with several houses torched.

The tears have continued to flow in Zakupwang, Fan villages of the Foron District and the Fan District of Barkin Ladi Local Government area of Plateau State.

The attackers were the usual suspects: Herdsmen.

The reign of terror was unleashed between 10.00pm on Sunday and 1.00am on Monday.

A legislator representing Barkin Ladi constituency in the state House of Assembly, Hon. Peter Gyendeng, confirmed the incident to reporters on Monday.

He condemned that the incessant attacks on Plateau villages, particularly his constituency, by suspected herdsmen.

He said 13 persons were killed at about 10pm in Nding village of Fan-Loh

District while eight other persons were killed in Zakukpang village where over 11 houses were torched.

Farmland were also lain waste by the people he called “hired criminals.”

The lawmaker, who was in tears while speaking to reporters, in Jos, decried the level of damage done to innocent civilians. He appealed to the Federal Government to put an end the mayhem being carryout daily by the herdsmen.

His words: “I don’t know why the Federal Government has refused to take action on the incessant attacks in those villages where people are being massacred everyday.”

The Daily Times learnt that several other person were critically injured and were receiving treatment at various hospitals at press time.

The state government recently set up a 14-man committee, seven each from the Berom and Fulani communities, to reconcile their differences and find lasting peace.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, September 15 , 2015

CLO scores Buhari high in 100 days Ifeanyi Onwuneme Umuahia

ÏÏÏThe

Civil Liberities Organisation (CLO), Abia State branch, has given a pass mark to the Buhari administration on its performance in the economy, power and security sectors, within its first 100 days in the office.

State chairman, Comrade Pedro Azuogu, pointed out, in Umuahia, the state capital, that although 100 days was grossly inadequate to appreciate the achievements of a new government, it offers oppor-

7 News

tunity for the citizenry to know its policy thrust.

He told the Daily Times that the power sector had improved tremendously in the last three months, saying, “although it could be said that former president Goodluck Jonathan had already put the structures on the power sectors on ground, it took only a Buhari brand to infuse seriousness in the various distribution companies to begin to perform at optimal level, knowing that their agreement could be reviewed.

Azuogu observed that the relocation of the Military High Command from Abuja to Maidugiri had added pep to achievements being recorded in the fight against insurgency.

President Muhammadu Buhari inspecting a guard mounted to honour him during his official visit to Paris, France… on Monday

French President pledges aid as Buhari visits Egena Egena Abuja

ÏÏÏFrench

President, François Hollande on Monday said his government would assist the Multinational Joint Task Force (MJTF) with intelligence gathering and equipment in the fight against terrorism in Nigeria and the African sub region.

Hollande disclosed his government's plan for Nigeria after a closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari who is on a three-day official visit to France.

At a joint press conference, the French President stressed that his government was concerned about the increasing spate of insecurity in Nigeria and the West African sub region and was therefore ready to render support to tackle the menace of extremism.

He said the two leaders discussed new strategies of partnership that would enable Nigeria and its neighboring countries of Cameroun, Chad, Niger and Benin Republic to fight insurgency through the joint action of the MJTF in order to restore lasting peace.

President Hollande explained that as part of its intervention, France last year hosted a Regional Summit on Security in Paris which brought together the neighboring countries to chat the way forward.

"We provide all of the support to the countries in the region which are affected by this cult and in Nigeria, we want to provide support and solidarity," he noted.

The French President also thanked President Buhari for his recent actions, including the movement of the military command centre to Maiduguri which has helped to advance the fight against the insurgents.

He also disclosed that France had concluded arrangements to invest not less than 130 million euros in the development of infrastructure in Nigeria to assist in the rebuilding of roads, provision of electricity and water supply.

He noted that despite the fall in the price of crude oil in the international market which had affected Nigeria's expected revenue, the country's economy still remained strong.

He said: "The Nigerian economy remains strong so, France wants to be doing business in the country."

According to him, France intends to increase the visibility of its investors in Nigeria.

In his remarks, President Buhari thanked the French government for its interest in assisting Nigeria and expressed the readiness of his administration to partner with France for the overall development of the country.

Buhari noted that with the commitment from France, Nigeria's next shopping list regarding support woould move to other members of the G7.

"We have to depend on France and the other G7 countries for support to fight piracy" the President said.

He added: "Our next shopping list is going to G7 in terms of intelligence and training. Another problem is the problem in the Gulf of Guinea, from Senegal to Angola, that area is endowed with resources like petroleum and other minerals but surrounded by piracy and theft.

"We are going to depend on France and G7 countries to flush these criminals out of the region."

President Buhari spoke further: "On Nigeria's problems, more than 67 percent of our youths and most of them under their youthful age are unemployed."

FG commends AU peace initiative to other regions Egena Egena Abuja

ÏÏÏThe Federal Government has

commended the Peace and Security Council of the African Union for providing the continent with an effective mechanism and tool in conflict management.

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo made the commendation, on Monday, in Abuja, at the opening of a retreat for members of the AU Peace and Security Council and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) with the theme: “Promotion of Peace, Security and Stability in Africa.”

According to him, the Peace and Security Council “has been a novel African initiative in many respects; one that has proven an effective tool in conflict management.”

A statement by Senior Special Assistant to the Vice-President on

Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, said Osinbajo also noted that the “achievements of the Council, in its 11 years of existence, have set it out as an outstanding best practice, worthy of emulation by other regions in the world.”

He emphasised that the Peace and Security Council has been AU’s lead response agency in tackling numerous conflicts and other security challenges, ranging from political crisis, armed conflicts to humanitarian crisis as exemplified in the Council’s handling of the recent Ebola Virus Disease in some member countries.

Osinbajo also underscored the significance of a synergy between Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and the Peace Security Council (PSC), saying that such a co-operation was crucial for the African Union as a continental body.

“Indeed, if the AU is to deliver on the goals set out in the Con-

stitutive Act, closer co-operation and synergy with the RECs is one requirement that is absolutely imperative,” the Vice President observed.

He charged participants at the retreat to pay attention to how the PSC and the RECs could enhance effectiveness and efficiency using their comparative advantages and various capacities within the context of subsidiarity and complementarity in the areas of early warning and early action, conflict prevention, peace-making and combating terrorism and violent extremism.

He said: “It is when all of these are comprehensively addressed that all the weak linkages and gaps that often pose the risk of parallel initiatives and contractions will be eliminated, thereby achieving our delineated objectives under the APSA (African Peace and Security Architecture).”

Seven children feared dead as school building collapses in Plateau Chijioke Kingsley

Jos

ÏÏÏSeven students at an Islamic school were killed on Sunday evening, when their school building collapsed at the Bukuru area of Jos South Local Government Area, in Plateau State. Five others who sustained injuries are currently receiving treatment in a specialist hospital.

About 40 students were taking lessons in the school, when the tragedy struck.

The North Central Zonal Co-ordinator of the National Emergency ManagementAgency (NEMA),

Malam Muhammad Abdussalam, said his men were still carrying out rescue operations and promised to give more details.

Governor Simon Lalong, in a press statement signed by the Director of Press Affairs, Mr. Nanle Emmnuel, said the injured were receiving treatment at the Bingham Hospital (Jankwano), Plateau Specialist Hospital, and Sunnah Hospital all in Jos. The State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), the Nigeria Police and other rescue operatives have also been active in the rescue operations.

Lalong gave assurance that he

would work hard to ensure that all agencies saddled with ensuring that all public buildings, particularly school buildings were fit for use did their job diligently.

He assured the citizens of the state that the unfortunate incident in the Tudun Wada Area during the early hours of the day concerning the right of way and issues surrounding the blockade of roads during worship, which almost resulted in the breakdown of law and order had been brought under control by members of the Operation Safe Havens and the police.

8

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Politics

Æs

The politics of Ige’s remembrance As controversy still rages on between the Organized Labour and Osun State government, over unpaid salaries a group, the Civil Societies Coalition for the Emancipation of Osun State (CSCEO) has called on the State governor, Mr. Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola to stop politicising the 14-year old remembrance of late Cicero of Esa-Oke, Chief Bola Ige. CSCEO said death of the for-

mer governor of old Oyo State should not be used to draw public sympathy over his government inability to pay the backlog of salaries to the State workers and retirees alike for period of seven to eight months.

Reacting to claims by Governor Aregbesola that, ‘Ige’s killers were behind the plot to destabilise the state’, the group, in a statement by its Chairman, Comrade Adeniyi Sulaiman the group carpeted

Aregbesola for drawing the spirit of Late Ige into his failure to perform the simple constitutional role of a governor of paying the workers and retirees alike as at when due, insisting that spirit of good governance which the late Attorney General of the Federation represented while alive, would continue to haunt Aregbesola till the end of his deCONTINUED ON PAGE 9

Bola Ige

Aregbesola

Kontagora to Buhari:

Attend to economy now Colonel AMINU ISA KOTANGORA (Rtd), former Military Administrator, Benue and Kano states, had expressed interest in the governorship position in his home state, Niger, in the 2015 democratic election without success. In this interview with VICTOR JIBRIN, he took a look at the three months in office of the All Progressives Congress (APC) saying it was an opportunity for Nigerians to assess the two major parties and make a choice in the 2019 general election.

He also called on the APC leadership to make economic pronouncement with a view to reducing the current hardship in the country. Excerpts:

Kontagora

Buhari

How do you see the 100 days of President Muhammadu Buhari in office?

Let us first and foremost give glory to God for a successful election. Not only Nigerians, even our friends outside Nigeria did not give us chance to survive as a country and that formed part of those predictions of US that by 2015 Nigeria may cease to exist.

Those are the permutations and strategic analysis made having taken into considerations so many things. It was good that we took note of that and worked tirelessly for it not to materialise. Now we have a country becoming secured by the day and Nigerians believing in their country. The APC defeated my party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), at the presidential poll. It is a good development because the people will now have something to assess. If PDP did not do well in power, they should expect APC to do better, and the PDP did excellently well in power and which I believe we did as a party, despite what is said about our party and leaders. We believed PDP as a party really understood Nigerians and took care of the common man in Nigeria. It was just that we may not have met

the expectations of Nigerians. For those that felt like that, I am not the party chairman but we apologise and pray that they give us another chance. Come 2019 we will proof them right that they have made a better choice that time. At that time the PDP will give them the real change. 100 days is gone.

We thank God. No celebration, no funfair. That is the style of government. We are grateful to God that at least we have survived to see the 100 days.

Like a baby that one is looking up to for a future, how do you see the steps taken so far by the government?

The PDP has done some mistakes but in governance, what should be looked into is not the maker of the law or the maker of the policy but the beneficiary of that law or beneficiary of that action taken by a government. Yes there have been wanton corruption, we are not denying that and we still believe it is continuing because it is the same Nigerians, the same laws that are still being operated, it is just that maybe, people may not be too bold to do it as they used to do it but I don’t think there CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, September 15, 2015

9 Politics

Corruption is still continuing, Kontagora tells Buhari CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

is a structure yet in the Nigerian society to reduce corruption. We are treating malaria always but we are not killing the mosquito that causes malaria. So we still have a long way to go when it comes to fighting corruption of which I know the PDP will take its own lesson to perform better because we have seen the good, the bad and the ugly. The APC is yet to make any economic pronouncement three months after. That is a quarter. A quarter in a business is a very long period. So I think the hiccups, the stress now being witnessed is the economy, not that we are jittery but the popular saying sit down and look. Once our construction companies are not functioning, the productions are not sure of the next policy the government will produce, no investor will head into Nigeria now without getting a clear direction of where the economy is going.

This is what we are suffering now.

I believe the government should as quickly as possible attend to the economy. For instance, this construction companies that have stopped work, thousands of workers have been without salaries for months now. It will show in the market, there is no doubt. That is why you hear people screaming no money, no money. Yes it is true that there is no money because nobody has gone to spend money in the market. The categories of people that they employ are the

Buhari people that once they get money, they head straight to the market. It is not you and me that will bank maybe till next month or next week. They are the one that lubricate the market. They don’t go to stock exchange for speculating trading or anything, no; they go directly to the market. So let the government as quickly as possible look into the economy and

make pronouncement. I know if it has been the PDP government, we know it would have been stressful but at least we had a direction for economy and the PDP grow the economy to be the largest economy in Africa. We hope and believe this should be maintained so that people should benefit.

As an administrator, what is really responsible for the hap-

penings now?

I don’t know what is contained in the handing over note between the APC and PDP government. I know that the Nigerian state was terribly indebted. We had a staggering domestic debt of overN12 or N15trillion. It may look like oh! No, these are loans to be paid in 30 years. What it means is that you have to check that … which I believe maybe that is what they are doing. But you cannot achieve proper economic growth without elements of inflation, you can’t achieve any goal without element of risk and you cannot achieve any economic development to deal with people out of work. So, you have to make the people work.

It is not until you create new office but there are so many ways you can engage people to grow the economy. I believe despite the cries and hew, that was one aspect that the PDP did well - the SURE-P for instance. All the SURE-P workers have been laid off and they were over 20million enjoying that programme all over the country.

They are now without an income.

Whether SURE-P was corrupt or not, the beneficiaries may not understand it on that aspect, and the beneficiary is the society, the local market. That is the issue. So, as a party, the APC should get its acts right and give us a bearing because, yes, the Christmas and the honeymoon are still on. But once the economy continues to bite at CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

Nobody can divide Nigeria – Eze Kalu HRM Eze Kalu Kalu Ogbu IV is the Enachioken of Abiriba, and the paramount ruler of Abiriba Kingdom in Bende LGA of Abia State. He is the 17th in the line of succession from the royal lineage of Oke Ukpabi Nnachioke, the founder of Abiriba. The Enachioken – in-Council recently marked the traditional Abiriba New Year -new yam festivals. In this interview with SUNDAY NWAKANMA in his palace in Ameke Abiriba, Eze Kalu spoke on many issues stating that Nigeria is a country where there is nothing anybody can do to divide it.

Excerpts: Your majesty, your kingdom is in a festive mood today?

Yes, today is a new day in Abiriba and marks the beginning of a new year in the Abiriba traditional calendar. Today is what we call the “Eke mbu”, (first Eke) in Abiriba and a day we celebrate the new yam. It is the end of the year traditional and then the day we celebrate the new yam festival.

How do you see the proliferation of autonomous commuities in the state?

Abiriba is made up of 17 semiCONTINUED ON PAGE 10

Group tasks Aregbesola not to politicize Ige’s remembrance CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

ceitful tenure for subjecting the workers and retirees with their families to untold hardship.

Comrade Sulaiman however reiterated its group call on the President Muhammadu Buhari led-Federal Government to immediately take over the payment salaries of workers and retirees alike of the state, alleging that Aregbesola has not paid the backlogs of workers despite the fact that the Federal Government through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) released N34billion bailout to the State government for the settlement of outstanding salaries.

It declared its unalloyed support for the state workforce through its Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) that non-payment of salaries to workers were act of corruption of the state governors, especially Governor Aregbesola, saying that Mr. Aregbesola should stop dragging the god name of Ige into his deceitful government, instead of doing the needful of giving dividends of democracy as promised during his electioneering campaign.

According to the group: “It is a very unfortunate for Osun State governor, to drag the good name of Chief Ige into his poor performance in office by criminally and recklessly mismanag-

ing the resources that accrued to the state from the Federation Account and as well subjecting the state into bankruptcy.

“Aregbesola is ruling the state since November 2010 till date with deceit; all sectors of the state are nothing to write home about. Mr. Governor has raised the morale of the workers and retirees in many fora that whenever the Federal Government through Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) released their promised bailout fund to the state, the government of the state will not waste time to pay the outstanding salaries of workers and retirees alike. But to our dismay, payment of outstanding salaries

from the bailout fund is still in crisis.

“It is high time President Muhammadu Buhari led-Federal Government acceded to our clarion call to take over the payment of workers salaries and pension of retirees. Mr Arebesola has shown that he does not have mental and physical capability to govern the State again because he cannot perform the simple duty of a state governor of payment of salaries. We are using this medium to reiterate our call that the Federal Government should come and help Aregbesola on the payment of salaries to the state workforce and retirees.

“Those who are making jest of us when we were pronouncing that Aregbesola hates workers and retirees with passion and also insensitive to their plight, will now see reasons in our earlier call. We believed that the spirit of Bola Ige’s good governance will continue to haunt Mr. Aregbesola till the end of his deceitful government in the State”.

Sulaiman enjoined the organized labour including NLC, Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) others in the state, not to allow Aregbesola shortchange and coerce their members again over backlogs of salaries and pension dues.

Politics 10

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Battle against corruption should start from churches, villages – Eze Kalu CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

autonomous villages, but under one kingdom. Abiriba people do not like this issue of balkanization of communities in the name of creation of autonomous communities. When we saw that everybody was creating autonomous community, Abiriba kingdom tried it and it did not augur well.

As a result we lost many things through destruction in Abiriba.

By 2010, government in its wisdom knew that the only thing they can do to return Abiriba to its former status is to abolish all forms of autonomous communities and return to its status as a kingdom and apparently the only kingdom that is still remaining in the whole of Abia State now.

The fight against corruption is being undertaken by the ad-

Eze Enachikoen

Buhari

ministration of Muhammadu Buhari. As a traditional ruler what is your opinion on this fight?

We support the present administration in its fight against corruption in this country because that is the only way we can survive.

The resources are in the hands of few individuals, while every other person suffers. So the fight against corruption is a laudable one. Fight from corruption should start from the villages, churches, everywhere so that it will be easier.

The president alone cannot do the fight without our own help.

Many people do not farm, yet they celebrate the yam festival?

I heard about that but it is not the same thing in my community.

As a matter of fact, we even set up an award for yam farmers in the community and give awards to the

Eze Ji (King of yams) in the communities and finally the Eze Ji in Abiriba will emerge and will be rewarded. As I am talking to you, the competition is still on and we are going to the farms to assess the farmers. A committee has been set up which will go to the farms and determine who the Eze Ji is. We farm and then celebrate the yam.

Can Abiriba yams be found in the market or are they on subsistence level?

As a matter of fact, we cannot claim that we have commercial agriculture going on in Abiriba, what is going on to a large extent is subsistence agriculture where people are farming to feed themselves and their neigbhouring communities. The previous day, anyone that visited the Abiriba CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

Come 2019, PDP will bring the real change – Kontagora CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

the current level, I think the honeymoon will soon be over.

Nigerians are worried and surprised why Mr. President is finding it difficult to put necessary things in place, having being a military governor, minister and Head of state as a result of which nothing should be new to him?

If you look back to when he was governor, there was still serenity in the economy, a small economy, so the problems then and now could not be the same. When he was the minister of petroleum, the economy was growing at that time and so they were not battling with how to run, but battling with how to develop. That is not the situation now. When he was Head of State, it was almost a similar scenario in 1983 and what obtains now. The economy was almost at a standstill. Obasanjo left over 8billion dollars in foreign reserve in 1979 but by the time he took over, there was nearly an empty foreign reserve. In short, some analysts said if you calculate it, it was about 2oo million dollars, some said 8billion. This reserve evaporated in four years – 1979 to 1983. Everybody knew what happened – we have to go for trade by batter. Then there was problem of essential commodity, so a lot of things have to be done at that time and he did it well. I think

Secondus

Metuh

it is that echoing of that period that endeared him to Nigerians wanting him to be elected and turning the country. Not that our foreign reserve is bad, not that the economy is not good. We are not looking for essential commodities this time around because we don’t queue to buy salt, sugar or soap. The reserve is still there, though it has gone down due to oil prices. It is ok but that must have necessitated the CBN monetary and foreign exchange policies. It is good but it shouldn’t last too long. They should make amends to that suspension of local domiciliary account. What it has done

is that it has slowed down unnecessary import, it has slowed down capital flight which is ok and then it has brought back some confidence on the Naira. I believe that we can do better in the economy.

I agree with some analysts that the PDP government fastract the growth of the economy but we were not prepared with the side effect and it was the side effect of that asseveration that led to some of the declines we have faced in the economy. I believe he knows that, he has been handed over this document. The scenario now is that the people now are not as patient as the one in 1983 or when

he was a minister or governor.

The citizens now are not as patient as those days. The economy has grown wider and lager that it cannot take a long break. That is the difference. So, if that is the difficulty, his aim, I think the earlier the better he sources for a team, either economic or political, anything to get the economy going because once the economy is booming, nobody bothers those in government but when there is slow down, there have to a struggle, they have to do this, then that is the problem. Let us not always forget that there are some people that need to work every day to feed. If they don’t get a job for that day the house goes hungry, so we have to know that we can’t match the break for too long on the economy. Let us release the break.

One of the cardinal agenda of Buhari regime is fighting corruption. From the foregoing, do you see him succeeding in view of dissenting voices from some quarters asking him not to jail anybody, forget about the past and focus attention on what will happen from now on?

I believe that Mr. President will succeed. He will succeed not in eliminating corruption but in bringing back consciousness of Nigerians that corruption is bad for the economy. He will succeed if structural issues are addressed.

He will succeed if laws pertaining to corruption are looked into.

What do I mean by this is that it is good to investigate what happened so that we can know where to go. It is a natural thing. People just take investigation always from the negative side. Even in your house, if you don’t sit down and appraise some family issues, you don’t move forward. It is either you keep something bugging you, but once you appraise, you know where to start from and what to do. I am in support of recovery, after all the money came out of the commonwealth fund, therefore it should come back to it. Now, what are the structures to stop people from being corrupt?

That is what I believe have been lacking not with Jonathan, not with Buhari but for long we have not addressed that issue of structure. We have the BPE, Bureau for Public Enterprise, but the BPE as a structure is weak. It is supposed to regulate spending from the treasury from local government to the federal government.

That means if I am going to award contract for the purchase of Hellos vehicle, for instance, I should know what is the current cost, what the law permit as profit, what the law permit as tax, what goes to the government as value added tax so that when I give company x LPO to purchase that helCONTINUED ON PAGE 11

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, September 15, 2015

11 Politics

Buhari’s appointment unacceptable – Eze Kalu CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

market would have seen that only Abiriba yams were sold in the market. But there is no way we can eat all we got from the farm, it is not possible. Sometimes, people come from Aba, Umuahia and the neighbouring communities to buy yams. So we are not producing in a large and commercial quantity.

What is your opinion on the dilapidated nature of AbiribaOhafia road as it affects agriculture and commerce in your area?

It is very unfortunate and I cannot manufacture the exact words that will fit the condition of Umuahia – Uzuakoli – Ohafia – Arochukwu road. The road is too bad and from Ohafia, the Army garrison area of the road is a death trap and has affected agriculture in no small measure as well as other commercial and economic activities because of its bad nature. So I am appealing to the Federal Government that the road is a federal road. They should come to our aid and make sure that the road is dualized to enable the evacuation of farm activities. This road joins the area with Akwa Ibom people and if done, it will make vehicular movement easy and will also bring about increase in economic activities.

Some people on grounds of religion do not join in the celebration of new yam. What will be your advice to such people?

It is very unfortunate for anyone to say that because of religion, he will not join in the new yam festival. I don’t know what the person is trying to achieve.

This is our culture. If God did not want us to be here, maybe he would have created us as Americans or Israelis, but in His wisdom, He created us Igbos and gave us this culture. We did not just come out from nowhere and this is a culture that has been in existence for many years. So anybody that says he will not do it because of religion, that person is not serious. One cannot be better than the Israelis. They have their own culture and you have your own. Their culture they still keep till today. So I cannot see why one should hide under the religion to shun new yam festivals. After all, what is new yam festival? Are we committing any crime here, are we killing anybody here? It is only to thank God and to pray for good yield in the year.

