Dtn 18 5 15

EXCHANGE RATES AS AT 17th June, 2015 Currency

Buying(NGN)

Central (NGN)

NSE GAINERS AND LOSERS AS AT 17th June, 2015 GAINERS

Selling(NGN)

LOSERS

US DOLLAR

195.9

196.4

196.9

NB

149.9

1.87

1.25%

GUINNESS

174.8

-9.75

-5.58%

POUNDS STERLING

308.1507

308.9372

309.7237

BERGER

11.24

1.04

9.25%

DANGCEM

175

-2.00

-1.14%

37.32

-1.96

-5.25%

34.55

-0.67

-1.94%

EURO

220.7009

221.2642

221.8275

CONOIL

41.98

1.03

2.45%

BETAGLAS

SWISS FRANC

211.0537

211.5923

212.131

STANBIC

27.5

0.50

1.82%

FLOURMILL

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THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2015 VOL. 1. NO.130

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KANO Low 28°C High 41°C

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L-R: Governors Rochas Okorocha; (Imo); Adams Oshiomhole; (Edo); Chairman, Nigerian Governors Forum/Zamfara State Governor, Abdul-aziz Yari; and Katsina State, Governor, Aminu Bello Masari during the meeting of the Nigerian Governors Forum at the Transcorp Hilton Hotels, in Abuja on…

Wednesday

Senators’ wardrobe pay is N.5m – Saraki, RMAFC

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Bomb at Boko Haram camp kills 63 in Borno g 4

Give us bailout or refund our expenses on federal projects Ï 1 ƒƆƏ Ə ƐƆƋƋ Ƒ Əƈ g 4

At 72, I’m fit as a g 6 fiddle, says President

I’m ready to buy Arsenal at any cost, says Dangote g 6 JTF destroys 32 illegal refineries in Deltag 24

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Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 18, 2015

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 18, 2015

3

Politics Page Three Æ s Editorial Checking waves of kidnapping

I

t looks like no day passes in Nigeria without the incidents of kidnappings in one part of the country or another. What started as minor irritant has now assumed a dangerous and alarming dimension and if nothing is immediately done to check the menace could pose another serious threat to the country’s stability after that of Boko Haram.

In the past two years, Nigerians have watched with trepidation the waves of kidnappings by all manner of persons who in turn demand ransoms for the release of their victims.

Increasingly, kidnapping has become a lucrative business that is unwittingly spurning an entire industry around it.

Every day, the media is awash with news of people being kidnapped and taken to unknown destinations by their captors who then demand for huge sums of money for their freedom. Curiously, some of those involved in this nefarious business include relatives, nannies, domestic servants, neighbours and even couples seeking revenge against one another.

The list of victims continues to lengthen with each passing day. Recently, the Regent of Akungba in Ondo State, Princess Oluwatoyin Omosowom and four others were rescued from kidnappers den at Igbonla village in Owo Local Government Area of the state after spending two weeks in captivity.

Three days ago, a Pastor with the Winners Church in Calabar, Cross River State, Seyi Adekunle was kidnapped by some unknown persons who are now asking N80million to secure his release.

Earlier, two maternal cousins of former President Goodluck Jonathan,

Patience Egbeni and Kate Eni were abducted at Akimpelai, Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

Before this, the paramount ruler of Biokpuga in Nembe local government area of the same state, Chief Thirdman Lambert, was said to have been abducted by yet unknown gunmen. We recall that sometime ago, Professor Kamene Okonjo, mother of Dr. Ngozi OkonjoIweala, the ex-Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, was abducted from the Ogwashi-Uku royal palace in Delta State and though later released. In Ibadan, some gunmen abducted Mrs. Tayo Rotimi, wife of Nigeria’s former Ambassador to the United States, Gen. Oluwole Rotimi (rtd).

In May, the father of famed author, Chimamanda,Prof.James Adichie was kidnapped and later released, not after his captors had asked N50 million to secure his freedom. This list excludes the number of kidnapped expatriates, especially in the Niger Delta. According to NYA International, specialist crisis prevention and response consultancy, Nigeria accounted for 26 per cent of kidnap and ransom incidents globally in 2013. It estimated that thousands of kidnappings take place in Nigeria annually – the majority goes unreported.

Many pundits assert that the root causes of kidnappings in the country are unemployment, poverty, illiteracy, religious cause, greed, politics and corruption. While it is impossible to exhaust the list of kidnapped persons everyday, we make haste to blame the authorities for being lackadaisical and reactive in the fight against this new form of terrorism.

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Imo: Traditional rulers now Okorocha’s pawns?

Sam Nzeh

ÎÎÎ

The recent suspension of four traditional rulers in Imo State and the invitation of 60 others to face a disciplinary panel over divided loyalty to the state council of traditional rulers and involvement in political activities have heightened fears that the governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, either sees the monarchs as pawns or is determined to humiliate and intimidate them using state apparatus.

The suspended traditional rulers and the 60 others were accused of defying

the directive of the state government and receiving former President Goodluck Jonathan in March when he visited Owerri, the state capital, for a parley with traditional rulers ahead of the March 28 presidential election.

Aside the dangers the action portends, it is unthinkable that the state council of traditional rulers could have embarked on such a tension-generating action without knowledge and approval of the governor. Many have even said that the governor directed the action using the royal fathers’ body as a smokescreen.

The action has heightened tension in the state

Words On Marble :

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as indigenes of communities whose monarchs were suspended are spoiling for war unless the suspension is lifted. The affected royal fathers early in the week initiated a court action against Gov. Okorocha among others.

While Okorocha is free to give orders in the state, he must realise that the monarchs as fathers of all are free to receive visitors including the former president to their domains anytime. So, any order stopping them from doing this cannot be justified. The governor at best over reached himself and should take immediate steps to purge himself of such tendencies.

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

Muhammadu Buhari

Obiageli Ezekwesili

Femi Falana

“I wish I became Head of State when I was a governor, just a few years as a young man. Now at 72, there is a limit to what I can do.”

“Should our political elite continue to lack a sense of proportionality considering the extremely tough days and years ahead?”

“…Has our situation become so bad that we have to ask for external support? When we have not mobilized the energy, the potentials of our people to turn this country around”.

News 4

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 18, 2015

Senators’ wardrobe pay is N.5m – Saraki, RMAFC Olufemi Samuel Abuja

ÏÏÏThe yearly wardrobe

allowance of each Senator in the country is N506,600, according to the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki.

Saraki, who quoted the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) as the source of his information on Wednesday, made the disclosure apparently to douse the raging inferno in the country of reports of planned jumbo pay for National Assembly members next week.

The media had on Tuesday reported that the 109 Senators and the 360 members of the House of Representatives will receive about N9 billion as wardrobe allowance. Other allowances for housing, furniture and vehicles were also said to be on the way, sparking nationwide outrage.

Faulting the report, Senator Saraki in a series of statements on his tweeter page, wrote on Wednesday: “Chairman of Revenue Mobilisation Allocation & fiscal Commission was in my office to clarify wardrobe allowance. Amount is N506,600 per Sen.” He continued: “Fixing of renumeration of political office holders is sole responsibility of Revenue Mobilisation Allocation & Fiscal Commission #OpenNass”.

Admitting that obscene allowances for legislators could not be justified in a depressed economy, the Senate President further tweeted: “With the current challenges we are facing as a nation, RMFAC will be reviewing allowances to reflect the current economic trend. #Opennass” He added: “I have asked them to do so in a matter of days and we should all follow up to keep them on their toes.”

Senator Saraki also made

the statement when he received the Chairman of RMAFC, Engr. Elias Mbam and his team in Abuja.

Earlier, the RMAFC Boss, Mbam said the agency had always enjoyed cordial relationship with the National Assembly while calling for continued working partnership with the view to enhance their effectiveness.

Mbam described the media report of N21.5 million as wardrobe allowance of Senators and N18 million for members of the House of Representatives as exaggerated, saying, that wardrobe allowance is 25 percent of the basic salary which when broken down amounts to N506, 600 per legislator, per annum.

Meanwhile, a Senator on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ben Murray-Bruce, has of-

fered to donate his wardrobe allowance to Osun State civil servants who are being owed seven months salaries.

The gesture was flatly rejected by the state government In a series of tweets also on Wednesday, MurrayBruce who owns Lagos State-based Silverbird Television, and represents Bayelsa State, wrote: “I, Ben Murray Bruce, will not sit down idly, while my fellow citizens die because salaries have not been paid.

As a first step, I am immediately donating my wardrobe allowance to unpaid workers in Osun state and widows in my Constituency We are starting in Osun, but we will not end there.

I will do as much to help workers who’ve not been paid in other states. I call on

all my friends and followers on Twitter and Facebook to donate NON PERISHABLE food items for these our brothers in need. As soon as my wardrobe allowance is paid, I will divide it into 2. Half will be publicly given to the NLC Chairman Osun. The other half will be publicly given to the head of widows association in my community of Akasa.”

But the Osun state government viewed the gesture as mocking the state.

A statement by the Governor’s Director Bureau of Communication and Strategy, Semiu Okanlawon, questioned the choice of the All Progressives Congress, APC-ruled state by a PDP senator.

Okanlawon’s statement read: “My attention has been drawn to a tweet by a mem-

ber of the Upper chamber of the National Assembly Senator Ben Murray Bruce of the Peoples Democratic Party from Bayelsa saying he will not reject the alleged hefty pay for members of the National Assembly but collect it and donate to Osun workers.

“It is saddening and tragic that Mr. Murray Bruce whom many had accorded a lot of respect is too early in the day joining the fray of politicisation and trivialising the salary issue affecting more than half of the states of the federation in this ridiculous manner.

“While Nigerians are in hot debate over the alleged jumbo pay and the mood of the country Murray Bruce seems to have turned the plight of Nigerian workers to a thing of an entertainContinued on page 6

Abandoned Boko Haram explosives kill 63 in Borno ÏÏÏNo

fewer than 63 persons were reportedly killed late on Tuesday when a massive explosion from a bag found by members of the Civilian-JTF in Monguno town of Borno state went off as residents gathered to take a look, security sources and witnesses said.

Many other onlookers and by-passers were said to have sustained various degrees of injuries by the blast.

A member of local Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN), Haruna Bukar, who claimed to have witnessed the incident informed journalists on phone that a group of Civilian-JTF member discovered a heavy bag filled with explosives at an old camp of the Boko Haram sec along Monguno-Marte road, and decided to bring it into the city.

According to him, “It was not an attack by Boko Haram, but explosion from a discovered

bag filled with bombs”, he said. “When they found the bag containing what later turned out to be improvised explosives, they brought it to Monguno town where people gathered to take a look at it. As they were busy fiddling with the content of the bag, the bombs went off with a massive blast that killed about 63 persons and injured dozen others”.

“It was really a very sad incident that affected many families. Most of those affected are young men and a few number of females”.

Monguno a town located about 130km away from Maiduguri suffered a massive attack on January 25 when Boko Haram terrorists attacked the military barracks there and sacked most residents from their homes.

Many residents were forced into the IDP camps until when the military later liberated the town in February.

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike acknowledging cheers during his unscheduled visit to Government Girls Secondary School, Rumuokuta in Obio / Akpor Local Government Area, Rivers State…. on Wednesday

Governors to Buhari: Give us bailout or refund our expenses on federal projects Lateef Ibrahim Abuja

ÏÏÏGovernors

of the 36 states of the federation have resolved to ask the Federal Government for the refund of money they spent in executing federal projects in their states.

The resolution by the Governors was sequel to their unsuccessful appeals to the Federal Government

for bailout to cash-strapped states, who are owing workers several months of salaries and allowances.

President Buhari had emphatically declined to entertain the request for bailout when governors of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), met him before his inauguration on May 29.

The Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), met on Wednesday in Abuja over

the debt crisis confronting them. According to them, offsetting the Federal Government’s debts that accrued through the execution of federal projects by states, would serve as a big relief.

The new Chairman of NGF and Governor of Zamfara State, Hon. Abdullazeez Yari, while addressing journalists at the end of the meeting, described the debt

problem as national, and not for the states alone.

He said: “As we (state governments) are in bad debt, the Federal Government is also on the same thing because some of the agencies were not paid salaries for six months. It’s not only states”.

The Governor explained that the option left is for the Continued from page 6

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June18, 2015

5 News

Stop campaign of calumny against Sen Jang – Aide urges Chijioke Kingsley Jos

ÏÏÏThe attention of Sena-

tor Jonah David Jang has been drawn to the alleged master-mind of the wanton killings in the state during his tenure as governor, as published in one of the dailies (not Daily Times) on Monday credited to the Secretary of the Jama'atu IZalatul Bid'a Wa'ikamatus Sunna (JIBWIS), Barrister Aliyu Alhassan Sangei.

The Personal Assistant and Media Aide to Senator Jonah David Jang, Chris

Gyang, said the JIBWIS were biased regarding the crises in Plateau State. He said anyone who had a full grasp of the history of Plateau State would surely know that the Plateau crisis started well before the Jang became the governor.

Gyang further debunked the claim by Sangei that over 600 people were killed when Jang gave a ‘shoot at sight order’ during one of the crises, in which Sangei alleged that it was a collaboration between Jang and the military to kill the Plateau people.

‘Saraki’ll assist Buhari in fighting corruption’ Olufemi Samuel Abuja

ÏÏÏSenators who are sup-

porters of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, on Wednesday, assured Nigerians of his preparedness to fight corruption through proper legislations.

The senators, under the aegis of a body called “Like-Mind Senators”,

said Saraki would surprise Nigerians on the mileage he would gain in the fight against corruption, having shown the reflexes for anticorruption battle during his past four years in the Senate.

The group debunked speculations that Saraki was supported to be Senate President by a group of oil barons in Nigeria.

Saraki

Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (right), in a handshake with the Chairman, Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency International (NEITI) Board, Mr. Ledun Mitee, during a courtesy visit to the vice president at the Defence House in Abuja… on Wednesday. With them is the chairman of Extractive Industries Transparency International (EITI) Board, Clare Short.

PDP distances self from group's statement on Buhari Lateef Ibrahim Abuja

ÏÏÏThe

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has disowned a group that called “PDP Media Watchdog”, that called on President Muhammadu Buhari to resign.

The PDP, in a statement, on Thursday, by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, stated that the group was unknown to the party.

The group, Metuh said, had no connection, whatsoever, with the party at any level.

The party further disowned the entire content of the statement issued by the group.

Said Metuh: “For the avoidance of doubt, our great party has not authorised this group to use its name, acronym or logo to issue statements or make

public pronouncements on any matter and we caution those behind them to, henceforth, desist from such immediately.”

The party described as “unacceptable and against its posture”, the offensive and denigrating language used by the group on the person and office of the President of the country.

Metuh reiterated the position of the PDP to engage only on robust and credible opposition, while constructively offering alternatives to the programmes and policies of the APC-led government, preparatory to its return to power in the next four years.

The PDP said: “We note, with dismay, that the attitude of this group is a direct consequence of the approach adopted by the APC in denigrating and insulting our immediate-past

Army deploys more personnel, equipment to Maiduguri Andrew Orolua Abuja

ÏÏÏThe

Nigerian Army has deployed additional operation staff, equipment and installation of hi-tech equipment to the Maiduguri Command and Control Centre.

The directives followed the recent visits of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Kenneth Minimah and Chief of Air Staff, Air

Marshal Amosu to the Maiduguri Command and Control Centre, where a reconnaissance and an advance team for the establishment of Military Command and Control Centre (MCCC) in Maiduguri and Yola began work this month.

Acting Director Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Kukasheka Usman, said that infrastructural development of the centre and posting of additional

operations staff have commenced. These are to be completed within 21 days when the MCCC would be fully operational.

“With the establishment of the Centre, all strategic and operational decisions on the fight against terrorism and insurgency would emanate from the MCCC,” it stated.

The statement said that the Command Centre “will ensure rapid response time;

improve situational awareness and better co-ordination of all stakeholders.”

The centre would also give the needed impetus that would ensure prosecution and successful conclusion of the war against terrorism. It would provide the required interface between the Armed Forces of Nigeria and Multi-National Joint Task Force to be deployed at the Lake Chad Basin area at the end of July 2015.

President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.

“Though we know that former President Jonathan suffered such fate in the hands of the APC, we shall not repay them in the same coin, as such is not part of our tradition and value as a party.

“Furthermore, recall that the PDP had earlier informed the public and the media that only statements issued by the National Chairman, the National Secretary, the National

Publicity Secretary or any other officer of the party authorised by the National Working Committee (NWC) should be regarded or reported as the position of the PDP on any matter.

“In this regard, any group or individuals seeking to use the identity of the PDP on any issue should approach the leadership for authorisation.

“We urge the media and the general public to be guided by this always,” the statement said.

Anambra youths protest killing of member by police Nkiru Nwagbo Awka

ÏÏÏThe

youths in Nanka community, in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State, have protested against the alleged killing of one of their members by the police from “Zone 9”, Umuahia.

It was alleged that some police officers from there stormed the community to arrest some people for alleged dredging that had been banned by state government, so as to check environmental degradation.

The incident happened on Sunday and has heightened tension in the community, as the youths have continuously blocked the road that linked other communities

in the area.

Before now, it was alleged that the shooting and killing of the unidentified youth was carried out by men of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

But the State Commissioner of Police, Hosea Karma, who spoke with the Daily Times on Thursday, said the agency should not be linked to the incident, as they were not in any way associated with it.

Obiano

News 6

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 18, 2015

Governors want refund on federal projects Continued from page 4 governors to synergise with the Federal Government with a view to finding a lasting solution to the problem.

His words: “We all know that the economy of the country is in bad shape. So, what we suggested is that a number of state governors have executed various projects for the Federal Government. So, instead of looking for that (bailout), let us ask the Federal Government to settle that backlog for us so that we can move forward.”

He continued: “Nearly all the states; you can have N10 billion, N20 billion. Lagos State has more than N50 billion undertaken in federal projects that is not yet settled.

“So, if we can get that done, then most of the issues can be resolved in earnest,” the Governor reasoned.

The governors, Yari disclosed, wanted to make sure

I’ll buy Arsenal at any cost, says Dangote ÏÏÏBillionaire businessman

and Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has restated his desire to take over the ownership of top British premiership football club, Arsenal.

According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Dangote believes that an oil refinery he is currently building will give him the finance muscle to achieve the plan.

The 58-year-old, who has an estimated wealth of £11.5bn, says he has supported the Gunners since the 1980s.

“When we get this refinery on track, I will have enough time and enough resources to pay what they are asking for,” he told BBC Hausa.

American Stan Kroenke is Arsenal’s majority shareholder, owning 66.64% of the club’s parent company Arsenal Holdings plc.

Russian-Uzbek Alisher Usmanov owns 29.11% with the remainder of the 62,217 shares held by minority shareholders including former players and the Arsenal Supporters’ Trust, who own three.

that the Federal Government has enough money in its coffers before the request for bailout is made.

He revealed that the governors will be meeting with President Buhari next week to discuss the issue of the debt problem facing the states.

Earlier in a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, the NGF pledged to work with President Buhari and support him in moving the affairs of the country forward.

The Forum ratified the nomination of Governor Yari as NGF Chairman for a period of one year, and congratulated the leadership of the 8th session of the National Assembly and pledge to work with them to uplift Nigeria.

The communique read: “The Forum sympathises with the people and government of states affected by the insurgency in the North East and commits to aid them in the process of rebuilding, restructuring and rehabilitation of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).”

While speaking with journalists after the meeting, the Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole declared that there is no excuse for the situation in which Nigeria has found itself.

Oshiomhole blamed the financial crisis facing most states on greed of few individuals, pointing out that the government should ensure that those who stole money are made to refund them.

L-R: Former Chairman, Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU), Federal Medical Centre, Ebute Metta, Mr Ebenezer Akande; chairman, Medical Health Workers Union, Mr Julius Achonwa; chairman of JOHESU, Mr Shehu Sulaiman; chairman, National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, Mrs Blessing Israel and Secretary of Johesu, Mr Chijioke Ejiofor during a protest over high medical bills and poor equipment by the joint workers of the Federal Medical Centre, Ebute-Metta Lagos… on Wednesday

At 72, Buhari fit as a fiddle, says Presidency Egena Egena Abuja

ÏÏÏThe

Presidency on Wednesday refuted reports that President Muhammed Buhari’s age would impair his performance in office.

Presidency spokesman, Femi Adesina, in a statement in Abuja said, “like old wine, President Buhari gets better with age.”

Quoting the President in an address in Johannesburg to Nigerians resident in South Africa, the media was awash with reports on Wednesday that Buhari said that his age of 72 would limit his performance in office.

However, Adesina said President Buhari was report out of context.

He said: “As the saying goes, “old wines are tasty” and the President Buhari we have today is a man, like old wine, that has got

tastier. At 72, yes, he can’t be called a youth, but he has in quantum the wisdom, the patience, temperance and forbearance that age brings.

And all these virtues he has brought to the Presidency, to make a difference in our national life.”

The presidential spokesman added: “At 72, the Buhari persona has not changed. He remains the simple, honest, incorruptible patriot he has always been. And because Nigerians earnestly desired change, that was why they voted for him overwhelmingly at the general elections in March, this year.

All the virtues and values of the Buhari persona will be deployed into governance in the weeks and months ahead.”

The statement read: “On Monday evening, President Muhammadu Buhari spoke with the Nigerian commu-

nity at the Nigerian Consulate in Johannesburg, South Africa.

“Speaking extempore, because according to him, he wanted to “speak from the heart,” the President urged them to be good ambassadors of Nigeria, a country he went to the warfront to keep together.

“Still extolling the virtues of our country, Nigeria, the President, who had served as a military governor of the then North-Eastern State at 33 years old, declared: “I wish I became Head of State when I was a governor. Now at 72, there is a limit to what I can do.”

“The above comments have been reported by some newspapers to mean that the President was saying he was too old to cope with the demands of his office. Far from it.

“The President assured

the Nigerian community in South Africa that his Administration will make a positive impact on the country. And that he would do.

“Insecurity as symbolized by insurgency will be brought to an end, corruption will be fought to a standstill, employment will be created for the teeming army of unemployed, the economy will be revived, and the quality of life of Nigerians will take an upward swing again. These will not come by a sudden flight, but they will happen in the life of this Administration.

“The Nigerian community in South Africa was enthralled as President Buhari spoke with them on Monday. In fact, leaving the venue was an effort, as they swarmed round the President, who shook hands with as many of them as he could.

Senators’ wardrobe pay is N.5m – Saraki, RMAFC Continued from page 4 ment.

“Of all the states in the federation who are battling to pay salaries as a result of the precarious economic situation his party the PDP threw Nigeria into why is it that it is Osun he wants to take his pay to? This is certainly playing to the gallery and nothing but a mockery in the faces of Nigerian workers and not only of Osun extraction. It is not only wicked but ungodly to

play politics with the suffering of the people.

“If the Senator’s conscience tells him his pay is too high especially in the face of the prevailing economic predicament of Nigeria the most honourable thing to do is to lead a protest for reduction and not a self serving philanthropy only in the direction of Osun workers.”

Meanwhile, civil society groups on Wednesday stormed the premises of the National Assembly in

protest against the reported N9 billion wardrobe allowance, calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to look into the issue in the interest of Nigerians.

Operating under the aegis of the Voice of the Voiceless-Home Best, the protesters stormed the Assembly Complex about midday, and marched towards the main complex before being stopped by security operatives at the main gate from the Federal Secretariat side.

The security operatives advised that only the leaders of the protesters should proceed to the chambers of the Senate and the House of Representatives to meet with principal officials on the points of their grievances. The groups said their members were incensed by the huge sums allegedly voted for legislators as wardrobe allowance and resolved to protest against such allocation which they described as outrageous and needless.

They said their protest against the huge government spending on the legislators was encouraged by the anti-corruption stance of the government of President Buhari.

Also, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) condemned the reported proposal to pay the huge sums as wardrobe allowance.

A statement to that effect was signed by its President, Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama and General Secretary, Comrade Musa Lawal.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 18, 2015

Enugu Dep Gov tasks nurses on clinical excellence Moses Oyediran Enugu

ÏÏÏThe

7 News

Delta magistrates trek, use tricycles to court daily, says CJ

Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Mrs. Cecilia Ezeilo, has charged nurses to show excellent commitment to their duties and to uphold their ethical principles of practice for the sustenance of a sound and healthy society.

She spoke, on Thursday, in Enugu, during the opening ceremony of the 15th Annual General Meeting of heads of nursing schools in federal health institutions in the state.

Ezeilo, who was also the special guest of honour at the occasion noted that nursing was a major player in healthcare delivery and that nurses constitute the largest segment of healthcare providers.

She stated that the health sector was a major issue of concern to any government and that Enugu State government would not relent in giving unalloyed support to the sector.

Monday Osayande

Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo

ÏÏÏNigeria

Asaba

ÏÏÏ

No fewer than 60 magistrates in Delta State either trek or board Keke NAPEP (tricycle) to court daily to dispense justice, the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Marshall Umukoro has said.

Justice Umukoro who made this known in Asaba, on Wednesday, while on courtesy call on Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, lamented the sorry state of the magistrates and appealed, on their behalf, for official vehicles to cushion their plights.

The Chief Judge also appealed to the governor to, as a matter

of urgency, engage five judges to fill the vacant positions created by the recent retirement of some judges.

While reaffirming the Bench’s commitment to always uphold the rule of law, without fear or favour, in dispensing justice, to all and sundry in the state, Justice Umukoro said that there were 2, 153 awaiting-trial inmates languishing at various prisons in the state.

He explained that the ages of those in awaiting-trial list ranged from 17 to 26 with the highest number of them from Delta Central, followed by Delta South, while Delta North had the least.

Responding, Okowa decried

the high number of persons awaiting trials in the state prisons and promised to work with the judiciary to ensure speedy dispensation of justice to decongest the prisons.

“It is very unfortunate that we have large number of persons awaiting trials in our prisons. I wish to call for speedy trials of cases to reduce the number, and we will find a way to see how to work with you (Judiciary) to rehabilitate those released by you during prison visits by engaging and training them through our Job Creation Committee. But it is also important that they will have a new mind-set so as to re-

integrate them in to the society,” Okowa said.

He gave an assurance that his administration would ensure effective partnership among the three arms of government, so as to impact positively on the lives of Deltans.

He commended the Judges for their integrity in the dispensation of justice and charged them to continue to be fair and just in their actions as people look up to them as role models.

Governor Okowa promised them that he would look into their request and provide an enabling environment for them to carry out their functions effectively.

380,000 Nigerian children affected by autism Aviation unions kick against move - US envoy Mathew Dadiya to scrap ministry Abuja ÏÏÏ Three unions in the avia-

tion industry, the Air Transport Senior Staff Services Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to disregard moves by a cabal to instigate the merger the aviation industry with the transport ministry.

The unions in an open letter to the president hinted on plans by this ‘selfish group’ in of the aviation industry bent on achieving a selfish goal.

