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ÎÎÎAs organisers of

the 39th edition of the Miss Nigeria beauty pageant gear up

for the final leg of the competition billed to hold November 7, 2015, at the Oriental Hotels, Victoria Island, Lagos, Bank of Industry (BOI) has been announced as the of-

ficial partner of the contest.

The finalists in the competition especially the winner will receive financial support from the bank.

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As part of its partnership deal, the BOI will train and give up to N50 million single Continued on page 6

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N150

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2015 VOL. 1. NO.221

GAINERS

LOSERS

NSE GAINERS AND LOSERS AS AT 30th October 2015.

OKOMUOIL

29.02

1.02

3.51%

BERGER

9.77

0.46

4.71%

NESTLE

825.01

-10.99

-1.33%

UNILEVER 38.68

-2.03

-5.25%

ZENITHBANK

17.6

0.56

3.18%

UACN

26.48

0.26

0.98%

NB

136.85

-7.31

-5.34%

DANGCEM 163.03

-1.03

-0.63%

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Presidency, PDP in verbal war

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Lateef Ibrahim, ƑƏƆ Ƒ ƈƆƇ and Egena Egena, ƄƑƉ

ÎÎÎThe

opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Presidency on Sunday traded words over the state of the nation’s economy, especially the declaration by President Muhammadu Buhari that Nigeria was broke.

Continued on page 6

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2

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, November 2, 2015

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, November 2, 2015

3

Politics Page Three Æ s Editorial Caring for the mentally ill

R

ecently, the international community marked the World Mental Health Day on October 10. It is a day set aside for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy. This year’s theme for ‘Mental Health Day’ is: “Living with Dignity”. It aims to encourage people all over the world to consider dignity in mental health from several different perspectives, ranging from treatment and care to public attitudes towards sufferers. According to World Health Organisation(WHO) statistics, about 28 percent of Nigerians suffer from one form of mental ill health or the other.

This means that one in four Nigerians have a mental health problem.

Moreover, thousands of Nigerians with mental health conditions are deprived of dignity and their basic human rights, including freedom from violence and abuse, inclusion in the community and in policy-making and freedom from discrimination.

This can have a profound impact on the victims, even as it affects their ability to sustain relationships, work, or just get through the day.

However, an ill-informed and damaging attitude among some people exists around mental health that can make it difficult for some to seek help.

It is estimated that only about a quarter of Nigerians with a mental health problem receive ongoing treatment, leaving the majority of sufferers on their own, seeking help or information, and dependent on the informal support of family, friends or colleagues. That should not be so. We are sad and discomfited by the fact that governments at all levels are not giving enough priority and resources to institutions and other volunteer groups looking after

those with mental health problems in the country.

We are scandalised by the fact that the few institutions catering for the mentally ill are mostly privately owned, especially by religious bodies. More embarrassing is that majority of them are not only old and run down, they lack modern and sophisticated tools to cater for the increasing numbers of mentally ill patients. Definitely, the health authorities are to blame for the sorry state of Nigeria’s mental institutions. This because both federal and state governments are yet to enact far-reaching policies that recognise mental health as a national emergency with a view to addressing it.

Due to stigma, most of the sufferers are usually locked up in institutions where they are isolated and potentially subjected to abuse. In addition, some are deprived of the right to make decisions about their mental health treatment and care, as well as their personal lives, even as they are denied the right to work or education. More telling is the fact that poor quality care due to a lack of qualified health professionals and dilapidated facilities leads to further violations. There is no denying the fact that stigma can have a knock-on effect on employment, which hinders someone socially and economically.

We all have mental health that needs to be taken care of; in the same way, we all have physical health. Even when most of us will not develop a diagnosable mental health problem, our mental health will have its ups and downs. Therefore, the best way we can understand and deal with this issue is to treat it like any other health concern, giving whatever support we can, and understanding that there is nothing wrong, shameful or weird about suffering mental illness.

Managing Director, Bnk of Industry, Rasheed Olaoluwa (left) with Publisher of the Daily Times, Fidelis Anosike with a copy of the paper

LG caretaker committees: Are state governors listening?

Sam Nzeh

ÎÎÎThe

ruling by an Igbosere High Court in Lagos recently which declared as illegal and unconstitutional the appointment of caretaker committees over local government councils in the state has once again brought to the fore the need for state governors to allow democratically elected officials run the affairs of the third tier of government.

Not a few had hoped that Lagos State government which claims to be at the forefront of promoting

democracy and rule of law would swiftly comply with the judgement.

Curiously, however, and to the disappointment of many, the Lagos State government hours after the ruling said it would appeal the judgement, describing the ruling as faulty.

Granted that the Lagos State government is entitled to appeal the ruling, fact is the practice of appointing caretaker committees to run the affairs of local government councils by state governors is unknown to the 1999 constitution (as amended).

Many state governors, Lagos inclusive, in a bid to circumvent the constitu-

Words On Marble :

tion, enact laws that sought to legitimise the appointment of caretaker committees to run the affairs of local government councils.

But such legislation, to the extent that they are at variance with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), remain null and void and of no effect.

So, rather than continue in the path of illegality and unconstitutionality, state governors need to listen and comply to the latest by the Igbosere High court in Lagos. They should allow democracy to take root at the local government councils.

Only then will they prove that they love democracy.

STATEMENTS BY THOSE WHO MATTER

Publisher/Editor in Chief – Fidelis Anosike 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

Group Managing Director Noel Anosike

Ag Head Operations Segun Bamigboye

Group Executive Commercial/ Business Developement Ifeoluwa Isijiola 08086296714

Adverts/Partnerships/ Corporate Subscription Ifeanyi Emefu 08086296714 Konnie Agu 09033765031

Group Head Accounts & Control Samson Abiodun Technical Adviser To Publisher Innocent Nwankwo 08033072614

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Babachir Lawal

“It is important for Nigerians to know that goodness is not restricted to tribe, religion or political parties”.

Ayo Fayose

“Most of the time when accident occurs, it is not the fact that an accident has occurred that kills most people, but fear and trauma.”

Odia Ofeimun

‘’We must describe our future before we move into them. That doesn’t mean you should neglect the past.’’

4

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, November 2, 2015

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, November 2, 2015

AGF lauds NCMM for preserving historical artifacts Oyetubo Olabimpe

ÎÎÎThe

Accountant-General of the Federation, Alhaji Ahmed Idris, has commended the leadership of National Commission for Museums and Monuments for its untiring role in preserving and maintaining the nation’s historical monuments and artifacts for future generations.

Idris gave the commendation recently in Abuja when the leaders of the Commission lead by its Chief Executive Officer and Director General, Mr. Yusuf Abdallah Usman paid him a visit at the Treasury House.

He underscored the importance of preserving the nation’s rich historical artifacts saying that “they remind us of our roots, the efforts our forebears made to preserve, protect and to develop their societies so that life could be sustained.”

Citing examples with successes recorded by China and other Asian nations in areas of medicine, technology and tourism, Idris maintained that no nation could make any considerable progress without recourse to its past, emphasising that in Nigeria the development of these sites into modern tourist

centres could earn a lot of revenue for the nation.

Usman explained that the young generation stood to benefit much from visiting such sites as they would provide great insights on the virtues of hard work, as they observed “the exploits our ancestors who within the limits of the technology available to them maximally utilised them to their benefit.”

He promised that the treasury would co-operate with the Commission to realise her mandate.

Usman congratulated Idris on his appointment as the Accountant-General of the Federation describ-

ing it as an honour well deserved.

He informed the Accountant General that they were at the Treasury House, to called felicitate with him on his appointment and to discuss issues bothering on the smooth operation of the Commission. The Director General enumerated the functions of the commission to include the preservation of national monuments, projecting historical antecedents and promoting the knowledge of facts and history of the nation and appealed for the support of the Accountant General in actualising the mandates.

BRECAN jogs for breast cancer Okeowo Babajide

ÎÎÎIn

a bid to further raise awareness on the scourge of breast cancer, the Breast Cancer Association of Nigeria (BRECAN) has staged a walk tagged “Jog for Life” in commemoration of breast cancer awareness month.

The walk which kicked off at the Catholic Church of Divine Mercy, Admiralty Way Lekki and came to an end at Fun Turf, Lekki Phase 1, had the Deputy Chief Whip of Lagos State

Photo: BOLAJI OLASUNKANMI

Ooni stool: Lafogido ruling house drops suit as coronation rites intensifies Sodiq Adekunle, Osogbo

ÎÎÎThe

embattled Lafogido Ruling House challenging the decision of the Ife Kingmakers and Osun State Government may drop a suit case it has initiated.

It would be recalled that the ruling house had challenged restricting occupant of the stool to Giesi Ruling House only.

However, the coronation rites on the new Ooni of Ife, Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi by the Ife traditionalists otherwise called Isoros is still in progress.

In line with tradition,

the Ooni-elect has been initiated into the Sooko cult.

Currently, the new monarch is at Ilofi, where the Ife traditionalists are expected to perform some ritual rites, including presentation of staff of office.

Daily Times gathered that the Lafogido Ruling House had asked its counsel to withdraw the case in the interest of peace and tranquility.

It was further learnt that the counsel had received the mandate of the ruling house to discontinue with the case for peace in Ile-Ife. When contacted on the telephone, the head of

Sookos in Lafogido Ruling House, Chief Adeleke Adewoyin, confirmed the development.

According to him, the withdrawal of the suit was necessary since a new monarch had been named by kingmakers and state government.

He added that there was nothing the ruling house could do again, except to discontinue the case.

Adewoyin, however, lamented that the lopsidedness in the rotational ascendancy to the stool of the Ooni had marginalised the Lafogido Ruling House for a long time.

Adewoyin further stated that the family was ready to work with the new Ooni to prevent future litigation.

He said, “Since the state government said that we were late in our agitation, then we have no option than to work with new Ooni to correct the imbalance in the ascendancy processes to the stool.

“There is a popular saying in Ile-Ife that it is against the Ife tradition to fight with Ooni. If you fight with sitting Ooni, you’ll bear the consequences. So we have advised our lawyer to withdraw the suit from the court.”

House of Assembly, Honorable Omotayo Oduntan as the lead jogger.

According to Mrs. Betty Anyanwu Akeredolu, Founder and President of BRECAN, the menace of breast cancer was prevalent in society, and so the need to create awareness on it.

“It is time to make breast cancer a health priority in our society, which is why we are taking to the street of Lekki and Lagos to create awareness on the deadly disease” she said.

Ambode appoints new Head of Service Ogunyemi Esther

ÎÎÎLagos

Some residents scooping fuel from a fallen tanker at Aseese by Lagos-Ibadan Expressway… on Sunday.

5 News

State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, on Sunday, approved the appointment of Mrs. Olabowale Toluwalope Ademola, as the 19th Head of Service (HOS) in the Lagos State Public Service.

In a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Habib Aruna, Mrs. Ademola’s appointment which took followed the statutory retirement of Mrs. Folashade Jaji on October 26, 2015.

The new HOS was born on November 10, 1957. She had her Primary Education at Corona School, Yaba and Lagos University Staff School (1962 – 1968), after

which she proceeded to Queen’s College, Yaba, Lagos where she obtained her West African School Certificate and Higher School Certificate in 1973 and 1975 respectively.

Thereafter, she was admitted to the University of Ibadan where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree (Second Class Honours – Upper Division) in Economics in 1981.

She is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), with a Master of Science degree in Economics from the University of Lagos and Masters Degree in Business Administration from the Lagos Business School.

UNIABUJA NASU protests Hassan’s electoral ambition Augustine Okezie, Abuja

ÎÎÎThe

University of Abuja chapter of the NonAcademic Staff Union of Universities (NASU), has protested against the rumoured ambition of Malam A.G Hassan to contest for the post of Vice-President, North, in the forth-coming 2015 NASU general election Malam Yunusa Abdulkadir, a staunch member of the UNIABUJA chapter of the association, told newsmen, in Abuja, on Friday, that electing Hassan into the exalted office of Vice President of the associa-

tion was tantamount to promoting corruption and undermining the change agenda of the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari He said: “How can you allow a person proven to be corrupt to occupy such a position; have you thought about his association with the out-going chairman of the local branch of the association, who sold our land allocations and embezzled our common purse and is currently planning to entrench himself on the saddle, we will not allow them.’’

News 6

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, November 2, 2015

Presidency, PDP trade words over economy Continued from page 1 President Buhari had at a press conference on Friday at the end of the India-Africa Summit in New Delhi, India, declared that Nigeria was broke and at the moment struggling to pay workers’ salaries.

The PDP in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisah Metuh, accused President Buhari de-marketing the nation and scaring away investors through negative labelling of Nigerians and unwar-

ranted unhealthy portrayal of the nation’s economy.

But the Presidency in a statement signed by Mr. Femi Adesina, Media Adviser to President Buhari, denied the accusation, saying President Buhari would not follow in the footsteps of the PDP to tell lies about the true state of the nation and its economy.

The PDP categorically stated that the President’s unwary statements have become very serious clog in the wheel of progress, eroding the confidence of both

domestic and international investors in the Nigerian economic and social system.

The statement reads: “The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) draws the attention of Nigerians to the harmful consequences of the unabated negative statements from the very father of the nation, President Muhammadu Buhari, on the economy and the general image of the country. “it is worrisome that in the last six months, the President, instead of mak-

ing efforts to harness resources and grow the economy, has rather continued to apply himself, perhaps unwittingly, to de-marketing the nation and scaring away investors through negative labelling of Nigerians and unwarranted unhealthy portrayal of the nation’s economy.

“The President’s unwary statements have become very serious clog in the wheel of progress, eroding the confidence of both domestic and international investors in the Nigerian eco-

L-R: Commandant, Nigerian Navy College, Commodore Emmanual Isreal; Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Naval Training Command, Rear Admiral Adeniyi Osinowo and Commandant, Nigerian Navy Basic Training School, Commodore Peter Onaji, during the FOC’s Familiarisation tour of Navy Training Schools in Onne, Rivers State… recently

nomic and social system.

“In the last six months, our President has only succeeded in discouraging foreign investors with his continued misrepresentation of our country as a business unfriendly environment, where most of the citizens are basically corrupt, dishonest, and cannot be trusted.

“Whereas we have restated our total support for the war against corruption, we insist that Mr. President’s unceasing blanket negative labelling of citizens, in a country where millions of honest and hardworking individuals/firms are genuinely contributing daily to the development effort, is indeed a disservice and injurious to the nation and the people.

“Furthermore, Mr. President’s recent announcement to the world that the nation, with its abundant human and natural resources, is broke and cannot pay cabinet ministers not only sends a discouraging signal to the domestic and international business community, but also exposes the ineptitude of the present administration to meaningfully and sincerely exert itself and work with industrious and innovative investors to create and manage wealth.

“We ask: how can any rea-

sonable investor still have the confidence to invest in a country where the President himself continues to alert that his country reeks of corrupt people and that the government is broke to the extent it cannot pay cabinet ministers?

“Is the President not directly advising investors against having confidence in Nigeria and the system, and that they risk not being paid for jobs awarded by government at any level?

“More worrisome is the fact that Mr. President most times, makes his damaging comments in international fora with potential investors in attendance to the extent that reminds one of the proverbial father who, in the presence of potential suitors, often portrays his daughters as wayward and yet constantly complain of their inability to find husbands.