What is your feelings on the lopsided appointment so far made by President Buhari?

My position on this issue is that there is no explanation that anyone can give. For the fact that the president has made more than 30 appointments which people called “kitchen appointment” I said it is unacceptable. I ask; is there no single person from the south he can trust? If he cannot trust any single person from the south east, then I don’t know what these are all about. But I feel strongly that he is a strong leader and I am sure he would not want to supervise the division of Nigeria. A father cannot deliberately cut out his kingdom. What he is doing now is to cut out some people from his kingdom, telling them they do not belong to him, but I am sure that is not what he means. He has prom-

Eze Enachikoen ised that he will try to balance the appointments, let us watch and see what happens in the coming days.

Can this be enough to cause the disintegration of the country?

I believe that this country is one and there is nothing anybody can do to divide it. We should all stay to contribute to its development. The Igbo nation would not be involved in anything that would lead to the division of this country.

Are Ndigbo marginalised in this country?

I wouldn’t like to use the term “marginalized” because the word

has been bastardised by so many people. This is beyond marginalization. We are talking about a section of the country where the president has not found anybody trustworthy to work with. I don’t what to say; that Igbos should go and think that the president has found none of them worthy to work with or what they have done wrong to deserve this kind of treatment.

Igbo language is gradually going into extinction. What are you doing to inculcate the language in your subjects?

It is not an issue that can be handled from the government side alone, we must also talk about individuals, both at home and abroad. All we have to do is serious work to ensure that Igbo language does not die. It is now an emergency situation and all has to help. Somewhere in the US, a Yoruba lady opened up a Yoruba language school for Yorubas and foreigners. We are yet to hear that an Igbo person has done something similar. From our own side here, we are working with some women led by one inyom (woman) Elder Anya O. Anya, who is trying as much as possible to lead a campaign about teaching our young mothers their roles to teach their children to speak their dialect.

Some years back, this kingdom was engulfed in trouble and now is witnessing relative peace. What is the magic?

The truth is that nobody can claim that he did anything specific in relation of the peace we are having now. I think it is to the glory of God. He promised that he was going to bring peace to this

kingdom and he has not failed us.

So we just give glory and honour to the Almighty for the peace in the kingdom.

Crude oil seems to be failing nigeria. What is your advice to state and federal governments about their policy on agriculture?

It is long overdue for people to start thinking about agriculture and in that direction. Before independence, Nigeria depended on agriculture for its survival.

But once crude oil came into existence, everybody tended to forget the food basket and groundnut pyramid and went for the easy Dollars that were coming in thinking it is the easier way of making money while forgetting the means of getting viable economy through agriculture. The administration of Jonathan made a good stride in the direction of food and agriculture. The whole thing is a process that is still on-going and I think that Buhari has showed that he is going to tow the line of agriculture. Bringing it down to the state, the governor of Abia State Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu has made it clear that he is going to encourage agriculture and I have it on good authority that he has contacted the Songhai project, which is like a magic in the field of agriculture where small land can be used to produce what can feed a nation.

That means he already knows what agriculture can do to the revenue of Abia State and I would wish him success in that direction and pray that God would guide him. So agriculture is the key to our survival now and nobody can run away from it.

Corruption is still continuing, Kontagora tells Buhari CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

los vehicle, if you take that price from Abuja to Port-Harcourt, Lagos or Sokoto, anywhere nobody should be able to challenge that price and I can go home and sleep. But in a situation where somebody may buy that same vehicle for N5million, another man in the local government is buying the same vehicle for N17million, you see the structure is weak. The public don’t have a mechanism of feedback for what is happening in the government, local or state and federal. Everything has this big tag – SECRETE or you shouldn’t allow people to hear. Why? It is public fund. I should be able to go to my local government headquarters and look at the notice

board and see that the construction of a primary school in my village was awarded at so and so cost and these are the items that made up that cost. If the structure insists that the official must do it, he will not buy cement of N2000 for N5000 because he cannot publish it like that. This way you are checking corruption through a structure. If you say you have awarded a road construction contract, 200km for N50billion, I should have a right to get the bill of quantity. It should even be on display there and if there is anything, raise your observation. Gradually the structure is reducing corruption. The concept of 10 percent, what we were told was that the contractor will say out of my profit, I will give you

10 percent, not that you should add 10 percent to the job to bring to me. Now it has deteriorated to over inflation of everything, over invoicing. We have talked of pricing; the next issue is there should be a deliberate effort to create a law to reward whistle blower.

Anybody that comes to report a case of corruption in the making, not until it is finished, and you attest that what the government could have lost in that corruption process, if executed would have been so, so amount, protect the identity of the whistle blower and compensate. Now, you are making people to be aware that if we do this way, somebody may report.

In this case, the person is not reporting you to be jailed, he is reporting you to stop and when it is

proofed that there was this thing, you don’t know him, it is only the security agency that know him and so the law must protect the identity. These are the things I believe Mr. President should come out from his break and face squarely. We need it because in all aspects of our lives there is corruption. It is systemic. It starts from the root to the fruit and with a guard going to buy you N50,000 worth of goods and refused to give you your change. That is his own level of corruption because that is what he is exposed to. Expose him to N1million he will still do it. Nobody is saying that only a certain group of people do corruption.

No. it is wider than that.

Though people are still waiting to see the composition of

his cabinet, within the period of three months, he has made some key appointments. This has not gone down well with some people who felt it is lopsided in the sense that only one region was considered. How will you react to this?

I don’t think he has made appointment that made people to be screaming. All the appointments he made are literally personal staff. So allow him to take the staff he thinks he can work with.

Do you want him to take somebody he doesn’t know? I don’t think the complaint is necessary.

These are personal appointments.

It is when he decides to appoint all the ministers from Katsina that is when I think people should start screaming.

News 12

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, September 15, 2015

The Sun editor’s wife abducted ÎÎÎToyin, the wife of

the Deputy Managing Director (DMD) of The Sun newspapers, Mr. Steve Nwosu, was abducted in the early hours of Sunday, sparking outrage and fear in the media community.

The Lagos State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) strongly condemned the abduction and called for her immediate release.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also made a similar demand.

In an interview with the Daily Times around 8pm on Monday, the distraught Mr. Nwosu said that the ab-

ductors were yet to contact the family or make any demand.

The bandits had raided the Okota, Lagos State home of Nwosus in the dead of the night. On leaving the premises, the took the wife with them.

The Lagos NUJ, in a statement by its chairman, Deji Elumoye and Secretary, Bimbo Oyetunde wondered why journalists had suddenly become the targets of kidnap, recalling that it was just last weekend that Mrs. Donu Kogbara, a columnist with Vanguard Newspapers was released by her abduc-

tors in Port Harcourt after spending one-week in captivity.

“We condemn this dastardly act and we appeal to the kidnappers to please free harmless Mrs Nwosu immediately and unconditionally.

Lagos NUJ also called on the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase and his team to live up to their billing in securing the lives of the citizenry while appealing to the Lagos State government not to relent in its effort at ensuring safety of the people and their properties.

Recalling that a number

of journalists had been kidnapped in the past, the statement said the rate was becoming alarming, wondering why journalists who go about their lawful duties were becoming targets of criminals “Journalists have become endangered species in this country. We are now being targeted for abduction. One wonders why the kidnappers are doing this.

“We recall the kidnap in 2010 of immediate past Chairman of Lagos NUJ, Alhaji Wahab Oba, two former secretaries of the Lagos NUJ, the late Adolphus Okonkwo and Sylva

Okereke, and Sola Oyeyipo of ThisDay Newspapers while on their way back to Lagos from Akwa Ibom State.

“We urge the Nigeria Police to live up to expectation and we also seek the cooperation of the state government in rescuing Mrs Nwosu”, the statement further said.

The PDP has expressed shock over the abduction of Mrs Nwosu.

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh said on Monday in a statement that the party was deeply saddened by

the news of the abduction, describing it as a devilish and barbaric act.

The Party further said it is deeply worried by the recent spate of abductions in the country, adding that the perpetrators cannot justify their actions under any guise whatsoever.

The PDP said its thoughts and prayers go for the safe return of Mrs. Nwosu and other victims of this social vice.

It also expressed confidence that the security forces would track down the abductors and expose those behind the crime.

PDP, APC trade words on fiscal policy, economic team Continued from page 6

L-R: Zambia Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Trevor Kaunda; Zambian Minister for Labour and Social Security, Hon. Fackson Shamenda; President/CEO, Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote and Executive Director, Dangote Cement Plc, Olakunle Alake during their Official visit to Dangote Head Office in Lagos… on Monday

Ife kingmakers ask Giesi family to nominate Ooni Sodiq Adekunle Osogbo

ÎÎÎAs exclusively reported

on Monday by the Daily Daily Times, kingmakers have formally invited the Giesi Ruling House of Ile Ife to nominate the new Ooni of Ife. The kingmakers have also disclosed that a new Ooni would emerge to replace the late Oba Sijuwade Okunade in the next 40 days.

One of the two highest ranked kingmakers, the Obalufe of Ife, Oba Folorunsho Omisakin, on Mon-

day made the disclosure at a press conference while reading the position of the 16 Ife kingmakers in Ile Oodua, the Ooni’s palace.

The Obalufe, who is the Prime Minister of the town, who was flanked by the Lowa of Ife, Oba Joseph Ijaodola and other kingmakers, explained, as reported by the Daily Times, that the 1980 Ife Chieftaincy Declaration was used in choosing next monarch.

He said only Giesi Ruling House would be allowed to contest, explaining that the family would be given a letter from Ife East local gov-

ernment area.

The executive secretary of Ife East and Ife Central local government areas, Messrs Tajudeen Lawal and Taiwo Olaiya, said it would not be the first time 1980 Chieftaincy Declaration would be used to select Ooni.

The Obalufesaid: “When the candidates are presented to us the kingmakers, we will sit upon the names and within 14 days, we must come out with our findings.

After that, in another 14 days, new monarch must emerge.”

He added: “Section 19 (3)

(a) states that it is the turn of the Giesi Ruling House to present a candidate/ candidates for the vacant stool of Ooni of Ife Chieftaincy. The other three ruling houses, that is, Osinkola, Ogboru, and Lafogido should wait for their towns.”

He enjoined members of the ruling houses, “the town’s people, all religious bodies, men and women in Ife environs, to please maintain absolute peace,” adding: “By doing this, the kingmakers would be able to select the best candidate for the vacant stool of Ooni of Ife.”

and ensure that the policy frameworks and populist economic projects laid by the PDP administration, especially in the non-oil sectors are not allowed to rot, but adequately utilized for the good of all.

“In this regard therefore, we wish to draw attention to various agricultural projects and programmes established by the PDP, especially in the northern states, such as various dams and irrigation projects, the ewallet financial empowerment system to farmers, associated to the over two million direct farm jobs, as well as the Green Belt project under Presidential Initiative on Afforestation in Kano and 10 other northern states, all in line with PDP’s agenda to return the region as the food basket of the nation.”

It stated further: “The PDP believes that in the interest of millions of Nigerian citizens who look up to the political class for direction, it is now imperative on the APC-led federal government to pay deserving attention to the economy and continue the policy of the past administration of opening the space for harnessing indigenous potentials.

“Finally, we wish to reassure that the PDP, as a responsible party, will remain

committed to providing credible and robust alternatives and views to government policies and programmes, in the general interest and wellbeing of the Nigerian people.”

The APC described the PDP’s “rambling statement” as part of the opposition’s ploy to distract the Buhari administration from its onerous task of putting the nation on a sound footing.

In a statement issued in Lagos on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the APC said that the PDP’s statement was a litany of delusional self-praise, rather than a genuine concern about the nation’s well being.

It stated: ‘’The question the PDP should ask itself is that if it had laid a solid foundation for the economy in its 16 years in charge, could such a foundation have given way in just three months of a new Administration? ‘’If the PDP had been as fantastic as its statement had portrayed, it would still be the ruling, rather than the opposition party that it is now. ‘’It is therefore important for the PDP to concentrate its attention on remaking its tattered image rather than continuing to act as a desperate attention-seeking opposition.”

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday September 15, 2015

Leading Congolese opposition party breaks off talks with Kabila ÏÏÏDemocratic

Republic of Congo's leading opposition party said on Sunday it was breaking off talks with representatives of President Joseph Kabila, leaving the two sides deadlocked ahead of next year's presidential election.

Delegates representing the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) and Kabila had been meeting in Europe to discuss conditions for a national dialogue to smooth the way for the November 2016 election in which Kabila is ineligible to stand.

Critics accuse Kabila, who took power in 2001 after his father's assassination, of trying to stay in office beyond the end of his second elected term next year in violation of the constitution.

UDPS President Etienne Tshisekedi issued a statement late Sunday from Brussels, where he has been receiving medical treatment since August 2014, saying the negotiations had failed.

The UDPS "has asked its delegates to withdraw immediately from the negotiating table," said Tshisekedi, who lost to Kabila in a 2011 election marred by fraud.

Neither the statement nor UDPS Secretary-General Bruno Mavungu, reached by telephone, gave a reason for the breakdown.

Tshisekedi said he hoped differences over upcoming elections still could be resolved through dialogue. The opposition has dismissed the packed calendar of more than a dozen local, provincial and national elections in the next 14 months as a ploy to delay the presidential vote.

Government spokesman Lambert Mende told Reuters he had no reaction because the meaning of Tshisekedi's statement was not clear.

Kabila has refused to comment publicly on his political future, although Mende has said he intends to respect the constitution.

The presidential election, which could herald Congo's first ever peaceful transition of power, is in increasing doubt after the constitutional court last week ordered the election commission to revisit the calendar, saying that budgetary and political constraints have made it untenable.

Calls by Kabila's allies for a na-

Ouattara urges reconciliation ahead of key vote in Cote d’Ivoire

economic comeback after the violence five years ago triggered by ex-president Laurent Gbagbo's refusal to step down and acknowledge Ouattara's victory at the polls.

Gbagbo on November 10 will be hauled into the dock of the International Criminal Court in The Hague on charges of crimes against humanity for his role in the five months of 2010-2011 postelection violence that left more than 3 000 people dead.

In a separate incident on Sunday, Samba David, a Gbagbo supporter, was arrested at his home west of the capital.

The reason for his arrest was not immediately clear, but David is a member of a political party, the CNC, which opposes Ouattara and called on Thursday for protests against the incumbent.

The conditions for "a peaceful election have not been met. We march to avoid a new election crisis," he told to AFP last week.

ÏÏÏIvorien

President Alassane Ouattara called on his supporters to "forgive" their political opponents on Sunday, while also urging them to mobilise for upcoming presidential elections in which he is seeking a second term.

The ballot is viewed as crucial to return the country to stability.

The last presidential vote, in 2010, triggered deadly violence following a 10-year political and military crisis.

Last week clashes erupted at anti-Ouattara protests by opposition groups and one person was killed, the first major outbreak of trouble ahead of the vote on October 25.

We must "reinforce reconciliation and social cohesion," Ouattara, 73, told Sunday's rally.

"I ask each of you to forgive... to act as if nothing had happened in the past, whatever the insults and humiliations," he said.

The West African nation's years of conflict left thousands dead and shattered the once thriving economy of the world's top cocoa-bean producer.

Ouattara seeks a second term on the strength of the nation's

Quattara

Opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi (front), president of the DRC's UDPS party, at the 14th Francophonie Summit in Kinshasa, DRC, recently.

tional dialogue were rejected by most of the rest of the opposition, who feared the president would try to strike a deal with part of the opposition to help extend his time in power.A coalition of opposi-

tion parties has called for a mass demonstration in the capital, Kinshasa, on Tuesday to demand that Kabila step down next year. Mavungu said the UDPS would not be participating.

Ex-Speaker becomes opposition candidate in Niger vote

Amadou is the first candidate to be officially named for the presidential poll, which will be coupled with parliamentary elections. The Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) plans to hold the first round of both votes on February 21 next year.

The United Nations called last week for "peaceful and credible elections" amid political tension and threats to stability from jihadist forces in the desert north and from the radical Islamists of Boko Haram based in neighbouring northeast Nigeria.

Niger, whose primary source of foreign income is uranium, has joined a regional military alliance to fight Boko Haram, infamous for mass abductions, village massacres and suicide bombings by women and teenagers. The Islamists began attacking southern Niger last February.

Everyone "wishes to avoid a political crisis in Niger", UN special envoy to west Africa Mohamed Ibn Chambas said Thursday after three days of talks with political and civil society leaders, local and international NGOs and the CENI panel.

The opposition has challenged the CENI's proposed timetable for voting released in August, after accusing the Constitutional Court, which approves candidates and election results, of being in the president's pocket.

ÏÏÏA major opposition party in

Niger has chosen its exiled leader, former parliamentary speaker, Hama Amadou, to challenge President Mahamadou Issoufou in next year's election.

"We decide to select Hama Amadou, who is the only hope for Niger, as candidate in the presidential election in 2016," the Nigerien Democratic Movement (Moden) announced after a rally on Sunday in the southern town of Zinder, attended by several thousand people.

Amadou fled to France in August 2014 after members of parliament lifted his immunity for alleged involvement in a baby smuggling scandal, but he and his followers say this is a trumped-up "political case".

The political climate in the large, mainly arid west African country has been tense since Amadou joined the opposition in 2013. He became Issoufou's leading rival once democracy had been restored in 2011 by Niger's fourth military regime since independence in 1960.

13 Africa Seven killed in twin bomb attacks in Cameroon ÏÏÏAt least seven people were

killed in two bomb attacks on Sunday in the northern Cameroon town of Kolofata, according to government officials, in what appeared to be the latest attack by the Boko Haram Islamist militant group from nearby Nigeria.

At least three people were killed in the first explosion, which struck near a well in the town, while at least four people were killed by a second bomb near a church, according to the local deputy prefect.

"According to the information I have, there were seven killed in two attacks in Kolofata," Communication Minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary told Reuters.

Kolofata lies close to the border with northeast Nigeria and has repeatedly been the target of attacks

by Boko Haram.

Cameroon is a major contributor to a regional force expected to start operations against the Islamist group this year.

Gabonese president names new opposition figure to cabinet ÏÏÏGabon's president on Sun-

day named a new opposition figure to a senior ministerial post a day after another senior opponent declined the job, in a setback to his efforts to forge a united government ahead of next year's election.

President Ali Bongo named Mathieu Mboumba Nziengui, executive secretary of the opposition Union of the Gabonese People, or UPG, as minister of state for agriculture.

On Saturday, the leader of another wing of the UPG, Dieudonné Moukagni Iwangou, rejected the offer of the position, calling for political change in the oil-rich central African country.

The reshuffle, announced in a presidential decree on Friday, expanded the Cabinet to 41 members from 34 and was seen as an attempt to silence critics of the Bongo family's domination of Gabonese political life since independence from France in 1960.

The UPG has been divided into three wings since the death of its founder, Pierre Mamboundou, in 2011.

Moukagni Iwangou has been one of the most outspoken voices in the opposition and the president of the Opposition Front for Change - a coalition of groups dedicated to ending the ruling Gabonese Democratic Party's 47 years in power.

World14

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Taliban fighters storm Afghan prison, free hundreds inmates

ÏÏÏTaliban

insurgents have stormed a prison in central Afghanistan, allowing hundreds of inmates to escape.

Afghan officials said the wellorganised pre-dawn assault began with a suicide car bombing at the entrance that allowed other insurgents to get into the prison in the province of Ghazni.

An Interior Ministry spokesman, Najib Danish, told VOA the facility was housing around 436 men and women prisoners.

He said 355 of them escaped, including a female detainee, and that a search was underway to recapture them. The spokesman added that the remaining prisoners have been moved to a more secure location.

Afghan authorities have described almost half of those who fled as dangerous criminals, saying they were charged with "national security crimes."

Several guards were also killed in the shootout with the insurgents. The Interior Ministry spokesman says there were indications the Taliban had been preparing to assault the prison, prompting authorities to move important Taliban prisoners to Kabul a day earlier.

A Taliban spokesman, Zabihul-

lah Mujahid, claimed responsibility for the attack. He said a team of 10 suicide bombers was sent to free the prisoners and three of them died, while the rest returned safely.

According to the Taliban, a large number of senior commanders and fighters were among those who escaped.

The Taliban in the past staged major jailbreaks in Afghanistan.

They included two against the

country's largest prison in southern Kandahar province in 2008 and 2011, allowing some 1,700 inmates to flee.

Mujahid said that a 10-member team of suicide bombers was sent to free the prisoners and three of them died in the pre-dawn action while the rest returned safely. Up to 400 inmates, he claimed, were freed.

The Taliban has in the past

staged major jailbreaks in Afghanistan. In April 2011 the group carried out an audacious attack in southern Kandahar province to free around 500 fighters from Sarposa, the country’s largest prison.

The Taliban had for months dug nearly a kilometer long and threefoot wide tunnel to a prison cell in Sarposa, equipping it with electricity and air pipes from a nearby house.

two children were killed on Monday in twin suicide car bomb attacks in the northeastern Syrian city of Hasakeh, a monitor said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 13 civilians were killed in the two blasts, along with six members of the Kurdish security services and seven fighters from a pro-regime militia.

Syrian state television also reported the explosions, though it gave a toll of 20 dead and no breakdown of the toll.

The first blast hit a Kurdish checkpoint in the Khashman district of Hasakeh, where control is divided between Kurdish and regime forces. That attack killed the six Kurdish forces along with 10 civilians, the Observatory said.

The second blast hit the Mahata district, apparently targeting a headquarters of the local National Defence Forces pro-regime militia. Seven members of the force were killed along with three civilians, the Britain-based monitor said.

ÏÏÏEuropean

Union interior ministers met on Monday to discuss ways to spread responsibility for the seemingly endless flow of refugees into Europe. The meeting in Brussels came a day ahead of Hungary's promise to prosecute people who try to evade the country's border police.

Parts of Europe, especially eastern European countries, blame Germany for the wave of migrants onto the continent. Germany, however, has become increasingly frustrated with some members in the EU who have shown a reluctance to share the burden of the newcomers.

Germany could take in as many as a million refugees this year, German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel predicted in a letter Monday to members of his Social Democratic Party. Chancellor Angela Merkel has said Germany is willing to absorb 800,000 migrants.

Australian PM ousted in party room rebellion

ÏÏÏ Australia’s brutal political

Afghan national army stand guard near the dead body of a Taliban attacker in front of the main prison building after an attack in Ghazni province, eastern Afghanistan... on Monday.

ISIS hits Syria's Cameron visits Syrian refugees in Lebanon Hasakeh next five years. ÏÏÏBritish Prime Minister Da- ney to mainland Europe. ÏÏÏAt least 26 people including

EU ministers discuss migrant crisis

vid Cameron visited Syrian refugees in neighbouring Lebanon on Monday, a week after pledging that Britain would take in up to 20, 000 people who are currently in camps after fleeing Syria's civil war.

Since 2011, the conflict in Syria has driven more than four million people into refugee camps in surrounding countries like Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon, and many others towards Europe.

Lebanon, which currently hosts well over a million Syrians and where one person in every four people is a refugee, has called on other countries to share the burden.

Cameron is also under pressure from European counterparts to take in far more refugees to help with the wider migrant crisis, which has seen hundreds of thousands of people trek from Greece via the Balkans and Hungary towards western Europe.