In the open letter, signed

by General Secretaries of the unions, Comrades Captain Tarnongu, Olayinka Abioye and Aba Ocheme, respectively the unions advised the president to steer clear of this ‘nefarious cabal’ stating that: “The cabal has an interest and is the unseen force behind the re-emergent distractive debate about the merger or de-merger of the aviation industry with, or from, the Transport Ministry.”

Buhari

is reportedly among the countries with noticeable cases of autism, with about 380,000 children affected.

There is therefore a pressing need for increased public awareness, finding policy solutions, expanding medical and social treatment for autism, the United States envoy to Nigeria, Mr. James Entwistle, said on Wednesday, during the 2015 World Autism Awareness Day held at the embassy, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.

Entwistle noted that autism is a global problem that affects one of every 68 children in the United States, adding that, worldwide, the diseases affects all classes and races in cities and in rural areas.

According to him, in Nigeria, an estimated 200,000 to 380, 0000 people are affected by autism.

Estimates are that autism is the third most common childhood disorder in Nigeria and is the fastest growing developmental disability.

Regrettably, the envoy said, many parents of children with autism continue to struggle to get their children properly diagnosed and families struggle with the social stigma, as well as the burden of identifying treatment and caring for their loved ones.

Kano State Deputy Governor, Prof. Hafizu Abubakar (3rd right); Managing Director/ CEO, Bank of Industry, Mr Rasheed OlaOluwa (4th right) in group photograph during a courtesy visit to Abubakar in Kano State... on Wednesday

Ritualists remove Poly student's private parts in Ogun Abiodun Taiwo Abeokuta

ÏÏÏ Hundreds of

residents of Ode Remo, in Remo North Local Government Area of Ogun State, on Tuesday, trooped out en mass to behold a shrine where human parts were being sold and eaten by some people suspected to be ritualists. The discovery by the police, also led to the arrest of five suspects.

At the shrine, decomposing body parts suspected to be that of a missing female student of Science Laboratory Technology department at Gateway Polytechnic, Saapade, Morenikeji Owolabi, were found dismembered.

Leading newsmen to the site located at Eposo area of Ode Remo,

the state Commissioner of Police, Val Ntomchukwu, said the prime suspect, who is a herbalist identified as Femi Awise, is still at large.

Ntomchukwu disclosed that five suspects, including a commercial motorcyclist that conveyed the victim to the scene, have been arrested and would be arraigned in court upon the completion of police investigation.

The suspects, who were detained at the Divisional Police Headquarters, Isara-Remo, include Adeyemi Ademolu, 29, Lateef Ali, 23, Dare Akinyemi, 22, Wasiu Sotola, 23 and Taiwo Omolaso, 22. When our correspondent visited the scene on Tuesday evening, it was a gory sight as human flesh that were butchered into pieces and apparently cooked

were seen in one black pot, while the right limb of the victim was seen in a nearby shallow grave.

The stench oozing from the place did not stop scores of people in the town and its environs to throng the shrine to catch a glimpse of the police discovery.

Ntomchukwu said the 21-yearold female student was conveyed to the crime scene on Saturday, June 6 by a commercial motorcyclist (Ademolu) but the police discovered the shrine on Monday upon receiving information about the incident.

Ntomchukwu appealed to members of the public to always volunteer information to the police, noting that if the command had got report on time, it could have nipped the crime in the bud.

8

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 18, 2015

Politics

Æs OSUN

Aregbesola

Stakeholders berate Aregbesola, task him on governance

Following the non-payment of the salaries of workers in Osun State running into eight months, stakeholders in the state have berated Governor Rauf Aregbesola for literally turning the state into a failed state.

Though the governor promised to pay the salaries of the workers by the end of the month without specifying whether all the salaries or part of it will be settled, the Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice

(CHRSJ) described Aregbesola as a serial liar while a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain in the state, Chief Ebenezer Babatope accused the governor of emptying the treasury of the state on his re-election bid.

CHRSJ Chairman, Comrade Adeniyi Alimi Sulaiman described Governor Aregbesola as a serial and pathological liar who always rebrand lies for the people of the State on the financial status of the state insisting that since becoming governor,

Aregbesola has been economical with the truth on the loan incurred by his administration.

According to him, only sincerity of purpose and simple truth with the good people of the state could save the present administration from the present mess, advising Aregbesola to come out with the total figure of the debt incurred by the state government and 30 local governments areas in the state adding that he should let the CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

PDP will bounce back to power in 2019 – Prof. Agada Freddie Adamgbe, Makurdi Former Minister of State for Education, Prof. Jerry Agada has assured that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which lost power to the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the March and April polls will surely bounce back to power in 2019.

Prof. Agada who is the Chairman of the newly constituted Benue State PDP Facts Finding Committee noted that the PDP was unable to maintain her dominance in national politics due to ill preparation saying aggressive strategies are being mapped up to correct the faulty electoral lines.

He maintained that his committee is one of the deliberate strategy to unearth the immeCONTINUED ON PAGE 10

“...PDP was unable to maintain her dominance in national politics due to ill preparation” Agaba

Secondus

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 18, 2015

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

people know what they used the loan for.

He urged the governor to publicly publish the figure of the loan and the financial institution that gave the state such loan in order to discourage the people of the state from believing the figures given out by members of the opposition in the state.

On the position of the former Deputy Governor of the State, Senator Iyiola Omisore that Aregbesola incurred N480bn loan, Sulaiman maintained that larger percentage of the people of the State had lost trust and confidence in the present government due to serial lies that characterized the government in all ramifications.

He condemned the debt regime that Aregbesola has plunged the state into and nonpayment of workers’ salaries and retirees for period of seven to eight months now. It is better for Aregbesola to come out openly through national dailies to let the people of the state know the actual debt of the state and the financial institutions where they procured the loan as well as what they used the loan for.

“Governor Aregbesola should not also hesitate to explain to the public what he does with the Cooperative loan deductions of Civil Servants and LAUTECHTH staff, Sure-P fund, SUBEB fund, Pension Contributory Scheme fund, Ecological fund and host of others.

We can authoritatively say that Governor Rauf Aregbesola has a hidden agenda on the financial crisis presently facing the State and this development alone shows that Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola is a serial and pathological liar,” he said.

CHRSJ boss accused Governor Aregbesola of wasteful spending, misappropriation of Osun resources on frivolities such as Cuba trip, maintenance of helicopter with its pilot and others, asking why Teachers at the Primary School and local government staff were still being owed to the tune of four months after the Federal govern-

ment had paid their salaries till May 2015?

Sulaiman called on President Muhammadu Buhari to beam searchlight on how the affected states siphon their allocation into the private pocket of few individuals before giving them one month salary rescue as being planned by the Federal government, as part of his government anti-corruption effort.

He condemned Aregbesola for running the state aground by subjecting it into borrowing to pay her workforce, a development that Aregbesola campaigned against during Olagunsoye Oyinlola’s administration while struggling to reclaim his mandate in 2010.

Chief Babatope, a former Minister of Transport accused Aregbesola, of exhausting the states’ treasury on his re-election campaign, hence his inability to pay workers salary adding that the aftermath of the overspent money during the election is having a terrible effect on the economy of the state.

According to him, “Aregbesola borrowed a lot of money to fund his re-election and he is now trying to pay back the loan, hence his inability to pay salaries of workers. He overspent himself and I am very sorry for Osun State.

“He spent so much during the election and we are afraid that in the next nine months, it will be extremely difficult for the APC government in Osun State to pay salaries of staff.

“I concede to him the fact that he has every right to spend as much money as he wants to, but I am saying that there is much punishment that he would get economically with the overspending.

“I am only sorry and very unhappy for Osun public officers and civil servants who are going to bear the brunt of all these things”.

Also, the PDP) in the state has urged Aregbesola to immediately call a stakeholders meeting that will involve members of all registered political parties in the state to address various problems especially issues related to unpaid salaries of civil

9 Politics

Aregbesola has turned Osun to a failed state –Stakeholders

Babatope

“Aregbesola borrowed a lot of money to fund his re-election and he is now trying to pay back the loan, hence his inability to pay salaries of workers. He overspent himself and I am very sorry for Osun State”

Aregbesola

Omisore

servants in the state.

In a statement, the PDP said one of the reasons Governor Aregbsola is finding governing the state “a task bigger than his capacity” is because he shut out quality advice from Osun stakeholders because they are not registered members of APC. “We said it before that because Ogbeni Aregbesola never lived in Osun before becoming the governor he has no idea of the needs of the people of the state”, PDP said.

The party said it welcomed open confession by the governor that the inability of his administration to pay workers was a problem beyond his capacity, adding that he should as a matter of urgency call stakeholders meeting to allow Osun people to identify immediate and remote causes of many challenges facing the state

and seek solutions to them.

“Aregbesola did not care about our advice as major stakeholders because we are in PDP, no Osun indigene home and abroad is happy with the mess we are in as a result of non payment of salaries. The unpaid salaries has put people in very difficult situation economic wise just as people are dying of hunger”, the party insisted.

According to PDP: “But there was nothing we could do when Mr. Aregbesola shut his ears to candid advice and surrounded self with many “imported Lagos based commissioners and advisers.

“However, now that he has reached his limit in managing affairs of Osun and openly confessed this, it then behoves on us to lend helping hands by offering quality advise”, the party concluded.

“CHRSJ boss accused Governor Aregbesola of wasteful spending, misappropriation of Osun resources on frivolities such as Cuba trip, maintenance of helicopter with its pilot and others, asking why Teachers at the Primary School and local government staff were still being owed to the tune of four months after the Federal government had paid their salaries till May 2015?”

Aregbesola

Politics 10

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 18, 2015

PDP set to recapture power in 2019 – Agada

PDP national headquarters

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

diate and remote causes of the PDP’s failure stressing that although the party lost out, it has remained the party to beat.

According to him, the PDP has shown signs of regaining power in no distant future as manifested in the pioneering role played by senators elected in the party’s platform who ensured the emergence of Sen. Bukola Saraki and Sen. Ike Ekweremadu as Senate President and Deputy Senate President respectively.

He counseled the 8th National

“It is only people with dubious character and integrity that can be afraid of President Buhari as he will be guided by the tenets of democracy in his actions as against military decrees and proclamations.”

Assembly to put behind them the events that led to the emergence of their principal officers and focus on enacting laws that can tackle corruption, poverty, terrorism which can unnecessarily distract President Muhammadu Buhari from delivering on his mandate.

Prof. Agada reasoned that it is only people with dubious character and integrity that can be afraid of President Buhari as he will be guided by the tenets of democracy in his actions as against military decrees and proclamations.

He commended the President in involving other countries in tackling insurgency in the country pointing out that he should assemble a competent team that will help him deliver on his development agenda for the country.

While calling for total support for the Buhari administration to prosecute war against corruption and moral decadence, Prof. Agada charged the PDP to on its part provide fair, constructive and firm opposition to the now ruling APC in the interest of all Nigerians.

Senate Presidency:

How Igbos lost their mandate to Saraki Great Imo Jonathan Honestly I am tired of those Igbo people who are laughing at Tinubu or APC because Saraki became Senate President.

While they were laughing at Tinubu out of their jealousy, they didn’t realize that they lost an opportunity to pull a surprise because of their political nativity.

Since they don’t believe that a party should not instruct its members and they didn’t care what mix of brand that produces a senate president, why didn’t Sen Ekweremadu Ike show up with 49 PDP senators and surprise Saraki to his game.

Many of those who claim to

be Igbo political heavyweights, especially in PDP are more of empty heads driven by their selfish interests. They only come to power by intimidating their people using rituals and armed thugs; they are subservient at the center.

I wonder why they reduced all that played out in the Senate to a defeat for APC and Tinubu. Since they were seeing Saraki’s move as being smart why didn’t Sen. Ekweremadu Ike take advantage of 49 PDP members out of 57 that were in the senate and show that Igbos are smarter than Tinubu.

Ekweremadu, in his usual political naivety was carried away by the Tinubu or APC must fall CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

Saraki

Tinubu

Ekweremadu

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 18, 2015

11 Politics

Era of politics over –Hon. Diah Okerafor Athanatius, Jalingo When Rt. Hon. Abel Peter Diah who represents the people of Mbamnga Constituency of Sardauna Local Government Area of Taraba, emerged victorious and was instantly inaugurated as the 8th Assembly Speaker of the State House of Assembly, there were jubilations and celebrations galore occasioned by his friends, well wishers, brothers and sisters in and around the State especially people from the Mambilla Plateau and Mbamnga Constituency in particular.

As the victory was being celebrated, a section of the people who are unpleasant emotionally saw the need not to queue to the fun because they envisaged that an era of great political war and revenge would soon follow. Diah’s emergence as the number three citizen of the State suddenly portrayed unanticipated signs of strain in the mood of some top political gurus who had the belief that they have dented their hands before the lawmaker.

The unfortunate situation that befell the honourable member at Gembu, headquarters of Sardauna Local Government Area of the State, where political thugs and their sponsors burnt down the houses of the

former Secretary to the State Government, Barrister Gibon Timothy Kataps together with that of Abel Peter Diah during the last Governorship and State Assembly elections proved so.

Those, whose conscience were not clear over the wicked act of sabotage and humiliation perpetrated on humanity because of political gains, then had a sigh of relief from their state of discomfort and however, relaxed their minds when Rt. Hon. Speaker. Abel Peter Diah during his acceptance speech at the hallow chambers of the State Assembly remarked that the era of politics is over.

Rt. Hon. Diah, instead of going the way of vengeance, reiterated the need for his colleagues to put aside their political differences, while business of legislation is vigorously pursued to better the lives of the electorates. As a leader, who really wants to succeed, he took the way of forgiveness. He had the notion that the era of destruction of lives and property are the periods of politics which he pointed, must be put behind to enable them succeed.

“This is the period for reconstruction, rehabilitation and reconciliation” “The era of politics is over, now is the period of chasing the elusive dividends of de-

Diah

mocracy, the period of politics is over and therefore, all efforts will be geared towards delivering democratic dividends to the electorates” The expectation of the people of Taraba State on the 8th Assembly is very high but already, they have been seen as those who want to triumph in their legislative duties because the leadership has the moral imagination to envisage a relationship beyond confrontation and war, hence the pledge to run a transparent, accountable and result oriented administration.

For the lawmakers to overcome the challenges ahead there must be the need to ad-

“It is now the task of the 8th Assembly to give concentration to the pending Bills, but it should ensure that only those that capture the needs of the people are passed into law. The legislators should never forget to work harmoniously with the Executives towards making sure that Bills passed into law are implemented”

here to the call for support and cooperation, imbibe the spirit of operating as a family, not giving much attention to the particular political party that recruited them into the Assembly as itemized by Mr. Speaker.

The leadership is also expected to run an open door policy as promised, welcome and encourage constructive criticism, operation of a collective leadership style that will ensure that matters of policy and decisions are arrived at with full consultations and negotiations.

The 7th Assembly has come and gone. According to investigations carried out by our Correspondent, 18 Bills were passed into law while seven were not attended to. It is now the task of the 8th Assembly to give concentration to the pending Bills, but it should ensure that only those that capture the needs of the people are passed into law.

The legislators should never forget to work harmoniously with the Executives towards making sure that Bills passed into law are implemented.

The lawmakers of the 8th Assembly should also at all times listen to the groaning of the people of their various constituencies who gave them the mandate to represent them at the House of Assembly, Jalingo.

How Igbos lost senate presidency chance CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

frenzy and he forgot himself.

While he was waiting for the crumbs of Deputy Senate President, the Senate Presidency was staring at him but he didn’t have the smartness to see or to grab it and call Saraki’s bluff as Saraki did to APC. Rather, he was playing second fiddle to a Saraki that he is older than in the Senate, forgetting that all things being equal, it is Igbos that are supposed to produce Senate President. Igbos had opportunity to beat Saraki to it but they were busy chasing shadows and hating Tinubu for nothing. If Igbos are smart as they claim, Sen. Ekweremadu Ike and 30 other south south and south east senators would have made a smart move and beat Saraki who had only eight APC Senators and was already

vulnerable from his betrayal of his party.

They didn’t realize that Saraki’s ambition would have been to the Igbo advantage. Empty heads hating Tinubu for his sagacity.

Yet Igbos are clapping for the outcome claiming victory without benefit when they were supposed to be the beneficiaries of the betrayal game that Saraki played.

They were carried away by their cheap hatred for Tinubu, a man who has shown capacity above all Igbo politicians that they couldn’t see an opportunity before them.

Abeg, our people should stop making noise and see ahead.

Ndi Igbo must retire many of these greedy, selfish and stupid politicians who are representing them. We need “witty kids” onboard.

Senate president, Bukola Saraki

News 12

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 18, 2015

Court fines police officer N15m for sexual abuse of minor Andrew Orolua Abuja

ÏÏÏAn FCT High Court has or-

dered a police corporal, John Unegbu, to pay the sum of N15 million as damages to an 11-year-old junior secondary school student, over sexual abuses.

Justice Folashade Ojo, in her judgment, held that the action of the Corporal Unegbu is a gross violation of his right to human dignity and constitutes a breach of sections 34 (1) of the 1999 Constitution and 3 of the Child’s Rights Act. She described the repeatedly carnal knowledge of the minor through the anus, as “outrageous and oppressive.”

Justice Ojo further ordered the police officer to foot the expenses for a comprehensive health examination and treatment of the minor particularly, for stomach ache and septic anus.

Esther Uzoma of the Proactive Gender Initiative, had urged the court to award the sum of N50 million as general damages against the police officer.

But, in awarding the N15 million, the judge said that damages flows naturally from injury suffered.

“The act of the respondent of having anal sex with the applicant amounts to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of the applicant. The respondent has behaved in the most barbaric way

and is not any different from an animal,” she said.

The judge added: “The uncontroverted facts before this court are that sometimes in 2013, the respondent, an adult, had sex with the applicant through the anus and which act he repeated several times. The applicant was 11-yearold at the material time. Anal sex is generally against the order of nature and such acts against nature are expressly prohibited by law.”

The father of the boy, Clement Uchegbu, had averred that a neighbour, on October 2, 2013, reported always finding his son in the residence of the police officer in Bwari, a suburb of Abuja during school hours.

L-R: Group Head Corporate Communications & CSR of First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Mrs. Uchenna Mojekwu; a winner of the FCMB Millionaire Promo, Mrs. Funke Akinwande; Divisional Head, Public Sector, FCMB, Mr. Mustapha Lukman and Zonal Head, FCT 1, Mr. Baldwin Onuigbo during the Abuja & North Regional draw of the promo held in Abuja…on Wednesday

Jalingo

ÏÏÏThe Taraba State National

and State Assembly Petitions Tribunal, sitting in Jalingo, has thrown out an application filed by former acting governor of the state, Alhaji Sani Abubakar Danladi, challenging the composition of the membership of the tribunal in determining interlocutory matters for lack of merit.

Sani Abubakar Danladi, whose election as Senator representing Taraba North senatorial district is being challenged by the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) candidate, Barr. Mohammed Bello Mustapha, had on June 11, filed an application demanding that

Akor Ejumene Abuja

ÏÏÏPermanent

Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Clement Iloh, has called on all parents, guardians and well-meaning Nigerians to rise up and defend the future of the children by ensuring that all forms of child labour in the society are eliminated.

The Permanent Secretary made the call on Wednesday in

only the Chairman of the panel, Justice S. Andor should be the only one to preside over interlocutory matters.

In the application, which he filed in conjunction with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the former acting governor averred that the three-member panel could only jointly preside over substantive issues that will determine the life of the petition.

Ruling on the application, Justice Andor said the application was rejected because of its lack of merit.

The Chairman, who stated that though counsels to the respondents relied on the electoral act

Ughelli Power Limited (TUPL), the power generation and investment subsidiary of Nigerian conglomerate, Transcorp Plc, on Wednesday, released its 2014 Annual Report and held its 2nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of shareholders.

The report, details outstanding progress during the first full calendar year of operations at Ughelli Power Plant, the group’s power generating asset and Nigeria’s largest gas-powered generating company.

In the CEO’s statement, Mr. Fadeyibi outlines TUPL’s “short term, post-acquisition operational strategy — one based largely around the recovery of installed capacity.”

and judicial precedence in arguing their case, however, maintained that the constitution supersedes any other law.

He averred that section 285 of the 1999 Constitution unambiguously permits the three-man panel to preside over tribunal cases contrary to the argument of the respondent’s counsels.

In 2014, TUPL increased generation capacity from 342MW at December 2013, to 610MW at the end of 2014 — a 78% increase year-over-year and a 300% increase from takeover and this year, financial advisory firm, Renaissance Capital (RenCap) predicted that Transcorp Plc would do more than quintuple its profitability by 2017, in part, because of the outlook for TUPL. According to RenCap, “We believe the government’s determination to make centralised electricity supply a reliable source of power for the economy, at half the price of the currently and widely used diesel generators, is sufficient reason to see a bright future for the asset.”

Outgoing Yobe Assembly passed 24 bills – Speaker ÏÏÏSpeaker,

Danladi

a message at a one day rally, to commemorate the 2015 World Day against Child Labour, in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

With the theme “No to Child Labour, and Yes to Quality Education”, Illoh described child labour as any work that children are exposed to perform, which are injurious to their health, morals, physical development, well-being as well as denying them the opportunity to attend schools.

Represented at the occasion by the director of inspectorate, Udoh Emmanuel, the permanent secretary said “when we use children for any activity such as carrying heavy loads at tender age, hawking and selling on the street, or in the markets during school hours, we are indeed practicing child labour’’.

Power to quintuple profitability by 2017 ÏÏÏTranscorp

Tribunal throws out ex-Taraba Ag. Gov’s application Okerafor Athanatius

Ministry decries high rate of child labour

Yobe House of Assembly, Alhaji Adamu Dala-Dogo, on Wednesday said its out-going fifth assembly passed 24 bills and 59 resolutions in the last four years.

Dala-Dogo disclosed this in his valedictory speech to mark the end of their four years in office.

He said, “in spite of the insurgency suffered by the state, the assembly remained resolute and committed to its legislative duties.

“We have also ensured that throughout our four-year term,

we protected the independence of the legislature in the state.”

The Deputy Speaker, Adamu Bello, also said the assembly enjoyed support and cordial working relationship with the executive arm of government.

“The cordial relationship between the two arms translated into provision of democracy dividends to the electorates,” he said, and urged the incoming assembly to continue in the same vein.

The News Ag ency of Nigeria reports that 17 out of the 24 legislators were re-elected, while seven lost out.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 18, 2015

13 International

18 migrants found dead in Niger's desert

Migrants sit on their belongings in the back of a truck as it is driven through a dusty road in the desert town of Agadez, Niger, headed for Libya, May 25, 2015.

ÏÏÏThe bodies of

18 West African migrants hoping to reach Europe have been found in the Sahara desert near Arlit in Niger, the International Organization for Migration said on Sunday.

The discovery of the group offers a rare glimpse of what migration experts say is a hid-

den tragedy in the Sahara. Many thousands are attempting to cross the vast and inhospitable terrain in order to reach the Libyan coast, where they hope to begin another hazardous trip by boat to Europe.

"This case is indicative of the difficulties of these journeys,

Hungary plans barrier to keep out migrants

Kenyan grannies use tricks to save themselves from rape

ÏÏÏ Hungary says that it will build a fence along its border with Serbia to keep out migrants.

Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said that officials had been told to prepare a plan for a barrier along the frontier, stretching 175km (109 miles). He added that Hungary could not afford to wait for the EU to find a solution to immigration.

There has been a sharp rise in the number of migrants and asylum seekers entering Hungary.

The government said about 54,000 migrants entered the country so far this year, compared to 43,000 people in 2014.

Police registered 10,000 people illegally going over the border in January alone.

However, tens of thousands of Hungarians have also been leaving the country.

"Immigration is one of the most serious problems facing the European Union today," Mr Szijjarto told a press conference on Wednesday. "We are talking about a stretch of border 175 km long, whose physical closure can happen with a four-metre high fence.

The interior minister received an instruction to prepare that."

ÏÏÏ Cackling manically, the old

woman points at a sheepish young man by her side in a poorly-lit tin shack in Korogocho, one of the most dangerous slums in Kenya's capital.

"He wants to sleep with me! He's younger than my son," she said as a dozen elderly women, sitting on wooden benches around her, laugh raucously.

Across Nairobi, more than 200 elderly women, aged up to 105, are learning self defence to protect themselves against rape, which is widespread in Kenya, particularly in its slums.

Research by the charity Ujamaa, which runs the self defence programme, shows that one in four women in Korogocho experience sexual assault.

Pope slams nations shutting doors on migrants

even before reaching the boats in Libya," Giuseppe Loprete, the head of IOM in Niger, said in emailed comments.

"We have to ask ourselves how many people have died [are dying] in the desert even before making it to the Mediterranean," he said.

"We don't think this is an isolated

case but without a systematic collection of information or without a 'rescue' operation we will never know how many migrants could be possibly missing."

The flow of migrants in the Mediterranean is documented by multiple parties, from coast guards and navies to local authorities and aid organizations.

The IOM has said increasing numbers of West Africans have taken the trip this year, although the most common nationalities are still Syrians and Eritreans.

Loprete said patrolling the desert to try to prevent such deaths was "nearly impossible."

The 17 men and one woman found dead were from at least eight countries including Mali, Senegal, Ivory Coast and Guinea.

They were travelling in a land cruiser but lost their way in a sandstorm before running out of fuel and getting stuck in the sand.

One, an Algerian, captured a camel and tried to get to the town of Assamaka, which is close to Niger's border with Algeria, to get water and help. But he fell off and died. The others died of dehydration on about June 3 and were found 8 days later, IOM said.

The 'cucus' or grandmas in the local Kikuyu language, learn how to poke assailants in the eyes, whack them in the groin with a walking stick or break their noses with the palm of a hand.

Some of the women are too frail to stand, so feigning madness and other forms of trickery are often the best weapons.

"You act like you are crazy and you go towards the attacker," said Jacqueline Mukami, one of the instructors. "You scare him because this is not the person he expected." One of the women attending the class was accosted by a young boy while walking home from her vegetable patch.

"She called at the top of her voice, 'Hey, Kamau, why are you so far behind and this boy is dis-

ÏÏÏ Pope Francis on Wednesday

called for respect for migrants and suggested that "people and institutions" who close doors to them should seek forgiveness from God. The pope's appeal, made at the end of his weekly general audience, came amid growing debate in Europe on how to deal with an immigrant crisis that has included clashes at the French-

turbing me?'" said Sheila Kariuki, another instructor.

"No man was with her, she is probably a widow but she was able to save herself."

The twice-weekly classes are supposed to last two hours, but instructors first gauge their students' energy levels.

"Cucus are like children," said instructor Irene Wambui Muthoni. "Their memory is very low, we repeat each and every day."

The programme is expanding, with seven classes across the city, up from two in 2012.

"It's just growing on its own," said Jake Sinclair, an American who started the project with his wife, Lee, in 2007 after hearing horror stories about sexual violence in Korogocho.

Italian borer between police and migrants.

