Dtn 19 1 16

I won’t appear before just any judge, says Tompolo ÎÎÎFour days after Justice

Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi Lagos ordered his arrest,

former militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, otherwise known as Tompolo, on Monday, said he does not want to be arraigned before

a biased judge.

Tompolo, who was dragged to court on Thursday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commis-

sion (EFCC) to face charges bordering on diversion of N34 billion belonging to the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agen-

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cy (NIMASA), maintained innocence and accused the Federal Government of

dailytimesng

Continued on page 12

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2016 VOL. 2. NO. 26

GAINERS

N150

LOSERS

NSE GAINERS AND LOSERS AS AT 18th January 2016.

GUARANTY

13.37

13.53

0.16%

ETERNA

1.47

1.5

0.03%

NESTLE

740.05 703.05 -37%

WAPCO

86.75

78.3

-8.45%

CONTINSURE

0.88

0.92

0.04%

UBA

2.6

2.63

0.03%

GUINNESS

113.99

DANGCEM

133

123.6

-9.4%

102.89

-11.1%

N1.34tr stolen by 55 people in seven yrs –FG Ï d ƕ Ɛ ƆƈƏ ƍƏ ƆƅƑƐƈ ƅ ƌƌƆ ƅƆƗ Ï ôR Ƌƕ &0 ƅ ƕ Ɠ ƆƐ ƆƏ Ə Ɛ C Ɛ ƓƈƋƋ ƄƆ ƍƏ ƄƆƗô Lateef Ibrahim/Tom Okpe, Abuja

ÎÎÎThe Federal Government on

Monday said that 55 people allegedly stole a total of N1.34 trillion in Nigeria between 2006 and 2013.

The Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed alleged this in Abuja at a media parley.

This was even as the Minister said that only the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, could determine whether

former President Goodluck Jonathan will be investigated and prosecuted for alleged corrupt practices or not.

He made it clear that it was not within the power of any other person or agency apart from the

EFCC to determine whether Jonathan has case to answer or not.

Alhaji Mohammed explained that out of the stolen funds, fifteen (15) former Governors allegedly stole N146.84 billion; four (4) Continued on page 6

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CLO backs CBN ban on forex to BDCs gB1 Call for Buhari’s impeachment, huge joke of the year g 8 – Sen. Ndume Why different versions of 2016 Budget were in circulation –Senate g6

Ireti Osayemi

I got into acting by accident gL1

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Ï Fresh crisis hits PDP as group asks Metuh, Mohammed to step aside g12

2

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, January 19, 2016

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Daily Times Nigeria Tuesay, January 19, 2016

Page Three Æ s

3

Editorial Increasing military presence at elections

T

he hallmark of a democracy is the periodic holding of elections by the citizens to choose those that will pilot the affairs of their country for a constitutionally defined period.

Periodic election is therefore the common denominator that distinguishes democracies from dictatorships. While the former recognises the will of the majority to choose their representatives, the latter envisions a rule of one person or few people to determine the fate of the majority. Since 1999 when it returned to constitutional rule, Nigeria has been priding itself as a democracy.

Moreover, it has been ready to highlight all the appurtenances that make for democratic governance, such as elected legislature and an independent judiciary to act as checks on an overbearing executive.

Though we laud the progress so far made in spite of some pitfalls, it is becoming very worrisome at the way the authorities resort to deploying the military during federal and state elections. Much as the reasons for such deployment centres on their security role, we believe that sending the military into the streets during elections is becoming a tradition that threatens free and fair elections.

Given the divisive and partisan nature of the country’s politics, those opposed to the presence of the military during elections see it as very unsettling, as it has the unintended consequence of frightening away prospective voters from polling stations. In addition, many Nigerians always see soldiers as agents of any incumbent administration and so may be inclined to intimidate prospective

voters into casting their ballots for the ruling party.

Our concern is because a lot of heat has been generated by allegations that some soldiers of the 32 Artillery Brigade, Akure were involved in electoral shenanigans at the June 21,2015 gubernatorial poll in Ekiti State. Only recently, the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike called attention to the increasing presence of soldiers in three local governments of Gokana,Asari-Toru and Ogba/Egbema/Andoni local government areas of his state. This development is coming ahead of the state and National Assembly rerun elections in Rivers. Before that, there were complaints over the virtual militarisation of Kogi State during the last governorship poll.

Though Section 217 of the 1999 Constitution and the Armed Forces Act, 2004, recognise the President’s power to “determine the operational use of the Armed Forces in Nigeria for the purpose of maintaining and securing public safety and public order”, it does not deviate from the fact that allowing them into the streets ostensibly for the maintenance of law and order during elections creates a sense of siege among voters and may even tempt some of the personnel to become willing tools of politicians for rigging.

It bears repeating that elections are a purely civilian affair that should be supervised by the police and paramilitary agencies. The armed forces have no role in the exercise. The time has come for Nigeria to entrench the culture of democratic rule and to start to do the right thing particularly when it has to do with dealing with the electoral process, which is one of the pillars of democracy.

Imo: Who will restrain Okorocha?

Sam Nzeh

ÏÏÏGovernor

Rochas Okorocha of Imo State appears to be on the loose and no one, it seems, can stop him. If not, how can you explain his sacking of no fewer than 5,000 workers of 19 parastatals, agencies and departments with effect from Monday, January 4, 2016?

The sack which was made public on Monday followed last Wednesday’s protest by civil servants and pensioners in Owerri, the state capital.

The sacked workers includes those of Imo Water Corporation, Imo Cattle Market, Imo Sports Council, Imo State Environmental Transformation Commission, ENTRACO, Imo Marketing Company, Imo

Consumer Protection Council, Hospital Management Board, including its headquarters staff.

Others are Imo Tourism Board, Imo Blue Lake of Treasure, Imo State Investment Promotion Agency, Imo Job Centre, Imo Water Development Agency, IWADA, Imo Library Board, Imo Agricultural Loans Board, Imo Livestock, Imo Poverty Alleviation Agency, Imo Palm Plantation, Agricultural Development Programme, ADP and Small Holders Unit.

The state government in the statement signed by the Secretary to the Government of Imo State, Sir Jude Ejiogu, said that the action followed what it called “a productivity audit recently conducted in the parastatals, agencies and departments.”

“Government is satisfied that it is no longer in the public interest to keep run-

Words On Marble :

ning these agencies, parastatals and departments with huge cost on public revenue and no services to the public, under the present economic realities,” the statement added.

No doubt, many states, Imo inclusive are presently finding it difficult to meet obligations to their workers in view of the dwindling revenue from the Federation Account, the major source of funding for their activities, and consequently have embarked on some cost saving measures.

However, Okorocha sack of 5,000 workers in one fell swoop cannot be the best strategy to cut cost. The sack rather than lift the state from the economic doldrums it has found itself including its huge debt burden, is bound to exacerbate it. So, those who have Okorocha’s ears should prevail on him to do a rethink.

STATEMENTS BY THOSE WHO MATTER

Publisher/Editor in Chief – Fidelis Anosike Managing Editor Yinka Olujimi Daily/ Online Editor Biodun Durojaiye Deputy Editor/Southern Bureau Chief Sam Nzeh Deputy Editor/Northern Bureau Chief Lateef Ibrahim

Group News Editor Segun Adio Politics Editor Akintola Akinjide Business Editor Friday Atufe Head, Graphics/Design King Ododoru

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Business Dev. Manager Bello Ganiyu Sales & Marketing Manager Tunde Dosumu Technical Adviser To Publisher Innocent Nwankwo Adverts/Partnerships/ Corporate Subscription Ifeanyi Emefu 08086296714 Konnie Agu 09033765031

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Matthew Ashimolowo

Mike Ozekhome

Frederick Fasehun

“If you have your eyes permanently on the rear view mirror, you cannot drive fast.”

“Democracy is not a 100 meters Usain Bolt or Ben Johnson’s quick dash race. Democracy is a marathon race that requires perseverance, patience, settlement, horse-trading, putting together and trying to find a middle course between forces that are centripetal and forces that are centrifugal.”

“Discipline is not necessarily through killing, intimidation and denial of rights. As a matter of fact, allowing the people to enjoy their rights is the true beauty of democracy”.

4

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, January 19, 2016

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Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, January 19, 2016

N2.6b fraud: How ex-NIMASA DG disburses funds — witness Peter Fowoyo

ÎÎÎJustice Ibrahim Buba of

a Federal High Court, Lagos, on Monday, heard how part of the N2.6billion allegedly stolen by a former Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Director-General, Patrick Akpobolokemi, was disbursed.

Akpobolokemi was also accused of defrauding the Federal Government to the tune of N795.2million.

The former NIMASA boss was arraigned along with three others – Captain Ezekiel Agaba, Ekene Nwakuche, Governor Juan – and three companies, namely Bloc kz and Stonz

Limited, Kenzo Logistics Limited and Al-Kenzo Logistic Limited.

In a 22-count charge by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), they were accused of converting a total of N2, 658,957,666 between December 23, 2013 and May 28 this year. The defendants pleaded not guilty to all the counts.

EFCC, which opened trial Monday, called its first witness, Teslim Ajuwon, who is the Compliance Officer at Zenith Bank. He said he was responsible for enquiries from regulatory agencies such as the EFCC, the Police, NDLEA, among others.

He said he received en-

quiries from EFCC for a report of activities on some accounts, including Aruwo Consulting Limited, Extreme Vertex Limited, Southern Options Limited, Green Lemon Services and Committee on ISPS. According to him, the bank received a request to produce account opening package of the companies as well as their financial statements.

The witness, who gave a graphic details of cash inflow and outflow said the fourth defendant, Governor Juan, was paid N11million on September 9, 2014, while Kenzo Logistics, also a defendant, got N10million the same day.

For the Committee on ISPS account, there was an inflow of N14.2million on June 17, 2014 from Access Bank; N21.2million on March 5, 2015; N16million on May 5, 2015; and N21.2million on June 18, 2015.

He said the monies were later disbursed, leaving only N1.4million as balance on June 18, 2015.

Ajuwon said N10million was transferred to Uchenna Emenalo on June 19 2015; while another N11million was transferred to him the same day.

He said on August 29, 2014, there was a credit of N795.2million into the Committee on ISPS account from NIMASA.

5 News

Buhari names new NDLEA boss

ÎÎÎPresident

Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointed of Muhammad Abdallah as the new the new Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA. Secretary to Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, made the announcement on Monday through a statement signed by Bolaji Adebiyi, Director of Press, SGF Office.

According to the statement, the appointment which takes effect from January 11, 2016, will be

for a first tenure of five years.

Mr. Abdallah, a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the Nigeria Army, has a Certificate of Education from Nigeria Defence Academy in 1977, a Bachelor’s Degree in American Politics and Government from Sam Houston State University, Huntville, Texas, USA in 1989, an M. A. Public Administration, LLB and LLM Degrees from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria 2005 and 2011 respectively and Bachelor of Law from the Nigeria Law School in 2006.

MASSOB claims Police kill 8 in protest ÎÎÎ

The Movement for the Actualisation of the State of Biafra (MASOB), has claimed that police killed eight people during violent protests demanding an Independent Biafran state in the South-east as well as the release of their detained leader.

Police, however, denied the allegation from leaders of a cause that sparked a civil war in the 1960s where over a million people were killed.

Uchenna Madu, leader of the Movement for the

Actualization of the State of Biafra, said police shot protesters on Monday in Aba. Abia state police spokesman, Ezekiel Onyeke said no one was killed and police fired only tear gas and smoke grenades to disperse protesters.

Onyeke said police arrested 26 people for possessing weapons including machetes, axes and clubs.

Fourteen other people have been killed and 200 detained since the protests started in October.

Buhari lauds UAE on financial assistance Egena Egena, Abuja

ÎÎÎPresident Wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Buhari (8th left); wife of the Vice President, Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo (6th right); wife of The Speaker, House of Representatives, Mrs. Gimbiya Dogora (7th Left); wives of State Governors after their meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja… on Monday.

Probe of ex-military chiefs: MURIC warns Army against coup Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

ÎÎÎA

non-governmental organisation, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has urged officers and men of the Nigerian Army not allow themselves to be incited to mutiny by anybody in the country.

The NGO, in a statement by its Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, specifically warned the Nigerian Army against incitement into mutiny by a serving governor (name withheld) in Nigeria.

The MURIC described

the said governor as a “man who is still licking the wounds of defeat, a man who had built castles in the air believing that his rigging abracadabra would save his principal, a man facing damning indictment for election rigging”.

The NGO, in its statement said, “We remind the Nigerian Army that military rule has become an anachronism. Any involvement of the military in politics is a misadventure.

“Nigerians have not only breathed the air of democracy, they have tasted its de-

licious juice. They have bitten, chewed and swallowed its fulfilling morsels.

“There is no going back.

Let no frustrated politician deceive our soldiers.

“Nigerians have long declared a caveat emptor: military rule must not come back again.

“We cherish our gallant soldiers in their professional role. They are the defenders of our territorial integrity.

“They have put Boko Haram to shame though the war is not completely over yet.

“They are our heroes so

long as they remain in their professions without venturing into politics. ”They must remain vigilant as new roles continue to emerge when unscrupulous elements become cogs in the wheel of peace, law and order.

“We warn that only thieves and corrupt elements in the military will contemplate mutiny at a time when the Nigerian people, the academic, civil society, and the professionals have declared their unalloyed support for the war against corruption.

Muhammadu Buhari, on Monday, in Abu Dhabi thanked the United Arab Emirate (UAE) for its contributions worth hundreds of millions of dollars in energy aid to developing countries.

The Nigerian leader also called for greater global cooperation against the devastating effects of climate change to avert disaster for the human race in the 21st century, according to a statement by the Presidency spokesman, Femi Adesina.

Buhari, the statement noted, while addressing the opening session of the 2016 World Future Energy Summit, reaffirmed Nigeria’s readiness to work with the United Arab Emirates and rest of the world in a collective ef-

Buhari fort to mitigate the effects of climate change.

“Africa is already suffering from the consequences of climate change, which include recurrent drought and floods.

“In Nigeria, the drastic drying up of the Lake Chad to just about 10% of its original size, has negatively impacted on the livelihood of millions of people, and contributed in making the region a hot bed of insurgency.

News 6

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, January 19, 2016

N1.34tr stolen by 55 people in seven yrs –FG Continued from page 1 former Ministers allegedly stole N7 billion and twelve (12) former Public Servants, both at federal and state levels, allegedly stole over N14 billion.

Giving further breakdown, the Minister stated that eight (8) people in the Banking Industry allegedly stole N524 billion; while eleven businessmen allegedly stole N653billion.

The period referred to starts toward the end of the second term in office of Nigeria’s first civilian president after military rule, Olusegun Obasanjo. He was replaced in 2007 by Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.

President Goodluck Jonathan took over in 2010 when Umaru Yar’Adua died in office.

Alhaji Mohammed, who did not name the affected persons, however pointed out that the prosecution of the 55 persons concerned had already begun.

The Minister said, “We are here today (yesterday) because of another patriotic call to duty. We want the media to once again lead the campaign to sensitize Nigerians to take possession of another war -the war against corruption.

“There is the wrong impression out there that the war against corruption is being fought only by the President or the Federal Government or the governing All Progressive Congress (APC).

“There is the erroneous impression out there that the war against corruption is a vendetta against the op-

position, and that indeed it is one-sided. This is not true and indeed very nauseating.

“Let’s take the latest issue of the 2.1 billion-dollar arms deal as an example. One thing is clear: Funds meant to fight terrorism were deployed to another fight, the fight to keep then President Goodluck Jonathan and his party, the PDP, in power at all cost.

“So far, based on what we know, no one who has been accused of partaking in the sharing of the funds has denied receiving money. All we have heard from them are ludicrous reasons why they partook in sharing of the money.

“One said he collected 4.5 billion Naira for spiritual purposes, another said he received 2.1 billion naira for publicity, while yet another

said he got 13 billion Naira to pay someone else for the Maritime University land.

“Based on these revelations, should we now fold our hands and allow these people to go away with public funds? Is anyone thinking about the innocent soldiers who lost their lives just because they did not get the necessary weapons to fight the terrorists? What about the families left behind by these soldiers who were sent to their early graves because of the misappropriation of these funds?

“What about those who lost their means of livelihood after the terrorists overran their towns and villages? What of the millions of Nigerians, especially women and children, who are now living in IDP camps?

Is it not clear that the cruel

President Muhammadu Buhari (left), with President of Iceland H.E. Olafur Ragnar Grimsson during a reception prior to the opening ceremony of the World Future Energy Summit 2016 at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), United Arab Emirates… on Monday.

fate that has befallen these unfortunate people is a direct result of the misuse of the funds meant to fight the terrorists? Are these not the true costs of corruption?

“Talking about the costs of corruption, gentlemen, it is time we brought into perspective what corruption has done to our nation, our people and our international image, how corruption stifles economic growth, hinders the fight against poverty, leads to decay in infrastructure and reduces educational standards, lowers life expectancy, stunts the fight against maternal and infant mortality and impacts negatively on the general livelihood of the citizens. No one is better placed than you, the media, to lead this charge. And that is why we have come here today to again rally the fourth estate of the realm to patriotic action.

“Gentlemen, the situation is dire and the time to act is now. For example, between the period 2006 and 2013, just 55 people allegedly stole a total of 1.34 trillion Naira in Nigeria. That’s more than a quarter of last year’s national budget.

“Out of the stolen funds, 15 former Governors allegedly stole 146.84 billion naira; 4 former Ministers allegedly stole 7 billion naira; 12 former Public Servants, both at federal and state levels, allegedly stole over 14 billion Naira; 8 people in the Banking Industry allegedly stole 524 billion Naira; while 11 businessmen allegedly stole 653 billion naira.

“Now, what does these figures translate to in the actual sense. In other words, what is the cost of these stolen funds for Nigerians.

“Using World Bank Rates

and Costs, one third of the stolen funds could have provided 635.18 kilometres of road; built 36 ultra-modern hospitals, that is one ultramodern hospital per state; built 183 schools; educated 3,974 children from primary to tertiary level at 25.24 million per child; and built 20,062 units of 2-bedroom houses.

“This is the money that a few people, just 55 in number, allegedly stole within a period of just eight years.

And instead of a national outrage, all we hear are these nonsensical statements that the Government is fighting only the opposition, or that the government is engaging in vendetta.

“Gentlemen, irrespective of your political, religious or tribal leanings, and not minding whether you belong to the APC, PDP, SDP or Labour Party, if you have stolen public funds, you must not go scot-free”, he declared.

Alhaji Mohammed maintained that everyone and every arm of government must rise up to be counted in this epic war, adding that defeat is not an option if the country is to survive.

He insisted that everyone and every arm of government must be involved in the fight against corruption, which is one of the cardinal programmes of the Buhari Administration.

The Minister stressed that irrespective of what anyone may say, President Buhari is leading this fight by example and right from the front, adding that his unparalleled integrity, his love of country and his undiluted dedication to service all put him in good stead to wage the war.

Why different versions of 2016 Budget were in circulation –Senate ÎÎÎThe

Senate on Monday, explained reasons behind the circulation of two different versions of the 2016 Budget, stating that the alterations made on the original copy submitted by President Muhammadu Buhari to the National Assembly through “integrity check” was main-

ly responsible.

The Senate leader Ali Muhammed Ndume made this known while briefing Senate correspondents, stating that Integrity check on an appropriation document from the presidency is a standard practice in the legislature.

He said Integrity check comes to play immediately after submission of

Budget by the President, He said the process involves a through check on the entire document by the National Assembly officials for the purpose of making the budget perfect.

Ndume said during the process of integrity check on budget documents, contents are usually adjusted with the intent to balance infor-

mation on different subheads as projected, while figures in the budget may not necessarily be tampered with.

He said, “What happened was that the Budget was subjected to an Integrity check and that involves a through check on the budget to put it in proper content before debate by lawmakers.

“When integrity check is performed on the budget, there may be slight adjustments where necessary. But the figures in the budget will still remain intact. That is what happened that the media interpreted to mean that the budget was missing” Ndume reiterated that the 2016 budget was not missing since the origi-

nal copy submitted by the President was still in place and had been subjected to integrity check.

Ndume, however, blamed members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the sensation over the budget, stating that the antics by the PDP was understandable because the Senators were up to a game.

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, January 18, 2016

Sodiq Adekunle Osogbo

ÏÏÏMembers of

L-R: Head Campaign and Strategy, Civil Liberty Organization (CLO), Com. Chijioke Odom; President, CLO, Com. Igho Akeregha and National Treasurer, Com. Hajia Halima Ibrahim at a media briefing on Nigeria foreign exchange in Lagos… on Monday.

Army moves to rebuild destroyed N’East villages – GOC Segun Adio

ÏÏÏThe Nigerian Army has said

that it was gradually moving into the phase of reconstruction in the north-eastern part of the country, where troops had engaged Boko Haram insurgents since 2011.

The General Officer Commanding (GOC), 81 Division, of the force, Major-General Henry Edet, said that the insurgents had been seriously degraded to the point that they could no longer attack troops’ locations, villages and towns in the area.

Edet spoke, while addressing returning peace-keepers from Darfur Sudan at the 65 Battalion parade ground in Lagos, and said that Boko Haram had to be defeated, so as to set the condition for the next phase of the counter-insurgency campaign, adding that the next phase of the operation is reconstruction.

Abiodun Taiwo Abeokuta

ÏÏÏThe Iyalode of

Yorubaland, Chief Mrs Alaba Lawson, on Monday, said that her bluntness on issues was behind the plot to assassinate her about eight years ago.

She spoke during a church service held at St. James Cathedral Church, Idi-Ape, Abeokuta, to mark her 65th birthday.

It would be recalled that the home of the celebrant, who doubled as Iyalode of Egbaland, located at Quarry Road, in Abeokuta, on December 22, 2008, was invaded by some people suspected to be assassins, but narrowly escaped the gunmen bullets.

He said that there were three stages of the counter-insurgency operations: rooting out the insurgents; holding the ground and rebuilding the area.

He said that the military was gradually transiting from the stages of rooting out the insurgents and holding the ground to the stage of rebuilding the devastated villages.

Earlier, Edet told the returning soldiers to key into the change agenda of the Buhari administration and apply the Nigerian Army core values, which would help transform them into change agents.

He welcomed the 796 officers and soldiers told them that the Federal Government was currently implementing the change agenda and that they should apply the loyalty, integrity, discipline, respect for others and courage, which were the core value

of the force, to be able to fit into the change agenda of the government.

He commended the troops for their success in Darfur, but urged them to brace up for more tasking assignment in Nigeria, especially as some of them would be deployed to the North-East geopolitical zone to assist in quelling the Boko Haram insurgents.

The GOC told the returning peace-keepers that the operational capability of the Boko Haram insurgents had been seriously degraded to the point that they no longer had the freedom to launch attacks on troops and villages.

While explaining that the Federal government and some non-governmental organisations would be involved in the rebuilding stage, Edet said that told the officers and men that their expertise would be required in that area.

Social Democratic Party (SDP) have been tasked to wrestle power from the ruling All Progressive Party, come 2019 at the national and state levels.

The Chairman of the newly constituted SDP Executive Council, in Osun State, Mr. Ademola Ishola, gave the charge, while addressing party members at the congress of the party in Osogbo, the state capital.

Ishola, who expressed optimism that despite the SDP’s position among the opposition parties in the country, said that it would unseat the present government, and urged member of the party to embrace peace and

7 News SDP vows to unseat APC in 2019 poll ensure unity, saying such ambition could only be achieved in a peaceful atmosphere.

He charged the members of the party in Osogbo and across the country on a need to respect the party’s constitution and work assiduously as a team to take over the government both in the state and at the federal level.

“Party members need to co-operate with one another and work as a team, in order to wrestle power from the ruling All Progressive Congress

Man shot dead by suspected cultists in Ilorin

IGP Arase

Kehinde Akinpelu Ilorin

ÏÏÏThe

residents of Ibrahim Taiwo Road, Ilorin, the Kwara State capital were yesterday thrown into confusion as a popular car wash operator, Mr. Bayo Ajia, was shot dead by people suspected to be cultists.

The assailants said to be four in number reportedly went to under the bridge close to the State Stadium complex, where the deceased was operating a car wash and

shot him on his forehead.

An eye witness told the Daily Times that the suspected cultists, believed to have come from one of the states in the South-West, also inflicted matchet cuts on Ajia after shooting him.

The cultists were said to have arrived his workshop in a taxi cab around 4:15 p.m. and went immediately to meet Ajia who was said to be alone.

The ugly incident caused the busy Taiwo Road to be closed, at the price of a heavy traffic jam.

The deceased who was survived by four wives and many children, was buried on Monday amidst wailings by his associates and sympathisers at the Muslim cemetery, Irewolede, in the Ilorin metropolis.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), State Command, Mr. Ajayi Okansanmi, who confirmed the incident, however, said he had not received full details of the circumstance leading to the demise of the deceased.

Why assassins were after me, by Iyalode Yorubaland

Bird flu: 80,000 birds destroyed in Kano

Lawson, who became emotional, while recalling the ugly incident, said her crime was because she was blunt in telling the truth all the time, recalling that the period was a turbulent time for her.

“My offence was because I am blunt in telling the truth; an attempt was made on my life, and with God grace, I escaped the assassins’ bullet. I had to go into exile because they wanted my life at all cost. I cannot come into my hometown for some years. Even when I clocked 60, I could not celebrate my birthday in my home.”

Yakubu Salisu

She said she was grateful to God to have spared her life, and called on every human being to do good at all time, stating that doing that, God will not for a second abandon such person.

“The past government wanted me dead at all cost. They use everything to attack. They attempted to remove me as Iyalode of Egba, but the Alaafin of Oyo made me Iyalode of Yorubaland, why won’t I be grateful to God. At a point they asked all civil servants to withdraw their children from my school.

Kano

ÏÏÏNo fewer than 80,000 birds

have been destroyed in 45 poultry farms in Kano as a result of the avian influenza outbreak recorded there recently. This was made known on Monday by the state’s Director, Veterinary Services Ministry of Agriculture, Shehu Bawa.

According to him, people must be careful while buying products from poultry traders

in order to avoid buying infected birds which could endanger their health. He however warned that anybody found selling ailing birds to people would face prosecution.

The outbreak was said to have been recorded in nine local government areas.

Bawa urged poultry farmers to report any symptom of the disease to the nearest veterinary hospital as the government had taken serious measures to curtail the spread of the disease.

8

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Politics

Æs

Reps press on with ‘Change Mantra’ to restructure EFCC In spite of misgivings by many Nigerians about the motives behind the move, members of the House of Representatives have continued with their planned restructuring of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Last week at the Chambers, the Bill for the

restructuring passed the second reading as the House moved to facilitate the administrative restructuring of the anti-graft agency to according to the House achieve a credible and effective operational mandate away from the era of numerous CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

Senator Ndume: Call for Buhari’s impeachment, joke of the year

Buhari Olufemi Samuel, Abuja The call for the impeachment of President Muhammadu Buhari by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been described as the joke of the year.

Senate Leader, Muhammed Ali Ndume said this in Abuja during an interactive session with correspondents.

The opposition party had few days ago urged the Na-

Ndume tional Assembly members to commence an impeachment process against President Buhari, alleging a constitutional breach on his part for submitting two versions of 2016 budget to the National Assembly.