He has said Britain will resettle people directly from the camps to discourage refugees from embarking on the often dangerous jour-

Cameron visited refugees in one of the informal tented settlements in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, where many live without easy access to electricity and clean water.

Speaking after a meeting with his Lebanese counterpart Tammam Salam in Beirut, Cameron praised the "immense generosity and resilience of Lebanese people" in dealing with the crisis.

"I was in the Bekaa Valley seeing for myself that hospitality and meeting some of the Syrian refugees that we will resettle in the United Kingdom," he said.

"I recognise that the humanitarian crisis in Syria is putting huge pressure on your country."

Salam said Lebanon is hosting as many as 1.5 million refugees.

The United Nations refugee agency puts the figure at around 1.1 million.

The crisis in Europe has prompted some leaders to announce a greater refugee intake.

Germany says it expects an estimated 800 000 people to arrive this year while Britain has said it will take in the 20 000 Syrians over the

The war has killed 250 000 people and forced half of all Syrians from their homes, creating the worst refugee crisis since World War Two. Another 7.6 million people are displaced within the country.

Salam said Lebanon was struggling to cope with the influx from its much larger neighbour, especially given that some international aid had been cut.

"We are convinced that the refugee crisis which reached the crux of Europe today is a phenomenon that cannot come to a halt unless we find a political solution to put an end to the war in Syria," he said.

Cameron

culture has another victim. The country has a new prime minister designate after Tony Abbott was ousted in a party room rebellion led by former communications minister Malcolm Turnbull.

Abbott, who has suffered months of poor approval ratings and internal division, was defeated by 54 votes to 44. Abbott’s prime ministership has fallen apart because he lost the trust of the electorate, and ultimately the governing Liberal Party. He was never a popular leader among voters despite a landslide election victory in 2013.

The former boxer and trainee priest was a renowned political fighter, but he met his match in Malcolm Turnbull. The former communications minister made a fortune as a merchant banker before entering parliament, and said the government had no chance of winning an election with Tony Abbott as prime minister.

Turnbull used his first press conference to outline his upbeat economic vision for the country.

He said his government would seek to persuade, not lecture the electorate. “There has never been a more exciting time to be alive than today, and there has never been a more exciting time to be an Australian," said Turnbull. "We will ensure that all Australians understand that their government recognizes the opportunities of the future and is putting in place the policies and the plans to enable them to take advantage of it.”

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, September 15, 2015

15 Opinion

Buhari and assets declaration fraud

A Lawrence Chinedu Nwobu

s the days go by, President Muhammadu Buhari is turning out to be the most deceptive leader in Nigeria’s history. Almost everything he said in the course of the campaign has turned out to be lies, while some others like his most prominent campaign manifesto “my 100 days covenant with Nigerians” has been roundly denied by his spokesmen and party chairman. The document detailed his pledge and the first steps and initiatives to be taken in such cases as corruption, insurgency and insecurity, Niger-Delta, Diversity, Health care, Education, Agriculture, Economy, Power, Youth and ICT development. The document laid out the chief thrusts of his administration and the benchmarks it set out to achieve within a 100 days.

While the document is loaded with hypes, as was characteristic of the APC campaign, in the area of insurgency it specifically promised to rescue the Chibok girls within the 100-day timeline. As would be expected, this document was widely circulated in the print, electronic and social media and formed part of

the most fundamental drive of the Buhari/APC campaign. Curiously, Buhari never denied nor disowned the document that he purportedly signed as it went viral, but fast forward to September 2015 just as the 100 day timeline was about to be reached and all of a sudden a flurry of denials is coming from the presidency and the party. Buhari now claims he never saw nor authorised the document, that some out of control APC apparatchiks were behind the document.

How strange? Buhari went to rallies where posters of the same manifestoes were emblazoned on, walls and vehicles, he read newspapers were headlines screamed with his 100 days covenant, he watched television programmes where APC leaders serialised the covenant and in all that period Buhari kept quiet only to now tell us he was never aware of those campaign promises.

How about the assets he hurriedly declared after public opinion began mounting against him. We recall that Buhari had also previously denied promising to publicly declare his assets, a promise that was included in the 100 days covenant.

As the upsurge of negative opinion began, he made an asset declaration that was purely as deceitful as it was

a propaganda document.

Again not only did the assets contain a lot of semantics intended to hoodwink the gullible it was filled with inconsistencies that starkly contrasts with what Buhari had previously said with regards to his assets. During the presidential campaign, Buhari had said barely had one million naira was in his account and had to borrow money from his bank to buy the presidential nomination form. Few months later, we learn there is close to N30 million in his account, Buhari had also said he owned only two houses, one in his hometown of Daura and another in Kaduna. His landlord had reportedly kicked him out of an apartment in Abuja because he could not afford to pay the rent. Now we learn that Buhari has five houses including one in Abuja of all places.

When these are added to the acres of land in Port Harcourt that was previously not disclosed, the humongous shares in three banks that were also never disclosed and the number of cows that have jumped from 150 before the campaign to 270 and his inability to tell us how many vehicles he actually owns because they are too many, you get the full picture of a deceptive 419 President.

While Buhari has tried to de-

ceptively push his cash stock of 30 million in our face, his total assets when his property in Abuja, acres of land in Port Harcourt, 270 cows and millions of shares in banks are factored in are possibly more than N1billion. This does not include other possibly hidden or diverted assets we might never know of, including those in the name of his wife, relations, in-laws and siblings.

Essentially, Buhari is a manipulative smooth operator. From his certificate scandal all through to the presidency, he has laid his way to power, pulling off the most elaborate fraud in Nigeria’s history.

He used the campaign promises and a carefully cultivated image of honesty and probity to deceive Nigerians while bidding for time.

As soon as he got the presidency, he started unmasking, not intending to fulfill any of his campaign promises he went on a denial binge.

Buhari not only deceived Nigerians, he also deceived the enablers who made his presidency possible.

Bola Tinubu and the party henchmen are already licking their wounds having been ostracised by Buhari who used and dumped them.

We have been conned and duped.

Brace up for the bumpy ride that is sure to come with it.

Democracy in Africa, My Perspective

O

Jeff Okoroafor

ne would have thought that years after independence of many African countries, concrete development at all levels of its sectors would have been achieved. Today in Africa, there are still countries that are suffering one form of poverty, democratic backwardness, social decadence and degraded foresightedness. The vision is not there. The political will is missing. Peoplecentered policies cannot be found and the moral value in leadership is a distant feeling. African leaders are not doing so well in attempting to make the needed change. The people that follow want change to take place but practically doing very little to make it happen. It is still chaos in African politics, and good governance is not paramount to the Leaders. In all these, what can one say is the problem and the likeable Solution to fixing it?

Before I delve into this, let me reiterate my often-stated fact about Africa, democracy and the western belief. Political observers and leaders of the western world have already judged African countries to be practicing Democracy only since the beginning of the 90s, bringing about an Improvement in security,

economic stability in various parts of the Continent et al. They also came to the conclusion that unless Africa Accepts and adopts the western ideas of democracy, especially as formulated In conditionalities of donor countries and international financial Institutions like the IMF and the World Bank etc, the future, for Africa is bound to be bleak. In my opinion, this is rather an arrogant and erroneous claim which seeks to deny the African originality as well as organizational ability in the matter of governance.

Contrarily, as studies in history puts it, traditional governance on the continent confirms that democratic ideas are not knew to Africa, and that the majority of pre-colonial systems of traditional governance in Africa had, still have in many cases, very robust democratic elements. In between the 90s and the millennium, quite a lot has changed and it has affected the mindset of African generations in no smaller ways, this is what we must figure how to fix ourselves.

Its easy to confuse what is with what should be, especially when what is, is in your favour. A great number of the leaders that Africa has had over time, likes to settle for what is and not what should be.

Now according to a report released earlier this year, no African

President have been able to win the award set aside for a “corrupt-free president in Africa”, a prize that involves a very huge sum. Is anyone ever going to get it, can’t say.

Globally, democracy is a contestable system when it comes to actual definition as it relates to importance, but generally, it is agreed that its a system of government where the people have the ultimate power. There are different factors in Africa that infringes on the smooth operation of democracy -culture, religion, socio-political variances, ethnicity, corruption, lack of strong institutions et al. The biggest of these problems comes from the importation and raw application of foreign concepts. In Nigeria for example, the colonial masters brought us all together, taught us to work together for their advancement and power consolidation. After they left, those who took over from them, failed to teach others to now work together for the growth of the one-united entity called Nigeria. That was the point where everything fell apart and factors such as cultural, religious and ethnic differences set in and since then, we have been running from one end of the problem to another without much success.

I cannot end this topic without touching on the core aspects of

leadership that can lead to better governance in Africa, but often neglected. The outlined factors above which in the strongest of my opinions, impede democracy, emanates from the failure of leadership. We still have individuals in Africa today who cannot become political office holders unless they throw in the coin of religious differences, incite ethnic sentiments or cultural divides, cause chaos or some form of political unrest. A sustainable democratic progress that cuts across all levels of development can be achieved but not with the way African leaders are taking it. What we need now more than ever, are leaders who will work together to address Africa’s greatest challenges, achieve extraordinarysocial impact and accelerate the continent’s growth. This can only be doneby completely eradicating corruption, addressing the issues of governancewithout being partisan, building strong institutions, harnessing the abundant skills of African youths with complete equity in gender. But most importantly, coming up with original solutions to Africa’s unique problems rather than importing foreign solutions that don’t work for us. If we cannot get these to work, we cannot get Africa to work.

16

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Business Times Æ s

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, September 15, 2015

17

NAMA upgrades pilot communication equipment Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo In keeping with its September 2015 deadline for the takeoff of the Automatic Dependent Surveillance- Contract /Controller Pilot Data Link Communication (ADS-C/CPDLC) in the country, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) yesterday commenced the installation of project facilities in Kano and Lagos Area Control Centres (ACCs) simultaneously.

The equipment which include both hardware and software systems consists of SITA AIRCOM ATS systems, controller working positions, switches, display systems, modems and redundant power systems.

Others include link connectivity platforms, Human Machine Interface (HMI), Air Traffic Situation Awareness Display, ACARS Access Gateways (AAG), FANS Front End Systems (FFE), Fame Simulators, work stations as well as recorder/replay systems.

Speaking on the installation, the Managing Director of NAMA, Engr. Ibrahim Abdulsalam expressed optimism that the quality of infrastructure being deployed by the agency and the expertise of trained personnel would further enhance the ongoing digitalization of air traffic management systems in country.

Abdulsalam

Over 20 million Bank customers get BVNs

L-R: Mr Ifie Sekibo, MD/CEO Heritage Bank Limited, Ms Sally Mbanefo, Director General, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation and Otunba Debola Osibogun, President, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, CIBN during the 9th Annual Banking and Financial conference of CIBN in Abuja recently

Regain investors’ confidence quickly – Analysts urge Buhari Emmanuel Ogbonnaya, Business Editor The recent decision of J.P Morgan to delist Nigeria from its Government Bond Index for Emerging Markets “GBI-EM” has continued to provoke commentaries and analyses of the implication for Nigeria and a cross-section of analysts believe that the country might have taken a battering thereby losing its economic attraction.

Hecker Jurgen, renowned financial analyst based in France in a mail to Daily Times noted that the early timing of J.P Morgan’s move was surprising, but not the reasoning behind it.

“Three months into his term, President Buhari has not appointed a full cabinet, and especially, a finance minister. This is a real worry for international investors. Expectations that the

Adesola Akindele As the October 31st deadline for Bank Verification Number (BVN) exercise approaches over 20 million bank customers have been enrolled by their various banks.

naira should already have been devalued are another reason.

This move by JP Morgan will oblige many fund managers to sell Nigerian bonds, as they can only invest in securities included in the index.

“This will put additional pressure on the naira, and the government would do well do react, decisively this time. But now it will probably have to devalue by more than it would have had it acted earlier. It is a pity that it has come to this, and now it’s going to be more difficult than before to regain investor confidence. There is a lesson here for the future,” he said.

He said that what President Buhari needs to do is now even clearer – “Devalue the naira, appoint a credible finance minister, and announce credible and rapid measures to diversify the economy and fight corruption.

If all of this is swift and credible, investors will be demanding Ni-

gerian bonds again. And in that case, JP Morgan will very likely reverse its decision,” he said.

In a similar vein, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry LCCI rising in its third quarter review stated that the CBN foreign exchange policy needs to be urgently reviewed to encourage the inflow of autonomous funds into the foreign exchange market.

“The current tight exchange controls is a major disincentive to the inflow of diaspora funds, export proceeds and other autonomous funds into the economy, thus worsening the foreign exchange crisis. The CBN needs to be creative in its fight against money laundering in order to minimize disruptions to economic activities. Its current approach has caused considerable disruptions to economic activities in the country.

“The biggest challenge facing investors currently is the

disruptions and dislocations caused by the recent foreign exchange policies of the CBN. The Chamber noted that the sovereign risk perception of Nigeria has worsened over the last two months. Several credit lines for Nigerian investors have been lost following the numerous cases of payment defaults to foreign suppliers. Even reputable blue chip companies have defaulted for the first time in the several years of business relationship with their foreign suppliers.

Considerable damage has been done to the image of many companies and the country in the international trade and investment arena. A major confidence crisis has been created for investors,” the Chamber said.

“We call on the President Muhammadu Buhari, to urgently intervene in this matter before further damage is done to the private sector and the economy at large.

This information was disclosed

by Nigeria Inter Bank Settlement System Plc (NIBSS) who have also collaborated with telecoms firms to create a platform through which bank customers can confirm their registration status.

Already, NIBSS has collaborat-

ed with one of the country’s telecoms service providers, Etisalat to roll out the BVN Query Service.

The service, which was unveiled at the NIBSS headquarters recently, is designed to help the banking Nigerian public Query their BVN on-the-go via their mo-

bile phones.

Speaking on the service, the Managing Director of NIBSS, Ade Shonubi, said the initiative was in response to growing public demand for confirmation of BVN status by those, who have enrolled on the platform.

Labour 18

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Labour to present Buhari formal demand on minimum wage

Buhari

Stories by Joy Ekeke A formal demand for the upward review of the national minimum wage will be presented to the presidency after a three-month appraisal dialogue between the Nigeria Labour Con-

gress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).

The President of the congress, Dr Ayuba Wabba, made this known in Abuja.

Wabba said that the organised labour had advanced reasons for the review of the minimum

wage, adding that the law stipulated that it should be reviewed after five years. ``We are going to make a formal demand but that will also entail that we have to do formal consultation with our counterpart and agree on a figure and that is the major issue on the general principle; all of us are on the same page. ``But we need also to use empirical data to arrive at a figure, that when we present it people will not also look at us as people that are not very informed about the issues, so that process certainly will not take more than three months I suppose. ``And because first we need to agree on the figure and present it to our National Executive Council for note, then we now present formally to government as a formal demand.”

According to the NLC president, even when the law provides for minimum wage review, it is the duty of organised labour to make a formal demand.

Wabba said that in response to NLC’s demand, government would constitute a tripartite committee comprising employers’ or-

ganisations (privately run business owners), state governments and the federal government. ``Government will form a committee where proper collective bargaining process will take place which will lead to the review of the minimum wage. ``All those processes will be effectively followed, am sure that not long those issues will be made publicly to the Nigeria workers,’’ he said.

He said that the congress would try to harmonise the issue of figure with TUC, adding that they would not want to quote figures.

According to him, empirical data will be used to arrive at recommendations that will be made.

The president said that the issue of welfare and wellbeing of Nigeria workers was one of the major objectives of the congress as a labour centre. ``In fact that is our major preoccupation, the welfare and wellbeing of Nigeria workers and that of the larger societies, we are the only mass organisation that has that core mandate,`` he stated.

He said that outside capital, labour was the most important

commodity that was used to advance development and also lead the process of production.

Wabba said that the minimum wage needed to be reviewed due to factors such as inflation, low purchasing power of workers and the issue of the economy.

According to him, when these factors and variables were looked at by the congress, in the case of civil servants, it showed that the minimum wage was overdue for review. ``When you look at all these factors and variables, in our case the national minimum wage is due for review when we negotiated the current N18, 000 minimum wage five years down the line the exchange rate of naira to dollar was around N140, but today the naira to dollar is over N200 . ``The inflation rate over the past five years have been monumental and invariable it is clear that the purchasing power of the ordinary Nigeria worker has actually being reduced to nothing,`` he said.

The NLC president, however, assured that the congress would always fight for the welfare of Nigeria workers.

Masari

Gov Masari warns Katsina civil servants against sabotage

Governor Aminu Bello Masari, of Katsina State, has warmed top civil servants against collaborating with his predecessors to sabotage his administration.

Masari gave the warning on Saturday in Katsina, during a colloquium to mark his 100 days in office.

He alleged that some top civil servants had broken their oaths of office of secrecy and had been releasing secret documents to officials of governments that preceded his own.

The governor warned that anyone caught in such act would face

the law.

“We have the records of those that have been engaging in this act and we are going to take action against them,” he said.

In his contribution, a former secretary to the defunct Kaduna State government, Alhaji Abidu Yazidu, said that the large scale fraud suspected to have been committed by the past government could not have been possibe without civil servants’ collaboration.

Yazidu advised civil servants to abide by their oath of office and avoid committing acts that could be detrimental to the people of Katsina State.

NLC seeks enforcement of property tax The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has urged the Federal Government to impose property tax on the unoccupied Abuja houses built with monies allegedly stolen by public officers.

The President of the congress, Dr Ayuba Wabba, made the call while fielding questions during the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja.

Wabba said that the NLC would continue to advocate the enforcement of property tax especially in Abuja because most of the buildings “are beyond the reach of the common man”.

“NLC has called on government to institutionalise the payment of property tax, especially here in Abuja because people have looted our funds and bought property they are not using.

“Most of the property are empty and some of them are beyond the reach of the common man; ordinary workers like me and you can’t even rent them.

“And we have said instead of this issue of increasing VAT which is going to further suppress the people that are already

at the bottom of the ladder, we thought that the best thing for now, Abuja as a starting point, is to impose property tax, especially in those very big mansions.”

According to Wabba, efforts to introduce property tax is being frustrated by the ruling elite, who have used stolen public funds to buy plots of land and build houses, which they leave unoccupied.

He advised that the property tax should be charged according to the size and location of such houses.

“Government should charge what you pay as ground rent according to the number of bedrooms you have in your house.

“But because this is an avenue where the bourgeoisie who are also the culprits have deliberately refused to push for laws to make property tax compulsory.

“It (property tax) is done everywhere in the world. So, it is part of what we are advancing to Mr President, ’’ he said.

Meanwhile, the labour chief has assured subscribers to the failed NLC Housing Scheme that they would get their money back

as soon as verification was completed.

“The process of verifying all the subscribers is going on in our office. The N2.7 billion, which is the funds generated by workers is in the custody of the court.

“Therefore, once the process of verification is completed, every worker is going to be paid.”

The failed housing scheme has been mired in controversy following attempt by the developer to defraud the subscribers.

Wabba

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, September 15, 2015

19 Interview

10th Abuja Trade Fair will have many international participants - Imomoh

Mr Osi Imomoh is the Vice President Finance, of the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) as well as the Chairman of the Organising Committee for the 10th Abuja Trade Fair. He told Daily Times’ MATHEW DADIYA that the 2015 Abuja Trade Fair Exhibition has assumed an international dimension with an unprecedented number of foreign exhibitors jostling for limited space.

How prepared is the Abuja Chamber of Commerce in hosting the trade fair?

I must tell you that we are very much prepared because we started early – about eight months ago.

And with the experience we’ve got, we hope to get things better.

We have done it now for ten years.

How many participants are you expecting at this Trade Fair?

We are expecting something close to four hundred and eighty six participants and the exhibitors, but judging by what happened last year, by our own estimation and records over 10,000 people came to the Trade Fair. At one point, it was more like a carnival, families were coming here for Christmas shopping, and so on, and it was quite a good story.

I recall last year we had challenges–very bad challenges: Security, that was when Boko haram was at its peak, we also had the challenge of Ebola disease but even at that, the turnout was superb.

And this year, these challenges have been tackled; we are going to expect quiet a lot more people coming.

The mineral sector is part

‘‘Ghanaians have called us asking us to reserve about thirty-nine slots for them, but unfortunately the call came a bit late, but now we are reserving 29 spots for them.’’

Imomoh

of your Chamber, what is the organisation doing to ensure that the issue of funding the solid mineral sector is addressed?

Well, you are not too far from the truth concerning the mineral and mining sector, but recently we started doing something about it, and as I speak, one of our Vice President is about preparing to go to travel abroad where one of these mining issues is going to be discussed and during this Trade Fair also a particular date has been set aside for our members to come and listen to experts, and Banks on the benefits of getting involved in mining. So apart from what you are going to be seeing as exhibition we also have a colloquium, that is a group will appear on a particular day and we would tell our members, those who are interested in anything concerning that particular sector. So I am glad you asked that question on mining, we have set aside a day but I can’t remember the particular date where Eco Bank to be precise is coming to talk to our

members on the benefit and what they need to learn and gains from venturing into mining.

The issue of getting funding from bank has always been a big challenge to the mining sector what are you doing to address this bottleneck?

It’s not just about loaning, the Nigerian banks will be willing to lend the mining sector once the necessary things are done, and they haven’t done any wrong but I want to hear what this (Eco Bank) bank has to tell us. So right now we want to hear what they have to tell us because they said they want to come. That mean, we are going to challenge them or ask them that if they are ready to give loans to the mining sector even if it is short or long term loan we would appreciate because they told us that they are going to give them loan for ninety days, and I don’t think that is good enough in fact even a one year loan is too short, it has to be a long package, we will like to hear from them, and I will not want to pre-empt.

Hosting such an exhibition like this would definitely cost a huge sum, how did it cost you to organise this and how much are you likely to make at the end of the Fair?

Well, no matter what we earn, I

think we are not actually here to make profit, because we are doing this as a service to our members, even if we break-even it cannot be enough but I can tell you that we won’t make enough.

Do you have foreign participants?

Yes! That’s an interesting thing, you wouldn’t believe it that from West Africa the Ghanaians have called us asking us to reserve about thirty-nine slots for them, but unfortunately the call came a bit late, but now we are reserving 29 spots for them. But I think out of the 39 they asked for, we could only offer them 25, because of the kind of demand that we were getting for this exhibition. Apart from the Ghanaians, the Egyptians are coming, and as well as the Pakistanis and that’s why we call it the International Trade Fair.

The issue of JP Morgan’s plan to delist Nigeria from the Bond Index, how concerned is the Abuja Chamber of Commerce?

The association would as a mentoring body tell our members the necessary steps to be taken because what JP Morgan has done was making it more difficult for our importers because it’s going to imply stricter condi-

tions. What we are trying to do is to educate our members on how to mitigate some of these challenges and possibly surmount them because there is no way you can go and invest where there is uncertainty but the only thing is to work around it.

Access Bank is also coming to do a colloquium for us on how to surmount these challenges. So whichever way it goes our own job is to make sure that members of this Chambers, can continue their businesses regardless of the panic JP Morgan is trying to inject into the economy.

President Muhamadu Buhari is yet to constitute his cabinet, in what way do you think this is affecting the Nigerian economy?