"I invite you all to ask forgiveness for the persons and the institutions who close the door to these people who are seeking a family, who are seeking to be protected," he said in unscripted remarks delivered in a sombre voice.

France and Austria have stepped up border controls on migrants

African dictators must face the music, says MDC ÏÏÏAfrican

dictators shouldn't be allowed to hide behind a finger and shamelessly argue that the International Criminal Court (ICC) is only targeting them, Zimbabwe’s opposition Movement for Democratic Change said on Wednesday.

Following the failure by the South African government to arrest Sudanese President Omar alBashir during the recent African Union (AU) summit in Johannesburg, the MDC told News24 that all dictators were supposed to be prosecuted for the crimes they committed.

"All dictators and perpetrators of war crimes and genocide, no matter who they are and where they reside, should be made to face the music," MDC spokesperson Obert Gutu said.

Al-Bashir flew out of South Africa on Monday as the High Court in Pretoria ruled that he should be arrested on the warrant issued by the ICC. As an ICC signatory, South Africa was obliged to implement arrest warrants.

Al-Bashir is accused of committing war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide during the Darfur conflict.

Since his indictment in 2009, Al-Bashir had mostly travelled to countries that have not joined the ICC. Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, who is also the current AU chair, on Monday harshly criticised the ICC after Al-Bashir dodged his arrest, saying the international court was not wanted in Africa.

Mugabe

coming from Italy, turning back hundreds and leaving growing numbers camped out in railway stations in Rome and Milan. In a sign of persisting discord over how to deal with the migrant crisis, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi threatened retaliation if other EU countries did not agree to take their fair share of refugees that land on Italy's shores.

News 14

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June18, 2015

Ogoga Stool: Royal families fume, beg Fayose to annul process

ÏÏÏThe

aggrieved royal families opposed to the emergence of one Jimi Adu as Ogoga-elect, on Wednesday, staged a peaceful protest in Ikere Ekiti, calling on Governor Ayo Fayose to order for fresh process in order to stop the fierce obaship tussle in the town.

The families described as needless, the ongoing tussle for Ogoga traditional stool in the kingdom, branding the selection of Adu by some kingmakers as a flagrant breach of trust and tradition of the town.

The families, comprising Ogbenuote and Agabaola princes and princesses, maintained that Adu’s emergence was against the state

chieftaincy law and the tradition that places high premium on Ifa consultation to select an Oba. Briefing newsmen on behalf of the families, Chief Oladimeji Adegboyega and Prince Francis Aladejebi, maintained their earlier stand that Adu is not a biological member of neither Ogbenuote nor Agabaola ruling houses.

Some of their placards read: “Ikere Ekiti needs Peace’, ‘We want Fayose to call for fresh nomination’, ‘No to Jimi Alagbado’, ‘Wole Olanipekun is not from royal family’, ‘No to imposition of Ogoga’, among others.

The stool became vacant following the death of Oba Samuel Ad-

egboye, on August 22, 2014, after reigning for 40 years.

Specifically, Chief Adegboyega stated that it was wrong for Adu to be claiming to be from Ogbenuote and Alagbado ruling houses, while also filing his intent for the obaship seat through Agirilala dynasty. He said: “We are begging our governor, Ayodele Fayose, to prevent calamity in Ikere Ekiti.

There won’t be peace under a situation where a non-prince, somebody without royal blood in his system to be installed as Ogoga.

“In his emergence, Ifa was not consulted, apart from the fact that he does not belong to royalty.

We challenge Adu to come out

and point to his royal family in Ikere Ekiti. “We witnessed peaceful reign under the late Oba Adegboye, who was from Akaiyejo ruling house, because the entire community wanted him. We all supported his nomination. Anything short of transparent selection process is unacceptable to us.

“We want our governor to warn those fanning the ember of discord, those poised on imposing their preferred candidate, not minding what would be the outcome to beware.

"We don’t want war in Ikere because this desperate attempt will cause war in this town”, he warned.

Man jailed 3 years in Ebonyi for rape Jacob Mbam Abakaliki

ÏÏÏA

A cross section of African Children Emergency Foundation and Zamaar Institute during a to mark the Day Of The African Child in Abuja… on Tuesday

40 Imo monarchs drag govt to court Val Okara Owerri

ÏÏÏCrisis rocking the Imo State

council of traditional rulers has taken a dangerous dimension as 40 monarchs from different parts of the state have dragged the state governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha, the State Attorney-General, the State Chairman of Traditional Rulers, Eze Samuel Ohiri, and seven others to court.

Okorocha

In suit No HOW/313/2015, at an Owerri High Court, the royal fathers were of the view that the state council of traditional rulers under the leadership of Eze Samuel Ohiri, is a product of illegality contravening Section 2, Law No 6 of 2006 (Imo State of Nigeria Traditional Rulers, Autonomous Communities and Allied Matters Law).

The monarchs sought for a perpetual injunction restraining Governor Okorocha, the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Chukwuma Machukwu Ume, and other relevant authorities from withholding their allowances, withdrawing their certificate of recognition and staff of office as traditional rulers, or inhibiting in any manner whatever their performance in their duties as traditional rul-

ers in the state.

They urged the court to dissolve the state council of traditional rulers as constituted by the governor, noting that, the governor contravened the law by appointing 27 members into the state council of traditional rulers against 54 as stipulated by the law.

Stressing that an illegal body cannot set up another illegal body, the monarchs argued that both the council and the panel set up to discipline them, lack the power to suspend or probe any traditional ruler in the state.

Among the litigants include, Eze Emmanuel Njemanze, Eze Desmond Ogugua, Eze Edmund Njoku and Eze Sunday Okoro, who were purportedly suspended by the state council of traditional rulers. The suit is slated for hearing on the 23 June, 2015.

married man, Ekene Nweke, has been sentenced to three years imprisonment with hard labour by an Ebonyi State High Court, presided over by the State Chief Judge, Justice Alloy Nwankwo.

Ekene was convicted and sentenced for raping one Miss Blessing (surname withheld) on 21st February, 2011.

In suit no HAB/1C/2012, between the state and the convict, Nweke had on the above mentioned date at the residence of the complainant, located at No 5 Akam Street, Abakaliki, had carnal knowledge of the complainant without her consent contrary to section 358 of the criminal code Cap 33 vol. 1 laws of Ebonyi State A medical examination was conducted on the victim by a medical expert, which found Nweke guilty of the offence through the medical report where it was discovered that there were deposit of semen around the private part of the complainant.

In his submission, his counsel J.N Okezie, who stood in for Arthur Nwaji, pleaded with the court to be lenient on the accused, saying that he is married with children.

He maintained that allowing the accused to languish in prison will affect the family.

Justice Alloy Nwankwo, who convicted the accused, said there was avalanche of evidence of rape against the complainant and therefore sentenced him to three years imprisonment with hard labour amidst plea for leniency by his counsel.

Two feared dead in Niger boat mishap Pita Chikwem Minna

ÏÏÏTwo persons have lost their

lives in a boat mishap at Malale village, in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.

Head of relief and rehabilitation of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Alhaji Garba Salihu disclosed this on Wednesday, in Minna.

He told Journalists that the deceased are from Tungan Sule village, and that the driver of the boat, however, survived the incidence.

Salihu added that the deceased were Suleiman Ajibola and Toufik Adeyemi, who reside in New Bussa town of the area.

According to him, "the state governor, Alhaji Abubakar Bello, has condoled with the bereaved families and directed that appropriate recommendation on post disaster recovery be made immediately".

He added that the agency has taken measures to bring succour to the families of the deceased.

Our emergence not linked to 2019 elections -Dogara ÏÏÏThe Speaker of

the House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, said on Wednesday that the internal squabbles within the All Progressives Congress (APC), which threw him up as the speaker had no links with the politics of 2019.

He noted that the conflict over the emergence of the presiding officers of the National Assembly would not affect the stability of the APC in any way, neither would it serve some political interests linked to 2019.

Dogara explained that members of the House in particular, in their resolve to work, sought to protect the independence of the legislature with the choices they made on June 9.

He assured that the change the APC promised Nigerians would be delivered.

Dogara spoke in Abuja when he met with a delegation of the defunct 2014 Presidential Primaries Committee of the APC. Dogara had served on the committee.

Dogara

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 18, 2015

15 Opinion

APC and the National Assembly drama

I Olalekan Waheed Adigun

t was with great relief that I received the news of the All Progressives Congress (APC) acceptance to work with Bukola Saraki and Yakub Dogara as Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives respectively. This was against the earlier party stance when it in fact “rejected” both men, and the entire process that produced both. This singular act not only affirms my earlier position in my article, “National Assembly ‘Crises’: Searching Seriously”, but also shows that the party is in fact “maturing” into a ruling party after many years in opposition.

Every political party, except it is so-called, seeks to acquire power.

There is no sense in permanent opposition, though we talk of “permanent power”. Acquiring political power is never easy, but more difficult it is to keep power. This appears to be the APC’s challenge today. Having spent many years in opposition, it is finding it difficult to accept the reality of being the ruling party, and no longer, the “opposition” it used to be. Should we then agree with the school of thought that the party is not prepared for power? Are we to agree that it is a “fragile opposition”

as a United States’ think-thank described it before the presidential election?

Since the National Assembly drama began which climaxed on June 9, many APC supporters must have thrown caution to the wind in their response to the outcome of the National Assembly leadership election. I had my fair share of insults from fire-emitting APC supporters after making my opinion public in the article cited above. Despite some of them acknowledging my earlier support for President Buhari, some of my APC comrades did not spare my “honour” as some went as far as raining abuses on even the memory of my late father because he hails from Kwara State.

I could only hope that all these would have ended with the party National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, on behalf of the party accepting the result of the June 9 National Assembly leadership. To me, this is the most mature position the party has taken since the March 28 presidential election.

The National Assembly drama has certainly revealed some things to the party and to all.

First, the APC must come to the realisation that it is no longer the

same party that controls just only Lagos State. It is now in control of more than 15 states in the federation. The fact that the party did the unimaginable on March 28 shows that a lot have changed in the party’s body chemistry. It therefore must “grow” to its new reality.

The utterances of the party’s spokesman, Alhaji Lai Muhammed, must reflect those befitting of a ruling party. It appears he is yet to shed his “militant” posture as opposition spokesman!

Secondly, the party supporters must maintain magnanimity in either victory or defeats. The over ambition displayed by some of the party supporters in the closure of the National Assembly complex in the morning of June 9; the “ban” on African Independent Television (AIT) from covering the activities of President Buhari; the alleged prevention of top ranking People’s Democratic Party (PDP) supporters from travelling abroad and the likes attest to the overzealousness of APC. They need to improve on their attitudes and orientations especially now they are in power. Professor Rufai Alkali, former political adviser to President Jonathan, made this point recently. The APC must avoid tendencies to conde-

scend to impunity. This was one of the reasons PDP was voted out of power!

Thirdly, the APC must understand the culture of negotiation as a standard practice in civilised climes. You do not win all the time just as you do not lose always. The present Speaker of the United States House of Representative John Boehner is a Republican, while President Barack Obama is a Democrat. It is no big deal even if PDP “controls” the Legislature; it is only part of the maturation process. In addition, that reminds us, both Saraki and Dogara the last time we checked are members of the APC. The only error is that the party overestimated its own power while underestimating the chances of the PDP in the Legislature.

There were so many early warnings the party did not pay heed to!

The party need not be reminded that PDP relied too much on flattery, eye services and praise singing from supporters especially during the Goodluck Jonathan years. This is one of the pitfalls the APC must avoid like a plague.

There are still many more grounds to cover; more battles to fight; more territories to conquer and more elections to win with 2019 being just close by!

meeting that Buhari attended was a failure beyond reckoning and a waste of public funds. It was just an image-laundering ego trip that did not produce any concrete resolution. The real issues discussed at the G7 were largely antithetical to the issues Nigeria has saddled itself with, and for which Nigeria was not being invited. While Nigerians are interested in ‘bouncing’ back to international reckoning as the giant of Africa, the G7 were more interested in climate change mitigation and imminent debt and tax problems in Europe. The G7 also took time to look at the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), meaning that as Nigeria is the biggest country on the continent, these G7 people see prospects of exploitation rather than what met the ordinary eye. At the end of the day while we were exulting that Buhari posed with G7 leaders in a photo-shoot, the G7 had already released a communiqué that seeks to block our source of income as a nation. I beg to reproduce the G7 statement which says that “we commit ourselves to play our part in achieving a low-carbon global economy in the long-term. In plain terms, the G7 were saying that they would do their best to ‘wean

their economies off carbon fuels.

If anybody considers this a victory for Nigeria, I would say yes in a certain hesitant manner and an emphatic no.

Here is my wish list to Mr. President. Hop on the plane less and cease going to moan to these advanced economies about our problems and about Boko Haram – they have their own issues with terrorists, so why should they clean up our mess when theirs subsists? This entire hullabaloo about corruption and how you are the Hercules or the messiah who will sweep away the shit at the Augean stable is arrant nonsense. That’s because you can’t, and you won’t succeed if you start.

Some of them who funded the March and April campaigns are culpable as well. On the other hand, if those amounts of money get into government coffers, recovered via an arrangement brokered between the thief and the government, government can guarantee that more than ten million school children would get free education, free text books and two meals daily.

G7 and Nigeria’s wish list

I Bob Majiri Oghene Etemiku

listened to President Buhari’s very first speech after he was declared winner of the April 11, 2015 Presidential election.

He was effusive and full of praise for everyone, including his predecessor Goodluck Jonathan, in their contributions towards making the elections free, fair and largely devoid of the muchexpected post election rancour. I realised that the President was really trying hard at being humble in his acknowledgement of these contributions from friends and foes.

However, there was one acknowledgement that I found slightly patronising and eminently condescending. It was his recognition of President Barack Obama, US President, contributions to the Nigerian elections. I did not understand the extent to which Mr. Obama contributed to the success of the Nigerian elections, and why Muhammadu Buhari, was acknowledging him.

If my records are correct, Obama has visited close to eight African countries since he became president – Chad, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa (twice), Ghana, Senegal and Tanzania. However, he has never come to Nigeria. The best he did when we were preparing for the elections was a political science

lecture, from the confines of his office. My friends who wasted their time to listen to his phonetics were excited at that insult but he added salt to the injury when he sent a secretary of state and a spent basketball star to Buhari’s inauguration.

The point therefore, is that the people that Buhari hopped on the plane to see in Germany have the metaphorical and attitudinal character of Obama. They asked our President to come with a wish list and he did. ‘You will recall that I was personally invited to the G-7 and I was impressed with the tremendous sympathy they have for this sub-region, Lake Chad Basin Commission…I also advised my colleagues to be prepared to produce their logistic requirements so that after the AU meeting, we will agree on what to send to the head of G-7, President of Germany’, Mr. Buhari reportedly said.

However, from that point on, I knew that henceforth the circle of condescension would continue to gyre. No self-respecting nation would attend a meeting wherein he would come with a wish list. And there would be no discerning foreign nation granting the wish list of another nation, particularly one with the biggest market in Africa, for free. That is why, the G7 wish list

•Bob MajiriOghene Etemiku is Communications Manager, Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, ANEEJ, Benin City.

16

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 18, 2015

Our heritage Æ s

Please do not hesitate to send us your feedback: agozinoagozino@yahoo.com

Tributes to the benevolent giver Today marks one year after the shocking death of the late philanthropist, Aare Alhaji Abdul Azeez Akanmu Arisekola Alao, who was also a devout Muslim leader. The celebrated giver, who made significant contribution to the humanitarian cause, was equally outstanding in other endeavours.

Writers, political leaders and publishers, who knew him well pay their respect in a new book edited by edited by Prof.

Rashid Aderinoye.

The book, “Arisekola in Our Minds: A Compendium of Tributes” compiled and edited

by Prof. Rashid Aderinoye, of University of Ibadan is a collection of documented as well as published articles and tributes on the subject i.e. Aare Alhaji Abdul Azeez Akanmu Arisekola Alao, the Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland.

Although, it is a publication with articles and tributes on the subject (Aare), it is however, more of a “Collection” on the personality of the subject, which is intended to immortalize, as well as celebrate the’ life and times’ of an ‘Internationally Acclaimed Good Man’ who departed this world on Wednesday, June 18, 2014, in London.

The introductory aspect of the book i.e. the “Front Matter” covers 17 pages in roman numerals which includes a foreword by the Aare Alaasa Olubadan of Ibadan, Oloye Lekan Alabi, the preface by the editor and other ancillary contents.

The 202 paged book, published in March 2015; barely a year after the demise of Aare, is indeed a beauty to behold, which, probably, gives credence to the fruitful and beautiful life that the Aare lived.

The entire tributes which include pictures add up to 195 pages of 11 sections (sectionalised by titles) with 82 articles being an editorial and publications from Tribune newspapers, 38 from the Nation, 8 from the Sun, 6 from the Punch, 2 from ThisDay, 2 from Village Fortune, 1 each from The Guardian and Vanguard newspapers, while 14 were compiled from the condolence register and other sources, such as letters sent to the deceased. The sectionalisation of the compendium with rich and exquisite pictorial references,

add value to the book and further justifies its being “A Compendium”.

Pages1-75 of the book, features articles from the following individuals, Femi Abbas, Ladi Williams, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, Ayinla Mukaila, Imam Alhaji Abdul Razak Akuru, Dr. Taiye Ayorinde (Baale of Ekotedo), Oloyelekan Alabi, Prof. D.O.S Noibi, the late Chief Imam of Ibadan, C h i e f Imam Busairi.

On page 67-71 we have the famous, astute and prolific Punch columnist, Tunde Fagbenle, Paul Omorogbe and Jimoh Mumini.

Pages 77-84 could best be described as presidential tributes, as five former Heads of State and one former vice-president described the late Aare as a good man, who lived for the benefit of others and would be sorely missed. These include, Presidents Alhaji Shehu Aliyu Shagari, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Dr. Goodluck Johnathan, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida and Muhammadu Buhari, as well as vice-president Atiku Abubakar.

Pages 85-102 can be described as the governors’ tributes as it contained tributes from military to civilian and deputy governors published in different newspapers. They include, Governors General Tunji Olurin, Prince Amien Oyakhire, Omololu Olunloyo, Rashidi Ladoja, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Alao Akala, Kayode Fayemi, Gbenga Daniel, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Senator Isiaka Adeleke, Muazu Babangida Aliyu, Ibikunle Amosun, Olusegun Mimiko, Alhaji Fatai Ahmed, Babatunde Fashola, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and Senator Isiaka Ajimobi. Deputy Governors include Hazeem Gbolarumi and Chief Moses Adeyemo both of Oyo State. Details of the content of their tributes is better appreci-

ated in reading the book.

Its fourth section, which captures tributes from royal fathers and religious leaders on

pages 1031 1 6 i n clude those of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba (Dr.) Samuel Osundiran Odulana Odugade I, The Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Sulatan Abubakar Sa’adu, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, the Soun of Ogbomosho, Oba Oladunni Oyewumi Ajagungbade III, the Oyo Traditional Council (Oyo Mesi), the Iyalode of Yorubaland, Chief (Mrs.)Alaba Lawson, traditional rulers from Okeogun and Ibarapa areas of Oyo State; the prelate emeritus, Methodist Church Nigeria, Dr. Sunday Ola Makinde, the National Missioner of Ansarud-Deen Society of Nigeria, Sheikh Abdur-Rahman Ahmad, the Aare Musulumi of Ibarapaland, Alhaji Sanusi Mustapha, Ojolowo, the Chairman, Oyo State Pilgrims’ Welfare Board (Muslim wing), AlhajiTaofeek, Akeugbagold, and the leader of Anglican Church of Nigeria, Ekiti Province, Rev. (Dr.) R.A Adetiloye.

Politician were not left out as their tributes spread over pages 117-132. They include Senate President, Senator David Mark, Speaker House of Representatives, Tambuwal, Chief Olajumoke Akinjide, Senator

Musiliu Obanikoro, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja, Hon. Monsurat Sunmonu, Mr.Remi Babalola, Senators Teslim Folarin, Olufemi Lanlehin, Hosea Agboola, Iyiola Omisore and Rasheed OlasunkanmiAkinlabi. Others include, Seyi Makinde, Muhammad Dele Belgore (SAN), Alhaji Abdul Jelili Adesiyan and Hon. Segun Olulade, The various Islamic organisations’ tributes were capture on pages 133140. These Late Arisekola include the The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), which Arisekola served a Vice-President, Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), through its Secretary-General and National Co-ordinator, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, The Oyo State Muslim Community, via its Chairman, Alhaji Ishaq Kunle Sanni, Obafemi Awolowo University Muslim Graduates Association (UNIFEMGA),The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), Prof. Ishaq Akintola, the founder of Daru Dawah Islamic Centre, Sheikh Mustapha Zuglool, Muslim Media Practitioners of Nigeria (MMPN), Federation of Muslim Women Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN), Jama’atu Nasru-l-Islam (JNI), Nawair-ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, The Companion, AlMuminaat Organisation, Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN), Ansar-ud-Deen Society of Nigeria (AUD/ASN), National Council of Muslim Youths Organisation (NACOMYO) and the University of Ibadan Muslim Graduates Association.

Family and Friends could be found from pages 141-162.

Some of them include Pa Jenrola, the Mogaji Arisekola at the Ita-Baale family house, Oba Otudeko, Alhaji Yekini Adeojo, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyawu, Chief Harry Akande, the Vice-Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Prof. Isaac Folorunsho Adewole, the pioneer chairman of the Independent Corrupt

Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Justice Mustapha Akanbi, Evangelist Ebenezer Obey Fabiyi, Chief Niyi Akintola (SAN) Joseph O. Sanusi, Prof. A.O Popoola of the Faculty of Law, O.A.U, Ile-Ife, Ambassador Roland Ola Omorua, Nigerian Embassy, Bangui, C.A.R., Pastor (Dr.) J.A. Adeniji, S.D.A. Conference, Oke-Bola, Ibadan.

A section of the work contains a list of those who could be described as beneficiaries as they all described him as a father to all as we can find from pages 163-167. These include Yinka Ayefele, Hafeez Adeaga, Rashidat Ogundele, Iyabo Yisa and Bashiru Ayinla all acknowledged that Aare was more of a father to them, whom God has made a pillar of success in their lives.

Pages 169-184 contains further tributes.

These are mainly advertorials in newspapers, which opened with what could be described as a poetic ode with the title: “Good Night, Aare” written by Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State and his wife. Others are messages / advertorials on page 184 announcing the demise of Aare. There is a list of his children.

Arisekola, at 70: a posthumous birthday article on Aaare is the closing part of the compendium authored authored by Oloye ’Lekan Alabi and Ayo Akinyemi, published in both The Nation newspaper (Saturday, February 14, 2015) and on page 34 of Saturday Tribune.

In concluding this review, efforts of the editor and all those involved, directly or indirectly, are worthy of commendation, considering the speed at which the book was published.

Aaare was mirrorred in this publication as a God creation to the service of humanity; a special envoy of God to bring smiles to the faces of those that came across him. He came; doggedly ran his race; faithfully delivered on the errand his creator sent and left in a blaze of glory” Suun re o, eni ire Ibadan. (rest well, good person of Ibadan), Aare Alhaji Abdul Azeez Arisekola Alao, the first (1st) Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland and Aare of Ibadanland and Vice President, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA).

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 18, 2015

Business Times Æ s

17

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

NACCIMA pledges to champion agric value chain development Charles Okonji

L-R: Registrar, Elizade University, Prof. Omololu Adegbenro ; Vice-Chancellor, EU, Prof. Valentine Aletor; Managing Director, Benin Electricity Distribution Company, Mrs. Funke Osibodu; and Executive Director, BEDC, Abu Ejoor, during the signing of Memorandum of Agreement between Vigeo Power Academy and Elizade University in Benin…

Dangote lifts Nepal quake victims with $1m Alarmed at the dimension of havoc wreaked by earthquakes in the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, Nigeria based Dangote Foundation on Wednesday moved to provide succor for the victims of the disaster by donating one million dollar to the government and people of the country.

Two major devastating earthquakes, with a moment magnitude of 7.3 and 7.8 respectively had occurred in Nepal on 12 May 2015, killing more than 8,800 people and injuring mover 23,000.

The earthquake was reported to have shifted the highest mountain in the world, Mount Everest by 3cm South-West.

Dangote Foundation donated the amount, in line with its mandate to provide relief in times of disaster, with a message that the Chairman of the Foundation, Aliko Dangote and people of Nigeria shared in their moment of grief.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation, Zouera Youssoufou said on behalf of Dangote, during the cheque presentation to the Prime Minister of Nepal, Mr. Sushil Koilara at Kathmandu, the country’s capital that the gesture was to support the government’s emergency efforts in providing relief to the victims of the earthquake

disasters.

These tragic events were recorded as the worst quakes to hit the Himalayan nation in nearly a century causing a high number of deaths, injuries and an avalanche on Mt. Everest, the world’s highest mountain. Over 600,000 homes were reported to have been destroyed in the catastrophe.

In his message to the Prime Minister, Chairman of Dangote Foundation, Aliko Dangote conveyed his sympathy to the government and people of Nepal, assuring them of the Foundation’s support in rehabilitating the victims of the unprecedented tragedy.

Dangote said: “We join the rest of the world to express our sympathies over this unfortunate incident. We hope this donation will help alleviate the suffering of the Nepalese people who have been devastated by the earthquakes.”

Responding to this kind gesture, the Prime Minister expressed the gratitude of the people and Government of Nepal to Aliko Dangote and the Foundation, for their humanitarian support at this difficult moment in his country’s history.

The Dangote Foundation has been touching lives both within and outside the shores of Nige-

ria since its establishment in 1993, providing opportunities for social and economic transformation through investments and interventions that improve and promote health, education and broaden economic empowerment opportunities.

In September 2010, the Foundation made a similar donation of $2million through the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), to assist survivors of flood that ravaged Pakistan.

Through this donation, the Foundation extended its support to more than 325,000 children in need in that country.

Dangote Foundation spent about $5million as part of its intervention to combat the Ebola Virus Disease that affected four West African countries namely Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Nigeria, last year. In addition to these, the Foundation donated $16million to the Nigerian government to assist victims of flood that ravaged many states of the federation in 2011.

Dangote endowed the Foundation with $1.35billion in March 2014, to ensure that the Foundation, has secure and steady funding to carry out its mission as it significantly scales up its work both within and outside the shores of the country.

The Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) has pledged its support to Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), to boost the agricultural value chain.

This was disclosed by the association’s new national president, Chief Bassey Edem, during the 55th Annual General Meeting (AGM), last week in Calabar, Cross River State, with the title, “Policy Consistency in Agricultural value chain: a key to socioeconomic development”.

He assured that NACCIMA will work towards being the focal point for the development of MSMEs in Nigeria in terms of access to funds, assistance with feasibility studies and business plan as well as enhancing their representation in any intervention programmes of the Federal Government.

Edem urged the members of the association to ensure that they continue to partner the government and other private sector stakeholders with genuine motives of moving the economy forward.