Ndume who dismissed reports that the 2016 budget was missing said it was out of place for the PDP to call for Buhari’s impeachment, staring that the PDP had created the problems the Buhari’s ad-

ministration is currently attempting to solve.

He said after ruling for 16 years, the PDP as a party could only be remembered for grounding Nigeria as the party was responsible for the economic down turn the country is facing today.

He said while the PDP government lasted with all the rots it superintendent in NiCONTINUED ON PAGE 9

Dogara

Magu

Gbajabiamila

60 Years of Free Education:

Group rues state of Western Nigeria A Yoruba self determination group, Atayese, has bemoaned the state of education in Western Nigeria at the moment, 60 years after free education was launched in the region by the then Premier and late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

In a statement by its chairman, Mr. Tokunbo Ajasin, the group regretted that sadly, the enduring legacy of free education of Chief Awolowo was undermined by those who benefitted from it to become leaders.

Its words: “January 17, 1955 was a defining moment in the history of Yoruba nation when our indefatigable and visionary leader-Chief Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo and his Action Group team became the first indigenous regime on the African continent to introduce free primary education in the defunct Western Region.

“This momentous event not only redefined but equally repositioned the Yoruba nation for rapid development. The hallmark of this transformational educational programme was that every family in Western Nigeria benefitted. Yoruba nation subsequently became a pace-setter and hope of every black-man for rejuvenation in the global developmental agenda”, it said.

The group however regretted that “this was unfortunately truncated by myopic leadership whose quest for power was dictated by parochial and chauvinistic agenda. 60 years after, the enduring legacy of the free education programme has been mindlessly undermined regrettably by people who graciously benefitted from it and subsequently became leaders.

“We, the Atayese are persuaded that the greatest disservice to the Awolowo legacy in Western Ni-

geria is the ill-informed and selfserving ethno-hegemonic agenda that led to over-centralization of power in Nigeria. Nigeria is a paradox- A country blessed beyond measures in human and material resources, yet wallowing in squalor, poverty, disease and all sorts of deprivation. The mindless slaughter and mass murder arising from past deliberate acts of negligence by both the Nigerian state and powerful individuals makes the search for change to a humane, just and progressive Nigeria an immediate imperative”.

It pointed out that the truth is that Nigeria will only make progress “when we recognize the uniqueness of our ethnic nationalities. Let Nigeria be a true federal union where every nationality operates according to her inherent cultural traits, values and pace in order to make appropriate and unfettered contribution to national development. We have done it before in the First Republic. We can do again. The ‘Abuja self-serving contractors’ should not be permitted to stop our progress again through anachronistic commitment to over-centralization and concentration of power in the centre under any disguise”.

Awolowo

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, January 19, 2016

‘Call for Buhari’s impeachment, a huge joke’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

geria, no body called for the impeachment of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

According to him, PDP should not have been allowed to stay as a party for its failings, just as he described Buhari as a President Nigeria needs at the moment.

He said Nigeria needs Buhari a reason they should support him rather than joining the opposition to castigate him.

His words: “Frankly, President Buhari is the kind of man that Nigeria needs now.

He came into power by divine intervention. He had made four attempts and failed. And he came at the right time when Nigeria needs people like him more.

“So those calling for his impeachment are only cracking a huge joke”, he said.

9 Politics

Sacked Adamawa SDP lawmaker to re-contest under KOWA party Mr. Laori Kwamoti, who lost his seat as member representing Numan/Demsa/ Lamurde Federal Constituency in Adamawa, is to re-contest the seat under the platform of KOWA party.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Kwamoti, who was the only Social Democratic Party (SDP) member in the National Assembly, lost his seat in September last year when the Court of Appeal in Abuja upheld the ruling of the Election Petition Tribunal which nullified his election on the grounds that he was not validly nominated by his party (SDP).

The ruling ordered fresh election within 90 days for the seat, and also barred SDP from fielding any candidate in the election.

Kwamoti, thereafter, left the SDP and joined KOWA Party.

Confirming the emergence of Kwamoti as its candidate, the Adamawa State KOWA party chairman, Alhaji Saidu Bobboi, said he was endorsed by all delegates at the party’s congress

unopposed as our candidate during the last election, hence, the need for us to conduct fresh primary.

“Kwamoti, who defected to our party, was endorsed by all the 48 delegates that participated in our congress held in Numan on January 7.” Bobboi said.

He urged the people of the constituency to vote Kwamoti under KOWA party, adding that the party was comfortable with him-- based on his track-record as a two-term state lawmaker

who sponsored the highest number of bills.

“Kwamoti also served as Deputy Speaker and Acting Speaker in the last Adamawa House of Assembly, where he proved his worth by providing his people with quality representation.” Bobboi said.

Kwamoti on his part, declared his commitment to recontest under KOWA party and urged the people of his constituency to once more come and vote for him for continuity of quality representation.

Kwamoti held in Numan on January 7.

Bobboi explained that the party candidate in the 2015 general election, Mr Bitrus Bala, who had been given a traditional appointment by his people, was contacted to come and re-contest but he declined.

“We have written to Bala as a party and he replied us and even deposed to an affidavit that he has left active politics and is no longer interested.

“And you know Bala emerged

Edo Assembly adopts 55 days business calendar The 6th assembly of Edo State legislature adopted a business calendar of 55 days for its first session, third quarter in Benin on Monday.

Presenting the calendar before the House, the Majority leader, Folly Ogedengbe, said the House would sit for 11 days

in January, 21 days in February and 23 days in March.

Ogedengbe said the House sat for 61 days in the first quarter and 60 days in the second quarter of the year.

According to him, every Thursday and Friday of the week is for committee sittings.

Reps press on with ‘Change Mantra’ to restructure EFCC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

botched trials resulting to loads of litigation debts hanging on the neck of the Federal Government.

The Bill, an Act to Amend the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment, ETC.) Act Cap. E1, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to Provide for the Restructuring of the Composition of the Commission by Including Members of Independent Organisations Review Committee in its Witness Protection Unit, Detention Unit and Compensation of Victims of Financial Crimes and Disqualification of Convicted Persons from Holding or Continuing to Hold Public Office and Related Matters”, passed the second reading for debate last week.

When the Bill first came for the First reading, there were fears that the members of the National Assembly were out to curtail the powers of the EFCC following the belief that its operatives may be used to come

after them.

However, leading debate on the general principles of the Bill, the sponsor, Hon. Osai Nicholas Osai (PDP, Delta) told the House that the bill if passed and signed into law is a true representation of the “change” mantra currently being pursued by the Buhariled administration.

According to him, the legislation for the restructuring seeks to cure almost all the ills/shortcomings of the parent Act with regards to the composition of the anti graft body, its operation, techniques as well as investigation of corruption cases for which convictions have eluded it over the years with its attendant huge digitation cost on the federal government.

His words: “The other name of this bill is “change”. This is so, taking into cognisance the other aspect of the EFCC Act which this bill seeks to amend, and the importance including the attendant positive consequences this bill will have on

Dogara the current fight against corruption by the federal government through the EFCC”.

“This bill tends to address some of the technical challenges confronting the EFCC, arising from some existing lacunae in the subsisting EFCC Act”, he added.

Explaining further on the importance of the amendment bill to the mandate of the EFCC as hampered by the identified inadequacies in the existing establishment Act, Hon. Osai said

the bill which is a product of extensive research and consultation seeks to give more value to the EFCC by aligning it with relevant professional bodies such as Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the Body of Benchers to aid its investigation and subsequent prosecution of cases to their logical conclusion.

In what appears as a move to allay fears of Nigerians on the motive for their planned restructuring, the Bill which received unanimous support from lawmakers on the floor of the House also calls for an Advisory Body of retired professionals from the Judiciary as well as security agencies who will provide professional advice to the agency with a view to avoiding criminal and legal pitfalls that have plagued its operations over the years.

“One of the segment is the inclusion into the composition of very high ranking Nigerians in the EFCC Commission and also in the Op-

erations Review Committee as contained in sections 2 and 5 which seeks to amend sections 2(1)(a)(ii), section 2(1)(0) and section 13(1) and (2) of the principal Act. “The second segment is compensation of victims of an offence, trial and investigation processes in sections 3, 4 and 5 of the bill seeking to amend section 14(2) of the Principal Act. “The third segment deals with the proper use of language in section 6 which seeks to amend section 16(1) of the principal Act”, Osai said.

The fourth segment, he added deals with EFCC’s handling of property of people under trial, increased penalty and disqualification of convicted persons from holding any public office as contained in sections 5 and 7 of the bill which seeks to amend section 14(1)(a) and (b) and section 32 of the principal Act. The bill was passed after second reading and referred to the relevant committee for further legislative inputs.

Politics 10 Alade Tasma It ıs an undenıable fact that the natıonal leader of the All Progressıves Congress, (APC), and former governor of Lagos State, Asıwaju Bola Ahmed Tınubu has made immeasurable contrıbutıons towards reshapıng the natıon’s polıtıcal landscape ın the last 16 years of the current polıtıcal dıspensatıon.

One of Tınubu’s polıtıcal landmark but controversıal achıevements ın Lagos was the creatıon of addıtıonal 37 Area Councils from the orıgınal 20 ın 2002. The actıon of course, attracted the wrath of the then presıdent, Olusegun Obasanjo and culmınated ın the seızure of the allocatıons to the local governments ın the state to the tune of over #10bn for many years.

The Supreme Court pronouncement of the Presıdent’s actıon as illegal did not persuade the Owu-born General to release the seızed money untıl late President Umar Musa Yar’Adua came on board ın 2007 and ordered the ımmedıate release of the seızed funds, albeit without interest.

Tınubu agaın recorded another landmark achıevement ın 2003 when he gallantly survıved the booby trap of then Presıdent Obasanjo and that of hıs Peoples Democratıc Party (PDP) to completely root out the then Allıance for Democracy, (AD), the party ın control of the South West states from the regıon and to be taken over by the PDP. Tınubu emerged the only AD governor after the 2003 general electıon that saw the PDP dethronıng fıve of the sıx AD governors. Tınubu was to later become a “polıtıcal godfather” of sort after he had successfully dısmantled the polıtıcal structures of the AD as orıgınally put ın place by the leadershıp of the Yoruba socıal cultural group, Afenıfere, on whose goodwıll and ınfluence he (Tınubu) became the governor of the state ın 1999 when he defeated Chıef Dapo Sarumı of the PDP. Havıng completely relegated the leadershıp of the Afenıfere group from the AD structures and wıth the resıgnatıon of Alhajı Ganıyu Daodu, the then State chaırman of the party as a result of frustratıon due to alleged harassment and ıntımıdatıons by the forces of State government, Tınubu took over the control of the party and went ahead to ınstal hıs own dıscıples as leaders at all levels of the party.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Tinubu and super sycophantic disciples

Tinubu

In 2005, Tınubu, ın allıance wıth former Vıce Presıdent, Atıku Abubakar, formed the Actıon Congress, AC. Under thıs arrangement, Tınubu was made to collapse the Allıance for Democracy ınto the remnant of the Atıku led Peoples Democratıc Movement, (PDM).

The gentlemen agreement leadıng to the 2007 general electıon was the concessıon of the Presıdentıal tıcket to Atıku Abubakar, the VP tıcket to the South East, whıle the party natıonal chaırman and Secretary to the government of the federatıon, SGF slots was reserved for Tınubu to fıll ın the South West. That Presıdentıal race, however, ended in a failure.

The Actıon Congress agaın metamorphosed ınto Actıon Congress of Nıgerıa ın 2008 havıng faıled ın the allıance to clınch the presıdency at the 2007 general electıon. Under thıs arrangement, Tınubu became the “Alpha et Omega” the ultımate leader who decıdes on who became what, and when ın the party.

Indıcatıons of these became clear at the 2011 general electıons where only candıdates that had the Tınubu’s endorsement became the candıdates of the party,

Oba Akiolu

especıally ın the South West regıon.

The 2011 local government electıons ın Lagos State also eloquently attested to Tınubu’s power and ınfluence. The party prımarıes were characterızed by personal endorsement and recommendatıons of candıdates across the entıre 57 local government councıls and Development Areas.

Tınubu’s polıtıcal ınfluence and the rısıng profıle of hıs then Actıon Congress of Nıgerıa party ın the South West no doubt led to the ıncrease ın the number of unrepentant polıtıcal jobbers who worshıp ın hıs polıtıcal temple as well as become more actıve ın theır scıentıfıc sycophantısm.

It ıs common nowadays seeıng Tınubu’s dıscıples chorusıng: “On your mandate we shall stand, Tınubu, on your mandate, on your mandate..”, in what has now been known as “Tınubu’s anthem” whenever he ıs present at any occasıon.

One could recall Tınubu’s arraingment by the Code of Conduct Bureau Trıbunal ın Abuja ın August, 2011 and the hıgh level sycophantısm display by a bundle of polıtıcal jobbers and benefıcıarıes whıch ıncluded elected governors

Obasa

from the South West regıon who abadoned theır dutıes and responsıbılıtıes to the electorate ın theır respectıve states and temporarıly relocated to Abuja where they flocked around and praısed song Tınubu who was docked by the CCBT on allegatıon of not declarıng hıs full assets as requıred by the law of the land.

Of the many scıentıfıc sycophantısm act that came to mınd was that of a two-term member of the Lagos State House of Assembly who ıs now representıng Lagos Maınland federal constıtuency at the House of Representatives, Hon. Jıde Jımoh. In what was supposed to be an openıng prayer ın a state organızed event, Jimoh who was then the Chaırman of Yaba Local Councıl Development Area was turned to a specıal prayer for the APC natıonal leader and hıs famıly members.

The then councıl boss haıled Tınubu to the vısıble discomfiture of those ın attendance wıth dıfferent appellatıons and tıtles such as the “Jagaban Borgu, the Asıwaju of Afrıca, the Pathfınder, the Apamaku of the Unıverse, the Agba-Akın of Ijeshaland”, among several other tıtles whıle he raıned curses on Tınubu’s percıved

and ımagınary enemıes ın what supposed to be an openıng prayer at a state functıon. ”What a Sycophantıc opportunıst ın the corrıdor of power? A keen observer at the event wondered.

The Oba of Lagos, HRM Rılwan Akıolu ıs fast appearıng a polıtıcıan and thıs ıs evıdenced by hıs recent comments and actıons. The royal father seems to have been ınfected wıth Tınubu’s movement “vırus”. The Olowo Eko (as Akıolu ıs called) has become a dıe hard fan of Tınubu whom he often referred to as hıs son.

Many could not belıeve theır ears when the Lagos monarch at one of the Ojude Oba celebratıonsh, at Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State where Tınubu was the Chaırman of the occasıon openly ınvoked the spırıt of hıs fore-fathers agaınst the opponents of Tınubu. The monarch swore by the holy name of God and that of the spırıt of hıs ancestors assurıng Tınubu that any “gang-up” agaınst hım wıll faıl and those behınd ıt wıll be defeated and put to shame.

Oba Akıolu, ın a goodwıll message at a state functıon spoke high heavens of Tınubu CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

11 Politics

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, January 19, 2016

We are not involved in Kogi Assembly crisis — APC Tom Okpe, Abuja The All Progressives Congress APC in Kogi State has urged those it described as “political detractors” to stop linking it to the ongoing leadership tussle in the state House of Assembly.

State Chairman of the party, Alhaji Haddy Ametuo who gave the warning in a statement issued in Abuja said APC is preoccupied with its recent electoral success in the state as well as putting all efforts in place to hit the ground running at the end of the tenure of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led government on January 27.

“As far as we are concerned, we have no interest or hand in the crisis in the House of Assembly, after all PDP has the majority, So, our political detractors should not link us with their actions or inaction’s, rather than linking the governor-elect, Alhaji Yahaya Bello with their inability to manage the House, we urge them to

Oyegun look inwards and search their “cupboards”, he said.

Ametuo also cautioned residents of the Central Senatorial District against ‘over-celebration’ saying the task ahead is very enormous.

He warned that on the day of inauguration, no form of thuggery or unnecessary celebration

Ametuo with masquerades would be allowed.

“I enjoin the people of the state to be law-abiding. Security operatives are on alert to pick anyone who foments trouble. Traditional masquerades would not also be allowed anywhere near the event.

We must all conduct and comport ourselves accordingly”, he added.

How Governors’ wives can help deliver ‘Change Mantra’, by Aisha Buhari Egena Egena, Abuja Wife of the President, Aisha Buhari, on Monday met with wives of state governors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja to discuss strategies on how the First Ladies could better serve the interest of their people.

Addressing governors’ wives at the meeting which took place at the Conference Room of the First Lady’s Wing, Mrs Buhari told them that they were not precluded from making a difference in the lives of such people even though the constitution does not explicitly provide a role for them.

She explained that the Governors’ Wives Forum was an organ for the women to support their husbands in their effort to deliver on the change agenda.

According to her, “As wives of political office holders, we must continue to do our best in contributing to the success.

“I believe in our little ways, we can assist them to bring succour to the populace, especially those in need, such as victims of insurgency in the North East and other forms of violence, physically challenged and other vulnerable groups.

“It is on this note I felt it is important for us to come together to strengthen our unity and extend our solidarity to each other under a common platform.

“There, we need to develop strong leadership structures in the two regions not only in one as the case with the already known Northern Governors Wives Forum of the country.”

The President’s wife spoke of the restructuring of the two regional halves of the forum to encourage networking, cooperation and constructive partnership, urging them to be prepared to deal with programmes that were capable of impacting positively on the lives of citizens particularly the less privileged members of the society.

She noted some of the challenges facing the poor to include widowhood rites, female inheritance rights, female genital mutilation, early marriages, violence against women and children, high maternal mortality and women economic empowerment.

The wife of the president urged the state governors’ wives to mobilize support for government policies and programmes without hesitation.

Tinubu and super sycophantic disciples CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

and descrıbed hım as the best thıng to have happened to Lagos State.

However, the Lagos monarch curıously but tactıcally affırmed that Tınubu ıs not a Lagosıan as he ommıted hıs name whıle namıng the ”Sons of the soıl” who have one tıme or the other served as the governor of the state. Akıolu only named the fırst Mılıtary Governor of the state, Mobolajı Johnson, the fırst executıve governor, Alhajı Lateef Kayode Jakande and another mılıtary admınıstrator ın the state, Mudashıru Lawal but the monarch quıckly came up wıth hıs own defınıtıon of a Lagosıan as someone who meant well as well as done so much for the state lıke Bola Tınubu.

The royal father lambasted those crıtıcızıng hım for the APC natıonal leader’s large heartedness towards

Tinubu hım, sayng such people were ıgnorant of what bonded the two of them together.

A former member of Lagos State House of Assembly and House of Representatıves who ıs a servıng as commıssıoner ın the state in an interview sometıme ago shocked many by hıs sycophantıc response; when he was asked about hıs next polıtıcal move prıor to hıs electıon ınto the House of

Oba of Lagos representatıves, the lawmaker explaıned that only Asıwaju Bola Tınubu can determıne hıs polıtıcal destıny.

Tınubu’s new status as a natıonal leader of the rulıng party at the centre came after havıng used the strength of hıs then ACN especıally, ın the South West regıon with a sort of polıtıcal allıance ın 2003 wıth Buharı’s Confrence of Polıtıcal Congress (CPC),

All Nıgerıans Peoples Party (ANPP), a factıon of the Peoples Democratıc Party (PDP) (the new PDP) and a factıon of All Progressıves Grand Allıance (APGA) to become the APC ın 2014 and subsequently went ahead to wın the 2015 Presıdentıal electıon.

The APC success story was largely atrrıbuted to Tınubu’s contrıbutıons and thıs has agaın ıncreased the number of professıonal polıtıcal jobbers and sycophantıc dıscıples who pretended to have bought ınto hıs polıtıcal ıdealogy just for them to remaın ın the good record of the master and contınue to get party patronage and appoıntments ınto publıc offıce. But there also those who newly want to walk theır way ınto the master’s heart through sycophantıc act and dısplay.

These crop of polıtıcıans have contınued throngıng the Bourdıllon home of Tınubu whıch is now known as the

“unoffıcıal seat of power” ın the state.

The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashıru Obasa at the offıcıal presentatıon of the 2016 budget by the State Governor, Akınwumı Ambode shocked guests at the ceremony wıth hıs unconscıous sycophantıc expressıon when he saıd, only the “Jagaban, Asıwaju Bola Tınubu could decıde those that would contest the 2019 electıon”.

The ımplıcatıon of thıs statement ıs that the APC as a polıtıcal party ın Lagos State lacks ınternal democracy but its a one-man empıre, owned and managed by the natıonal leader of the party, Asıwaju Bola Tınubu whom by ımplıcatıon of the statement, has been presented as the sole determınant of party flagbearers ın any electıon. But by extensıon, Tınubu ıs descrıbed as not been ºa democrat but a “pretender and democratıc dıctator”.

News 12

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, January 19, 2016

I won’t appear before just any judge, says Tompolo Continued from page 1 flouting court orders with impunity.

The former militant said no one should be above the law, and promised to honour the invitation of the anti-graft agency.

“He will appear before the EFCC but the court case he has with them has to be settled before he will honour the invitation,” Paul Bebenibo, Tompolo’s spokesman said.

“Be that as it may, adherence to constitutionalism

and the rule of law should not be on one part. There have been so many court pronouncements which the government and its agencies have refused to obey.

“The Federal Government should also respect the rule of law. Imagine the

president saying that some persons should be kept in custody when the court asked that they should be freed. It doesn’t work. Tompolo will certainly appear because there is no misdeed on his part as far as the transactions with the Fed-

L-R: Region 9 Chairperson, Lion Club, Toyin Adesokan; District Governor, Dr. Olufunke Adebajo; District Coordinator on Measles Campaign, Dipo Olanipekun and District Chief Protocol 2, Blessing Umebali during Lions Club District 404B2 Integrated Measles Campaign Training in Lagos…on Monday.

PHOTO: OLAWALE ROTIMI.

eral Government and NIMASA are concerned.

“As I speak to you now, his lawyers are working to sort that out. There is no misdeed on the part of Tompolo as far as this issue that he is having with the EFCC is concerned. He was actually the backbone of NIMASA in recovering the levies, taxes and so on, since he has interest in Global West Vessel Company, which does the job for NIMASA. “So, if there is any financial issue that has got to do with NIMASA, Global West and Tompolo, he is very innocent. His records in ensuring that the publicprivate partnership which Global West had with NIMASA worked out for good are out known.

“So, one needs to be careful in order not to appear before just any court.

Tompolo would not allow himself to be ridiculed, never. He would not appear before just any judge that would not be able to give effective judgment. Not a judge that would make pronouncement that would tie his hands, he won’t appear

before such judge,” he said.

Bebenibo maintained that the ex-militant leader know nothing about the recent attack on oil installations in the Niger Delta, saying the EFCC should give Tompolo more time to honour its summons.

“Tompolo would not condescend so low to attack oil installations because he is being invited by the EFCC. It is a non-issue.

“After all, he is in court with the EFCC. He went to court two months after the EFCC froze his account without any court mandate.

He challenged them in court and the EFCC invited him after that, so Tompolo is not afraid of appearing before EFCC. He will certainly appear but he should be given more time.”

Bebenibo debunked rumours that Tompolo had fled the country, saying: “Flee to where? Tompolo has not left this country before. Since he accepted the amnesty offer of the late President Musa Yar’Adua, he has remained in this country. He cannot go through the backdoor.”

Fresh crisis hits PDP as group asks Metuh, Mohammed to step aside Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

ÎÎÎA fresh leadership cri-

sis is now brewing within the camp of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as a faction of deputy national officers of the party on Monday called on the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh and the Acting Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT), Dr. Harilu Bello Mohammed to step aside pending the determination of the corrupt case instituted against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The group equally described as null and void, the timetable released by the NWC for the party’s congresses and national convention, which it said, was done without recourse to the National Executive Committee.

The faction similarly

Ï Group being used by APC to destabilize PDP, says Secondus asked the Acting National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, to revert to his former position as Deputy National Chairman, noting that it is in the interest of democracy that the Abuja High Court ruling of December 15, 2015 should be respected and implemented.

But the national leadership of the PDP in a swift reaction on Monday accused the group of deputy national officers of being used by the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) to distablise the party.

The call on the duo of Metuh and Mohammed by the factional officers to step aside was contained in a statement signed on their behalf by Otunba Dennis Alonge-Niyi (deputy national youth leader), Bashir Maidugu (deputy national legal adviser), Okey Nnaedozie

(deputy national organising secretary) and Abdullahi Jalo (deputy national publicity secretary).

They however added that the call was not a pronouncement of guilt on Metuh and Mohammed, but a passionate appeal to halt erroneous concept that the party tolerates corruption.

The PDP deputy national officers, apart from the deputy national chairman and deputy national secretary, are not members of the PDP National Working Committees (NWC).

The group dissociated the PDP from the ongoing trials of Metuh and Mohammed by the anti-corruption agency, “because the charges against them are in their individual capacities and not acting on behalf of the party.”

They called on National Caucus, the Board

of Trustees and the PDP Governors Forum to prevail on the two accused persons to step aside until they clear their names so as to save the party from any further damage.

“They (Metuh and Mohammed) are said to have received funds using accounts of their private companies without the knowledge and instructions of any organ of the party.

Meanwhile, the national leadership of the PDP on Monday reacted to the various issues raised by its deputy national officers and declared that they were merely allowing themselves to be used by the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) to distablise the party.

Acting National chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, while reacting to the development during an interaction with

journalists in Abuja, pointed out that the constitution of the party is very clear that in the absence of the chairman, the deputy assumes his position.

According to Secondus, “They took us to court and we have appealed.

They are ignorant of the law. The Constitution is clear that in the absence of chairman, the deputy assumes position”.

The PDP acting national chairman specifically accused the deputy national officers of malice.

He stated that they (deputy national officers) were “being used by the other party to destabilise us, but we aren’t going to be distracted, we are strong.”

Secondus said that he has not assumed the office of chairman but that he is only administering the party in acting capacity.

He added: “They aren’t

the authorised organ of the party. There is nothing like association of deputies”.

Also in a statement on Monday evening signed

by PDP National Secretary, Prof. Adewale Oladipo, the party cautioned members against being used by fifth columnists.

The PDP noted the desperation of some opportunistic and selfish individuals, including those being used by the APC, to draw political capital from the present challenges facing the party.

Metuh

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, January 19, 2016

13 International

Burundi opposition leader hopeful of peaceful settlement

ÏÏÏThe

exiled leader of the Opposition Front for Democracy in Burundi (FRODEBU) said efforts toward a peaceful resolution of the Burundian crisis are not dead because the Burundian people want peace.

Peace talks that were scheduled to resume on

January sixth in Uganda’s capital, Kampala, did not take place because the government of President Pierre Nkurunziza said it would not negotiate with certain opposition figures it considers as “coup plotters” or “sponsors of acts of terrorism.”

But FRODEBU leader Jean

Minani said the president has said ‘the peace process can’t be dead because all Burundians expect to have peace. So, if the current government of Nkurunziza doesn’t want to negotiate, they will be forced to go into negotiation, he said.”

Minani said Nkurunziza

has probably forgotten that peace negotiations are usually between enemies and not friends. He denied that some members of the opposition and civil society are seeking the violent overthrow of the government.