It has affected the economy in many ways, because whenever investors or people want to come into a country, the first thing they look at is the political stability and if they are happy with the stability, then, they would come in. constituting a cabinet is a very important thing to every economy because when investors come into a country sometime, they would want to see person in charge of a particular agency or ministry. In our business environment in a situation whereby, we have minister appointed to look after business activities, of course we cannot all run to the President but when you have issue you can go to the minister.

Therefore it is very critical to the economic stability of the country.

Although you cannot actually determine how the President will run his government but whichever way he is doing it provided we will all come out happier, so be it.

Money 20

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Lenovo unveils ‘Phab’, increases investment in Nigeria Opeoluwani Akintayo

L-R: Chief Editor, TW Magazine, Adesuwa Onyenokwe; Chief Executive Officer, WAKANOW, Obinna Okezie; Chief Executive Officer, Blue Camel Energy Limited, Suleiman Yusuf and Group Head, Strategy and Communications, Sterling Bank Plc, Mr. Shina Atilola,, at the bank’s ‘Get Ready For Work’ programme in Lagos…weekend

Dangote an example for African Investors — Oshiomhole Charles Okonji Aliko Dangote, President/ Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Ltd, has been lauded for his investment model in African economies which has surged capacity utilisation as well as created thousands of jobs.

Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole while speaking to a cross section of international journalists at the commissioning of the 1.5 million metric tonnes per annum Dangote Cement Grinding Plant in Douala, Cameroon, lauded the Nigerian-born industrialist for providing massive job opportunities in several African countries.

According to him, Dangote has spurred the industrialization of many African economies through the establishment of integrated cement plants which are geared towards making those countries self-sufficient in cement production.

He said the real sector is the engine room of any economy therefore investments in the

sector will have a multiplier effect on other sectors leading to massive direct and indirect job opportunities.

Oshiomhole said that contrary to the jobless growth experienced in many economies, the growth resulting from Dangote’s investments is job propelled which is what African countries need.

“Many of the so called entrepreneurs are mere traders whose business activities could hardly rejuvenate the economy and that is why when they reel out figures to indicate there is a growth it does not reflect on the economy and the people”, the governor noted.

He described Dangote as the true symbol of black capital, where capital for investment in Africa is expected to flow from Africans into African economies. He explained that it is better for the likes of Dangote to invest in Africa than African countries looking for loans which come with outrageous interest rates.

Also, former Governor of Ekiti State, Niyi Adebayo in his comments said that Africa

needs home-grown investors like Aliko Dangote to become industrialized. According to him, investors like Dangote are at home in Africa. They understand the continent, its needs and where to invest.

Dangote Cement is the continent’s foremost indigenous cement growth with presence in about 16 African countries. The Cement group which strives to make Africa self-sufficient in cement production recently signed a $4.34 billion contract with Sinoma International Engineering Company Limited, a Chinese construction giant, for the construction of 11 new cement plants in 10 African countries, and Nepal in Asia.

Recently, the Company had inaugurated his cement plants in Ethiopia, Zambia and Cameroon with each capable of producing 1.5 million metric tonnes per annum.

The Company has also set machinery in motion to commission its plant in Tanzania after which it would be the turn of Senegal to host the commissioning of another 1.5 mmtpa capacity cement plant.

Lenovo Technologies has unveiled its latest innovation – ‘Phab’ a device which is a cross between a tablet and a phone.

While unveiling the new phone, Phab, the Lenovo’s Africa General Managing Director, Graham Braum said the new innovation is part of the company’s first quarter results and its recent investment into the Nigerian market.

According to him, Phab was manufactured to fill the gap between tablet and phone.

“It’s great to be in Nigeria again, this time, to introduce our latest achievement in the first quarter of the year. It’s our latest investment and one of its kind in the country. We at Lenovo felt the need to close the gap between the tablet and phone, that why we came up with Phab. “ The Phab is more fashionable, flexible, more balanced, more diversified and stronger.

He noted that top on the list of phone users around the world is Internet browsing.

According to him, due to modern technology, phone us-

ers use their phones more, first for Internet surfing, then messaging, music, photos, lastly for phone calls.

He also revealed that Lenovo now has a team of 14 in Nigeria as against two when they first arrived the country.

Delivering the opening remarks Lenovo Technologies Africa executive, Mr. Oyekanmi Balaji hinted that over the years, Lenovo which is one of the leading manufacturers of PCs in the world, has continued to work harder in making sure that its customers get the best in terms of up-to-date technology devices.

Dockworkers complain of safety negligence by Stevedoring firms ...accuse NPA of flouting tally clerks payment agreement Funmi Coker The Dockworkers branch of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has raised the alarm that some stevedoring companies operating inside Nigeria’s seaports have neglected basic health safety measures including not having ambulances.

Revealing this to journalists, President of the Dockworkers branch of MWUN, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju stated that the labour union will soon be picketing some stevedoring firms that lack up to date safety equipment inside the seaports.

According to him, “some service providers who work under the terminal operators at the seaports don’t have up to date safety equipment. Some don’t even have ambulance and we are going to picket some of them very soon.

“Like some stevedoring contractors under the terminal operators which i will not like to mention their names now, their ambulance is not up to standard. We are talk-

ing about the third parties in the job chain at the seaports, the stevedoring contractors; they are the ones who are responsible for the welfare of the workers under them. Some dockworkers work with them, yet their ambulance is nothing to write home about.

“We have noticed some of the ambulances are sub-standard and we will be going about to inspect this safety equipment. When we go around, we will then make public the names of the stevedoring contractors who operate sub-standard equipment at the seaport.”

On the implementation of payment to tally clerks recently agreed with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), he explained that some of their members are yet to get paid.

“As I am talking to you now, the tally clerks’ salaries have not been paid. We had earlier issued out a fourteen day ultimatum which has elapsed, but due to the promise of the NPA management and the involvement of the Ministry of Transport then, that was why we shelved our strike.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, September 15, 2015

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News 22

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, September 15, 2015

CANUK wants more visibility, support for disabled Nigerians Ngozi Okafor London

ÏÏÏ

The Central Association of Nigerians in the United Kingdom (CANUK), has advocated more support and visibility for Nigerians living with disabilities, both within the Nigerian community in the United Kingdom and back home in Nigeria.

The chairman of CANUK, Tunde Loye, led the call on Monday, during a press conference held at the Nigerian High Commission, to announce the forthcoming Disability Awareness Day (DAD), scheduled

Transport ministry probes NIMASA’s employment, promotions Lateef Ibrahim Abuja

ÏÏÏ The Federal Minis-

try of Transport has commenced a review of employments, placements and promotions embarked upon by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) since 2010.

Towards this end, the Ministry has set up a committee to carry out the assignment.

The committee, which is headed by the Ministry’s Director of Human Resourc-

for Saturday, in Enfield.

Loye, who rightly noted that the event is the “first of its kind” in CANUK’s history, said that the association decided to hold the event to make the community more inclusive for UK- based Nigerians with disabilities.

According to him, “disabled people have talents, and are equally members of the society as their counterparts who don’t have any disabilities.” Continuing, he said among the reasons for holding the forthcoming “DAD” on Saturday is that, “we want to create the awareness that disabled people should not be excluded from the community es, Mr. Lawal Ibrahim, is expected to determine whether employments, placement and promotions in NIMASA from 2010 to date conformed with the Civil Service procedures.

The committee is mandated to further determine whether employments, placement and promotions were in line with the Federal Character Principle.

Commenting on the exercise, the Acting Director General of NIMASA, Mr. Haruna Baba Jauro said the main objective of the exercise was to ensure proper staff placement in line with extant Federal Civil Service regulations.

Jauro reasoned that the exercise would aid the process of motivating the staff of the Agency and get the best out of them in the discharge of their onerous responsibilities.

Assembly urges Obiano to provide ambulances at strategic locations Nkiru Nwagbo Awka

ÏÏÏ Anambra State House

of Assembly (ANSHA) has urged Governor Willie Obiano to direct appropriate government agencies to provide emergency ambulances at strategic locations and junctions in the state.

ESTHER EHIGIE CHIEMEKE I, formerly known as Esther Ehigie Angyu, now wish to be known and addressed as Esther Ehigie Chiemeke. All former documents

remain

valid.

General public please take note.

In a motion moved by Ikechukwu Umeh of Aguata 1 State Constituency, at the plenary session on Monday, which was seconded by Chigbo Enwezor of Onitsha North 1 Constituency, also said that the Ministries of Health and Transport should provide manpower for effective utilisation of the ambulances.

While explaining the motion before the members, Hon. Umeh said the essence of the ambulances at some locations is to provide first aid and save lives of casualties during accidents before taking them to hospital.

Diverse views trail Ikpeazu’s 100 days in office Ifeanyi Ouwueneme Umuahia

ÏÏÏ Divergent view have

continued to trail the first 100 days in office of Abia State Governor, Dr. Victor Okezie Ikpeazu.

Expressing his opinion, an Umuahia based lawyer, Mr. Armstrong Ibekwe, said the administration has not performed up to expectation of the people within this period, pointing out that saddled with a lot of responsibilities inherited from his predecessor, Chief Theodore Orji.

Mr. Ibekwe recalled that on his assumption of office, Governor Ikpeazu awarded contracts for construction and rehabilitation of several roads. “Most of the road awarded have remained in their original state as there was no difference between their old status and now”.

He accused the administration of neglecting certain areas in the state. Said he: “In Ikwuano Local Government Area for example, there is no access way, yet he has closed his eyes to their plights.”

Bar. Ibekwe advised the

governor to try to have a good legacy through the prompt payment of salaries, employment, and other good policies that could uplift the state from shambles in which it is now.

Also contributing, an Aba based lawyer, Mrs. Uche Nwanchineke, lauded the governor for his Aba Urban Renewal drive, which according to her, has given a facelift to the commercial

town as roads had been constructed everywhere.

She observed that apart from Aba, some dilapidated roads in the state capital were being resurfaced, while major work was being carried out in part of the state, notably the Ndi Orji Abam road in Arochukwu LGA, which had been neglected for years.

A motorist, Mazi Nnomele Ndubuka that

plies Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene road has cried out to the state government to urgently carry out repair work on the badly dilapidated portion of the road, which has become a death trap, saying that it should have been one of his priorities in his first 100 days.

He, however, praised the governor for his humanity and respect for the rule of law.

Director-General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Alhaji Sani Sidi (2nd right) and other NEMA officials inspecting the site of a bomb blast at Malkohi IDPS camp in Yola… on Monday

Bayelsa: APC wants Sylva out, meets aspirants Tom Okpe Abuja

ÏÏÏ

The All Progressives Congress (APC), on Monday, summoned to a meeting in Abuja all the 19 governorship aspirants in Bayelsa State, ahead the primary election so as to bring down the number of aspirants reasonably.

The meeting, which was held behind closed door at the party secretariat, had in attendance the National Chairman of APC, Chief John Oyegun, Deputy National Chairman (South), Olusegun Oni, National Organising Secretary, Senator Osita Izunaso, among other national executives of the party.

He observed that Anambra State is endowed with the best road network in the

Impeccable sources at the meeting told newsmen that the party leaders would preferred former NDDC boss, Timi Alaibe, who they believed have ‘solid’ structure in Bayelsa State since 1999 till date.

The leaders, according to the sources, were said to be looking for a strong candidate who could easily defeat the incumbent governor in the state, who have secured the backings of the former President Goodluck Jonathan, his wife and some former governors of the state.

Apart from the fact that they feel he can not win the state, the leaders also think the former governor, Sylva has a score to settle with the anti-graft agencies over alleged misappropriation of

fund when he was the governor of Bayelsa state, and the party might not want to take any chance, the sources said.

It was further gathered that the meeting was called following complains by some of the aspirants that one of them, who was a former governor in the state had assembled all the delegates in one of the hotels in Omokwu area of Rivers state, out of their reach ahead the primaries.

Investigations revealed that all the 19 aspirants attended the Monday meeting at the party office.

Reacting to reports that Timipre Sylva has received the backing of some party leaders, Pastor (Mrs) Tonye Apraela, one of the

Sylva

aspirants said nobody has endorsed any aspirant contrary to speculations in some quarters.

She said: “Nobody has endorsed anybody. It is his followers that endorsed him. I want to make that correction, but thank God I have the privilege now, the APC has not endorsed anybody, so, nobody should be afraid in Bayelsa state, we are all going out for the primaries.”

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Rivers tribunal gives petitioners two days to close case Andrew Orolua Abuja

ÏÏÏConstrained by time, the Riv-

ers State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, on Monday, adjusted the time frame within which the petitioner and the respondents would present their cases in the petition challenging the election of Governor Nyesom Wike.

Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Suleiman Ambusar, gave the petitioners – the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Dakuku Peterside – 10 days to present their cases. The reduction from 14 days to 10 days left the petitioners with

today and tomorrow (Wednesday) to close their cases.

The tribunal also gave the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Wike and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) six days each to present their defence.

The modification of the time frame was contained in a ruling delivered by Justice Ambusar on Monday following a motion by Chief Akin Olujinmi (SAN), the representative of the petitioners for an extension of time.

Justice Ambusar in his ruling reminded the parties that if it proceeded with its earlier schedule, the tribunal would be having just

46 days from Monday, and with the deduction of sallah holiday and other work-free days, the tribunal would be left with 36 days, meaning that the tribunal would have just one day to write its judgement, without the parties having time to address the tribunal.

According to the judge, the tribunal had no option but to reduce the number of days in which the petitioners would call further witnesses and close their case from 14 to 10 days, while each respondent's days are also reduced from 10 to six to call their witnesses and close their defence to give time for the tribunal to deliver its judgment.

Earlier, while arguing his motion at the resumed hearing on Monday, Olujinmi prayed the court for an extension for two more days to call more witnesses and closed their case. He also requested that the tribunal should sit from 9 a.m. till 10 p.m. daily.

But the respondents’ counsel Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), Okey Wali (SAN) and Chief Chris Uche (SAN) for INEC, Wike and PDP, respectively, argued that it was a bit late and would not be right to compel the tribunal, for reversal of the order made earlier pursuant to Paragraph18(10) of the First Schedule of the Electoral Act. Hearing continues today.

Ondo pays public secondary schools running grants

23 News DG NEMA commiserates with Adamawa IDPs Wale Akintunde Yola

ÏÏÏThe Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mallam Sani Sidi, on Monday, commiserated with the victims of the Malkohi bomb blast, who are currently receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre, Yola with an assurance of beef up security around all camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) across the region.

Sidi promised the displaced persons from Borno State that the Federal Government would evacuate them back to their state, in no distant future.

’Tosin Ajuwon Akure

ÏÏÏThe Ondo State Government

L-R: Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Martin Luther Agwai; Peace & Security Council Chairman, Amb. Null Katende, Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo; former Nigerian Permanent Representative to United Nation, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari and AU Commissioner for Peace and Security, Smail Chergue, during Peace and Security of African Union Retreat held in Abuja… on Monday

Lagos Assembly approves automated traffic monitoring system Alade Tasma

ÏÏÏThe

Lagos State House of Assembly has directed the state governor to commence the automation of the traffic monitoring system.

Hon. Gbolahan Yishawu, representıng Eti Osa Constituency 1, raised the matter as a motion at plenary on the floor of the House, on Monday.

Yishawu added that the state traffic law, which was being enforced manually had not achieved its aims, adding that it was humanly impossible for law enforcement agents to keep surveillance on the roads and ensure enforcement with the way it was presently being done.

“We should put machines with different cameras on the roads to help the law enforcement agents.

The device would help the security agents to apprehend offenders. It

would help monitor BRT lanes; help identify trailers that move on the day time . . .,” he said.

Commenting on the motion, Hon. Rotimi Olowo, Shomolu Constituency 1, maintained that the motion was timely as it came when the state governor directed officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) to stop harassing motorists.

Saying the Motion would help protect the lives of passengers, adding that the project could be financed in phases.

“How do we arrest vehicle drivers, who that did not do their registration in Lagos State? With CCTV, a LASTMA official does not need to apprehend erring drivers directly. There should be a harmonisation of data to know those who are registered in Lagos State,” he said.

Also speaking on the matter, Hon. Adefunmilayo Tejuosho, Mushin Constituency 1, said ve-

hicle registration was not strictly a state affair and that the Federal Government should be carried along in the whole process.

Another lawmaker, Hon. Setonji David, however, cautioned that automation would lead to unemployment just as the state did not boast of the sophisticated technology that could apprehend an offender after a traffic crime had been committed.

Hons. Tunde Buraimoh, Desmond Elliot and Sola Giwa disagreed with Sentojı’s submission saying the system, rather than lead to unemployment, would create more jobs. The motion was however, unanimously approved.

The House later summoned the General Manager of LASTMA and the head of Lagos State Fire Service Authority to appear before it on September 21, over the spate of fire incidents and tanker accidents in the state.

has said that it would, with effect from this week, pay running grants for all public secondary schools in the state.

Governor Olusegun Mimiko said this at a one-day training workshop organised for principals of secondary schools from the 18 Local Government Council Areas of the state.

The training with the theme: “Effective Services Delivery in the School System”, was organised by the State Ministry of Education, held in Akure, the state capital.

Mimiko assured the principals of getting a minimum of one term running grant, which would be paid to all public schools across the state soon.

Mimiko also commended the patriotism of the secondary school principals as manifested in the services they rendered to their students.

Mimiko

Sidi

Edo CP reads riot act to criminals Titus Akhigbe Benin

ÏÏÏEdo State Commissioner of

Police, Chris Ezike, has said that he would personally lead raids on criminal hideouts, as well as embarked on street patrols during his tenure.

Ezike, who last week resumed as the new police boss, charged officers and men of Edo Police Command to sacrifice their personal comfort for the safety of the people.

He stated this, on Monday, while delivering his inaugural address at a meeting with Senior Officers, Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers and Heads of Departments.

Ezike ordered immediate recall of policemen posted to unauthorised individuals, as well as other policemen who were posted illegally.

He said office personnel in the state should be reduced by 50 percent because “adequate policing is done in the field.”

He identified armed robbery, kidnapping and cultism as major security challenges in the state and charged the officers to use scientific method in tackling crimes within their jurisdiction.

Ezike listed high visibility policing strategy, crime-mapping, intelligence-led policing and inter-agency co-operation and coordination as part of strategies to tackle crimes in the state.

News 24

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Ondo PDP, Senator at war over Mimiko antecedents

Cleric berates govt on poor funding of education

Tosin Ajuwon

ÏÏÏ A clergyman, Rev. Fr.

Akure

ÏÏÏ

Ondo State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), on Monday, condemned a statement credited to the All Progressives Congress (APC) Senator representing Ondo North Senatorial District at the National Assembly,

Prof. Robert Ajayi Boroffice, which berated Governor Olusegun Mimiko’s administration of lacking serious polices in the state.

Last week, Prof. Boroffice had condemned Governor Olusegun Mimiko for criticising President Muhammadu Buhari’s economic policies, and described Mimiko as an “accidental

critic”.

Boroffice had said the governor has succeeded in doing nothing for the people of the state for the past six years of the administration.

But, the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state was quick to react through a statement, issued in Akure, the state capital,

Lagos State Governor, Mr.Akinwunmi Ambode (right) in handshake with the Ambassador of Republic of Germany to Nigeria, Mr. Michael Zenner, during his courtesy visit to the Governor at the Lagos House, Ikeja, Lagos…

Fake soldiers, car thieves nabbed in Lagos Joy Anyim

ÏÏÏ

Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Police Command, Fatai Owoseni, on Monday, paraded three fake soldiers, one fake Air force personnel and two car snatchers.

The names of the suspects were given as Chukwuma Ikechukwu, aged 31 from Ohafia, Abia State; Isreal Damascus, 32, a Ghanaian, who specialised in car snatching; Lucky Anene, 25, from Okuzu Village in Delta State; Makus Gabriel, 22, from Ngwa in Abia State; Ikemefuna Ude, 39, from Agwu, Enugu State, as fake Soldiers, and Daiye Tijani, 28, from Ikire, Osun State, arrested

as fake Air force personnel.

About five cars and two jeeps were recovered, which include a Toyota Jeep BNS513AA, Toyota Camry TGD733AA and ANA360AA, among others.

In his confession, the suspect Daiye Tijani said he was into children entertainment, but procured the Air force uniform from his friend Mutui, a soldier, to enable him pose as an Air force officer when he goes to meet his fiancée, Shade. Unfortunately, he was arrested in a bus at Iyana Ipaja.

Ikemefuna, who claimed to be a printer, said the other suspects came to

his office at Ojo to scan and print a military identity card from him at N700 each, and that they claimed they lost their original identity cards, not knowing they wanted to commit crime with it.

Lucky Anene said he wore the military uniform to escort contraband cars not knowing they were snatched.

Isreal, who claimed to be a driver, said he came to Nigeria in 2011 and met with a friend named Jerry. It was Jerry that introduced him into car stealing. Though married with children, the suspect also claimed he got his driving job through a recruitment agency in Lagos.

to journalists by its Publicity Secretary, Banji Okunomo.

Okunomo described the Boroffice’s statement as “illogical and unreasonable”.

He said it was on record that the present administration, led by Governor Mimiko, has embarked on a number of transformational programmes in the state in the past years.

Okuomo disclosed that such transformational programmes cut across every part of the state and aspect of the economy including education, agriculture, health, urban renewal and community development.

He maintained that the numerous policies of the government in the education and health sector, have turned the state to a benchmark in the comity of states in the country.

He also queried: “How then can a distinguished Senator describe the Caring Heart Programme of the State government as Ruining Heart? If a state government provides cheap and affordable education for its citizens, do we call that ruining heart?

He said he had done two successful operations but met his waterloo in the third operations.

Commenting on the kidnap of the wife of Mr Steve Nwosu, CP Owoseni said it was a case of armed robbery when two or three buildings were robbed, and the wife of Stephen Nwosu, Toyin, was taken hostage and the suspect escaped by boat at Ago Okota area at 3:00am on Monday.

A source however revealed to our correspondent that the kidnappers of Mrs. Toyin had requested for N100 million as ransom.

On the raid of people who sell noodles late hours like 1:00am and 2:00am, CP Owoseni said it was necessary as armed robbers use those spots as hide outs for their weapons before going on operation, including drug sellers who use the spots to sell hard drugs.

Abiodun Taiwo Abeokuta

Patrick Kunle Balogun, has attributed the poor standard of the nation’s education to poor supervision by government agencies, poor funding of the sector and inability to create an enabling environment for teaching and learning, by both the federal and state governments in the country.

He therefore called for the decentralization of the administration of the na-

Anambra govt sinks 500 boreholes, says SSG Nkiru Nwagbo Awka

ÏÏÏ

Determined to ensure improved water supply in Anambra, the State government has sunk over 500 water boreholes.

Disclosing this at the official inauguration of the Borehole Drillers Association of Nigeria, Anambra State chapter, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr Solo Chukwulobelu, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mr Daniel Ezenwa,

tion’s education sector for effective supervision and efficient performance.

Fr. Balogun, who stated this at a press conference to herald the 20th anniversary of Christ the King Catholic College, Odolewu, Ijebu, said democratic processes should be put in the administration of the nation’s education, believing that if the local people where schools are located were allowed to take part in the administration of the schools, it will go a long way in raising the standards of education which has fallen beyond human imaginations. noted that government has recorded two hundred percent success in borehole drilling.

He further expressed happiness over the effort of the association in partnering with government in the area of providing good drinking water for the people, adding that government on its part would play pivotal role in that regard.