The president who described the association as a model of economic and social development in the country, noted that the theme of the Conference, “Policy Consistency in Agricultural value chain: a key to socioeconomic development”, was carefully chosen in view of the current effort by Government at diversifying the economy.

He however charged the members to look inwards to the basics so as to appreciate the contributions of agri-business in

Edem

socioeconomic development of the country.

According to him; “The business community is facing serious challenges. In order to ease these problems and chart a course for the nation’s sustainable growth and development, we make a clarion call on the various tiers of governments, especially now that we have a new democratic regime in place to create conducive environment that will make the economy a private sector driven one. This is a sure way of making our country a prosperous nation that we all will be proud of.”

The newly elected President who described the Association as a paragon of economic and social development in the country noted that the theme of the Conference, “Policy Consistency in Agricultural value chain: a key to socio-economic development”, was carefully chosen in view of the current effort by Government at diversifying the economy.

He however called on members of the Association to look inwards and go back to the basics so as to appreciate the contributions of agri-business in socio-economic development of the nation.

In his words, “The business community is facing serious challenges. In order to ease these problems and chart a course for the nation’s sustainable growth and development, we make a clarion call on the various tiers of governments, especially now that we have a new democratic regime in place to create a conducive environment that will make the economy a private sector driven one. This is a sure way of making our country a prosperous nation that we all will be proud of.”

Money 18

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 18, 2015

Sterling Bank targets mass market with business, entertainment apps Adesola Akindele

L-R: Radhika Choksey, Head of Philips Group Communications, Region Africa; Chioma Iwuchukwu-Nweke, General Manager, Consumer Lifestyle, West Africa; Felix Darko, General Manager, Philips Lighting, West Africa, and John Westermayer, Head of Marketing, Philips Lighting, Africa at the Philips “Buy Original” media round table in Lagos on Tuesday.

NUPENG seeks improved security to boost investment confidence Joy Ekeke The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, has decried the current spate of kidnappings of innocent Nigerians across the country, stressing that it will hamper investment confidence and job creation initiatives.

In a press release signed by NUPENG’s president, Dr. Igwe Achese, the union called on the appropriate security agencies to be up and doing to stem the tide.

Warning that government must put up strategies to stop the

incessant kidnappings, so that it should not be institutionalized, the union stressed that the spate of kidnapping is giving the nation a bad image in the comity of nations and tends to scare foreign investors needed at this point in time, to help resuscitate the country’s battered economy.

“The union wants the new Buhari administration to pursue the cancer of unemployment that has eaten deep into our social fabric through re-indusrialisation; reviving moribund industries and establishing new ones to absorb the army of unemployed,

if able-bodied men are gainfully employed and kept busy, kidnappings will stop,” NUPENG stated.

The union added that the power sector must be made to work 24/7 for these industries to come back on stream and also called for special training, especially overseas for the crack team in the Anti-terrorism and kidnapping section of the police, so that they will be adequately trained on methods to track the kidnappers, who live with us and are no spirits.

The union listed the recent kidnappings of the Regent of

Akungba, a Kogi State High Court Judge, a Kogi State serving Commissioner, a NAN Correspondent in Imo State, Ijaw Youth Council President’s junior brother, Eradiri, former President Good-luck Jonathan’s two maternal cousins, a Catholic priest in Ekiti State and a Living Faith Pastor in Calabar as one, too many.

“NUPENG condemns in its entirety the kidnappings and calls for a more scientific and technological approach towards arresting the kidnappers,” the statement read.

Philips launches “Buy Original” campaign, to impact billions by 2025 Kayode Adelowokan Poised to improve three billion lives by 2025, Philips on Tuesday launched “Buy Original” campaign to help mitigate the patronage of counterfeit products in Nigeria and West Africa.

“Buy Original” campaign is an informative multi-year outreach aimed at protecting consumers, creating awareness about counterfeit products in the market and educating consumers in identifying an original genuine product versus a counterfeit one.

According to the Global Intellectual Property Centre (GIPC) report, world-wide, cross border trade in physical counterfeits alone cost the global economy USD 250 billion a year.

Speaking in Lagos at the unveiling of the campaign to the media, Chioma Iwuchukwu-Nweke, Gen-

eral Manager, Personal Health, Philips West Africa, said counterfeit products in Africa are posing serious concerns for the local economies and brands who have worked hard to build reputation and consumer confidence in its markets.

As part of measures to fight the scourge in Nigeria and Africa at large, Iwuchukwu-Nweke, said Philips has introduced an innovative hologram security sticker for the lamps and a unique 16 digit validation code for all Philips Lighting products, as well as the “original” sticker for their consumer lifestyle and lighting products to enable consumers to easily and instantaneously identify originals.

“This is being supported by a comprehensive Point-of-Sale (instore) and media led customer education programme and an

extensive print and radio advertisement campaign. Purchase of authentic Philips products comes with a guarantee.

“Philips is also collaborating with customs officials and SONCAP in confiscating counterfeits of Philips products being sold openly in key markets.

“Philips is also setting up a sms number for authentication of the Philips Lighting portfolio in case of doubt; the consumer (in Nigeria) has to send the 16-digit serial number of the lighting product via SMS to 20822 and they will receive immediate feedback on whether the product they are planning to buy or have bought is genuine or fake.

“For all Philips consumer appliances and Philips AVENT baby products, Philips is introducing a hologram sticker on packaging so that consumers can identify au-

thentic products.

“Philips has also set up a dedicated website: www.philips.com/ buyoriginal where consumers can send queries or feedback and also where they can find details of genuine v/s counterfeit products as well as details of all Philips authorized distributors.

“The issue of counterfeit products has serious repercussions for consumers’ health and safety.

Buyers are often looking for the best deal and are not necessarily aware of the risks involved in purchasing a counterfeit product.

Protecting the consumer is our number one priority. The Philips ‘Buy Original’ campaign will not only allow consumers to easily identify a Philips original but empower them to take the necessary steps in reducing counterfeit trading in the country.” added Chioma Iwuchukwu-Nweke.

Sterling Bank Plc has introduced a new account product“New SterlingPlus Account” into the market in continuation of its strategy of taking banking services closer to the people.

According to the lender, the new product, which is targeted at the mass market, is an, “affordable hybrid offering with the promise of many goodies and freebies such as free Lenovo smart phones pre-loaded with cool financial and entertainment apps and cash rewards amongst others for its individual customers.”

Briefing the media in Lagos the bank’s Executive Director, Finance and Strategy, Mr. Abubakar Suleiman explained that the choice of the rewards for customers was due to the increasing demand and use of mobile platforms in the Nigerian market.

He said: “We are consistently looking for ways of bringing banking services to where the people are. There is increasing demand and use of mobile devices in the country, so the bank decided to introduce a product that will allow financial and entertainment apps to be contained in a hand held device.”

Also speaking at the event, the Head, Consumer Banking Unit, Mr. Gbenga Adegoke, said that the new product is available at all the bank’s branches throughout the country.

He explained that customers who use the new product will have the opportunity of enjoying the benefits of apps such as the Sterling Mobile Banking, solo music, which gives access to over 20 million songs from local and foreign artistes; solo movies which gives access to the latest movies both local and international and “The Billionaire Club”( a financial and investment literacy tool pre-installed in it).

Other benefits included in the new account product are cash reward scheme that will see 20 people winning N50,000 each every week, 10 people winning N100,000 monthly, two people winning N500,000 quarterly and a lucky customer winning N1million on public holidays declared by the Federal Government.

He also explained that customers can open the new product account with a minimum opening balance of N5,000.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 18, 2015

Indomie puts kids’ artistic talents on display

In line with its commitment of showcasing the creative abilities of children, Indomie, a Nigerian noodles brand, recently held a creative exhibition at the company’s headquarters in Lagos. The exhibition was aimed at celebrating the creative works of children who sent entries for its ‘Team up With Mom’ competition geared towards strengthening the bond between mother

19 Brands & Marketing

and child.

The Indomie ‘Team up With Mum’ competition which lasted for a month was exclusive to members of the Indomie fan Club, the largest children’s fan club in Nigeria boasting over 100, 000 members. In partnership with their moms, the children were required to come up with exciting designs using Indomie cartons and packs. The competi-

tion recorded over 37,000 entries.

Speaking during the exhibition, Indomie Fan Club Coordinator, Mrs. Faith Joshua, stated that the competition served as a platform to deepen the existing bond between mother and child while also exposing the creativity of the child. She said, “The exhibition today is an avenue to showcase the creative abilities

of the children and to also bring out the best in them.

“We received over 37, 000 entries within a month. By the time we are done with the final selection process, the top three entries will be rewarded with cash prizes of N100,000, N75, 000 and N50, 000 respectively while a lot of consolation prizes will be given out,” she added.

Team Galactic crowned champion at CIMA business competition Stories by Godwin Anyebe Team Galactic from the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife has emerged winner of the maiden edition of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) 2015Global Business Challenge (GBC) recently in Lagos. The team emerged winner after two rounds of the competition judged by CIMA assessors and some of Nigeria’s top business leaders.

The GBC is an international competition designed to test teamwork, business analysis and presentation skills in po-

tential young business leaders as they compete against the best and brightest from universities around the world. Team Galactic comprised of Miss Bolanle Oduntan, Miss Bamigboye Grace, Mr. Samuel Anjorin and Mr. Agbelese Mayowa.

FUTOITES Business Team from Federal University of Owerri came second and Team N-Ergy from OAU was third.

Dream Team from the University of Ilorin rounded off the teams that participated in the national final. The teams were shortlisted by CIMA Assessors from a pool of 95 teams from 17 universities that submitted en-

Ijeoma Anadozie, CIMA s country manager

tries for the competition.

For emerging tops in Nigeria, Team Galactic got an allexpenses paid trip to participate at the global final, cash prize of N300,000 (three hundred thousand Naira), management books

for their university and full membership of the CIMA undergraduate club. All the competing teams went home with cash prizes.

After an evaluation of video and PowerPoint presentations by the four teams and a question and answer session, Team Galactic was adjudged the first among equals by a panel of judges comprising of business leaders and board room gurus.

Announcing the competition results on behalf of the panel of judges, Sir Demola Aladekomo, commended CIMA for creating the Global Business Challenge as a platform for future leaders

to showcase their talents, and for extending the competition to Nigerian undergraduates. He lauded the solutions presented by the various teams, describing the four teams that made it to the national final as winners in their own right for being the best of the 95 teams that submitted entries for the competition.

According to Sir Aladekomo, “The national final was very competitive with the different teams demonstrating good understanding of the case study as reflected in the solutions they proffered to the Oil and Gas business case study provided by CIMA.

Life beer doles out N3m to 12 budding entrepreneurs in South-East Life Continental Beer under the stable of Nigeria Breweries doled out N3m cash grant to 12 young entrepreneurs to boost their business ideas submitted as a proposal to the company.

It would be recalled that Life Beer under its current “Life Continental Beer Progress Booster Radio Project’’ had earmarked N12.5 million grant to boost 50 young entrepreneurs, who hails and are residents within SouthEast States. The states included: Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo. Presenting the cash grant of N250,000 to each of the 12 winners in Nigeria Breweries, Ama, Enugu recently, the Brewery Manager, Mrs Ethel Emma-Uche, urged the winners, who are among the beneficiaries of the N12.5 million, to utilise the funds wisely.

“As you receive these cash grants today, we expect you to succeed in the business line you have chosen. Make judicious investment of the money given to you and ensure that your investment is yielding returns and your busi-

ness capable of making you an employer of labour as you trudge on in your business journey,” he said.

According to her, If you succeed in taking your business idea to the next desirable level, you stand a chance of winning more money (additional N250,000 to be won each by eight prosperous recipients of the initial cash grant).

“Let me assure you that we will not be leaving you all to yourself on this journey The panel of experts that assessed and judged your business proposals will be monitoring your progress. They will be there to mentor and provide valuable advice when necessary as we follow up on your progress,’’ she said.

She noted that the project was aimed to empower 50 budding entrepreneurs, who have sound and workable business ideas; adding that these entrepreneurs from the South-East extract must be residing in the zone as well as attained 18 years.

Responding on behalf of the winners, Mr. Augustine Nnaoma,

L-R) One of the winners, Mr Okechukwu Nweze_ the Brewery Manager of Nigeria Breweries, Ama, Enugu, Mrs Ethel Emma-Uche_ one of the winners, Miss Juliet Mbeh and one of the winners, Mr Chinonso Mbabie.

whose business proposal was welding and iron fabrication services, thanked the Nigeria Breweries and Life Beer beverage for the opportunity granted to them under the project.

The Marketing Manager Lager and Stout of Nigeria Breweries, Mr Emmanuel Agu, said that em-

powerment scheme programme would run from May to December 2015.

He noted that the business proposal could be on trading, handicraft, small scale manufacturing and provision of social services, which must have ways of yielding money and pulling the recipients

of the cash grant out of poverty to being employer of labour later on.

The project was designed to rejuvenate and celebrate the quintessential Igbo culture that places emphasis on individualism and competitiveness as essential ingredients of industry, enterprise and spirit to succeed and excel.

Real Estate & Environment 20

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 18, 2015

Palms and allied species in exterior decoration

Ikechukwu Okani Palms, from the Stone Age till date, have found immediate and immeasurable uses amongst diverse human races, which the place of palms in their various species and allied genera in choice pattern for external decoration of any given environment refers.

Mr Chinazor Udemba, a 400-

level student of geography and Climate Change, National Open University, Lagos Nigeria told Daily Times that palms are one of the oldest plants on earth, saying there was a time in the history of ecological evolution when palms grew in all parts of the world, which according to him, explains why palm fossils (buried remains of palm) have been discovered in Greenland in

the Arctic Circle, a cold region 66 ½o far North of the main Great Circle (MGC) of the earth.

Mr Chijioke Asugwa, a senior lecturer at Lagos State College of Education, Ijanikin, Lagos, also an environmentalist satisfied Daily Times with the common characteristics feature of palms and their kinds and said that all palms in their various species and genera belong to the medium-sized plants with large feather-shaped leaves and clustered erect or pendent inflorescence.

Asogwa said the common distinguishing characteristics as such as un-branched trunks, a

crown of feather of fan-shaped leaves, no secondary thickening seen in the trunk and no true wood formed, in place of wood, a mass of fibroces vescular bundles provide the rigidity. Their flowers have their parts in 3s and may occur in simple spikes or in large branching inflorescences with many flowers, sometimes numbering (up to) Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand.

Having gone so far with details of the nature and distinguishing features of palms, let us cast the beam of the headline – looming larger, versatile and greener with palms and allied species in exterior decoration.

One major quality, very rare in deed of palms is the evergreen nature it enjoys. All palms are evergreen plants all year round as long as they live. Even when they fails to occur enough rains, palm survive draught for at least 2 to 3 years, owing to the fact that they store enough water within their trunks.

This is why palms are equal to the task of being used to keep vast environment green – very good for exterior decoration where shades, shelters, habitats, refuge, ornamental, beauty are in demand. Palms also play huge roles in horticultural presentation and preservation.

Financing real estate investments is lucrative – Olashore, CEO Lead Capital The Chief Executive Officer of Lead Capital Plc, and Chairman Board of Trustees of Olashore International School Prince Abimbola Olashore, has pointed out that it is highly lucrative to finance investments in Nigeria’s real estate sector.

He stated however that to unlock opportunities in Nigeria’s Real Estate market, the financial sector has to be reformed, fair banking practices have to be adopted and better supervision has to be focused on. This will also stabilise prices in the long run and help to utilise the 17 million deficits in the real estate market which represents a huge opportunity.

He stated this during a paper presentation on “Unlocking the

Opportunities in the Nigerian Residential Real Estate market: The Investor’s Perspective” at a forum recently organized by Lekki Gardens Estate Investment in Lagos.

According to him, the opportunities inherent in the sector lies in the fact that there’s an increasing population growth in which more than 80 per cent of Nigerians live in settlements and demand for housing far exceeds the supply.

His words “Opportunities in the Real Estate Financing can be seen from the Increasing population growth, rapid urbanization and the growth of the middle class have spurred demand for real estate. With the level of housing at only 2 dwelling units per thousand people compared to a

rate of 8-10 dwelling units per thousand people as recommended by the United Nations. Nigeria has a population growth rate of three per cent and a rural-urban migration rate of five per cent per annum. The rate of housing demand continues to exceed supply, presenting ample opportunities for growth and development”.

Viewing the investment perspective of the Real Estate, he portrayed Africa and the Emerging market as being field with opportunities for healthy returns due to their increasing growth fundamentals, owing to the fact that the Eurozone crisis have slowed down growth and weakened advanced economies from their strong position as an investment destination, thus making investors focus on

promising markets, such as Africa, and the fact that Africa’s cities are experiencing an influx of residents in search of work and better standards of Living.

He confirmed that, “Africa’s growth presents investment opportunities in key sectors given the sheer size of the market and the continent’s potential. By 2030, more than 50% of Africans will be living in cities. The key drivers in Africa Real Estate are political stability, macro-economic reforms, rapid urbanization, and growing middle class.” Likewise, he sees the challenges inherent to be Land registrations, access to finance, lack of infrastructure, importation of raw-materials, and affordability.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 18, 2015

NOTAP to partner NIRSAL on diary development Mathew Dadiya Abuja

ÏÏÏ

Cow breeders in Nigeria will soon receive government support as the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) is perfecting arrangement with the Nigerian Incentive Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Learning (NIRSAL) and collaboration in diary development in Nigeria, the Daily Times has learnt.

The Director General of NOTAP Engr. Umar Buba Bindir noted, during a stakeholders meeting held at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to kick-start the collaboration process that Nigeria was one of the highest breeders of cows in the West Africa sub-region,

yet the basic raw material for production of the milk was still being imported into the country.

He said when the collaboration was fully consummated, Nigerian dairy farmers would benefit from the introduction of the modern methods of dairy development, which assures higher yield.

Bindir reiterated that the country had the potentials to supply milk to the sub-region, based on the available arable land and good vegetation for dairy production, but needs to acquire the modern technology deployed by Vietnam and Holland in diary production.

He said in the course of monitoring Technology Transfer Agreement of Friesland Campina WAP-

THE EVERLASTING MINISTRY CAMP OF GOD The general public is hereby notified that the above named ministry has applied to Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja for registration under part “C” of The Companies and Allied Matters Act, No. 1 of 1990.

CO to Holland and Vietnam, he discovered that production of large quantity of milk did not necessarily depend on the number of cows in the farm, but skills in feeding, selection and cross breeding of cows, amongst others.

He added that dairy farms in Vietnam and Holland were mostly owned by co-operative societies, who deployed the services of highly trained academia for research on dairy management and production.

He encouraged the company to replicate the dairy models from Holland and Vietnam model in Nigeria, as a part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR).

Bindir said that currently milk sold in Nigeria had local content further to

Friesland Campina WAPCO established dairy breeding and collection centre in Ibadan by the company, thus improving local value addition.

The acting Director of NIRSAL, Mr. Michael Adeyemi, remarked that the meeting was timely, especially now that the Central Bank Governor had requested NIRSAL to submit implementable projects on agriculture that can create jobs and also have direct impact on the people.

He further added that dairy development was one of the projects that the CBN Governor considered highly viable and expressed optimism that the partnership shall produce lasting dividend for agricultural development in the country.

CITY OF ZION GLOBAL FOUNDATION This is to notify the General public that the above named foundation has applied to Corporate Affairs Commission, for registration under Part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, Cap. 59, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

THE TRUSTEES ARE:-

21 News

JNI presents food items to IDPs in Gombe ÏÏÏ The national body of

the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), on Wednesday, began the distribution of assorted food items to 1, 200 internally displaced persons (IDPs) taking refuge in Gombe State.

The National Vice-President of the body and Emir of Gombe, Alhaji Abubkar Shehu Abubakar, while flagging-off the distribution at his palace, said the gesture was to assist the less-privileged, especially the IDPs living in the State.

According to the emir, a high- powered committee had already completed its assignment of identifying beneficiaries and issued accreditation cards, while calling on those who could not benefit from the distribution to exercise patience.

He said: “We received 1, 200 bags of rice and vegetable oil from the national headquarters of JNI for the less privileged and have set up a committee to identify those who are supposed to benefit from the gesture”.

Woman commits suicide in Ondo ÏÏÏ

Residents of Olu Foam area in Akure, Ondo state capital, on Wednasday, found a woman, Seyi Adewumi, hanged in an uncompleted building near her house.

The reason for the action of the 40-year-old mother of two was yet to be ascertained as at press time.

A resident, who spoke with journalists, described

the deceased as a gentle and friendly housewife.

Husband of the deceased, Gbenga Adewumi, expressed shock over the incident, saying he came from a vigil to find his wife hanged.

He said: “Last night (Tuesday night), I went to a vigil organised by our church. I left her in the house hale and hearty.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1.Okafor Azubuike Andrew 2. Okolo Doris Chioma 3.Okafor Esther Obianuju .

1. Bishop Taiwo Akinola

2. Pastor Elizabeth Ireti Akinola

3. Deacon Abraham Adeoye

4. Deaconess Folashade Aduke Sanusi

5. Pastor Iyabo Olasubomi Ayorinde

6. Pastor Samson Oloruntofunmi Opaleye

7. Pastor Oluwafemi Olayinka Gbenjo

8. Deacon Tartiyus Tashikalma Samson

9. Deacon Idongeist Ebong Udoh

10. Barrister Olusegun Dada

ABOLARIN OLUWAKEMI RONKE

OLENEME JULIET EZINNE

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES Praying camp for ministers of the Gospel

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE-

I, formerly known and addressed

1. To enhance the socio-spiritual well-being and the dignity of the common on the man through the

as Adigun Kemi Ronke now wish

I formerly known &addressed as MISS OKEAHIALAM JULIET EZINNE, Now wish to be known &addressed as MRS. OLENEME JULIET EZINNE.former documents remain valid public take note.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, P.M.B 198, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

SIGNED: Secretary

establishment of appropriate institutions for common good of the society.

2. To boost mental power and raise the bar of knowledge amongst people of various age bracket through training and other such activities to serve public interests.

THE TRUSTEES ARE:(1) Eriola Daniel. (Chairman-G.O) (2) Oshimoye Toyin Oluwadare (Assistant G.O) (3) Onah Lilian (Secretary) (4) Eriola Aina (Treasurer).

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE:1. To preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

2. To promote Peace, Unity and love amongst members.

Abolarin Oluwakemi Ronke. All

Any objection to this application should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication Signed : Secretary

PUBLIC NOTICE

EVANGELICAL ARK OF REVIVAL MINISTRY This is to notify the General public that the above named Ministry has applied to Corporate Affairs Commission, for registration under Part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, Cap. 59, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

CAVEAT EMPTOR THE BUILDING KNOWN AS PLOT 24 AGBONROFO STREET OFF ETETE ROAD GRA BENIN CITY EDO STATE BELONG TO LATE MRS CATHERINE ZINARIA AKERE AND IS NOT FOR SALE HER CHILDERN ARE NAMELY ;ORIANE AKERE,OMEGIE AKERE AND EMMANUEL AKERE . ANYBODY PURPORTING TO SELL/ BUY THE SAID PROPERTY DOES SO AT HIS / HER OWN

Any objection to this application should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication Signed By:- TRUSTEES

RISK FOR FURTHER ENQUIRIES PLEASR CON-

OFONOKPAN COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION, LAGOS BRANCH

SHIFAU ROSUL ISLAMIC ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA

This is to notify the General public that the above named ASSOCIATION has applied to Corporate Affairs Commission, for registration under Part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, Cap. 59, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

THE TRUSTEES ARE:1. Etim Samuel Itima Chairman 3. Obeka Terence Isek Secretary 5. Ilow Gabriel Egwa 7. Ifochi Ekpa Fidelis 9. Isek Daniel Ageh

2. Enyam Livinus 4. Isek Francis Ajorgba 6. Ekong Sunday Ejope 8. Ejang Lawyer David 10. Opefu Patience Ichaji

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE:1. To protect the right and interest of ofonokpan person in Lagos 2. To promote unity amongst members 3. To look into members welfare and to uphold the culture of ofonokpan Any objection to this application should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication SIGNED BY: SECRETARY

to be known and addressed as

TACT BETHRAND ON 09099154533

This is to notify the General public that the above named association has applied to Corporate Affairs Commission, for registration under Part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act,

former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

ADVERTISMENT OF SPECIAL RESOLUTION TO WIND-UP In the matter of Sierra Logistics Solutions Limited – RC: No. 1200562, in member’s voluntary Winding-up and in the matter of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, Cap. C20, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that at an Extra-Ordinary General Meeting of Sierra Logistics Solutions Limited “the Company”) duly convened at No. 19, Saka Tinubu Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria on the 28th day of February 2015, the following resolutions were duly passed: 1.

That the Company be wound up voluntarily pursuant to Section 457(b) of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, Cap. C20, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004;

Cap. 59, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

THE TRUSTEES ARE:1. Alh. Afeez Tijani - Chairman 2. Abdul Wahab Abdul Ganiy Abayomi -Vice Chairman 3. Alh. Maroof Jumah - Treasurer

4. Ustaz Shafi Alebiosu - Member

5. Alhaja Salivador Ruqayat - Member

6. Ustaz Yahyah Olanrewaju - Secretary

2.

That Mr. Babatunde Olayinka of 139B, Eti-Osa Way, Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos State be and is hereby appointed as Liquidator for the purposes of the Winding-Up”.

7. Ustaz Kamilu-Deen Ilyas - P.R.O

Dated this 28th day of February, 2015.

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARETo provide healing in line with Islamic teaching and encourage best practice among members.

Any objection to this application should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: Secretary

Public Notice 22

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 18, 2015

MUSEUM OF MUSIC AND HALL OF FAME FOUNDATION

LOBITO ROYAL FRIENDS CLUB

GLORIOUS LIBERTY HOLY SPIRIT ASSEMBLY

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

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

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

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Oyigebe Dele Ojomakpene -President 2. Ibrahim Abu Zhawa-Pro 3. Bako Ayedime Baba 4. Isah Oseni-Secretary 5. Kehinde Awolesi 6. Ahmed Micheal

Trustees.

1. Pastor Oputa John Nwachukwu.

2. Pastor (Mrs) Folashade Ebunoluwa Oputa.

3. Pastor (Mrs) Ann Evezi 4. Pastor Gbenga Joseph Oroge.

Trustees.

1. Ayodeji Adedeji.

2. Sylvester kuna.

3. Olusola john Adedeji. 4. Olawunmi Ogundele.

5. Yombo Aderinto.

6. Sunday Are. 7. Charles Onafome Ukiri.

8. Olayinka Taofeek Yusuf.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES To foster good mutual relationship among members.

Aim and objective.

To preach the word of God to the whole world.

Aim and objective.

To foster unity among members.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, P.M.B 198, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication Signed:WORENWU HENRY ESQ. TEL: 08030954535

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, P.M.B 198, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication Signed; Barr. Adebowale Somefun

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, P.M.B 198, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication Signed: Barr. Bayo.