“When Mr. Pierre Nkurunziza

negotiated on behalf of the CNDD-FCC (Burundi’s ruling party) there was a comment like this. But we accepted to negotiate with him. He knows that if you have to negotiate, you don’t negotiate with your friend; you negotiate with your enemies.

N. Korea dropped 1 million propaganda leaflets - Seoul ÏÏÏNorth

An injured Kenya Defense Force soldier is stretched into an ambulance to be transfered to the hospital after arriving in Nairobi, on Jan. 17, 2016, a day after an attack by the al-Qaeda-linked militants on an African Union base (AMISOM) in southwest Somalia.

Somali extremists capture Kenyan soldiers ÏÏÏThe

Somali Islamist extremist group al-Shabab says it captured some Kenyan soldiers during last week’s attack on an African Union peacekeeping base in southwestern Somalia.

Somali troops and Kenyan soldiers with the AU force, AMISOM, are deployed at the isolated base.

Also Sunday, four wounded Kenyan soldiers were airlifted home, but Kenyan officials gave no death toll. Kenyan

Four worshippers killed in Cameroon mosque

Korea launched about 1 million leaflets by balloon into South Korea in an escalating propaganda battle after the North’s nuclear test earlier this month, Seoul officials said Monday.

North Korea claimed to test a hydrogen bomb on January 6, although many foreign governments and analysts remain skeptical about the claim.

While avoiding direct military confrontation that could easily escalate into a hot war, both the North and South resumed psychological war games and tactical maneuvers to demonstrate military readiness and resolve.

Days after the test, South Ko-

Roadside bomb kills five soldiers in Pakistan

ÏÏÏAt least five paramilitary

firmed the incident.

“One of the two injured is in critical condition,” spokesperson Manzoor Ahmed told AFP. Thousands of paramilitary troops are deployed in troubled areas of the country to carry out security checks and to help police in maintaining law and order.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the latest attack, but Baloch separatists demanding greater autonomy have been waging an insurgency for years and the province is also riven by sectarian strife and Islamist violence.

explosives he was carrying with him.”

Cameroonian troops are at the scene of the attack, the source said.

It is the second deadly blast to hit the Far North in less than a week, following a bombing at a mosque in Kolofata district during morning prayers last Wednesday.

President Uhuru Kenyatta confirmed Friday some soldiers had been killed in the attack, which involved suicide car bombs and gunmen.

Kenyan Defense Secretary Raychelle Omamo says a search, rescue and recovery operation is underway in the area of the attack.

She added the operation area remains dangerous, volatile and fluid.

In a statement Sunday, alShabab claimed the number

of dead Kenyan troops had risen to 100. It was not possible to verify that figure.

Al-Shabab frequently exaggerates the number of troops they kill, while AMISOM rarely gives exact tolls.

The attack came as politicians met in the southern port of Kismayo, with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud leading a “National Consultative Forum” to debate planned elections due later this year.

soldiers were killed and two others injured when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb in the southwestern province of Balochistan, officials said on Monday.

The incident occurred in Marget area, around 30km east of the provincial capital Quetta.

“Five paramilitary soldiers embraced martyrdom and two others were injured when their vehicle passed over an IED (improvised explosive device),” a local security official told AFP. A spokesperson for the paramilitary Frontier Corps con-

ÏÏÏFour

Haram jihadists.

“The toll of this attack is four dead and two injured,” the source, who was at the scene of the attack, told AFP. A source close to regional authorities confirmed that a deadly attack had taken place in Nguetchewe, but was unable to provide details.

The security source said the

attack took place around 06:00 (05:00 GMT) just as morning prayers were ending.

“The suicide bomber, a young boy, arrived in the village by foot,” the source said, adding that a witness had noticed his behaviour seemed suspicious and had tried to intercept him.

“The bomber ran towards the mosque, where he set off the

worshippers were killed in a suicide bombing at a mosque in northern Cameroon on Monday, a security source said, five days after a similar attack left 12 people dead.

Monday’s blast hit the village of Nguetchewe in Cameroon’s Far North region, in an area near the border with Nigeria regularly targeted by Boko

rea began blasting anti-Pyongyang broadcasts and K-pop songs at its loudspeaker sites along the heavily militarized border.

North Korea responded by restarting its own border broadcasts and floating the balloons over the border carrying antiSouth leaflets, Seoul officials said.

South Korea’s defense ministry said the North’s leaflets were being air-dropped on a neardaily basis and the leaflets have reached as far as Seoul, which is about 60 kilometers from the border.

Seoul believes its propaganda broadcasts help to demoralize frontline troops and residents near the border.

News 14 FG warns foreign airlines against assault on Nigerians Idu Jude Abuja

ÏÏÏThe Federal Government has again warned of dire consequences for airline operators who treat Nigerians shabbily especially on international operations.

Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Sirika gave the warning when a delegation from the Emirates Group paid him a courtesy visit in his office.

The warning is to curb the complains of millions of Nigerians who suffer in the hands of foreign airline operators. Such that were recorded between a Nigerian family and a Turkish Airline recently.

According to the Aviation Minister, government cannot continue to condone the practice of subjecting Nigerians to all forms of suffering, either by making them walk long distances before boarding or using small aircrafts that would not carry them along with their luggage to their destinations.

Former Governor of Benue State, Mr. Gabriel Suswan (left) during his trial on money laundering and breach of public fund at the Federal High Court in Abuja... on Monday Photo: TEMITOPE BALOGUN

Two docked for N10.3m bank fraud Segun Adio

ÏÏÏThe

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Monday, arraigned the duo of Sani Endurance and Hilary Odo before Justice A.O. Onovo of Enugu State High Court, Nsukka, on a 22-count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery and stealing to the tune of N10.3 million.

The suspects allegedly conspired among themselves and reactivated three accounts belonging to customers of a new generation bank without the customers’ consent, and diverted the funds for personal benefits.

They both pleaded not guilty to all the charges preferred against them.

In view of their plea, the prosecuting counsel, Michael Ani, asked for a

date for trial, while M.A Ayamanbhor and Onodima Mathias, counsel to the first and second accused persons respectively, applied for bail of their clients on the ground that the accused had been on an administrative bail since 2013 and did not jump bail.

The accused persons were admitted to bail in the sum of N1million each and one surety in like sum.

The sureties are to produce

Okorocha sacks 5, 000 staff of 20 parastatals Val Okara Owerri

ÏÏÏGovernor

Rochas Okorocha of Imo state, on Monday, made good his threat to downsize the state work force by sending over 5000 workers to the labour market.

Okorocha, during his 2016 budget presentation of the state House of Assembly announced government’s plans to sack over 5000 staff of the state civil service.

Announcing the sacking of the staff of the 20 parastatals in a press release on Monday, the Secretary to the State

Government (SSG) of Imo State, Sir Jude Ejiogu said following a productivity audit conducted on the affected establishments, government could no longer fund their payment.

He said government could no longer keep running these Agencies/ Parastatals/Departments with huge cost under the present economic realities.

Ejiogu said Imo state government has therefore decided to suspend the workers of the above Agencies/parastatals/Departments without salary with effect from Monday, 4th of January, 2016.

According to him, the

three years tax clearance and two passport photographs each. The matter was adjourned to February 8, 2016 for commencement of trial.

In a related development, one Abel Charles alongside his company AB 08 Nigeria Limited were also arraigned Monday before Justice Nuhu Y. Galandanci of the Kano state High Court on 2-count charge of issuance of dud cheque to

the tune of N15million.

The accused allegedly defrauded one JALCOP Nigeria Limited of the sum of N 15,000,000 meant for the supply of 20 trucks of black oil to Sokoto Cement Company. Charles, however, delivered one truck and when the complainant asked for a refund, he issued five cheques to the tune of N15, 000,000 which was returned unpaid on the ground of insufficient

funds standing to the credit of the drawer.

The accused however pleaded not guilty to the charge, prompting the prosecution counsel, Douglas Gift to urge the court to fix a date for the commencement of trial.

Justice Galandanci, however, admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N200, 000 with two sureties who must be resident in Kano state.

TB Joshua sues Lagos Coroner, AG over indictment Titilope Joseph

ÏÏÏThe

leader of Synagogue Church of All Nation, Prophet Temitope Joshua has sued the Lagos state Coroner, Magistrate Komolafe Oyetade and AttorneyGeneral and Commissioner for Justice, over the criminal indictment of the church and two engineers who constructed the collapsed building that left about 116 people

dead on September 12, 2014.

TB Joshua and his church had filed a motion before Justice Kazeem Alogba, seeking an order to annul the verdict of Magistrate Komolafe Oyetade at the coroner’s court on the ground that the court has exceeded its statutory jurisdiction.

Komolafe and the Attorney General, Lagos state are listed as respondents in

the suit filed on January 11, 2016.

In its verdict last year, TB Joshua’s church and the two engineers that constructed the collapsed building were indicted by the coroner court.

The court ordered that Synagogue church be investigated by the relevant authorities for not possessing the neccessary building permit.

Bank’s principal officers risk jail over contempt Okorocha

affected workers shall be communicated in due course of government’s next line of action regarding possible re-engagement after the on-going consessioning exercise affecting these Agencies/ Parastatals/Departments.

Peter Fowoyo

ÏÏÏUnless a Federal High

Court in Lagos decides otherwise, three principal officers of Skye Bank PLC may be sent to prison for allegedly disobeying court order.

Already, the court will today decide whether or not to commence the hear-

ing of committal to prison proceeding filed against officers of the bank namely: the Chairman Dr. Olatunde Ayeni (CON), the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Timothy Oguntayo, and the company Secretary, Mrs. Abimbola Izu for allegedly flouting court order.

Hearing on the matter should have commenced last year but the bank filed an application staying proceeding pending the outcome of an appeal filed at the Court of Appeal, consequently the court adjourned till today awaiting the decision of the appellate court.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, January 19, 2016

15 Opinion

Rape of justice and Ukwa-Ngwa agitation “The greatest want of the world is the want of men men who will not be bought or sold; men who in their inmost souls are true and honest; men who do not fear to call sin by its right name; men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole; men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall.”-Ellen G. White.

Okechukwu Keshi Ukegbu

T

The law is always referred to as the hope of the common man. Recently, few elements in the judiciary have dragged it into the mud by delivering judgments that have generated unimaginable controversies.

The elements are continuously contravening the above principles proffered by White as the solutions to the malady bedeviling this world.

The latest is the Abia episode where over 300,000 voters from Obingwa, Osisioma and Isialangwa North local government areas were disenfranchised, including the governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu. The judges of the Appeal Court sitting in Owerri made the episode more

comical by nullifying the mandate of Ikpeazu.

The Appellate Court since the judgment last Friday stirred the hornet’s nest. The ruling has attracted barrage of Innuendo: “Rape of justice”, “Miscarriage of justice”, Greatest joke of the century”, amongst others.

Abians, especially the Ukwa-Ngwa received the judgment with huge shock. The reasons for their agitation are not far- fetched. One, Abians massively voted for Ikpeazu. Two, they will not entertain any attempt that would truncate the reformation of Ikpeazu.

For the Ukwa- Ngwa people, any attempt to steal the mandate of Ikpeazu, who they massively and unanimously gave their mandate, would meet the brick wall.

The day light robbery provoked a massive peaceful protest on the streets of Aba . A former President of the Senate, Adolphus Wabara who led the protest, is optimistic that the ignoble judgment would be quashed at the apex court. He called on the National Judicial Council, (NJC), to sanction those judges. What we are saying is that people should remain calm, demonstrate peacefully, we will get that”.

“We are on the street to register our displeasure over the court of appeal ruling. This attempt to rob us our hard earned -mandate, which we have through the court of appeal, is

unacceptable. While the ruling will be challenged, we shall remains on the streets,” Wabara said.

Hon. Eziuche Ubani, Commissioner for Works in Abia questioned the evidence of rigging, adding that Otti never campaigned in Obingwa, the local government area of Gov. Ikpeazu, and had no agent there.

Ubani’s argument is buttressed further by the fact that the lower tribunal ruled that Obingwa votes were in order.

According to Ubani, “We know what this place (Aba) is and what it represents. This state has been held down for 16years. We don’t want anyone to take us back to Egypt”.

It will be recalled that during April 11 governorship election in Abia State, a winner could not be declared immediately after the election because the margin of leadership of Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu was about 30,000 while the areas where elections could not hold for sundry reasons had about 50,000 registered voters. A supplementary election was held two weeks later and Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu was declared winner.

The South East Progressives Assembly (SEPA) in a statement accused the five-man panel, allegedly drawn from Lagos division of the Court of Appeal, of striking a deal with some APC chieftains. The group further alleged that motive is that should they help Otti

grab Abia governorship seat, he would defect to APC. SEPA is of the view that a judgment that clearly disenfranchise over 300,000 registered voters from the strong-hold of Gov. Ikpeazu can never survive the judicial scrutiny of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

“How did the justices determine and decided the substantial non-compliance in Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu’s local government area and two other Ngwa local government areas as alleged by the appellant? How did they arrive at overvoting to cancel those legitimately collated and returned results from these LGAs? What did our law and electoral act provide in situations where overvoting is substantially proven?

There is a consensus among Abians and other justice- loving citizens that the mandate to Okezie Ikpeazu, cannot be tampered with.

“When evil men plot, good men must plan. When evil men burn and bomb, good men must build and bind. When evil men shout ugly words of hatred, good men must commit themselves to the glories of love. Where evil men would seek to perpetuate an unjust status quo, good men must seek to bring into being a real order of justice”.-Martin Luther King Jr (1929 - 1968).

Ukegbu, a public affairs analyst, writes from Umuahia , Abia State.

Nigeria: A change to disbelieve in

T

Joseph Rotimi

e current political leadership of Nigeria campaigned with an air of feigned respectability, change and a somewhat arrogant sense of inevitability. Before the elections, some members of the party and other leaders of thought opined that if the erstwhile President of Nigeria [Jonathan] gets re-elected the country would disintegrate.

However, for more than half a year, we are still marking time where Buhari met us. In a previous post, I pointed out that a lot of noise and activities would mark Buhari’s tenure, at the end, little would change. This is because it is easy to display motion and emotion [Buhari’s body language] without progress in Nigeria.

Many contributors have written on the vexed issue of national integration and the structural defects that were coterminous with the birth of Nigeria. Yet, more than five decades on, we have deliberately failed to address why we seem to live like stone-age men in a century that has seen people going to the moon.

Buhari cannot save or change Nigeria in its present form. Even if he succeeds in his anti-corruption crusade - a very doubtful prospect, what

happens when he lives the stage?

Every leader seems to have a theme or programme while in office that often become a smokescreen for dealing with perceived enemies. Anticorruption would only work within the crucible of enduring institutions that promote justice and equity: a country where everyone matters and have equal opportunities.

What sane men and women would consider corruption in other climes is a right or privilege in Nigeria - just try getting any service from government offices across Nigeria. Government is seen as a distant, irritating, unchallenging, unresponsive but sometimes benevolent entity to be scammed without any fear of consequence.

I do not buy into the hullabaloo about Buhari’s incorruptibility and integrity. This is because corruption is not limited to not taking bribes or stealing Nigeria blind. Incorruptibility challenges you to identifying, and limiting corrupting influences no matter how existentially close, they are. In Buhari’s case, painting Abacha a saint, or hobnobbing with former disgruntled but corrupt PDP members, or giving known protégés [Jafaru Isa] soft landing with the EFCC does not exactly sound right.

The current spate of arresting former PDP acolytes of the Jonathan

government might be a necessary step in fighting corruption. Nevertheless, Nigerians understand that corruption and corrupting influences are attributable to Nigeria’s structural defect and this goes beyond Jonathan.

The average Nigerian neither understands nor appreciates what human or civil rights mean. We live in abject desperation and think only of survival. Coupled with a fatalistic psycho-religious depression, Nigerians have become a believing people, who are fearful of knowledge and the truth. The politicians understand that Nigerians would not hold them to their promises, because there is really no Nigeria. When a family that can afford rice [Nigeria’s staple] only once in a couple of months is suddenly saddled with a whole bag, cooking oil, salt and some money to boot, they would do anything for their candidate.

The imperial nature of our presidency directly encourages impunity, personality cults and insulation from the realities affecting common people. It gives the president the ability to detain without charges, flout court orders or submit and withdraw budget documents to the National Assembly at will.

Buhari was once Minister for Petroleum and subsequently

military head of state. Today, he is Minister for Petroleum and civilian president. For more than 30 years, Nigeria has suffered fuel shortages, especially before the yearly budget announcements. The same issue of fuel shortage occurred during the last months of 2015 when Nigerians were virtually sleeping at fuel stations in order to carry out legitimate human activities. For Buhari not to have anticipated this, or planned for it during his twelve years long campaign is a testament to the fact that power seeking is the only politics in Nigeria and not statesmanship.

PMB has not demonstrated mastery over pressing national problems. The problem is that we have waited for more than 50 years for the ruling class to become organised.

If we are still talking of security to lives and property, lack of power, roads, healthcare, sound educational systems, petroleum products after more than five decades as a nation then something is organically wrong!

The same people have ruled us, either in uniform or civilian garb since independence. In addition, if current feelers from Buhari’s administration are anything to go by, there are no signposts yet, of a resurgent nation, capable of taking its place in the world.

News 16

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, January 19, 2016

EFCC raises the alarm over fake Magu Facebook account ÏÏÏThe

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) wishes to alert the general public about the activities of some unscrupulous elements who have opened fake facebook accounts in the name of the Acting Chairman of the Commission, Ibrahim Mustafa Magu.

The two accounts: https://www.facebook. com/ibrahimmustafa. magu and https://www.

facebook.com/magu.ibrahim.77 have become platform for various unwholesome activities including solicitation for gratification and influence peddling using the name of the EFCC boss.

The public is hereby warned not to respond to any request for friendship and other demands in the name of Magu as the accounts do not belong to him.

Also the Commission

warns the public to be mindful of telephone calls by persons claiming to be acting on behalf of the Acting Chairman and soliciting for gratification. Such calls/persons should be reported to the EFCC or the nearest police station.

The Commission has consistently maintained that it does not solicit money or gratification of any sort to carry out its statutory duties.

The general public is by

this release, enjoined to be vigilant and help in unmasking these unscrupulous elements who are bent of soiling the reputation of Magu and the EFCC. For the benefit of the public, the Commission’s official facebook account is https://www.facebook. com/officialefcc. The Commission can also be reached on any of the following hotlines: 234-9-9044751 or 234-99044752 or by email to info@ efccnigeria.org

Tosin Ajuwon Akure

ÏÏÏThe All Progressives

Congress (APC) in Ondo state, has described the local government elections scheduled for April 23, 2016, by the State Independent Electoral Commission, as a “sham” meant to cage the party, while signifying that its members would boycott the election.

Chairman of the party, Mr. Isaac Kekemeke, who made the disclosure on Monday at a leaders’ consultative meeting held at the city hall of Akure, the state capital, said the

Ondo APC slams scheduled LG poll plans for election by the state electoral body was illegal.

He noted that a case concerning the election was still pending at the Supreme Court between the state government and some sacked chairmen of the local government few weeks after Governor Olusegun Mimiko assumed office.

Driver in court over rape Titilope Joseph

ÏÏÏA 58-year-old driver, L-R: Kaduna State Governor, Nasir elRufai; District Head of Barnawa, Alhaji Ibrahim Sambo and Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Dr. Shehu Adamu, at the inauguration of the Free Feeding Programme in public primary schools, in Kaduna State… on Monday.

Cynthia Osokogu murder: Defence closes case Peter Fowoyo

ÏÏÏThe defence in the on-

going murder trial of Cynthia Osokogu, on Monday, closed its case before Justice Olabisi Akinlade of a Lagos state High court, sitting at Igbosere.

The late Cynthia Osokogu was a postgraduate student of Nassarawa state University, who was murdered at Cosmilla Hotel, FESTAC Town, Lagos, on July 22, 2012 by her facebook friends Okwumo Nwabufo, Olisaeloka Ezike, Orji Osita, and Ezike Nonso.

Meanwhile, the Judge has fixed April 11, 2016 for filling of written addresses on the case.

The defendants are fac-

ing a six count charge bordering on felony, conspiracy, robbery and murder, preferred against them by the state.

The alleged offences contravened sections 221, 249, 285 and 327 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos state, 2011.

When the matter came up Monday, the fourth defendant gave account of the role he played in the alleged murder of Osokogu.

He said that he was arrested at Festac Town by Area E Police Command when he voluntarily went there to return the phone that he was alleged to have stolen.

Nonso said that the alleged stolen phone was given to him by his brother the second defendant for repair,

but that he later asked him to sell the phone as the owner was no longer interested in using the phone after the repair.

Stating that there was no reason to doubt his brother as he told him that the owner of the phone was his uncle, the first defendant, when he enquired for the original owner of the phone.

He also stated that he had sold the phone to a course mate who resides in Port Harcourt, who later called him to complain about the strange calls and text messages that he has been receiving that the phone is a stolen phone, which in turn he asked him to return the phone to him and also send him the number that has

Emmanuel Egejuru has been charged before a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja, for allegedly defiling an 11-year-old girl.

Egejuru is facing a one count charged before Justice A.Ogunsanya.

The suspect, who resides at No, 10. Mutiu Street, Ipaja, Lagos, was said to have committed the offence on February 22, 2012 at the above address.

The father of five reportedly defiled one Aishat Aiyatu (11 –yearsold) by having sexual intercourse with her on the

22 of February, 2012.

In his statement, Egejuru confessed to have committed the offence.

“That particular day, I did not go to work. I met Aishat Aiyatu (the victim) in the toilet when I wanted to use the toilet too. I held her by the waist and embraced her. Then I put my manhood into her private part but I did not release any thing into her because I could not penetrate” he said.

According to Inspector Jane Okogbo, the offence is contrary to the criminal law of Lagos state and punishable under section 137 of the Lagos state, Nigeria 2011.

Offa LG empowers 100 Kehinde Akinpelu Ilorin

ÏÏÏNo

Cynthia

been calling him.

On getting the number, the defendant further said that he called the number that was given to him and the person that picked the call was a policeman at Port Harcourt, who now gave him a number and instructed him to take the phone to Festac Area E command where he was later detained.

fewer than 100 people from Offa Local Government Area of Kwara state have received over N0.5million worth of empowerment by cash from legislative aide (LA) to the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki from the council.

The cash was distributed to all the 12 wards in Offa

by Hajia Kadijat Ibrahim Olatiwo on Monday, assisted by former Commissioner for Education, Alhaji Saka Omimago, while the beneficiaries were supporters of the All progressives Congress {APC} which included women, students, widows and youths.

Speaking at the event which took place at the

APC secretariat, Offa, the Senior Special Assistant to the Senate President, on legislative aides, Alhaji Saka Onimago, described the gesture as a way of giving back to the society especially the needy.

Onimago, said 66 senior legislative aides across the 16 Local Government Areas of the state had been selected to ensure proper dispensation of dividends of democracy to the electorate.

He added that appointment of legislative aides by the Senate President across the state was to maintain regular contact with his people especially at the grassroots, while urging the beneficiaries to use the items given them so as to meet their needs.

Former NCA boss, Akosa dies in Lagos Akosa

former spokesman of the West African Football Union (WAFU), was popularly known as ‘Suzy’.

He died on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016, after a brief ill-health.

Born in 1941, Akosa retired from the National Sports Commission (NSC), Sunday Jude Abah where he had served on many National federations as organizing secretary, r Austin Akosa, former President of the Nigeria including the Nigeria Football Coaches Association (NCA) has died in Lagos.

Association (NFA) during the Nigeria/ According to his brother, Chuka Akosa, the Biafra Civil War.

Costa injury only bruising

M

Page 17

g2019 Tuesday, January 19, 2016

NFF

bent on rebuilding

Nigerian football —Sanusi

ANDREW EKEJIUBA SPORT EDITOR

N

FF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi said on Monday that the Federation remains focused and determined to take Nigeria football to new heights despite a number of challenges, mostly financial.

The seasoned administrator celebrated 10

months in office as NFF General Secretary on Monday, and said that, “Though the road has been a little rough, our utmost determination and commitment to foisting a new, brilliant dawn on Nigeria football remains unshaken.”

In his 10 months in office, Sanusi has gladly received three major trophies, viz the African Youth Championship, FIFA U-17 World Cup and Africa U-23 Cup of Nations, as well as celebrated the U-23 team’s qualification for the

Onyiriuka: NNPC’ll win Oil Industry Games again!

ANDREW EKEJIUBA

C

hief Coach of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Football Club, Frank Onyiriuka, has predicted a successful title defence for his team in this year’s Nigeria Oil and Gas Industries Games (NOGIG) in Lagos.

Onyiriuka who was a former player of defunct ITT FC and Stationary Stores FC of Lagos before playing for NNPC Warri till early 90’s has expressed total optimism after the “Oil Boys” defeated Petroleum Training Institute FC 2-O in Monday’s preliminary soccer match decided at the Legacy Pitch of the National Stadium Surulere, Lagos.

Moments after goals from Abdulahi Aliyu and captain Charles Uyi guaranteed

Sanusi

the 2-O win over PTI, Onyiriuka was emphatic that they would reenact the 2014 success story this time out.

The smooth-talking tactician said his optimism stem from the fact that the team that won the Nigeria Oil Industry Games soccer gold two years ago has not only been retained, but now more matured and determined for this year’s campaign.

Onyiriuka also revealed that a one week training programme at Wasimi, Ogun State has also guaranteed full concentration for his team that was runner up in 2012 before the memorable gold medal two years ago.

After the 2-0 drubbing of PTI, NNPC FC is now billed to take on Local Content FC on Wednesday at same Legacy pitch, National Stadium Lagos.

Olympics and bronze medal at the All-Africa Games, the Super Eagles B’s qualification for the African Nations Championship, the U-20 girls’ qualification for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup and the Super Eagles progress in the 2018 FIFA World Cup race.

“We have had so much to celebrate, thanks be to God Almighty. But we have also had a lot of challenges along the way.

“Most of the challenges have been financial.

Home-based Eagles

ANDREW EKEJIUBA

N

igeria’s biggest corporate supporter of football, Globacom, has congratulated the home-based Super Eagles on their victory over Mena of Niger Republic in their first group C match at the on-going African Nations Championship (CHAN) on Monday.

The Super Eagles defeated the Mena by three goals to one to take the commanding position in the group which also comprises Tunisia and Guinea who had earlier played 2-2 draw.

After a goalless first half, the Eagles, with pep talk from Coach Sunday Oliseh, went ahead in the 46th minute through Moses Okoro. This was followed by a hat trick by Nigeria’s Chisom Chikatara who scored in the 73rd, 81st and 90th Minutes to emerge man of the match. Zakari Adebayor had earlier pulled one back for Niger in 80thminute.

In a press statement after the match in Lagos

We have had relative peace to do our work, and everyone knows that peace facilitates progress.

“However, we must commend the Federal Government for its financial and moral support which has really helped us succeed in our programs. We appreciate that the Government has so many other key areas to expend resources on, such as infrastructure, roads, health, education, agriculture, safety and security, et cetera.

CHAN:

Glo hails Eagles’ victory over Niger on Monday, sponsor of the National teams, Globacom commended the team for winning the match and amassing the three maximum points at stake.