Obiano

FAAN begins training of security personnel Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo

ÏÏÏ

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) is set to commence intensive training of its Aviation Security, Airport Rescue and Firefighting personnel.

The Managing Director of FAAN, Engr. Saleh Dunoma, stated this during an inspection tour of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos.

He said the strategy was geared towards promoting safety, security and airport excellence, based on International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)

annex 14 Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPS), and Airport Council International (ACI) Best Practices.

According him, “the first batch of one hundred personnel drawn from the Aviation Security, Airport Rescue and Firefighting personnel are being shortlisted for the first batch, after which the other six hundred personnel will follow suit”.

He said the capacity building will strengthen FAAN’s ability at mitigating safety vulnerabilities, identified by the evaluation observed by the regulators, the NCAA.

H

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, September 15, 2015

25 News

Plateau APC not factionlised, says chieftain

Chijioke Kingsley Jos

ÏÏÏThe Plateau State chap-

A portion of Ojoo-Moniya road washed away by erosion in Ibadan, Oyo State… on Monday

Ebonyi: Corrupt office holders to face dismissal, prosecution Ogodo Mbam

ÏÏÏThe

Ebonyi State Government has said that, henceforth, any public office holder who transfers public funds into their private account would be dismissed and prosecuted.

He also threatened to deal severely with anyone involved such corrupt practices as salary padding, contract inflation, paying ghost workers, and absenteeism.

Its Auditor-General for local government areas, Ndukwe Ukpai, handed

down the warning while addressing acting Head of Personnel Management (HPMs), Treasurers, Internal Auditors, Admin Officers and Head of Works department in the various local government areas.

Ndukwe, who described transfer of public funds into private accounts as criminal, said there must be a paradigm shift in the local government system, adding that the present government could not tolerate corruption, ghost work-

ers, payroll padding and absconded staff syndrome, which he said characterised the past administration.

He said: “Internal auditors of local government areas and development centres are to prepare their monthly audit programmes and submit a copy to the Auditor-General."

He added: "All internally generated revenue (IGR) collections, where not on contract, must be paid into the relevant bank ac-

count on the same day of collection and the relevant treasury receipt obtained from the accounts clerk the following day. Revenue collector’s cashbook shall be audited on weekly basis by the Internal Auditor”.

He called on them to be acquainted with the provisions of the Financial Memoranda and relevant laws regulating financial operations in local government system, including Law No. 004 of 2015, especially Section 5(d) and (e).

Ambode plans quarterly reports of stewardship ÏÏÏLagos State Governor,

Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, on Monday, unveiled plans to commence a quarterly rendering of account of stewardship of his administration to intimate Lagosians on the journey so far as well as his plans to take the state to the next level.

Ambode, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Habib Aruna, said the quarterly rendering of account which would take the form of town hall meetings, would take the government to the

Ekiti provides land for take off of Industrial Court

nooks and crannies of the state to present its account of stewardship. He said the town hall meetings would not only afford his administration the opportunity to render its account, it would also go a long way to feel the pulse of the people and get firsthand knowledge of their needs and concerns.

“The maiden edition of our quarterly report will be rendered in the first week of October and would continue in that tradition every three months. At the end of each quarter, our govern-

ment would report to the people of the state on the journey so far and the task ahead,” he said.

He said his administration’s efforts in the last three months had been geared towards making sure that public institutions work in the interest of the people, alluding to the fact that public institutions have been animated to measure up to the expectations of the people of the state.

“We are committed to making the various public institutions work to the

benefit of the people of the state. That in my view is why we were elected.

“So, our government will use the town hall meetings to get feelers from the populace on how government affects them and what they want from government.

The populace will also have the opportunity to know what we have been doing and what we intend to do to make the state safer, cleaner and more prosperous for all who have chosen this state as their home,” Ambode said.

Gbenga Sodeinde

In the interim, it has provided a temporary place for the court, as well as the accommodation for the judge, who will preside over the court.

Governor Ayo Fayose gave the assurance in AdoEkiti when the President of the court, Justice Baba-

tunde Adejumo, paid him a visit at the Governor’s Office. His Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi, said his administration would do everything possible to assist the court to function well.

Justice Adejumo, in his remarks, expressed satisfaction with the temporary site

Ado Ekiti

ÏÏÏThe

Ekiti State Government, will within the next three months, provide a land that will serve as a permanent site for the National Industrial Court of Nigeria.

ter of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has dispelled the on-going rumour that it is polarised into the Atiku and Buhari camps.

The State’s Chairman, Hon. Latep Dabang stated that those responsible for the rumours were bent on causing disunity in the party.

Addressing newsmen in Jos, the Plateau State capital, Dabang said: “I’m not aware of any faction, because as far as I’m concerned, APC is APC; there is nothing like Atiku or Buhari camps. Who is Atiku? he asked. Atiku contested the Presidential primaries of the APC and lost out,” he said.

“We worked as a state to ensure that Buhari won the election, and he got 48 percent of the votes cast in Plateau. So, where is the issue of Atiku and Buhari camps coming from, and for what?

They have nothing to quarrel about, because there is nothing at stake for them to be at each other’s throat,” Dabang maintained.

NUC accredits 39 programmes for IMSU

The APC chieftain further said that, “Those peddling such rumours are trying to fan the embers of disunity in the party. This is an APC government and it is doing its best to deliver the dividends of democracy to the citizenry. On the insinuation that he was the de-facto governor of the state, Dabang replied that there was nothing like that.

“Anybody that knows what governance is all about cannot say I’m the defacto Governor. What you see which was not in use is the supremacy of the party.

“In APC, the party is the key in driving the policies of government and if that is what has turned me to be a de-facto governor, then it is unfortunate”, added Dabang.

He maintained that Governor Simon Lalong is in control of the state.

Lalong

ÏÏÏThe

authorities of the Imo State University (IMSU), Owerri, have offered 53 programmes to the National Universities Commission (NUC) for accreditation with 39 programmes securing full accreditation from the commission.

The acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Adaobi

Obasi, made the disclosure during a chat with journalists in her office at the weekend and stated that out of the 53 programes presented to NUC for accreditation, in June, eight programmes had received an interim accreditation, while six programmes were denied accreditation.

She described the university as the most subscribed state university in the country based on the number of prospective students jostling to secure admission to it.

Daily Times gathered that Law, Accountancy and others were among the courses accredited by the commission.

and the judge’s residence.

He added that the court would take off within the next few weeks.

“Lawyers and litigants having matters relating with us have been going to Akure, but that is not tidy and safe enough. Thank you for the quick approval of

our requests. We will be asking for a land for us to build our court complex. We are to ensure industrial harmony in the country,” he said.

The Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Owoseni Ajayi, said the court already had divisions in 26 states of the federation.

Val Okara Owerri

26

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Law Akeem Agbaje, read law at the University of Ife now Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), IleIfe, Osun state and was called to the Nigerian Bar over two decades ago. He spoke with PETER FOWOYO, on the activities of the anti graft agencies in curbing corruption, immunity clause, the judiciary and sundry other issues.

Speculation is rife that the federal government has frozen the bank account of some individuals who are close aides to the previous administration. Does the government or the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has the power to do this?

Well, as you have put it, it is still in the realm of speculation.

The anti-graft agencies in the course of their investigations are empowered by law to take all necessary steps that would aid their investigation including getting interim order on these accounts. So far it is still a speculation, we can’t begin to join issues on these speculations but they do have the power to obtain interim order of forfeiture in respect of bank accounts in the course of their investigation.

Suddenly we see these anti-graft agencies going after some of these government officials in this administration. How would you assess the performance of the ICPC, EFCC, in the fight against corruption?

Generally and up to this moment a lot of Nigerians believe they are not performing at optimal capacity in terms of curbing corruption and related activities. The general perception of the Buhari’s administration is that the body language is anticorruption and naturally the anti-graft agencies will feel a sense of duty to perform their statutory functions that they have not been performing before for one reason or the other. However, it must be borne in mind that this administration has not set out its own anti-corruption agenda.

It set up a presidential committee headed by Professor Itsejuwa Sagay SAN, to come up with a framework. Until that committee completes its assignment, it will be wrong to assume that it is this administration that has commenced its anti-corruption agenda. My believe personally, is that these organizations feel

Æs Akeem Agbaje: Buhari’s directive on treasury single account constitutional that whatever was the restraining factor that hindered their operation before is no longer there and this is a good development but they certainly can do better.

There are suggestions that the war against corruption is discriminatory, do you share this view?

Like I said earlier, I don’t think the war against corruption of this administration has started.

Also the idea of it being discriminatory has not been substantiated. It may appear that some notable personalities that have been invited for investigation or have been arraigned in court belong to a particular political party, but we must bear in mind that the position of these anticorruption agencies has always been that somebody must write a petition before they can commence any investigative activity.

We need to be ascertain if there were petitions against any other group that they have refused or declined to pursue further and until we ascertain that, we cannot say it is selective.

How do you see the federal government directive to all agencies to maintain a treasury single account. Is this constitutional?

Yes, it is constitutional. The constitution provides that all government revenues must go into the consolidated revenue account which is the single account before it is subsequently disbursed or shared. Past administrations have not complied with this constitutional provision despite very strong agitation in the past but this administration has said clearly that they would abide by the constitution both in the letters and spirit of the constitution.

How would you assess this government 100 days in office in terms of the rule of law?

It’s quite interesting that a government that has over 1,400 days to spend in office and we are marking a hundred days.

What would the new administration have done in a hun-

Agbaje

dred days. So personally, I don’t believe in the hundred days, I don’t think it gives a fair assessment of any administration. They have to put in structures that would enable them to perform, it is not as if they have been in government before, it’s a new government in over 16 years of our democracy, the military would say very few battle plans survive the start of the battle so whatever plans they had, what they have met on ground would significantly determine that there must be an adjustment period, the planning period for effective governance. I don’t think it is fair to be assessing any government be it state or federal government in hundred days.

Eminent Nigerians have described it as hundred days of solitude due to no cabinet members and as a result ultra vires to the constitution. Do you agree with that?

Well, I am not aware that the constitution has provided a certain number of days within which any administration must have constituted its cabinet.

What the constitution states is that the government must be formed, ministers must be appointed from each of the state of the federation and realistically, given the state of affairs of this country politically, economically, socially, you don’t just get in there and start bringing in people to come and be ministers.

You need to streamline the ac-

tivities of the ministries, imagine if he had appointed a minister for every ministry when he came in and he later realized that the size of the government was too large and need to reduce the number of ministries, what will he do with the ministers that he had already appointed?

It is within his constitutional right to appoint ministers at the time he deems most appropriate.

Of course, any inordinate delay would not be acceptable but not doing it within his hundred days is not a fundamental deviation from the constitutional provisions.

This administration has inCONTINUED ON PAGE 27

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, September 15, 2015

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 26

ment them but what the new law has sought to do is to as much as possible overcome the spirit of implementation and try to codify this. In one of the instances is the series of unnecessary adjournments that characterize criminal trials, particularly the high profile ones and this new law has limited the number of adjournments that can be taken.

It has also limited the number of days for which the adjournment can be taken. In my view the most striking feature is that it has eliminated the situation where an accused person(s) will apply for stay of proceedings pending appeal, that has been removed, the trial will continue and the appeal will also run simultaneously.

In some cases proceeding with the trial while the appeal is ongoing can produce some form of injustice where the trial is concluded before the issue on appeal is decided and the appeal is successful like the case of Bode George where he was eventually discharged by the Supreme Court of the charges for which he was convicted. Over time I am sure we will overcome that kind of situation but, for now, this new law has some significant milestones in it, changes that are quite beneficial for the criminal justice system. One of the greatest impediments has been the length of trials, a crime that has penalty for three months, four months, sometimes the accused is kept in prison for two, three, four, five years when he could have finished his sentence and you know our prison system is totally upside down, it does not reform the criminals, it even makes them more hardened than they were when they first went in there.

formed Nigerians of its decision to cut down the number of ministers to be appointed in the cabinet and looking at the constitution that provides that every state should have a minister; will it not be going against the constitutional provision if the number is reduced?

What the president has said is not that he will cut down the number of ministers; he said he will reduce the number of ministries and if it follows that he must comply with the provision of the constitution which is appointing one minister from each state but, it is not unusual to have a minister for state and a full minister, a minister is a minister, it is their designation that might change, he can also have minister for special duty if the ministries are not enough to go round. At one time in the ministry of foreign affairs under the Jonathan administration we have at least three ministers. Once a state is represented by a minister it is the exclusive prerogative of the president to allocate functions and responsibilities to them and this can be done without flouting the provisions of the constitution.

Some government officials who allegedly stole money are returning it without the aid of the judiciary, would you term this arrangement a plea bargain and is it constitutional?

I don’t think the role of the judiciary is to help recover funds, the role of the judiciary is to provide a platform for a fair hearing for anybody accused of a wrongdoing. The investigating agencies must first of all do their work and the prosecuting agencies must also do their work by presenting it before a court of competent jurisdiction.

If anybody returns money prior to investigation, prior to arraignment that cannot be a plea bargain in the technical sense of it because a plea bargain means a charge has been read and the accused person(s) making a plea of I am guilty or I am not guilty.

Voluntarily returning illegally acquired money to avoid prosecution cannot be tantamount to a plea bargain.

However, personally, I think plea bargaining should not be encouraged in our judicial system for corruption offences. There are lot of other lesser offences that this can be conveniently adapted to but, in terms of corrupt activities, it must serve as a deterrent because there is no plea bargain that does not allow them to keep a portion of the ill-gotten wealth and this will

Agbaje

not discourage other people in future from corruptly enriching themselves while in public office or while having access to people in the public office, it is high time some high profile people are made to serve the full term of any penalty prescribed under the law.

Notwithstanding the various rules of courts in our judicial system, there is still delay in the dispensation of justice. Do you think the new Criminal Justice and administration Act will help improve our criminal justice system?

My view has always been that the fault is not in our laws, it is how we implement them and the spirit with which we imple-

Judiciary’s role is not to recover funds but fair hearing –Akeem Agbaje

What laws would you want the legislators to quickly enact and why?

Really, a lot of the laws that are needed particularly for the economic and infrastructural development of this country are already pending before the national assembly. The national assembly should focus on their primary responsibilities of making laws and oversight functions.

Given the amount of money that is expended on them, if you look at the returns in terms of laws they’ve passed is quite disheartening. It would appear the legislators at the national assembly focus more on self-serving matters rather than making laws that are beneficial to the society.

There are calls from Nigerians that the salaries and emoluments of these legislators should be reduced drastically. Do you share this view?

Interestingly, this is a very

27 Law

amusing situation. Their actual take home is not outrageous, it is the additional perks that they have allocated to themselves that is outrageous but, in terms of their salaries that we keep talking about, it is not out of place on a monthly basis as salaries, it is the additional perks that they get legally and otherwise in the course of their oversight functions that makes them exceedingly rich compared to what the reality of the society reflects. I think they should just cut all the illegal and unjustified expenses they have allocated to them but, their salaries should be left intact.

How would you assess the nation’s judiciary?

Well, there are two sides of the coin as far as I am concerned, one is the condition under which these judges work, it is quite challenging for them physically and mentally. I don’t think the judges are adequately resourced to function in terms of the number of aides they get, if you look at the volume of cases they do, most of them have to take it in long hands, they also have to do the research themselves, the resources and infrastructure made available to them is grossly inadequate and to expect optimal performance from them I think we are not being realistic.

Now, the other issue that people talked about the judiciary is corruption and corruption has many faces, there is direct corruption of financial inducement or otherwise but, we have the influences that the society brings to bear on these judges and this can be curbed by how the judge lives his or her life and reduce the kind of access that people will have to them that will expose them to temptations but, the larger percentage of the judiciary is not corrupt however, in every situation there would be exceptions.

There are calls that section 308 of the constitution which places immunity on the governor, deputy governor, president and vice president should be expunged from the constitution to enable them face corruption charges while in office. What is your take on this?

I strongly believe that the immunity clause should be retained at least until there is a penalty or consequences for a party that embarks on frivolous litigation or prosecution. Nigerians have insatiable appetite for frivolous litigations or making unfounded allegation and removing the immunity clause will bring unmitigated distraction and expense on the holder of the office.

Opinion 28 Chris Okotie

ÎÎÎ

The drumbeats of war sounded so loudly in the run-up to the 2015 General Elections, that it reverberated in major capitals across the world, raising concern s that Nigeria could blow apart, if the polls were stalemated The prospect of a political quagmire loomed very large on the horizon. But like they say, all that is now history. The transition was concluded peacefully to the glory of God, and peace now reigns in Nigeria, apart from the perennial Boko Haram insurgency which is also top on the agenda of the APC government.

Every patriotic Nigerian should support President Buhari in his war against terror and its twin demon of corruption. His success or failure would ultimately be judged by the defeat of insurgency and the recovery of looted public funds by the government of his predecessor, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan in particular, because the most reckless looting of our national resources happened under his watch.

One is therefore disappointed by the discordant tunes coming from some members of the National Peace Committee, which includes Former Head of

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Why Peace Committee must disband now State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, Rtd., Bishop Mathew Kukah, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji SaAd Abubakar III; the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor; Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Most Revd. Nicholas Okoh; etc.

The committee only recently visited President Buhari for undisclosed reasons.

But Bishop Kukah, who addressed journalists on behalf of the Peace Committee after the meeting with the President alluded to the ongoing investigation of the PDP government of exPresident Jonathan, saying his group appealed to President Buhari “to be fair” in his handling of the probe.

I am amazed at the ecclesiastical affinity of Goodluck Jonathan. First it was Pastor Ayo Orisejafor and now it is Bishop Kukah.

Both are now amalgamated in the Peace Committee.

I submit that Pastor Ayo Orisejafor has exhibited himself as a general factotum of the imperial house of Jonathan and Patience Goodluck. He therefore debunks the definition of an emissary of peace on an unremunerated endeavor.

Bishop Kukah in his apologetic prolixity describes Jonathans governmental enterprise, inter alia, as fantastic. To my sanctified mind; this is not only imaginary but approaches the periphery of phantasmagoria.

He castigates President Buhari in subtle verbiage for what he perceives to be a sluggish pace in revving the engine of gover-

nance. He thus, abandons momentarily, the responsibility of his committees morality posture and immerses his Episcopalian garments in the quagmire of the political emporium.

He almost loses his compass in a broken monologue of praise singing sycophancy in veneration of vanquished Jonathan Goodluck. Haba Aboki, with all due respect!

Question: What compels a chartered libertine who has been weaned on themountains of divine servitude to descend to such lowly valleys of mundaneterrestrials? What inspired such lisping accents of jejune political naivety? Is it peace committee? Seriously? Yeah right! Ha! There are several other questions still begging for urgent answers: Who sent the National Peace Committee to Aso Rock to plead with President Buhari “to be fair” to officials of the Jonathan government now under investigation? Why is the Committee putting the President under pressure in his quest to rid the Augean stable of the filth of the corrupt PDP regime?

Why are they pre-empting the President by assuming that he’d not be fair?

A mitigation plea by this Committee is not only premature but uncalled for, and is a direct insult to the injury that ex-President Jonathan’s 6-year misrule has inflicted on Nigerians, majority of whom are nowimpoverished and dying from the ravages of hunger, malnutrition and disease.

The Peace Committee is no longer relevant and

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should honourably and immediately disband, to save Nigerians from this gratuitous charade and national embarrassment.

There’s no denying the fact that, at least, one of the committee members used to hobnob with ex-President Jonathan, and is a beneficiary of his patrimonial leadership.

President Buhari’s crusade against corruption must begin with a comprehensive probe of former President Jonathan, to send a clear signal that he means business. A serious fight against corruption must, therefore, begin with the immediate subpoena of the former President, who ran a large patronage network that spurned the unprecedented corruption that has brought this nation to the abyss. Under his leadership, his extravagant wife, Patience, functioned like a Deputy President, and must also be investigated, to ascertain the extent of her involvement in the squandermania.

Since a fish rots from the head, any credible and effective drive towards the recovery of looted public funds in the PDP federal government can only succeed, not just by investigating functionaries of that government, but by taking the bull by the horn: Probe the ex-President and his imperious wife.

President Buhari must know that Nigerian’s are firmly behind him. He must demonstrate to the world that he still has fire in his belly, by showing himself strong, fearless and capable of taking on the most sacred cows whose hands are

soiled.

PDP chieftains and the erstwhile First Lady made an issue about Jonathan going to jail if President Buhari won the elections.

In the twilight of his administration, Jonathan had warned that officials of his government would be persecuted. Well, this is cheap talk. The President has no power to send anyone to jail unless the court finds such person guilty.

Moreover, there’s nothing new about jailing high profile leaders. Besides, it is in Jonathan’s interest to face a probe to clear his name if he has nothing to hide.

Late Politician, Chief Obafemi Awolowo was the leader of the opposition in the first republic when he was tried and jailed by the Balewa government for treasonable felony. President Buhari himself was behind bars for 23 months with his No. 2 man, the late Gen. Tunde Idiagbon, after their military regime was toppled in August 1985, 30 years ago this month.

The Peace Committee should stop whipping-up sentiments about the probe and allow justice to take its natural course. Whoever is aggrieved or dissatisfied with the outcome of an investigation could seek reliefs from the court, which is open to all. The probe is across party lines, President Buhari has assured.

Therefore, nobody has anything to fear if their hands are clean. Whoever is found guilty of misappropriation must face the appropriate sanctions prescribed by law. Period!

The ambience of peace we now enjoy was attained by team effort, not just the Peace Committee. The international community, especially American President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister, David Cameron, played commendable roles.

On my part, I dare say that I contributed to the success of the transition by resisting pressures to go to court to stop the general elections because of INEC’s refusal to allow our party, Fresh Democratic Party, FRESH, participate in the elections, despite the court verdict that voided the deregistration of our great party. I knew that a successful move to halt the elections would favour the PDP, which was facing imminent defeat from a determined and cohesive opposition, APC, which looked certain to carry the day. The PDP would have been grateful if anyone was able to stall the polls. It would have had a valid excuse to stay in power to continue to cover its tracks.

Former President Jonathan feigned ignorance of INEC’s intransigence in perpetuating the illegal act of disobeying a court order to relist our party and allow it to take part in the elections. He condoned the abuse of power and flagrant contempt for the rule of law displayed by the electoral agency; but now out of power, and at the receiving end of a new order that has restored individual liberties, Jonathan is desperately campaigning for the corporate respect of the rule of law. What goes up must come down.

Rev Chris Okotie, a Pastor Politician wrote from Lagos. okotie@revchrisokotie.com follow on twitter @Revchrisokotie, 08078421451 (Sms only)

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Tuesday, September 15, 2015

EXTRATIME

29

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

IBRAHIMOVIC WILL BE FIT TO FACE MALMO –BLANC

L

aurent Blanc is confident that Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be fit to face old club Malmo when Paris Saint-Germain get their Champions League campaign under way today.

The Sweden star was rested for Friday’s draw with Bordeaux in order to boost his chances of lining up against the team where he began his career this week.

Ibrahimovic will face further tests at the end of PSG’s final training session, but Blanc is optimistic that the striker will be ready for selection.

“I think Ibra has a great chance to be in the group. We’ll see at the end of training,” he said.

“We have to prepare for a great Champions League match. We prepare for games in the same way, regardless of the opponent.