“Indeed, this is not the way to go, Nigeria is a country blessed with abundant human and natural resources. What we need at the moment is a serious, innovative and practical approach with the capacity to harness the resources and create wealth for the benefit of all, instead of an apparently laidback scapegoat Continued on page 12

Afenifere behind Falae’s kidnap, Northern group alleges

BOI partners Daily Times on 39th edition of Miss Nigeria

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......as winner of the 30thh edition gets BOI’s single digit facilities

Egena Egena, Abuja and ‘Tosin Ajuwon, Akure

ÎÎÎThe North East Solidar-

ity Forum has accused the pan Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, of masterminding the recent kidnap of former Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Chief Olu Falae, with an intent to unsettle the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

In a communique issued at the weekend after its meeting in Bauchi, the group, accordingly asked the Federal Government not to allow the matter to

lie low.

But reacting, the Afenifere, on Sunday, described the allegation as ridiculous, wondering what it would gain by organising the kidnap of one of its leaders.

This is even as the leader of the pan Yoruba sociopolitical group, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, on Sunday, resigned his appointment with immediate effect citing old age Speaking to the Daily Times, spokesman of Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, said “by the accusation, the North East Solidarity Forum has shown that it is suffering from mad cow

disease”.

He said: “It beats imagination for any group to accuse the Afenifere of being behind the kidnap of Chief Olu Falae. How can Afenifere kidnap one of its own? What will be the benefit of such to Afenifere?

Can any reasonable person believe such wild allegation coming from the so-called North East Solidarity Forum? In fact, the forum by the statement has shown its disdain to our people; it has shown that it has little or no remorse for the plight Chief Olu Falae suffered at the hands of those who kidnapped him, inflicted

injuries on him and traumatised him.

“More importantly, the North East Solidarity Forum by the accusation has shown that it is suffering from mad cow disease and insensitive to the feelings of the Yoruba over the abduction of the former SGF. It is unfortunate that rather than hide its face in shame over an action perpetrated by members of its ethnic, the North East Solidarity Forum will be accusing Afenifere of being behind the recent kidnap of Chief Falae.”

Odumakin cautioned the group to refrain from statements that tend to cast aspersions on Afenifere, Continued on page 12

Continued from page 1 digit facilities to the contestant who wins the business challenge task during the competition.

The 39th edition is tasked with a positive mandate to further the course of poverty alleviation, youth empowerment and education for all. In light of this, Miss Nigeria seeks to empower women through training and development programmes aided by the support of government and corporate partners.

BOI as the official partner will engage participants in activities ranging from

entrepreneurial training, mentoring from business leaders and female leaders.

Among the dignitaries who will be mentoring the contestants include Dr. Ndidi Edozien, Dr. May Ikoku, Mrs. Nkechi Ali-Balogun and Mrs. Sarah Boulous.

However, the winner will be supported by BOI’s various SME initiatives and development finance to be able to start up a small business of her choice.

It is also on this note that organiser hinted that Award winning Noble Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, is the special guest of the evening.

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, November 2, 2015

7 News

APC not desperate to take control of Rivers, says chair Lateef Ibrahim Abuja

ÏÏÏ

The Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Sunday, dismissed claims, in some quarters that it was desperate to take over control of the state in connivance with the APCcontrolled Federal Government.

The party, in a statement by its State Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, maintained that the reverse was the case.

According to the APC, “For the avoidance of doubt, the Federal Government has no hand whatsoever in the cases we are

pursuing at the Governorship, National and State Houses of Assembly Tribunals across the state.

“It has become necessary for us to clear the air before this wicked lie, being spread by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), takes root”, the statement said.

According to the party, “The questions that arise are: Was there any election in Rivers State? If there was, was it conducted according to the rules? The European Community and other International Observers that condemned the conduct of the elections, are they APC members? The security agents

that told the tribunal that the election was a sham, are they APC members?

The respected jurists of the Supreme Court who threw away Wike’s infantile application to stop the Governorship Petition Election Tribunal, are they APC members?”

The Rivers’ APC accused the State PDP of suffering from a guilty conscience on account of its well-known connivance with the then PDP-led Federal Government, under the watch of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, to brazenly persecute APC and forcibly take over Rivers State. It added, “Is PDP forgetting so soon how it used Federal Government

machinery to its advantage, throwing caution to the wind? Has it forgotten how impunity thrived under Jonathan to the point that Wike and the PDP became lords of the manor, using Police Commissioner Joseph Mbu, Patience Jonathan and Wike himself to intimidate and over-awe the law-abiding APC?”, the APC asked.

It however assured that unlike PDP, “We are a civilised group and we will continue to pursue our case before the courts because litigation is part of the electoral process.

“God helping us, we shall triumph in Jesus’ name. By the grace of God, we shall

be vindicated, if for nothing, at least for the sake of the over 100 APC members that were killed to install Wike as Care-Taker Governor of River State.”

The party thus advised Wike to stop wasting the Rivers State scarce funds sponsoring some idle groups in the State to protest against the sound judgement of the tribunal annulling his obviously fraudulent election.

“We know he has no agenda for the emancipation or development of Rivers State, but he can keep himself busy by either writing a handover note or preparing how to face the Rivers State people in a free

and fair election devoid of intimidation and killing of innocent Rivers people,” the party said.

Davies Ibiamu Ikanya

Dantoro, a passionate advocate of unity, says Atiku Lateef Ibrahim Abuja

ÏÏÏ

L-R: Sen. Adamu Aliero; Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki; Kebbi State Governor, Sen. Atiku Bagudu and Sen. Danjuma Goje when the Senate President arrived in Kebbi State for the wedding fatiha of Aliero’s daughter… at the weekend

Arik Air launches customised Air Travel Insurance Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo

ÏÏÏ

Arik Air has launched a customised air travel insurance aimed at taking passengers flying experience to a new level.

The new air travel insurance enables a passenger to enjoy a customised domestic travel insurance on Arik Air with only N1, 000.00.

All a passenger needs do is to buy an Arik Air ticket to any destination in Nigeria online at www.arikair. com, then buy an air travel insurance for just N1,000.00 using Verve Card, Master-

Card or Visa Card.

According to Mr. Banji Ola, Head, Public Relations, the insurance policy provided cover against personal accident (up to N1, 000,000.00) resulting in death, permanent disability or bodily injury within 90 days of the occurrence of the accident. The cover is from airport to airport whilst aboard Arik Air. He says the benefits also include: flight cancellation or delays of more than eight hours, N20,000.00; emergency medical expenses, up to N50,000.00; mishandled/ missing baggage (inconve-

nience), up to N20,000.00; and damage to baggage, up to N20,000.00 per passenger.

“This insurance is not the same as the normal cover guaranteed for all passengers in case of air crash as provided for by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) regulation. The air travel insurance is provided by Old Mutual Insurance Company in partnership with Risk Analyst Insurance Brokers,” Ola said.

Commenting on the air travel insurance, Arik Air’s Managing Director, Mr. Chris Ndulue said:

“We want to take the passengers’ flying experience to a new level and that informs the decision to introduce the air travel insurance. The interests covered by the policy is quite unique and totally different from the customary cover provided for all passengers in case of an air crash”.

Chris Ndulue

Former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has said the death of the Emir of Borgu in Niger State, Alhaji Haliru Dantoro, had robbed Nigeria of a passionate advocate of peace, unity, religious tolerance and harmonious co-existence among the country’s complex ethnic diversities.

Atiku said this in a statement released by his media office in Abuja, at the weekend, to condole the family and the people of Niger

State on the death of the Emir of Borgu.

He noted that the late Haliru Dantoro was one of the greatest traditional rulers “one could ever encounter, and he always came across as a leader preoccupied with the peace, unity and progress of Nigeria.”

According to the Turaki Adamawa, “at whatever age a man dies, what matters is not the length of years on the throne, or on earth, but the enviable legacy he had built for himself while he was privileged to serve his people.”

Lawmaker doles out N.5m to the blind Babajide Okeowo

ÏÏÏ The lawmaker rep-

resenting Oshodi/Isolo 1 at the Lagos State House of Assembly, Honourable Hakeem Olusola Sokunle ,has further demonstrated his love for members of his constituency by making a cash donation of N500, 000 to Mr. Badru Sunday Kuti who became blind in mysterious circumstances.

The lawmaker stated that the cash was meant for the visually impaired man to start up a business, so as not to resort to begging.

Badru, a graduate of English from Lagos State University became blind

mysteriously after graduating from the higher institution.

Narrating the sad incident which had prevented him from achieving his aim of attaining a reputable height in linguistic research, he said his journey into perpetual darkness started about twenty years ago when he dreamt of a man who he recognized as one of his relatives blowing a powdery substance into his left eye.

When he woke up, he alleged he could no longer see from his left eye and it did not take long before he lost sight in the right eye too rendering him totally blind.

8

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, November 2, 2015

Politics Otti, APGA and desperate ambition

Æs

Okechukwu Ukegbu

“Good things come to those who wait, but only those things left by those who hustle”. - Abraham Lincoln.

Ambition is noble and should be pursued with vigour, but what is disastrous is over ambition because it defies decency, honesty, fairness, and responsibility. Over ambition has marred kings and rulers; it has plotted the downfall of many mighty warriors; over ambition could equally pull down

angels. The All Progressives Grand Alliance, (APGA) governorship candidate in Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti and his co-travelers are over ambition personifiedthey could go to any length to achieve their ambition. The more they try to hoodwink the people, the more their underbelly is exposed.

Recently, a Non- Governmental Organisation, (NGO), Independent Democrats, gave Otti a serious knock over his “antics of desperation and relevance-seeking message on the 24th anniversary of Abia State.

President of the group, Jonathan Ebere urged Otti to wait for his time as governor before embarking on such activity.

Ebere was of the opinion that since Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu has made a broadcast on the anniversary, there was no need for anybody, including politicians, to embark on such activity, except sending goodwill messages to the government.

“I have never seen such a thing happen since 1999 and I have never seen such a thing anywhere in Nigeria. How can he do such a

CONTINUED ON PAGE 9 Otti

Yari: Why governors clashed with Jonathan over Amaechi

Yari Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) and Zamfara State governor, Alhaji Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari has revealed the genesis of events that led to the governors’ disagreement with former President Goodluck Jonathan over former Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi.

Speaking on the crisis that characterized the NGF in the past, and how he has piloted affairs of his colleagues since assumption

Jonathan of office, Yari explained out that division in the forum started in 2013 over a misconception that the NGF was all about Excess Crude. “The NGF is not about excess crude, but about the general economy of the nation” he said.

He continued: “We discuss agenda set by the secretariat and by extension office of the Vice President, we also have experts that we hire, consultants in different sectors of the economy”.

Appointments: Tivs lament marginalisation In the last six years, due to marginalization, no Tiv man has neither been appointed a minister nor a Permanent Secretary in the Federal Government, the Tiv nation has lamented.

The President-General, Mzough-U-Tiv, Chief Edward Ujege, decried the systematic marginalisation of the Tiv nation which according to him, is the fourth largest single ethnic nationality in Nigeria.

This was contained in a statement which he signed and made available to The Daily Times in Makurdi, describing the MzoughU-Tiv as a socio-cultural organisation that speaks on the interest of the Tiv people worldwide.

Amaechi He added that the 2013 crisis emanated from the presidency.

His words: ”the issue of division in 2013 was over the interest of the then federal government, and resources; they (NGF) were telling the government to do the right thing, don’t siphon funds that do not belong to you and all the one you kept for yourself, bring it out for the three tiers of government to share in line with section 162 of the constitution”.

He added that it was this issue

that reportedly brought a clash between former president Jonathan and the then chairman of NGF, Rotimi Amaechi.

He however denied insinuations that the NGF was used as a platform to blackmail the former president for the governors’ interest.

Said he:”How do you blackmail a sitting president? your own president? How do you intimiCONTINUED ON PAGE 9

Unogo CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, November 2, 2015

9 Politics

How Jonathan Presidency caused crisis in NGF, by Yari CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

date your president? The forum is about good governance and not the way people look at the NGF, he said The NGF chairman also bemoaned the fact that in the last one year of the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, the federal government was borrowing money to pay salary.

His words: “Former Minister of Finance, Okonjo Iweala mentioned times without number that they do borrow to pay salaries, to augment. Government at the centre has the capacity to do a lot of borrowing but at the state we are tight”, he said.

According to him, diversification of the economy and develop-

ment of infrastructures across the country are the long term panacea to the nation’s economic challenges and dwindling resources.

He observed that the current bail out fund to states government to tackle their obligations in the face of dwindling resources will remain a temporary solution unless steps are taken to drive Nigeria away from mono economy.

The diversification of the economy, according to Yari, should focus on Agricultural sector and mining emphasising that the diversification should be simultaneously pursued with infrastructural development noting that infrastructural decay is one of the bane of present state of the economy.

The NGF chairman who gave this indication while fielding questions from selected journalists in Abuja said “what can save us out is diversification of the economy, we have so many ways, the agriculture sector is there, we have mining and infrastructure development.

“Since the nation started oil export, government did not do much to develop other sectors of the economy; in case of this kind of economic problem (fall in revenue), all our infrastructure are in decay.

He pointed out that: “If you look at India and China, their earning in rail transportation alone is nearly equivalent to our total federation earning” He stressed that if Nigeria had

Otti, APGA and desperate ambition CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

thing? From what he has done, it has clearly shown that he is desperate in his quest to become governor of Abia State. I think such desperation ought not to be the case at this point.

“Even though I recognise and accept the fact that his fundamental rights are enshrined in the constitution, but such rights have limits and did not make room for desperate individuals who must bring the entire people into embarrassment,” Ebere said.

Over ambition is the mother of all vices and it breeds inconsistency. A man of honour is a man of his words, and Otti is the perfect opposite. Recently, the mantra was” my governorship mandate non- negotiable”.

Otti, who said that “he was emboldened and resolute to explore all legal means possible to reclaim his alleged mandate, and that his stand was that justice and fair play must prevail”, no longer have confidence in the court of law, which they say is the last hope of the common man.

It is disheartening and his cohorts who once expressed unflinching confidence in the judiciary have now resorted to campaign of calumny against the chairman and members of the Abia State Election Petition Tribunal because the wheel of jus-

tice they earlier canvassed did not go in their favour.

The campaign came to a head when APGA called for the jailing and possible execution of the judges of the tribunal, alleging” huge sums of money in form of gratification have exchanged hands between the PDP leadership in the state and cronies of the justices. Consequently, some of the judges have been responding in line with the dictate of the lucre as evidenced in the current dismissing of all petitions filed by our party against the PDP candidates. The bribe funds, we understood, were delivered to the

judges outside the country and through proxies in order to leave no traces”.

APGA’s action to malign and denigrate the integrity and character of the members of the tribunal is a meditated and intentional act to ridicule the hallowed institution of the Nigerian judiciary.

It smacks of desperation and over ambition. The law provides a window for them at the Appellate Court if they feel that their petitions have not been judiciously addressed.

Their sole aim is to tarnish

Ikpeazu

Otti

CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

vigorously developed it’s infrastructure in the past, the economy would not be same adding: “we need to diversify, and that is the only way we can survive, otherwise the issue of oil is no longer going to attain $120 in the next two years; may be in the range of $70-85, but if we diversify, definitely, we will get something better, but for now where we are, we will only get a temporary solution”.

He however expressed optimism that: “we are hoping that looking inwards and also with blocking of leakages, maybe, but there is no better way than to diversify Nigeria’s economy to bring more revenue to the federal and states governments” he stressed.

Yari

Appointments: Tivs lament marginalisation CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

He was speaking against the background of the recent ministerial nominees submitted to the Senate by President Muhammadu Buhari where the name of a Tiv was conspicuously missing.

According to him, he lamented the level of marginalisation meted out against the Tiv nation in the past six years. His words: “Since the demise of President Umaru Yar’Adua in 2010, no Tiv man has been appointed a substantive minister.

“Also, about the same period, since the retirement of Prof Ignatius Ayua from the Federal Service as Permanent Secretary, no Tiv man has been found good or qualified enough to be promoted to the same rank again”, he lamented.