Globacom advised the Super Eagles not to “leave any stone unturned as they work toward a good outing in the second group C match and ensure they emerge victorious in order to consolidate their position and qualify for the next round.”

“Qualification for the next round by Super Eagles is a must and all hands must be on deck to make this a reality,” the statement added.

The company also enjoined Nigerians not to relent in giving the much needed support to the Super Eagles through prayers and goodwill messages as they continue their campaign to qualify from group C. Globacom is the official telecommunications partner of the Nigerian Football Federation and the major sponsor of the Nigerian national teams.

18

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

EXTRATIME

CHAN 2016…CHAN 2016…CHAN 2016…CHAN 2016

Guinea

CHAN 2016 RESULTS

Nigeria

hold Tunisia in

Tunisia Angola DR Congo Gabon Rwanda

G

net past Guinean goalkeeper Abdoul Aziz Keita in the 31st minute.

A minute later, Akaichi almost doubled his side’s lead when he outplayed the Guinean defense but was denied by the woodwork.

Guinea then mounted an attack on the other side with a Daouda Camara sending a through pass to Alseny whose attempt forced a fine save from Tunisian goalkeeper Rami Jeridi.

Four minutes later, the Sylis

C

his side needs to work hard despite beating Angola’s Palanca Negras in their opening CHAN 2016 game

Alseny Camara of Guinean scored twice to secure a 2-2 draw against Tunisia in their Group C opener. equalized when Aboubacar Sylla sent a through pass to Alseny who tapped home for Guinea’s equalizer.

Tunisia were thereafter hanging on as Camara sent a freekick from 30 yards wide after Edem Rjaibi fouled Ibrahima Sory Soumah. The Carthage Eagles managed to hold on for a 1-1

at halftime.

Ibrahima Sory Sankhon picked up from where Guinea had left off in the opening 45 minutes when he made a quick run into the box but was brought down but the resulting freekick was a disappointing attempt that went wide off target.

Lions urged to get better despite win ameroun Indomitable Lions coach Martin Ntdoungou Mpile, says

Indomitable Lions of Cameroun players in training ahead of Thursday’s clash against Ethiopia at Stade Huye.

Niger Guinea Cameroon Ethiopia Morocco Ivory Coast

CHAN 2016 FIXTURES

Nyamirambo

uinean forward Alseny Camara scored twice to secure a 2-2 draw against continental giants Tunisia in an entertaining CHAN 2016 Group C game at the Stade Regional Nyamirambo on Monday afternoon.

Tunisian Ahmed Akaichi opened the scoring when he got on the end of a fine cross from Hamza Mathlouthi on the right flank with a beautiful back heel flick to find the back of the

4–1 2–2 0–1 3–0 0–0 1–0

played at the Huye Stadium.

Mpile was however pleased by the character of his players despite going a man down as they held on to the solitary goal to go second in group B behind DR Congo who had earlier walloped Ethiopia 3-0.

“Our game against Angola was very tough coupled with the red card but I am glad we emerged victorious but we still have a rough game against DR Congo who now lead our group.

“Winning the first game gives the players morale to give 100 percent in the next game and that is where our focus will be shifted immediately,” Mpile said.

Mpile believes they will be in better shape as the tournament proceeds but added “Substantive work must be done to prepare for this matches,” Cameroun’s only appearance at the CHAN finals was in 2011 when they reached the quarterfinals.

Today’s Matches Zimbabwe v Zambia 16:00 Mali v Uganda 18:00 Wednesday January 20, 2016 Rwanda v Gabon 15:00 Morocco v Ivory Coast 18:00 Thursday, January 21, 2016 DR Congo v Angola 15:00 Cameroon v Ethiopia 18:00 Friday, January 22, 2016 Tunisia v Nigeria 16:00 Niger v Guinea 18:00 Saturday, January 23, 2016 Zimbabwe v Mali 15:00 Uganda v Zambia 19:00 Sunday, January 24, 2016 Morocco v Rwanda 16:00 Ivory Coast v Gabon 16:00 Monday, January 25, 2016 Cameroon v DR Congo 16:00 Ethiopia v Angola 17:00 Tuesday, January 26, 2016 Niger v Tunisia 16:00 Guinea v Nigeria 17:00 Wednesday, January 27, 2016 Uganda v Zimbabwe 16:00 Zambia v Mali 17:00

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

EXTRATIME

TRANSFER BRIEFS

Pellegrini: Wenger

We showed

fight at Stoke, Wenger

confesses

A

rsene Wenger has praised his players for the fight they showed in their 0-0 draw away to Stoke City on Sunday.

The Britannia Stadium has seldom been the easiest place to visit this season and while Wenger was disappointed with his team’s final product, he was pleased with the way his players matched Stoke’s physicality.

“I thought we were tested on our capacity to fight, on our capacity to have a great togetherness, to respond and we responded well,” Wenger said.

“I’m of course a bit unhappy because we like to score goals and we didn’t score on Sunday.

“We maybe lacked the final ball, the creative side of our game. But they made a fight of it and we had to respond.”

Wenger said in light of Arsenal’s recent history away to Stoke, the stalemate certainly was not his side’s worse result.

Everton can make top four —Baines

L

eighton Baines believes Everton can still force their way into the Premier League’s top-four, provided they can manage games better.

Everton are 11th in the table after Saturday’s dramatic 3-3 draw against champions Chelsea and sit 10 points off fourth-placed Tottenham.

Chelsea needed a 98th minute equaliser from captain John Terry from a seemingly offside position to steal the much-needed points from Everton, extending their torrid run of form to one league win in nine games.

Baines said that despite their results, Everton have been playing well and are good enough to make the top four this season.

“We’ve only got ourselves to blame for not managing the game well enough really,” said Baines.

“We went in front again, 3-2, and threw it away. The goal was offside but we have to manage games better.”

Aguero is

irreplaceable!

M

anchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini believes Sergio Aguero is irreplaceable at the club.

The Argentine striker scored twice and set up another as City ran rampant in a 4-0 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday.

The brace took Aguero’s league total t o 10 goals from 15 games, even after missing several games through injury.

And Pellegrini knows Aguero m u s t stay fit if City are to push for a third Premier League title in five years and be competitive in the Champions League.

“It’s impossible to replace Sergio,” he said. “He’s a top player and it’s very difficult to replace him. I think for every team to replace their top players is very difficult.

“We can play without Sergio, but of course we’ll be a stronger team with him playing at his best performance level.

“He’s not a player you can replace so easily. But I hope he will finish the season without any more injuries.”

However, Pellegrini is confident City have the quality to make sure they can cover for Aguero as best as possible.

“But if, for different reasons, Aguero cannot play, we must have Kelechi Iheanacho or Wilfried Bony in a high performance level, because it’s the only way to win titles,” added the Chilean manager.

C

Costa

L

eicester City have agreed a deal to buy defender Daniel Amartey from FC Copenhagen.

The Danish club say they have accepted a bid for the 21-yearold Ghana international and the player must now finalise personal terms and undergo a medical. Copenhagen said in a statement to Denmark’s stock exchange that the deal was worth around 34 million Danish krone which equates to £3.47m.

L

Aguero

injury only bruising minute of the Premier League game after hurting himself in a challenge on Toffees left-back Leighton Baines.

There were some concerns Costa, who scored the Blues’ opening goal as they fought back

Leicester agree Amartey deal

Everton agree Byram deal

Costa helsea have confirmed that Diego Costa suffered only bruising to his shin when he was injured during Saturday’s 3-3 draw with Everton at Stamford Bridge.

The striker limped off in the 80th

19

from 2-0 down, had suffered a fracture and he was sent to hospital for tests.

However, scans showed he had only suffered bruising and he was back at Chelsea’s training ground at Cobham on Sunday for treatment.

Interim manager Guus Hiddink is awaiting a further update on the 27-year-old Spain international’s fitness ahead of Sunday’s trip to Arsenal.

Hiddink was asked after the Everton game if the potential absence of Costa could lead to Chelsea making moves in the transfer market, but he would not be drawn on that prospect.

“For the moment, we are doing nothing in the transfer market,” the Dutchman said. “We hope Diego comes out the hospital in good health and we go on as we are doing.”

eeds United and Everton have agreed a deal for right-back Sam Byram to move to Goodison Park, according to sources. The 22-year-old is now discussing personal terms with the Premier League club and will need to pass a medical before a transfer can be completed. Byram came through Leeds United’s academy and has made over 140 appearances for the club in four seasons after making his debut in 2012.

Klose nears Norwich move

S

witzerland defender Timm Klose is in England ahead of an expected move to Premier League club Norwich City. The central defender left Wolfsburg’s training camp on Sunday, according to the club’s sporting director Klaus Allofs, to undergo a medical with Norwich. Norwich are believed to have agreed a fee of around £7.5m for the 27-year-old, who was born in Germany but has made 12 senior international appearances for Switzerland.

Klose

20

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

EXTRATIME

B

TRANSFER BRIEFS

arcelona forward Lionel Messi did not suffer a hamstring injury during Sunday’s 6-0 Liga win over Athletic Bilbao, with the club announcing he simply sustained “a bit of a knock”.

Messi opened the scoring from the penalty spot but was replaced by Arda Turan at half-time at Camp Nou. In a statement released by the club on Monday, Barcelona dismissed fears that the 28-year-old had been struck down by a hamstring injury after the outcome of medical tests.

Barcelona added that Messi’s participation in Wednesday’s Copa del Rey quarter-final first leg at San Mames was “uncertain” but any absence endured by the five-time Ballon d’Or winner would be precautionary.

“Medical tests on striker Lionel Messi this Monday morning have revealed great news,” the statement read.

“It turns out that the Argentinian has not got a hamstring injury and has just taken a bit of a knock.

“It is uncertain whether or not he will be available for future matches, but there is nothing major to worry about.”

Speaking after the match, Barcelona coach Luis Enrique outlined his reluctance to take any risks with Messi – who missed nine matches earlier this season due to a knee ligament problem.

Messi has 19 goals in 23 appearances in all competitions for the Spanish, European and world champions this season.

No intention to sell Morata to Real –Marotta

J

g n i r t s No ham

r o f y r u inj

i s s Me

Suarez: My conscience

Messi

is clear over Copa ban

B

arcelona forward Luis Suarez says his “conscience is clear” despite suffering a two-game ban in the Copa del Rey. According to the referee’s report, Suarez insulted Espanyol players and provoked a confrontation in the tunnel after Barcelona’s 4-1 win in the first leg of their Copa del Rey round of 16 meeting.

Suarez was hit with a sanction and missed out on the return-leg at Camp Nou, and is likely to not feature in Barca’s quarter-final first leg against Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday.

However, the Uruguay international is hopeful his ban can still be overturned.

“About the sanction, I don’t know if I will play but my conscience is

uventus have “no intentions” to enter negotiations with Real Madrid over the sale of Alvaro Morata, according to sporting director Giuseppe Marotta.

Morata, who joined Juventus from Madrid in 2014, has only found the back of the net once in 18 league appearances this season.

J

Weigl not interested in leaving Dortmund

u l i a n

intention to remain at Borussia Dortmund amid reported interest from Manchester City. Since signing from 1860 Munich ahead of the 2015-16 season, Weigl has impressed at Signal Iduna Park, quickly establishing himself in Thomas Tuchel’s side and missing just one Bundesliga match so far this season.

Dembele in talks with Wolfsburg, Monaco

clear because I did not say anything,” Suarez told reporters after scoring a hat-trick in the 6-0 La Liga win over Athletic on Sunday.

If the sanction stands Suarez will miss out but can return for the second-leg against Athletic the following Wednesday.

F

ulham striker Moussa Dembele’s representative is in talks with Wolfsburg and Monaco about a pre-contract agreement.

Dembele’s contract with the Whites expires in the summer and the 19-year-old is free to talk to other clubs.

Wolfsburg warn Real off Rodriguez

W

olfsburg managing director Klaus Allofs has dismissed rumours linking left-back Ricardo Rodriguez with a move to Real Madrid and insisted the Swiss is not for sale. Rodriguez has been mentioned as a Madrid target for several months but the rumours have intensified in the past week.

Suarez

Higuain’s a aaa phenomenon –Dybala

J

uventus striker Paulo Dybala has hailed his compatriot Gonzalo Higuain’s impressive displays at Napoli this season.

Higuain took his Serie A record for this campaign to 20 goals in 20 appearances with a double in the 3-1 win over Sassuolo on Saturday, already

Weigl has signaled h i s

surpassing his previous best return in a single term at the San Paolo.

The former Real Madrid striker’s goals have helped propel Napoli to the top of the table, where they sit two points clear of defending champions Juve.

Dybala, who came on as a substitute in place of Higuain in Argentina’s last two World Cup 2018 qualifying matches, lauded his compatriot and

suggested his goals make Maurizio Sarri’s side serious contenders for a first Scudetto since 1990.

“Higuain does not surprise me at all,” Dybala told reporters. “I saw him up close in the national team, he is a phenomenon.

“I think Napoli and Inter are the most dangerous opponents. Fiorentina and Roma remain in the race, but now I believe more in Napoli.

“We are second, the road is still long, but we must not slow down.”

Dybala took his tally in his debut season at Juve to 11 with a double in the 4-0 win over Udinese, putting him joint-second in the Serie A scoring charts alongside Eder.

Higuain

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, January 19, 2016

21

News 22

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Gov Udom decries Lassa fever: Normalcy returns to LUTH, as Health Council meets today spate of road mishaps in A’Ibom Lara Adejoro

ÏÏÏDespite the confirma-

tion of a Lassa fever patient isolated at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Lagos, both medical and business activities are still on in the complex.

Our correspondent who visited the hospital observed that patients were trooping in and out, while people patronised the business stands within.

A medical doctor at the hospital who spoke under anonymity said, “though the scare is there, patients are coming to the hospital

for medical care and they are being attended to.”

Speaking on the isolated patient at the hospital, another medical expert who would not want his name mentioned said that, “the patient is stable and doing fine. The good thing about this is that, once it is detected early, the anti-viral drug – ribavirin – can help in throwing back Lassa fever.”

A woman, Mrs. Abbey Otun said, “I took my brother to the Accident and Emergency Unit and he’s been attended to. I’m not scared of the fever, because it’s not new and I

know the government and the hospital are doing everything to put everything under control.”

Earlier, the Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC), Dr. Olufemi Fasanmade, said, there is no need to panic as “containment area is being devised, ribavirin available, and our trained staff are on ground.”

Speaking on Saturday at the Alausa Secretariat, on the first case of the disease recorded in Lagos State, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, said that in line with international standards, 92 per-

sons who had direct and indirect contact with the index case were currently being followed-up, as the government was doing everything possible to curtail the spread of the virus.

Meanwhile, an emergency National Council on Health is expected to today to deliberate on the latest outbreak of Lassa fever in the country.

Health commissioners from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) – including Medical Directors of all federal hospitals, will meet with the Minister of Health, Prof.

Isaac Adewole in Abuja.

Aisha Buhari meets Govs’ wives Egena Egena Abuja

ÏÏÏThe wife of the Pres-

ident, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, on Monday, met with the wives of state governors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, to discuss strategies on how the First Ladies could better serve the interest of their people.

Addressing governors’ wives, at the meeting which took place at the Conference Room of the First Lady Wing, Mrs. Buhari told them that they were not precluded from making a difference in the lives of such people.

even though the constitution does not explicitly provide a role for them.

She explained that the Governors’ Wives Forum was an organ for the women to support their husbands in their effort to deliver on the change agenda.

According to her, “As wives of political office holders, we must continue to do our best in contributing to the success.

“I believe that in our little ways, we can assist them to bring succour to the populace, especially those in need, such as victims of insurgency in the North-East geo-political

CHRIST THE KING COVENANT PRAYER MINISTRY This is to notify the General public that the above name MINISTRY has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part “C” of the companies and Allied Matters Act of 1990 Trustees 1 Pastor Adesayo Oludele - President Chairman 2 Pastor Mrs Oluyemisi Sayo-Oludele - Member 3 Pastor Bimpe Animashaun -Member 4 Pastor Samuel Oyelakin Awobode- Member 5 Pastor William Omotoso Sunday Akerele - Secretary Aim and Objective 1 To proclaim the gospel of Jesus christ as the saviour. Healer . Deliverer and giver of all things 2 To engage in intercessory prayers for the salvation of the unsaved and deliverance for the afflicted . Oppressed and captives for and many diverse needs 3 To establish a school for the training of lntercessors and deliverance Ministers Pastors. Evangelists and other workers in the ministries 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 and Abuja within 28days of this publication Signed: PASTOR ADESAYO OLUDELE CHAIAMAN AKINSULIRE COMFORT ERAPOWRIE

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Oseghe Comfort Erapowrie now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Akinsulire Comfort Erapowrie.

All former documents remain valid general public take note.

Aisha Buhari

zone and other forms of violence, physically-challenged and other vulnerable groups.

“It is on this note that I felt it is important for us to come together to strengthen our unity and extend our solidarity to each other under a common platform.

The President’s wife spoke of the restructuring of the two regional halves of the forum to encourage networking, co-operation and constructive partnership, and urged them to be prepared to deal with programmes that were capable of impacting positively on the lives of citizens particularly the less privileged members of the society.

CITY OF NEW NAMES ASSEMBLY This is to inform the general public that the above named Ministry wished to change its name from Jesus is Lord of Lords Ministry International to City of New Names Assembly and has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration in line/accordance with the provisions of the Companies and Allied Matters Act. 1 of 1990 Part C. THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1.

Pastor Ebere Onyeka-Onwu (Nee Ani) - Gen. Overseer 2.

Bro. Ifeanyi Ani Asst. Gen. Oversea 3.

Pastor. Chinedum Onyeka Onwu Secretary 4.

Deaconess Mary Nkechi Ani Treasurer 5.

Bro. Francis Ndubuisi Ani Financial Secretary AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. To minister the words of God world wide 2. Healing the sick 3. Helping the less-privilege, the poor and Needy.

4. Visitations/Donations to motherless Babies Homes 5. To open orphanage homes.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja.

Within 28 days of this publication. Our constitution shall be amended to reflect our new name, accordingly.

Signed: Ralph S. Okenwa Esq. 08135059474

FATOYE OLUWADUNSIN TEMILADE

BLESSING NGOZI ANAWEOKHAI

ADETUBERU BOLUWATIFE FUNMILAYO

I formerly known and addressed as Fatoye Oluwadunsin Dorcas wish to be known and addressed as Fatoye Oluwadunsin Temilade.

All former documents remain valid general public take note

I formerly known and addressed as Blessing Ngozi Edo wish to be known and addressed as Blessing Ngozi Anaweokhai. All former documents remain valid general public take note

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Omotosho Boluwatife Funmilayo wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Adetuberu Boluwatife Funmilayo. All former documents remain valid general public take note

Julius JOSEPH Uyo

ÏÏÏThe

Governor of Akwa Ibom, Deacon Udom Emmanuel, has decried the spate of road mishap in the state, because of the recklessness of both drivers and other road users, leading to frequent loss of life and incapacitation of victims.

He made the condemnation in Uyo, when he witnessed an auto crash on Uyo-Nung Udoe road, while on an official engagement.

Mr. Udom, who halted his convoy to attend to the accident victim, decried the spate of hit- and-run by motorists whom, he said, had perpetually endangered the lives of pedestrians that could have been saved if they had exercised caution.

Udom, who ordered the evacuation of the corpse

OKONKWO CHUKWUEMEKA I, formerly known and addressed as OKONKWO ONU JACOB, now wish to be known and addressed as OKONKWO CHUKWUEMEKA CHRISTOPHER. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

OGBODO OLUCHI GLORIA

Emmanuel

to the mortuary after the medical team had certified the accident victim dead, called on the Ambulance Services of the Ministry of Transport to be on the watch for cases of accident on the highways.

He also urged the Ambulance Services unit to extend its operations to major roads within the state.

AGI CHIMA CHINEDU

I, formerly known and addressed as AGI CHINEDU JEREMIAH, now wish to be known and addressed as AGI CHIMA CHINEDU. All former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

EZE VICTOR

I, formerly known and addressed as OGBODO OLUCHUKWU VIVIAN, now wish to be known and addressed as OGBODO OLUCHI GLORIA. All former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as EZE VICTOR NNAMDI, now wish to be known and addressed as EZE VICTOR. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

PROSPECT ANIEDI MONDAY

OLAJIDE OLURANTI SIKIRAT I, formerly known and addressed as Alao Oluranti Sikirat, now wish to be known and addressed as Olajide Oluranti Sikirat. All former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as Ekpo Aniedi Monday, now wish to be known and addressed as Mr Prospect Aniedi Monday. All former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

OKAKA SARAH IRAGBESON I, formerly known and addressed as Okaka Saramine Iragbeson, now wish to be known and addressed as Okaka Sarah Iragbeson. All former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

EUNICE AYAYEBO I formerly known and addressed as Blessing Ayayeibo now wish to be known and addressed Eunice Ayayebo. All former document remain valid general public should please take note.

PETER SANI

I formerly known, called and addressed as Adejoh Stephen.

Now wish to be known, called and addressed as Peter Sani.

All documents bearing my former name remain valid, General public should please take note.

OFOEGBU STELLA ONYENACHI Confirmation of name .This is to inform the general public that ONUKAOGU STELLA ONYENACHI is also known as OFOEGBU STELLA ONYENACHI. Therefore the two names refer to the same person.

All documents bearing the names are valid .The General public should please take note.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, January 19, 2016

23 News

Court declines jurisdiction on NCP’s suit against Lagos LG c’ttee ÏÏÏA

Lagos State High Court, sitting in Igbosere, on Monday, declined further jurisdiction in a suit filed by the National Conscience Party (NCP) challenging the appointment of Executive Secretaries to manage the affairs of the 57 Local Government Areas and Local Council Development Areas in the state.

Trial judge, Justice Abdulfatal Lawal, had fixed the matter for hearing of the applications for stay of execution of the earlier judgment delivered by the

Heap of refuse along Kuje Area Council secretariat road in Abuja… on Monday.

court on October 23, 2015, but elected to decline further jurisdiction after confirming that the records of proceedings had been transmitted to the Court of Appeal.

In the said judgment, Justice Lawal had declared the appointment of caretaker committees over the administration of Local Government councils in Lagos State as illegal and unconstitutional, and ordered the State’s Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) to conduct election within 30 days.

Niger CJ constitutes tribunals on LG election Saka Bolaji Minna

ÏÏÏThe

Chief Judge of Niger State, Justice Fati Lami Abubakar, has set up tribunals to look into cases that may arise from the just concluded local government election held throughout the state last Saturday.

This is coming just as the State Independent Electoral Commission SIEC declared the results of the Chairmanship and Councillorship election for the 24 local government areas of the state.

The three- man tribunal for Zone “A” is headed by Barrister Hamza Muazu with Hassan Mohammed Sani Kalas as members,

while that for Zone ‘B’ is to be chaired by Hajia Aisha Wodu Bawa with Yabagi Bida and Musa Sakaba as members.

The tribunal established for Zone C is to be chaired

by Alhaji Jibrin Zabbo with Umar A. Mohammed Izom and Musa Sulaiman as members.

The appeal tribunal according to a statement by

the Chief Registrar of the High Court Division, Alhaji Mohammed Mamba Gwajas, is to be chaired by a Judge of the High Court, Justice Aisha Bwari, with Justice Musa Abdul and Abdullahi Mikaila as members.

The statement said the tribunal members were chosen based on their individual merits, wealth and

FCT minister berates Area council chairs over poor sanitation Idu Jude Abuja

ÏÏÏThe

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, has lambasted six area councils chairmen of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), taxing them on a need for environmental cleanliness.

The Minister, made his feelings known when he paid a working visit to Chairman of Kuje Area Council, Mr. Shabban Tete, Monday.

The Minister, who frowned at the state of environmental hygiene, following a passionate appeal by Tete made for the completion of the KujeGwagwalada road, showed a strong indication that the road was not well maintained and was not motor-

able, compared to budgets accrued to the area councils.

“Chairman, Kuje is very dirty, I think it’s a shame! I must tell you. You have to create a chance to clean the city,” the minister declared on Monday at Kayada Junior Secondary School, Kuje, during the distribution of learning materials to indigent students of the FCT by the Nigerian Turkish international Colleges Foundation (NTIC) titled: “I Support a Child’s Education Campaign.”

On the request by Tete for immediate completion of the Kuje-Gwagwalada road, the Minister gave an assurance of his administration’s readiness to bring the road to a motorable

state but with the condition that the chairmen would co-operate with the administration by keeping their environment clean.

Meanwhile, the minister expressed delight with the kind gesture of NTIC, saying that education was very important to the administration.

“It is a means for our children to study harder and make us proud. We are delighted with NTIC for their support,” he said.

While regretting the poor performance of students in key national examinations, including JAMB, WAEC and NECO, the Minister urged all stakeholders to work together in improving the education system.

He specifically tasked the Kuje chairman to make

all schools in the area council qualitative, greener and conducive, noting that the school was too dry and lacked green vegetation.

He, therefore, directed that trees and flowers be planted within and around the schools.

He further charged the teachers to improve upon the performance of students at national examinations, so that pupils from the area council could compete favourably with other students in the country, and reiterated a need for other private companies to emulate NTIC for the success of education.

Earlier in his remark, Tete expressed gratitude to God and Turkish International Colleges for picking a school in Kuje for the donation.

vast experience in legal and election-related matters.

Late on Sunday, SIEC announced the final results of the election for the 24 chairmanship and 263 councillorship positions contested in Saturday’s polls. Election did not take place in Suleja Local Government Area, because of a clash between supporters of the Peoples Democratic Elec-

tion (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) a few days to the election.

The results announced by the Chairman of the Commission, Alhaji Mohammed Danlami Abubakar, showed that the APC won the chairmanship seats for the 24 local government councils and a leading number of the councillorship positions.

Lassa fever: One dead, 22 on surveillance in Delta

Okowa

Monday Osayande Asaba

ÏÏÏA

65-year-old lady (name withheld) from Ifiogwari village, Ayamelunu, Anambra State, has been confirmed killed by the dreaded Lassa fever at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), in Asaba, Delta State.

The State Rapid Response Team said no fewer than 22 persons had already contacted the disease, and they that were under surveillance, while five tests had

been sent for laboratory investigation.

The Public Relations Officer (PRO) in the state Ministry of Health, Mr. Churchill Oyowe, confirmed the death of the patient, and said that she was first admitted at St. Joseph’s Hospital before being referred to the Federal Medical Centre, Asaba, when her conditioned worsened Oyowe said the case was confirmed at the virology laboratory, Specialist Hospital, Irrua, Edo State, adding that the two other samples sent to the same laboratory tested negative.

He stated that the state government had already informed the Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja, on the developments, as Governor Ifeanyi Okowa was said to be providing the necessary logistics to enhance contact- tracing and other control measures.

News 24

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Ojuelegba tragedy: Court orders service of processes in N10b suit Peter Fowoyo

ÎÎÎJustice Saliu Saidu of

a Federal High Court in Lagos has directed that all court papers in a suit filed by families of those who died at the September 2, 2015, Ojuelegba trailer accident, should be served on the Lagos State Government and other defendants in the suit.