NEW INITIATIVE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

SOVEREIGN GRACE COMMUNITY CHURCH

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

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Ekeoma Paschal Nwaeze-Chairman 3. Emmanuel Uche 5. Barr. Arinze Jerry Ezeani 7. Ehirim Prince 9. Barr. Onyedika Offor

2. Ani Onyekaozulu-Secretary 4. Dr. Chike Osegbu 6. Ben Madu 8. Ezeude Henry

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

Trustees.

1. Michael Nnamdi Onuoha – president 2. Edwin Peprah- secretary.

Aim and objective.

1. To preach the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

2. To win souls for the kingdom of God

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To promote and encourage the growth of social justice in the society Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, P.M.B 198, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Signed BY: BARR: ARINZE EZEANI C/O SUITE 223, ANBEEZ PLAZA, 5 NDOLA SQUARE, WUSE ZONE 5, ABUJA-FCT

JAABEE SPORTS CLUB Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja, for registration under part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990.

Trustees.

1. James B. George.

2. Mrs. Elizabeth George.

Aim and objective.

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

Trustees.

1. Dr. Mike Chineme Japheth - Chairman 2. Mrs Faith Ekwutosi Japheth - Vice Chairman 3. Chika Wagbara - Secretary 4. Loveline Timothy - Financial Secretary 5. Gift Nnadi -Treasurer 6. Okwuosa Nwachukwu Darlington -P.R.O. Aims To foster unity among members

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, P.M.B 198, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication Signed: SECRETARY

DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH AND SYNERGY INITIATIVE

The General Public is hereby notified that the above named club has applied to the

SHALOM JAPHETH GLOBAL OUTREACH

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, P.M.B 198, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

SIGNED: SECRETARY

xxx

AGRIC BUSINESS EMPOWERMENT INITIATIVE

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

T RUSTEES: 1. Princess Victoria Umoh -Chairman 2. Valentine Urua -Sec 3. Maureen Akpakip.

4. Wisdom Samuel.

This is to notify the General public that the above named initiative has applied to Cor-

AIMS and objectives 1.To research and advocate 4 best practices that will improve the Health, Education and Agricultural sector.

2. To promote and advocate for good governance and proper fiscal policy.

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE:-

porate Affairs Commission, for registration under Part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, Cap. 59, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

Trustees 1. Mogaji Africanfarmer Afioluwa - President 2. Adeyemi Idowu Olatundun - Vice President 3. Ojo Tolulope Abidemi - Secretary.

1. To promote sports and youth development and encourage talent haunt so as to catch them young.

2. To provide employment opportunity.

3. To promote and present sporting event, trials or try-outs.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, P.M.B 198, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Barr. Lizzy Obande

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, P.M.B 198, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Signed. Secretary.

OGBARU BROTHERS CLUB INTERNATIONAL

THE FLAME OF FIRE CHRISTAIN CENTRE

This is to inform the general public that the above named club has applied for registration to the Corporate Affairs Commission under part c of The Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990.

NOTICE is hereby given to the general public that the above named CENTRE has applied to the Corporate Affairs Corporation for registration under part “C” of the Company and Allied Matters Act 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Oputa Uche Charles 3. Nwagbo Okechukwu Christian 5. Ifenacho Azuka Amos 7. Odozie Kaine Emmanuel 9. Mbanude Iweka Anthony

THE TRUSTEES ARE 1. Adegboye Adegboyega - President 2. Adegboye Elizabeth Olani – Vice President 3. Oyebode Samson Ade - Secretary

1. To promote enterprise development amongst youths and women.

2. To promote agricultural/health insurance in rural communities.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, P.M.B 198, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication Signed: Secretary

TABERNACLE OF NEW EDEN This is to inform the general public that the above named has applied for registration to corporate affairs commission under Part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act No. 1 Of 1990 The Trustees

2. Egbunike Emeka 4. Oduma Eloka 6. Oduah Ikechukwu Augustine 8. Uzoka Onyeka 10. Obaze Amechi John

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. To promote mutual understanding and co-operation among members.

2. To foster the spirit of oneness among members.

3. To promote good relationship between the club and other organizations.

4. To render unreserved support to members of the club where and when necessary or otherwise the protection and enhancement of the welfare of members of the club.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, PMB 198, Maitama, Abuja within twenty eight (28) days from the date of this publication.

SIGNED: AKUDINOBI REX T. (ESQ.)

1. Ikechukwu Francis Uche 2. Nelson Effiong Ezekiel 3. Akpan Henry Louis

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. To spread the gospel of Jesus Christ in Nigeria and all over the world.

2. To prepare people for the kingdom of God 3. To serve as a place of praise, worship, mediation, supplication, preaching, teaching and thanksgiving to Almighty God 4. To win souls and populate the kingdom of God and depopulated hell.

5. To assist the poor, the handicapped and destitute within the society

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. To preach the word of God 2. To help restore the lost Glory of man 3. To bring hope to the hopeless 4. To organize seminars, conferences, workshops, faith spiritual growth of the people in the Lord.

5. To establish a Bible College, training, license and ordain ministers with the collaboration of International Bible Schools.

Any objection to the incorporation of the above ministry should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral, Corporate Affairs Commission, 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street,P.M.B 198, Maitama, , Abuja, within 28 days of this publication.

Any objection to the incorporation of the above ministry should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral, Corporate Affairs Commission, 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street,P.M.B 198, Maitama, , Abuja, within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: AWOKUNLE AMOS GBEMINIYI

Signed: Secretary

THE PARADISE CHURCH OF GOD ON EARTH EGBERIFA

ABIFARIN CHARITY FOUNDATION

ABEOKUTA FOAM DEALERS ASSOCIATION

This is to notify the General public that the above named church has applied to Corporate Affairs Commission, for registration under Part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, Cap. 59, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

This is to notify the General public that the above named foundation has applied to Corporate Affairs Commission, for registration under Part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, Cap. 59, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

This is to inform the general public that the above named association has applied for registration to corporate affairs commission under Part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act No. 1 Of 1990

The Trustees Are:1. Abifarin Kayode Gabriel 2. Habib Rahman Babatunde 3. Akinrotimi Abifarin

The Trustees Are:1. Oruebimoyeku Lawrence - General Overseer 2. Nieketien John Ayakpo - Secretary 3. Nieketien Boboye David - Treasurer

The Aim And Objective Is:1. Helping and giving aid to the poor, the sick, old persons and persons with disabilities.

And to cater for the poor for charity purpose.

2. To provide decent living and recreational centre and homes for elderly citizens, giving money, food and providing assistance and shelter to people who are in need, homeless, destitute, orphans widows and internally displaced persons as a result of natural disasters.

The Aim And Objective Is:1. To preach the gospel of Christ Worldwide 2. To win souls for Christ 3. To teach undiluted words of Christ.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, P.M.B 198, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication

SIGNED: Secretary

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, P.M.B 198, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication

SIGNED: Secretary

The trustees 1. Babatunde Abiodun Philip.

2. Akinwale Sikirat Abeke.

3. Akinjobi Abosede Janet.

4. Akinjobi David Okanlawon.

5. Motunrayo Enuoso.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. To promote and protect the interest of foam dealers in Ogun State.

2. To foster peace and harmony among members.

Any objection ( s ) to the above application should be forwarded to the Registrar General Corporate Affairs commission Tigris Crescent Maitama Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

SIGNED: Secretary

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 18, 2015

Lagos CJ frees 21 inmates Titilope Joseph

ÏÏÏTwenty-one

inmates of the medium security prison, Kirikiri, Lagos were released, on Wednesday by the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade.

The freed inmates were those awaiting trial and had spent more than the time they would have, if convicted of the crimes for which they were imprisoned.

The release was in exercise of the powers conferred on the Chief Judge, under Section 1 (1) of the Criminal Justice Release from Custody Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2007.

Addressing the inmates, Atilade admonished them to be of good behavior, as they return to the society, adding that they should stay away from crime, just as she urged the leaders of various non-governmental organisations and religious leaders to ensure that the inmates released go through adequate counsel, so as to help for proper reintegration into the society.

She admitted that the challenge of prison congestion was a recurrent one, expressing regret that the awaiting-trial inmates constituted a sizable number of the prison population.

However, she said that her visit to the prison to exercise her statutory pow-

ers would not be one-off exercise as she promised to make a future visit for same purpose.

The Kirikiri medium prison consist of 1700 building capacity for the inmates and it has the total number of 2, 452 inmates at the moment, it has 92 convicted, about 2, 349 are awaiting trial, while 32 are detainees.

The Deputy Commissioner of Prisons, Kirikiri Medium Prison, Mr. Kayode Odeyemi, thanked the C.J. for the gesture, assuring her that his administration would ensure synergy with the other arms of the criminal justice system for effective jail delivery, which would give legal freedom to

the inmates and also decongest the highly-populated prison. "Let me use this opportunity to thank the former governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Raji Fashola, for the fortification of the security apparatus of this prison before he left office and by extension to Governor Akinwumi Ambode, who decided to go ahead with the government project in this prison.

"This gesture of the CJ will go a long way in assisting the Federal Government in its aim of maintaining peace and security of the citizens, especially at this period that the nation is going through insurgency and different security challenges, he said.

23 News

FG tasks state govts on blood safety Akor Ejumene Abuja

ÏÏÏThe

Federal Government has appealed to state governments across the country to take blood safety as an essential part of their health systems so as to ensure the implementation of resolutions reached at the 55th and 56th National Council on Health (NCH) on blood safety.

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Mr. Linus Awute, made this call, in Abuja, as the Ministry joined the rest of the world in commemorating World Blood Donor Day 2015.

In his speech, Awute said that state ownership and implementation of blood safety programmes were

key to attaining the WHO’s set goals on blood safety nationwide.

Awute enjoined stakeholders to join hands in taking the agreed resolutions seriously and work hard at ensuring that the deadline for the phase out of rapid test kits (RTK) in screening blood for transfusion was upheld by December 2016.

Buhari

Ramadan: Cleric charges Muslims on holiness ÏÏÏAs

Islamic adherents round off preparations for the Ramadhan fasting, which commences today (Thursday), President of Ajagun Esin Consultative Forum (AECF), Professor Sabitu Olagoke, has called on believers to hold the period sacred, so as to be close to God during the period.

Olagoke made the call, while speaking with newsmen after the pre-Ramadhan lecture that took place at the International Head-

quarters of Shafaudeen In Islam, Wakajaye, in Ibadan.

“The period of Ramadhan to all Muslims, the 9th month of the lunar calendar is sacred. The lent fasting period to the Christians is equally sacred”, the Spiritual Leader of Safaudeen said, adding that “This implies period of zero tolerance for evil thought, bad acts and vulgar languages. Under these conditions, committed believers are close to God for expected favour.”

Obasanjo’s prison mate dies in Yola Tom Garba Yola

ÏÏÏA

70-year-old man, who served jail term with the former president of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, in Yola, has died in his home town, Bagale, in Adamawa State.

Ladan, who was among many of Obasanjo’s aides, died as one of the community leaders in Bagale, was jailed by a military task force, under former military governor Jonah David Jang in December 1986.

The military tribunal, with its zonal headquarters, in Jos, Plateau State, sentenced Ladan to life im-

prisonment in June 1987.

He was released on October 1997 under the prerogative of mercy by former military Governor, Kalu Igbomah.

Obasanjo

Kebbi State Governor, Alh. Atiku Bagudu (right) CBN Manager, Birnin Kebbi Branch, Amina Umar (middle) and Special Assistant to the CBN Governor, Paul Eluhaiwe during their visit to the Governor in Birnin Kebbi… on Wednesday

FG ready to pay agro dealers for 2014 farming season Pita Chikwem Minna

ÏÏÏThe

Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, on Wednesday, said that government has finalised arrangements to pay agro-dealers who supplied fertilizers to farmers in 2014 farming season across the country.

The Regional Director, North Central zone of the ministry, Mr. Sunday Edibo, who made this known, at a one-day stakeholders meeting of agro dealers in Niger State, said that some of the dealers have been paid.

“My permanent secretary has made request to the Presidency to pay the agro dealers across the country.

“We are aware that some of you have been paid, while others are yet to get the balance of their payments. We are working to make sure that your money is paid, because we owe you. Right now your payments are being processed and very soon you will start getting alerts,’’ he said.

He was optimistic that the dealers would be paid soon.

Edibo said that the meet-

ing would deliberate on how the dealers would supply farmers in the state with fertilizers for the 2015 farming season as some of them await the balance of the 2014 season.

Also, Permanent Secretary Niger State Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Muhammadu Ibrahim, commended the agro-dealers for being patient with the federal government in settling the balance of their payments.

Ibrahim said that the state government had taken agriculture as the main

source of its economic recovery, adding that “we will partner with you to move the state agricultural sector forward.”

Earlier, Alhaji Hassan Mohammed, a member of the agro-dealers association called on the federal government to settle the balance of their payment to enable them supply fertilizers to farmers for 2015 farming season.

The stakeholders meeting resolved to sell fertilizers to farmers in the state at each redemption centre at the maximum rate of N5, 000 per bag.

News 24

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 18, 2015

APC wants EFCC to investigate Ondo treasury ‘Tosin Ajuwon Akure

ÏÏÏ The All Progressives Con-

gress (APC) in Ondo state, on Wednesday, called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to visit the state and investigate how resources accrued to the state under Mimiko’s watch are being managed.

This became imperative following the shocking revelation by the former Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of Economy, Ngozi Okojo-Iweala, that Ondo state had received N81.7 billion from the excess crude account between 2011 and 2014; non accountability of Local Government funds; 13% oil derivation funds for the oil producing area of the state -Ondo State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (OSOPADEC).

In a statement issued by its Publicity Secretary, Prince Abayomi Adesanya and made available to journalists, in Akure, the state capital, said considering the amount of resources available in the state, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government had no reason to drag the state into its present state of debt.

Adesanya alleged that with no meaningful capital project in

place, especially since Mimiko’s assumption of office for second term, his administration has dragged the state into bankruptcy and ground it to a halt.

The APC Spokesman added that it was regrettable that Ondo state, being an oil producing state, had

allegedly received such amount of fund under the Mimiko-led government with no meaningful justification.

The party called on the EFCC to investigate how funds received and generated by the state were being spent by Dr. Mimiko led

government.

“While we acknowledge the challenges posed by the dwindling and bad economy situation in the nation, occasioned by economic mismanagement of the immediate past Jonathan-led PDP government at the centre.

L-R: Head of ACCA Nigeria, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Ademola; Country Director, UNDP, Pa. Lamin Beyai; Executive Director, Markets, ACCA, Mr. Stephen Heathcote; Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, United Nations, Nigeria, Daouda Toure; Deputy Country Director,Operations, UNDP Nigeria, Ms Debab Asrat Ynessu; and Executive, International Labour Organisation, Kesiena Okorho during a meeting of ACCA to UN in Abuja ...recently

Lawmaker urges joint action in fight against corruption ‘Tosin Ajuwon Akure

ÏÏÏ A federal lawmaker, rep-

resenting Akure North/South Federal Constituency, Hon. Afe Olowookere, has said President Muhammadu Buhari could only fight corruption if he works with members of the 8th National Assembly.

Olowookere, who spoke with Daily Times correspondent in Akure, the state capital on Wednesday, added that the fight against corruption is not an easy task as it couldn’t be tackle in isolation.

He said the President could not fight the scourge alone since he was no more a military ruler.

According to him, the 8th National Assembly members were ready to work with the new administration to enact laws and reactivate the existing ones which would nail corruption.

Olowookere noted that the Public Procurement Act which was one of the laws enacted to deal with corruption, needed to be strengthened in order to achieve its aim.

Ambode seeks strict adherence to dictates of Islam at Ramadan ÏÏÏ As Muslims in Nigeria join

JTF destroys 32 illegal refineries in Delta ÏÏÏ The Joint Task Force (Oper-

ation Pulo Shied), on Wednesday, said it had destroyed 32 illegal refineries in Delta.

Coordinator, Joint Media Campaign Centre, Lt. Col. Isa Ado, disclosed this to newsmen at the headquarters of the 3 Infantry Battalion, Effurun, in Delta State.

Ado, who spoke on behalf of the Commander of JTF, Operation Pulo Shield, Maj-Gen Emmanuel, said the operations were carried out in seven days by the Sub-sector 1 of the JTF in Effurun.

He said the actions were carried out in Odimodi, Yokri, Forcados, Oteghele, Opumani and Beneath Island communities in Burutu and Warri South-West Local Government Areas of the state.

Ado also said the operation saw the destruction of 86 drums and 25 surface tanks filled with stolen

crude oil, adding that 27 dugout pits were discovered in the raid.

It was gathered that 10 tents belonging to the criminals were also set ablaze “Other illegal oil bunkering equipment discovered during the operation includes 29 cooking ovens and 10 pumping machines.

“The sites and the products were destroyed in line with the JTF operation in the Niger Delta.

“The operation is a continuous one based on intelligent information aimed at eradicating illegal oil bunkering in the region,” he said.

Ado said JTF would not relent in its efforts at stemming illegal bunkering in the creeks and territorial waterways.

“We have been highly motivated with the procurement of 30 fighting gun boats and 30 operational patrol vans to combat crime in the region.

PDP chieftain mobilises hundreds to donate blood

Titus Akhigbe Benin

ÏÏÏ

A pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) and Peoples Democratic Party chieftain, Pastor Osagie IzeIyamu has called on well-meaning individuals in the society to donate blood to save lives.

Pastor Ize-Iyamu made the call when he mobilised over one hundred of his friends to donate blood at National Blood Transfusion Service in Benin City on Wednesday.

He said the motivation behind the donation was to give back to society as “blood is life”.

According to him, last week, which marks the World Blood Donors Day, there was a call on the people to donate blood and heeding to the appeal, and the fact that this falls on the month of my birthday, “I decided to donate blood and at the same time mobil-

ise my friends to also donate their blood”.

Besides, he said as part of the ceremony marking his birthday celebration this Sunday, the politician visited the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in the state, where various food items, clothes, shoes and detergents were donated to the inmates.

Ize-Iyamu

their counterparts the world over to mark the commencement of the Holy Month of Ramadan, Lagos State governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, has called for strict adherence to the dictates of Islam In a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Habib Aruna, Mr. Ambode said the Holy Month of Ramadan signifies piety and total abstinence from food and all vices for all believers.

While urging that the period of abstinence should also accentuate orderly behaviour and obedience to constituted authority, the governor said with the fear of God, people will obey all laws.

He said all Muslims must ensure that the abstinence from all vices, which is embraced during the Ramadan period, should become an everyday affair because in doing so, each person would be at peace with him or herself.

The governor, who also used the occasion to preach peaceful coexistence among all residents of the state, added that it is only in a peaceful atmosphere that all plans and programmes of the present government can be actualised.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 18, 2015

Group faults N275m graft against ex-IGP Segun Adio

Ă?Ă?Ă? A group, People Unit-

ed for Societal Harmony (PUSH), has condemned, in strong terms, the alleged financial impropriety being levelled against the Chairman of the Police Service Commission and a former Inspector-General of Police, Sir Mike Okiro, by a staff of the agency.

Sir Okiro had been alleged to have misappropriated N275 million, being money belonging to the commission. He was, then, invited by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Commission (ICPC). The said staff has also recently raised the alarm of death threat to his life in the wake of the allegation.

But, in a swift reaction to the allegation and the claim of threat to life by the au-

thor of the petition, PUSH, in a statement signed by its Director General and Coordinator, Dr. Sylvanus Ujumandu and Co-ordinating Secretary, Mrs. Sade Jaiyesimi Esq, described them as “spurious and lacking an iota of truth.�

The statement read in part: “Our attention has been drawn to an allegation of alleged financial impropriety levelled against the highly esteemed person of Sir Mike Mbama Okiro, the sitting chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC) by one of the organisation’s staff, named Aaron Kaase, which led to the invitation of the PSC chairman by the Independent and Corrupt Practices and other related Commission (ICPC). “As expected, Sir Okiro’s invitation by the ICPC

which was purely hinged on fact-finding promptly became a media meal with several misleading and screaming headlines. “We are however, pained and piqued that the said petition of alleged financial fraud against Sir Mike Okiro, emanating from a non-account staff of the Commission, was ill-motivated and purely aimed at smearing the sterling and unrivalled record of Sir Mike Okiro.�

The group also revealed that the staff who wrote the petition had, not long ago, been arrested and arraigned for allegedly collecting various amount of money from unsuspecting person, under the guise of helping them to procure the visas of some European countries, a case from which Sir Okiro had stayed

Controversy in Plateau over killing of two women by STF Chijioke Kingsley Jos

Ă?Ă?Ă?Two

women were allegedly shot dead, on Wednsaday, in Heipang, in Barki Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, by soldiers from the Special Task Force (STF) on Jos crisis, code named “Operation Save Haven.�

The people protested against the mounting of a military check point, the soldiers were allegedly said to be on a killing spree in the area.

Investigation revealed that, on Wednesday, there was an attack on the community, which led to the discovering of a military identity card in the area, leading to a peaceful protest by mainly women and youths.

They chanted: “We do not want military check points in our area�, “No to military checks points�, among others.

The Chairman of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, Mr. Emmanuel Loman, alleged that the military shot to dead two women, who were protesting the incessant attacks and killing in their communities.

According to him, there was a disagreement between the protesting women and the soldiers, who were mounting check point in the area. As the women moved to their shops across the road a soldier from the STF accosted them inside their shops and shot both of them to death at a close range. He also added that a middle aged man who was

also beaten to stupor by the same soldier was receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital in the area.

The spokesman of the STF, Captain Ikediche Iweha said no woman was shot to death by soldiers in the area.

According to him, there was a directive from the military base on the need to review check points in the area. He also stated that while STF personnel arrived the area to review the check point, some group, mainly women and youths mobilised themselves and were busy dismantling the check point mounted by the STF operatives.

He added that in the process, there was a gun shot from the crowd which hit two people in the crowd.

‘Ebonyi Assembly probe of LG chairmen vindictive’ Jacob Mbam

Abakaliki Ă?Ă?Ă?The immediate past Chairman of Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Chief Chaka Nweze, has said that local government chairmen in the state were facing probe by the House of Assembly for defecting en mass to the

All Progressives Congress .

He said he was a prime target of the investigation being conducted by the State House of Assembly, into the accounts of local governments, in keeping with a House Committee report. He described the report as a calculated attempt to witch-hunt those

who served in the previous administration. “The ruling government in the state is accusing me of leading other council chairmen in defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC) but I am neither the leader of the chairmen nor the State Chairman of ALGON, he said�

25 News

Create jobs through integrated farming, govt urged Ă?Ă?Ă?An

aloof, allowing the investigation against the said staff to take its normal course.

The group also maintained that the accusation against Okiro was as a result of the latter’s refusal to mediate on behalf of the then accused.

PUSH further said: “The man having been indicted in fraudulent practices, arrested and arraigned for his offence felt bad that the chairman of an organisation with which he works could not come to his rescue; forgetting that Sir Mike Okiro is a man of proven integrity, who will not condone any act of impropriety and corruption from any staff. That Sir Mike Okiro’s invitiation by the ICPC over the issue and his honoring same was in line with his belief in transparency and accountability."

agro-tour operator, Mrs. Oluyinka Taiwo, has advised the federal and state governments to assist private individuals to embrace integrated farming to tackle unemployment in Nigeria.

Taiwo told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at a study tour of Songhai Centre, in the Republic of Benin, organised by Hadur Travels and Tour.

She said that given the current economic realities in the world, there was a need for governments to diversify their economy from depending on crude oil to agriculture.

According to him, the current fall in the price of crude oil had made it necessary for the diversification of the economy to develop the under-developed areas of the economy like agriculture, real estate and mining.

“We should look at Nigeria without the crude oil; the oil has been a blessing and it has also been a nuisance.

We should see agriculture as one of the money spinners for this country. We have fertile land and good weather, yet, many are unemployed,’’ she said.

Taiwo also advised the various state governments to focus on areas they considered to be of agricultural strength in their states and revive the farm settlement culture to reduce dependence on federal allocations. “For instance, we have the Osun Palm Oil Farm, and in Lagos State, we have farm settlements in Ketu, the Piggery Estate, the Vegetable Estate, the Integrated Livestock Farming, Coconut Seed Project, Boat Cruise and Ornamental Fish Ponds.

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Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 18, 2015

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OPERATIONAL HEADQUARTERS DTN COMPLEX LATEEF JAKANDE ROAD, AGINDIGBI, IKEJA, LAGOS CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS 44 ADETOKNBO ADEMOLA CRESCENT WUSE 2, ABUJA

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 18, 2015

Today in History Æ s Compiled by ‘Tunji Okegbola

27

Cartoons from our Archives

1912 War of 1812 begins The day after the Senate followed the House of Representatives in voting to declare war against Great Britain, President James Madison signed the declaration into law–and the War of 1812 begins. The American war declaration, opposed by a sizable minority in Congress, had been called in response to the British economic blockade of France, the induction of American seaman into the British Royal Navy against their will, and the British support of hostile Indian tribes along the Great Lakes frontier. A faction of Congress known as the “War Hawks” had been advocating war with Britain for several years and had not hidden their hopes that a U.S. invasion of Canada might result in significant territorial land gains for the United States.

In the months after President Madison proclaimed the state of war to be in effect, American forces launched a three-point invasion of Canada, all of which were decisively unsuccessful. In 1814, with Napoleon Bonaparte’s French Empire collapsing, the British were able to allocate more military resources to the American war, and Washington, D.C., fell to the British in August.

In Washington, British troops burned the White House, the Cap-

itol, and other buildings in retaliation for the earlier burning of government buildings in Canada

by U.S. soldiers.

In September, the tide of the war turned when Thomas Macdonough’s American naval force won a decisive victory at the Battle of Plattsburg Bay on Lake Champlain. The invading British army was forced to retreat back into Canada. The American victory on Lake Champlain led to the conclusion of U.S.-British peace negotiations in Belgium, and on December 24, 1814, the Treaty of Ghent was signed, formally ending the War of 1812.

By the terms of the agreement, all conquered territory was to be returned, and a commission would be established to settle the boundary of the United States and Canada.

British forces assailing the Gulf Coast were not informed of the treaty in time, and on January 8, 1815, the U.S. forces under Andrew Jackson achieved the greatest American victory of the war at the Battle of New Orleans.

The American public heard of Jackson’s victory and the Treaty of Ghent at approximately the same time, fostering a greater sentiment of self-confidence and shared identity throughout the young republic.

1778 British abandon Philadelphia On this day in 1778, after almost nine months of occupation, 15,000 British troops under General Sir Henry Clinton evacuated Philadelphia, the former U.S. capital.

The British had captured Philadelphia on September 26, 1777, following General George Washington’s defeats at the Battle of Brandywine and the Battle of the Clouds. British General William Howe had made Philadelphia, the seat of the Continental Congress, the focus of his campaign, but the Patriot government had deprived him of the decisive victory he hoped for by moving its operations to the more secure site of York one week before the city was taken.