The President-General also complained about the recent ministerial nominees by President Buhari, stating that no Tiv man made the list. ‘This negates the principle of compensation for hard work and undermines the massive votes Governor Samuel Ortom, Senators Barnabas Gemade and George Akume garnered for APC in their respective senatorial districts in the last general election”, he said.

Chief Ujege lamented that the Tiv nation, which was once reckoned with nationally, was fast losing ground even at the

Gemade state level which he said is a clear signal of deliberate collaborated marginalisation by the powers that be.

“To our greatest chagrin and disapproval, at each of the recruitments by Federal Agencies, parastatals and the paramilitary establishments, the Tiv nation, which is the dominant ethnic group in the state has always been shortchanged.

“So, where is the Federal Character Principle as far as recruitments of the Benue indigenes into federal establishments is concerned”?, Ujege asked.

He urged President Muhammadu Buhari to adequately reward the Tiv nation based on their numerical strength as well as political participation and their contributions during the last general elections.

Politics 10

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, November 2, 2015

Loan for polls: Dickson, Sylva at war

Dickson Ahead of the forthcoming governorship election in Bayelsa State, a war of sort may be ongoing over sourcing of funds for the polls as the state governor, Seriake Dickson is being accused of planning to obtain about N11 billion to prosecute the elections.

The Daily Times gathered that the government of Dickson is cash-strapped following the non-release of balance of bailout funds to it by the Federal Government which it was said to have planned to use as war-chest to

Sylva win the elections.

But it was learnt that the Federal government got wind of this and decided to hold unto the funds, running into billions of naira until after the December 5 election.

Following this development, the Dickson Administration is said to be desperately sourcing for funds in order to prosecute the forthcoming election which included plans to obtain new loans with the backing of the state house of assembly.

Already, the Sylva-Igiri Gover-

norship campaign organisation in the state has raised the alarm over plots by the PDP led administration to throw the state into more debt by sourcing for an unwarranted loan.

However, the state government dismissed the purported claim of fresh loan as untrue describing it as a clear case of mischief on the part of the opposition party in the state.

A statement by the Director of Media and Publicity of the APC Gubernatorial campaign, Chief Nathan Egba, said the party had

uncovered the plan to use the State House of Assembly to secure about N12 billion loan to prosecute the election by the PDP. The statement indicates that the plot is to use the leadership of the House to cajole the lawmakers that bulk of the money would be used to clear their outstanding allowances and purchase of new cars.

The values of the two loans are N2.5 billion and N10 billion naira.

It advised banks and financial institutions in the country not to grant the loan request as the incoming APC administration would not honour such a bogus transaction especially as the request has not been presented to the House.

The statement read in part: “Members will also be informed that the second loan of N10 billion will be used to fund constituency projects, whereas in truth, this money is expected to be used for the campaigns and election expenses”.

It added: “The APC in Bayelsa has been aware for some time now that Governor Dickson, realising that he will lose the forthcoming elections, has refused to release funds already in his possession for the elections. Instead, he has been shopping around for funds from individuals and organisations, most of whom have turned him down, resulting in his bid to use the State House of Assembly to raise funds”.

The statement said the APC had called on the EFCC, the Department of State Security and other security agencies to help the people of Bayelsa track the secret transaction in order to stop PDP from obtaining the fraudulent loan.

But the Bayelsa State Government has denied the claims. A statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, said the purported claim of a fresh loan was misplaced and a clear mischief on the part of the opposition party in the state.

According to him, rather than looking for a new loan, the Bayelsa State Government was only drawing from an existing loan facility that had since been approved for the airport project it said was at 60 per cent level of completion.

He said it was unfortunate that the Sylva campaign was raising the issue of loan, saying the APC candidate and his campaign officials should be ashamed of their past in this regard.

While praising Governor Dickson over prudent management of resources, which it said had made it possible for the state to witness the huge infrastructure and other development projects in the last three and half years, he slammed Sylva for plunging the state into huge debts running into N432 billion, under his CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

Otti, APGA and desperate ambition CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

the hard-earned reputation of the honourable jurists, and in extension, the Nigerian judiciary. My appeal to the honourable jurists in particular and well- meaning Nigerians in general is that they should not interpret the character of Abians from the conduct of these few disgruntled elements.

Abians are decent and civilised.

Abians also respect the rule of law and impartiality of the judiciary and the judgments so far delivered.

Their actions could be excused for their ruthless desperation to grab power by all means which has pushed some of them to forge certificates. This shows that there is no limit desperation and over ambition cannot stretch man to. One would wonder what

Abia State would have become if left in the hands of those who told lies about their educational qualification, contest primaries in a different party in another state, and also contested election with another party in Abia.

Back to the issue of Otti’s mantra on his alleged stolen mandate.

The claim is as laughable as anything one can think of. Otti had a monument of odds stacked against him before the elections.

From the controversy that surrounded his ethnic origin to his entrance to APGA through the back door which dealt a deadly blow on the party and which the party is yet to recover from.

The crisis that engulfed APGA in Abia State, which was fueled by who was the authentic governor-

ship candidate came to a climax when few days to the gubernatorial election, a faction of the party that paraded the crème de la crème adopted the PDP governorship candidate, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu as their candidate.

The resolution by the group reads: “the decision was taken after a careful perusal of Dr. Ikpeazu’s programmes”. The group added that it realised that Ikpeazu’s agenda opposes” loans and borrow” agenda of some of some of his (Ikpeazu’s) opponents.

“We had equally extracted a firm commitment from Dr. Ikpeazu that he is going to be his own man contrary to erroneous views in the discharge of the duties attached to the office of the governor and would not succumb to un-

due influence from any quarters”.

The group further enjoined its teeming supporters to vote massively for Ikpeazu, adding: “the Arochukwu/ Ohafia ticket done in the name of our great party is reminiscence of the Gideon Orkar coup where attempt was made to shut off certain parts of the country. The single local government area governorship/ deputy ticket is both naive and irresponsible and designed to provoke an integral part of the state to a breach of the peace”.

PDP in its bid to assuage the clamour by Ngwa people to produce the governor of Abia State ceded its ticket to Abia South dominated almost exclusive by Ngwa people. This spurred on the people. In a bid to benefit from

this exclusive consideration, Otti was said to have swiftly gone to court to swear affidavit changing his place of birth from Arochukwu in Abia North to Ngwa. Ngwa people kicked against him vehemently denying such claims. And in a bid to solidly hold firm to being an Ngwa man, Otti nominated his running mate from Ohafia, a neighbouring town where it is alleged Otti comes from. Therefore, Otti’s ticket was seen as an exclusive ticket of Abia North. With all the flaws enroute the election, Otti’s ambition to rule Abia State was dead on arrival and a defeat foretold. The million dollar question is: “If greater number of Otti’s party members had abandoned him few days before the election, who then voted for him?”

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, November 2, 2015

11 Politics

Re- In Guinea Conakry, Tinubu’s political prowess holds sway Desmond Afolayan The acclaimed national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress was recently in Guinea where he was reportedly involved in influencing the outcome of the October 11 presidential election in favour of the 77 years old incumbent President Alpha Condé. In a statement of triumphalism by Sunday Dare, his media aide, Bola Tinubu is adulated for extending the frontiers of his illustrious political empire beyond Nigeria.

Mr. Tinubu’s forays into another African country to openly take sides in the highest level of their domestic politics should ordinarily be seen as the private business of a private citizen with no risk of negatively impacting on Nigeria’s foreign relations interests, it is however important to note that the former Governor of Lagos state failed to appropriately draw the lines between acting in his own capacity and posturing that can suggest he was covertly acting on behalf of President Buhari or the Nigerian state.

To start with, Dare offers us an insight into how Bola Tinubu met his “friend and brother” President Condé in May this year at a meeting during his 5-day state visit to Nigeria for President Buhari’s inauguration. He went on to provide details of how “Tinubu in June 2015 visited Conakry, Guinea to further assess the country’s political terrain and the direction of the presidential campaigns” and how soon after, Tinubu moved into Conakry personally with his election strategy and planning team to work as an integral part of the president’s campaign team with barely 60 days to the election. What this means is that President Condé came to Nigeria on a state visit and returned with a machinery that helped prosecute his re-

Tinubu election agenda.

The chest thumping by Tinubu’s media office necessitated disclosing that President Condé’s sensitive decision not to postpone the election in which he was a candidate was as a result of the fact that “Asiwaju Tinubu played a key role in advising the President to stick to the date, October 11. He reportedly provided context for the Presi-

dent by letting him into the experience Nigeria had during the last presidential election.” It is worth mentioning that the seven opposition parties called for a postponement, citing alleged irregularities in the electoral roll, but their pleas were rejected by the country’s Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI). Cellou Dalein Diallo, the candidate of the Union of

Democratic Forces of Guinea (UFDG) also petitioned the Supreme Court of Guinea to have the election postponed, but it was rejected.

Not a few diplomatic watchers would wonder if President Buhari had an interest in returning his Guinean counterpart to office for a second term? Was Bola Tinubu acting on behalf of the Nigerian President and the Nigerian state? I doubt. The actions and statements by Bola Tinubu’s office however leave room for the possibility of mottled interpretations. This is against the backdrop of the diplomatic sacrilege that occurred 2 days to the May 29, 2015 handover date when visiting President Condé on arrival in Nigeria shunned former President Jonathan and the diplomatic courtesies usually extended to every visiting head of state and instead chose to be received by Mr. Tinubu – a private citizen – apparently on the instruction of President Buhari who was then on an unofficial visit to the United Kingdom.

In a country whose democracy is yet fragile and in an election that was just the country’s second free multiparty national election since it gained independence in 1958, the help any true friend of the people of Guinea should have offered leading up to and during the election should have been in such critical areas as the advocacy for a peaceful and watchful conduct by the people, capacity building for state institutions like the electoral umpire and security agencies to perform their duties without fear or favour, and the advocacy for exemplary behaviour by the candidates and other key political operatives that will result in peaceful electoral outcomes.

Even if Mr. Tinubu absolutely had to support President Condé, conventional wisdom would have prescribed that he did so discretely without showing his

hand. He has however taken sides overtly, and though his horse in the race was victorious with 58% of the votes, there are 42% of other voters – a significant minority by any standards – who may one day wonder who the Nigerian was that denied them of their preference for the office of president.

In this complex era where Citizen Diplomacy is an increasingly important tool in advancing the interests of countries and where private citizens and corporations have been known to shape the texture of foreign relations a country has with others in more effective ways than diplomatic services can, it is important to keep an eye on the activities of our influential Nigerians on the global stage, especially those seen to be close to the president and the Government of Nigeria – off course without impugning on legitimate individual liberties and interests. Nigeria cannot afford hostilities from other countries after an alternation of power in the future brings to office individuals and political interests who nurture resentment for Nigeria for being seen to have worked behind the scenes to help sitting presidents utilise the power of incumbency to perpetuate themselves in power.

Perception is just as powerful as reality.

This calls for greater vigilance by active citizens and the media in spotlighting what goes on in the famed corridors of power during state visits as power brokers with ulterior motives can be inadvertently conferred sovereign legitimacy simply by appearing in the company of thepresident. At this rate, as “Tinubu seems to be about the business of installing presidents across Africa”, the Presidency needs to deploy the finest tact in ensuring that as Mr. Tinubu goes along his way in his mission, he is seen to be acting on his own.

Dickson, Sylva at war over election funding

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

watch as governor.

According to him, Sylva’s profligacy as governor ranked Bayelsa State as one of the most indebted states in Nigeria, but now reversed under the Dickson administration, which had since serviced the debt to a manageable level of N90 billion naira and thereby making the state now one of the least indebted

states in the country.

“Under Sylva, there was routine diversion of funds meant for payment of civil servants’ salaries and benefits. A whopping N300 billion agriculture loan from the World Bank had no tangible effect in the state.

Where were the projects established or farms set up or the fisheries development as proposed

under the loan?

“What happened to the N3 billion MDG funds made available to Sylva? It is unfortunate that Sylva left a legacy of a crippling debt profile in Bayelsa State as governor. As a matter of fact, the bond obligation of the state totaled N125 billion under his watch,” he said.

Sylva

Dickson

News 12

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, November 2, 2015

How Buhari’s TSA saved Nigeria billions of naira … N8b uncovered in bank Segun Adio, Group News Editor

ÎÎÎAlready, President Mu-

hammadu Buhari’s resolve to rid Nigeria of corruptive elements is fast yielding results as billions of naira are being saved in the process.

Shortly after his inauguration, President Buhari ordered every Federal Government Ministry, Department and Agencies to start paying into a Treasury

Single Account (TSA) for all government revenues, incomes and other receipts.

The Daily Times gathered that through the implementation of the TSA, a whopping N8 billion was uncovered in a single account in an old generation bank. The said amount is said to be operated in the name of a defence operation account.

A text message to the Group Head, Marketing and Corporate Commu-

nications of the bank, to authenticate the story, was not responded to as at press time. Similarly, Senior Special Assistant to President Buhari on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, did not also respond to a text message sent to him to speak on the alleged uncovering of the amount in the bank as at press time.

Col. Rabe Abubakar, Acting Director of Defence Information was also contacted through a text message but failed to respond to it as at press time.

It would be recalled that

President Buhari had earlier promised state governors at the inaugural meeting of the National Economic Council, NEC, in June, that all revenues prescribed for lodgement into the federation account will be treated as such under his watch and that he will ensure strict compliance with all relevant laws on accounting, allocation and disbursement.

Since then, the Presidency has worked with relevant agencies of the Federal Government to evolve this policy directive.

R-L: Mr. Humphery Ohadoma, AG Director, Finance, National Commission of Museums and Monuments (NCMM); Barr. Emeka Onuegbu, Director, Admin & Supplies; Alhaji Ahmed Idris, Accountant General of the Federation, Mr. Yusuf Abdullah Usman, DG, NCMM and Mr. Ben Ogbeide, AD, Audit Dept, NCCM, at an event in Abuja...recently.

This directive applies to fully funded organs of government like the Ministries, Departments, Agencies and Foreign Missions, as well as the partially funded ones, like Teaching Hospitals, Medical Centres, Federal Tertiary Institutions, etc.

Agencies like the CBN, SEC, CAC, NPA, NCC, FAAN, NCAA, NIMASA,

NDIC, NSC, NNPC, FIRS, NCS, MMSD, DPR are also affected.

For any agency that is fully or partially self-funding, Sub-Accounts linked to TSA are to be maintained at CBN and the accounting system will be configured to allow them access to funds based on their approved budgetary provisions.

‘Afenifere behind Falae’s kidnap’ Continued from page 6 saying the Yoruba cannot be cowed by any group, the North East Solidarity Forum inclusive. “Afenifere will continue defend the interest of the Yoruba at all times irrespective of the position of any group,” Odumakin added.

Specifically, the North Est Solidarity Forum in the communique signed by its Coordinator- General, Usman Abdulkadir, suggested that the Buhari-led government should take Afenifere to task over the allegation so as to serve as a deterrent to others.

It however commended Lagos lawyer, Femi Falana and the Muslim Ummah of South West for condemning the secession threat by the Afenifere as an aftermath

of the kidnap.

It would be recalled that the former SGF was abducted by some unknown persons suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, prompting the Afenifere to issue a secession threat if the trend was not halted.

Meanwhile, leader of the pan Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, on Sunday, resigned his appointment with immediate effect citing old age.

Pa Fasoranti took over the leadership of the group from the late Chief Abraham Adesanya over ten years ago.

According to a letter personally signed by him in Akure, the Ondo State capital, Pa fasoranti said he has since stopped being the chairman of Afenifere.