“Today, we have to feel the necessary pressure in order to win a home Champions League match.

Our intention is to win.”

Goalkeeper Kevin Trapp’s costly error handed Bordeaux a dramatic equaliser on Friday, but his coach has given him his full backing.

“Trapp is a good goalkeeper, he made a mistake against Bordeaux but I hope that, next time, he’ll do better,” he said.

Ibrahimovic

Kompany

SNEIJDER: GALATASARAY WILL PROVE THEIR QUALITY!

calls on City to ‘make a statement’ Kompany

M

anchester City captain Vincent Kompany says the Premier League champions must look to “make a statement” in the Champions League this season, starting with today’s visit of Juventus.

City have been either champions or runners-up in England in each of the last four seasons, but have failed to make it past the Champions League’s round of 16 in that time.

A perfect record in the top flight to kick off this campaign has added to the weight of expectation on Manuel Pellegrini’s shoulders to deliver success in Europe and Kompany has welcomed the

pressure.

“It’s important to make a statement. Everything has been so bright for us so far. We have to show our qualities,” said the Belgium midfielder.

“As long as we don’t perform in the Champions League as we have in the Premier League there will always be something left behind.

It is a really important game for us.

“It’s about finding that confidence we have in the Premier League and bringing it into the Champions League. This season isn’t the same as previous campaigns, if we’re not confident before today we never will be.

“In the Premier League we’re

WENGER

really determined and really hungry because we’re frustrated from last season. In the Champions League we’re frustrated from many seasons before. We just need to take that anger, that desire and energy into today’s game, it’s so important.”

While City have begun their season impressively, last season’s Champions League finalists Juventus have taken one point from nine in defence of their Serie A title.

With Sevilla and Borussia Monchengladbach also in Group D, Kompany added: “We have to be better. It cannot be what it was in the previous years.”

A

Wenger

“You need to find the balance between urgency and confidence and at times that is difficult as you can quickly be too confident and lose your urgency.

“We have Olympiacos and Zagreb first and we have to finish above them and the result will come down to that. I think it is important to start well because the hunger of a team is shown as well in how well you go in every competition.”

Wenger could retain Theo Walcott in a central striking role at the stadium where the England forward netted a hat-trick for his country back in 2008.

BRIEFS

Rooney to miss PSV clash

WARY OF ZAGREB ASSIGNMENT

rsene Wenger has urged focus from his Arsenal players ahead of their opening Champions League group game at Dinamo Zagreb.

Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich loom on the horizon for Arsenal in Group F, but Wenger – who begins an 18th successive season in Europe’s premier club competition – is keen to avoid any slip-ups against Dinamo and Olympiacos before that mouthwatering October 20 showdown.

“It is important we go to Zagreb highly focused and conscious at what is at stake there,” Wenger told reporters. “You can be quickly out of the Champions League and we want to start well and we know we have a battle first to qualify with Bayern Munich in the group.

W

esley Sneijder says Galatasaray will prove their Champions League mettle after admitting he is “angry” with their early-season domestic form.

Last season’s Turkish double winners have managed just one victory in their opening four Super Lig games in 2015-16 and were held by Mersin Idmanyurdu in Istanbul on Saturday.

Sneijder hopes to find some reprieve when Gala begin their European campaign against Atletico Madrid today, and is determined to show they deserve their place among the continent’s best.

“We have not made a good start in the league but the Champions League is a completely different,” the Netherlands star said. “I get angry because I want to succeed, I’m a winner.

“We always play well at home in this competition due to the backing we get from our fans.

We’re a big club and we’ll show it, we also started badly in the league last year but we ended up by claiming the title in Turkey.

“I think he has an eye for the goal,” he said of the player who opened the scoring in Saturday’s 2-0 win over Stoke City.

“The quality of his receptions in the box is at the top. He will become an instinctive finisher when he has a couple of goals behind him.

“He needs a few more goals to score a bit more spontaneously.

He is quick and gets into good little pockets.”

Dinamo will be without Goncalo Santos due to suspension as they aim to overturn a dismal record against both English opposition and in the Champions League as a whole.

Manchester United have confirmed captain Wayne Rooney will miss today’s UEFA Champions League trip to PSV. Rooney, who last week became England’s record goalscorer by netting his 50th international goal against Switzerland, sustained a hamstring injury in the build-up to Saturday’s Premier League victory over Liverpool. Manager Louis van Gaal admitted after the game it was unlikely Rooney would be fit and that was confirmed on Monday.

Emery backs Rico to shine

Sevilla coach Unai Emery is confident goalkeeper Sergio Rico will rise to the occasion of his Champions League debut against Borussia Monchengladbach. The 22-year-old played 37 times in all competitions last season but began this term as understudy to Portuguese Beto. Rico will nevertheless be thrust into action for the Group D opener against the Bundesliga outfit after Beto sustained a knee injury in last Friday’s draw with Levante, ruling him out for six weeks.

30

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

EXTRATIME

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES TODAY’S MATCHES PSG v Malmoe FF19:45 Real Madrid v Shakhtar Donetsk 19:45 PSV Eindhoven v Man United 19:45 Wolfsburg v CSKA Moscow 19:45 Benfica v FC Astana 19:45 Galatasaray v Atletico Madrid 19:45 Man City v Juventus 19:45 Sevilla v Borussia M’gladbach 19:45

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 16, 2015 B. Leverkusen v BATE Borisov 19:45 Roma v Barcelona 19:45 Dinamo Zagreb v Arsenal 19:45 Olympiakos v Bayern Munich 19:45 Chelsea v Maccabi Tel Aviv 19:45 Dynamo Kyiv v FC Porto 19:45 Gent v Lyon19:45 Valencia v Zenit St. Petersburg 19:45

Aguero

M

anchester City will be without Sergio Aguero for their Champions League Group D clash with Juventus due to a knee injury.

The striker sustained the problem courtesy of a heavy challenge from Scott Dann during City’s 1-0 Premier League win over Crystal Palace on Saturday and missed training on Monday.

Manager Manuel Pellegrini confirmed at his pre-match news conference that Aguero would sit out against the Italian champions, although hinted he could return to face West Ham on Saturday.

“Sergio is not fit for Juve because of a kick in his knee so we are without him,” Pellegrini said.

“We will wait on him. We will see this afternoon how long it will be. I hope he will be okay for the weekend but we must wait to see the result of scans.”

Pellegrini will welcome back David

AGUERO ruled out of Juve clash!

Silva and Raheem Sterling after they missed the match Selhurst Park with respective ankle and knee problems, but Fernandinho and Samir Nasri

picked up unspecified knocks against Palace and Pellegrini will wait for both men to be assessed.

Wilfried Bony is expected to lead

the line in Aguero’s absence, with last weekend’s rookie goal hero Kelechi Iheanacho not part of City’s Champions League squad.

PSV do not fear D Man United, warns

COCU

P

SV head coach Phillip Cocu says his side will show no fear of Manchester United in today’s Champions League encounter.

Louis van Gaal’s side are heavy favourites to finish top of a group consisting of the Dutch champions, Wolfsburg and CSKA Moscow, with their 3-1 win over Liverpool on Saturday providing a welcome morale boost.

However, Cocu’s side disposed of Cambuur in a 6-0 thrashing over the weekend and the former Netherlands midfielder has warned they are determined to show their quality.

“I think we should respect each opponent, but we are not afraid of Manchester United,” he said. “We have no intention of throwing in the towel before we even get started. On the contrary, we want to make the most of this opportunity.

“These are the kinds of games everybody is really looking forward to. It was the same for me back in the days.

We might have to slow down some of the players rather than motivate them. I think it is very important that everybody keeps a cool head. You have to remain focused. Details will be decisive.

Cocu “We are not going into the game thinking that we are likely to lose.

That’s a negative approach. Our goal is to bag the full three points here, but we cannot afford to be naive.”

Cocu - who confirmed Adam Maher will not be fit for the clash - also paid tribute to Van Gaal, who coached him during his spell at Barcelona.

ani Carvajal says the Champions League is always Real Madrid’s priority and is aware of the team are obligated to put in a strong challenge for the trophy every year.

Rafael Benitez’s men begin their 2015-16 campaign with a home tie against Shakhtar Donetsk today as they look to add to their record-breaking 10 European titles.

Madrid suffered defeat to Juventus in last year’s semi-final as part of a campaign where they failed to win a major trophy, leading to the sacking of head coach Carlo Ancelotti.

Carvajal is set to play from the start against Shakhtar, with his rival for selection at right-back Danilo out with a foot injury, and said on Monday: “The Champions League is the most important competition at club level and Real Madrid is the best club. While we may not be obliged to win it, we know we must least be in the running to challenge for it.

“We want to treat our fans to our first three points in the Champions League.

All of us are really looking forward to this game. Everyone knows what this means, and we are starting off at home.

We will be up against a great rival.”

The 23-year-old was also full of praise for new head coach Benitez after Real went through their first three La Liga matches without conceding a goal.

“He is very keen on working on all of the defensive aspects of the team,” added Carvajal. “We have not conceded any goals in the first few games of the league. What is important is making sure we are united when we have the ball, I think it is a strategy which will bring us a lot of points.”

Carvajal

REAL’S PRIORITY IS TO WIN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE –CARVAJAL

BRIEFS

Valbuena tasks teammates to down Gent

Mathieu Valbuena has called on his Lyon team-mates to move on quickly from their disappointing draw with Lille and focus on a Champions League victory against Gent. An inspired Vincent Enyeama helped Lille to a 0-0 draw against Hubert Fournier’s side, keeping Lyon five points behind leaders Paris Saint-Germain after five Ligue 1 games. Lyon are making their first Champions League group-stage appearance since the 2011-12 campaign at Gent on Wednesday and Valbuena wants a positive start against the Belgian champions.

Benaglio tips Wolfsburg for greatness Long-serving goalkeeper Diego Benaglio believes Wolfsburg are better equipped to deal with the demands of the Champions League than when they were Bundesliga title holders. Benaglio was part of the side that sensationally pipped Bayern Munich to the German title in 2008-09 but feels Wolfsburg’s current crop - who followed the Bavarian giants home in second last time around and collected the DFB Pokal - hold the edge over a squad that failed to get out of the group stage in 2009.

31

EXTRATIME

W

orld number one Novak Djokovic says he must earn the support of tennis fans after facing crowd hostility in his US Open final victory over Roger Federer.

The Serb beat Federer 6-4 5-7 6-4 6-4 at Flushing Meadows in New York on Sunday to win his 10th Grand Slam.

But as he battled to win his third tennis major of 2015, Djokovic was booed and jeered by Federer supporters.

“I’m there to earn the support and hopefully in the future I can be in that position,” Djokovic said.

The 28-year-old has enjoyed the most successful year of his career on the Grand Slam circuit, adding victory at Flushing Meadows to his Australian Open and Wimbledon titles, while also reaching the French Open final.

He did win three Grand Slam titles in 2011, but only reached the semi-final in Paris that year.

Djokovic acknowledged the antipathy he received from the New York crowd was a distraction and over the course of three hours and 20 minutes “you do have some ups and downs in concentration”.

He added: “It’s important to go back

US OPEN:

DEMANDS FANS SUPPORT

RWC 2015: ENGLAND UNCHANGED FOR y b g u FIJI OPENER R

H

osts England will field an unchanged XV for Friday’s opening match of the World Cup against Fiji.

Line-out expert Geoff Parling sees off the challenge of Joe Launchbury at lock, while Ben Morgan starts at number eight with Billy Vunipola on the bench.

Bath hooker Rob Webber comes into the replacements alongside exrugby league star Sam Burgess while scrum-half Ben Youngs will win his 50th cap.

England boss Stuart Lancaster said his squad is “massively excited”.

He added: “Friday will be a great occasion for the whole squad and for the country. We are in a unique position to be playing in a World Cup on home soil and to have the support of a nation behind the team.

“That support will be a massive factor and we don’t underestimate its

importance.”

England won their final World Cup warm-up match 21-13 against Ireland and Lancaster has kept faith with a team that started and finished well, but struggled for periods in the middle of that game.

Wings Anthony Watson and Jonny May both scored tries that day and have been in electric form out wide, but with Fiji renowned for their attacking style and ability to cut loose when the game opens up, England may look to play a more conservative style than they did 10 days ago against the Irish.

Against Fiji Brad Barritt and Jonathan Joseph play together in the centre for the only the second time while hooker Tom Youngs, who has been less than perfect in the scrums and line-outs leading into the tournament, gets another chance to show that his work in the loose makes him worth his place in the starting XV.

et k c i r C

Close

s

i n n e T

DJOKOVIC to basics and remember why you are there and what you need to do.

“Everybody has a choice to support a player that they want to support.”

Djokovic’s emotions were running high as he tried to deal with the crowd’s reactions - and he ripped off

a button on his shirt after a particularly passionate celebration.

But after his victory over Swiss 17-time Grand Slam champion Federer, Djokovic said: “I can’t sit here and criticise the crowd.

“On the contrary, I think it’s logical to expect that

Thomas

G

eraint Thomas has pulled out of the UCI World Road Race Championships in Virginia from September 19-27, saying he does not feel “physically” up to it.

The Welshman’s withdrawal means neither he nor Tour de France winner Chris Froome will compete in the USA. Froome broke a foot in a crash at the Vuelta a Espana, ruling him out.

“It’s been a hard decision to make

Former England F captain

passes on

Djokovic

a great player and a champion like Roger has the majority of the support anywhere I play him.

“He absolutely deserves to have the support he does because of all the years and success that he had and the way he carries himself on and off the court. No question about it.”

THOMAS pulls out of World

Cycling

Close

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

EXTRATIME

Championships

but the season has taken its toll on me and I don’t feel physically up for a good Worlds,” Thomas, 29, wrote on Facebook.

“I don’t want to go there just to make up the numbers, I’d want to be competitive or at least do a good job for the boys.”

Thomas says he wants to rest ahead of 2016 when he feels a top-five Tour de France spot is possible along with an Olympic track medal: “I love

ormer England, Yorkshire and Somerset captain Brian Close has died, aged 84.

The Yorkshireman is the youngest player to have won a Test cap for England, making his debut as an 18-year-old against New Zealand in 1949.

Close, who was known for his brave batting, captained his country seven times in 22 Tests, and led Yorkshire to four County Championship titles.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan, who was coached by Close at

racing for GB and the Worlds are a really special race so it was a difficult decision to make, along with the team, but I feel it’s best to rest up now before all systems go for a big year next year.”

Fellow Briton Mark Cavendish crashed out of the Tour of Britain last week and suffered a shoulder injury, but is hopeful of competing in Virginia as the men’s road race takes place on the final day of the championships – September 27.

Yorkshire, called him “a true inspiration”.

Close, who lived in Baildon, West Yorkshire, died on Sunday. He leaves a widow, a son and a daughter.

England and Yorkshire batsman Joe Root said: “Very sad to hear the passing of Brian Close. A cricket legend whose fearless approach and bravery will always be remembered.”

Vaughan was among the major cricket figures to pay tribute to Close, saying on Twitter that he possessed “courage, bravery and madness” as a batsman.

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L A D N A C S A F I F

MORE ARRESTS TO COMMENCE SOON—LYNCH

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AMOKACHI

quits Ifeanyi Ubah FC X1

AGUERO ruled out of Juve’s Champions League clash! X30

AAG

X3

Nigeria, Burkina Faso battle for final spot

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US OPEN

Djokovic demands X31 fans support

he investigation into corruption at FIFA has been expanded and further charges are anticipated, US attorney general Loretta Lynch has revealed.

The world game’s governing body was rocked in May when 14 officials, nine of whom had current or previous links to FIFA, including former vice-president Jack Warner, were indicted on racketeering and money laundering charges.

Lynch explained huge volumes of evidence had already been gathered, while Michael Lauber - the attorney general of Switzerland who is running a separate investigation - said house searches had taken place and some financial assets had been seized as part of the investigation, including properties in the Swiss Alps.

“I am grateful for the significant cooperation and substantial evidence that we have received from all quarters,” said Lynch.

“The investigation exposed high-ranking officials of FIFA; leaders of regional and other governing bodies under the FIFA umbrella; and sports marketing executives who, according to the indictment, paid millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks to obtain lucrative media and marketing rights to international soccer tournaments.”

Lauber added in his statement that 121 bank accounts were under observation and that major Swiss banks were playing their part in scrutinising suspicious transactions.

It was also confirmed Swiss authorities are still analysing FIFA’s explanation over the sale of TV rights for the South Africa and Brazil World Cups to Warner - a Swiss newspaper at the weekend showed Blatter’s signature on the documents - for what market experts’ claim was a fraction of their actual worth.

Life&

Times Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Sunkanmi

Ogunade The runway-model-turned-publisher

L2

P

Interview L2

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, September 15, 2015

You can’t compare Asian ladies to African beauties –Sunkanmi Ogunade Sunkanmi Ogunade has withered the storm from being a run-way model to actor and most recent, a publisher. The Olabisi Onabanjo University graduate and indigene of Ijebu Ode in Ogun State has featured in many soaps and run-ways. His love for photography led him into having passion for journalism.

From Nigeria to Malaysia, Sunkanmi is one of the Nigerians attaining landmark achievements out of the shores of the country with his recently debut magazine in Malaysia. In this exclusive chat with MUTIAT ALLI, the born actor-cum- model opens up on his world and other sundry issues.

You started as a model then an actor; how do you juggle both together?

If you look at both properly, you will know they are related. The only problem I face is I get direct jobs sometimes when I am on location and when this happens, it’s always difficult to move and decide. All this was back in Nigeria but in Asia, it is way easier to move around. You can get a train and meet up with whatever appointments you have.

It’s way easier and fun to do in Asia.

Which do you prefer, being an actor or model?

I can’t really decide because I have genuine love for both. So it’s hard to select but ordinarily, modelling is less time consuming compared to acting.

Is there any difference between the nitty-gritty of models in Nigeria and Malaysia?

Modelling is the same all over the world, but available options and the way we are been treated is what differs. In Asia, they treat you like a baby; you are cared for like anything you want to call it. They respect your hustle and pay you well. It’s a different ball game in Nigeria. Even when you get extra roles in Asia, you still get good cash and benefits. It’s the same casting protocol, same routines but with more comfortable platforms, and as a black model, getting jobs is seasonal but when they come, it’s joy all over joy. But I prefer it here to Nigeria.

Life&

T E A M

Have you had any racism experience?

Yes, I have had, but it’s bearable, you can look past it and move on with life. If you come in contact with the international

Music Correspondent Akintayo Opeoluwani

Asians, you will fall in love with time. So, due to this, anytime you meet a racist, you just ignore and continue living.

Recently, we saw some TV ad commercial; what was it all about?

It was a Panasonic brand TVC. I shot one early last year and late last year. One was for the Panasonic Econavi air conditioner and the second one was for Panasonic latest deep freezers. It was a global campaign for the first one while the second one was just for some few months but in 3 countries, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore -- its fun modelling in these countries.

Have you dropped your career on photography too?

Apart from schooling, modelling and acting, I do professional photography.

Photography for me is passion and I derive maximum joy doing it. I work in some clubs in Asia as a photographer. I do commercial photography, events photography, portraiture and abstract photography. I give meanings to weird things with my camera.

It’s so much fun playing with Photoshop and some other software.

You are one of the major casts on the popular Nigerian Tele- series 2sides of a coin; how do you go about shooting your own scenes since you are not based in Nigeria?

I always come back home anytime we have to shoot. We always discuss and agree as regards finance and thereafter, I come home to shoot. They send me my script via email, I study them well before I come into the country. I shoot mostly for a month and some days or a week and then I leave.

Recently, you launched your magazine line in Malaysia, what is all about?

Yes, I recently started my own magazine line in Malaysia. It’s called Zoom magazine, it’s a lifestyle and personality profile magazine. It also includes hot gossip about both widely known Asians and Africans amidst. I have been in the print medium line as far back I can remember. I was with Compass newspaper for a while and currently still with Acada Magazine. I just felt the time was right for me to commence my own thing.

Asians? They are just normal. You can ever compare them to African girls.

African girls are blessed and professionally endowed. How on earth will you see a well spiced up African girl and go after Chinese?

For me, it’s African any day.

Are you saying Asians don’t have good shape?

No, I am not saying they don’t have good shapes; some of them are as shaped as our African girls, most especially the Indians, Malays and Singaporeans. Singapore girls leave you wondering. Like they have been injected with the African big bum thingy.

What was growing up like for you?

Growing up for me was fun; I majorly grew up amidst my parents and siblings.

It was more of a family thing. Everything I know today was as a result of my Family and my immediate environment. My parents were my Best friends and till date, we still have a good relationship.

How is Asia for you generally?

Well, it’s a lovely place and easy to live. If you mind your own business and do what you have to do, you will not encounter problems but if you are the type that loves trouble, this is the place for that, you will enjoy the trouble to the zenith and in the end, it is welcome to Lagos Nigeria. The food, environment and infrastructure is really good. The weather is crazy. It’s as hot as Nigeria if not more but the only difference is that in Asia, there is Air condition everywhere you go, so you hardly feel it. There is racism and you just have to suck it up and manage it. Some of them are loving while some are not. It’s like that everywhere in the world though. Asia is a nice place.

How do you cope with the Asian girls?

Movie Correspondent Mutiat Alli

Society Correspondent Isaac Oguntoye

Photography Quadri Olowolagba

Graphics Luke Utomi

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, September 15, 2015

L3 Relationship Readers’ Feedback Re: Why should he be blamed?

When relationship goes sour, who should take the blame, the husband or the wife?

I read the Relationship story ‘Why Should He Be Blamed? My advice is that the lady should not have any relationship with Damilare.

–Ben Peters, Lagos.

In the first place, why do you have to leave your previous relationship to begin another with a stranger?

You don’t deserve any advice from us. Re-trace your steps and maybe one day you will find another man.

–Oluwatosin Alade, Ekiti.

Whoa!! Am so glad Daily Times Newspaper is back and gaining ground. I really appreciate last week’s Relationship story. My advice for whoever the lady is that most times in a relationship, everybody has their part of blame to take. Being contented is the key.

–Bobolayefa Godspower, Bayelsa.

Both spouses have a fair share of blame to take here; the lady should not have walked out of her first relationship for no reason.

–Muyinat Sanni, Lagos.

My advice for you is to forget about Damilare and start a new life because Damilare would want to pay you back for what you’ve done.

–Huseenat, Ikeja, Lagos.

The good ones are gone: A bachelor’s search for companion Uya Sunday John When we were growing up, my grandpa while looking at his wife would smile and then would ask us to pray for a good life partner. We were too young to understand but we loved the smiles they shared. Nearly two decades later, we are living to understand his reasons better. I really wish I didn’t just pray but had even fasted for his suggestion then. Especially now that we seem to be in trouble even understanding what long term happiness is in a relationship. In this age, people are used, things are loved, egos are treasured and happiness is rare.

Living life as a partial or full Lagos bachelor with little enhancements (like a small crib and a car) has a way of showing people life from different angles. For one, your clique is improved and your lifestyle is merely overrated. For sure, the girls are fresher and the boys are doper. As long as you are living it up and you do not fall into the category of ‘I used to have but I don’t anymore’. It’s the city, no one cares about how happy you are after all. With all these about the city, the lives on this deceitful lane has actually opened my eyes to the confirmation of two facts that the old man told us.

Firstly, we all hope for the best but we are constrained to choose only from the available especially in relationships. No one can choose what’s not available.