While Howe and the British officer corps spent the winter enjoying the luxury of Philadelphia’s finest homes, the Conti-

nental Army froze and suffered appalling deprivation at Valley Forge. Fortunately for the Patriots, an infusion of capable European strategists, including the Prussian Baron von Steuben; the Frenchmen Marquis de Lafayette and Johann, Baron de Kalb; and Poles Thaddeus Kosciuszko and Casimir, Count Pulaski, aided Washington in the creation of a well-drilled, professional force capable of fighting the British.

The British position in Philadelphia became untenable after France’s entrance into the war on the side of the Americans.

To avoid the French fleet, General Clinton was forced to lead his British-Hessian force to New York City by land. Loyalists in the city sailed down the Delaware River to escape the Patriots, who returned to Philadelphia the day after the British departure.

Daily Times June 18, 1961

1923

Checker Cab produces first taxi at Kalamazoo factory

On June 18, 1923, the first Checker Cab rolled off the line at the Checker Cab Manufacturing Company in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Morris Markin, founder of Checker Cab, was born in Smolensk, Russia, and began working when he was only 12 years old. At 19, he immigrated to the United States and moved to Chicago, where two uncles lived. After opening his own tailor’s shop, Markin also began running a fleet of cabs and an auto body shop, the Markin Auto Body Corporation, in Joliet, Illinois. In 1921, after loaning $15,000 to help a friend’s struggling car manufacturing business, the Commonwealth Motor Company, Markin absorbed Commonwealth into his own enterprise and completely halted the production of regular passenger cars in favor of taxis. The result was the Checker Cab Manufacturing Company, which took its name

from a Chicago cab company that had hired Commonwealth to produce its vehicles.

By the end of 1922, Checker was producing more than 100 units per month in Joliet, and some 600 of the company’s cabs were on the streets of New York City. Markin went looking for a bigger factory and settled on Kalamazoo, where the company took over buildings previously used by the Handley-Knight Company and Dort Body Plant car manufacturers.

The first shipment of a Checker from Kalamazoo on June 18, 1923 stood out as a major landmark in the history of the company, which by then employed some 700 people.

During the Great Depression, Markin briefly sold Checker, but he bought it back in 1936 and began diversifying his business by making auto parts for other car companies.

After converting its factories to produce war materiel during

World War II, Checker entered the passenger car market in the late 1950s, with models dubbed the Superba and the Marathon.

In its peak production year of 1962, Checker rolled out some 8,173 cars; the great majority of those were taxis. Over the course of the 1970s, however, as economic conditions led taxi companies to convert smaller, more fuel-efficient standard passenger cars into cabs, the 4,000-pound gas-guzzling Checker came to seem more and more outdated. Markin had died in 1970, and in April 1982 his son David announced that Checker would halt production of its famous cab that summer. Though the company still owns the Yellow and Checker cab fleets in Chicago and continued to make parts for other auto manufacturers, including General Motors, the last Checker Cab rolled off the line in Kalamazoo on July 12, 1982.

28

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 18, 2015

Features

Æs

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

BOKO HARAM ONSLAUGHT:

Borno Govt overwhelmed with Internally Displaced Persons ÏMƄƄƕ Ƽƞ ƊƆƉƉƆ ƕ ƉƉ ƍ Ǝ ƍƄ ƄƎƎƉƄ ƼƼ G ƃ Ɖ 1 ƐƄƍ ƊƄ Ǝ ƍƄ

Section of IDPs in camp in Borno State

One of the IDPs open camps in Borno

Following devastating attacks and sacking of countless communities by insurgents in Borno State, North-East Nigeria, Governor, Kashim Shettima has alerted the nation of the State’s inability to shoulder the burden of displaced persons.

INUSA NDAHI reports from Maiduguri Borno State, the epicentre of Boko Haram terrorism in North-East Nigeria is in the news again for all the worrisome reasons. The over 100,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) taking refuge at various camps in Maiduguri Metropolis are giving the governor sleepless nights.

Daily Times gathered that the burden of feeding the increasing influx of the IDPs by Borno State Government has taken a hard toll on the scarce resources at the state’s disposal. Our correspondent learnt that even with the assistance from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the federal government’s agency charged with responsibility of keeping IDPs, the weight is just too much for the state.

As a result of the economic crunch, Borno State Government may be facing tougher times as the Executive Chairman of the newly established Borno State Emergency Management Agency

(SEMA), Mallam Grema Terab in an interview with our Correspondent revealed that unless help comes from across the globe soon, the agency may have to cut down on the budget of the IDPs in order to curtail the crisis.

His words; “Our major challenge is the high influx of IDPs into Maiduguri. When I came on board as the chairman/ chief executive officer of Borno State Emergency Management Agency, we were managing few camps.

Now, about 14 local governments are displaced by insurgents and we have camps for each of the local governments. As I speak, we are struggling to maintain about 22 different camps across the 14 LGAs. “Surprisingly, where we thought things are getting better, we are getting more people displaced and many more are trooping into our camps. When you found out what is responsible for this increase, you get to know that the displaced persons

“Our major challenge is the high influx of IDPs into Maiduguri.

We were managing few camps when I took charge. But now, about 14 Local Governments Areas are displaced by insurgents and we have camps for each of the local governments.

As I speak, we are struggling to maintain about 22 different camps across the 14 LGAs. – Grema”

who were taking refuge in the host communities are now coming into the IDPs camps, some of them have exhausted their rent and some of the people hosting them in some of these communities are tired of taking care of them. The IDPs have nowhere to turn but the camps: this is the genesis of the problem,” Grema lamented.

Grema further recounted that just the week before, the state agency received about 400 IDPs into the Mafa camp, about 300 into Kukawa camp, about 400 into Monguno camp and also a large number of people into Bama camp.

Daily Times investigation revealed that the IDPs formerly living with relatives in the host communities are now trooping into the camps because their hosts could not afford the cost of keeping them. Most of those that were accommodating them thought it was a temporary measure, but they later came to find out that

days are turning into months and months perhaps turning into a year and the burden just have to be taking off them.

Grema disclosed to Daily Times that those from Bama have stayed for over 10 months and those from Gwoza for about a year. “So it is quite challenging to take care of these IDPs. Despite these challenges, government is doing well in providing three square meals, but we know that life is not all about feeding.

“The sanitation is also a priority in the camps; there is also health care facilities and the basic needs of IDPs. For instance, they soap and detergent to bath and wash their clothes respectively. Apart from body oil to protect their skin, the women need sanitary pads and important things for to maintain personal hygiene. We also know that all IDPs need clothing and baby foods among others.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 29

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 18, 2015

29 Features

Borno overwhelmed with IDPs CONTINUED FROM PAGE 28

On how he is managing the situation, Grema lamented that they were coping fairly until now that the federal allocation is no longer regular.

“We would cherish and welcome any assistance from international donor agencies or philanthropic organisations/individuals to meet IDPs demands for better living.”

However, Grema Terab acknowledged that NEMA has started listening to their cries.

“For the first time, NEMA is now asking us questions on what we should do, how much we spend, which food do the IDPs consume most and what are the problems in the camps.

“It is a step forward, for the past four years this is the first time NEMA has shown keen interest to really know our problems and they want to share the problems with us. We have given them the template of how much we spend and consume in the camps in terms of feeding and other upkeeps, and they said they are going to partake in it. We hope with the change of government things are going to be better in the near future”. The SEMA Boss said hopefully.”

On how much SEMA spend in maintaining the camps on daily basis, he said the State Government through SEMA spend about N3.5 million on maintenance and condiments apart from the food items on a daily basis for all the camps.

“What we mean by the condiments is onions, fish, beans, tomatoes, hot and sweet pepper, seasonings, palm oil, groundnut oil, firewood, water and other essential needs of the kitchen. We spend N3.5 million on daily basis on these apart from the food items. Also, the N3.5 million is also used for logistics like transporting the food items to the various camps and our ambulances, trucks, labourers.

“But with dwindling economy, the state government is trying to reduce it to a minimum of about N1.5 or N1.6 million, hence the need to solicit support from donor agencies.” Grema explained.

He further disclosed that his agency received only N200 million in the last four years while their counterpart in Adamawa with only six local governments affected received about N4.5 billion.

“We had 20 out of 27 LGAs captured and we are the worst hit. If you go to Bama, you will see how it was destroyed, even N10 billion

“We had 20 out of 27 LGAs captured and we are the worst hit. If you go to Bama, you will see how it was destroyed, even N10 billion cannot rebuild Bama – Grema” cannot rebuild Bama. The activities of NEMA and other federal government agencies like the Presidential Initiatives on the Northeast and many others were brought to participate very well in Adamawa, a state that is not the worst hit.

“But with the coming of a new President, I believe we should have a better deal. Since the problem started here with so much destruction, we are expecting a better deal.” Grema said hopefully.

In the interim, Grema is looking to co-opt international donors to intervene.

“We are partnering with International Committee on Red Cross (ICRC), UNICEF, Doctors without Borders, etc and we intend to receive more international donor agencies.

“We are not unmindful of the fact that we have the issue of relocating, rehabilitation and resettlement of IDPs to their various localities. We are made to understand that Monguno is now peaceful and accessible and that people can now begin to go back to there; may be Gubio and Guzamala also; but Bama, which constitutes the largest number of IDPs, has not been cleared by the Nigeria Army.”

Meanwhile, Borno State Government has said over 20 million dollars is needed in order to resettle all 22 Local Government Areas destroyed by Boko haram sect in 2014 alone.

Governor Kashim Shettima disclosed recently when members of Red Cross Society led by its President, Mr. Peter Maurer paid him a courtesy call at the Government House.

The Governor who was represented by his Deputy, Alhaji Zannah Umar Mustapha, said since the displacement of many communities by Boko Haram insurgents, the state government

Gov Shettima

has been shouldering the responsibility of feeding the IDPs through the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).

While commending the efforts of the Red Cross for its humanitarian assistance to the victims of the insurgency, the Governor noted that, although, military troops have liberated most of the communities under the control of Boko Haram in the state, government and the IDPs found it difficult to go back to their homes and pick up their pieces due to security reports that most of the roads and streets leading to the affected communities and their farmlands were not safe

as Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and landmines were planted by the terrorists to cause more havoc.

“We, the government and good people of Borno state want to use this opportunity to thank you (Red Cross), NEMA and other donor agencies for supporting us in our trying moment. 22 out of the 27 local government areas were destroyed, over 1million IDPs are living in Maiduguri, the state capital alone.

“Just yesterday, we received another batches of 4,500 IDPs from Gaidam who were sent away by government of Niger Republic and more are still on their

Just Human

way to Maiduguri.

“Borno state needs over 20 million dollars to resettle her people that were displaced as most houses, business centres and places of worship were all destroyed by the insurgents.

“Though the military has liberated 97% of the communities taken over by insurgents in Borno, it will take time for the government to fumigate and diffuse the landmines before they are relocated to their various communities.’ Zannah stated.

Earlier in his address, the President of the Red Cross Society, Mr. Maurer told the Deputy Governor that they were in the state to personally see the IDPs and hear from them, particularly their conditions, so as to enable the organisation to considerably increase its humanitarian gestures as a result of the renewed attacks and killings by the sect.

While sympathizing with government and people of the state and the North- East sub-region over the activities of insurgents, the Red Cross President also urged other donor agencies to assist in cushioning the hardship faced by the victims of Boko Haram terrorists.

He assured the people of the state, particularly the victims of Boko Haram that Red Cross as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) will continue to support IDPs with food and non food items as well as ensure that they have a healthy living while in camps.

30

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 18, 2015

Health Æ s

Email: omolara.adejoro@dailytimes.com.ng

Nigerians urge stiffer sanctions, policies on local ginproduction, consumption

Voluntary blood donors being attended to during NMA and the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Committee (LSBTC) commemoration of the World Blood Donor Day 2015 in Lagos.

Experts urge voluntary blood donation Stories by Lara Adejoro omolara.adejoro@dailytimes. com.ng Experts have implored Nigerians to donate blood voluntarily so they can help save the lives of those in need of blood. They made the call at the commemoration of this year’s World Blood Donor Day organised by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Lagos State chapter in partner-

ship with the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Committee at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja.

Speaking with Daily Times, the Chairman of the NMA National Committee on World Health Organisation activities, Dr Dumebi Owa said, all hands must be on deck to encourage people to give blood.

“People need to be encouraged to give blood because we are running low on blood. People need to know that when they

give blood, they are saving lives.

We need people to voluntarily donate blood.”

According to her, “When you donate blood, your blood gets renewed. The fact that you’ve given life to another person is an added advantage and gives you a healthy heart. So, It’s a win-win situation for the person that is donating and the person receiving, if the blood is healthy.”

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO),

blood transfusion saves lives and improves health, but many patients requiring transfusion do not have timely access to safe blood.

“The need for blood transfusion may arise at any time in both urban and rural areas. The unavailability of blood has led to deaths and many patients suffering from ill-health.

“Around 108 million units of donated blood are collected globally every year. Nearly 50

Continued on page 31

Nigerians have prescribed stiffer laws against the consumption of the local gin popularly known as ‘ogogoro’. This is against the backdrop of the several deaths in Rivers and Ondo states owing to food poisoning linked to consumption of the local gin.

Speaking with Daily Times, a consumer of the local gin who identified himself as Baba Adebayo said, “The ban of the gin can’t work. If they want us to really stop consuming the gin, there is need for a stiffer sanction and policy against it or else, the ban of the local gin will only be read in the papers.

“If the Federal Government is serious about it, they have to ensure that they stop the production of the gin wherever it’s been produced because consumers of the local gin are already used to it.”

Another man who spoke under anonymity said, “The FG should make sure that there are policies put in place to ensure that an end is put to the death of our fellow men and they should have officials who monitor the production of local gin.”

The Director-General of National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr. Paul Orhii, had warned the public to desist from the consumption of unregistered locally made spirits (ogogoro) and other unregistered bitters.

Live Well Alliance to raise $60bn at The King’s Fund Summit, London Mathew Dadiya, Abuja Live Well Alliance for Nutrition and Medication, a cross-border platform and exchange for global healthcare and social welfare industry, has said that arrangement were in the pipelines to raise over $60 billion at its forthcoming summit to be held at the King’s Fund, London.

Speaking in Abuja at a world media briefing, the Chairman, Institute of Corporate Wellness and Public Health Lagos, Nigeria, Mr Eniton Sanusi, who doubles as

Management Leadership Team of Live Well Alliance for Nutrition and Medication, disclosed that they planned to raise the total health expenditure from 6.1 per cent to 10.1 per cent of gross domestic (GDP) worth $60 billion.

According to him, the summit will raise a minimum of $1 billion in equity and long-term capital commitment with an aim of also raising healthy adult life expectancy from 46 years to 64 and above. He noted that the agenda of the summit is “Global Public Partnerships of Stakeholders, Healthcare and Social Welfare Market Growth, Investor Relation

and Fundraising Roadshow for Nigeria: Clean jobs, Healthy jobs and Sustainable jobs”. He called on the government and corporate public and private sector to support the summit.

Sanusi said that the purpose of the world press briefing was to seek support, raise awareness and give insight into the benefits, opportunities and values of attendance of the Live Well Alliance London Summit as sponsors, exhibitors, speakers, delegate stands to gain in one way or the other.

The summit is designed as a strategic global public and pri-

vate sectors forum of stakeholders to aggregate manufactures, marketers and distributors in the food, beverage, drug, device and vaccine industry, government and corporate institutions, he added.

In her address, Mrs Ekaette Enitan Sanusi, Director at Institute of Corporate Wellness and Public Health, said that the institute’s initiative is to develop, nurture and produce professional and entrepreneurs in corporate and social responsibility relating to public health, occupational safety and sustainable environment for social market economy.

Dr Paul Orhii, NAFDAC DG

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 18, 2015

31 Health

Congressional Black Caucus members oppose Lagos water privatisation, others Twenty-three members of the U.S. Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), have expressed solidarity with people in the global community standing in support of the human right to water, with particular mention of the dangers of privatisation of water in Lagos.

The letter, which signers represent half of the CBC, underscores the disproportionately harmful effect water privatization schemes, including public-private partnerships, have on people of colour around the world, with signers pointing specifically to efforts to privatise water in Lagos, where the World Bank has pushed privatisation as a solution despite its abysmal track record.

The letter draws from two US examples, Detroit and Baltimore. By prioritising revenue over access, much as a private utility would, the cities have raised rates and forced the shut off of water access for tens of thousands, drawing the concern of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Human Right to Water.

As part of a global movement to oppose corporate control of water, spanning from Jakarta to St. Louis, Baltimore recently avoided potentially perilous contract with global private water corporation Veolia. Detroit Representative John Conyers, Jr. led the signers with Rep. Karen Bass, ranking member of the Africa subcommittee. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, the Democratic co-chair of the Nigeria Caucus, and Reps. Maxine Waters and Emanuel Cleaver, two former CBC chairs, are also among the influential signers.

In the US, from Detroit to Baltimore, aggressive collections policies are curtailing people’s access to water, disproportionately affecting communities of colour as the letter’s signers note. In Lagos, the World Bank has lobbied

for decades to privatise water systems.

In 2012, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) - the private investment arm of the World Bank, held a conference in Senegal to persuade African leaders to privatise their water systems.

The conference featured Manila, Philippines as a model for replication, despite that project’s record of massive rate hikes, quality concerns, and communities with severely limited access.

International arbitration recently found that major pieces of the Manila deal violate Philippines law. The letter read in part: “We wish to express our solidarity with the people of Lagos, of Detroit, and of cities around the world as they raise their voices in support of public water, participatory governance, and universal access.

Water is a fundamental building block upon which individual and collective economic prosperity relies. When people cannot access or afford clean water, the impact on their health and livelihoods is devastating and these circumstances force families to make painful economic choices.”

Meanwhile, the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) has commended the CBC for its letter of solidarity with Lagos residents and people in the global struggle to access clean, safe drinking water, describing the action as “timely” in halting the planned privatisation of water in Lagos.

ERA/FoEN Director, Corporate Accountability & Administration, Akinbode Oluwafemi, reacting to the letter, said: “The solidarity letter from the CBC is an encouragement for anti-privatisation groups to scale up our campaign against policies that prioritise profits over rights.

We expect the Lagos State Gov-

ERA/FoEN Director, Corporate Accountability & Administration, Akinbode Oluwafemi at a meeting with the Congressional Black Caucus members

ernment to halt the privatisation plans and instead defend the rights of the vast majority of Lagos residents that water privatization will disenfranchise.”

Oluwafemi, who recently visited CBC offices to seek support for the campaign against water privatisation in Lagos promoted by the Lagos State Water Corporation (LSWC), thanked members of the caucus for supporting the campaign by Lagosians to defend their right to a free gift of nature.

ERA/FoEN and a coalition of labour, human rights and environmental groups have taken to the streets, creating enough pressure that water privatization was a central issue in the recent elections. Supporting the move, Shayda Naficy, Challenge Corporate Control of Water Campaign director at Corporate Ac-

countability International, said: “Around the globe, the human right to water is under threat and people of colour are disproportionately affected.

Whether it’s the World Bank or Detroit City hall, this fundamental right must be upheld. The best way to do that is to keep water systems democratically accountable and in public hands.”

The CBC members learned recently that the coalition of Lagosians, in the face of this relentless lobbying from the World Bank, have raised the visibility of the plans and organised to stop it in its tracks.

The campaign has engaged directly with candidates and elected officials on the issue, and marched through the streets of Lagos, but privatisation remains a risk. The group’s most recent

‘There are a lot of people in need of blood’

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 30

per cent of these blood donations are collected in high-income countries, home to less than 20 per cent of the world’s population,” it said.

The world body added that, an adequate and reliable supply of safe blood can be assured by a stable base of regular, voluntary, unpaid blood donors.

Regular, voluntary, unpaid blood donors are also the safest group of donors as the prevalence of

bloodborne infections is lowest among these donors.

Also speaking, a member of the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Committee, Mr Solomon Eka, said, more people need to donate blood voluntarily because, “there are a lot of people in need of blood but a lot of Nigerians are not buying into the idea because of fear and cultural background.

“However, people like the sickle cell patients, accident victims,

pregnant mothers, children under five years of age need blood.”

Explaining, Eka said, sickle cell patients need blood because they are unable to produce red blood cells “and whenever they have crisis, they would need blood but without people donating blood, we might lose such people. Also, some women bleed excessively during child birth, leading to shortage of blood and so, there will be need for blood to be transfused into them or

else, we might lose such women, same goes to the accident victims and the children under the ages of 5 years old, they need this type of lifeline and that is why we are encouraging people to donate blood voluntarily to save lives.”

65 per cent of blood transfusions in low-income countries are given to children under five years of age, says WHO. Dr Owa added that, all hands must be on deck to ensure that

visit to Washington, DC made clear to members of Congress that what threatens water in Lagos threatens the water of people across the U.S. as well.

Congressional co-signers of the letter include Alma Adams(DNC), Karen Bass (D-CA), Corrine Brown (D-FL), Wm. Lacy Clay (D-MO), Emanuel Cleaver (DMO), John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), Elijah Cummings (D-MD), Donna Edwards(D-MD), Keith Ellison (DMN), Chaka Fattah (D-PA), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX),Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Brenda Lawrence (D-MI), Gwen Moore (D-WI), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Donald Payne (D-NJ), Stacey Plaskett (D-VI), Charles Rangel (D-NY), Cedric Richmond (D-LA), Robert Rush (D-IL), Marc Veasey (D-TX),Maxine Waters (D-CA), Frederica Wilson (D-FL).

more people are encouraged and told the benefits of voluntary blood donation.

The theme of this year’s campaign is “Thank you for saving my life” to focus on thanking blood donors who save lives every day through their blood donations and strongly encourages more people all over the world to donate blood voluntarily and regularly with the slogan “Give freely, give often. Blood donation matters.”

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Arisekola-Alao: A man was here

Ayo Akinyemi ÎÎÎ The drivers were set

with the convoy to depart Ibadan for the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, to receive their boss, Alhaji Abdul-Azeez Arisekola Alao, expected to arrive Nigeria later in the day, from a trip to Switzerland and London.

As usual, many were awaiting his arrival, as there had been promises of different shades and dimensions, made to them, that were to be redeemed on his return home. Besides, the month of Rhamadan was a few days away, and, characteristically, the distribution of the back-up items for the 30days fasting was being eagerly awaited by hundreds and thousands of traditional beneficiaries.

The day was Wednesday, 18 June 2014.

A day of wailing, a day of tears, a day of gnashing of teeth, a day of dashed hopes, a day of failed expectations, the day turned out to be when the news broke by mid-day, that the man, the great philanthropist, the Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, had answered the home-call from his creator.

The news was shocking. It was devastating. It sounded incredible, unbelievable.

It was a sunset at dawn, a bad dream. Many asked; Aare dead? Can Aare die

like that? Some, who attributed invincibility to him, wondered aloud; So, Aare can die! – forgetting, he had blood flowing in his veins, like every mortal.

Three hundred and sixty five days have rolled by, and it seemed like it happened yesterday. Many are still in a trance, yet to come to terms with the reality that Aare, as he is fondly called, had gone on a journey of no return. Erin ti wo. Ajanaku ti sun bi oke. Ko le dide mo.

- The elephant has fallen.

The monstrously big animal is as motionless as a mountain. It can no longer stand on its feet.

I can boldly say, that in my years of sojourn on earth, I have never seen or met a man as accommodating, as tolerant, as liberal and as generous as Aare. His gates and doors were wide open for all, without restriction, without discrimination.

One could count the number of times that Aare went beyond the gates of the palatial Villa at Oluwo Kekere in the 17years (1997 – 2014) of his resident in the mansion.

Aare was like a book that could not be judged by its cover. The true picture of the person of Aare Arisekola Alao could not be appreciated from a distance.

He was a man with many

sides, sadly, largely misunderstood by many. Like an object viewed through a glass prism, the resultant image would depend on the angle of focus and the spectacle employed. The Aare Villa, itself, is a museum of sort, with hundreds of photographs that tell stories. I could remember suggesting to him to allow us stage an exhibition of the historical photographs. Had it been, such an exhibition would have afforded many a vivid appreciation of the enigma of a man, from another perspective.

One is not happy that such eye-opening exhibition did not materialize before he died. One is not equally happy about the unfulfilled dreams of the exceptionally great man of idea. He had planned to commence a Governor Ajimobi-For-Second-Term strategic campaign on his return from Umrah (on which he took with him an unprecedented large number, sponsored by him) and the brief trip to Europe. This was not to be. He would however be happy in his grave at the turn of event concerning the Oyo State governorship election and the consequent burial of the second-term-jinx.

Aare had also intended the full capacity operations of

the expanded Lister Flour Mills and the newly established confectionary unit on which billions of naira had been invested, to create job opportunities. Also in the bracket of the unfulfilled dreams is the intended resuscitation of the Monitor Newspapers.

I was knocking out this piece when I got my dailies. There was in the day’s newspapers an immemorial advertisement placed

by Mama Maryam Abacha, on the 17th anniversary of the death of her husband, former Head of State, General Sani Abacha, who died on Monday, 8 June 1998. The advertisement brought back memories of two heart shattering events brought about by the wrong perception of a section of the public, of the relationship between Aare Arisekola Alao and his friend, General Abacha.

First was the Friday, 1 May 1998 attack on the premises of the Monitor Newspapers at MKO Abiola Way, by pro-democracy activists, during which the complex was torched, with 19 vehicles completely burnt and the Press vandalized. This writer escaped death by whiskers that day but my official vehicle, a Laurel Altima saloon car, was damaged while trying

to escape from the premises. The newspaper resumed operations on 7 June 1998, incidentally, 24 hours before the death of General Abacha.

The second event was the attack on Aare at the University of Ibadan on 17 November 1998 when Aare honoured an invitation to attend the university’s convocation ceremony at which an illustrious son of Ibadan, Chief Kola Daisi, for whom Aare had high regard, was to be honoured with a Doctorate Degree, honoris causa. Aare narrowly escaped with his life that day, by a stroke of luck, but lost six choice cars, including a two-week old custom-built Mercedes Benz Limousine, set on fire by the students. His offence: he was an undisguised friend of General Abacha. And, no matter the circumstance, Aare would never deny his friends.

The old adage: A tree cannot make a forest – is a truism. But the absence of a baobab tree cannot but be felt in its environment. So it had been with the transition of Aare. Only God knows how many of the beneficiaries of Aare’s benevolence and generosity that had become the living dead, that had been dying piece-meal, that had been

battling with psychological depression, that had been suffering in silence, in the last one year. Indeed, only God can tell, as it is impossible to have a census of such people. In all honesty, this writer belongs to the group of those still emotionally traumatized by the shocking unexpected transition of Aare. I know of some others too, even highly placed.

There are a number of miraculous creations of God, whose being and existence, are shrouded in mystery, thus continually and perpetually giving rise to questions begging for answers. Aare, - a unique being with a unique name, with all the components starting with the foremost A alphabet. – Aare Alhaji Abdul-Azeez Akanmu Arisekola Alao – was one.