Presidency, PDP trade words over economy Continued from page 6 tactics with outworn excuses and unhelpful comments.

“May we remind Mr. President that even in the darkest period of our economic challenges, successive administrations made efforts in steadying the economy, while always reassuring our citizens and the international community of the strength and economic potentials of our great nation.

“We know that in the desperation to cover its apparent lack of economic plan, this administration has positioned cabinet ministers, upon inauguration to concentrate on diversionary blame game on the past PDP administration.

“But even this political deceit cannot combat the unpalatable consequences of Mr. President’s damaging utterances on the image of the nation and its economy.

“Finally, we wish to remind the President and those around him that Nigerians, by the 2015 elections, have committed the fate of the country in his hands for the next four years and are not willing to accept excuses for any economic failures under his watch”, the opposition party said.

Meanwhile, the Presidency in a statement on Sunday insisted that President Buhari would not follow in the footsteps of the PDP to tell lies about the true state of

the nation and its economy.

It said rather than grandstanding and trying to find fault with the present administration at all costs, the PDP ought to show remorse for the years of the locust it unleashed on Nigeria.

The Presidency was reacting to an allegation by the PDP that Buhari was ‘demarketing Nigeria” on account of his plain talk.

According to the statement signed by Presidency spokesman, Femi Adesina, Buhari would remain true to the virtues of honesty, sincerity and incorruptibility that made Nigerians to prefer him to “a lying PDP administration.

The statement read: “Our attention has been drawn

to the latest statement by the PDP spokesman, Olisa Metuh, alleging that President Muhammadu Buhari is “demarketing Nigeria”.

“We restate for the umpteenth time to Mr. Metuh and his ilk that their attempts to distract President Buhari from the job he has been elected to do will fail.

“President Buhari will remain true to the virtues of honesty, integrity, sincerity, incorruptibility and plainspeaking which endeared him to Nigerians and made them prefer his leadership to a lying and deceptive PDP administration.

“The President will not, in the guise of “marketing” the country, refrain from telling Nigerians and the

world, the emerging truths about the abject state in which years of plundering by a PDP leadership has left the Nigerian treasury and economy.

“President Buhari will not in the name of “marketing” or “attracting” investors, follow in the footsteps of the ousted PDP Administration and its discredited officials who shamelessly lied to Nigerians and the world about the buoyancy and vibrancy of an economy they had bled dry for personal gain, when it was very obvious to the discerning, that the Nigerian economy was headed for serious trouble.

“It is most unfortunate that instead of showing

some remorsefulness for the harm done to the nation by his party, and giving genuine support for President Buhari’s efforts to salvage and revamp the national economy, Mr. Metuh persists in a vain attempt to remain relevant on the national stage by unjustly denigrating the President who continues to strive with all his might to alleviate and reverse the harm done to the nation by PDP misrule and corruption.

“Mr. Metuh’s antics are futile. President Buhari cannot be distracted by a broken record. If the PDP spokesman ever has serious matters to bring to our attention, we will be prepared to listen.”

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, November 2, 2015

13 Foreign News

China, Japan, S’Korea agree to end diplomatic stand-off ÏÏÏIn

Seoul Sunday leaders from China, Japan and South Korea met for the first time in threeand-a-half years to restart stalled regional cooperation and end their diplomatic standoff over the contentious issues that divide them.

“Through trilateral cooperation I believe that we will contribute to the peace and prosperity and security of not only our three countries but the region and the international community.” said South Korean President Park Geun-hye at a news conference

following the summit.

President Park hosted Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for talks that all three leaders described as in-depth and frank.

Beijing and Seoul had suspended these regular high-level meetings with Tokyo in 2012 over territorial disputes and concerns that Prime Minister Abe has been trying to downplay past atrocities committed by Japan’s military during its colonization of much of Asia until the end of World War II. At the news conference Chi-

nese Premier Li said their historical disagreements must still be resolved, but they should not block regional economic and security cooperation.

“We need to achieve mutual understanding regarding history and historical issues and we need to look toward the future and agree on a future direction based on dialogue and cooperation,” said Premier Li. Neither Park nor Abe addressed their historical disagreements at the trilateral news conference.

The South Korean president and the Japanese prime minister will

hold their first bilateral meeting Monday and will likely focus more on this contentious issue.

Until recently Park had refused to meet with Abe until he apologized for the thousands of Asian “comfort women” forced into sexual slavery by Japan’s military during its occupation of Asia and World War II. Abe has articulated condolences for the victims and promised to uphold apologies made by past Japanese leaders, but he has refused to accede to Seoul’s demand for stronger language and compensation.

South Korean President Park Geun-hye, center, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, left, and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang attend at a business summit in Seoul, Nov. 1, 2015.

The leaders met for their first summit talks in more than three years as the Northeast Asian powers struggle to find common ground amid bickering over history and territory disputes.

Pope hints at shift of CAR visit ÏÏÏPope Francis indicated on

Sunday that his planned visit to the Central African Republic this month could be cancelled if violence between Christians and Muslims there worsens.

Speaking to tens of thousands of people in St Peter’s Square, he called for an end to the “cycle of violence” in the country he is scheduled to visit November 28 to 29 as part of a trip that will also take him to Kenya and Uganda.

Francis spoke of the “trip I hope to be able to make to that nation”. He has previously simply said he would go.

A senior Vatican source said the phrasing was chosen because of the violence in the capital Bangui, where the pope is scheduled to visit a mosque in one of the most dangerous neighbourhoods.

“If the situation worsens, he

will not be able to go and he is aware of that,” the source said.

Last Thursday, four people were killed by mobs, bringing last week’s death toll to 11, including three negotiators for the Muslim Seleka alliance visiting Bangui for peace talks. .

Mostly-Muslim Seleka rebels seized power in the majority Christian nation in a coup in 2013, prompting reprisals by Christian militias known as anti-balaka.

Muslims and Christians have since split into segregated communities across the landlocked former French colony. Tens of thousands of Muslims have fled to the far north, creating a de facto partition.

Apart from threatening the pope’s visit, the violence might wreck plans to hold long-delayed elections in December.

On Thursday, interim President Catherine Samba Panza replaced the defence, public security and justice ministers as part of a cabinet reshuffle.

The violence has flared despite the presence of thousands of UN peacekeepers, who Vatican sources have said would be involved in protecting the pope if he visits.

Pope Francis

Kerry meets Uzbek president, Central Asian leaders ÏÏÏU.S. Secretary of State John

Kerry met Sunday with Uzbekistan’s President Islam Karimov, a rare high-level U.S. encounter with the autocratic ruler and frequent target of human rights criticism.

The two held talks in the ancient Silk Road city of Samarkand on the fringes of a diplomatic gathering of his five central Asian counterparts aimed at reassuring them of Washington’s continued engagement in a region seen as exposed to militant Islam.

“Kerry and Karimov discussed global issues of shared concern including combating violent extremism as well as regional security and stability,” said State Department Deputy Spokesperson Mark Toner.

Kerry thanked Karimov for hosting the first gathering of the C5+1, a new format for dialogue among the United States and the five Central Asian republics - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

The group was formed to deepen cooperation across a range of issues, including human trafficking, counternarcotics, and supporting the security and the stability of Afghanistan. But it was energy security that topped the agenda.

“Just that topic alone - energy security and diversification would merit our meeting and getting together in the circumstances we are,” said Kerry. “And we’ve made a good start on projects like CASA-1000, which is going to create a regional electricity market from Central to South Asia.”

ÏÏÏAt least 12 people were killed 12 killed as in the Somali capital on Sunday after Shebaab gunmen used a vehicle packed with explosives to blast their way inside a hotel, police said.

The Al-Qaeda linked Shabaab claimed responsibility for the dawn attack at the Sahafi hotel, which is popular with members of parliament, government employees and businessmen.

The Shabaab said they were still fighting security forces, but African Union soldiers, battling alongside government troops, said they had taken control of the building.

“Attackers exploded a car bomb to gain entry before going inside... we have reports of 12 dead,” policeman Abdulrahid Dahir said.

Witnesses said they had seen several bodies of people killed in the initial blast, when a minibus packed with explosives was reportedly used to ram the gates of the hotel’s fortified compound,

Shabaab attacks Somalia hotel which was followed by a second heavy explosion.

Shabaab commandos then stormed inside, with witnesses reporting intense gunfire and several loud blasts.

“There was a huge explosion and people around the entrance were killed,” said Mohamed Ismael, a witness, who was nearby when the attack began.

Shabaab insurgents, who are fighting to overthrow the internationally backed government in Mogadishu, have carried out a string of attacks on hotels in the capital.

The Islamists have frequently used car bombs driven by suicide bombers to break into a complex or a building, with more attackers then following on foot.

News 14

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, November 2, 2015

South East roads demand attention, says Osinbajo Moses Oyediran Enugu

ÏÏÏThe

Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, at the weekend affirmed that the worst problem bogging down people of the south East zone is the area’s dilapidated road networks, saying the situation is clear to the federal government.

Prof Osinbajo noted that despite government financial constraint at the moment, there is a need to make improvements on

roads in the South East where commerce thrives and people move about a lot to earn their living.

While fielding questions from journalists in Enugu, where he attended a function at the Cathedral Church of the Good Shepherd, Anglican Communion, the Vice President disclosed that he had discussed the issue of the roads with Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, adding that the issue was not unknown to the fed-

eral government.

In his words” Not just only one problem that the people of the South East have in terms of roads, you know what our financial constraints are, there is a need for improvement on roads where there is a lot of commerce and movement of people”.

Responding to a question, Prof Osinbajo noted that there is need to raise the value of naira by discouraging importation of some items.

In a homily at the church, where the Vice President attended a wedding ceremony, Arch. Bishop of the Enugu Ecclesiastical Province, Anglican Communion, His Grace, Emmanuel Olisa Chukwuma had appealed to the Federal Government to create employment for the teaming unemployed youths in the country that are wallowing in poverty.

Bishop Chukwuma commended President Muhammadu Buhari for fighting corruption in the country.

Titus Akhigbe Benin

ÏÏÏThe

Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), have sued for collaborative support in its effort to completely eradicate Polio, Measles and other vaccines preventable diseases saying the current estimates of child mortality indicates that about Six million children die annually, with 16,000 death occurring daily.

Speaking at the 2015 Physicians’ Week organized by the Nigerian Medical Association ,weekend, in benin city , Edo state branch chairman, Prof. Afekhide Omoti said the Physicians’ week offers medical doctors and dentists in Nigeria a special opportunity to have a critical appraisal of the medical profession and

Polio: NMA sues for support practice, the Healthcare system and other important contemporary national and global issues.

He noted that the theme of this year’s celebration,” Routine Immunization in the Change Era; Targeting Measles and other vaccine Preventable diseases and subtheme, the National Health Act 2014 and Immunization,”, reflect on the near success story of Nigeria in her dogged determination and struggles to eradicate Polio, Measles and other vaccines preventable diseases.

Cleric predicts better days for Nigeria Abiodun Taiwo Abeokuta

ÏÏÏA

President Muhammadu Buhari(middle); APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu (right) and Niger State Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello during the burial of late Emir of Borgu, Alhaji Haliru Dantoro Kitoro in Borgu, Niger State… on Sunday

Ondo prosecutes 200 encroachers in two years Tosin Ajuwon Akure

ÏÏÏNo

fewer than 200 encroachers have been arrested and prosecuted by the Ondo state government in the last two years, the State Ministry of Natural Resources said at the weekend.

Tunde Atere, the Commissioner in charge of the Ministry who revealed this to journalists in Akure, the state capital, said the joint task force of the ministry has also been

able to checkmate the activities of encroachers in the state forest reserves.

He disclosed that over 500 farmers who are working illegally at the government reserves has been evicted across the state .

Majority of this offenders are now cooling their legs at the Olokuta Prison in Akure while some were granted bail with fine.

“Our forest reserves had been taken over by encroaches but our joint task force has been ejecting them. Over 200 of this encroachers has been ar-

rested and prosecuted by our ministry. Many of them were fined and this has generated a lot of revenue to the purse of the government”. Atere said.

The commissioner said over N500 million has been generated into the coffer of the state government as Internally Generated Revenue since the beginning of the year and promised to get more before end of the year.

Atere stated further that the ministry has planted over five million trees since inception of

the present administration and express joy over the listing of the state on the global map in Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDDT) noting that the state became second in the country to benefit from the programme.

He, however, commended the state governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko for giving the ministry a good backing by making funds available for the ministry to monitor and maintain the natural resources in the state.

newly appointed Permanent Secretary and former Accountant General of Ogun State Pastor Seye Senfuye has predicted that the good fortunes of Nigeria shall rise again in spite of the current economic woes facing the country.

Senfuye who is the Set Man (Founder) of Treasure House of God, Abeokuta, Ogun State, said the country economic crisis is a way of promoting Gods Children as he did for biblical Israelites and Egypt then when there was famine.

Pastor Seye Senfuye who spoke during a church service organised to thank

God for his elevation to the position of Permanent Secretary in the Ogun State civil service said God has map a way out for the country to overcome the various challenges facing the it.

His words, “What God is saying is that Nigeria will witness phenomenon blessings that has not happened before. This is the problem, when Jesus met the disciples by the water, he told them cast your net into the sea, the Bible says they were able to draw so many fishes. Nigeria has so much money at that time that one of them said that we did not know what to do with the money. That was when the net was broken”.

CBN marks Word Savings Day in Kano Yakubu Salisu

ÏÏÏThe Central Bank of

Nigeria( CBN) has joined the rest of the world to mark this year’s World savings day which is usually celebrated at the end of every October of every year. This year’s Celebration however targeted secondary school students in Kano.

During a lecture organized by the CBN for GSS Zakiria students the facilitator also Manager at the CBN Consumer Protection Department Alh. Abubakar Bashir Albasu took time to

explain to the students what the day was all about, what is savings, how to save, how to grow money, how to create an account, who can owe an account, how to access an account as well as how to protect one’s money.

During a power point presentation Abubakar highlited that as students with various ambitions, the act of saving is a stepping stone to whatever their dreams are because every successful person in the world today started from planning and saving in other to achieve his or her future dreams.

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, November 2, 2015

15 Opinion

Biafra, Oodua and the Seventh Lesson

D Reuben Abati

emocracy does not necessarily translate into the disappearance of crises and dilemmas. Built into the fabric of the right to choose is also the right to make mistakes and so, across Africa at this moment, in Nigeria, Tanzania, Cote d’Ivoire, Burundi, Guinea Conakry, Rwanda, the lessons are being driven home, as elections are being held or have been held, that even as democracy spreads within the continent, the tension between stabilisation and consolidation, trade offs and efficiency, pessimism and optimism, ethnocentrism and nationalism, remains a major concern.

Whatever the challenges, both local and international authorities have a duty to ensure that the people learn from their mistakes, build on those mistakes positively, and prevent a relapse to either militarism or militarised democracy disguised either as benevolent democracy or charismatic autocracy, or ethnic revanchism. The people’s right to make mistakes, is part of the democratic challenge. In Nigeria, our biggest mistake lies in the strange assumption that our problems will disappear simply through intra-elite displacement or the symbolism of grand gestures. Therefore, we end up with a boringly repetitive national life

cycle.

This leads us to one urgent point: the biggest challenge that the Nigerian state faces today, tearing into the very idea of statehood, and of democracy, is the centrifugal pull from every direction that seems to have become disturbingly incremental.

In the North East, with the tragedy spreading, with casualties increasing, you have the heart-wrenching Boko Haram menace.

The fundamentalists want a divided Nigeria. They have their own flag and they have made it clear that Western education and technology are sinful. With their flags and propaganda, they want “out” of Nigeria.