Five family members of victims of the Ojuelegba trailer accident that crushed their beloved ones on September 2, 2015 had slammed a N10 billion suit on Lagos state Government.

Also sued in the fundamental right enforcement suit are, Attorney General of Lagos State, Lagos State Public Works Corporation, Motor Vehicle Administration Agency, and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Others are Attorney General of the Federation, Federal Ministry of Works, Federal Road Safety Commission, the driver and owner of the truck alleged to have caused the fatal accident, Wasiu Adeleke and Kilani Ojo Adeyanju.

In an affidavit, in support of the suit sworn to by a Lagos

businessman, Mr. Umar Abdul Wahab, and filed before the court by two Senior Advocates of Nigeria – Norrison Quakers and Moyosore Onigbanjo – the deponent averred that on September 2, 2015, he received a call from an official of the Yaba Mainland Hospital informing him about the accident and the fatalities asking him to come to Yaba Mainland mortuary to identity the corpses of Abubakar Sule, Umaru Sulaiman and Kamilu Umaru.

He went there with other four applicants in this suit namely Usman Sulaiman,

Ismala Maikankan, lbrahim Ibrahim and Umaru Sulaiman Umaru.

Mr. Umar averred further that he was in a deep shock and pain when he saw the mangled and shattered bodies of the deceased persons, which were crushed beyond recognition by the trailer that fell on their vehicle.

Later, an eye witness told him that at Western Avenue, Ojuelegba, Surulere, in Lagos, about 12noon, a diesel trailer truck, with registration number Lagos Epe 46 XK, driven by one Kilani Ojo Adeyanju, fell

off the Ojuelegba bridge onto two vehicles, one of which was the car in which the deceased persons were travelling.

Kilani Ojo Adeyanju was alleged to be driving the diesel trailer without any of the following documents – valid driver’s licence, a valid Ministry of Transportation (MOT) certificate, a road worthiness certificate, or a vehicle licence on the Ojuelegba bridge and expressway, as well as the surrounding access and exit roads and routes which were illmaintained, hazardous, and in a deplorable state.

Enugu govt, Irish varsity sign MoU on devt Moses Oyediran, Enugu

ÎÎÎThe Enugu State Govern-

L-R: Prince Rotimi Paseda, Sen. Buruji Kasamu and Prince Gboyega Isiaka during the inaugural meeting of the General Assembly of Omo-Ilu Foundation held at Jebu Igbo, Ogun State… at the weekend.

PHOTO: DAVID IDOWU.

56% runway accidents occur in Nigeria Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo

ÎÎÎIt has been disclosed that

about 56 % of major accidents in the Nigerian aviation industry, in the last five years, took place on the runway.

Also, in the global aviation industry, runway incidents and accidents were responsible for 50 per cent of the total disasters in the sector.

Statistics released on Monday by the Director-General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Muktar Usman – at the commencement of a three-day Runway Safety Go Team; Runway Incursion, Excursion and Confusion by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agen-

cy, (NAMA), in collaboration with other parastatals in the sector – indicated that no fewer than 27 air incidents and accidents were recorded in the country during the period under review.

Usman, who was represented on the occasion by the Director of Operations, NCAA, Capt. Abdullahi Sidi, said that there was a need for all the agencies in the sector to collaborate, so as to enhance safety in all ramifications of aviation, especially at the airside.

He frowned upon the rating of Africa as the continent with the highest number of accidents in the world, maintaining that if incursions,

excursion and confusion on the runways were reduced, it would also reduce the accident rates in Africa.

Usman explained that there was a need to improve safety at the airsides especially at the four major airports in the country –Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano, by removing all the impediments on the runways, and stressed that the NCAA would ensure that improvements were recorded in all spheres of the sector.

Also speaking at the occasion, the Managing Director, NAMA, Engr. Ibrahim Abdulsalam, said that the workshop became necessary as it had been observed that runway

was responsible for 50 per cent of global aviation fatal accidents.

He said that, in order to curb this, the International Civil Aviation Authority (ICAO), via its resolution A37-6, mandated states to ensure the effective establishment of Runway Safety Teams at all international airports, positing that the primary objective of establishing the Runway Safety Teams was to enhance collaborative decision-making amongst various stakeholders involved in runway operations, as necessary for safety, efficiency and economy of flight operations within terminal areas.

ment and the authorities of the Dublin City University, Ireland, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work together to promote mutual relationship for the purpose of developing education in the state, in a manner that would also offer value to the university.

According to the document, signed at the university, in the presence of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, the Dublin City University (DCU) and the Enugu agencies would enter into reciprocal visits relationship, where the university would have to examine opportunities to broker relationships with funding agencies and other higher education institutes, in conjunction with the Enugu State Government and other parties both nationally and internationally.

In the same vein, the former President of Ireland, Berie Ahern, is making moves to assist the Enugu State Government in its current drive to shore up its economy through expansion of its revenue base by shopping for investors and donor agencies.

Gov. Ugwuanyi

Rep trains 1, 000 youths in Niger Saka Bolaji Minna

ÎÎÎOne

thousand youths, drawn from the 30 wards in the Suleja Federal Constituency have begun training in various vocations under the Nimble Youth Empowerment & Development Initiative – NYEDI and project of a member of the House of Representatives Alhaji Abubakar Lado.

Also, arrangements have been concluded for an overseas professional training in different vocations for 40 youths from the Federal Constituency.

The 40 youths are to leave the country at the end of February this year.

Under the NYEDI programme of Alhaji Lado, 12 other youths are already undergoing a four-year programme leading to the acquisition of degrees in General Nursing and Midwifery, Operation Theatre Techniques and Civil Engineering in Noida International University, New Delhi, India.

Lassa fever hits Ekiti Gbenga Sodeinde, Ado Ekiti

ÎÎÎLassa

fever has been reported in Ekiti State. Already, a patient, who was tested positive to the infection on Saturday is now on admission at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Olurotimi Ojo, who broke the sad news in Ado-Ekiti, on Monday, at a stakeholders’ meeting on Lassa fever, said that the patient was currently isolated at the hospital, while efforts were being made by experts to effect that she survives.

Ojo added that he had confirmed from the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr, Lawrence Ayodele, who said that the patient was a student of the School of Nursing – a training arm of the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti.

The Commissioner, who revealed that the disease has been endemic, particularly in Borno State since 1969, said the patient was said to have been treated for malaria and typhoid fever with high profile antibiotics, but did not respond to treatment.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, January 19, 2016

25 Opinion

Before you click, think

Yinka Olujimi ÏÏÏ Have Nigerian activists not been surprised that their seething rage against the so-called antisocial media bill in the Senate has not attracted sympathy from their traditional allies in the Western world?

The truth is: the allies know that the freedom being demanded in Nigeria is not absolute in their own countries too, except for the United States of America where, in spite of the First Amendment, free speech also carries a large measure of responsibility!

Yes, President Muhammadu Buhari has disowned the bill and even given a hint that he might veto it, if passed. His position appears knee-jerk and born out of blackmail. Of course, it is poetic justice that such a law is being proposed by a government led by the All Progressives Congress (APC), which as an opposition party rode on the back of an admittedly hyperactive social media to wrest power from the then ruling

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

However, the truth must be told – freedom is not, and cannot be, absolute.

If not, there will be chaos, absolute chaos in the land.

That the PDP-led government shirked its responsibility, and did not enact the Cyber Crimes Act 2015 until it was too late to be effective while it held the reins of power, is no fault of the APC. Although the current bill may appear to be an attempt at self-preservation by the new governing party, the truth is that the freedom of expression guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution does not permit citizens to lie against others or maliciously attack the reputations of others without proof, hard proof, as is mostly the case in the Nigerian social media world.

Libel and slander can be devastating, especially the former, because of its permanent nature. In the social media, it can be far more devastating.

How many newspapers have more than 100,000 print-run in today’s Nigeria? Compare the potential for damaging people’s reputations through the traditional media with the instantaneous and hundreds of millions of consumers through the internet?

Therefore, there is a need for self-censorship, as recently canvassed by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

That is the truth.

Remember the 2010 tweeter joke trial in

the UK? A Briton, Paul Chambers, who was exasperated about flight delays at the Robin Hood Airport, caused by heavy snow, tweeted: “Crap!

Robin Hood airport is closed. You’ve got a week and a bit to get your shit together otherwise I’m blowing the airport sky high!!”

To him, the tweet was just a light-hearted joke.

Not to the British Police.

Chambers was arrested and prosecuted under the Communications Act 2003.

Although his conviction was upturned on appeal, the message had been sent to the British public: Before you click, think!

There are more examples of how strict the UK and the European Union courts are about the need for responsible use of the social media, which Nigerian social media activists seem to oppose.

Following the August 2011 riots, a drunken 22-year-old man created a

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Facebook page to encourage the rioters and called it “The Warrington Riots.”

He was promptly arrested and charged with encouraging a riot under the UK Serious Crimes Act of 2007. He was sentenced to four years in jail.

Nineteen-year-old Matthew Woods posted on Facebook “abhorrent” jokes about a missing girl.

British Police officers arrested and arraigned him in court. He was jailed three months. Woods was barely out of the diapers, just 19 years old!

Twenty-one –year-old Stacy Liam tweeted “LOL” – meaning Laugh Out Loud – when footballer Fabrice Muamba collapsed on a pitch and died (but was revived). Stacy was arrested and jailed for 56 days. He was another kid; just 21.

Azhar Ahmed posted on Facebook: “All soldiers should die and go to hell” in reaction to UK soldiers being deployed in Afghan-

istan. He was held to have sent a “grossly offensive communication” and was both fined and sentenced.

Perhaps, the only country that grants freedom of expression in a near-absolute state, is the United States of America where the First Amendment holds sway.

That Amendment to the US Constitution states in part: “Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press …”

The amendment appears to take its root from the seminal thoughts of J.S. Mill, who states thus: “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”

Quite interesting, however, even the US does not make freedom of expression an absolute right. As far back as 1925, in Gitlow v New York (268 U.S. 652), the court held: “It is a fundamental principle, long established, that the freedom of speech and of

the press which is secured by the Constitution, does not confer an absolute right to speak or publish, without responsibility, whatever one may choose, or an unrestricted and unbridled license that gives immunity for every possible use of language and prevents the punishment of those who abuse this freedom.”

In Planned Parenthood v ACLA (290 F.3d 1058), a trial jury held that the website of the defendant was a true threat to the family and persons of the plaintiffs. It awarded $100 million as damages in favour of the plaintiffs.

The verdict was upheld on appeal.

A successful criminal investigation under the true test doctrine was that of a 21-year-old student of the University of California, Irvine, who sent hatebased email to 57 Asian students entitled ‘F*ck You Asian Sh*t’ (United States v. Machado, 195 F.3d 454 (9th Cir. 1999).

In the email, he warned the recipients that if they did not leave the campus, he would “personally . . . make it my life career to and and kill everyone one of you personally.

OK?????? That’s how determined I am . . . Get the f*ck out.”

He sent the email from an account that obscured his identity. The student was, however, found and after a first hung jury, he was sentenced to one year in jail for sending threatening messages.

The moral: Free speech is not absolute, even in the US.

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26

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Law Æ s

Wanted: A Deputy Governor For Kogi State

Yakubu

Mohammed

Does the constitution recognises the swearing in of a Governor without a Deputy Governor? Lawyers who spoke to Daily Times said it doesn’t, Peter Fowoyo writes.

In less than ten days, the Governor elect of Kogi state, Alhaji Yahaya Bello known as Fairplus will be sworn in after being declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC as the winner of the supplementary election held in December 5, 2015.

Alhaji Bello was nominated by his party, the All Peoples Congress (APC) to replace the late Alhaji Abubakar Audu, who died in the course of the election. No sooner than Bello emerged as the party’s candidate for the supplementary election, Mr. James Abiodun Faleke, armed with section 35 of the Electoral Act, made known his intention not to be a Deputy Governor in the controversial election.

Section 35 of the Electoral Act states that: “A candidate may withdraw his candidature by notice in writting signed by him and delivered by himself to the political party that nominated him for the election and the political party shall convey such withdrawal to the commission not later than 45 days to the election.”

Notwithstanding Mr. Faleke’s withdrawal from the race, leaving Bello as a Governorship can-

didate without a running mate, the electoral umpire went ahead with the supplementary election and declared him winner.

Immediately he was declared winner, aggrieved political parties including Faleke approached the election tribunal to nullify Bello’s election.

However, the Kogi State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, last week, dismissed a motion filed by the Labour Party (LP) that sought to stop the inauguration of Alhaji Yahaya Bello as the governor of the state.

The tribunal, headed by Justice Halima Mohammed, dismissed the interlocutory injunction to halt the January 27 inauguration, saying that the application was incompetent.

According to the tribunal at its resumed sitting, the application, which would make the matter to be heard outside the pre-hearing session, should have been brought through motion on notice.

Mr Reuben Egwuaba, lawyer to Labor Party had approached the tribunal to hear the motion on notice restraining Bello from presenting himself before the Chief Judge of the state for inauguration on January 27.

The party argued that Bello did not have a deputy governorship candidate when the supplementary election was conducted on December 5.

“Consequent upon nomination of Alhaji Yahaya Bello as replacement for Audu, Honourable James Faleke, who was Audu’s running mate, withdrew and dissociated himself from participating in supplementary election as Bello’s running mate.

“Bello was declared governorelect after the supplementary election. Now, the Labour Party that participated in all the stages of the elections on November 21 and December 5 submit that Bello was not qualified to participate in that election.

“Time is of essence, moreso that the swearing-in has been scheduled for January 27, the motion exparte is for leave of the tribunal to hear the Motion on Notice outside pre-hearing session and stop the inauguration as we proceed to hear the substantive case,” he said.

Meanwhile section 187 (1) of the constitution states: “In any election to which the foregoing provisions of this part of this chapter relate, a candidate for the office of Governor of a state shall not be deemed to have been validly nominated for such office unless he nominates another candidate as his associate for his running for the office of Governor, who is to occupy the office of

Deputy Governor; and that candidate shall be deemed to have been duly elected to the office of Deputy Governor if the candidate who nominated him is duly elected as Governor in accordance with the said provisions.”

Lawyers who spoke to Daily Times yesterday said that the constitution does not recognise a Governor sworn in without a Deputy Governor.

Sir Chris Ekemezie, a Lagos based lawyer said: “the constitution does not allow a governor to be sworn in without a deputy.

The ticket given by the constitution is a pair, in other words, the two of them must stand together to have a valid election. In the instance case, when the deputy governor decline to run on the same ticket with the governor, it is very wrong for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to have conducted the election. “ The right thing for the electoral umpire to have done in the circumstance was to have postponed the election and give the governor a privilege to pick his deputy who can run with him for the election. The deputy governor should have been the person to step in assuming INEC did not declare the election inconclusive on that day, could they have removed the elected deputy governor and replaced him with a new person because the governor died? The answer is no, they don’t have the power

to do that. The deputy governor actually should have stepped in, in my view, what they should have done is case stated to the Supreme Court to determine issues since it is a hybrid issue, the law did not anticipate such to happen and there is no provision for it. So, the Supreme Court makes pronouncement and it becomes the law.”

Another Lagos based lawyer from Chief Bolaji Ayorinde SAN chambers, Mr. Adenrele Adegborioye, said: “the constitution is clear when a party present a candidate for governorship election, it must be a joint candidacy of governor and his deputy. Consequently, when they are sworn in, they must be sworn in together.

However, due to circumstances beyond control of anyone, the deputy can only be sworn in and the party structure has the right to appoint another deputy governor. “ However, if the reason for the failure of the deputy to be available as at tbe date of swearing in, is a temporary set back like sickness, the governor can be sworn in and when the deputy governor is fit, he can be sworn in at another date because there must be deputy governor in place but, where there is no deputy governor in place then they cannot swear in the governor. It is a joint candidacy.”

Mr. Femi Fajolu said: “the constitution did not recognised a governor without a deputy. How can a supplementary governor be sworn in when he did not get three quarter of the votes? No, our constitution does not recognized a governor without a running mate. The court might void the APC’s victory and the PDP candidate may win because his candidate did not follow due process, he did not get all the votes.

Alternatively, the court may nullify the election and conduct fresh election that will authenticate his candidacy. Abubakar Audu died with the process and I think APC should have done a fresh primaries that will produce a fresh candidate and justice would have been seen to be done to James Abiodun Faleke. There may be a bye election which will warrant APC to conduct a fresh primary, it requires a constitutional amendment to cater for when governorship candidate dies before the result is announced.”

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, January 19, 2016

27 Law

Holding charge, unknown to our laws-Ali Malam Yusuf Olaolu Ali, a Senior Advocate in this interview gave an assessment of the judiciary and came to the conclusion that the third arm of government has ‘acquitted itself’ under this administration. Besides, he spoke on election petition tribunals, the 2016 Appropriation Bill, the rule of law and sundry other issues. Peter Fowoyo met him.

How would you assess the judiciary most especially under this new administration?

Well, at the risk of being accused of bias, I think the judiciary more than ever had acquitted itself very well. If you see the share number of election petitions, election petition appeals, some election petition interlocutory appeals to the Supreme Court and as we are talking now most of the governorship judgments have also gone to the Supreme Court and that the tribunals, the Court of Appeal have been able to cope and ensure that all the cases were disposed off within the timeframe as prescribed by the constitution, it is a lot of sacrifice.

As a player in this matter, I am aware that there were ocassions when we had a matter in Ibadan and a Justice who will take part in Ibadan matter was still sitting. sitting in Abuja have to find his way to Ibadan, the same thing at Makurdi, where Justices were from far away in Enugu or Owerri have to find their way to Makurdi to sit. I am aware of the situation where some of these tribunals and the Court of Appeals when they were hearing the cases from the National Assembly sat as late as 10:30p.m in Abuja. The judiciary has done very well.

The Supreme Court now sit in two panels to be able to dispose election base matters and normal cases. I mean cases that have to do with contracts, chieftaincy, land matters, they still sit to handle those ones.

How would you react to the conflicting judgments emanating from the various Court of Appeals?

Well, I am not aware of any conflicting judgments, in any event, the judiciary is organize in a way that if there is conflict in the decision of the same court, there is always an appellate resolution to streamline so, it doesn’t give me any worries. If there is any apparent or ochestrated conflict, the judiciary has its own internal mechanism to sought it out.

What are your expectations

Ali

‘‘Even in a war, there are rules of engagement and chapter four of our constitution is very clear and explicit. You must never do anything consciously in the name of fight either against corruption or insurgency to deliberately trample upon the rights of citizens’’ from the judiciary in 2016?

My expectation is that the judiciary will improve upon what its doing now and serve the Nigeria people as its always being doing and that more guidelines should be put in place to fast track commercial based disputes. I expect that the judiciary will not relent, in fact, as we go into the new year, the Supreme Court will have to grapple with the appeals from all the governorship appeals and as I am talking to you now I am aware that not less than 10 have been filed. So, it is a lot of work for the judiciary.

What is your take on the 2016 Appropriation Bill read on the floor of the National Assembly by the President?

My take is, there should be proper change on budget implementation. It saddens you when a budget is passed and you are told at the end of the year that it performance is just 40 per cent.

There is no reason why our budget should not perform at 100 per cent, at least 98 per cent. I hope, especially having regards to the large quotum of capital projects

in this current budget, I believe if it is faithfully implemented, we will be able to overcome a few of the challenges we have, lack of infrastructure, provision of employment and so on.

How will you assess this administration’s adherence to the rule of law?

As far as I know, so far so good but, there is always room for improvement. You cannot have a perfect system anywhere. We must make conscious efforts to improve on the way we are now.

For me, there is room for improvement but, it is not hopeless.

With the ongoing fight against corruption and insurgency, how do we ensure that fundamental right of people are not infringed upon?

Even in a war, there are rules of engagement and chapter four of our constitution is very clear and explicit. You must never do anything consciously in the name of fight either against corruption or insurgency to deliberately trample upon the rights of citizens because what goes round turns round. Those who

wield powers today must remember that yesterday they were out of power and tomorrow, talking euphorically, they will also be out of power either because they finished their tenure or they are voted out of power. We should all know that when we set bad standard, others may come to exploit it against our own interest. In spite of the challenges we have, we should not compromise on the observers of the rule of law and observers of fundamental rights of the citizens. It is very important otherwise there will be no society.

Security agencies have often use holding charge to detain suspects even when tthe constitution is clear on how long a suspect can be detain. What is holding charge and is it known to our laws?

It is unknown to us and it is unconstitutional as you have rightly said. For me, I believe that our laws, the way I understand it, is that you cannot arrest or detain somebody except you have virtually concluded investigation and you are ready to take him to court and that is why the constitution prescribes 24 hours. It is assumed that you would have concluded every other thing, it is just to secure him or her to appear in court. I will never support a situation where people are held and start to scavenge for evidence with which to take them to court, I don’t think it is right because liberty is the greatest freedom you could ever have and it should not be taken away and like I always tell people, whatever posi-

tion you are today is temporary, you may be at the receiving end tomorrow. We all witnessed what happened to a former Inspector General of Police in the hands of his surbodinates. So, when you set a negative standard, you may become a victim tomorrow.

Rivers state Appeal Court has dismissed three appeals filed by governor Nyesom Wike. How do you view the judgment?

Incidentally, I am a counsel in the matter so, I defended the three appeals, Chief Olujimi defended for Peterside who was the governorship candidate of APC. Of course, we are happy that we won and we know that they are likely to go to Supreme Court, we are waiting. I was very active in the matter.

Some senior lawyers are of the view that the electoral law should jettison the use of card readers if it cannot be improved upon in 2019 general elections as this has caused contradictory decisions in the appeals emanating from election tribunals in Lagos, Akwa-Ibom and Rivers states. Do you share this view?

I don’t. There are no contradictions in those judgments. You see, people tend to take judgments out of context. You want to ask, what were the grounds for challenging elections in Rivers? It was simple, unlike other cases. In Rivers what we said is, the card readers accreditation data showed that both the failed and successful accreditation was only 295,000 plus whereas about 1.4 million votes were declared, how do you account for the balance? Simple. In other cases, people raised the issue of card readers but it is not the same way we raised it in Rivers that it was raised and it was not the same way we went about it in Rivers in proving that it was done in other places. Without mentioning names, I was even involved in another one in which card reader was raised as part of the issue at the trial but by the time we got to the Court of Appeal they dropped it, they do not pursue it.

In the Lagos case what the court said essentially was that look, the card reader cannot be used without the consideration of voters’ register which is the law which was also said in Rivers so, there are no contradictions, there are no conflicts as far as i know. When a judgment is given, you have to look at the facts and marry it to the law and then look at what was proved, it is a different thing to make allegation, it is another thing to be able to prove.

28

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Tech Times Æ s

NCS unveils 26th national conference theme, calls for papers Stories by Tony Nwakaegho Mr Jide Awe, chairman, Conferences Committee, Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), in a blog post has unveiled the theme for the 26th National Conference which is a multi-stakeholder forum to examine pertinent considerations in achieving IT enabled security to advance and achieve sustainable development.

In the 21st century, nations invest in Information Technology as the key enabler for national security which has become one of the most critical issues in Nigeria.

Awe said: “Engagement opportunities will be explored during the Conference to present and develop effective strategies, creative approaches and practical solutions. The Conference intends to bring together academics, innovators, researchers, entrepreneurs, IT practitioners, policy makers in government and business people.”

This year’s conference

Prof. Aderounmu, president NCS

theme is dubbed: “Information Technology for National Safety and Security”, while the sub themes are National Database – Integral to National Security; Information Technology and the National Security Strategy; Universal Broadband Access – the Security Imperative Information Technology as an Indispensable Security

Tool – Terrorism in Focus and Smart Governance and Anti-Corruption through Information Technology.

Others sub themes are National Security Dimension of Youth Innovation and Software Development; Cybercrime, Cyberwarfare and Cybersecurity; Digital Human Capital Requirements in the

21st Century; Social, Mobile, Analytics (Big Data) and Cloud Computing (SMAC).

Awe said, authors are invited to submit their full papers in English on original work for publication and presentation at the NCS 26th National Conference, adding that “All submitted papers will be peer reviewed by highly qualified panel of reviewers. The authors are requested to submit full paper of their original and unpublished work not later than Friday, February 26, 2016”.

“Authors are invited to submit their full papers in English on original work intended for presentation at the Conference.

Paper acceptance will be based on full paper submission; Papers must have relevance to one or more of the sub-themes listed and Initial submission must not include the authors’ names and affiliations. However, full details of authors (names, addresses and e-mails) must be included in the final camera-ready copy.

“All papers must be submitted electronically as an attached Microsoft Word document (.doc).

Full papers should be mailed

directly to: conferences@ncs. org.ng with the title of the paper as the subject.

“Where there are multiple authors, only one can enjoy the 20% discount and at least one author must pre-register to qualify for inclusion of paper in conference proceedings; Paper acceptance will be reconfirmed after necessary corrections / modifications by reviewers have been fully carried out.

“Only full papers received on schedule will be considered selected papers may be considered for publication in International Journals, including the Journal of Computer Science and Its Applications, published biannually by Nigeria Computer Society. ”All submitted papers to NCS conferences must be previously unpublished and may not be considered for review or publication somewhere else during the period at which such papers are undergoing NCS review, Awe said while further details are available on NCS website.

African startups raise $185.7m funding in 2015

Jackson, co-founder of Disrupt Africa

The Disrupt Africa’s African Tech Startups Funding Report for 2015 has shown that 125 tech startups raised $185,785,500 funding in 2015 around the African continent.

According to the report, Nigerian startups received over $49,404,000 and Kenyan startups got over $47,365,000.

South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya proved investors’ favoured destinations in 2015; with 36 per cent of the startups that raised funding based in South Africa, 24 per cent in Nigeria, and Kenya in third place with 14.4 per cent of deals.

The top three ranking

amounts of funding also went to these three locations.

South African startups raised in excess of $54,568,000 throughout the year; Nigerian startups received over $49,404,000; and Kenyan startups brought home over $47,365,000.

Of the 10 sectors monitored in the report, the solar sector saw the most investor activity, accounting for 32.9 per cent of total funds raised. The fintech sector proved a close second, securing 29.6 per cent of the total funds.

“2015 was an exciting year for African tech startups. Our data shows the increasing

vibrancy of our ecosystem, with more quality tech startups, and more investor activity than ever before.

We’re very pleased to make our data available in the Disrupt Africa African Tech Startups Funding Report 2015, and trust it will contribute to understanding and growing the ecosystem,” Gabriella Mulligan, co-founder of Disrupt Africa said.

Tom Jackson, co-founder of Disrupt Africa said: “These are impressive numbers, showing real growth in the amount of funding available to African tech startups, but in reality they are merely the

tip of the iceberg.

“There will have been many funding rounds across the continent that has taken place quietly. But in terms of demonstrating the development of the ecosystem, these figures are an excellent starting point.

We expect to see further growth in 2016.”

The report also finds Egypt, Ghana, and Tanzania are key hotspots for funding activity; and provides detailed information for each country, including deals per location; average deal sizes and highlights key deals.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, January 19, 2016

29 Tech Times

ATCON, NCS, others advise FG on thrust of new ICT policy Stories by Tony Nwakaegho Stakeholders in the nation’s information and communication technology (ICT) industry have called on the Federal Government to note the key areas to prioritise in the proposed new National ICT Policy.