He was in every sense an A-Plus person. In life, he left so many questions unanswered, and many more at death. Even, his death gave rise to many more questions. Like every mortal, Aare had his own failings but, he was an unusual person of no comparison. A man was indeed here. May God grant him Aljanah Fridaus.

(Ayo Akinyemi writes via akinyemiayo@yahoo.com)

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

Life&

TIMES Thursday, June 18, 2015

Nollywood ACTS WHO HAVE TRIED MUSIC

L2,3

P

Movie Gist: AMAA to hold in September L5 P

Industry Issue L2

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 18, 2015

Opeoluwani Akintayo

N O L LY W O O D

actress and actors who have ventured into music

There’s this general belief that music acts who go into acting end up doing better than their counterparts in the make believe world who try their hands in music. This saying no doubt has been proven to be true over the years, specifically in Nigeria. This discourse is based on some Nigerian actors and actresses who have at one time or the other, ventured into music, and have either succeeded or lost out.

John Okafor aka Mr IBU

We all know John Okafor made his name as a comic actor so, you can imagine him picking up the microphone and singing! A highly skilled and successful actor who has carved a niche for himself playing comic roles in Nigerian movies, Mr Ibu is regarded as one of the most hilarious actors in Nigeria. Severally claiming to be a good singer, he went on to prove that he indeed, does have a good singing voice when he released an audio/video album some years ago. Unfortunately, his experiment with music didn’t quite turn out successful and he has since returned to his original talent, acting.

Nkem Owoh

Popularly referred to as Osuofia, Nkem Owoh is a highly successful actor. At a time, he was the highest paid Nollywood actor, raking in millions from every script that came his way but, when he decided to grab the microphone and released the song, I Go Chop Your Dollar, it did not sleep on a bed of roses. The audio and video of the song were banned on air due to its lyrical contents. Osuofia went ahead to record another song, Olamma, but it was also short of being a success.

Desmond Elliot

His foray into music was like a huge joke, that’s because instead of his voice endearing more fans to him, he ended up raising doubts about his musical skills, with many asking whether or not the voice was actually his or if it was digitally manipulated.

The actor turned law maker also tried his hands on a gospel album too but his voice sounded too feminine, which ended up being a major turnoff.

Genevieve Nnaji

Genny, as she is fondly called, is one of the most celebrated Nollywood actresses both home and abroad. In 2005, after she was suspended from acting alongside Omotola, Genevieve decided not to lay idle an took a shot at music with the release of the single, No More. She went on to get a mouth-watering recording deal in Ghana, but it wasn’t even enough to make her a force to reckon with in the music industry. She is one of those Nollywood stars who failed in their attempt at music.

Jim Iyke

The list of wannabe Nollywood singers will not be complete without the name of controversial actor, Jim Iyke. The former Globacom ambassador also romanced music when he released the song, Who am I, featuring one of Nigeria’s finest, Tuface Idibia. Jim, whose genre of music is rap, was actually keen on making a statement musically and he spent a fortune on radio and television hypes. Yet, his music career was short of being a success. The actor also did another entitled, Born to do this and featured Mike Word and Puffy T on it, but it did not make any good impact either.

NOLLY Taiwo Hassan aka Ogogo

The Yoruba actor announced his intention to delve into music in 2014.

Afterwards, he went ahead to release an album, Oba Asa. Although his kind of music has its own clique yet, we are unsure he will be rated as one of the successful music acts in the country.

Anita Joseph

Until recently, when she announced that she is now a born again Christian, Anita was hitherto referred to as a Nollywood bad girl.

Though she was enmeshed in a lot of controversies, Anita has proved her mettle as one of the future talents in Nollywood. Between the years 2008/2009, she released a single and consequently performed in a couple of shows, including the News of The People Awards held at Sheraton Hotels, Lagos. Even at that, she is yet to make any spectacular statement as a singer.

Kate Henshaw

Life&

T E A M

Like her erstwhile friend, Stella Damasus, Kate Henshaw also tried her hands on music, gospel music actually. She dropped songs like Treasure which barely saw the light of the day before it was kicked out. And now, old act, JJC announced that he will be dropping a collaboration with her. We hope it turns out good this time around.

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

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

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

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

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

Graphics Luke Utomi lukeutomi@gmail.com 08068710086

Om

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Daily Times Nigeria

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Tonto Dikeh

The recent release of her two new singles have been met with so much hate and rejection. Ever since she released her singles Hi and Itz over, fans at home and abroad have made it clear that they do not intend to accept her detour into music. They practically pulled all the stops just to show their displeasure. Her venture into music has been met with so much hate and rejection Last year, she got signed to D’banj’s record label, DB records and has since dropped a new video for the single, Sugar Rush in which she featured her record label boss, D’banj, with the hope that it will gain the much need acceptability. Yet, the video doesn’t seem to be gathering enough likes as expected. Recently, a movie producer referred to her attempt at singing as a terrible tremelo.

Segun Arinze

Though this naturally endowed actress has a sonorous voice, it was obviously not enough to give her a hit in the music industry. She has recorded a couple of songs and also shot videos, but they were not enough to guaranty her musical success. One of her songs is entitled Me and You.

L3 Industry Issue

Cossy Orjiakor

His foray into music was like a huge joke, that’s because instead of his voice endearing more fans to him, he ended up raising doubts about his musical skills, with many asking whether or not the voice was actually his or if it was digitally manipulated.

The actor turned law maker also tried his hands on a gospel album too but his voice sounded too feminine, which ended up being a major turnoff.

Gabriel Afolayan

He is a movie producer and a younger brother to Kunle Afolayan. His foray into R&B music has been a good one, especially because he’s got a lovely voice, which obviously stood him out from his colleagues who had made same adventures. Although he’s yet to be one of the A-list music acts, however, his songs, Awelewa, Kokoro Ife, Chapterz and others have garnered high ratings on their own.

YWOOD Stella Damasus

With an averagely good voice, Stella Damasus thought she’d conquer more fans like she did in acting but, she was soon disappointed. With singles like My Man, Love Me Quick and others to her credit, the actress can’t be said to have affected her generation

motola Jalade-Ekeinde

s Genevieve, she is one of the most ated Nollywood divas. Highly successful actress, unfortunately, several attempts beautiful wife of pilot Matthew Ekeinde ic, have been nothing to write home despite being an established movie ty. She was one of the few thespians ied their luck in music in 2005 after she anned by the then Ejike Asiegbu - led Guild of Nigeria regime. In that year, eased a single entitled Gba, which was ed by the release of the single’s video ull compilation album. Despite the ve hype, the album ended up being a She has since released another album ongs like Missing you and Feel alright, e has made little or no impact in the ndustry.

Shan George Lilian Bach

The half-caste actress, also tried her hands in music, but she was quick enough to withdraw, perhaps after realizing that it was a tough terrain for her.

She is a veteran actress of note, but like her colleagues, Shan’s attempts at making hits through music have so far been futile. She has an album and has performed in a couple of gigs, including the annual Felabration. For obvious reasons, she is one of the movie stars who could not make an impact as a singer.

Music Gists L4

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, June 18, 2015

Opeoluwani Akintayo

Toke Makinwa

returns to radio despite marital crises Despite the fact that her marriage was a topic of discussion on social media over the weekend, OAP/TV girl, Toke Makinwa, is unfazed and has returned to work. Trouble started when some ladies took to twitter to call out her husband, Maje for infidelity and for allegedly impregnating another woman. Ladies who felt hurt by Maje’s action, said unkind words about Maje with some advising Toke to dump him and move on with her life. Although no one knows the truth behind the tale and how Toke and her husband are handling the issue, however, Toke has resolved to remain strong, announcing via Twitter that her mind is “over the matter.”

According to her, she believes one should find happiness in the midst of unhappiness.

“You gotta find the silver lining. If you can’t find it, create it. #Mindovermatter,” she tweeted Monday, June 15 morning before going on air.

Toke Makinwa

MAMA 2015

releases nominees list

…as Davido leads with three nominations

Davido

VIMN Africa and MTV Base have revealed the nominations for the 2015 MTV Africa Music Awards and guess what, the list has over 16 Nigerian acts dominating 11 of the 13 categories available. The revelation was made at a star-studded reception at Harem, Johannesburg, South Africa and had some of the nominees including Seyi Shay, Black Motion, Bucie, Diamond Platnumz and several media personalities in attendance. The battle is now set as Davido and Wizkid will battle for the Best male category while Yemi Alade will face Seyi Shay for the Best female category. Other Nigerian nominees include Flavour, P Square, Olamide, Phyno, Mavins, Nneka, Basket Mouth and OC Ukeje.

Ebonylife TV to host Prof. Attahiru Jega EbonyLife TV is set to host 100 young leaders to an exclusive meeting with Professor Attahiru Jega, the recently retired chairman of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Coming after Nigeria’s most successful electoral seasons to date, the participants will be able to meet and converse with Jega about his experiences during his tenure, the most recent elections held, and on many more issues. It will be moderated by Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, a co-host of the highly rated The Spot on EbonyLife and host of Sunday afternoon show, Rubbin’ Minds.

“No one can deny the impact Professor Jega had on our electoral process during his tenure at INEC,” said Mo Abudu, Founder/CEO of Ebonylife TV. “We know it is important for young Nigerians to have an insight into those things that transpired during tenure at INEC resulting in the momentous change we now see—and how they will shape the next few years of Nigeria’s future,” she concluded.

The event will hold on Saturday, June 20, at the Wheatbaker Hotel, in Ikoyi, Lagos .

Prof. Attahiru Jega

Niyola in Last bus stop visuals Niyola has teamed up with Empire Mates Entertainment to a new video, Last bus stop.

The audio, produced by Oscar Herman-Ackah, was released last year. Shot by Kemi Adetiba at multiple locations in Lagos, Niyola said the video is her usual style of telling every girl’s tale with my music. I choose to express every girl’s wedding day fantasy in this video. The joy and excitement of being united with your loved one finally and forever having reached their last bus stop in love. Celebrity cameos in the video include Niyola’s label boss and mate, Banky W(as priest), Ali Baba(as bride’s father), Ope Olusanya (bride’s mother), Di’ja, Vina, Beverly Osu, Ezinne of CEO Dancers (as bride), Gideon Okeke, Iceberg Slim, Emmanuel Ikubese, Mr. Nigeria 2014 and Tolu Fame (as grooms men), Dominic (as groom), FunshoAdeolu (as groom’s father).

Niyola

Shina Peller unveils Acquilla Records It was all fun and razzmattaz as the CEO of popular night club, Quilox, Shina Peller, officially unveiled his first set of artistes under his new umbrella of work called Acquilla records amidst cheers at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island. Shina Peller disclosed that the unveiling of the label is his own way of giving back to the society and most especially to the youths who have the talent but do not have the finance to push it. Acqilla records officially unveiled Tillaman, Cue Peller and Baseone as its recording artiste with all having new singles hitting the radio airways too. The unveiling of the artiste continued with an after party held at his club, Quilox, with attendance by super stars in the entertainment industry Shine Peller

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Yemi Alade changes hair from blue to blonde Prior to now, the songstress had blue wool made into weaves and sewn to her hair. Now, it’s been changed to blonde. You like?

Daily Times Nigeria

Thursday, June 18, 2015

L5 Movie Gists

Mutiat Alli

AMAA picks September date In its 11th edition, organizers of the of the yearly Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), has announced a new date for the much anticipated movie awards scheduled to hold in Bayelsa, State. The award which was postponed in honour of late Micheal AnyiamOsigwe, an older brother to the founder of the award, Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, has picked a new date which was made public via their social media platform. The nomination night of this year’s award is scheduled to hold tomorrow, June, 20th, 2015 while the award proper is billed to hold in September, 26th, 2015. Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) is the platform that projects African movies to Africans and the world at large. It celebrates outstanding artistry performances annually.

Ibiinabo Fiberesinma-Egbuka

Anyiam-Osigwe

Gabriel Afolayan, OC Ukeje others, battle for NEA Afolayan brothers, Kunle and Gabriel, are currently battling for the award of the Best Actor of the Year in a Nollywood movie at the 2015 Nigerian Entertainment Awards.

While Kunle bagged three nominations that include Best Nollywood producer, Best Nollywood director and Actor of the Year for his October 1 movie, Gabriel slugs it out with his elder brother in the only category he was nominated for, Best actor of the year category. Other actors slugging it out with the Afolayan brothers in the Nollywood Actor of the year category include, Wole Ojo for his role in Brave, O.C Ukeje for his role in Secret Room, Yakubu Mohammed for his role in Dark Closet and Femi Jacobs for his role in The Meeting.

Gabriel Afolayan

Dayo Amusa snaps back on haters…..’I am not dating K1’ Unforgiveable star actress, Dayo Amusa has revealed to those who care to listen that the tale going around town for over some month about her dating story with popular Fuji musician, Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (K1 De Ultimate) is not true. Dayo who was a guest at BON Box Office at City 105.1FM, disclosed that she has taken time out to debunk the story but all has proven abortive. She said “The fact is, K1 is like a father to me. He’s like a Godfather, a friend and a confidant and if that makes people feel I’m dating him or something else is going on, I think it’s their headache. I’ve tried as much as possible to clear the air on it and if by now, a lot of people are still sitting on that, they can die with it. I care less”.

Between Ibinabo FiberesinmaEgbuka and Ernest Azuzu

There seem to be an un-ending war between the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) President, Ibinabo Fiberesima and actor, Ernest Asuzu since the actress emerged president of the guild years back. In a recent clash between the actors, Ibinabo has warned the actor to stop dragging the name of the guild in the mud. This is coming after Ernest Asuzu accused the Ibinabo led administration of negligence while he had stroke which resulted to him begging at the popular Ikeja shopping mall where he was spotted.

In a phone chat, Fiberesima asked if the AGN looked like a hospital to the actor. “Does Ernest know we have a health plan? Is AGN a hospital? When last did he pay his dues?”

Fiberesima continued, “I have kept quiet for too long and this doesn’t mean I am a fool. I don’t go about abusing people on the pages of newspapers. If he is sick he should take care of himself and stop begging on the streets and tell people what exactly is wrong with him. I am Ibinabo and AGN is a body. He should stop rubbishing my name on the pages of newspapers. “ When a call was put through to Ernest, he bitterly noted that, his colleagues and most especially, AGN as a body, did not deem it fit to check on him to render any assistance despite news of his ailment.

Alex Ekubo, Wole Ojo star in new movie Nollywood cutie, Alex Ekubo has been spotted alongside Wole Ojo, Dakore Akande on the set of a new movie titled, Entreat. The movie which is produced and directed by Michael Asuelime, insiders hinted, is already in its final stage of production as it is expected to hit the cinema anytime soon. Entreat also features support from, Funmilola Aofiyebi- Raimi, Queen Ahneva Adegeye and Kunle Coker amidst several Nollywood acts.

PHOTO SPEAK Liz Da Silva, Toyin Aimakhu-Johnson and Helen Paul, give funny Ibadan pose during the shoot of Toyin Aimakhu’s new flick titled Iya Ibadan.

Amusa

Ernest Azuzu

Alex Ekubo

Music & Movie Gist L6 Making Baby…..

30

emerges winner of

Ruth Kadiri insist

Nollywood actress and producer, Ruth Kadiri has told whoever cares to listen that whether or not she is married, she plans to have a baby once she reaches the age of 30. She made this important announcement via her Instagram page recently.

She said ‘ And so I have decided that once I’m 30 and I’m not married, I’m having a baby, wisdom is the principal thing’.

Thursday, June 18, 2015

K-Peace

Opeoluwani Akintayo and Mutiat Alli

@

Daily Times Nigeria

Nigerian Idol Season 5

Ruth Kadiri

Steve Gukas

calls on budding actors

Over the weekend, Kunle Ogunrombi otherwise known as K-Peace emerged the winner of the fifth edition of the Nigerian Idol. K-Peace beat another contestant, Dolu to the runner-up position as well as 29 other contestants for the ultimate prize. He smiled home with a cash prize of N7.5 million, SUV car, and a recording deal with Universal Music Company.

An excited K-Peace after winning the competition, said: ‘I am overwhelmed getting to this stage today because I faced tougher and amazing talents, especially Dolu. I thank the sponsors of this competition for giving me the opportunity to pursue my dream.’

The grand finale which held at Dream Studio, Omole Phase 1, Lagos, also had Nigerian-French singer, Asa, who thrilled the audience with songs from her new album, Bed of Stone. The first runner, Dolu, also won N1.5million, a Galaxy Tab, a phone and an iPod. Past winners of Nigerian Idol include, Season 1 winner – Yeka Onka, Season 2 winner – Mercy, Season 3 winner – Moses and Season 4 winner – Evelle.

Kiss Daniel falls victim of impostors …exposes three fake accounts

Versatile Nigerian producer/director and Africa Magic Viewers Choice Award (AMVCA) recipient, Steve Gukas has caledl on budding actors to be part of his forthcoming feature film titled 93 days, which will commence shooting before the end of the year. Recall that Steve Gukas won at the AMVCA, 2015 with his mind blowing movie A place in star, with support from Native Film works, Bap production and Michelangelo productions. The audition for the new piece, 93 days, is expected to run between Wednesday 17th-Friday 19th June, 2015.

Steve Gukas

K-Peace

Kiss Daniel

Too soon, wave-making act, Kiss Daniel, has fallen victim of imposters on twitter. According to him, a fake Kiss Daniel had already started defrauding his fans of huge sums of money through three fake twitter accounts opened in his name, which eventually made him to raise alarm, exposing the fraudsters. The Laye singer, who just concluded his first ever tour of the United Kingdom, has taken to Instagram to explain that his only authentic account on Instagram and Twitter is @iamkissdaniel, sounding out all the others as fake. He identified the fake accounts as @iam_kiss Daniel, @kissdanielofficial and @iamkiss_daniel. Other celebrities who have fallen prey to fake social media accounts include Tiwa Savage, Flavour, Yemi Alade and others.

IK Ogbonna seals deal with Coca-Cola Nollywood actor and daddyto-be, IK Ogbonna is sure in a good mood after locking down a mouth watering deal with Coca-Cola bottling company. The actor whose contract is based on an advertisement deal, is super excited as he took to his Instagram page to announce the deal “When you drive by ... Say hi Story is: greatness starts from believe… If u believes you can achieve. Stay blessed” #BRTB #cocacola #africa#worldClassHustler cc @ cocacola_ng@cocacola” IK Ogbonna

Daniel K (m) and Liz Benson (r)

Mummy Dearest to hit cinemas this June Veteran Nollywood actress, Liz Benson Ameye has made yet another comeback in the industry with her appearance in an upcoming movie titled Mummy Dearest, which is billed to hit cinemas come June 26th, 2014. Mummy Dearest tells the story of a loving mother who tries her best to stay connected with her children no matter the situation.

As directed and produced by Willis Ikedun, the flick featured other top acts with the likes of Daniel K Daniel, Wendy Elenwo amongst others.

Daily Times Nigeria

Thursday, June 18, 2015

L7 Music & Movie Review

Mutiat Alli and Opeoluwani Akintayo

P-Square’s

Shekini : A bang!

For the mere fact that this song came tops on Life & Times chart for weeks before we decided to take it down to allow fresh ones, made us think it wise to do a review on it. Shekini, another video from music duo, P-Square, as at press time, already hit 13,687,755 views on You Tube. This figure is impressive considering that it was published just last November 17th, 2014. It’s an outstanding accomplishment on its own within a very short time. This is the second video off their recently released 6th studio album, Double Trouble. The video is an energetic pictorial which sees the artistes combine with youthful dancers to perform dance moves. Directed by Clarence Peters and produced by Vtex, the video had shots ranging from garages to underground scenes with truck tyres, dusty floors and a general dirty environment that makes the video, a true street song.

The video opens with a static scene; everyone was at attention and then came a voice ushering in the energetic beat which got everyone grooving hard. That first move is quite impressive and capable of giving life to a bored soul. And the three girls shown at the beginning of the video with their short move, that was a killer. Also, the young identical twin boys were the bomb! Their dance moves were energetic which is what the song is all about anyway. The choice of beat is cool, something Nigerian youths like and it’s nice the singing duo were able to know all what the youths want is to dance hard.

P-Square themselves weren’t left out of the dance moves. The fact that they themselves were ready for a showdown was enough keep anyone glued.

The images employed were fantastic; burning balls, plastic drums, caution tapes, welding lights, dancers and choreographers, all on point with the beat. The stylist also did well in the area of costumes; they were all draped in ready-to-groove kind of clothings which is smart enough for the video. As for the lighting of the arena, it was okay; not dull, just enough to create the needed effect for the scenes. The team also had good stage management; there was no part of the stage left unused. The carriage of everyone was also on point. The song is a happy song as you could see it on the faces of everyone there. The song started with action. It ended same way.

Overall, I score the dope song a 9/10.

Artiste: P-Square Running Time: 3:45 Sec Producer: Clarence Peter

Black Silhouette:

Joke Silva leaves the past for another day

She is about to make history as the first elected female governor in Nigeria. Some stories are not meant to be told, will she be celebrated?

Produced and directed by the duo of Paul Alanza and Charles Uwagbai, the movie Black Silhouette, ex-rays poverty, prostitution and sexual abuse as it tells the story of Maro Oti played by veteran actress, Joke Silva, who is about to make history as the first female governor in Nigeria. Despite her husband’s disapproval she fixes an appointment with internationally acclaimed biographer Eric Mobumba, played by IK Osakioduwa and requests that he writes her memoir. Eric Mobumba is elated at the opportunity but his excitement however starts to dwindle as Senator Maro’s tale of her past reveals a life of sexual abuse from childhood, prostitution as a teenager and an unresolved murder.

The biographer sees a woman ladened with guilt and shame from her past and all attempts to dissuade her from telling this bitter and horrific story fails as Maro will not be perturbed, convinced that closure will only come from telling the truth of her very dark past, herself. The movie made a perfect attempt to bring to the fore, the poverty level obtainable in the country and what an average Nigerian will want to do to survive.

Maro’s battle for survival is a fierce one. She finds herself thrown against circumstances more than once as she has to look for ways to stay alive and keep up. She goes through a troubled childhood, loses the love of her life, Tega, played by Femi Jacobs and gets introduced to prostitution, all in almost rapid successions.

Starring Femi Jacobs, Jude Orhorha, Ivie Okujaye, IK Osakioduwa, Joke Silva, child actor, David Olamide, Grace Ofre amongst others, the director did a befitting job in balancing the stories with symbols. Ivie Okujaye, the Amstel Malta Box Office winner, deserves praise for how she portrayed her character until the point when she had to pass the baton to Joke Silva’s experience and finesse. Her fluency in pidgin English is a joy to behold in the movie, and that was a masterstroke that the director didn’t miss out on because it is difficult to portray prostitution at its crudest in Nigeria without pidgin playing a part.

In all, I can go on and on in discussing the movie as it is worth the time with great effort from all the entire cast and crew of the production and not putting aside the wonderful delivery of veteran actress, Joke Silva and child actor, David Olamide. I have no choice but to give a 9/10 to this movie.

Femi Jacobs

Joke Silva

L8 Television

Daily Times Nigeria

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Showing on

Showing on

155 Africa Magic World

141 Eva Channel

20:00

23:00

Thu, 18 June | PG13

Thu, 18 June | PG13

The chief has taken a second wife, who is demanding equal rights as the first wife. It is up to the chief to choose between his first wife and his beautiful, but heartless new wife. OLU JACOBS CHIDI MOKEME. (2005) Andy Chukwu

‘S1/E63 - 1/63’. Fernando begs Alejandra to give their love a chance. Alejandra makes a decision which confuses Felix and Javier who both fear for her safety.

101 M-Net

00:01 The Bag Man 01:45 Behind The Scenes: Chappie 02:00 Rage 03:34 Behind The Scenes: Transformers Age...

04:00 The Voice 04:46 Behind The Scenes: Tammy 05:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 06:00 The Middle 06:30 NCIS: New Orleans 07:30 Chicago PD 08:30 An Invisible Sign 10:30 The Goldbergs 11:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 12:00 The Voice 13:00 Carte Blanche 14:00 The Blacklist 15:00 The Big Bang Theory 15:30 The Big Bang Theory 16:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 17:00 Mike & Molly 17:30 The Voice 18:30 My Story 19:30 Hawaii Five-0 20:30 NCIS: New Orleans 21:30 CSI: Cyber

118 Telemundo

00:30 The Del Monte Dynasty 01:20 The Impostor 02:10 Labour Of Love 03:00 Part Of Me 03:50 Queen Of Hearts 05:20 The Del Monte Dynasty 06:10 Labour Of Love 07:00 Part Of Me 07:50 Queen Of Hearts 08:40 The Impostor 09:30 Forbidden Passions 10:20 Labour Of Love 11:10 Part Of Me 12:00 Queen Of Hearts 12:50 The Impostor 13:40 Forbidden Passions 14:30 Labour Of Love 15:20 Part Of Me 16:10 Queen Of Hearts 17:00 The Impostor 17:50 Forbidden Passions 18:40 Labour Of Love 19:30 Part Of Me 20:20 Queen Of Hearts 21:10 The Impostor 22:00 Forbidden Passions 22:50 Labour Of Love

120 BBC Entertainment

128 SONY MAX

00:17 The Thin Blue Line

11:00 My Family

00:20 Most Shocking

00:47 The Weakest Link

11:30 Hell’s Kitchen USA

01:20 Sexy Car Wash

01:32 Scott And Bailey

12:20 Top Gear

01:50 Rude Tube

02:20 Come Dine With Me

13:15 Come Dine With Me

02:20 Poorman’s Bikini Beach

03:07 EastEnders

14:10 Dragons’ Den

02:45 Jerks With Cameras

03:37 QI

15:10 The Weakest Link

03:10 Impractical Jokers

04:08 Top Gear

16:00 EastEnders

03:35 Most Shocking

05:00 Mr. Bean: The Animated Series

16:30 Deal Or No Deal

04:30 South Beach Tow

05:25 QI

17:15 QI

05:00 Criss Angel Mindfreak

05:55 The Thin Blue Line

17:50 Would I Lie To You?

05:25 Exposed

06:30 EastEnders

18:25 Hell’s Kitchen USA

05:50 Exposed

07:00 Antiques Roadshow

19:15 Open All Hours

06:15 Video Zonkers

07:55 The Weakest Link

19:50 Call The Midwife: Christmas...