Their act of defiance and the evil outcomes have increased since May, even if civil society has chosen, all of a sudden, to be less anxious.

In the Middle Belt, an indigenesettler dichotomy, mutating as majorities-minorities conflict at the heart of Northern community relations, or as pastoralists-farmer confrontation has created seasons of violence and bloodshed with strong allegations of genocide. In the South West, the recent abduction of a Yoruba leader, Chief Olu Falae by persons alleged to be Fulani herdsmen has resulted in the exchange of hate speech among Yoruba and Fulani ethnic champions.

In Ibadan, the other day, a group of Yoruba elders demanded that

Fulani herdsmen be expelled from Yoruba territory and that should the provocation continue, the Yoruba with their 50 million population will be prepared to exit Nigeria. In the Eastern part of the country, there is a resurgence of Biafran nationalism; young Igbos in Diaspora, are insisting on the creation of a Republic of Biafra. The new voice of Biafran nationalism is Nnamdi Kanu’s Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Radio Biafra, and the Igbos campaigning for Biafra in front of embassies in Europe, India and Japan! In the South South, there is a renewed consciousness of oil citizenship, with the Ijaw whose kinsman recently lost power at the centre protesting that they are victims of Hausa/Fulani harassment, and intimidation.

Perhaps the more worrisome is the noise being made about likely secession from Nigeria, by certain elements in the North East (terrorists actually seeking to carve out territory), by latter-day Biafrans, and

by Yoruba irridentists. It may not be possible without empirical inquiry to determine how much of this is pure opportunism, posturing or criminal-mindedness. But it would appear that while seeking to uphold the law against those who challenge the sanctity of the state, the government must nonetheless take the agitations seriously for they speak to something old and familiar.

If the matter were to be subjected to referenda across the country, I am too sure there are many Nigerians who will vote for the dismemberment of this country. Social scientists advise us not to rule out any possibility, self-determination can be self-fulfilling; and nations have been known to dissolve against all odds, but it seems to me that the majority of Nigerians would rather be Nigerians. Our country has been kept together by the resilience and the optimism of the majority, not the disillusionment of a critical minority. We have not yet reached a point where the idea of Nigeria is lost and forlorn.

The long and the short of it however, is that this remains a grossly imperfect federation, union and democracy. The country is hoisted on a foundation of ancestral fissures.

For 55 years, Nigeria has refused to transform into a nation. It has been hijacked by identity politics, and by ethnic and class determinism. The Nigerian political brain has remained a grossly emotional brain.

We seem to have lost the national battle to emotions fed by ancestral memory, creating a gap between knowledge, and desire. It is why MASSOB, Nnamdi Kanu, Radio Biafra and Biafra Voice International (BVI) are the new faces of Igbo nationalism, and not Aka Ikenga or Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

Anticorruption: South South as whipping boy

S

Dr. Sullivan Odumegwu

ince the coming of the Buhari administration, there has been this exaggerated sense of fighting corruption that has assumed a life of its own. Buhari’s presumptive disposition has fueled a significant stream of petitions against key appointees of former President Jonathan. As expected, many have seized the moment to purvey pure libel and worse, all masquerading as ‘petitions’. In the odious mix are the wicked rumours, the gossips and rank innuendoes that are being stoked by the Buhari administration. Worse is that Buhari’s main strategy appears to be a serial and selective shaming of those that suits his fancy. Buhari has made no bones that he is intent on shielding some officials equally dogged by actionable petitions, and even indictments. The most notable example is the matter of Diezani Allision-Madueke, former Petroleum Minister, being accused by the Buhari administration of ‘stealing’ £13 billion. That the EFCC made haste to raid her residence in Abuja looking for these phantom billions speaks volumes of how vile and bizarre the fight against corruption

has become. Added to this madness is how the administration sensationalised a mere £27,000 pounds that was found at Diezani’s residence in London; and the £2,000 that was found on her poor mother.

It is this selective trial by ordeal and public shaming that has led to the credible suspicion that Buhari is targeting strong politicians from the South South in a brazen effort to emasculate and intimidate the very region. Other examples are legion but the most striking is the recent aggressive moves against Senator Akpabio. Like his initial appointments and policies, Buhari seems to have forgotten that corruption has federal character.

Better yet, he pretends otherwise only when Nigerians catch him in his game; or where a Northern politician is on his wrong side. Lamido and Saraki are such, but that hardly rebuts the sectional slant that has pervaded the entire corruption fight.

To be sure, it is hypocritical for Buhari to move against Diezani and Akpabio while he romances the likes of Tinubu, Kwankwaso and many others that have petitions pending against them. From the political standpoint, the people of South South

should not be ignorant of the wiles and designs of their geopolitical detractors, of which Buhari is now the poster boy.

We have a rich culture of folklores but never seem to draw survival wisdoms from them. One that comes to mind is the “Dog’s Story”, and it goes like this: when famine in the land caused all animals to resolve to slaughter their mothers for food, the dog agreed and also joined them in eating their mothers but when it was his turn to bring his mother, he changed the game by hiding his mother while claiming that she was dead.

In this corruption fight, Buhari and APC have been eating other people’s mothers while hiding their own.

Another folk story that comes to mind is the story of the “Warrior” who was killed by his people on account of some flimsy allegations brought by their neighbours. Soon enough, they regretted his demise when the same neighbours began to annihilate them at war.

The didactic lesson is this: Those people from the South South cheering Buhari on should never forget above wise sayings when the day of reckoning comes. If we must hang thieves, then let all who have stolen suffer

equally. In other words, Buhari must sincerely reflect the federal character of Nigeria in this corruption fight.

The sectional thing he is doing portends ill for the future of Nigeria You do not ask me to bring my kith and kin to be hanged for stealing when yours is the king of thieves.

Charity begins at home, so you must start with your own ilk. So, for now, even if Diezani is the greatest rogue, I will take her down at the same I am also taking down the likes of Amaechi, Tinubu, Kwankwaso, etc. Doing otherwise is rank tribalism, simple.

Pretending it is not so is worse. Thus, Buhari people should not be allowed to be ‘using people’s heads’. It is such a shame and it must stop forthwith.

So, people of South South should not be seen to be silent in this serial political lynching of their leaders.

It demonstrates lack of political wisdom that even some have joined in this perverted game of chasing their own while the others that sinned more are rewarded with political appointments. We all have our political sentiments and therefore must look beyond our noses to see this evil game for what it really is. Let those who say our giants must suffer convict their own giants first.

16

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, November 2, 2015

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, November 2, 2015

Business Times Æ s

17

NCC suspends MTN Nigeria from regulatory services Tony Nwakaegho Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) said it has suspended all regulatory services to MTN Nigeria until the mobile operator pays a fine of $5.2 billion in connection with unregistered SIM cards.

The NCC had said in the report that it is also more likely to ensure that the willful non-compliance by MTN Nigeria ceases.

The report indicated that the NCC said unregistered SIM cards “pose a grave security risk to the country” and used the recent kidnapping of the former finance minister, Chief Olu Falae, as an example of this risk.

It said the kidnappers used MTN SIM cards and MTN was unable to provide any registration data for those SIMs. The Commission’s document also stated: “MTN’s persistent violations” had forced the regulator to impose “the unprecedented sanction of suspending all regulatory services to MTN.’’

Reorganisation: Customs retires 34 officers Stories by Funmi Coker As part of on-going re-organization in Nigeria Customs Service, 34 Senior Officers have been retired from Service with immediate effect. The re-organization of the Service is one of the core mandates of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd).

Those affected in the exercise are five Deputy ComptrollersGeneral of Customs (DCGs) who have earlier given notification to the Comptroller-General for voluntary disengagement. They are John Atte MFR, Ibrahim Mera OON, Musa Tahir mni, Austin Nwosu and Akinade Adewuyi.

Three others, of the rank of Assistant Comptroller-General are also affected in the re-organization exercise. They are Madu Mohammed mni, Secretary to the Nigeria Customs Board, Victor Gbemudu, Zonal Coordinator Zone ‘A’ and Bello Liman, Assistant ComptrollerGeneral, (Headquarters).

L-R: Corporate Affairs Adviser, Nigerian Breweries, Kufre Ekanem, Senior Brand Manager, Strongbow, Ngozi Nkwoji, Managing Director, Nigerian Breweries, Nichola Vervelde and wife, Clementine Vervelde at the Strongbow Golden Hour Consumer Launch in Lagos recently.

Transcorp issues N10bn bonds

Adesola Akindele

Transcorp Hotels Plc has issued a total of N10 billion bonds to investors to enable it finance the upgrade of its flagship hotel, Transcorp Hilton Abuja, and construction of a multipurpose banquet centre.

The company said in a statement that the transactions is a seven -year fixed-rate bond due in 2022 under a N30 billion medium term bond programme and the subscription consists of N10 Billion in Series 1 in a Senior 7-Year 16.00 percent Fixed Rate

(Unsecured) Bonds Due 2022.

The Series 1 Bonds are fully underwritten by FSDH Merchant Bank Limited and United Capital Plc. The new bonds will carry a gross coupon of 16.00 percent per annum (amortised) for a period of seven years. The redemption on maturity, expected to be 2022, will be at 100 percent of the nominal amount of the bonds.

The bonds are available in denominations of N1,000, and will be listed on the main market of the Nigerian Stock Exchange and also the FMDQ OTC plat-

form for enhanced tradability. FSDH Plc is the lead issuing house, while United Capital Plc and Stanbic IBTC Capital Limited are joint issuing houses.

FSDH and United Capital Plc are the joint underwriters on the Transaction.

“This transaction represents part of our financing of the upgrade of the Transcorp Hilton Abuja and the development of a 5,000-seater multipurpose Banquet centre. The availability of funds enables us to enhance our financial flexibility by diversifying our sources of funding while

significantly extending the maturity of the Group’s funding and ensuring optimal capital mix. We are delighted by the investor reception for Transcorp Hotels in the bond markets” said Valentine Ozigbo, MD/CEO of Transcorp Hotels Plc. The company has secured Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approval as well as a certificate of “PENCOM Compliance” to enable participation by the Pension Fund Administrator (PFA) community, as one of the target investors in the bond.

Workers’ group opposes reversal of automotive policy Workers, under the aegis of Automobile, Boatyards, Transport, Equipment and Allied Senior Staff Association (AUTOBATE), have condemned the planned reversal of the Federal Government’s automotive policy.

The workers, in a statement, expressed fear of job losses as a result of the expected decline in industrialisation in the event of any delay or reversal of the policy.

According to the General Secretary of the association, Sola Olorunfemi, 14 out of 25 registered automakers have started utilising the business opportunities presented by the policy since its inception in 2013.

He pointed out that the challenges of infrastructure in motor

assembling were not enough reasons to reverse it.

He said, “This is worrisome as it means that the Federal Government is reversing a policy that will increase the indigenous industrialisation drive which has been the dream of change by Nigerians.

“We are aware that motor assembling has been having some hitches as there has been scarcity of the needed infrastructure for the sustenance of the local assembly plants, yet it’s not enough to reverse the auto policy, especially, when it is viewed from the angle of huge crisis of the labour market cum industrial redundancy in which continuous importation of vehicles over the decades has cost

Nigerians.”

Olorunfemi said that the government should not succumb to the desires of “some unpatriotic Nigerians” to the detriment of the country’s development.

“The best action to take is for the government to take the bull by the horns and implement the auto policy to the fullest.

“In fact, such courage will help the FG resolve the other infrastructural and power challenges.

“AUTOBATE believes that the lowering of the import tariff will rubbish the essence of the policy altogether as most companies will prefer to import cheaply instead of assembling here,” he said.

Money18

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, November 2, 2015

Wema Bank posts 39% decline in PAT 3rd qtr Stories by Adeesola Akindele

Nigerian Interbank Rates, Money Market and FX: Source FMDQ

Wema Bank Plc has announced a 39 per cent decline in profit after tax of N1.3 billion declared for the nine months period ended 30th September 2015.

The unaudited financial results released by the bank via the NSE site also showed that customer deposits declined 5 per cent to N221.7 billion compared to N234.5 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2014.

Further analysis of the results revealed Interest income recorded a slight growth of 2 per cent to close at N26.6 billion from N26.1 billion in 2014, while profit before tax dropped 39 per cent to N1.53 billion from N2.51 billion, as NonPerforming Loan ratio stood at - 2.6 percent in Q3 2015 compared to 2.5 percent recorded in 2014 Q3 Speaking on the bank’s performance, Segun Oloketuyi, Managing Director/CEO of Wema Bank

PLC, said, “During the period up to Q3 2015, we were not immune to the challenging macro-economic headwinds which pervaded the business environment. Though we were able to grow top-line earnings by three percent compared to Q3 2014, our margins reduced slightly as a result of the additional liquidity demands, placed on the industry by the restrictive monetary policies issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The slowdown within the retail segment due to decline in disposable income especially amongst civil servants and other customers also affected our ability to continue to intermediate in that segment of our business.

“Despite the restrictive policies, we were able to maintain the core of our Deposit volumes after adjustments for TSA payments and other outflows. Deposit volumes closed at N221 billion with cost of funds at the five percent mark.

“Looking forward to the rest of the year, we are cautiously optimistic that there will be more clarity on the economic direction of the new Government and economic policies focused on stimulating growth in critical sectors.

We believe that with the improved economic climate, we are now better positioned to deliver improved performance in the coming months.”

In the course of the year, Wema Bank has become the only institution in Nigeria (financial or non-financial) to be certified on Version 3.1 - the highest level of Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard certification and currently seeking an ISO 20000/27001 (Information Security) Certification for its business operations.

The bank has also indicated its expansion on branch network to take business opportunities to the door steps of customers.

CBN exchange rate as at 29th October 2015

Exchange rates; Source: CBN

Nigerian Interbank Rates, Money Market and FX: Source FMDQ

More millionaires emerge in new Sterling Plus Cash Reward Scheme Mr. Abdullahi Haruna Babba from Kano and Mr. Umezinwa Philip Nonso from Lagos at the weekend respectively won N1 million (One Million Naira) each in the on-going New Sterling Plus Cash Reward Scheme. This brought to three the number of customers who have become millionaires through the Scheme.

Mr. Ereku Luck Torise and Mr. Tarinabo Allagoa also won N500,000 each at the draw attended by representatives from National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC), Consumer Protection Council (CPC) and the Lagos State Lotteries Board (LSLB). The customers were selected via an electronic raffle

draw held at the corporate head office of the Bank in Lagos.

The New Sterling Plus Cash Reward Scheme was introduced by Sterling Bank Plc in 2015 in fulfillment of the Bank’s promise to reward customer loyalty, encourage saving culture among Nigerians and promote financial inclusion.

In a chat with reporters in Lagos, Mr. Umenzinwa Nonso commended the Bank for fulfilling its promise of rewarding customer loyalty adding that “this will remain memorable to me as long as l live as this will be a great support to my business.”

He speaks further: “One can only imagine what is happening to me as this is a big surprise, in

fact it can only be God. I found it very difficult to believe the news when l got a call from Sterling Bank that l won a Million Naira.

In fact, l couldn’t rejoice, I was just calm. I was still in doubt until this was reconfirmed to me when l got to my branch. All the same, l thanked Sterling Bank for this gesture and assured that l will remain a good ambassador of the brand”.

To be part of the reward scheme, customers are required to maintain a minimum balance of N5,000 and to qualify for an electronic raffle (e-raffle) draw ticket while every additional N5,000 deposit increases the number of e-raffle draw tickets.

Managing Director of Access Bank Plc and Chair of the Nigeria Health Innovation Marketplace (NHIM), Herbert Wigwe has advocated consensus building between donors, government and the private sector in order to address healthcare challenges in Nigeria.