It will be recalled that Mr. Adebayo Shittu, minister of Communications, had in penultimate week while attending the foundation laying ceremony of the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) secretariat, pledged to produce a new nation ICT policy; a thrust for the industry to become next major source of revenue for the economy.

The Communication Minister disclosed that the Ministry has been receiving a lot of inputs from stakeholders across the country and from Nigerians in diaspora; some of which will form part of the details of the blueprint.

In furtherance to getting this new policy on course, Engineer Lanre Ajayi, president of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) said that the Ministry should critically review the existing National ICT Policy and the National Broadband Plan, culling the most important areas for swift implementations.

“I don’t think we need a new ICT policy more urgent as it

were. We just had an ICT policy not too long ago. It is my opinion that the present administration toes the line of the existing policy and implements it.

A change in government does not necessarily mean the past policies should be discarded, especially when the policies are relevant in today’s environment,” Ajayi said.

Ajayi explained that there are critical policies and plans Shittu should focus on, stressing that “We have ICT policy and broadband plan. The broadband plan implementation seemingly, was short, because of the electioneering (or political activities) few months before the past government left office.

The present government can make their milestones from the aspects of the broadband plan, as some of the projections are yet to be achieved such as spectrum licencing to drive broadband and many more, I think, they should focus on the implementation”.

Mr. Pius Okigbo, president of the Institute of Software Practitioner of Nigeria (ISPON), agreed less, as he believes the Communications Minister deserves the right to choose the ICT policy direction of the present administration.

Stakeholders should wait, according to him till the policy thrust is launched before discussing the content; though he admitted that “ICT for job creation” is a sine qua non for

Engr. Ajayi, president ATCON

the President Muhammadu Buhari led federal Government.

“It will be prudent to wait till the current Minister comes up with his own policy prescription or direction. At that point, we will be in a better position to argue for or against what to include or not. “Yes, there are certain influences that he has to be governing by. Those influences are the good part of the existing policy that has yielded tremendous benefits.

The key point is the iDEA Hub. That is a very strong and positive policy prescription.

There are several others that can have to do with expanding and developing the industry and create employment opportunities. So, I strongly believe we wait on the Minister to unveil his policy direction before discussing it”.

However, Professor Adesola Aderounmu, president of the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) said they have already made recommendations to the Federal Government for priority be given to the use of registered local IT professionals and registered local IT

companies to execute IT jobs.

In particular such IT firms and professionals should be involved in Strategic IT projects; a deliberate focus on youth innovation to generate massive employment for millions of our youth through riding on the startup boom in Nigeria and the use of innovative IT tools and solutions to frontally address the major concerns of bribery and corruption facing the nation.

Aderounmu also revealed that NCS is ready to make more recommendations to the Federal Government during a two-day retreat scheduled by the Ministry on the subject matter.

Among other NCS’ recommendations to be pushed to Shittu include: capacity building in cyber security, most especially within the security agencies and in the nation’s educational system; implementation of the National Broadband Plan and urgently push for comprehensive broadband access all over the country; rollout, implementation, and monitoring of local content

policy to encourage MDAs to patronise indigenous software and hardware; establishment of IT parks using Public-PrivatePartnership (PPP) models and establishment of Digital Centres in all the 774 LGAs in collaboration with the State Governments.

“And we believe the Federal Government should approve the pending National Software Policy (NSP) as a blue print aimed at providing a strategic roadmap to make Nigeria a competitive country in the area of software engineering and digital knowledge development and implementing e-Government strategies as Imperatives for corruptionfree, equitable, productive and knowledge-based society,” the NCS president, Aderounmu said.

Speaking on the same issue, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, chairman of Teledom Group, suggested that whatever will be part of the new policy must be centered on the Nigerian Content Development and the Nigerian Content Patronage.

“In the last administration there was much talks about the Nigerian content development, but there was insufficient emphasis and trust on the Nigerian Content patronage. It is not enough for Nigerians to develop a lot of contents without Ministries, Department and Agencies of the Government and the private sector not patronising them,” Ekuwem said.

He added: “If we fail to prioritise the local content, then the development means nothing. Patronage must be highly emphasized, otherwise, why should Nigerians develop ICT contents/products that are not patronized? Charity must begin at home. The effectiveness of that will generate jobs as the present government has indicated it is interested in creating jobs for the teeming youths”.

Ministry of Solid Minerals to spend N1.7bn on ICT The Ministry of Solid Minerals Development will in this 2016 budget proposal presented before the joint session of the National Assembly by President Mohammedu Buhari December last year, expend over N1.7 billion on Information Communications Technology (ICT) activities.

The Ministry, headed by

Dr. Kayode Fayemi gave the breakdown of the ICT related activities as follows: Out of a total budget of N18, 625, 703, 622 earmarked for the ministry N795, 234,275 will be expended on website update; N926, 893, 275 are for purchase of computers; ICT laboratory N4, 425, 000 and computer software acquisition N2, 258, 000

Meanwhile, the Presidency has also increased by 258,657,322 for the maintenance of FME’s website and provision of antivirus and portal design; and development for Nigeria Education Management Information System from N15, 000,000 to N273, 657,322 in the now infamous doctored budget.

Dr. Fayemi, Minister of Solid Minerals

Tech Times 30

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Shittu leads Nigeria Telecom delegation to China Stories by Tony Nwakaegho

The Minister of Communications, Barrister Adebayo Shittu, Thursday led the Nigerian delegations to attend international conference on space technology in Belarus, China, even as Nigerian Communication Satellite (NIGCOMSAT) would use the opportunity to perfect its deal with Belarus Sat. The delegation is also expected to work on boosting the nation’s cyber space and the telecommunications sector.

Mr. Victor Oluwadamilare, the Special Assistant on Media to Communications Minister confirmed this development, stressing that this coincide with the award of a Carrier Spectrum Management (CSM) contract to one of the agencies

in the Ministry, NIGCOMSAT by the Republic of Belarus.

He said that aside from attending the conference, Barrister Shittu would also pay a working visit to the town of Fxichang, where he is expected to meet with leading telecommunications’ players in China.

The Minister is equally listed to attend the launch of Belitersat1 satellite in the country which would afford him the opportunity to present Nigeria’s vast potentials in the sector to investors at the forum.

According to Oluwadamilare, Shittu would return to Beijing on Saturday, where he is expected to parley with other stakeholders in the telecommunications industry.

It will be recalled that Barrister Shittu had expressed his determination on his assumption of office in making the telecommunications sector a cash cow for the nation’s economy in view of its untapped potentials that abound.

NIGCOMSAT has set a record of being the first company in the African continent to tender

Barr. Shittu, Minister of Communications

and won the bid to provide a Carrier Spectrum Management (CSM) and In- Orbit Test (IoT) services for Belintersat-1 which belongs to the Republic of Belarus.

The award is will in the long run boost the company’s drive to broaden its products and services, consequently making it a leading company in the satellite business globally.

Ericsson unveils 3 IoT solutions for smart homes, cities Ericsson has unveiled three new solutions to equip communication service providers and utility companies to address services and requirements in the fastgrowing Internet of Things (IoT) market.

IoT is quickly emerging as a very significant agent of transformation as it blends the physical and digital worlds.

Those new additions will strengthen Ericsson’s unique position with end-to-end capability.

In the latest Ericsson Mobility Report, 28 billion connected devices are forecasted by the year 2021, more than half of which are Machine to Machine (M2M) and IoT connections.

Numerous studies have identified the potential and value of IoT to society, with smart cities and connected homes, including consumer devices, making up as much that value.

Driving industry innovations in smart cities and connected homes, Ericsson is launching three IoT solutions: Smart

Vestberg CEO Ericsson

Metering as a Service; User & IoT Data Analytics and Networks Software 17A Diversifying Cellular for Massive IoT Smart metering as a service ICT is becoming increasingly

critical for utility providers as they look to improve operational efficiency and find ways to innovate and improve customer experience.

Smart Metering as a service

enables end-to-end business process outsourcing drawing on Ericsson’s experience of enabling more than 42 million smart meters worldwide.

The benefits of Smart Metering as a Service include reduced time-to-market, superior meter management and operations, as well as maximum cost savings.

In short, utility providers will enjoy lower total cost of ownership, reduced complexity as Ericsson acts as a single point of contact with IT service providers, telecom operators and field services companies; and improved quality of service.

For consumers, smart metering and a smarter, connected grid enables more reliable services, more accurate billing and the ability to control spending – thanks to timely consumption data.

It also supports advanced security automation lighting, heating and cooling services – identified by Ericsson’s recent Consumer Lab report as areas of high interest for consumers.

Smart Metering as a Service

will be commercially available in Q2 2016.

User & IoT Data Analytics Exponential growth in the number of connected devices, both from consumers and industries, presents telecom operators with an opportunity to unlock the value of user and IoT data in their network databases.

Ericsson’s User & IoT Data Analytics allows operators to do that by providing a real-time analytics engine embedded in the subscriber database.

This solution extends Ericsson’s User Data Consolidation (UDC) offering, and works for both cellular- and non-cellular devices.

It can also fetch data from other vendors’ network data bases and aggregate them in the analysis.

Additional data from external sources can be included and, with the use of secure exposure, cross-industry IoT insights and applications also become a possibility.

As a result, operators can improve internal operational CONTINUED ON PAGE 31

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, January 19, 2016

ITU members approve first standard on big data Stories by Tony Nwakaegho The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) members have approved the first ITU standard on Big Data.

ITU is is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) that is responsible for issues that concern information and communication technologies.

The international standard details the requirements, capabilities and use cases of cloud-based Big Data as well a high-level ‘system context’ view and its relationships with other entities.

According to statement on its website, endorsed by Sanjay Acharya, chief, media relations & public information at ITU, the Union described the Big Data paradigm as provides an effective, scalable solution to deal with growing volumes of data and uncover patterns or other information capable of making data manageable and profitable.

Advances in information and communication technology (ICT) are enabling masses of data to be generated, transmitted and stored, and this explosive growth is increasing in pace.

Datasets have become so large

Zhao , ITU Sec.-Gen.

and complex, and are generated so fast, that traditional approaches to data processing are proving inadequate.

Achieving efficient analysis of data within required timeframes is a significant challenge; one that industry will address using technologies in the field of Big Data.

The new standard, Recommendation ITU-T Y.3600 “Big data – cloud computing based requirements and capabilities”, was developed by ITU-T’s expert group responsible

for future networks, cloud computing and network aspects of mobile communications, ITU-T Study Group 13.

ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao said:“New frontiers in ICT innovation are coming within reach thanks to advances in data collection and analysis.

“The ICT industry will welcome these advances and ensure that their benefits can be achieved on a global scale”.

“This new ITU standard provides internationally agreed fundamentals of cloud-based

31 Tech Times

Big Data.

“It will build cohesion in the terminology used to describe cloud-based Big Data and offer a common basis for the development of Big Data services and supporting technical standards,” Chaesub Lee, Director of the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Bureau said.

ITU-T Y.3600 describes the meaning of Big Data and the characteristics of the Big Data ecosystem from a standardization perspective.

The standard outlines how cloud computing systems can be leveraged to provide Big Data services, assisting industry in the management of large datasets incapable of being transferred and analysed using traditional data-management technologies.

In addition to its description of the fundamentals of cloudbased Big Data, ITU-T Y.3600 provides definitions of Big Data and Big Data as a Service (BDaaS): Big Data is a paradigm for enabling the collection, storage, management, analysis and visualization, potentially under real-time constraints, of extensive datasets with heterogeneous characteristics.

BDaaS is a cloud service category in which the capabilities provided to the cloud service customer are the ability to collect, store, analyse, visualize and manage data using Big Data technologies.

Systemspecs’ Founder, John Obaro, wins best software entrepreneur award Founder of Systemspecs, owner of Remita, the electronic platform, John Obaro, has won the Engr Simeon Agu Prize as the Best Software Entrepreneur 2015 at the National Information Technology Merit Awards [NITMA].

Other notable Nigerians were honoured at the same ceremony.

NITMA is an annual event organised by Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) to acknowledge, celebrate and reward corporate organizations and individuals who are outstanding in their various information technology (IT) practices.

President of NCS, Professor Adesola Aderounmu at a press conference in Lagos to announce NITMA 2015 said that the annual event is intended to reward excellence contributions in the Nigeria’s information

technology industry.

“It is a night of awards to celebrate the best of Nigerian information technology creativity and innovation that has fundamentally changed, and is still changing the Nigerian nation. Award winners are recognised for being inspiring symbols of the IT community.

The Nigerian nation has moved forward because of their contributions. It is honour well deserved. Nigeria, not just the IT community, owes them a huge debt of gratitude”.

Having enjoyed a successful career with International Merchant Bank (IMB), Obaro founded SystemSpecs some 23 years ago as a West African Partner to Systems Union, UK offering the SunSystems suite of solutions.

Systemspecs is a leader in the e-payment market in Nigeria

with its Remita solution, which offers e-payment solutions on a single interbank platform.

Remita currently processes about $6 billion worth of

Obaro , Founder of Systemspecs

transactions on a monthly basis.

Recall that Remita moves the federal government Treasury Single Account [TSA] and the platform is an entirely locally developed electronic platform.

The CBN, after a multilevel and rigorous evaluation exercise in 2011, selected this software. Remita was selected on merit over and above other foreign and local options.

While receiving the award on behalf of Obaro, the Executive Director of the company, Deremi Atanda, said that, “Obaro is passionate about the promotion of Nigeria’s indigenous software industry.

He believes that the homegrown software is capable and can rival any other software anywhere in the world”.

Ericsson unveils 3 IoT solutions for smart homes, cities CONTINUED FROM PAGE 30

efficiency and expand business toward both consumers and industries.

In parallel, they can extend their roles in the IoT ecosystem beyond simply providing connectivity and climb up the value chain.

Ericsson User & IoT Data Analytics will be commercially available from end Q2 2016.

Networks Software 17A Diversifies Cellular for Massive IoT In September 2015, Ericsson announced a suite of software upgrades to accelerate the uptake of IoT, removing roadblocks to mass-market adoption.

To meet the new challenges of supporting the coming massive numbers of IoT devices with a wide range of use cases and requirements, Ericsson is launching Networks Software 17A for Massive IoT that supports millions of IoT device connections per cell site. The software-only upgrades introduce newest device category for LTE connections, Narrowband-IoT (NB-IoT), to existing network infrastructure, for fast rollout of reliable, secure mobile connectivity at the lowest total cost of ownership.

NB-IoT is well suited to IoT applications such as metering and sensor monitoring and flexibly scales to support millions of connections per cell site.

It also reduces module costs by 90 per cent and provides seven times better coverage.

Combined with power-saving improvements, it delivers more than 10-year device battery life while maintaining downlink reach ability.

These enhancements complement features available in the previous software release to address the diversity of IoT requirements while making best use of the extensive global footprint of existing networks.

The upgrades to LTE and GSM networks provide an ideal platform for IoT growth.

Ericsson Networks Software 17A for Massive IoT will become commercially available in Q4 2016.

This means Ericsson will deliver the industry’s first complete cellular low-power, wide-area (LPWA) offering to market this year.

Published by folio commUNicATioNS lTD, Lateef Jakande Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja. website: www.dailytimes.com.ng; email: info@dailytimes.com.ng. Tel: 018447948.

GROUP EDITOR: BioDUN DURoJAiYE

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Messi g 20

s e l g a E ing in ftl, y down

star l a o g 5 n i a Men thriller!

Nigeria’s Chisom Ch a hat-trick against Niikatara (left) scored Man of the Match in ger to emerge at Stade Régional de a Group C cracker Nyamirambo, Kigali.

ANDREW EKEJIUBA Sport Editor

N

igeria’s Super Eagles B began their 2016 African Nations Championship (CHAN) campaign in flying start with Chisom Chikatara scoring a hat-trick and one from Osas Okoro gave the home-based Eagles a resounding 4-1 win over Mena of Niger Republic in Kigali.

Abia Warriors forward Chikatara could have scored five, but after flashing a superb shot past the Niger goalkeeper in the 74th minute and finishing off a great counter–attack by Osas Okoro and Prince

Aggrey seven minutes later, he fluffed two great opportunities in the closing minutes before tucking away a good pass from Aggrey in the last minute of added time.

Enugu Rangers’ attacking midfielder Osas Okoro had an impressive first half in a somewhat dour start, but he was fruitful only 30 seconds into the second half when he connected brilliantly from a pass from the left by forward Tunde Adeniji to put the Eagles in front.

Group mates Tunisia and Guinea had opened the pool with a 2-2 draw at the same venue earlier, and both the Eagles

and Mena knew a winner between them would go to the top. Even as they fell behind so early in the second period, the Mena continued to chase hard and Pasairo had himself to blame for wasting so much time with a golden opportunity in the 66th minute, allowing Nigerian defenders to clear.

From then on, it was the Okoro, Aggrey and Chikatara show! Chikatara connected easily but powerfully with the ball from an Okoro pass in the 74th minute. Six minutes later, 19 –year old Zakari Adebayor scored a magnificent goal for the Mena, blasting a fierce, left –footed shot past Ezenwa.

Yet, immediately from re-taking the kick-off, the Eagles launched and Chikatara slotted in after an exchange of passes by Okoro and Aggrey.

Chikatara, a striker with a huge talent for putting himself in the best scoring position, missed two opportunities to increase the tally from Okoro and Aggrey passes in the closing minute. But he bagged his hat – trick with three minutes into added time as he connected superbly from an Aggrey pass.

The Super Eagles’ next match is against 2011 champions Tunisia at the same Stade Regional de Nyamirambo on Friday.

Business Times Daily Times Nigeria

E-payment: CBN Page B5 says infrastructure challenges responsible for ATMs, POS hitches

FG urges investors not to sack workers Page B4

Bearish trend continues on Page B6 NSE as index drops by 4.10%

Fear grips OPEC over Iran’s threat to increase production by 500,000bpd

CLO backs CBN ban on forex to BDCs

Opeoluwani Akintayo Members of Organisation for Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, are beginning to panic after Iran declared on Saturday that it would increase its oil export production by 500,000 barrels per day.

Since the sanction was lifted, oil prices hit their lowest since 2003 on Monday.

The United States and European Union on Saturday revoked CONTINUED ON PAGE B2

L – R: Mr. Haruna Jalo-Waziri, Executive Director, Capital Market Division, The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE); Mr. Oscar N. Onyema OON, Chief Executive Officer, NSE; Mr. Valentine Ozigbo, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Transcorp Hotel Plc and Mr. Ade Bajomo, Executive Director, Market Operations and Technology, NSE, at the listing of Transcorp Hotels Plc N10bn (Series 1) bond at The NSE... on Monday.

WhatsApp ditches $1 annual fee, tests business accounts, says CEO CEO of Facebook-owned WhatsApp, Jan Koum, on Monday at a conference in Munich, Germany, made a couple of big announcements about how the messaging app plans to evolve to its next phase as it approaches 1 billion users He said the company plans to drop its $0.99 annual subscription fee, and it will start to test out more commercial services

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

— specifically a B2C business for companies to communicate with their customers.

The B2C business is in a testing phase now, WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum said, with the focus on large corporate customers like Bank of America.

The subscription fee — which used to kick in after a year of free use — may be getting scrapped in favor of alternative

revenues. But this won’t include ads, Koum said, according to a report by TechCrunch.com “We’re going to get rid of the $1 subscription,” Koum said, later admitting that the backup business model — courting corporates to build B2C services — is still pretty nascent. “We haven’t written a single line of code, [but we want to] make sure people understand this is

not about ads in the product,” he said.

If you recall, when Facebook announced it would acquire WhatsApp for $19 billion almost two years ago, both companies were unequivocal about not putting ads into WhatsApp and sharing user data with commercial entities.

WhatsApp last updated its

Civil Liberties Organization (CLO), on Monday threw its weight behind the decision of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to the stop the sale of foreign exchange to Bureaux de Change, BDCs, as part of measures to reduce the pressure on the nation’s foreign reserves.

President of the CLO, Comrade Igho Akeregha, who addressed the media explained that the BDCs were a framework designed and re-engineered to facilitate and ease corruption in Nigeria, especially as a potential vehicle for laundering the proceeds of corrupt funds into foreign currencies.

According to him: “An economy that encourages a BDC operator to obtain publicly earned funds at N190/U$ and then turns around to sell it at N270/U$ is an economy that is determined to remain backward. This huge window creates a huge disincentive to seek other avenues for sourcing FX by the operators and allows them to make humongous profits at the expense of Nigeria and Nigerians” Noting that the country has suffered adversely as a result of the unholy operations of the BDCs, he therefore demanded that the BDCs must be restructured and brought in line to InCONTINUED ON PAGE B2

CONTINUED ON PAGE B2

Inflation rises to 9.6 % in December — NBS

National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Monday said that the inflation rate in December 2015 rose to 9.6 per cent compared to the inflation rate in November.

This is contained in December 2015 Consumer Price Index (CPI)/ Inflation Report issued by the NBS in Abuja.

The report said that the pace of increases recorded by CPI which measures inflation increased for the second consecutive month.

“The headline index increased

by 9.6 percent (year-on-year), 0.2 percent points higher from rates recorded in November.

“The increase in the headline index is driven in part by higher prices within key divisions which contribute to the index.

“In particular, imported food items within the food and non-alcoholic beverages divisions, alcoholic beverage, tobacco and kola, clothing and footwear and transportation divisions all impacted the index,’’ it said.

According to the report, food prices record significant pressures in December.

It said that the food sub-index increased to 10.6 per cent (year-onyear) during the month, 0.3 percent points from rates recorded in November.

“All major food groups, which contribute to the food sub index, increase at a faster pace during the month with the exception of the milk, cheese and eggs group.’’

Meanwhile, the Urban Index

grew at faster pace relative to November, increasing by 9.7 percent (year-on-year) from 9.4 percent.

It said that the pace of increase recorded in December in the Rural Index was relatively muted, increasing from 9.3 percent in November to 9.4 percent in December.

On a month-on-month basis, it said that both the urban and rural indices increased at the same pace, both increasing at 1.0 per cent in December, 0.3 per cent points from 0.7 percent in November.

Adeosun

Business News B2

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Fear grips OPEC over Iran’s threat to increase production by 500,000bpd

WhatsApp ditches $1 annual fee, tests business accounts but no Ads, says CEO

CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1

CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1

user numbers — who connect to the service by way of their mobile phone numbers, a hot link in a space where app developers oftentimes don’t “know” their users that well — at 900 million this past September. This profile in Wired notes that today the actual number is around 990 million.

That is a tempting amount of scale for a digital advertising business, making the commitment to no ads all the more interesting to watch, to see how and if it ever bends or gets dropped altogether.

In any case, since we have not had much transparency on what subscription fees brought to WhatsApp’s bottom line, it is not clear how big of a revenue gulf will result for WhatsApp from scrapping subscription fees. Anecdotally, I have been using the app for a while and cannot recall ever paying to do so. Several others have noted the same to me.

The reason for scrapping the fee may be more than simply moving to a different revenue model, too.

The messaging app field is very, very crowded, with many lookalike apps offering essentially the same functionality — to WhatsApp add Facebook’s own Messenger, WeChat, Line, Viber and more — and many others that are offering their own takes on the basic premise — for example Snapchat with its image-based ephemeral notes, or Wickr and Telegram with their ephemeral, encrypted services.

On the B2C front, there is also the spectre of competitors from other directions. Slack, for example, has focused mainly on messaging for teams within companies as well as looser, likeminded communities. Today, users can already integrate other CRM apps to use Slack to manage customer interactions, but it seems like an obvious move for the startup to build out a native product like this to manage those interactions itself.

Aniebonam

NAGAFF urges NCS to curb corruption Babajide Okeowo The founder, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) Dr. Boniface Aniebonam has called on the leadership of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to display the will and determination to curb corruption, ensure transparency and improve its service delivery.

Aniebonam in a chat with maritime correspondents explained that corruption was rampant in areas like Customs examination, value assessment and stoppage of released goods at the exit gates of the ports.

“One other area which we expect the new Customs Board to take a critical look at is licensing regulation.

“We have always maintained that a system whereby Customs licenses are issued to corporate entities instead of individuals goes with a lot of risk.

“It allows individuals who perpetrate fraud in the release of goods to escape punishment, hid-

ing under the veil of corporate entity,” he said.

The NAGAFF Chief commended the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Retired Col. Hameed Ali for inaugurating a new management team.

He said that the team comprised six Deputy ComptrollerGenerals and eight Assistant Comptroller-Generals.

According to Aniebonam with the inauguration of the new management team, we are fully convinced that the task of fulfilling the mandate of the comptroller-general will go into full swing.

He also suggested that the “ongoing arbitrary and inappropriate seizures’’ of goods should be stopped.

Aniebonam said that the 2006 Import and Export Guidelines specified additional duty as punishment under Sections 46, 47, 161 and 164 of the Customs & Excise Management Act (CEMA).

“It is to our knowledge that a 25 per cent duty penalty is usually imposed on such imports, which are viewed as minor trade offences,” he said.

sanctions that had cut Iran’s oil exports by about 2 million barrels per day (bpd) since their presanctions 2011 peak to little more than 1 million bpd.

Despite repeated warnings and pleadings by OPEC, Iran, also a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), insisted on Sunday that it would go ahead with export increase.

Worries about Iran’s return to an already oversupplied oil market drove down Brent crude LCOc1 to $27.67 a barrel early on Monday, its lowest since 2003.

The benchmark was at $28.59 by 0921 GMT, down 38 cents from its settlement on Friday.

As at Friday, January 15, OPEC’s daily basket price stood at $24.74 a barrel, and analysts still predict a drop to $10 as Iran starts pumping more oil into the market.

U.S. crude CLc1 was down 38 cents at $29.04 a barrel, not far from a 2003 low of $28.36 hit earlier in the session.

“Iranian export is coming at a very bad time,” analysts at Barclays said.

The ban cut the country off with nearly 80 million population from the global financial system, drastically reduced the exports of a major oil producer and imposed severe economic hardship

on ordinary Iranians.

In retaliation, Iran wants the world to feel the hardship it suffered through the years of denial, as the country sees its recent freedom as a means of making more money and boosting the economic standard of its people through increased export.

What this means for OPEC members, is untold hardship as it is presently being experienced, with members countries already cutting down on developmental projects and continuous fall in the value of their currencies. For, instance the official value of the naira, Nigeria’s currency is presently N196.5k to one dollar but it traded at about N297 to the dollar in the parallel market.

Kachiwku

CLO backs CBN ban on forex to BDCs CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1

ternational best practices.

He insisted that BDCs are not funded directly by the Government in other climes, but source their funds from autonomous sources and this encouraged innovation, creativity and discipline within their operations.

He said: “The President must stand with the people on this…

This new CBN policy on forex, we believe is well-thought out and focused on extricating the nation from the stranglehold of a cabal that are bent on keeping the nation marooned in the cesspit of under-development impervious to the sensitivities of the nation and the suffering which their profiteering is capable of unleashing on the masses… …with dwindling foreign exchange revenue accruing to the nation, it will be foolhardy to continue with a system that is clearly profligate and counterproductive” The CBN Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, while announc-

ing the suspension recently said that despite the fact that Nigeria was the only country in the world where a Central Bank sells dollars directly to BDCs, operators have not reciprocated that gesture to help maintain stability in the market.