06:40 Video Zonkers

08:45 The Cube 09:30 Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

21:30 Mrs Brown’s Boys

10:20 Deal Or No Deal

22:10 Live At The Apollo

155 AfricaMagic World

07:05 What Went Down 07:35 Caught On Camera 08:35 Hardcore Pawn: Chicago 09:05 South Beach Tow 09:35 Most Shocking

06:00 The Mastermind

10:35 Most Shocking

07:55 Star Gist

11:35 Video Zonkers

08:25 Star Gist

12:05 Video Zonkers

09:00 Good Morning Africa

12:35 What Went Down

10:00 The Dzigbordi Show

13:05 Caught On Camera

11:00 Deal Or No Deal

14:05 Hardcore Pawn: Chicago

12:00 Deal Or No Deal

14:35 South Beach Tow

13:00 Music Block

15:05 Most Shocking

14:00 Star Gist

16:05 1000 Ways To Die

14:30 Star Gist

16:30 Video Zonkers

15:00 Star Gist

17:00 Video Zonkers

16:00 Prem

15:30 Lies That Bind

17:30 Caught On Camera

16:30 Tenant

16:00 The Dzigbordi Show

18:30 What Went Down

06:00 Good Morning Africa

17:30 Mary Slessor

17:00 So Wrong So Wright

19:00 South Beach Tow

07:00 Star Gist

18:00 Jane And Abel

07:25 Like A Virgin

18:30 Jane And Abel

09:00 Tenant

19:00 Tinsel

10:00 Good Morning Africa

19:30 Star Gist

11:00 Tinsel

20:00 Star Football Superfans

11:30 Star Gist

20:35 A Dead End

22:30 Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

154 AfricaMagic Family 00:00 Tinsel

12:00 Music Block

00:30 Star Gist

13:00 At Home With Joselyn Dumas

01:00 At Home With Michelle Attoh

14:00 53 Extra

02:00 Music Block

14:30 Comfort Zone

03:00 Good Morning Africa

15:00 At Home With Michelle Attoh

04:01 Music Block 05:00 At Home With Michelle Attoh

22:05 Living With Trisha

17:30 So Wrong So Wright

19:30 Hardcore Pawn: Chicago

00:00 Music Block

18:00 The Dzigbordi Show

20:00 The Boondocks

01:00 Good Morning Africa

19:00 Through The Eyes Of An African

20:30 Rude Tube 21:30 Poorman’s Bikini Beach

04:00 The Dzigbordi Show

19:30 Through The Eyes Of An African

05:00 Good Morning Africa

20:00 Soul On Fire

02:00 Deal Or No Deal SA 03:00 Music Block

21:00 Rude Tube 22:00 Sexy Car Wash 22:30 Most Shocking

NFF

RE-APPOINTS Dedevbo as Falconets’ coach g X6

Poster!

VENUS WILLIAMS g X4,5 Thursday, June 18, 2015

CAF

g X6

slams two-match ban on

z e r a b a T

S L I A H ‘TERRIFIC’ Messi

g X8

Onazi

Umar lauds

g X7

victorious D’Tigress

X2

Thursday, June 18, 2015

EXTRATIME

Reports compiled by

NEW ZEALAND 2015 U-20 WORLD CUP

ANDREW EKEJIUBA

It was a terrific goal and, again, a fullback was at the heart of the attacking action. Jorge took centre stage on this occasion, drifting away from a couple of Senegalese challenges before slotting home a composed finish to put his team out of sight.

The pace dropped in the second half, with Brazil preserving energy and Senegal unable to muster any kind of comeback. But Marcos Guilherme remained lively and, after testing the reflexes of Sy from 20 yards, he wrapped up the win with a wellworked fifth goal.

Glorious

l i z a r B maul Senegal 5-0 to reach final

B

razil have booked their place in the FIFA U-20 World Cup final with a hugely impressive 5-0 victory over Senegal in Christchurch.

The lopsided scoreline provided an accurate reflection of a match in which the South Americans were at their scintillating best, and their African opponents powerless to resist.

This last-four encounter was all but over inside seven minutes, in fact, with Senegal floored by two crushing early blows. The first was self-inflicted, with the luckless Andelinou Correa turning the ball into his own net in an attempt to cut out right-back Joao Pedro’s low cross from the byline. And worse was

Sponsored by

SEMI-FINAL

RESULTS

Brazilian players celebrate after defeating Senegal 5-0 to book final ticket at the ongoing FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand. to follow for Joseph Koto’s side just a couple of minutes later. This time, there was no element of luck involved, with classy No10 Gabriel Jesus bursting from midfield and threading a lovely pass into the path of Marcos Guilherme. The Athletico Paranaense forward then obliged with an equally impressive finish, firing clinically into the net from just inside the box.

Brazil might have looked to protect their lead at this stage, but relying on

defence doesn’t appear to be in the mindset of a team reviving the great traditions of adventurous, attackminded Selecao sides. By the 19th minute, and after Gabriel Jesus had struck the post with another fine effort, their lead had been stretched yet further.

Real Madrid’s Jean Carlos showed fine skill on the left and delivered an inviting low cross that keeper Ibrahima Sy could reach, but not quite hold.

BRAZIL 5-0 SENEGAL

When the ball ran loose, Boschilia took full advantage, swooping in decisively to slot home from close range.

Senegal did have moments of their own, and only a brilliant reflex save from Jean was enough to divert Sidy Sarr’s ferociously struck volley on to the crossbar soon after. But Brazil retired to the dressing rooms at halftime assured of their place in the final, having made it 4-0 with eight minutes of the opening 45 remaining.

SERBIA 2-1 MALI

FIXTURES Saturday, 20 June 2015

THIRD PLACE MATCH Senegal v Mali (13:30, Auckland)

FINAL Brazil v Serbia (17:00, Auckland)

Thursday, June 18, 2015

EXTRATIME

Reports compiled by

ANDREW EKEJIUBA

NEW ZEALAND 2015

X3

Sponsored by

U-20 WORLD CUP

Brazil, Serbia set for final showdown

Saponjic’s

dramatic strike sends

I

Serbia through

van Saponjic scored a dramatic extra-time winner as Serbia beat Mali 2-1 at Auckland’s North Harbour Stadium to set up a FIFA U-20 World Cup final with Brazil. Not for the first time at New Zealand 2015, the substitute was the Europeans’ hero, with his goal settling an enthralling and evenly contested match that had earlier been punctuated by strikes from Andrija Zivkovic and Youssouf Kone, with the latter receiving a red card in extra time.

Serbia were returning to the scene of their quarter-final win over USA and, having ended that game on a high, they begun this one the same way. It took just four minutes, in fact, for them to take a deserved early lead, with Andrija Zivkovic the scorer. The lively No11 was allowed time and space to run through on goal and pick his spot with a low left-footed shot into the corner after Souleymane Coulibaly had failed in his attempts to cut out Nemanja Maksimovic’s threaded through pass.

Ahead and on top, Serbia looked to reinforce their advantage and should have gone two in front nine minutes later. But having been caught out for the goal, Coulibaly was able to come to Mali’s rescue, clearing off the line with his keeper stranded after Stanisa Mandic had cut the ball back for Sergei Milinkovic to strike at goal.

The Africans were living dangerously at this stage and on 21 minutes had another near escape. Serbia again cut through their ranks easily, with Andrija Zivkovic and Malin Gajic combining well on the right to set up Stanisa Mandic.

But while the latter’s low cross found Serbia’s No9 just five yards out, his touch was too faint and the ball flicked off his right boot and wide of the far post.

At this stage, it looked to be only a matter of time before Mali fell further behind. However, as the half wore on, their nerve steadied and they began to create some openings of their own. Noone, though, could have envisaged them levelling matters in the spectacular style they did. The goal came out of nothing, with Youssouf Kone gathering possession in an unthreatening position on the left, over 30 yards from goal, and stunning everyone - not least keeper Predrag Rajkovic - with a ferociously struck left-foot shot that skidded into the bottom-right corner.

If there any were question marks about Rajkovic’s reactions for the goal - however good the strike was - he reaffirmed his worth a couple of minutes later. Souleymane Diarra had jinked in from the left and fired in a shot that was heading for the roof of the net until the Serbia keeper reacted instinctively, sticking out a hand to brilliantly tip over.

Mali, having been hanging on, suddenly looked the more likely winners.

This continued at the start of the second half, with Diadie Samassekou playing in Diedonne Gbakle only for the latter to hesitate at the crucial moment, allowing Rajkovic to narrow the angle and block from his weakly struck shot.

Serbia were struggling at the other end but, with 18 minutes remaining,

a moment of pure inspiration nearly settled the game in their favour. Milan Gajic was the player who supplied it,

Ivan Saponjic (left) scored a dramatic extra-time winner as Serbia overcame Mali 2-1 at Auckland.

controlling a dropping ball on his instep 30 yards from goal and crashing in a superb dipping volley. Sadly for the midfielder, the ball bounced down off the crossbar and landed a couple of centimetres in front of the line.

Pedro: We’re not finished yet!

The idea that full-backs are essentially defensive players is an old and outdated concept. It certainly has little currency in Brazil, where the country’s national teams at every level have long since rejected the notion.

For several decades now, the South American nation has been a veritable production line for full-backs in the modern mould, players with the talent and energy to surge upfield and create danger in much the same way as a

The two finalists at the FIFA U-20 World Cup have been determined, with Brazil and Serbia set to fight for the crown. On FIFA’s 14th annual AntiDiscrimination Day, it was the five-time champions from South America and the dark horses from south-east Europe who were celebrating come the final whistle in their respective matches, and both now have the trophy in their crosshairs. The two semi-finals were vastly different affairs, with the Selecaozinha scoring early on before easing to a comfortable victory, while Serbia played through 120 minutes of nail-biting action.

On a day filled with tension, emotions and drama, one youngster in particular also emerged as his team’s hero for the second time in New Zealand. Meanwhile, two African sides that were considered rank outsiders prior to the tournament will go head-to-head in the Play-off for Third Place. Both Senegal and Mali may have lost in the semi-finals on Wednesday, but they can go into their last encounter in Auckland on Saturday with their heads held high.

Brazil’s Joao Pedro (left) in action against Senegal.

forward.

“It’s true that it’s something common in Brazilian football and I don’t know how the tradition started,” says Joao Pedro, Brazil’s right-back at the FIFA U-20 World Cup New Zealand 2015. “The full-backs play very high, but I have to say that I like it that way.” That much is obvious after watching the 18-year-old in action.

Like so many Auriverde full-backs past and present, including Nilton Santos,

Roberto Carlos, Junior and Marcelo, the youngster spends much of his time high up the pitch.

“Personally, Cafu is my idol,” he explains, fresh from shining at both ends during Brazil’s commanding 5-0 semi-final defeat of Senegal. “I always liked his playing style: efficient both in attack and defence. Aside from him, I’m impressed by the style of play of Philipp Lahm. He’s another very complete defender, which is what I like.”

Thursday, June 18, 2015

EXTRATIME

Venus

William s

X4

Some people say I have attitude - maybe I do... but I think you have to. You have to believe in yourself when no one else does - that makes you a winner right there.

I always like to win. But I’m the big sister. I want to make sure she has everything, even if I don’t have anything. It’s hard. I love her too much. That’s what counts.

I have been recently diagnosed with Sjogren’s Syndrome, an autoimmune disease which is an ongoing medical condition that affects my energy level and causes fatigue and joint pain.

Thursday, June 18, 2015

EXTRATIME

PERSONAL INFORMATION Full name: Venus Williams Country: United States Residence: Palm Beach Gardens, Florida Born: June 17, 1980 (age 34) Place of birth: Lynwood, California Height: 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) Turned pro: October 31, 1994 Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand) Coaches: Richard Williams, Oracene Price Prize money: $30,203,596 3rd in all-time rankings: Singles Career record: 675–180 (78.95%) Career titles: 46 Highest ranking: No. 1 (February 25, 2002) Current ranking: No. 18 (January 12, 2015) GRAND SLAM SINGLES RESULTS Australian Open: F (2003) French Open: F (2002) Wimbledon: W (2000, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2008) US Open: W (2000, 2001) Other tournaments Tour Finals: W (2008) Olympic Games: Gold Medal (2000) Doubles Career record: 174–30 (85.29%) Career titles: 21 WTA Highest ranking: No. 1 (June 7, 2010) Current ranking: No. 133 (November 3, 2014) GRAND SLAM DOUBLES RESULTS Australian Open: W (2001, 2003, 2009, 2010) French Open: W (1999, 2010) Wimbledon: W (2000, 2002, 2008, 2009, 2012) US Open: W (1999, 2009) Other Doubles tournaments Tour Finals: SF (2009) Olympic Games: Gold medal (2000, 2008, 2012) Mixed Doubles Career record: 25–6 (80.65%) Career titles: 2 GRAND SLAM MIXED DOUBLES RESULTS Australian Open: W (1998) French Open: W (1998) Wimbledon: F (2006) US Open: QF (1998) Other Mixed Doubles tournaments Fed Cup: W (1999) Hopman Cup: RR (2013) Olympic medal record Gold 2000 Sydney Singles Gold 2000 Sydney Doubles Gold 2008 Beijing Doubles Gold 2012 London Doubles

X5

X6

Thursday, June 18, 2015

EXTRATIME

NFF Dedevbo re-appoints

as Falconets’ coach

ANDREW EKEJIUBA

T

Dedevbo

he Nigeria Football Federation has re-appointed Peter Dedevbo as Head Coach of the U-20 Women National Team, Falconets.

NFF President Amaju Pinnick on Tuesday evening approved, on behalf of the Executive Committee and pending the ratification of the latter, a recommendation by the Technical and Development Committee to keep Dedevbo and his crew for one more term.

Chairman of the Technical and Development Committee, Felix Anyansi-Agwu, revealed that his committee made the recommendation in view of the accomplishment of the Dedevbo-led crew at last year’s FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Canada.

Dedevbo’s assistants Toyin Ayinla, Wemimo Mathew Olanrewaju and Auwal Bashar also return as the Falconets countenance a 2016 U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifying fixture against Liberia next month.

Dedevbo also tinkered the U-17 Women National Team, Flamingos, taking the team to the quarter final stage at the World Cup finals in Trinidad and Tobago (2010) and Azerbaijan (2012).

DSTV Basketball:

Flying Eagles, Super Falcons disappointed Nigerians – Sanusi BEN NWACHUKWU, Abuja The Secretary General of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Mohammed Sanusi, has decried the woeful performances of both the national U-20 team (Flying Eagles) and the senior national women’s team, Super Falcons, saying they disappointed Nigerians.

Sanusi told the sporting media at the Glasshouse headquarters of the Federation on Thursday that NFF and Nigerians had high expectations when the teams left the shores of the country to compete in the two FIFA World Cup tournaments, but their great expectations were dashed.

Sanusi said the performances of the teams fell short of their performances at the African Championships and qualifiers where they defeated all others.

He maintained that the national teams need prayers and support

CAF

slams twomatch ban on

Warriors can’t stop Union Bank – Ayinla

Onazi

ANDREW EKEJIUBA Coach of Union Bank, Johnson Ayinla is optimistic of another victory against Oluyole Warriors of Ibadan at the ongoing DSTV Men’s Basketball Premier League. With about four more matches to round-off conference play-off at the on-going tourney, the contest is becoming hotter in the Atlantic Conference with the three front runners, Lagos Islanders, Dodan Warriors and the Union Bank still holding tight to their positions, even as the Union Bank team has vowed to improve on their present third position.

This however depends on the outcome of their Week 11 game against Oluyole Warriors in Ibadan this weekend as coach of Union Bank, Ayinla is optimistic of another victory against the Ibadan warlords, just as they did during their first leg encounter in Lagos.

Despite playing away, Ayinla said his men will take the game to their opponent’s half of the court from the blast of the referee’s whistle in order to ensure victory as they are not underrating them for any reason.

“Though the match is going to be

of football-loving Nigerians now than ever especially as the AFCON qualifiers have kicked off.

“Actually we are not happy with the performance of our teams at the World Cups, particularly the Flying Eagles.

“We had high expectations, but that was not to be. You can see that this is a wakeup call and we need to go back to the drawing board again and find out what we did not do well so as to effect correction,” he said with a tinge of regret.

He declined to comment on the purported recruitment of a foreign coach for the Super Falcons, but added that the federation will wait for the technical report of the coach before deciding on the next step to take.

Both Flying Eagles and Super Falcons failed to impress at the World Cups in New Zealand and Canada respectfully.

ANDREW EKEJIUBA

Coach Stephen Keshi (left) calms Super Eagles players down following Ogenyi Onazi’s red card offence.

tough considering the fact that the Oluyole warriors are still struggling for a slot in the final eight play-off, Union Bank will still come out victorious,” Ayinla said.

There will also be action in Lagos as the Atlantic Conference league

leaders, Lagos Islanders, take on Delta Force, while Nigeria Customs battle Police. Kwara Falcons will host Dodan Warriors of Lagos in Ilorin, Kwara State.

In the Savannah Conference, the defending champions Kano Pillars will

be at home against FCT Rocks, while Plateau Peaks battle Gombe Bulls in Jos. Kada Stars will try to out-dunk Bauchi Nets in Kaduna, as Nigeria Immigrations engage league runners –up, Mark Mentors to round-off Week 11 hostilities.

The Confederation of African Football has slammed a two-match ban on Super Eagles’ midfielder Ogenyi Onazi for his straight red card in last weekend’s 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Chad.

SS Lazio of Italy playmaker Onazi, who has been a fixture in the Super Eagles’ midfield for the past few years, was shown a straight red card for retaliation after Nigerien referee Ibrahim Mamane awarded Nigeria a penalty kick for a foul on striker Odion Ighalo.

A circular sent to the Nigeria Football Federation from the CAF Secretariat stated that for the “violent conduct, player No.17 Eddy Ogenyi Onazi was expelled and he is automatically suspended for his next 2 official matches: 39 – Tanzania Vs Nigeria and 66: Nigeria Vs Egypt.”

Nigeria play Tanzania in Dar es Salaam on September 5 on Matchday 2 of the qualifiers, and will then host Egypt on March 25, 2016.

Thursday, June 18, 2015

EXTRATIME

BASKETBALL EXTRA

Umar

lauds victorious

D’Tigress

Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) boss,Tijani Umar has hailed the double joy feat of the women’s national team, D’Tigress saying with the development, the international prospect of the country’s basketball have been revitalized like it was in the old golden days.

Umar was obviously excited to lead the victorious D’Tigress home-based contingent against the backdrop of the

Nigeria’s D’Tigress line up before a match.

With Phillips Tayo 71-51, 88-43 triumphs in the two-leg encounters in Abidjan.

Speaking with Extra Time, the NBBF helmsman affirmed that his presence with another board member, Patrick Omorodion, in Abidjan during the second leg of the qualifiers doused fears of the uncanny plots by the host country to subdue Nigeria using negative plans.

“We’re highly delighted with this second feat. This has put Nigerian basketball back on track internationally.

“The course of the future looks promising with our expected participation for all the concerned stakeholders, especially as regard international recognition and exposure,” he said.

With this development, the two national basketball teams, D’Tigers and D’Tigress have picked the qualification tickets for the All Africa Games and their respective FIBA AfroBasket Championships for men and women categories set to hold in Cameroon and Tunisia respectively later in the year.

They will play in Group B alongside reigning champions Angola, Senegal, Algeria, a qualifier from Zone 2 and the recipient of a wild card to be determined.

AfroBasket Women 2015 is a qualifier for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

FIBA Zone 3 unveils 3x3 maiden championship FIBA Africa Zone 3 helmsman, Col Sam Ahmedu (rtd)has asserted that the coming to reality of the zonal body’s plans to organise and stage the 3x3 Basketball Championship which is the new trend globally is to put Nigeria and other affiliate federations on the map of the ever-growing base of the game’s wide-acceptance and acceptability vis-avis other inherent benefits.

Speaking during the media briefing ahead of the upcoming FIBA Africa 3X3

Tour scheduled to dunk-off this weekend (June 18th to 21th) within the premises of the National Stadium’s car-park ground, Ahmedu explains the mission behind the vision.

“Over 240 players, 40 coaches as well as 50 officials drawn across Africa will be participating in this event which is the first of its kind in this part of the globe. The aim is to take the game to greater heights in our areas of influence. The unveiling of the new 3x3 Floor underlines our resolution

to perfect the smooth play of the matches in the course of the championship.

“Let me state that the Executive Board will also have its board meeting to review its scorecard in order to plan ahead,” he said.

In his remarks, Local Organising Committee (LOC) Vice-chairman, Mr Babs Ogunade revealed the major details of the organisational framework with all the 8 countries’ in the zone expected to field teams in all the various categories of the

two-day event.

“Five countries, namely Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire are participating in all age categories.

“Niger will be absent because they don’t have a federation at the moment.

In addition, Liberia and Burkina Faso are participating in only two or three categories. Meanwhile, all vacancies will be filled by wildcards from amateur local teams that have applied already’’, he concluded.

Angola unveils new national coach Coach Jaime Covilha has been confirmed as the new head coach of Angola’s women’s national team.

After months of speculations, the country’s Basketball Federation confirmed Covilha in the capital city of Luanda.

It will be Covilha’s first time in charge of Angola’s senior women’s team. He takes over from Anibal Moreira, who guided the Angolans to two consecutive continental titles in 2011 and 2013.

Moreira last coached Angola’s women at the 2014 FIBA World Championship for Women in Turkey.

The Angolans lost all three of their Group Phase games in Istanbul.

Covilha is often dubbed a student of the game.

He gained international acclamation after replacing Frenchman Michel Gomez midway through AfroBasket 2011, still managing to guide the Angolans to the

X7

Final which they lost to Tunisia.

Last December, Covilha and his Primeiro D’Agosto side fell short in the Final of the 2014 African Champions Cup for Women in Sfax, Tunisia, against city and continental arch rivals InterClube de Luanda.

Covilha has always been tipped as a favourite to take the job.

Jaime Covilha, Head Coach of Angola’s senior women’s basketball national team on duty.

Dolphins set new Zenith Women’s League record Perennial Nigeria Women’s League runners-up, Dolphins Basketball Club of Lagos set the Indoor Sports Hall of the Ilorin Township Stadium agog at the ongoing Zenith Bank sponsored league second-phase proceedings by setting a new league record of 127 points, in their 127-33 win over Zamfara Babes.

The 2014 FIBA Africa Zone 3 champions led by their point guard, Nwakamma Amaka, who set a season record for score-points made in a game, with 42points, shooting over 50% from the field and 60% from the freethrow line.

In same vein, diminutive guard, Tokunbo Olaosebikan and Juliet Currency who shone at the last intercontinental outings last year both combined to score 38 points in the commanding performance over the Zamfara Babes.

Meanwhile, as the second-phase series reach the crucial stage this week, feelers from the venue of the challenge reveals that First Bank and Dolphin seem to be leading again for the successive year which has put them in the high stead to make the final-8 playoff ahead of the fierce rivals like IGP Queens and Deepwaters BC who are struggling to make the final cut for the Lagos grand finale.

Silver: No corruption in FIBA business NBA Commissioner, Adam Silver said there has been ‘’absolutely no suggestion’’ of any wrongdoing with basketball’s international governing body like the scandal that has rocked soccer.

Silver expressed his confidence in FIBA, noting that the NBA has a seat on its board. ‘’Their financials are audited. They have open board meetings,’’ Silver said. ‘’And, again, there’s never been a discussion in our sport of any of the sort of taint that we’re seeing right now in FIFA.’’ FIFA president Sepp Blatter has announced he will resign as a result of soccer’s corruption crisis, saying he didn’t feel the support of the world soccer community.

Silver sees that as a difference. ‘’I know the head of our federation, Patrick Baumann, very well,’’ he said. ‘’He’s been someone I’ve been working with for over 20 years’’.

“ fac “ sid $10

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Thursday, June 18, 2015

EXTRATIME

EXTRATIME

Juve keen to sign on Mandzukic

Z E R A B A T

HAILS ’ C I F I R ‘TER

I S S E M Messi

U

ruguay coach Oscar Tabarez lauded “master of the ball” Lionel Messi after his side’s 1-0 loss to Argentina at the Copa America on Tuesday.

Sergio Aguero’s brilliant second-half header decided the contest as Argentina went top of Group B on four points.

Messi was his usual classy self, including setting up Aguero for a header that was saved by Fernando Muslera in the first half.

Tabarez was in awe of the Barcelona superstar.

“Now we have greater motivation for the last game against Paraguay, where we will play to qualify,” he told a news conference.

“We prepared a collective strategy today, but Messi is unpredictable, because you never know what he is going to do, there is always a surprise.

“He is a master of the ball, has great speed and mentally anticipates the movements of the defenders. He is always one second ahead.

“In this Argentina system, the ball is almost never straight down the left wing, they move diagonally from right to left and he knows he can be most dangerous when he carries the ball left and connects with Aguero.

“They have a close relationship, where Aguero picks the pass he wants and Messi puts it there.”

Aguero headed in the game’s only goal in the 56th minute, diving at a Pablo Zabaleta cross from the right.

Tabarez was disappointed by Uruguay’s failure to maintain possession better, as they were left in third spot in the group and a point behind the top two.

HENDERSON targets silverware for Reds

Henderson

Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson hopes to deliver the trophy he feels the club’s fans deserve next season.

Brendan Rodgers’ side reached the semi-finals of both domestic competitions in 2014-15, but were beaten by Chelsea and Aston Villa in the League and FA Cups respectively.

Having challenged for a top-four spot and a return to the UEFA Champions

League for much of the campaign, Liverpool fell away towards the end of the season and finished sixth, settling instead for a Europa League place.

Henderson was part of the side that lifted the League Cup back in 2012 - the club’s last piece of silverware - and the former Sunderland man wants to bring more glory to Anfield in 2015-16.

“I think we’ve got a great group of

players with a lot of potential, young players who are hungry and want to improve and do better,” he said.

“I think we’ve got a great chance next season to show people how good we are as a team.

“We’re good enough to be challenging in the Champions League but I think also winning a trophy will be one of our ambitions next season’’.

Atletico Madrid’s Mario Mandzukic has been identified by Juventus as a potential replacement for striker Carlos Tevez by the Italian club’s general manager Giuseppe Marotta.

Tevez has been heavily linked with a move away from Turin, with reports suggesting a move to Atletico or former club Boca Juniors could be on the cards.

Faced with the prospect of replacing last season’s top scorer, Marotta revealed Croatian Mandzukic as a target and predicted Tevez was only likely to leave for Boca.

“If Tevez were to leave, we have identified the player to replace him as Mandzukic,” the general manager said.

“We all agree on his positive impact.

Carlos has this desire to return to South America, to his home in Argentina to end a glorious career.

“We are waiting for an answer and we hope to see within two to three days what he will do.

Mandzukic

Matthaus backs Schweinsteiger to quit Bayern Amid reports of interest from Manchester United, Lothar Matthaus has urged Bastian Schweinsteiger to carefully consider his Bayern Munich future.

The long-serving Germany captain has enjoyed 13 successful years at Bayern, but sees his contract expire at the end of the coming season.

Schweinsteiger was hampered by injuries last term after guiding Germany to the World Cup, but nonetheless managed to help Bayern claim a third straight Bundesliga title.

With his future somewhat up in the air, Bayern and Germany legend Matthaus urged the 30-year-old not to rule out any potential bid from Louis van Gaal and United.

“In the final stages of his career, Schweinsteiger needs a coach who fully trusts him and will build a system around him,” Matthaus said.

“If Schweinsteiger gets an offer from a top European club, I would advise him a transfer in the summer.