Speaking at the presentation of awards to inaugural winners of the Health Innovation Challenge Awards in Lagos, Wigwe noted that health innovators, through their disruptive and entrepreneurial thinking have been able to come with solutions to some of the most daunting challenges in Nigeria’s health sector.

A Nigerian-made malaria test that can diagnose the disease within 25 minutes using drops of patients sample won the inaugural 2015 Health Innovation

Wigwe seeks support for innovators Challenge Awards. Accordingly, Wigwe appealed for private and public sector support to the health innovators, stressing that such combined efforts would play a critical role in addressing healthcare challenges and broader market failures.“Over the last twelve months, the Health Innovation Challenge went through massive campaigns and rigorous internal and independent assessments to identify people and organizations, who in various corners of Nigeria, in all geo-political zones, are on the path of disrupting healthcare challenges.

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, November 2, 2015

Stanbic IBTC group posts 46% decline in net profit for Q3 Stanbic IBTC Holdings has declared 46 per cent decline in its nine months unaudited results for the period ended September 30, 2015.

The Holdings Company result posted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) showed profit after tax of N13.5 billion, down from N25.2 billion in 2014, with Gross earnings which stood at N104.4 billion, from N94.6 billion, an increase of 10 per cent, while operating cost went up by 4 per cent to N46.3 billion, from N44.7 billion in 2014.

Also, its total assets showed a positive marginal upward movement by six per cent N1 trillion from N944.5 billion, and Gross loans & advances to customers moved up marginally by one per cent to N418.3 billion and customer deposits, climbed up by two per cent to N503.6 billion as against N494.9 billion.

Commenting on the results, the CEO of Stanbic IBTC Holdings, Sola David-Borha, said, “Our business continues to thrive in the third quarter of

2015 despite the stiff and challenging operating environment.”

According to her our performance reflects steady growth in our balance sheet position, improved revenue from fees and commission and continued drive on cost containment measures.

She pointed out that operating income declined by 3 per cent, while cost growth remained below inflation rate, stressing that loans and advances to customers grew marginally by one per cent due to economic conditions and the focused approach to maintain good quality loan book.

“Deposits to customers grew by 2 per cent during the period as we maintain the focus of reducing cost of funds. The continued slow pace of growth in the economy impacted our results. Our focus for the rest of the year is to deliver exceptional service and value to our customers, whilst remaining profitable and improving margins,” she said.

Equities shed N701bn in October The Nigerian equities market shed N701 billion in the month of October, which ended on Friday compared to a gain recorded in the September 2015.

In October, market capitalisation declined by N701 billion from N10.729 trillion to N10.028 trillion at the close of trading on October 31, 2015, while the NSE All-share Index (ASI) depreciated by 2,040.05 basis points or 6.53 per cent, from 31,217.77 points to 29,177.72 points, increasing the year-to-date loss to 15.81 per cent.

Also reviewing the sectoral indices for the month of October; it showed that all recorded losses, except Insurance with a gain of 0.45 per cent.

The NSE 30 Index, which tracks the performance of large cap stocks, declined by 6.71 per cent. NSE Banking, Consumer Goods and Islamic Lotus went down by 3.27 per cent, 7.33 per cent and 6.48 per cent respectively, while Oil and Gas went down by 0.98 per cent and Industrial Goods down by 5.62 per cent.

Stockbrokers attributed the general trend in the stock market to foreign and domestic international pullout due to uncertainty in the country. However, they are optimistic that trend would soon be reverse.

They also noted that the third

quarter results of companies were mixed performance as disappointing earnings of some companies’ dampened investors’ sentiments.

Analysts at APT Securities and Funds Limited, in their forecast for the month of November said, following the aggressive sell-offs last week, especially in some heavy weight counters like Oando, FBN Holdings and UBA, saying, “We expect the equities market to experience some relief this week as investors return to take advantage of low prices on offer. They noted that last week marked the conclusion of the third quarter earnings season where results have largely been disappointing and have served as major negative catalyst. We also think that the absence of negative earnings to spook investors will support this month relief rally.”

Onyema

19 Capital Market

Top 5 Losers' For the Week Ended October 30, 2015 39.66

19.75

OANDO

LEARNAFRICA

17.97

UACNPROP

17.78

STANBIC

14

FBNH

% Change

NSE fines 34 firms N59m for late submission of financial statements Stories by Charles Okonji The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) has penalized 34 companies with a total fine of about N59.4 million for late filing of their financial statements, after the regulatory due date.

The Exchange explained in the latest edition of its ‘XCompliance Report’ released on October 26, 2015 that it applied sanctions in accordance with the provisions of Section 14 of Appendix 111 of its listing rules.

The information obtained from the report showed that Oando having the highest fine of N6.2 million for its financial year end 2014, first and second quarter 2015, Daar Communication followed with N6 million fine for not releasing its December 2013 result on time, while Conoil Arbico and Multiverse were fined N1.8 million each.

Vitafoam was fined N1.4 million.

Moreover, thirteen insurance firms are to pay N26.5 million fine for default-filing of their financial statements, representing about 44.6 per cent of the total fines, as the industry is known for untimely submission of results.

Saving was also fined N3.7 million for financial year ended, December 2013, while Nigerian Enamelware with a fine of N1.6 million for 2013 financial year end.

In the same vein, C&I Leasing is to pay N1.3 for late filing of its financial statements for the year ended December 2014, and RT Briscoe was asked to pay N1.5 million, NASCON, and Union Diagnosis were fined N100, 000 respectively, while Omoluabi

Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede

Savings was fined N1.6 for late submission of its December 2014 results.

The NSE and the Securities and Exchange Commission have adopted a zero tolerance stance with regards to violation of regulatory guidelines and market infractions.

As a result and in what they say is the desire to protect investors, ensure transparency and enshrine good governance in the market, sanctions have been imposed on market operators and quoted companies several times.

However, shareholders have asked the NSE to go beyond cash punishment as this is not having effect on the company since the company can pay; the reality was that the shareholders are the ones suffering the consequences of fines.

The president, Progressive Shareholders Association, Mr.

Boniface Okezie, said that the cash punishment is not enough for the company, saying “I am not saying that people should not follow the rules, but when you are imposing penalties that will not have meaning to the shareholders, the end result is that it is the shareholders who will suffer the consequences.

And when we ask questions about the penalties paid at annual general meetings, the companies will say they are imposed on them by the Stock Exchange.

“We want to see a situation where the Exchange will be very beneficial to the shareholders.

It is not penalties that make the Exchange beneficial to the shareholders.”

He gave the assurance that shareholders on their part would continue to advise the companies and operators to abide by the rules of the Exchange to avoid paying such penalties.

Insurance 20

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, November 2, 2015

NAICOM directs MDAs to set-up insurance desks ÏMoves against fake cover certificates Stories by Isaac Agber In a bid to ensure strict compliance with the provisions of extant laws in all insurance activities, the Commissioner for Insurance, Mohammed Kari, has enjoined various ministries, departments and agencies of government to set up insurance desks or units in their various offices.

The NAICOM boss disclosed this at a meeting with the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) in Abuja recently, Daily Times gathered.

He urged MDAs to ensure the insurance desks or units are manned by qualified insurance professionals to handle the insurances of their assets.

Kari stressed that advising the government and all its agencies on insurance matters is one of the key functions of the Commission and was prepared to offer this service to ensure adequate insurance and protection of all government assets.

The CFI informed the CG of Customs that the Commission is the adviser to government on all insurance related matters by virtue of the provision of Section 7(F) of the NAICOM Act 1997.

He further advised the Custom Service to explore this window of opportunity by ensuring that the NCS comply with the provisions of the law in all its insurance activities. He pledged the full support of NAICOM to NCS

in the insurances of its assets and liabilities.

According to him, the need to link the NCS database with the insurance industry database for authentication and identification of genuine insurance policies cannot be overemphasized, especially for marine and air freight insurances.

Responding the CGC stated that preparedness of the service to collaborate with NAICOM in all insurance activities of the Custom Service, noting that setting up of a joint committee between the two agencies to evolve a working relationship between them.

The two agencies however pledged to collaborate and work together to ensure the process of insuring the assets of the NCS is seamless, efficient and adequate.

In a parallel development, the insurance watchdogs initiated a synergy with the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) in its earnest resolve to throw daggers against fake insurance certificates in the country. The collaboration is also expected to boost revenue generation and ensure a hitch free settlement of claims in the industry.

Explaining the importance of the synergy, Kari said the partnership would enable NAICOM to advise and guide customs properly so that the insurance industry could increase the services provided to importers and users of NCS services in Nigeria.

The commissioner said NAI-

L-R: Managing Director/CEO, Valentine Ozigbo; Director, Benjamin Dikki; Company Secretary, Helen Iwuchukwu; and Director, Peter Elumelu during the Completion Board Meeting for Transcorp Hotels Plc’s N10 billion bond issue for the renovation of Transcorp Hilton Abuja, held in Lagos on Friday.

COM was mandated in law to provide advice to government and its agencies on matters of insurance.

“Our role is to advise MDAs free of charge on the best way to package insurance, what to insure, how to price insurance and identify a very good intermediary to place businesses through,” he said. Kari urged the customs to allow the commission to have access to its electronic portal to enable them to identify and track down fake insurance certificates issued to importers.

According to the commissioner, there were a lot of fake

certificates out there, and the certificates need to be confirmed as genuine. The custom service just arbitrarily charge 1.5 per cent of the imported goods for marine insurance for importation through the water ways and they charge 0.5 per cent for importation through the air ways.

Speaking further, he said: “Unfortunately, those premiums charged are not transferred further to the insurance industries they are kept in the customs services.

“The idea is not only to make an income but to make sure that cover is provided in case there is a loss; there is a damage or inher-

ent liability that has arisen from the transaction of that business.

“We will ensure to find a way where the industry can get into the NCS’ portal so that all certificates can be checked on the portal without any problem in a click of a button,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB) has applauded the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) for stressing the necessity for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government to urgently set up dedicated insurance desks that are manned by qualified insurance practitioners.

Lagos sets 2016 deadline for implementation of PRA Lagos looks determined to remain the only state to be reckoned with when it comes to Contributory Pension Scheme. To cement this resolve, the state government is poised to block all loopholes and hitches as it will commence the implementation of the Pension Reform Act 2014, eyeing 2016 as the deadline.

The Director-General Lagos State Pension Board (LASPEB) Mrs. Folashade Onanuga, gave the assurance at the State’s Pension Board One Day Seminar on the Provisions of the Pension Reform Act in Lagos, noting that the review of the state’s pension law has reached an advance stage and that the forum was organized to get the inputs of stakeholders.

The decision to adopt the changes introduced in the PRA 2014 was reached by all stakeholders in the state.

She noted that all the issued agreed on would be injected in the law, adding that the state wants to forestall having provisions in the law that relevant stakeholders may dislike.

“We believe that where there is a will there will be a way. The workers are the most valued assets, if they are valued and investment made for them in and out of office, they would be more dedicated to their works and that would bring good output. If workers know that their employers are interested in their wellbeing, they would put in their best towards the good of the organization.

“We have looked critically on the PRA 2014 Act, we have dissected it and we know the ones we would take in the amended law of the Lagos State Government.

“We have reached an advance stage on the amendment; this fo-

rum is a public hearing for people in service, and for us to get their buy in. We have concluded all the areas that need to be looked into and we have the provisions we want to put into the law, but we wanted to have their inputs that is the essence of this meeting,” she said.

She noted that the memo on the review of the law which is to be sent to the state executives is ready; adding that it would be one of the first things that will be considered by the state’s newly constituted executives.

The Director-General National Pension Commission (PenCom) Mrs. Chinelo Anohu-Amazu, who was represented by Mrs. Opeyemi Abodunrin, applauded the efforts of the state government in setting the pace for other states to follow.

She commended the past ad-

ministration for moving the state’s pension to the next level and urged the present administration to consolidate on the strides already made and ensure the state retains the position it has occupied.

Some key elements in the PRA 2014 Act that may be domesticated by the state are: Upward Review of Rate of Pension Contribution: The Pension Reform Act 2014 reviewed upwards, the minimum rate of Pension Contribution from 15 per cent to 18 per cent of monthly emolument, where eight per cent will be contributed by employee and 10 per cent by the employer.

This will provide additional benefits to workers’ Retirement Savings Accounts and thereby enhance their monthly pension benefits at retirement.

Encouraging voluntary contri-

Ambode

butions and implementation of the Universities (Miscellaneous) Provisions Act 2012, which reviewed the retirement age and benefits of University Professors and the need for the state to deposit its funds with the office of the central bank located in Lagos rather than the state government keeping the fund and the need to include all manner of workers, whether casual or not to the CPS.

Daily Daily Times Times Nigeria Nigeria Tuesday, August 18, Monday, November 2, 2015 2015

21 21

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1,330,875.00

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390,511.26

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312,409.60

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(LAGOS) IFEANYI - 08086296714 (ABUJA) FEMI - 08033550468

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

22 Public Notice

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, November 2, 2015

MTN bows to pressure, agrees to pay N1.04trn fine

Osinbajo

ÏÏÏ Mobile communications giant, MTN, has finally bowed to pressure as it has accepted to pay the N1.04 trillion fine slammed on it last week by the telecoms regulatory authority, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

Accordingly, the telecoms operator was fine for violating its directive on

SIM deactivation.

This follows series of meeting held between MTN management team from South Africa and Nigeria with the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

The telecoms operator which has largest subscriber base in Nigeria, it was gathered, may have agreed to pay the fine to sustain the interest of its

telecoms business.

Industry sources who confirmed the new arrangement, disclosed that the federal government is already yielding to the plea, which according to him, was part of the agreement reached at the series of meeting held at the weekend in Nigeria.

“There have been series of meeting at the Presidency between the Vice President Osinbajo and MTN team both from South Africa and the Nigerian arm. MTN wanted a waiver considering their level of investments in the country, but government did not buy the idea of waiver. Instead, I think there will be concession, but certainly not a waiver.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the MTN people negotiated on how to stagger the payment. The Presidency is even angry because MTN was a signatory to the regulation, but they are failing to comply with rules.”, the source added.

It would be recalled that NCC had said that MTN would not escape the fine,

owing to the enormity of its implication to national security.

Although NCC had hinted that the issue is being handled by the federal government, the telecoms authority also noted that MTN would risk withdrawal of its licence if its fails to comply with the fine.

Even with the widespread calls for the intervention of the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), on the N1.04 trillion fine, Chief Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), had last week called on the NSA not to intervene in the matter, adding that NCC regulation must take its course.

NCC said it had consistently engaged Mobile Network Operators, (MNOs) to strictly adhere to the regulations and its business rules in the registration of their subscribers.

Following several engagements, the Commission had confirmed various cases of violations of the regulations and sanctioned appropriately.

AGO IWOYE/OKENUGBO GRANITE DEALERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA

THE GARDEN OF THE TRUE VINE MINISTRY.

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

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

TRUSTEES: 1. Pastor Makusota Emamanuel Owolabi - General Overseer.

2. Mrs. Emmanuel Adurapemi Olubusola - General Secretary.

3. Aboderin Olufunmilola Ibiwunmi.

4. Olulade Richard Kofoworola.

5. Aboderin Olukemi Atilola 6. Adeyemi Olusola Akanbi.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Adeleye Adeniyi Festus 2. Olubanjo Adesola Olukayode 3. Odutola Willam Adeoye 4. Oshibowale Adeolu Abayomi

Aims: 1. To preach the word of truth without compromising the truth.

2. To help the needy and the less privileged in the society.

3. To build people that will impact the nation with good virtures.

4. To help people make heaven their focus.

Aim and Objective: 1. To cater for the unity of the members.