The Governor lamented that rather than help to achieve the laudable objectives for which they were licensed, the BDCs have recorded unintended outcomes with interest only in widening margins and profits from the foreign exchange market regardless of prevailing official and interbank rates; potential financing of unauthorised transactions with foreign exchange procured from the CBN; gradual dollarisation of the Nigerian economy with attendant adverse consequences on the conduct of monetary policy and subtle subversion of cashless policy initiative as well as prevailing ownership of several BDCs by the same promoters in order to illegally buy foreign currencies multiple times from the CBN.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, January 19, 2016

B3 Business News

Passengers may shun Aero Contractors Ï Ɗ ƄƊƄ Ǝè Ɖ Ƃ Əƍ ƃƍƆ Ɔ ƕƄƄƋƄ Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo From all indications one of the country’s oldest airlines, Aero Contractors may soon be out of business following unsettled labour issues and financial misappropriation by its management.

This unhealthy rivalry between the management of Aero Contractors and labour unions may negatively affect the operators of the airline. Presently, the airline has six serviceable operational aircraft as against its 11 serviceable aircraft.

The crisis has almost crippled the operations of Aero Contractors as labour unions in the aviation sector have vowed not to leave any stone unturned to ensure that all labour related matters were resolved without victimisation of any worker to ensure the survival of the airline.

Few weeks ago, two aviation unions, National Union of Air Transport Employees NUATE and Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria ATSSSAN staged a peaceful protest to the headquarters of Aero Contractors over management’s

From left: Otunba (Mrs.) ‘Debola Osibogun, President/Chairman of Council, the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) and Mr. Jude Monye Executive Director, Heritage Bank Limited after Risk Managers Association of Nigeria (RIMAN) signed an agreement with the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) to professionalise risk management practice in Nigeria in Lagos…recently.

handling of labour issues especially welfare of workers.

Immediately after the peaceful protest, the management of Aero Contractors queried the two labour leaders in the organisation for bringing unions to stage a protest at the airlines headquarters.

The two union leaders who are branch chairmen of National

Union of Air Air Transport Employees NUATE and Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria ATSSSAN, were early last month queried by the management of Aero Contractors for organising a rally and inviting the media for the coverage.

But the labour leaders have threatened and declared show-

CIS signs MoU with UK CISI Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS) has made history with its signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with its counterpart in the United Kingdom, the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment (CISI).

The MOU, a strategic move to forge a strong relationship between the two leading institutions that train global finance and investment professionals is expected to become operational any moment from now.

Besides, plan is underway to hold a strategic forum where the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of stockbroking companies in Nigeria and members of CISI in London and Nigeria would interact for mutual benefits.

By the MOU, the CIS shall mobilize its members under special arrangement to become CISI members with attendant benefits and vice versa, the Institute shall collaborate with CISI to organize and execute on-line continuing development programme

(CPD) for its members in Nigeria and both parties shall develop specialized professional training for their members.

Also, CIS shall collaborate with its U.K. counterpart to develop specialized professional training for its members and students resident in Nigeria through development of courses and programmes in Securities and Investment and other related subjects.

The MOU provides for collaboration of both Institutes to develop a course on Integrity, Ethics and Professionalism as part of on-going requirements for the membership of CIS among others.

Commenting on the MOU, the Acting President, CIS, Mr Oluwaseyi Abe described it as a welcome development capable of moving the Institute to a greater height. Abe expressed optimism that the MOU would be mutually beneficial to both Institutes.

Abe delivered the goodwill message of the Nigerian Stock Exchange’s Chief Executive Of-

ficer, Mr Oscar Onyema who had earlier stated the Exchange’s full support for the MOU as a potent method to create symbiotic relationship between CIS and CISI in order to develop the much needed global manpower for the Nigeria capital market.

Director, Global Business Development, CISI, Mr. Kevin Moore expressed optimism that the MOU would strengthen relationship between CISI and CIS in all the components of professional and business activities in the short, medium and long time.

According to him, members can specialize in any aspect of the financial market operations and get certification such as a specialist in Equity, Fixed Income and Derivatives among others. He explained that each certification requires an examination.

Moore endorsed the plan to organize a strategic forum for exchange of ideas by the CEOs of stockbroking firms in Nigeria and global members of CISI.

down with the management of Aero Contractors over recent developments in the company.

The president of ATSSSAN Comrade Benjamin Okewu told Daily Times that it was unacceptable for the management of the airline to cover up their misdeeds by killing Aero Contractors wanting that the unions will not allow the airline to die that every

Babajide Okeowo The Nigeria Customs Service headquarters compliance team, Idiroko axis has intercepted an Isuzu Mini truck with registration number LSR 22 XQ suspected to belong to Fedex Courier Express conveying 100 cartons of frozen poultry products.

The truck, according to a statement signed by the spokesman of Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’, Uche Ejesieme was intercepted on the Idiroko axis, led by Assistant Comptroller, Ajibola Shittu.

The statement stated that the banned item was packed as parcels but was intercepted on intelligence report.

“The team shortly after inauguration, embarked on heightened intelligence gathering network, aimed at unraveling new strategies employed by smugglers to beat security agents.

The latest approach and subsequent seizure along the IjebuOde – Sagamu road, Wednesday, is actually a paradigm shift from the conventional method.

The team leader, Shittu as-

money spent must be accounted for by the management.

Okewu said it was not in the interest of the organisation to sack their branch chairmen.

Few weeks ago, the unions raised an alarm on issues bordering the financial status of the company calling for investigation into the activities of the airline.

Comrade Benjamin Okewu ATSSSAN president who led all the workers to yesterday’s protest told journalists that after AMCON pumped in millions of naira into Aero Contractors, the airline continued to nose dive and wondered what was going on in the company.

Okewu said after investigation by the unions, it was discovered instead of acquiring more planes the airline was going down and that the money was not used for what it was meant for adding that records showed that the money was transferred into other ventures from Aero account.

He said the unions have called on EFCC to come in and investigate the activities of the airline.

“We discovered from our investigation that an aircraft engine which ought to have been leased for $40,000 elsewhere was being leased by Aero Contractors for $70,000. A lot of fraudulent activities took place.”

Customs impounds truck load of poultry products cribed the latest exploit to the team’s strict adherence and comprehension of the policy thrust of the Comptroller-General of Customs stressing that nobody would have thought that a vehicle that ought to be used to ferry parcels and other materials, could be used to smuggle.

The statement added that the same team made a similar remarkable seizure recently when it intercepted a truck belonging to a haulage company used in smuggling over 5020 cartons of foreign frozen poultry products, concealed with 2016 cartons of table water.

Business News B4

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, January 19, 2016

L-R: Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi; Minister of State for Solid minerals, Hon Abubakar Bwari and Acting Executive Secretary, Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiatives (NEITI), Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji during the presentation of the group’s report to the minister in Abuja…on Monday.

FG urges investors not to sack workers Joy Ekeke Federal Government has pleaded with investors in the private sector against sacking workers at the moment, noting that the nation’s economy is in a critical stage.

This was as the government observed that the sack of any employee would have serious negative effect not just on the retrenched employee but on the larger economy.

The Minister of Labour and

Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige disclosed this at the investiture ceremony of Engr. Otis Anyaeji as the 30th President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers in Abuja.

Represented at the event by the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mr. James Ocholi, Ngige said the role of engineers in job creation could not be over-emphasised, adding that the provision of employment was one of the cardinal objectives of President Muham-

madu Buhari.

He called on the large turnout of private sector operators at the gathering to always seek ways of managing their workforce without necessarily increasing the number of unemployed persons in Nigeria through the dismissal of staff.

According to him, Engineers are too critical to the nation and this is because they create jobs. We all know that one of the President’s key priorities is job creation. But without engineers

NASCON delights consumers with rebranded salt pack Charles Okonji The food ingredients subsidiary of Dangote Industries Limited, NASCON Allied Industries, has launched a new pack for its refined salt, Dangote Salt.

The salt pack rebranding is part of the company’s initiative to endear the product to its teeming consumers as it still comes in packs of 250g, 500g and 1kg.

According to Head of Marketing, NASCON, Olufemi Ashipa, the new packs is to make the product more accessible and affordable for consumers and other end users.

He maintained that the new pack was made of a stronger, more durable polymer that keeps the salt dry, explaining that the stronger packaging also reduces the chances of the salt pack being torn accidentally while in transit.

“The salt pack comes with a new logo and with new colours changing from the traditional

yellow and red to a classy premium blue and white pack that is attractive, trendy and in line with its market leadership.”

“NASCON Allied Industries Salt product range includes; Dangote edible salt, butter salt, industrial salt, kitchen salt, pure dried vacuum salt.”

He assured that NASCON would remain committed to providing the best salt quality in the Nigerian market, stressing that its products are refined to give a purer and finer texture for exquisite quality and continued health benefits.

Ashipa said, “The products are iodized according to best global practices. We have totally revamped our Dangote Salt, making it truly new and improved; it offers consumers a clear free flowing product at the right levels of iodization, moisture control and now has clearly differentiated premium packaging in line with our commitment to constantly innovate to exceed the expectations of

our customers and consumers in Nigeria.”

“The elegant blue and white pack delivers both functional and aesthetic value to our consumers, making the product pop on shelves as it is easy to recognise,” he stated.

In her response, Executive Director Commercial, Halima Dangote, stated that the repackaging was a bold step as NASCON continued to lead product and packaging innovation within the product category, advising that consumers insist on buying Dangote Salt, and not just buying salt.

“NASCON Allied Industries in 2015 adopted a new name to reflect current investments and new operational status of the company as a manufacturer of other related consumer and daily need products apart from salt.”

“The company has completed installation of machineries for new products, tomato paste and vegetable oil.

this cannot be achieved. So engineers are of great significance to our country, especially with respect to job creation.

“I think it is important to state that we should not lay off staff at this critical stage, because if we do, we will be creating more problems. You should try to micro-manage and retain the staff that you have now, because no matter how much we accommodate, government alone cannot be the largest employer of labour. The largest employer of

labour is, of course, the private sector,” he said.

Daily Times recalls that Nycil Nigeria Ltd based in Sango in Ogun, last month sacked 17 workers, including four union executives without following due process. Nycil is into manufacturing and marketing of synthetic resins, emulsions and allied chemicals The workers were paid only three months, irrespective of the number of years they had served the company.

Augustine Okezie Abuja

Fayemi promises to work with NEITI recommendations

Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi says the findings and recommendations of Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) will be integrated into the policy reform agenda being developed for the Solid Minerals sector.

Receiving the NEITI management yesterday in his office in Abuja, the Minister, described NEITI’s visit as timely and commended the quality of NEITI Reports in the extractive Industries.

He further disclosed that some of NEITI’s recommendations are already part of the action plan of the Ministry. The Minister welcomed NEITI’s pledge to work with his Ministry and gave the assurance that NEITI finding and recommendations will be integrated in the reforms of the sector to be unveiled soon.

Also during the visit, the Acting Executive Secretary, Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji called on the Solid Mineral Ministry to produce a

comprehensive programme for the mining industry in the phase of the collapse of oil prices.

Dr. Orji explained that from the scoping study conducted and series of independent Oil Reports by NEITI, the Solid Minerals sector requires a robust fiscal regime built on comprehensive reform to expand the revenue generation base for the nation.

He said “the sector reforms should include periodic review of royalty rates to conform with market prices encouraging companies to declare accurately what they earn for accurate tax computation, as well as a progressive policy approach that guarantees legitimacy to artisanal miners that dominate the sector. He identified artisanal miners whose activities attract zero revenues to government at the moment as major sources of revenue loss in the sector.”

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, January 19, 2016

B5 Money Market

E-payment: CBN says infrastructure challenges responsible for ATMs, POS hitches Stories by Motolani Oseni Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said in spite of huge collaboration among banks, financial service operators and key stakeholders to improve e-payment system in the country, infrastructure challenges: such as power failure, connectivity issues and the likes were responsible for ATM, Point of Sale (POS) and mobile banking hitches in the country.

Although, it is no longer new that bank customers still experience technical hiccups on the payment channels, especially on ATMs, POS terminals in their daily transactions.

In an exclusive response to an enquiry from our correspondent, the Director, Banking and Payment System Department, CBN, Mr. Dipo Fatokun, disclosed that the apex bank was doing everything possible in curbing incessant ATM and POS terminals hitches, so as to boost adoption of e-payment and enhance cashless policy of the CBN. According to Fatokun, the CBN guidelines on ATM and POS stipulate that terminals must be up and running at all times.

BDCs window phase out to jack-up unemployment by 11, 000 NIBOR as @ Jan. 18, 2016 Tenor

Rate (%)

Change (%)

O/N

1.0417

-0.04 ?

1M

7.8192

-0.24 ?

3M

9.4833

-0.12 ?

6M

10.7042

-0.53 ?

The Ooni of Ife. His Royal Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja I I explaining a point in a discussion with Heritage Bank Executive Director, Ola Olabinjo, when the bank paid the monarch a courtesy visit to congratulate him over the weekend.

“We all know however that infrastructure challenges, such as power failure, connectivity issues and the like, disrupt the operations of all technology based terminals, including phone calls etc. CBN obtains returns from the banks on the downtime; outliers are requested to give explanations.”

Analysts believe fixing these

hitches remain crucial to the nation’s drive towards timely compliance with best payment standards globally.

Over the past two years, Deposit Money Banks, DMBs, Microfinance Banks and Mortgage Banks have continued to strengthen their Information and Communications Technology, ICT, technological tools and solu-

tions in order to encourage bank customers to use the e- channels as preferred transactions option.

Apart from enhancing their technological assets, the financial institutions have also been partnering with the Nigeria Interbank Settlement System, NIBSS, in working out modalities that will improve service delivery and ensure improved security of the

With the recent policy measure of the Central Bank of Nigeria not sell foreign exchange to Bureaux De Change (BDCs), strong indications have emerged that about 11, 000 members of staff of 2, 699 licensed BDCs could lose their jobs, thus flushing them into the already depressed labour market, Daily Times has learnt.

Our findings showed that each of the licensed BDCs in the country employs at least four people, while the big ones among them employ about 10 people.

With the announcement of

the apex bank to discontinue sales of foreign exchange to the BDC operators, stakeholders in the industry said that this development could signal the end of businesses for the 2,699 BDCs across the country.

It was gathered that the CBN’s move was to strategically phaseout the BDCs, in a bid to address the naira volatility.

Confirming this development, Acting President, the Association of Bureau de Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON), Aminu Gwadabe, while speaking with our correspondents, noted that the CBN decision would lead to cost inflation and scarcity of dollars, thus, increasing the value of dollar against the naira, since the country is an import dependent economy, importing almost all its needs.

Aside this, he said many BDCs would be forced out of business leading to job loss in the sector. Noting that since on the average, each BDC employs four persons, about 11,000 jobs could be lost, saying, the BDCs have limited sources of foreign exchange and had to rely on the CBN window.

Gwadabe argued that the existence of the BDCs was important for providing across- thecounter retail foreign exchange services. He further stated that BDCs provided statistics to the CBN on transactions in retail market.

“We also serve as channel of official intervention in the retail segment of the foreign exchange market. Hence we provide platform for the convergence of exchange rates in the country,” Gwadabe said.

Other BDC operators, who spoke to Daily Times in Lagos, warned that the CBN’s decision to end dollar allocation to the sub sector could lead to most of them closing shop and throwing thousands of workers into the labour market.

The CBN had cited its dwindling foreign reserves, as being responsible for the stopping of dollar sales to the BDCs, stressing that it could no longer afford to fund the forex market for the sub sector because of the continued slide in the price of oil. It also alleged that many BDCs did not comply with its regulations.

According to the statement, CBN would henceforth dis-

CBN Exchange Rates Date

Currency

Buying(NGN)

Central(NGN)

Selling(NGN)

1/15/16

US DOLLAR

196

196.5

197

POUNDS STERLING

281.2992

282.0618

282.7344

EURO

213.8164

214.3619

214.9073

SWISS FRANC

194.9861

195.4835

195.9809

YEN

1.6699

1.6742

1.6785

CFA

0.3063

0.3163

0.3263

WAUA

270.7573

271.448

272.1387

YUAN/RENMINBI

29.7615

29.8378

29.9142

RIYAL

52.2597

52.393

52.5263

DANISH KRONA

28.6428

28.7159

28.789

SDR

271.166

271.8578

272.5495

nation’s payment system.

For instance, encouraging the use e-payment cards to pay for goods and services on PoS terminals and web platforms and get cash refund of 50 kobo for every N100 spent. Also to discourage many from withdrawing small amount of money across the counter, banks, place surcharges on customers withdrawing less than N100, 000 across the counter.

Customers are expected to use ATMs or make direct online transfer into beneficiaries’ accounts. Despite these approaches, majority of bank customers still prefer cash transactions, mainly because of frequent technical hitches and fear of losing their money in the alleged unsecured platforms. But then, many stakeholders believe that much has not been done by the banks in finding a lasting solution to the various customer-unfriendly issues facing the users of ATMs such as service failure, debiting accounts without dispensing cash to customers, and ATM scarcity, especially in residential areas of many metropolis which many perceived to be responsible for the long queues at most ATM terminals.

continue its sales of foreign exchange to BDCs. Operators in this segment of the market would now need to source their foreign exchange from autonomous source. They must however note that the CBN would deploy more resources to monitoring these sources to ensure that no operator is in violation of our anti-money laundering laws.

Emefiele

Capital Market B6

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Transcorp Hotels lists N10b bond Transcorp Hotels Plc has listed it’s 10 million Units at N1,000 per unit on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

Speaking at listing of the bond, yesterday in Lagos, the managing director/chief executive of Transcorp Hotels Plc, Mr. Valentine Ozigbo said, in November, 2015, the company had a successful naira bond market transaction of N10 billion.

According to him, the proceeds of the issue will be used to finance the upgrade of the company’s Hotel, Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, and to build a multi-purpose banquet centre.

Ozigbo also pointed out that, the listing has given a platform to deepening the market by creating avenue for investors to trade their bonds, saying the listing on NSE brings quality to the company and the listing of Transcorp bond has brought value to the bond market.

Onyema

He assured that the company capital mix will be optimise, saying “Before now we have operated purely on zero non-interest funds.”

He stated that the company has raised funds through the Initial Public offer (IPO) and will eventually visit the market as time requires.

He said that the Transcorp Hotel, Lagos is in progress, and other projects in Port Harcourt, and also looking to exploit new ones.

“What we are trying to do is to make sure we can commence and deliver within a time schedule,” he said. He noted the company just listed the first series of the bond today and the next one is going to happen in 2017, saying “We raised about N20 billion in December and still have sufficient funds to take us through the delivery of our projects.”

Also speaking on the bond listing, the executive director, Market Operations and Technology,

of NSE, said the bond was one of the efforts by the company to finance long-term projects, adding that the NSE was delighted with the listing.

Bajomo urged more corporate companies to float corporate bonds this year with the current economic challenges to finance long-term projects.

According to him, companies require funding to pursue more capital projects and the capital market offers the best funding for long-term development projects.

Transcorp Hotel N10 billion bond transactions was a 7-year fixed-rate bond due in 2022 under a N30 billion medium-term programme.

The subscription of the bond consisted of 7-year 16 per cent fixed rate (unsecured) bonds due in 2022. The 7-year bond was fully underwritten by FSDH Merchant Bank Limited and United Capital Plc.

Stock market report

Bearish trend continues on NSE as index drops by 4.10% The Nigerian stock market slumped by 4.10 percent yesterday as supply continued to outsripped demand for equities .

Stock analysts attributed the lingering drop in prices of equities on the domestic bourse to the economic situation in the country occasioned by decline in commodity prices and other macroeconomic concerns facing the nation.

Analyst at Meristem Securities Limited, adealing member of the NSE said, “The current sell-off especially by foreign investors is a reaction of global portfolio managers to perceived emerging market vulnerabilities given the developments in the Chinese economy, which is the benchmark for Emerging Market Economies (EMEs). However, when this accelerated drop in the market is put in recent historical perspective, it adds another vari-

able to the equation as it begs a question – Is another tacit devaluation in the offing?

Consequently, the market capitalisation which opened for the week at N8.756 trillion, decreased

by N331 billion, to close at N7.756 trillion. Similarly, the All-Share Index depreciated by 963.21 points or 4.10 per cent to close at 22,550.83, from the 23,514.04 achieved on Friday.

Market breadth remained negative with six gainers and 37 laggards recorded. Continental Reinsurance recorded the highest price gain of 4.55 per cent, to close at 92 per share. Tiger Brands gained by 4.40 per cent to close at 95 kobo, while Eterna Oil and Transcorp appreciated by 2.04 per cent each to close at N1.50 and N1 per share, respectively. While Guaranty Trust Bank went up by 1.20 per cent to close at N13.53.

Summary of activities on NSE ASI 22,550.83 DEALS 3,248.00 196,258,099.00 VOLUME 1,674,412,129.13 VALUE CAP 7,755,653,262,982.37

Deputy Director, Production, Federal Instituteof Industrial Research Oshodi (Fiiro), Mr. Felix Ajuegor left, delivering lecture on high quality cassava flour, at the Tecno-Entrepreneurship development training for youth empowerment, in Lagos… on Monday.

FCMB issues profit warning for 2015 FCMB Group Plc has issued profit warning in respect of its third quarter results ending September 30, 2015.

The group said in a statement to the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) that it would use the fourth week in January 2016 for the completion of its banking subsidiary’s interim audit, which should pave way for the release of the 3Q15 earnings results of the group before the end of January 2016.

According to Peter Obaseki, the Managing Director of FCMB Group Plc,“3Q15 earnings as at September 2015, will be materially below earnings

for the same period in 2014, due to two factors: a spike in impairments particularly in the energy sector and the significant reduction in trade finance-related revenues due to foreign exchange illiquidity.

This trend continued in 4Q15 and largely emanated from wholesale banking activities, while retail banking showed greater resilience and earnings momentum, adding that, “2016 will be characterised by continued growth in retail contribution, stabilisation of wholesale banking revenues and increased focus on cost efficiencies (opex, funding and

risk) in order to restore earnings levels.”

FCMB Group’s foundation dated back to 1977, with the formation of City Securities Limited (CSL), a stockbroking and issuing house and registrar business. CSL rapidly climbed the league of issuing houses and brokers between 1977 and 1982, handling the listings and initial public offers of many of the leading blue-chip companies on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

First City Merchant Bank Limited was established in 1982 with seed capital from the success of CSL.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, January 19, 2016

B7 Capital Market

NSE DAILY ACTIVITY SUMMARY ( EQUITIES) 18-01-2016

Labour B8

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, January 19, 2016

FG, states will train unemployed youth for jobs — Ngige

L-R: Internal Audit, Stanbic IBTC, Jide Shitta-Bey; Founder, Hope for The Old International Foundation, Wunmi Cosmas; Internal Audit, Stanbic IBTC Gbite Adekola and Elder, Okechukwu Amechi Onwudiwe, during Stanbic IBTC staff members Support for the Elderly Project, as part of the bank’s CSI Initiative in Lagos… at the weekend.

Stories by Joy Ekeke Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, has said the federal government would get state governments involved in the training and provision of jobs for unemployed youth in the country.

The minister stated this against the backdrop of the fulfillment of federal government’s pledge to pay N5,000 monthly stipends to the unemployed youth in the country.

Ngige pointed out that the promise by the government of All Progressives Congress, APC, for unemployed youths was not for the indolent people, stressing that no country will give free money and Nigeria will not be an exception.

Ngige, however, said the Federal Government would ensure that youth were trained in various skills and programmes to justify the money.

He added that the project would also involved the state governments.

According to him, there will be categories of people, who will earn higher than the N5,000.

“We also have the programme on the commission cash transfer. Though even you, the press, has said it, we won’t pay N5,000 for people to be indolent. No country in the world would pay people to go home and sleep and collect cash. So, Nigeria would not be an exception.

“We will pay some people N5,000, others will pay 10,000, and even for people in teacher

conversion scheme, we will pay more than N10,000 and N15,000 as stipend while in training, and then after the training, they are going to be employed by state governments and the Federal Government in different institutions.

“It is not a programme we shall run alone, the state governments are going to buy into it.

They are going to synchronize with us.We are going to do it in synergy.”

Ngige also stated that some of the programmes would “span through Ministry of Education, Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Labour and Agriculture, because we have some agricultural universities, we will convert some people to teach the relevant agricultural science.”

The minister who stated that Nigeria has various skill acquisition centres also underscored the importance of training the youth.

“The ministry has specialist skills acquisition centres, we have seven like that in the ministry under the commissioner of skills or directorate for skills.

“The NDE has over 120 centres scattered all over the country. We also have those that have been built by state governments and we want to capture all of these into that scheme and then get people to the scheme to be bricklayers, POP designers, builders, welders, electronics repairers and the one they called mechatronic, repair of vehicles, automobile, carpentry, painting and fabrication of all sorts.”

NUPENG vows to resist undue downsizing

National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has insisted it would not accommodate any justification for downsizing of jobs in the in oil and gas sector outside of due process.

NUPENG Secretary-General, Joseph Ogbebor, said several thousands of workers have already suffered unduly in the hands of operators in the downstream and upstream segments of the industry since the oil glut started last year.

Ogbebor stressed that the body

and the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) would ensure that oil and gas operators follow due process before they laid off their workers, adding that this is only way to check redundancy in the sector.

He said oil glut was taking its toll on the industry because firms were winding down their operations.

“We are studying the situation in the industry, with regard to the fall in price of crude oil; and we would take action on the issue soon. At the appropriate time, we

would invoke section 20 of the Labour Act on oil firms operating in the country. Through this, we would ensure that the companies engage us (NUPENG) and the DPR in mutual discussions before they sack their workers,” Ogbebor said. According to him, why should downsizing remain the only visible option for the oil firms, adding that the issue needs to be sorted out between DPR and NUPENG on one hand, and the companies that want to retrench, on the other hand, before such activities are carried out.

Take anti -corruption war to civil service, others — NLC tells Buhari President Muhammadu Buhari has been urged by members of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Ekiti chapter; to extend the dragnet of his anti-corruption fight to the civil service and para-military institutions rather than concentrating solely on politicians.

The labour union appealed to Buhari if he was determined and desirous of making his anti-graft war a success to extend its dragnet to the civil service, police, military and other paramilitary agencies to remove the seeming vestiges of selectivity from the fight.

The Chairman of the NLC in Ekiti, Com. Ade Adesanmi, noted that Buhari’s efforts to clean up the system was highly commendable, but emphasized the need for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) not to concentrate on politicians alone while other sectors were neglected.

Adesanmi, who spoke in Ado Ekiti on Friday during a chat with newsmen, said the country’s civil service and the paramilitary are populated with people with high proclivities for corrupt practices and that focus should be on those critical sectors also.

The labour leader said the politicians from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would continue to brand the anti-corruption war to be a game of vendetta, if the EFCC and other allied agencies focus attention solely on former political leaders.