According to what the old man explained, there are three type of humans in mating (the good ones, the normal ones and the abnormal ones). Let me explain that a bit The good ones are those type my grandpa took time to smile about. They treat their relationship like a treasure as if it’s a prerequisite for them making it to heaven. They nurtured it. Like our

grannies, the way they managed their relationships and marriages make us believe storybooks happy ending tales.

They solved their problems selflessly, overcame their struggles internally and maintain happy faces to the rest of the world.

Normal is like the middle point of everything. Warri no win, warri no lose, kpatakpata na draw kind of relationship people.

The abnormal is, well, just not normal.

You must permit me to leave it this way for simplicity because I lack the exact English word in exchange of what he said.

Second and most importantly, the city lane has opened my eyes to the fact that the good ones (both boys and girls) are gone and even normals are a big deal now.

Okay, that’s harsh, maybe I should say the good ones are almost gone and normals are greatly desired.

Since I’m now grown and have a deeper understanding of his sayings, I want to relate his prediction or fear to our present state and even future problems.

Most sincere seekers (I don’t mean those looking for excuses to not be committed) will tell you that the good ones you seek have been too rare for a while now that these days people fast and pray for the ‘normal’.

If we are truthful to our generation, then we know the good ones were gone from when the gentlemen could no longer win ladies with acts of gentleness because they prefer being with ruffians and being treated wrongly. Good ones were gone the moment good girls could no longer keep their men because the males’ minds are more occupied with skimpy skirts adventures than what they were being offered at home. Good ones were gone from the time parents shamelessly started

In my opinion, I think the lady in question should forget both of them and start with someone else.

–Tobilola, Ogba, Lagos.

My advice for the lady: you should look for someone better and forget about both Nifemi and Damilare because neither of them are worth living with.

–Bolanle, Ikorodu, Lagos.

to depend on daughters for monthly survival. In fact, the good were gone from the period when feelings and relationships became monetized.

If you don’t understand what it is like to seek just normal in a relationship, then let me explain better. For the singles, Normal is like pleading with nature to be at least fair with you after having the 7th ‘kolomental’ relationship you didn’t bargain for in less than 2 years. It’s that feeling of hoping not to be involved but deep inside you, craving to be, but will silently pray you don’t fall for one worst than the last. It’s hoping to settle for a person more human and not just another beast that can tear more pieces of you apart.

This is normal. Normal to the married is seeking to, at least to be liked when you give love. Normal like this doesn’t want too many luxuries but just day to day human treatment and security.

Good are rare, so we are having everybody wishing to settle for normal.

In the absence of good, we only pray for normal these days and those normal too are fast becoming an endangered specie. Our liberties that were supposed to open doors to self-enlightenment and discoveries are becoming windows to our own doom. We openly enjoy the ugly and secretly wish the good girls and boys we heard in stories can be restored after forgetting we’ve been destroying the structure to which they are supposed to be raised and maintained.

Talking about how we crave for even normal these days; the other day, I mistakenly left the TV on one of these Nigerian music channels for an aunt and left to attend to some things. When I got back, she involuntary asked why these foreign parents can’t at least tell their children to be normal and or at least

wear normal clothes. When I told her that the people on TV were Nigerians, she didn’t even wait for me to tell her the bum shorts (or pants according to her) and the trousers that won’t hang on the waist (plus tattoos that were too dark and dirty) were the new normal now before she talked herself to anger. She concluded by pointing that perhaps clothes should be given to animals since they will wear it better than humans.

Good is rare and normal is scarce.

When a friend told me she thought a certain celebrity’s marriage did well to have almost clocked two years contrary to her believe it will only survive for a year or less. Her point to me, made marriage seem like a JAMB score which is only useful in one year and thus invalid in the next admission year. Is this the norm now and should it be?

Abnormal is just terrible. We once had a neighbour with so many funny acts. They claimed their relationship was complex.

In their good times, they display all kinds of sexual profanity on the street and in their bad times, they were busy violently getting blood out of each other. Again, they will always say their love life is bad ass complex. Perhaps the bad ass complexity can be explained in how a married woman will come home super drunk in week days, not minding the fact that the children should be prepared for school early the next morning. Maybe bad ass complexity explains why the husband never had class in the type of skirts he pursued. Whatever the case, this couple like most these days, were finding more bad times than good times and when they do, the area was turned into a war zone with words and weapons.

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Fashion & Style L4

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Mind your table manners Eyola eyola@aol.com The Victorian era is a period in British history I find most extraordinary, so much so that it inspired my women’s wear label Eyola; eyola.com. Rules of propriety governed almost every aspect of a Victorian’s life from fashion to socializing. Strict codes were applied to dinner and ballroom parties - among the most popular forms of entertainment - and most of the dinner-table etiquette associated with this era still applies today.

As soon as you sit at a table, the napkin should be placed on your lap. Avoid elbows resting on the table, fidgeting and slouching. You may start eating when everyone at the table has been served.

Forks should sit on the left side of the

place-setting, knives and spoons to the right. Work from the outside in. Begin with the outer fork and knife for the starter and then move your way in, course by course.

Dessert spoons and forks are either above the place-setting (for informal dining) or brought out after the main course has been cleared from the table. Use dessert forks for dense desserts (e.g. cakes and pastries) and teaspoons for ice cream and jelly.

down towards the plate.

Hold your knife firmly without touching the blade. When used with a knife, forks should be held in the left hand and one must never cut food with the side of a fork. When used alone, forks (and spoons) should be securely held in the right hand.

When eating, the fork (or spoon) should be brought to the mouth. Don’t lower the head

Canapés should be eaten in one mouthful, without overfilling your mouth. Spaghetti should be eaten with a fork. Pizza can be eaten using your hands, held at the crust on informal occasions and with a knife and fork on formal occasions, including dining at restaurants.

Never overstretch your arm to reach for butter, salt etc. Politely ask your fellow diners to pass it along. Never talk with your mouth full and take small mouthfuls, eating at a relaxed pace. Avoid making noises with your mouth (e.g. slurping) or cutlery (e.g. scraping a plate). In between bites, quietly rest cutlery on the plate or bowl.

Pips, stones and bones (from olives, fish, chicken etc) should be discretely removed from the mouth the same way that it went in.

For instance when an olive is eaten using a fork, the pip should be deposited onto the fork then placed on the side of the plate. Anything eaten using your hands should be silently removed by covering the mouth with your left hand. Unless you›re at a barbecue, food should be eaten with a knife, fork and/or spoon. An exception is bread rolls which should only be broken apart and buttered with a bread knife each time you›re about to eat a mouthful.

When you’ve finished eating, place your cutlery side by side facing upwards at the centre of the plate. When you leave your seat, place the unfolded napkin to the left side of the plate.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, September 15, 2015

L5

Teens World L6

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Disrespect in teenagers Tobi Dada

approach is to tell him that you want to talk, and agree on a time.

Try not to take things personally, instead you let your understand when his been disrespectful.

Even though you have more life experience than your child, lecturing her about how to behave is likely to turn her off listening.

If you want your child to listen to you, you might need to spend time actively listening to her.

Nagging isn’t likely to have much effect. It might increase your frustration, and your child will probably just switch off.

Sarcasm will almost certainly create resentment and increase the distance between you and your child.

Disrespectful or rude behaviour in teenagers is pretty common.

Although this phase will pass eventually, there are some strategies that can help parents handle disrespect from their child in the meantime. As a parent, you might feel hurt, worried and unsure about what’s happened when you had conversations with your ward. Your child used to value your interest or input, but now it seems that even the simplest conversations turn into arguments between you and your child.

Disrespect: where does it come from?

Not all teenagers will be rude or disrespectful, but some disrespect is a normal part of teenage growth and development. Your child is learning to express and test out his own independent ideas, so there will be times when you disagree. Developing independence is a key part of growing up. Also, your child’s moods can change quickly.

Because of how teenage brains develop, your child isn’t always able to quickly handle her changing feelings and reactions to everyday or unexpected things.

And this can sometimes lead to over-sensitivity.

Teenagers are starting to think in a deeper way than they did a few years earlier, and they can have thoughts and feelings they’ve never had before. Some young people seem to burst into the world with a conflicting and radical view on everything. This shift to deeper thinking is a normal part of development too.

No matter how grumpy or cross your child gets, he still values time talking and connecting with you.

You just might need to be a little more understanding if he’s shorttempered or disrespectful. It can help to remember that this phase

The good ones are gone: A bachelor’s search for companion

will pass.

Ways to handle your teen’s disrespectful behaviour Set clear rules about behaviour and communication.

For example, you could say, ‘We speak respectfully in our family.

This means we don’t call people names’. Involving your child in discussions about rules means you can later remind her that she helped make the rules, and that she agreed to them.

Focus on your child’s behaviour and how you feel about it. Avoid any comments about your child’s personality or character. Instead of saying, ‘You’re rude’, try something like, ‘I feel hurt when you speak to me like that’.

Set and use consequences, but try not to set too many.

At times, it might be appropriate to use consequences for things like rudeness, swearing or name calling.

Tips on how to communicate well with your teen Stay calm. This is important if your child reacts with ‘attitude’ to

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Abnormal is not just bad, it’s ridiculous and this is the stage most of us are, ranging from relationships to marriages.

We must accept the fact that if truly the good ones are almost gone and the normal ones will soon be threatened, we collectively caused it. We replaced human disciplines with other things, the ‘pillar heads’ of family culture abandoned their duties and now we are paying for it. The Reviewer is not giving marriage counselling but thinks we give too little and want too

a discussion. Stop, take a deep breath, and continue calmly with what you wanted to say.

Use humour. A shared laugh can break tension, bring a new perspective or lighten the tone of a conversation. Being light-hearted can also help take the heat out of a situation – but avoid mocking, ridiculing or being sarcastic to things that your child talks to you about.

Ignore your child’s shrugs, raised eyes and bored looks if he’s generally behaving the way you’d like him to.

Sometimes teenagers are disrespectful without meaning to be rude. A useful response can be something like, ‘That comment came across as pretty offensive.

Did you mean to behave rudely?’

Use descriptive praise with your teenager for positive communication. When you have a positive interaction, point this out to your child. This lets her know you’re aware of and value her opinions.

Tips for relationships between you and your ward

much. You would say I don’t understand everything about how our old folks made it work then but I sure do know that it was based on family structure that were laid as foundation for day to day operation.

“The Reviewer’s say is simple”.

If you still possess a good one in any form, you must be one of those with blessings than our generation can explain. I hope we treat the rare remaining ones well so they can produce and nurture other good ones.

If you’re with a normal, don’t worry, I have seen what perseverance can do especially

Be a role model. When you’re with your child, try to speak and act the way you want your child to speak and act towards you.

If there’s a lot of tension between you and your child, another adult you know and trust, such as an aunt, uncle or family friend, might be able to support your child through this period.

Involving someone like this can be a great way to ease the strain.

Our Talking to Teens interactive guide explores some tricky parent and teenager situations.

For example, you can see how different approaches to handling disrespectful teenage behaviour can get different results.

Things to avoid with teenage disrespect Arguing rarely works for parents or teenagers. When we get angry, we can say things we don’t mean.

A more effective approach is to give yourself some time to calm down.

If you’re angry or in the middle of an argument, it will be hard to calmly discuss what you expect of your child. A more effective

for two people who believe.

But if the world lies between you and the abnormal, well, God help you find peace As for me, I really wished I had prayed those prayer from my grandpa well because I reflect on the issue almost daily.

However, seeing the world with my bachelor eyes, my prayers have taken a funny turn. I pray that God should order my steps in such a way that on the day I am supposed to meet an abnormal one, may my clothes be stained by football from the street kids (as funny or dumb as it may sound, it’s a prayer point) . Let the car

When to be concerned about teenage disrespect You might also be worried if there are changes in your child’s attitude or mood, if he withdraws from family, friends or usual activities, or if he runs away from home or stops going to school regularly.

If you’re concerned about your child’s behaviour, you could consider seeking professional support from good people like the, school counsellors and teachers.

Discuss the issue as a family, to work out ways of supporting each other Talk to other parents and find out what they do.

How to handle disrespectful kids Disrespectful behaviour— cursing, yelling, arguing, ignoring you, refusing requests, namecalling—is a kind of wakeup call to parents. It’s telling you that you need to be in control of the situation more and set better limits. This is a process that happens over time. Once you change how you respond to your kid’s disrespectful behaviour, it doesn’t mean that their behaviour is going to change right away.

act up a little and let me change my mind out rightly about such outgoing. I don’t mind, as long as we don’t meet.

Because I’m not ready to live my life like a man under bondage daily nor do I want to spend most part of my life fasting, praying and casting for another person’s misdeeds.

If you so care, join me in this prayer or keep waiting for the unknown.

Send feedback/response to 07035429758 (SMS ONLY), or mutiat.alli@dailytimes.com.ng

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, September 15, 2015

L7

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, September 15, 2015

L8 Television Showing on

Showing on

154 Africa Magic Family

141 Eva Channe

21:30

23:00

Tue, 15 Sep | PG13

Tue, 15 Sep | PG13

‘S5/E200 - 5/200’. Stay tuned for a close-up of Nollywood’s top actors, producers and directors.

Stay tuned for movie premieres, behind-thescenes footage and the latest celebrity gossip with Helen Paul and Uti Nwachukwu.

‘S1/E76 - 1/76’. Victoria goes to the halfway house and runs into Alejandra, the girl she desperately tried to protect for years from Edmundo. This is their opportunity to clear the air and finally talk.

101 M-Net West

00:30 Grassroots 02:15 Sex Tape 04:00 The Voice 05:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 06:00 The Big Bang Theory 06:30 Proof 07:30 My Story 08:30 Endless Love 10:30 The McCarthys 11:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 12:00 The Voice 13:00 Elementary 14:00 Revenge 15:00 Madam Secretary 16:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 17:00 The Odd Couple 17:30 The Voice 18:30 Chicago PD 19:30 American Crime 20:30 Battle Creek 21:30 Elementary 22:30 Secrets & Lies

00:30 The Del Monte Dynasty 01:20 The Impostor 02:10 Labour Of Love 03:00 Part Of Me 03:50 Queen Of Hearts 05:20 The Del Monte Dynasty 06:10 Labour Of Love 07:00 Part Of Me 07:50 Queen Of Hearts 08:40 The Impostor 09:30 Forbidden Passions 10:20 Labour Of Love 11:10 Part Of Me 12:00 Queen Of Hearts 12:50 The Impostor 13:40 Forbidden Passions 14:30 Labour Of Love 15:20 Part Of Me 16:10 Queen Of Hearts 17:00 The Impostor 17:50 Forbidden Passions 18:40 Labour Of Love 19:30 Part Of Me 20:20 Queen Of Hearts 21:10 The Impostor 22:00 Forbidden Passions 22:50 Labour Of Love

154 Africa Magic Family

00:05 Tinsel 00:35 Star Gist 01:00 At Home With Joselyn Dumas 02:00 Music Block 03:00 Good Morning Africa 04:00 Music Block 05:00 At Home With Michelle Attoh 06:00 Good Morning Africa 07:00 Star Gist 07:25 Umbara Point 08:30 Tenant 09:30 The 5 Brides 10:00 Good Morning Africa

120 BBC Entertainment

118 Telemundo

11:00 At Home With Joselyn Dumas 12:00 Music Block 13:00 Tinsel 13:30 Star Gist 14:00 Nowhere To Be Found 14:30 Comfort Zone 15:00 At Home With Joselyn Dumas 16:00 Tenant 17:00 The Dzigbordi Show 18:00 Mashariki Mix 18:30 Jane And Abel 19:00 Tinsel 19:30 Star Gist 19:55 Next Door To Happiness 21:00 Comfort Zone 21:30 Jara 22:05 Living With Trisha

00:45 The Weakest Link

11:40 Hell’s Kitchen USA

01:30 Scott And Bailey

12:25 Top Gear

02:19 Come Dine With Me

13:20 Come Dine With Me

03:09 EastEnders

14:15 Live At The Apollo

03:39 QI

15:05 The Weakest Link

04:09 Top Gear

16:00 EastEnders

05:00 Spy

16:30 Deal Or No Deal

05:25 QI

17:10 Pointless

06:00 Miranda 06:30 EastEnders

18:00 Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

07:00 Antiques Roadshow

19:00 Getting On

07:55 The Weakest Link

19:35 QI

08:45 Pointless

20:05 Would I Lie To You?

09:35 Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

20:40 The Graham Norton Show

10:25 Deal Or No Deal

22:10 Only Fools And Horses

11:05 My Family

22:45 QI

21:35 Mrs Brown’s Boys

155 Africa Magic World

01:00 Good Morning Africa 02:00 Music Block 03:00 Edge Of Paradise 04:00 Doctors’ Quarters 05:00 Good Morning Africa

06:00 The Mastermind 07:50 Star Gist 08:20 Star Gist 09:00 Good Morning Africa 10:00 So Wrong So Wright 10:30 So Wrong So Wright 11:00 Jacob’s Cross 12:00 Jacob’s Cross 13:00 Music Block 14:00 Edge Of Paradise 15:00 Edge Of Paradise 16:00 Doctors’ Quarters 17:00 Jacob’s Cross 18:00 Jacob’s Cross 19:00 So Wrong So Wright 19:25 So Wrong So Wright 20:00 Brain Box 22:25 Music Block

128 SONY MAX

00:15 Caught On Camera 01:05 Poorman’s Bikini Beach 01:30 1000 Ways To Die 01:55 1000 Ways To Die 02:20 Body Count 03:40 Video Zonkers 04:05 Video Zonkers 04:30 South Beach Tow 05:00 Top 20 Countdown: Most Shocking 05:50 Top 20 Countdown: Most Shocking 06:40 Video Zonkers 07:05 Video Zonkers 07:30 What Went Down 08:00 Caught On Camera 09:00 1000 Ways To Die 09:30 South Beach Tow 10:00 Top 20 Countdown: Most Shocking 11:00 Top 20 Countdown: Most Shocking 12:00 Video Zonkers 12:30 Video Zonkers 13:00 What Went Down 13:30 Caught On Camera 14:30 1000 Ways To Die 15:00 Code Red: The Rubicon Conspiracy 16:30 Video Zonkers 17:00 Video Zonkers 17:30 Caught On Camera 18:30 What Went Down 19:00 South Beach Tow 19:30 1000 Ways To Die 20:00 Upload With Shaquille O’Neal 20:30 Hip Hop Squares 21:00 The Smoking Gun Presents: World’s...

22:00 Poorman’s Bikini Beach 22:30 Top 20 Countdown: Most Shocking

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Tech Times Æ s

TT 1

Inye Kemabonta, Editor, Tech Times inye@technologylaw.com.ng

NITDA, stakeholders brainstorm on website security authentication & certification

L-R: Prince Benjamin, Senior IT Officer CPN,Aderemi Helen Eyiyemi Ministry of Justice Programme Analyst 11, Barr. Lararus Ikoti, Acting Director Standard, Guidelines & Regulations NITDA, Abubukar Alhassan Muhammed, Head Technical Services NiRA,Kurokeyi Ebimoboere, NITDA PCS, Taofeek Okoya, Director Business & Strategy Kits Tech Ltd, Julius Okochi, CPN Head IT,Rev. Sunday Folayan, NiRA President, Enajite S. Orode NITDA DG Admin Assistant during the stakeholders forum on Website Security Authentication and Certification held at Protea Hotel, Benin City, recently. Photo: TONY NWAKAEGHO

Tony Nwakaegho The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and stakeholders in the Information Technology (IT) have met in Benin and brainstormed on the way forward for website security authentication and certification programme for Nigerian websites.

In his welcome address, the Director General, NITDA, Mr Peter Jacks said that in the cyberspace today the issue of security occupies most of our time because the internet is prone to hacking and other malfeasance, adding that there is the need to develop a programme for authentication and certification of Nigerian websites.

The NITDA DG who was represented by the Acting Director, Standard, Guidelines and Regulations, Barr. Lazarus Ikoti declared that under this programme all Nigerians websites are required to adopt such protocol as to make them secured, stressing that there is no particular protocol that should be followed but such standards which must be conformed with.

“I am fully aware that there

are many types of authentication depending on the type of software. Each of these serve a particular purpose but the whole aim is to guide against unauthorized access,” the NITDA DG added.

Jack explained that since he took over as the DG/CEO of NITDA, he made Standards and Guidelines to be the cornerstone of his administration and for the Agency to take its proper place as the apex IT regulator in Nigeria.

“The thrust of the present government in Nigeria is change. NITDA will key into the change agenda by ensuring that the country changes from analogue to digital way of carrying out government businesses. In fact, the e-government project is aimed on using IT in governance to achieve maximum result. There are many other strategies which all this strategies are fully operational, it will leap frog Nigeria into the digital age. This is a task that we want to achieve in NITDA,” he said.

Rev. Sunday Folayan President of the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) and also Internet Service Provider Association of Nigeria (ISPON)

said that the forum is timely because we need standard and guidelines to get things done rightly in the country.

Folayan raised five pertinent questions that should be addressed in formulating the standard and guidelines thus: that stakeholder should know the problem and how to solve it; how it was been done before now, how will the standardization solve the problem; who are the parties involved and what resources are required to get it done “I will give you one very pertinent example; how many people have more than one GTBank account here? I have five and to use token on it, GT Bank forces me to obtain five tokens, and I keep telling the bank that it’s the same me that need to authenticate myself at GT Bank website, why do I need five tokens for one bank, obviously because there is no standard. If you go to another bank, they will issue one token.

So I carry about five tokens in my wallet when all we are doing is accessing the bank’s website, so it is website access so I am showing a typical problem statement so that we will to be able to formulate where we are going,”

he explained.

According to him, “who the parties are must be clearly documented because we cannot say we want to comply bank to do something and CBN is not there ,it will fail, if you want comply the citizens to identify themselves and Identity Management Commission is not there it will fail from start off.

“NCC did SIM registration and spent billions of naira, the Telcos did the registration different from the one NCC did, but now we are doing it, the third one again. I have gone back and they said my face looks dark and they took my picture again, so I have done the third one. The point is that we need to state what resource we need so that somebody will not come out and say that it was not properly done again.

“How many organisations are securing their website and why are others not doing it. Security is holistic discipline and it includes the unseen. Whatever we are doing we must think of physical security If you say you want to secure a website, a website that is located in Nigeria is far more secured than that located in America, because an

American can enter the digital centre, unplug something and plug another one and download the entire identity. So security must begins from physical security which must form part of the document for this project.

“Next is the identity security because no matter how secure something is if you can steal the identity you can do whatever you like with it. We need transaction security to secure all transaction and avoid the man at the middle to secure transaction.

“There is need to checkmate some software that cannot be use as security software yet people are deploying them even though they have foreign exploits.”

He advocated guideline to include introducing securing the websites, adding that security begins with digital security, transaction security, software security.

If it is an initiative of NITDA and the agency feel that it can be done well by Immigration, NITDA should empower Immigration to do it and the day immigration begins to fail we will see it, we switch to another organization. We must collaborate and that is the standard that is required and the standard must accommodate everybody without tying itself to something because there will be a minimum requirement.

If you want to get a domain name in Nigeria, he said, you go to NiRA and it must end in .ng.

This ought to have been done

by NITDA but the agency had to concession it to NiRA.. Then NiRA report back to NITDA that this is what we have done.