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

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

Signed: Trustees

OKE - ODO HIGH SCHOOL STAFF WELFARE RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION This is to notify the general public that the above named MINISTRY has applied to the corporate affairs commission Abuja for registration under the part C of the companies and allied matters act NO1 of 1990.

TRUSTEES 1 Fatai Abel Akinnifesi 3 Adeola Funmilola

2 Olatunbosun Jelili Adegbola 4 Oluremi Olumuyiwa Segun

5 Akinnubi Ilesanmi Samuel AIM 1. To promote the welfare and general well being of members 2. To superinted and manage the estate Any objection to this application should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication Signed: Trustees

Signed: General Secretary

Boko Haram: IDPs accuse leaders of selling donated gifts Oyetubo Olabimpe

ÏÏÏSome Internally Dis-

placed Persons (IDPs) in the New Kuchingworo IDP camp, Abuja, on Sunday alleged that their leaders were selling some of the items donated to them by well-meaning Nigerians and corporate organizations.

The accusation was made when members of Advertising Practitioners Association Abuja Chapter (APAAC) visited the camp to make donations.

One of the IDPs, who confided with Vanguard confirmed the allegation as an ongoing practice in the camp by those in charge of the camp.

According to him, the leaders, especially from the Gwoza camp usually

APC wins Borno Central Senatorial bye-election ÏÏÏThe

The General Public is Hereby Notified That The Above Named Club Has Applied To The Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja For Registration Under Part C Of The Companies And Allied Matters Act 1990.

The Trustees Are:1. Ibosiola Ayodeji Ayodele

2. Ibosiola Adekunle Olaniran

Aims And Objectives: 1. The promotion of football related activities; 2. The running of a football club; 3. Sourcing for talented and gifted footballers towards ensuring they fulfill their potential Any Objection To This Registration Should Be Forwarded To The Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja Within 28 Days Of This Publication.

He said that the total number of registered voters was 908, 114, while the total number of accredited voters was 174, 329.

“The total number of votes cast was 159, 998, the number of valid votes was 155, 443 while the total number of rejected votes was 4, 555,” Fannami said.

In his reaction, Garbai described his victory as an “act of God”.

“The people have spoken; the victory is a clear testimony of the fact that the people have confidence in my ability to deliver,” he said.

“It is also an indication that the people have confidence in the government of Borno, because the government has been working for them.

Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday declared Alhaji Babakaka Garbai of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the bye-election for Borno Central Senatorial district.

The election was conducted on Saturday.

INEC’s Returning Officer, Prof. Mohammed Fannami, who announced the results in Maiduguri, said that Garbai scored 120, 639 votes against 32,347 votes scored

by Alhaji Kaka Bolori of the PDP who came second.

The returning officer added that Alhaji Bukar Muhammed of APGA had 324 votes, while Mallam Babakura Modu of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) had 660 votes.

GREAT ZION CLUB OF NIGERIA

CLASSIC MIGHTY DYNAMOS UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB This is to notify the general public that the above named CENTRE has applied to the corporate affairs commission Abuja for registration under the part C of the companies and allied matters act No. 1 of 1990.

take the advantage of the far distance of IDPs in the Bauchi camp and other far away camps to hoard their share of the donations and sell them to food sellers and sometimes to the real owners when they are faced with food scarcity.

His words: ‘‘It is true that most of the donations made to us are not getting to us. They sell some of the gift items to people.

What the leaders do is that they sell some to the food items to food sellers and those that care to buy.

Some IDPs too, sell theirs after collecting their share when they need money.’’

Other IDPs in a chat with some journalists also confirmed the allegation and called on government to address their plight without further delay.

The General Public is hereby notified that the above named ASSOCIATION has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for Registration under Part C of Companies and Allied Matters act 1990.

Trustees are: 1. Mr. Odufu Kizito Chairman 3. Mr. Michael Ihekire Secretary 5. Mr. James Anele - Financial Secretary 7. Mr. Bimbo Ayodeji P.r.o 9. Mr. Yomi Anifowoshe - Provost

2.

4.

6.

8.

Mr. Koya Adebanjo Vice-Chairman Mr. Olakunle Peters - Asst. Secretary Mr. Felix Muokonye - Treasurer Mr. Ezenwa Vincent - Protocol Officer

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. To enhance and engender unity amongst Great Zion Club of Nigeria resident in Lagos.

2. To give moral and material supports to any member in difficulty, who qualifies for such by the provisions in the Constitution.

3. To promote peace in Great Zion Club of Nigeria in general.

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.

Signed: Hon. Hope Anyim Esq.

Sign: Secretary.

Hopewell & Co. 210 Ikorodu Road, Palm – Grove, Lagos.

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, November 2, 2015

23 News

Wife of the Vice President, Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo (sixth right); wife of Lagos State Governor, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode (fifth left); Convener, ARISE Women, Pastor Siju Iluyomade (sixth left); wife of Kwara State Governor, Mrs. Omolewa Ahmed (fifth right); wife of former Benue State Governor, Mrs. Yemisi Suswan, (fourth right); wife of former Lagos State Governor, Mrs. Abimbola Fashola (third right); wife of former Osun State Governor, Mrs. Omolola Olagunsoye (second right); APC Women Leader, Lagos State; Chief Kemi Nelson (right), former Deputy Governors of Lagos State, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire (fourth left) and Princess Sarah Sosan; wife of the former President of Nigeria, Mrs. Bola Obasanjo and Hon Abike Dabiri, during the 2015 ARISE WOMEN conference, held at the City of David Church, Victoria Island, Lagos…at the Weekend.

Utomi tasks professionals on diligence Lara Adejoro

ÏÏÏAs President Muhammadu

Buhari appoints his ministers, renowned economist, Professor, Pat Utomi, has canvassed a need for technocrats and professionals to be put at the helm of affairs, in order to effectively address the country’s challenges.

He spoke recently in Lagos at an event organised by the Gong Media Communications on the topic titled, “Promoting good governance through the integration of professional men and women in national leadership.”

Utomi, who called on professionals in various fields to rise to the occasion by putting their skills to work in turning around the economy, lamented that Nigeria was paying the price of distancing professionals with the requisite knowledge from governance.

Barwa land owners protest against FCDA revocation Augustine Okezie Abuja

ÏÏÏMembers

of Barwa Land Owners Association, on Sunday, in Abuja, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to prevail on the authorities of the Federal Capital Development Authority to restore their rights to their parcel of land earlier allocated to them at the Barwa layout in Kuje Area Council.

The Chairman of the Association, Chief Tobias Obiechina, who told newsmen during a protest

He listed lack of good governance as a major factor robbing the country of its pride of place in the comity of nations.

Other challenges, he said, included not putting the right people in leadership positions, lack of political will to fight corruption and other ills of the society and non-implementation of policies.

Utomi

march embarked upon by placard- carrying members of the association, said that the group was planning a court action, just in case the government did not address their grievances Narrating the ordeal of the members of the association, Obiechina said they were never given a notice of government intention to revoke the land certificate.

He further maintained that the land in question was duly acquired by members of the association after certification and recertification with AGIS, and that they were shocked to see a new developer who forcefully entered the land and started pulling down their structures, adding that some of the members of the association had individually gone to court over the matter.

Abuja herdsmen threaten to avenge members’ murder Idu Jude Abuja

ÏÏÏFulani

cattle rearers, popularlly known as Miyety Allah Association, have accused Gbagiyi indigenes living in Pyakassa, Abuja, of master-minding the attack and killing of seven of their kinsmen, and vowed vengeance, if nothing was done by the government to mediate in the matter and end such attacks.

Security breakdown, was recorded late last week in Pyakasa a suburb of the Federal Capital Territory, following a communal clash that left seven Fulani herdsmen dead.

A member of the leadership council of the Fulani people in Piyakasa, Alhaji Michika Boroni, told the Daily Times, on Friday, in Abuja, shortly after meeting

with the Permanent Secretary Engineer Obinna Chukwu, on the attack, that his people were for ready to heed Chukwu’s call for peace.

An agitated Boroni said that there was a bit of a mix-up in the account of the tragedy, when it was reported that the seven were killed by armed robbers.

An account of the tragedy by the FCTA was that they were robbers attacked a Fulani settlement in Ketti-Pyakassa, a suburb of Abuja, on Tuesday night, killing seven persons and injuring five others.

At the meeting Chukwu said appealed to the Fulani herdsmen that was a need for peace; that the way forward was not to press retaliation, but he gave an assurance that those who killed the seven Fulani people would be apprehended

and brought to book.

He said, besides, that the police and other security agencies in the Federal Capital Territory were on top of the situation.

In another development, the FCTA has said in a press statement, that Chukwu had directed the Area Council Services Secretariat to organise stakeholders meeting with the herdsmen dwelling in and around the Federal Capital City, Abuja scheduled for next week.

Major issue to be discussed at the meeting is how to put a stop to the knotty case of grazing of cattle within the city centre.

Chukwu remarked that this would be an enlarged meeting between the FCT Administration and the Fulani herdsmen as well as their leaders in the Federal Capital Territory.

Senate works c’ttee assures of federal presence on Abia roads, erosion sites Sunday Nwakanma Umuahia

ÏÏÏThe

Senate Adhoc Committee on Works, at the weekend, in Umuahia, assured the people of Abia State that it would ensure that gully and erosion sites in Umuahia and Arochukwu, as well as bad federal roads in Abia North Senatorial district would receive the attention of the Senate and the Federal Government.

The leader of the team and former Peoples Democratic Party national chairman, Hon. Banabas Gemade, gave this assurance while inspecting a gully erosion at Ahia Oriete in Umule Azuahia

Amuzukwu in Umuahia North Local Government Area, Ania and Amuke roads in Ohafia -Arochukwu and Amuke-Ohafia - Akwa Ibom erosion and federal roads and Isuikwuato erosion sites.

Sen. Gemade said his team was in the state, at the instance of the Senate, following a motion tabled at the floor of the red chamber by the member representing Abia North Federal Constituency, Sen. Mao Ohuabunwa, stating that it would feed the report of its finding to the appropriate quarters.

He promised that the Senate Committee on Works would do something about the situation, within the limits of available re-

sources. He commiserated with the people of the state over the poor nature of federal roads there stating that, “We have come, we have seen and will report back.

The roads need to change. When we put up our report, we are sure the ecological fund will take care of the roads and the environment.”

Ohuabunwa thanked the Senate for heeding to his call disclosing that he had, in the last one month, been unable to reach his Arochukwu country home due to the bad nature of Ohafia/Arochukwu federal road, describing the Senate as being sensitive and people- oriented.

News 24

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, November 2, 2015

No Boko Haram inmates in Ebonyi, Umahi insists Jacob Ogodo, Abakaliki

ÎÎÎEbonyi

State Government has expressed displeasure over reports from two national dailies that there was panic in the state over rumoured transfer of some Boko Haram inmates from Ekwulobia prisons in Anambra State to Abakaliki prisons.

Governor David Umahi said he was surprised that almost 48 hours after he addressed a live press conference denying the rumour, the newspapers still went ahead to publish falsehood. He maintained that at the news conference, he unequivocally

stated: “One of the few issues some of you journalists sent me text messages was that Boko Haram prisoners in Anambra State prisons, having been relocated to Abakaliki prisons.

“That was a very bad news for me and I said Father, still help me to overcome this challenge.

I started making phone calls but at the end of the day, it turned out to be false news. We need to be very careful because that was capable of disintegrating the state and inflicting fears in our people.

“So, we need to screen information we are get-

ting and one of the journalists said a prison official told him, but that was not cautious. So, there is nothing like that. Our people should go about their normal business. If such a thing were to happen, what were the criteria that would make Ebonyi State qualify to host such high calibre criminals; the prison space is not there; security is not there; and Ebonyi is too small a place and, of course, the governor must be informed as the Chief Security.

“So, I want to tell our people there won’t be such, because Ebonyi is not ripe at all to harbour Boko Ha-

ram prisoners and we will not harbour them in Jesus name.

“It is therefore utterly disappointing that the newspapers still went ahead to publish the falsehood. While I agree that rumours are a veritable source of information for journalists, rumours must be verified and when not true must be ignored.

“Strangely, one of the newspapers still went ahead to repeat the falsehood in its Sunday (yesterday) edition.

“The story in the two editions (Saturday and Sunday) stated in paragraphs eight and nine,

that the newspaper spoke with the Commissioner in charge of the State Police Command, Peace Abdallah and the Spokesman for the Abakaliki Prisons, Mr. Frank, who said they were unaware of such development.

In Paragraph 10, the same newspaper quoted Anamabra State Governor Willie Obiano as saying that the 47 inmates in Ekwulobia Prisons were

Plateau APC chieftain mourns Pwajok Chijioke Kingsley, Jos

ÎÎÎThe Chairman of

L-R: Chairman, CPMS, Chris Parkes; CEO, Primera Africa Securities Ltd, Lilian Olubi; Executive Director/Chief Risk Officer, Heritage Bank Ltd, Mr. Jude Money and Chairman, Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG), Kyari Abba Bukar at the presentation of The Next Titan, a reality TV show in Lagos... at the weekend

FG to address social security needs of informal workers Akor Ejumene, Abuja

ÎÎÎPermanent

Secretary Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Clement Illoh, has called on all Nigerians both in the public and private sectors to support the efforts of the Federal Government at providing social security protection to the vulnerable groups.

Illoh, who was represented by the Director of Special Duties, Mr. Felix Ogenyi, made this appeal, in Abuja, at the weekend, while declaring open a stakeholders’ meeting on “Addressing the Social Security Needs of the Informal Workers through Co-operative Delivery System”.

In his word, “The challenges of social security in

our society today cannot be over looked. A dynamic system to conquer the many constraints to social security delivery can only be attained through both public and private cooperation”.

He stressed the need to establish management of social security programmed at meeting the aspiration of people with special needs, households below poverty line, vulnerable and elderly persons”.

Illoh added that the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity had devised means of addressing the social security needs of the informal workers through co-operative system, adding that every member of the society had a right to social security and entitled to its

realisation through national effort and international co-operation.

He expressed optimism that the stakeholders’ meeting would create a stronger social protection system which would have all the requisite tools and technology required to deliver and complement the government’s mandate to alleviate the pains of the informal and vulnerable people in the country.

In her remarks, the Director, Social Security/ Co-operative Development Department, Mrs. Mojisola Sonubi, explained that over the years, the Nigerian Government at various levels had adopted policies aimed at enhancing the performance of the informal

sector, including entrepreneurship development and international financial assistance stressing that the purpose of the stakeholders’ meeting was to further consolidate on the achievements made by using cooperatives as an avenue to meet the social security needs of the informal workers.

She reaffirmed that the fundamental objective of the government according to the constitution was “security and welfare of all people”, which meant that the informal sector which accounted for as much as an estimated 57.9% of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) according to the United Nations should enjoy social security cover.

taken out of the SouthEast. We therefore ask, is Abakaliki no longer in the South-East?

“Going by the statements by Governors Umahi and Obiano, as well as Abdallah and Frank, a discerning mind would know that it was all rumour.

“I hereby restates my call to all residents of and travellers to Ebonyi State to go about their normal business without fear.

the Plateau State Chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Hon. Latep Daban has describe the death of the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship standard-bearer in the state, Gyang Pwajok, popularly known as GNS Pwajok, as tragic.

He said no one should rejoice over anybody’s death irrespective of party differences.

He stated this at the reunion and the National Convention of Gindiri Old Students Association (GOSA), his alma mater, at the weekend.

According to him, “We are very sad about the

death of Pwajok; no politician in his right mind will celebrate the death of another human being, no matter the differences and the disagreement”, he said.