Buhari

Life&

TIMES Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Ireti Osayemi:

On handling stardom and the home L2

P

Interview L2

Daily Times Nigeria

Tuesday January 19, 2016

I got into acting by accident

i m e y a s O i t e – Ir Ireti Osayemi is resourceful and well informed. She has won a number of awards, one of which is an Afrohollywood Award. She appreciates her husband for a lot of reasons but chiefly because he doesn’t welcome rumour peddlers who have one tale or the other about her. The mother of two is full of hope for the future. So why is it that she seems to be acting Yoruba movies and few English movies? In this chat with MUTIAT ALLI, Ireti bares it all. Enjoy…

Life&

T E A M

What is the secret to your beauty?

I have no secret, this is just me, and it’s the grace of God. For some reason, you have been able to keep your size intact, what has been your daily routine?

I have been trying to work on my weight seriously. This is showbiz, you can’t be just a particular size, you have to look different at a particular time, there are different stages in your career and you have to go with the trend, you need to look different.

What size is Ireti Osayemi now and what size is your goal eventually?

I am working toward a size 12, I am size 14 now.

How has it been being an actress?

It’s been wonderful, this is the only profession you get to practice every other profession in. So being an actress has been wonderful.

Many of your colleagues are going into music, are you looking into that line too?

I need to think about that.

You are one of the few Yoruba actresses that has been able to stay off scandal throughout their acting career, what do you say is the secret behind that?

I try my best to stay out of trouble.

I think there are some certain things that you will do and you know within yourself you are not doing the right thing, you might think you are doing the right thing and the society, the viewers see it the other way and it becomes a scandal. Sometimes those things don’t really happen, then people blow it out of proportion. It is not as if I have any trick, I have just been living my life.

You don’t say so much in a social media, why is that so?

I have got my hand full in my

house, my kids, there is no time to go on social media. I love to go online and read then follow the trend but there is no time.

Most celebrities of your status are known to flaunt their kids on social media, why is your own different?

I try my best to keep my kids out the roller balloon of the industry. My son doesn’t like it, my daughter does not mind. Once they get old enough, they can choose what they want.

You are a beautiful woman, how do you handle your admirers?

I can’t dispute the fact that I do have admirers. It is normal for a woman to have admirers but I try my best to let my admirers know that I’m booked and should try someone else.

How have you been able to manage acting, motherhood and the admiration you get from men?

It is normal, some men will tell you that I’m a married man as well so what is the big deal, you know what you want for yourself and you go for what you want.

Now that you are a versatile actress, how many languages can you speak?

I speak Yoruba fluently, I speak English fluently and I speak a bit of Igbo. I speak Liberian English fluently, I’m hoping to learn more languages.

If you were to work with an international Bollywood actor or actress, who will it be?

A whole lot of them. I would love to work with Denton Washington.

Out of the Nigerian actors, who have you enjoyed working with the most?

We have amazing actors in Nigeria, very good role interpreters. I have worked with quite a number of them and they are all amazing.

What project are you currently

Movie & Movie Correspondent Mutiat Alli

Society Correspondent Isaac Oguntoye

working on?

I have a couple of works I have done and we are working on getting them out. We have Oju apa, quite a number of them.

You are usually known with this traditional role, do you still have a dream role?

I have played quite a number of roles, I would have a role I will like to re-visit.

How many roles have you rejected and what kind of role will you reject?

I have rejected a lot quite of roles.

I have to balance the home and work so when it is clashing, I have to reject them. I try my best not to turn down scripts. If the script is not what I want, I try to talk to the producer to balance it. You don’t totally say this is a bad job.

I don’t believe that there is a bad script, all you need is to put in some things, take some things out and make it perfect.

With a million dollar, will you act nude?

No, I won’t. I’m an African woman.

How has your husband reacted to your career choice, especially when he sees you doing romantic roles?

He would say I should not be fake and if I had chosen this profession, I should do it well.

He is very supportive.

At what point did you discover you could act?

The truth is that I got into acting by accident.

Though I always loved watching people act, I never knew I would one day act until the opportunity came. Since then, it has been a wonderful experience.

We know you’re a professional now. But what was it like at the outset?

I used to be scared of the camera, but I have outgrown that now. As you rightly said, I’m a professional now. I thank God for my fans who have been there for me all these years. Now, I can say I’m a star, but the fans are the real stars because they are the ones who make us want to put more effort into what we are doing.

How many movies have you featured in so far?

I have lost count. It’s over a decade, as you know. I had featured in over 20 English movies before crossing to the Yoruba movie genre. So far, I’ve featured in over 100 movies and TV soaps.

What do you consider before taking up a script?

I consider the depth of the story, the director and the cast.

Photography Quadri Olowolagba

Graphics Adebambo Segun

Daily Times Nigeria

Tuesday January 19, 2016

L3 Music & Movie Charts

Abdullahi Zaheenab

Top 10 music chart

Top 10 movie chart

Foreign

International

1. Justin Bieber - Love yourself 2. Justin Bieber – Sorry 3. Justin Bieber - What do you mean 4. Shawn Mendes - Stitches 5. Adele - Hello 6. One direction - History 7. Grace ft G Eazy - You don’t own me 8. Cold Play - Adventure of a life time 9. Drake - Hotline Bling 10. Weeknd - The Hills

1. The Revenant (2015) 2. Star Wars: The Force Awakens 3. Daddy’s Home 4. The Forest 5. The Hateful Eight 6. Sisters 7. The Big Short 8. Joy 9. Concussion (2015) 10. Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip

Top 10 movie chart English

1. Fifty 2. Autumn leaves 3. Taxi Driver 4. Victims 5. LAPD 6. Beast of the nation 7. Dry 8. Road to Yesterday 9. The Visit 10. First Lady

Top 10 music chart

Nigeria

1. Olamide - I love Lagos 2. Dr. Sid ft Don jazzy - Kabiyesi 3. Tiwa savage - Africa Waist 4. Korede Bello ft Tiwa Savage - Romantic 5. Humble Smith ft Davido - osinachi 6. Attitude ft Falz - Mo le nu (remix) 7. Lil Kesh - Ibile 8. Stunnah Gee - Ma du to 9. Pasuma - Quality 10. Olamide - Eyan May Weather

Top 10 movie chart

Yoruba

1. Kuye 2. Igba Nbajo 3. Abami Eda 4. Ase 5. Adajo Agba part 2 6. Opa Wura 7. Eru Amukun 8. Anita 9. Our Moju 10. Ore

L4

Daily Times Nigeria

Tuesday January 19, 2016

Daily Times Nigeria

Tuesday January 19, 2016

L5

Eyola

eyola@aol.com

The Best of London Fashion Week Spring 2016 Ready-To-Wear 1ne Showcasing emerging and established brands on the same stage season after season, London Fashion Week has become the breeding ground for new talent. Changing the tune of New York Fashion Week’s relaxed and minimalist style, London opted for its usual dramatic theme. Designers veered towards historical references, dabbling into eras past for inspiration - predominantly the Victorian and Elizabethan eras. High collars, lace, ruffles and chokers made regular appearances, as did menswear-inspired silhouettes borrowed from the homeland of men’s bespoke tailoring since the nineteenth century - London’s Savile Row.

skirts and trousers were paired with bright paisley patterned languid silk dresses, shirts and trousers in soft feminine hues of blues, yellows and reds.

Overall, Berardi’s looks created the perfect balance of masculine and ultra-feminine. Half way into the show, Berardi introduced geometric shapes printed across billowing floor-length dresses and dramatically tailored Victorian-esque silk jackets in bold reds and yellows.

BM: Amilna Estevão, Alécia Morais

6ix

The Golden Age - British designer Giles Deacon paid homage to the Elizabethan era - a fascinating period in British fashion history. His eponymous label strategically chose the Elizabethan Banqueting Room in London’s Whitehall as the venue for the catwalk show. Queen Elizabeth I’s portrait prints decorated several pieces alongside Baroque-inspired wallpaper patterns, floral prints and tapestry-style embroidery. The Elizabethan inspiration prevailed with dramatic volume, balloonshaped sleeves, parachute hemlines and layers of tulle, which went hand in hand with modern styles such as bodysuits, leotards and jumpsuits.

The finale evening gowns capitalised on the Elizabethan theme, showcasing Giles’ couturier skills with beautifully crafted and richly embellished satin floor-length dresses.

Black Models (BM): Grace Bol, Alek Wek

Fashion Rights - Once again Vivienne Westwood used the runway (this time for her Red Label diffusion line) as a stage to voice her political views.

Models were sent down the catwalk carrying placards with slogans such as “Fracking is a Crime.”

Fracking is a controversial method of using extreme high pressure to extract oil and gas - a hot topic of environmental debate in the UK. To further emphasise her political stance, models had black oil-slick smudges across their foreheads. Fashion took a back seat for Westwood this season: ‘I really don’t like to talk about fashion too much, it gets too pretentious.’ However, it was hard not to get a little bit distracted by her signature tartans and famous corseted dresses, which reappeared this season taking different forms. The collection was divided into different complimentary styles and fabric prints: floral patterns, formal tailoring, delicate and romantic corseted dresses, casual elasticated waist trousers, trouser suits and oil-smudged printed T-Shirts - all in electric colours.

BM: Crystal Noreiga, , Leomie Anderson

3hree

7even

A Woman Crazy In Love - These were the exact words Christopher Kane used to describe his Spring collection. There was definitely an emphasis on the word ‘crazy’ when constructing tailored suits, which were slashed with cut-outs. Kane used black and white as background colours for most pieces, which were strategically splashed with multi-coloured brights and decorated with fringing and geometric shapes. If there’s one lesson to learn from this collection, it is that to be crazy in love means finding the perfect balance between level-headedness (demonstrated by neutral colours black and white) and a feeling of euphoria (demonstrated by the colourful palette and geometric shapes).

BM: Leila Nda

8ight

2wo

4our Anything Goes - Burberry took a mish-mash approach mixing laid-back sportswear with delicate vintage-inspired styles. In Creative Director Christopher Bailey’s own words, the collection is a “mash-up of things I really love”, which translated into military influences that produced regimentalstyle jackets and a healthy dose of lace - the fabric of choice for mini skirts, dresses, tops and the label’s signature: the trench coat. Opting for an almost neutral colour palette of black, white, and hints of soft dusty yellow, Bailey mastered the art of blending, mixing and matching separates to create a contemporary yet effortless look.

BM: Aamito Stacie Lagum

5ive Playing With Contrasts - Antonio Berardi played with sharp tailoring and romantic fluidity in his glamorous yet relaxed collection. Tailored black jackets,

Simone Rocha

Topshop Unique

Christopher Kane

Victorian Romanticism - Simone Rocha received raving reviews for her Spring collection. With her pregnancy news revealed in Japan, she made sure to celebrate by making Japanese influences the core of her collection. The expecting designer took inspiration from Japanese photographer Nobuyoshi Araki, whose work largely centers around bondage. In line with this theme, Rocha welcomed knots and braids which she cleverly fused with Victorianinspired puff sleeves and full skirts, as well as bamboo forest and wallpaper prints.

BM: Ysaunny Brito, Binx Walton, Malaika Firth

British Rebel - The creative team at Topshop Unique took it upon themselves to show the world what rebellious British girls dress like - tomboys.

One of London’s favourite high street fashion retailers, Topshop is taking the world by storm, opening another 25 stores in Australia in the not too distant future. With such success, the A-List front row at Topshop Unique’s show took notice of the label’s fashion masterclass on tomboy chic. The quintessentially British collection gave rebels looks and styles so diverse they were perfect items for a varied wardrobe. Tailored blazers, silk dresses, frilly blouses and pyjamas worn as outerwear were decorated with seventies-inspired floral embroidery and polka dot prints. To complete the look, bold, colourful and playful accessories (e.g. drop earrings and clutch bags) clashed or complimented most outfits.

BM: Jourdan Dunn Photo credit: Giles Deacon, Christopher Kane, Antonio Berardi, Vivienne Westwood, Simone Rocha, Topshop Unique

Giles Deacon Antonio Berardi

Relationship L6

Daily Times Nigeria

Tuesday January 19, 2016

Agboola Oluwarantimi

Managing your

emotional reactions

Emotions are the most present, pressing and sometimes painful force in our lives. We are driven day by day by our emotions. We take chances because we’re excited for new prospects. We cry because we’ve been hurt and we make sacrifices because we love. Without a doubt, our emotions dictate our thoughts, intentions and actions with superior authority to our rational minds. But when we act on our emotions too quickly, or we act on the wrong kinds of emotions, we often make decisions that we later lament. Our feelings can alter between dangerous extremes. Veer too far to the left and you’re bordering on rage. Steer too much to the right and you’re in a state of euphoria. As with many other aspects of life, emotions are best met with a sense of moderation and logical perspective. This is not to say that we should stop ourselves from falling in love or jumping for joy after great news. These truly are the finer things in life. It is negative emotions that must be handled with extreme care.

Negative emotions, like rage, envy or bitterness, tend to spiral out of control, especially immediately after they’ve been triggered. In time, these sorts of emotions can grow like weeds, slowly conditioning the mind to function on detrimental feelings and dominating daily life.

Ever met a person who’s consistently angry or hostile? They weren’t born that way. But they allowed certain emotions to stir within them for so long that they became inbred feelings arising all too frequently.

Follow these steps to control your emotions and regain rationality in any challenging situation: Don’t react right away: Reacting immediately to emotional triggers can be an immense mistake. It is guaranteed that you’ll say or do something you’ll later regret. Before refuting the trigger with your emotional argument, take a deep breath and stabilize the overwhelming

impulse. Continue to breathe deeply for five minutes, feeling as your muscles intense and your heart rate returns to normal. As you become calmer, affirm to yourself that this is only temporary.

ing into perfect order. Even in the midst of an emotionally upsetting moment, trust that there exists an ultimate purpose which you will come to comprehend soon.

Ask for divine guidance: Faith is our saving grace in our darkest moments. No matter your creed, developing a healthy relationship with the divine world will help you surmount your obstacles more easily. This is because when you believe in a higher force, you also believe in the power of divine intervention to show you what you must do, teach you why something is happening or even save you from a certain unwanted situation. When burdened with emotion, close your eyes, envision a positive solution to your problem, and ask the universe to illuminate the best path forward.

Replace your thoughts: Negative emotions bind us to recurring negative thoughts, creating cycles of downright negative patterns. Whenever you are confronted with an emotion which is making you feel or think something bad, force it out of your mind and replace it with a different thought. Imagine the ideal resolution to your problem playing out, think about someone who makes you happy or remember an event that makes you smile.

Find a healthy outlet: Now that you’ve managed your emotion, you’ll need to release it in a healthy way. Emotions should never be bottled up. Call or go see someone you trust and recount to them what happened. Hearing an opinion other than your own broadens your awareness. Keep a journal and transfer your emotions from your inner self onto the paper. Many people find it helpful to engage in aggressive exercises, such as kickboxing or martial arts, to discharge their feelings. Others meditate and chant to return to a tranquil state of being. Perform whatever activity is best-suited to you in order to liberate your being from pent-up sentiments.

See the bigger picture: Every happening of our lives, whether good or bad, serves a higher purpose. Wisdom means being able to see past the moment and discern the greater meaning of any given situation. You may not understand it in the beginning, but as time goes by, you’ll begin to see the bigger picture fall-

Forgive your emotional triggers: Your emotional triggers may be your best friend, your family members, yourself or all of the above.

You may feel a sudden wave of anger when your friend “does that thing she does,” or a stab of self-loathing when you remember something you could have done differently. But when you forgive, you detach. You detach from the resentment, the jealousy or the fury lingering within you. You allow people to be who they are without the need for escalating emotions.

As you forgive, you will find yourself disassociating from the harsh feelings attached to your being.

Accept responsibility for your reaction: Accept yourself as powerful instead of as victim to remove the veil of self-deception. When you seek to identify what is triggering how you feel in the moment, you give yourself the chance to

feel differently if you want to. You will also have more clarity on what you need to do or what you need to ask for to change your circumstances.

Choose what you want to feel: With practice, the reaction to your emotional triggers could subside, but they may never go away.

The best you can do is to quickly identify when an emotion is triggered and then choose what to say or do next. Ask yourself: Are you really losing this need or not? Is the person actively denying your need or are you taking the situation too personally? If it’s true that someone is ignoring your need or blocking you from achieving it, can you either ask for what you need or, if it doesn’t really matter, can you let the need go for now?.

Daily Times Nigeria

Tuesday January 19, 2016

L7 Teen World

Abdullahi Zaheenab

What’s going on

in your teen’s

brain?

Every parent of a teenager recognises this kind of maddening, impulsive behaviour of smart kids who sometimes do foolish things without thinking through the consequences. Just remember that it’s not completely their fault: Their brains are not done maturing, and they’ve been shaped by evolution to test boundaries, make social connections, and seek their independence.

When it comes to the brain, adolescence is a period of extraordinary change, rivaled only by the first few years of life. Gray matter (brain volume) peaks around 11 to 14 for girls and a bit later for boys and then begins thinning as it becomes more specialized.

With their brains in high-change mode (this is called plasticity) and synapses building quickly, teenagers are primed for learning in school and beyond. Unfortunately, this plasticity also makes teens vulnerable to negative influences like drugs and alcohol and although sharp and spongy, young people haven’t yet developed the “executive skills” to dampen their urges. Sections of the brain mature at different rates, and the frontal lobe of the cortex responsible for planning, reasoning, problem solving, and impulse control is the last to finish, typically in the mid- to late-20s. “It’s like driving a car with a sensitive gas pedal and bad brakes,” of early puberty, later financial independence, and other factors. “Today adolescence begins much earlier, it ends much later, and it is far more important in determining health, success, and happiness in adulthood than it has ever been,” Jensen writes in his new book, ‘’Age of Opportunity: Lessons from the New Science of Adolescence’’. The good news, experts say, is that parents can help their teens take advantage of this important cognitive stage and begin rebranding adolescence as a period to appreciate, not one to dread and endure.

Communicate “My big advice is: Stay close. Do not allow alienation to occur,” Jensen reflected in a recent interview. “Find some common ground and stay communicating because you’re a role model for your teens, even though they won’t admit it. They are still imprinting on how you manage your life. They’re watching.” engaging your kids in spirited discussions at home (or in the car) as a way to promote intellectual development. “A lot of parents get nervous about their kids chal-

lenging them; they think it’s a threat to their authority,” he says. “But if you want to raise an assertive, curious, and thoughtful person who’s going to stand up for what she thinks is right, you have to tolerate and maybe even encourage some of that at home, too.”

Give them space When it comes to helicopter and snowplow parenting, it is better to give teenagers “running room” to try new things (as long as they’re safe and legal) and make decisions on their own, rather than hovering and clearing the way. If too many decisions are made for them, teens may not develop the critical thinking skills so necessary in life. “Brains learn from experience, and we have to give young people experience that doesn’t have too many safety nets,” If conflicts arise, listen to your teen’s viewpoint, offer your opinion, find a compromise, and then accept the results. He says if things backfire for your child, it’s better to respond with, “How do we move on?” rather than, “I told you so.”

Help them manage risks Knowledge is power, and Jensen wants teenagers to understand their risks from exposure to drugs and alcohol, multitasking, sleep deprivation, and other stressors “that can leave big scars on development.” In public talks she has given to students, parents, and professionals and in her forthcoming book, The Teenage Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Survival Guide to Raising Adolescents and Young Adults Jensen shares some alarming data from animal research. She notes that alcohol and marijuana interfere with learning at the cellular level and can have lingering effects that binge drinking kills more brain cells in teens than in adults, and chronic marijuana use can lower your I.Q. Additionally, the sensory overload that comes with multitasking—a habit for many teens these days can reduce recall. Sleep deprivation can also affect learning and memory; since synapses build during sleep, Jensen says, studying right before bedtime is a good strategy for making the information stick. Calling the development of self-control “the central task of adolescence,” and also parenting style that is warm, firm, and supportive. This includes setting clear but fair expectations and rules, showing affection, being involved in your child’s life, focusing praise on effort, and helping your child navigate decisions without intruding too much.

Getting the most out of school Our schools are organised by academic subjects, but our brains are organized by skill sets that cut across disciplines, ‘’Brains don’t have math centers or social studies domains.’’ And learning chemistry is not like learning biology or physics, but we call them all science.” It encourages parents to help students recognize their skill sets that is, how they process information. If your child complains, “I’m no good at math or foreign languages,” try unpacking what’s difficult; for example, some people have trouble interpreting complex visual and spatial information, or hearing the rhythm of a language.

Getting to know his/her brain may help your child “at least anticipate which subjects may be a slog and which will feel like a comfortable shoe.” Adolescents are shifting toward higher-level abstract thinking. High schools too often stress memorizing and repeating facts instead of engaging students in the kinds of big philosophical questions they enjoy, like “What is the true meaning of democracy?” or “What does it mean to love somebody?” Encourage your teen to take challenging classes and keep academic grades in perspective. “Getting good grades so you can get into a good college is important, but there’s still a lot of brain development taking place at this stage,’’ “Being chal-

lenged will serve your child well as she or he grows up.”

Teen brain reading The Teen Brain is “still under construction,” so you have to be calm on them. Everything is not all about scolding, you should always listen to them. They might have their reason for their actions, let them do the right thing and enough of the command tones.

Teens are entitle to their life not everything has to do with parent.

The changing brain and behaviour in teens One interpretation of all these findings is that in teens, the parts of the brain involved in emotional responses are fully online, or even more active than in adults, while the parts of the brain involved in keeping emotional, impulsive responses in check are still reaching maturity. Such a changing balance might provide clues to a youthful appetite for novelty, and a tendency to act on impulse without regard for risk. While much is being learned about the teen brain, it is not yet possible to know to what extent a particular behavior or ability is the result of a feature of brain structure or a change in brain structure. Changes in the brain take place in the context of many other factors, among them, inborn traits, personal history, family, friends, community, and culture.

L8 TV guide

Daily Times Nigeria

Tuesday January 19, 2016

Showing on

Showing on

Movies Stars Channel 111

Movies Comedy Channel 104

17:00

16:00 Tue, 19 Jan| Family

Tue, 19 Jan| PG 13L

The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement. A princess will be crowned as the Queen of Genovia. Problems arise when she discovers that she must be married before she is enthroned. Julie Andrews, Anne Hathaway. (2004) Garry Marshall

Fans of Mean Girls will like this teen comedy. A spoilt girl is sent to boarding school, where she tries her best to get expelled- despite having a crush on the headmistress’ son. Emma Roberts, Alex Pettyfer, Natasha Richardson. (2008) Nick Moore.

101 M-Net West

23:00 Pride 01:05 Season Of Miracles 02:55 Made In Hollywood 04:00 MasterChef Australia 05:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 06:00 The Muppets 06:30 Zoo 07:30 Sarah Graham's Food Safari 08:30 The Good Wife 10:30 The Middle 11:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 12:00 MasterChef Australia 13:00 Chicago PD 14:00 Sarah Graham's Food Safari 15:00 Astronaut Wives Club 16:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 17:00 Mom 17:30 MasterChef Australia 18:30 Royal Variety Performance 2015 20:30 Chicago PD 21:30 Agent X 22:30 American Crime

120 BBC brit Entertainment

118 Telemundo

23:40 The Face Of Destiny 00:30 Elena's Ghost 01:20 Cruel Love 02:10 For Love And Justice 03:00 The Face Of Destiny 03:50 Fearless Heart 05:20 Elena's Ghost 06:10 Husband For Hire 07:00 The Face Of Destiny 07:50 Fearless Heart 08:40 For Love And Justice 09:30 Cruel Love 10:20 Husband For Hire 11:10 The Face Of Destiny 12:00 Fearless Heart 12:50 For Love And Justice 13:40 Cruel Love 14:30 Husband For Hire 15:20 The Face Of Destiny 16:10 Fearless Heart 17:00 For Love And Justice 17:50 Cruel Love 18:40 Husband For Hire 19:30 The Face Of Destiny 20:20 Fearless Heart 21:10 For Love And Justice 22:00 Cruel Love 22:50 Husband For Hire

23:45 The Wrong Mans

11:00 Would I Lie To You?

00:20 An Idiot Abroad

11:35 QI

01:05 The Cube

12:05 The Cube

01:55 Police Interceptors

12:55 Top Gear

02:40 The Notorious

14:05 Police Interceptors

03:05 The Notorious

14:55 Undercover Boss USA

04:15 Undercover Boss

15:45 Would I Lie To You?

05:00 The Cube

16:20 QI

05:45 Would I Lie To You?

16:50 Pointless

06:15 QI

17:45 Top Gear

06:50 Police Interceptors

19:00 Youngers

07:35 Top Gear

20:00 The Graham Norton Show

08:45 Pointless

21:00 Top Gear

09:30 Undercover Boss USA

22:15 Very Brirish Problems

10:15 Ducks Quacks Don't Echo

155 AfricaMagicWorld

152 AfricaMagic Epic

23:30 The Mastermind 01:25 Executive Fools 03:11 Prophetic Fools 04:45 Africa Rising: Behind The Scenes 06:00 My Wicked Uncle 08:25 Mama Bomboi: Going Abroad 08:30 The Lost Half Of A Heart 10:14 Obinna Ya 11:30 Mama Bomboi: Mosquito Malady

11:35 Caro The Iron Bender 13:13 Engineer Caro 14:50 Aunty Caro 16:15 Mama Bomboi: Personal Property 16:25 Mission To Mamuro 18:25 Behind The Scenes: October 1st 19:00 Sinful Soul 21:05 Sinful Soul 22:45 Pope Of Africa

Pix- Deal Or No Deal SA 23:05 Music On Africa Magic 00:05 Music On Africa Magic 01:05 Good Morning Africa 02:05 53 Extra 02:45 Star Gist 03:15 Star Gist 03:45 Jara 0 4:25 Jara 05:00 Goodmorning Africa 0 6:00 Deal Or No Deal SA

07:00 53 Extra 07:30 Star Gist 0 8:00 Jara 09:00 Good Morning Africa 1 0:05 Doctors' Quarters 11:00 Doctors' Quarters 12:00 Deal Or No Deal SA 13:00 Music On Africa Magic 14:00 Music On Africa Magic

16:00 Star Gist 16:35 Deal Or No Deal Sa 1 7:25 53 Extra 18:00 Jara 18:30 Tinsel 19:00 Lies That Bind 19:30 Lies That Bind 20:00 Family Album Part 1 21:05 Family Album Part 2 22:20 Music On Africa Magic

128 SONY MAX

23:10 Most Shocking 23:55 World's Wildest Police Videos 00:45 World's Wildest Police Videos 01:35 XXX: State Of The Union 03:20 Sexy Car Wash 03:45 Sexy Car Wash 04:10 South Beach Tow 04:35 South Beach Tow 05:00 World's Wildest Police Videos 05:45 World's Wildest Police Videos 06:35 Top 20 Countdown: Most Shocking 07:25 Video Zonkers 07:50 South Beach Tow 08:15 South Beach Tow 08:40 Most Shocking 09:35 World's Wildest Police Videos 10:30 World's Wildest Police Videos 11:30 Baywatch 12:30 Top 20 Countdown: Most Shocking 13:30 South Beach Tow 14:00 World's Wildest Police Videos 15:00 World's Wildest Police Videos 16:00 Most Shocking 17:00 Top 20 Countdown: Most Shocking 18:00 South Beach Tow 18:30 South Beach Tow 19:00 Baywatch 20:00 Extreme Reality Clips 21:30 Freakshow 22:00 Sexy Car Wash 22:30 Sexy Car Wash