We should stress ourselves, but rather to collaborate to get the desired results. Today you can use your ATM in any bank because there is a standard and guidelines regulating business transaction through the banking clearing house.

On his part Abubakar Mohammad, NiRA Head Technical Services affirmed that we need to educate and create awareness for online security as part of our standard in view of the fact that the internet is pervasive.

Tech Times TT 2

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Internet should be a forum where young Nigerians can express themselves— Folayan Rev. Sunday Folayan is the President of the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) and also Internet Service Provider Association of Nigeria (ISPON).

He superintendent over NiRA which is an independent notfor-profit, self regulatory and self governing organization founded on March 23, 2005 as a stakeholder-led organisation, charged with the responsibility of managing the “ng” country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) name space in the public interest of Nigeria and global internet community. He spoke with Tony Nwakaegho in this exclusive interview at an aside during the NITDA, stakeholders’ forum on website security authentication & certification in Benin. Excerpt: We are here talking about standardization in the IT industry now. Do you think we are getting things done rightly?

We are getting it right, that is why we are talking of standardization, because eCommence is taken off, online banking, eEducation and so many other things are driven by the internet.

There should be standards and guidelines so that things can be done properly in the country.

Looking at the operation of internet generally in Nigeria do you think it is being regulated properly?

There has been regulation, Internet Service Providers are licensed by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and there are also guidelines.

We have the cybercrime Act which prescribe punishment for abusive use of the internet and so on. Yes there are regulations and the subsisting regulations that exists offline and also apply to online activities.

NITDA is poised to introduce website security authentication and certification programme for Nigerian websites, hence this forum.

Do you think it’s timely and what are your expectations?

It is very timely and it’s being done properly. My expectation is that we should not restrict the use of the internet.

The internet should still be allowed to be a forum where the young upcoming Nigerians can express themselves. If you look at what have been done in other advanced countries, it’s very young people who started Yahoo, Facebook and Google.

They were teenagers when they started. If there are so many restrictions they wouldn’t have been able to be creative. Yes we want to make sure that crimi-

nals don’t get hold of the internet and we also want to make sure that our youths, the young population also have access to be able to develop themselves to be creative, to be expressive, to be able to learn so that we grow the nation to be a force to reckon as a digital economy.

What is your take on child protection with respect to the access and use of the internet in Nigeria?

The taste of the soup starts from where you buy the pepper, and the type of pepper you buy will obviously determine the type of soup you can cook.

NiRA for example is very passionate about child’s protection online also the type of websites. So we are doing a lot about the websites to make sure we categorize the websites when people come to register their domain name with us, we make sure that they are properly categorized. So when your children are visiting websites that are not right, not proper you will know. These can be filtered, there can be content filtering, there can be parental guardians and of course general education so that these minors would know what is right and wrong on the internet, because without proper education you cannot guarantee the safety of that child online.

Folayan

‘‘It is very timely and it’s being done properly. My expectation is that we should not restrict the use of the internet.

The internet should still be allowed to be a forum where the young upcoming Nigerians can express themselves.’’

NITDA set to lead 20 IT firms to participate in GITEX 2015

Jack

Tony Nwakaegho The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is firming up the country’s participation in the 2015 Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX) holding this October in Dubai with about 20 companies and organisations already selected to participate inside the

Nigerian Pavilion.

The exhibitors include public and private enterprises notably Information and Communication Technology (ICT) startups for which the NITDA is hinging its 2015 participation in the 2015 GITEX Expo and Conference.

The conference attracts over 145, 000 participants from about 120 countries each year.

Speaking at a GITEX Preparatory Forum held recently in Abuja, the Director General of NITDA, Mr. Peter Jack, said Nigeria would leverage on the theme of this year’s event ‘The Internet Future of Everything’, to promote some of its budding innovators who have created solutions with strong market or commercial values. According to him, the innovators cut across sectors across including the retail industry, agriculture, education, security, oil and gas, and health care.

“We want to ensure promotion of local start-ups, projection of the country’s vast and untapped Information Technology potential, organisation of Nigeria’s IT Investment Forum within the

Nigerian Pavilion as well as distribution of IT intelligence material from Nigeria to the rest of the world at GITEX,” Jack said.

Also speaking, Commercial Director at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), Mr. Bilal Al Rais, said, “GITEX is not about you buying space or setting up as an exhibitor or trade visitor, the question is whether you think it’s time to take your business global.

“Business has to be both local and global, that is where GITEX can help you leverage on its global networks to build interest in your enterprise and also to endear foreign partners to your business.”

Nigeria was the Country Partner for GITEX 2014 and first debuted at the 35 years old event in

2013.

The NITDA, Nigeria’s IT clearinghouse, is facilitating the country’s participation through the DWTC partnering organisations namely, Pinnacle International Consulting LLC and Knowhow Media International (KMI).

The exhibiting companies include the NITDA, Nigerian Communication Satellite (NIGCOMSAT) Limited, Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), a professional, non-profit, non-political umbrella organisation of all telecommunications companies of Nigeria.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, September 15, 2015

TT 3 Tech Times

EMCOAN, NBC to collaborate for successful digitization of broadcast industry Stories by Tony Nwakaegho Mrs. Debbie Odutayo, president of the Electronic Media Content Owners Association of Nigeria, (EMCOAN), has expressed her support over the willingness of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), to collaborate with her association for a successful digitization of the broadcast industry in Nigeria. she explained that though the regulatory body failed to achieve the June 2015 digital switch-over deadline that a better and deeper collaboration with major stakeholders such as her association (which is responsible for over 85% of media content in Nigeria) would largely contribute to a successful actualization of the new target date.

Odutayo stated that the NBC is now taking the bull by the horns, with the facilitation of EMCOAN’s participation in inter-

Nigeria leads in internet users than UK, France, doubles Canada

national events such as Mipcom which holds in France in October 2015.

She said this was a good step in the right direction as there can be no effective switch-over if the content owners were not carried along in the process, stressing that digitization worldwide demonstrates that industry and political considerations prevail in the discussions concerning the planning and the implementation of the digital switchover policies.

Regulators in Nigeria, she noted, hitherto failed to recognise the inherent opportunities of using readily available expertise at its disposal just as consultation across board were not wide enough.

She decried the manner in which members of EMCOAN were left out of the entire process even with its strategic position as a body of TV and radio programme producers.

In the next 18 months as ex-

Nigeria has the 8th largest number of internet users in the world (+67 million internet users recorded in July 2014) and surpasses the United Kingdom, France and Canada among other developed countries, Daily Times reports.

Daily Times findings revealed that within Africa, Nigeria is in

tended by NBC, Nigeria can join the likes of Ghana, which appears to have gone ahead and readily serves as benchmark— where a simulcast service is run

by TV stations such that a set-up box could easily receive more than 20 DTT channels; as well as Tanzania which has also made significant progress in the African television industry since it migrated to digital in December 2012 and fully establishing it in April 2015.

Mrs. Odutayo restated that her association is fully prepared to work in partnership with NBC in order to achieve its digitization goals.

“EMCOAN is open to working with the NBC, if approached, to throw our heavy weight behind the regulatory body by deploying our viable platform and resources to sensitizing the generality of Nigerians on the massive change of switching from analogue to digital broadcasting,” she added.

Mrs. Debbie Odutayo

the lead followed by Egypt, South Africa, Morocco and Madagascar making the top five. On assessing internet penetration per country measured as a percentage of the total population, Mali’s 75% is the highest in Africa and is followed by Madagascar (74%) - both countries surpass Italy (60%), Russia (59%) and Brazil

(53%) among others.

Nine of the top ten countries which achieved the highest percentage growth in the number internet users between 2013 and 2014 are in Africa and grew by between 16% and 17%. Among the countries on this list are Angola (+17%), Uganda (+17%) and Zambia (+17%). In terms of absolute

internet user growth, Nigeria leads Africa and is fourth globally, gaining +9.4 million new internet users over this period.

Egypt, South Africa, Madagascar and Kenya complete the African top 5 absolute gainers with +3.7 million, +3 million, +2.4 million and +2.3 million new internet users respectively.

Improving broadband penetration remains NIG’s priority— Banjo

Banjo

The Nigeria Internet Group (NIG), said that improving broadband penetration in the country remains its priority.

The immediate past President of NIG, Engr. Adebayo Banjo, made the remark during the Association’s annual conference and exhibition 2015, which held in Lagos recently.

Banjo assured internet users in Nigeria of NIG’s readiness to collaborate with relevant bodies to ensure that the country enjoys more effective and efficient broadband penetration.

According to the NIG President, broadband has become even ubiquitous and an integral aspect of human activity, noting that any activity that is not rooted on it will certainly go into

extinction.

In his words: “This year’s conference is particularly important because of the significant moves towards the development of the broadband technology to increase its penetration, usage and affordability in the country, which is why it has the theme: “Internet Penetration, the way forward”.

He identified critical success factors like provision of infrastructures, implementation of appropriate legal and regulatory frameworks, Political-will of the government to implement right policies among others as measures that will go a long way at improving broadband penetration in the country.

“We are working round the

clock to ensure that by 2018, broadband penetration in the country would have risen above 20 per cent,” he said.

Banjo suggested that one of the ways to effectively achieve this is when Government gives Nigerian Communication commission, (NCC), the free hand to sanction and monitor all defaulting Telcos, adding that this action will ensure efficient and effective broadband penetration in the country.

On his part, President of Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Engr. Lanre Ajayi, said that ATCON would keep supporting the government in making sure that broadband becomes a basic necessity in every home.

Tech Times TT 4

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, September 15, 2015

LTE surpasses other mobile subscription globally with 755m – Report

. L-R: Dr. Bayero Agabi, publicity secretary; Temitope Fashedemi, vice president; Ms. Oyeronke M. Oyetunde, President; Dapo Adejokun, Treasurer; Fidelis Orji, Executive Secretary and Professor Caleb Adeniyi Osuntogun, NIG BOT member, during the Group’s annual general meeting held in Lagos recently.

Nigeria internet group elects Oyeronke Oyetunde as new president Stories by Tony Nwakaegho The Nigeria Internet Group (NIG) has unanimously elected Ms. Oyeronke M. Oyetunde as President following the sole nomination at the 2015 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of NIG, held in Lagos.

Ms Oyetunde, who doubles as the General Manager, Regulatory Affairs at MTN Nigeria will steer NIG till 2017 when another round of election is expected.

Ms Oyetunde has been with MTN Nigeria since 2004 traversing Senior Manager Regulatory Affairs, Regulatory Affairs Manager after an instinct with Aluko and Oyebode, a law firm.

As a seasoned, highly experienced telecommunications regulation manager, she is also skilled and dynamic in corporate counsel.

During the elections, Mr. Temitope Fashedemi was returned as the vice president for the sec-

ond term and Dr. Bayero Agabi as Publicity Secretary, as well as Mr. Dapo Adejokun who was returned as Treasurer.

NIG was formed in 1995 as a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) to advocate for policies to guide the internet governance in Nigeria.

Also in attendance was a member of the NIG board of trustees, Professor Caleb Adeniyi Osuntogun, and executive secretary among others.

NITDA supports DEMO Africa to develop, technology startup, entrepreneurs in Nigeria The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mr. Peter Jack has explained that the agency is supporting this year’s DEMO Africa forum in accordance to its mandate of developing entrepreneurs in the country.

The NITDA DG said the agency believes that DEMO Africa, the annual event starting from September 21-25 in Lagos is a launch-pad for technology start-up companies, adding that the event is capable of retooling technology leaders and entrepreneurs in Nigeria.

“Africa is growing in strength and its youths are pointing to the direction of things to come.

NITDA is committed to Demo Africa as part of its mandate to youth development from the perspective of IT as well as its belief that a large population of highly exposed and trained youths will be the driver of Ni-

geria’s new economy,” he said.

He added that it is actions by different players that will see technology entrepreneurship effectively bringing sustainability to entrepreneurship across Africa.

DEMO Africa is one of the flagship initiatives of LIONS@ frica and aims to connect African startups to the global ecosystem. DEMO Africa is the place where the most innovative companies from African countries get a platform to launch their products and announce to Africa and the world what they have developed.

Out of the thirty start-ups that will showcase their products and services this year, Nigeria leads the table with eight startups including PoshRite, Oga Venue, TalkingBookz, iKon Tracker, Mavis Computel, CarpartsNigeria, Zuvaa, and SmartEdu. Similarly, Kenya, which is in-

creasingly gaining global spot as tech-startup haven, has six namely: Bitsoko, BambaPOS, Shield Finance, InsureAfrika, LipaPlus, ENT-Mobile, Abacus, and SimbaPay. South Africa has three startup-representatives: Edge Books, Bozza and Eco-mc2, while Ghana has two including Ghana’s Zeepay and Flippy Campus.

Egypt also has two: LockName and Raye7. Cameroon features two: Koomza and Feem Wi-Fi; and Zimbabwe also has two startups: IPC eProductivity and RoadRules.

Uganda, Tanzania and Ivory Coast each have one startup in this order respectively: Roundbob, Tango TV, and Airshop.

Francophone Ivory Coast with its Airshop startup company will be featuring in the event for the first time and underscores the expanding ecosystem for Africa’s technology startups.

The Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) has confirmed in a report that LTE subscription globally is growing faster than any other mobile technology.

Citing the mobile data subscription submitted to the association by Ovum, UK based research firm, GSA said LTE subscription net additions continue to outpace all other mobile communications technologies with 755 million LTE subscriptions worldwide on 30 June 2015.

The Vice President of Research, GSA, Alan Hadden, said: “441 million LTE subscriptions were added in the past year, equivalent to 140% annual growth. For the first time LTE exceeded ten per cent share (10.44%) of the worldwide subs total for all mobile technologies.

GSA forecasts over 1 billion LTE subscriptions worldwide by the end of 2015”.

The report stated that LTE subscriptions increased by 113.5 million in Q2 2015, which is over 52% higher than for 3G/WCDMA-HSPA which gained 74.4 million. GSM subscriptions fell by over 98 million in the quarter.

APAC increased its share of global LTE subscriptions to 51.2%. North America has almost 200 million LTE subscriptions (198 million) and remains the second largest LTE market, though its share reduced to 26.2% of the global total compared with 42.4% a year earlier.

European share remained at around 16% and the total number of LTE subscriptions across Western Europe markets has just passed 100 million.

Strong growth was seen in

Hadden

the Latin America and Caribbean region which now has over 22.5 million 4G/LTE subscriptions and over 17.2 million higher than a year ago, equivalent to 324% annual growth. A strong performance for LTE was also achieved in the Middle East where more than 1 million LTE subscriptions were added monthly. The region has 23.7 million LTE subscriptions and an annual growth of 194%. Russia has almost 3x the number of LTE subscriptions compared to one year earlier.

By June 2015 China had passed 225 million LTE subscriptions, 63.5 million in Q2 alone.

422 operators have commercially launched LTE systems in 143 countries, according to GSA data announced in July 2015.

GSA forecasts there will be 460 commercially launched LTE networks by end 2015.

LTE-Advanced deployments have taken hold in all markets around the world. Now over 30% of operators are investing in LTE-Advanced system deployments, with the commercialisation of carrier aggregation the first feature to be exploited. 88 operators, i.e. over 20% of all LTE operators, have commercially launched LTE-Advanced service in 45 countries. 15 LTE-Advanced networks support Category 4 devices (above 100 Mbps up to 150 Mbps peak downlink speed) while 73 networks support Category 6 devices (above 150 Mbps up to 300 Mbps). The number of LTE and LTE-Advanced subscriptions is expected to pass the 3G/WCDMA-HSPA global total in 2020.

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Tuesday, September 15, 2015

EXTRATIME

Amokachi

quits IfeanyiUbah

F

ormer Super Eagles assistant coach Daniel Amokachi has confirmed that he has resigned as coach of Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) side FC IfeanyiUbah.

“Yes, I have resigned as the

coach of Ifeanyi Ubah. I am in Kaduna right now,” Amokachi told AfricanFootball.com The coach didn’t go into the details of why he threw in the towel but it can’t be unconnected to the scenario that happened

AAG: HOSTS CONGO BATTLES SENEGAL FOR FINAL SPOT When the going was well! Ifeanyi Ubah (right) owner of IfeanyiUbah FC with Nigeria’s Soccer Ambassador, Friday Nwankwo (left) after the team lost 1-0 to Sharks in Port Harcourt on Sunday when the team were ordered to embarked on a night journey which the coaches and the players kicked against and did not agreed to.

Amokachi has managed Nasarawa United, Enyimba as well as acted as caretaker coach of Nigeria.

H

osts of 2015 All Africa Games, Congo, will face Senegal in Kintélé today, for a place in the final of the continental tournament.

The Red Devils had a great start to their campaign with back-to-back victories over Sudan and Burkina Faso with the same 2-1 scoreline.

And while they ultimately fell 0-1 to Zimbabwe in their final Group A outing on Sunday, the six points claimed in their first two encounters proved enough to secure a first-place finish and avoid Nigeria in the next round.

Meanwhile, Senegal booked their spot in the semifinals as Group B

runners-up after recording two consecutive draws with Ghana and group winners Nigeria.

The Congolese remain favourites to progress in front of their home crowd despite their below-par performance against the Young Warriors.

They fielded a ‘B-team’ to rest several of their key players, and should be able to rely on a fullstrength squad when they face the Teranga Lions.

Congo are desperate to reach their first final since claiming Gold in the 1965 edition, with Senegal best result a fourth-place finish in Maputo in 2011.

Esperance to sanction Eduok for late return

E

mem Eduok may face the music at Esperance after the Tunisian club said the striker has over stayed in Nigeria after they released him for the AFCON 2017 qualifier against Tanzania and a friendly against Niger.

The former Dolphins forward has extended his stay in Nigeria without the prior agreement of Esperance,

officials said.

The club said the player has no excuse to stay back in Nigeria and said if it is confirmed he is nursing an injury, they will sanction him as this is a clear case of indiscipline by the player.

Eduok joined Esperance from Nigerian club Dolphins early this year.

Emem Eduok (left) in action for Esperance

Name: Offiong Edem Nationality: Nigeria Born: December 31, 1986 (age 28) Place of birth: Calabar, Nigeria Weight: 64 kg (141 lb) Sport: Table Tennis Medal record All Africa Games Gold medal: 2007 Algiers (Doubles) Gold medal: 2007 Algiers (Team) Gold medal: 2011 Maputo (Singles) Gold medal: 2011 Maputo (Doubles) Gold medal: 2011 Maputo (Mixed Doubles) Silver medal: 2011 Maputo (Team)

Personal Information

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EXTRATIME Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

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Offiong

Edem

EXTRATIME

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

EXTRATIME

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Nigeria, Burkina Faso battle in AAG semis

N

igeria U-23 team, Dream Team VI, will slug it out with fellow West Africans Burkina Faso for a place in the gold medal match of the 11th All Africa Games football event today in Brazzaville, Congo.

The match will be played at Stade Massamba Debat.

Nigeria are seeking a second gold medal in men’s football event of the AAG after their first gold on home soil in 1973.

Burkina Faso, on the other hand, qualified for the last-four after they proved the luckier team in a drawing of lots after they tied on all statistics with Sudan at the end of action in Group A. Coach Samson Siasia-led team are

yet to lose a game in the competition and hope to crush the Burkina Faso to cruise into the final.

Coach Samson Siasia said they have been working hard for the game and solving the goal scoring problem of the team.

“We have been preparing well for the match. We are correcting errors noticed, especially on our goal scoring which has been a big problem,” Siasia said.

“We are here to win the gold but we cannot go anywhere if we cannot put away our chances.”

Warri Wolves forward Etebor Oghenekaro said they are ready for today’s semi-final cracker because their target is to win gold in Congo.

Sunshine’s title bid alive, says

Aggreh

S

unshine Stars winger Prince Aggreh has refused to accept that his club’s chance of winning a first Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) title has been passed up.

Aggreh revealed that despite their 2-3 loss to Nasarawa United at home on Sunday, he believes that Sunshine Stars can still claw their way back into contention as the nine games offer them that chance.

The former Heartland man acknowledged that their title aspirations have taken a big hit, “but it is not yet over”.

“It was a very painful loss,” began

Aggreh. “We didn’t go out there to lose and especially at home. Yes it will be difficult now that we have lost at home but our title ambition is not yet over.

The season is not yet over. There are nine more games to go, and anything is still possible.”

The Nigerian international now knows that Sunshine Stars will have to bring their best to the plate when they face Kwara United in the coming weekend.

The former Bendel Insurance winger has scored nine goals this season in the Nigerian top flight but that has seen Sunshine Stars in fourth place with 47 points, eight behind leaders Enyimba.

Nigeria draws Egypt, others in AFCON U-23

N

igeria’s Dream Team VI will vie for a place at the upcoming 2016 Rio Olympics together with Algeria, Egypt and Mali.

The results of the draw on Monday at the CAF headquarters in Cairo, Egypt showed that Nigeria will compete in Group B together with Algeria, Egypt and Mali at the forthcoming 2015 Africa U23 Cup of Nations in Senegal.

The countries in Group A include hosts, Senegal, South Africa, Zambia and Tunisia.

The draw was conducted by CAF Secretary General, Hicham El Amrani and assisted by CAF executive

Dream Team coach, Samson Siasia. committee member, Amadou Diakite.

The final tournament will take place from November 28 – December 12, 2015 in the Senegalese cities of Dakar and M’Bour.

The top three teams will qualify automatically to represent Africa at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Nigeria U-23 striker Junior Ajayi (left) in action against Congo

NFF HOOKS ZENITH FOR GRASSROOTS DEVELOPMENT ANDREW EKEJIUBA

A

new, epochal chapter was opened in Nigeria football on Monday when the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and Zenith Bank PLC announced a partnership for youth football development and capacity building programs.

NFF President Amaju Pinnick led the NFF top hierarchy to the brief but colourful event at Zenith Bank’s headquarters in Lagos, where the topmost financial institution’s Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Peter Amangbo emphasized that, “we are ready to empower the new crop of young and accountable administrators at the NFF to reach lofty heights.”

The partnership announcement began with a presentation by NFF 1st Vice President Seyi Akinwunmi, who in his capacity as Chairman of the Youth Football Committee, regaled the gathering with NFF’s comprehensive youth development program.

“We have a holistic Future Generation Plan, which is aimed at engendering a pool of talented youngmen and women for all categories of the National Teams at all times. Today, everybody talks about the Senior National Team. That should not be so. We want to create a situation whereby people will also talk about grassroots and youth competitions.

NFF President, Amaju Pinnick (right) with Zenith Bank PLC Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Peter Amangbo.

“The NFF is committed to working hand-in-hand with every organ that has to something to do with the youth, in order to realize our objectives. In the next two weeks, we will unveil our detailed program at a world press conference.”

Pinnick stated that apart from capacity building programs for all workers in football, the youth development program is the next big commitment of the present NFF administration.

“The impact of our capacity building program for referees has been immediate, with the improvement in the League. Now, it is time for a comprehensive youth development

program that will see to the constant feeding of all the National Teams.

“We cannot thank Zenith Bank PLC, a financial institution with impeccable records and with a solid reputation, enough for their support for this program. They have indeed opened the way for real development of Nigerian football,” he said.

Pinnick highlighted that the kernel of the partnership is for the Nigeria Football Federation to invoice Zenith Bank PLC for the various youth development programs, as well as for capacity building of administrators (Chairmen of State Football Associations) and the salary of Super Eagles’ Head Coach, Sunday Oliseh.