The APC chieftain emphasised that as a Christain and as someone who attended a missionary school he could not bring himself to rejoice over the death of Pwajok simply because of political differences.

He regretted that Pwajok as a vibrant politician died in his prime, saying he would have lived to act as a visible force in a robust opposition to the APC-led government in Plateau State.

Pwajok died in an Indian hospital a few days ago from a protracted liver disease.

UK Foundation set to break Guinness Record with Bag of Hope Olawale Rotimi

ÎÎÎA

United Kingdombased non-governmental organisation, Lightup Foundation, plans to set a new Guinness World record by producing a large bag, it tagged “Bag of Hope”, in Nigeria.

The bag, however, when finally sewn, would be used to help eradicate myriads of problems facing the needy in developing countries of the world. The bag, when completed, would be the world’s largest canvass bag.

The plan was unveiled in Lagos, at the weekend, at an awareness programme, held at the Anglican Girls’

Grammar School, Surulere, Lagos.

The scheme is being carried out under the auspices of the founder of Lightup Foundation, Mrs. Olasubomi Iginla-Aina. Speaking with journalists at the event, Mrs. Iginla-Aina said it was possible for Africa to build a charity purse she called “Bag of Hope”, which would draw the support from kind-hearted people across the world, to give philanthropic support for the social recovery and betterment of every wounded soul in the throes of social disadvantage and exclusion in any part of the world, including Nigeria.

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, November 2, 2015

25 News

Judiciary equipped for e-fraud trials, say CJN Andrew Orolua, Abuja

ÎÎÎThe Chief

Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, has said the judiciary was well position to meet the challenges posed by the dynamics of the digital age.

He gave the assurance at weekend, when the Deputy Governor (Operations) of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Alhaji Suleiman Barau, disclosed that over N4 billion had been lost to e-fraud.

Barau had led some members of the Nigeria electronic Fraud Forum (NeFF) on a courtesy visit to the CJN in his office.

The visit, according to Barau, was in anticipation of an increase in

electronic fraud attempts, with imminent increase in electronic payments in the country following the take-off of the “Cash-less Lagos” pilot project.

While Justices Walter Onnoghen and Clara Bata Ogunbiyi joined the CJN to receive Barau, who was accompanied by Mr. Dipo Fatokun, Mrs. Tokunbo Martins, Mr. Amusa Ogundana, Biyi Dosumu, Mr B.H.Ibrahim from the CBN, and Mr. David Isiawe from Union Bank of Nigeria PLC The CJN told the group that as a matter of principle, the Judiciary gave priority to fraud or criminal cases, especially those brought on appeal to the Supreme Court and the

Court of Appeal.

The problem associated with adjudication of criminal cases, the CJN noted was not mainly in the courts, but outside.

“It is in the investigation, collection of evidence, presentation of the cases and trial.

“The Judiciary is like a builder, and works with materials that are brought to it. As such the materials necessary for construction must measure up to standard, in order to be applied by the courts. The Court cannot carry out investigation and our security agencies must be encouraged to carry out investigation-led arrest and not arrest-led investigation”.

The CJN further coun-

selled that once suspects were charged to courts, there should not be too many counts of offences (charges) as each count charge requires a witness or more. “In some cases up to 200 count charge are brought before the court, which is a waste of court’s time and makes mockery of the constitution and the laws’’.

Most superior courts in the country, including the Supreme Court, the CJN said, had enacted practice directions on serious crimes including money laundering and fraud, which should see cases being fast- tracked for trial and determination “I wish to assure you that the Judiciary will

stand with the Bankers’ Committee in providing an effective solution to electronic fraud and other ancillary issues. Indeed, it

is our hope that, soon, Nigeria will become a major destination for the movement of capital and investment”, the CJN added

Amnesty: Students returning from UK due to British visa policy Akor Ejumene, Abuja

ÎÎÎFoundation

students sent to the United Kingdom in 2014 under the Presidential Amnesty Programme are returning to the country following the expiration of their one year visa.

A statement from the amnesty office, on Sunday, said that, apart from the completion of their one year foundation course, they were required to return to the country to renew their visa when necessary.

The statement signed by the media and communication consultant of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Owei Lakemfa, however said, this had nothing to do with funding their programmes as was

being insinuated.

Also, the Presidential Amnesty Office reiterated that there was no policy or plans under the Programme to pay housing or accommodation allowances.

It said that it was not correct for any beneficiary, under the Programme, to claim that he was being owed, or was expecting such an allowance.

The Amnesty Office noted that all allowances and payments under the Programme had been effected, but said, some beneficiaries, especially in South Africa and the United States, had experienced some delays, perhaps due the Central Bank’s implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) policy.

EEDC donates two vehicles to Ebonyi Police L-R: Akarigbo of Remoland, Oba Adeniji Sonariwo; former Governorship Candidate of Unity Party of Nigeria UPN in 2015 general election, Otunba Rotimi Paseda and Asiwaju Solomon Onafowokan during the courtesy visit of Paseda to Sonariwo at his palace, Sagamu, Ogun State… at the weekend.

Photo: DAVID IDOWU

Swear in ministers now, DPC tasks Buhari Akor Ejumene, Abuja

ÎÎÎFollowing the successful

screening and confirmation of candidates nominated for ministers by the Senate, the Democratic People’s Congress has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to swear them in immediately to kick start his government.

The party said Nigerians had waited patiently since May 29, 2015, when President Buhari was sworn-in to hit the ground running in the collective quest at building a strong, virile, progressive, prosperous and decent dem-

ocratic nation, adding that the masses could not wait any longer for the ministers to be sworn-in and assigned with appropriate portfolios in the drive to provide dividends of democracy.

Since one-man could not be an island, the party said there was a need for collective effort for effective governance.

The party in a statement signed by the national chairman, Olusegun Peters, urged Buhari, the in-coming ministers, and all public office holders to imbibe team spirit in carrying out their constitutional duties.

According to the statement, national interest should, at all times, supersede partisan politics, mundane consideration and personal aggrandisement.

Patriotism, the statement said, should be the watchword in revamping the economy, fighting corruption, combating terrorism, consolidating the political process and charting a new course for the nation and the continent as the giant of Africa.

According to the party, it was time to redefine governance and meet the yearnings of impoverished Nige-

rians longing for a better life and a secured nation.

Stating that the task ahead was enormous and called for diligence, perseverance and managerial acumen, the party said as a mass movement and foremost opposition party, it would, at all times, point the way forward in building a great nation that future generations would be proud of.

It urged Nigerians to embrace the party as the third leg in the nation’s political tripod, saying it is manifest that the emergence of DPC had brightened the nation’s political horizon.

Jacob Ogodo, Abakaliki

ÎÎÎEbonyi

State police Command has received two Hilux vans to enhance its security operations in protecting life and property.

Presenting the vehicles to the Commissioner of Police, Peace Ibekwe Abdallah, at Government House, Abakaliki, the Managing Director of Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), Mr. Robert Dickerman, noted that the gesture was in fulfilment of the company’s social responsibility to the public.

He added that the EEDC was ready to sustain the good relationship that existed between it and the state police force as it was key to its smooth operations in the state.

Governor David Umahi in his speech, thanked the EEDC, particularly its

Chairman, Sir Emeka Offor.

He said the vehicles would help the operation of the Command to combat the huge security challenges facing the state.

Umahi noted that the Command, under the headship of CP Peace Ibekwe Abdallah, merited the gesture considering the effort she had put to improve the security situation in the state.

He pledged that the state government would assist the EEDC to protect their facilities and in running their business across the state.

Umahi appealed to the people of the state to always pay their electricity bills while, “We patiently wait for prepaid metres till early next year.”

Abdallah described the donation as laudable and promised to continue to improve the security situation in the state.

26

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, November 2, 2015

Features Æ INFORMAL PLANNING OF URBAN CENTRES

There is need for constitutional amendment — Dr. Jelili

Dr. Musbau Omo-Akin Jelili is the Acting Head of Department, Urban and Regional Planning, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, LAUTECH, Ogbomoso. In this interview with Remi Oladoye, he xrays the problems of informal planning and its effects on the growth and development of Nigeria. His report.

Rising from an international conference on ‘Cities and Informal Urbanisation’ organised by the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, LAUTECH, Ogbomoso recently, academicians were of the opinion that the informal planning of urban centres nationwide is an apology. Dr. Musbau Jelilli An academician and one of the conveners of the confab, Dr. Omo-Akin Jelili told Daily Times what informed the conference and the vision of town planning professionals in the country.

‘‘I will have you know that the Country Planning Ordinance (CPO) that we adopted in Nigeria in 1946 was described as a verbatim replica of 1932 British Town and Country Planning Ordinance (BTCPO). That happened of course because of Nigeria’s colonisation by Britain.’’

“If you look at cities in Nigeria and in other developing countries, you will see that there are lots of anomalies and problems in terms of transportation, waste management, ineffective development control, urban slum, ghettos and all forms of environmental nuisances that you can think of, making most city landscapes an aberration.

“With particular reference to Nigeria since independence, the urban setting we have is grossly informalised in the sense that

Part of unplanned Lagos

people have buildings without approved plans; you see development springing up indiscriminately displaying physical developments that are not contained in any approved plan.”

The academician revealed that the problem with our cities started with planning structure that was copied from Europe and America.

“This is what is practiced in most of the developing countries, especially in West Africa, Nigeria inclusive. We just copy religiously without thinking of

the implication that it will have on the peculiarity of our respective cities.

“An average African city which is exemplified by an average Nigerian city is such that everything is informalised. If I have my residential house, in spite of the fact that the thing is approved to be a residential house, my wife or my grandmother wants to be selling something in front of it and that is a commercial use.

“Or if I have an open undevelCONTINUED ON PAGE 27

Features 27

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, November 2, 2015

‘Nobody opts for total demolition because of cost implications’ ‘‘If there is no electricity, all the basic infrastructures that need be provided would be provided as part of upgrading.

There is a strong correlation between slum formation and access to functional infrastructural facilities. So, if you provide all these, the process of slum formation will be checkmated.’’

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 26

oped plot of land, you see one informal activity like a mechanic workshop will just spring up indiscriminately. In our planning, we are not anticipating things like this, all the plans that we have are just something we copied from Europe, which is a formal setting.

“We are now saying that, as established in the existing literature, informal sector activity plays a prominent role in the Nigerian urban economy, therefore, it must be well incorporated into whatever form of planning that we do, so that in order for us to arrive at a meaningful form of planning that will incorporate all these informal sector activities and informal development, the various issues of planning informality must be addressed and that is why we have deemed it fit to come up with this topic in line with the United Nations Habitat initiative in conjunction with some universities and some individual members that have identified with our theme.”

How do we address the problem of informality then, particularly in cities of developing countries? ”That informed our theme and that is why we took it upon ourselves; this will be the planning school in Nigeria to address the problem of informality through this international conference, then we know what we can do and what we shall recommended to government on how to address the problem of informality to stem uncontrollable development around us.”

You said that incorporating shops in residential areas is a kind of aberration; do you think Nigeria can get to that level where such things can be controlled?

“O yes; it can be controlled.

There is hardly any problem in life that does not have a solution; the problem we are having

is that we fail in our process of identifying the solution, we are pre-empting what the solution will be; we never allowed the solution to suggest itself and that boils down to the fact that we have believed in the prototypes that we borrowed from Europe and America. That is why we emphasise that we must study the peculiarity of our own cities.

“Of course, we are not throwing away all those things that we learned from Europe and America, if there is anything that is applicable that we adopted or adapted to our own system, then we do it and if there is anything to be jettisoned, we also do it. What we are saying is that planning is neither static nor stereotype and there are no hard and fast rules as to how we do planning.

“Each micro-environment have its own peculiarity, the peculiarity in this context I am referring to is informal form of development. Not until we are able to study that phenomenon very well, we may not be able to know how to address it, and one of the steps we believe we need to take is that, okay, let us bring people to come and rub minds together on how we can address this problem.

“At the end of the conference, we have submitted lots of recommendations and we are pushing it forward to the appropriate quarters and I am sure they are will be productive if properly addressed.”

Lamenting that developing nations, particularly in the African Continent have corrupted our landscapes and urban planning by the things we have copied from European countries for too long, Jelili had this to say: “I will have you know that the Country Planning Ordinance (CPO) that we adopted in Nigeria in 1946 was described as a verbatim replica of 1932 British Town and Country Planning Ordinance (BTCPO). That happened of course because of Nigeria’s

Omo-Akin Jelili.

colonisation by Britain.

“But as of that time, they even said the British Town and Country Ordinance was obsolete but because our leaders then had little say and we were colonised, they just imported that ordinance in 1946. And since that time, all the planning schools that we had in Nigeria were based on that 1946 British Ordinance.

“Now that we are proposing some relief through the 1992 Urban and Regional Planning Law which is very comprehensive and all encompassing, I want to say that if that 1992 law has been well implemented, the problem of informality or whatever that we are talking about will have been drastically reduced or avoided completely.

“That did not happen because of one or two main reasons; one: most of the provisions of that 1992 planning law are at variance with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

As a matter of fact, there was a litigation between Lagos State Government and the Federal Government and that thing was taken to the Supreme Court level and the Supreme Court ruled that most of these issues that have to do with development control have been declared null and void because they run contrary to certain provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Yet, that is still the most current planning law that we have; so one of the things we recom-

mend is that we need to do something about that planning law; but we as planners, consider that planning law to be okay but, unfortunately, the constitution does not accommodate it. We are now saying that if there is going to be constitutional amendment, we planners will also constitute what we call a pressure group to pressure on the amendment that will take care of that aspect so that the 1992 planning law will also hold.”

Another reason for the delay in implementing the new planning law is corruption within the professional body of town planners.

“Yes, a major problem that is making the thing not to work is because we have corrupt planners who, rather than doing their duties the way they ought to, by the time they take bribes here and there, they close their eyes to dirty things happening all around us.”

Of implementation and normal system “It depends on the way you look at, but from planning point of view, you want to disagree because any planning project, any development project that you want to do for the people, the approach should not be top-down, if you look at what is happening around us, nobody even knew that anything like that was going to happen: “We just started seeing excavators and other heavy machines, pulling down houses. So if it were bottom-up, then it could

have been okay, what do I mean by this? Now, if you get to the community where you want to have the development project, you interact with the community, there is what we call public participation in planning, that right from the conception of the idea of a project, the grassroots people through their various representatives or whatever must know about it; they must have inputs. In fact, the order of priority must also emanate from them.”

What exactly does LAUTECH need most to achieve its objectives?

“If government has any better idea, they can only explain, you have a round-table conference, ‘we think this is good for you,’ through that you will identify the most appropriate project. So, if that process is duly followed, there is no way anybody will raise any objection against anything.

“But with what we have seen here, I do not know of any member of the community who will say he was involved in the process of identifying that problem, not to talk of how to execute it.

So, what I am saying in essence is the idea of public participation is almost zero and if you must do anything from urban and regional planning point of view, you don’t toy with the concept of public participation.”

Are you advocating that old, mud buildings in urban centres be demolished to achieve proper urbanisation or should CONTINUED ON PAGE 28

Features 28

A typical slum in Ajegunle CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27

cities extend elsewhere?

“Now you are going to another aspect which we call urban renewal and urban upgrading.

Urban renewal is the general terminology, there are different schemes of urban renewal, you

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, November 2, 2015

INFORMAL PLANNING OF URBAN CENTRES

Jelili: Study should involve people that will be affected must have carried out a study; let’s say the problem identified is slum, there are slums all over, okay how do we adjust it?

“There must be a study that

will indicate that the slum is more pronounced here than there. But because government does not have resources to address all the problems at once,

JUST HUMAN

Internally Displaced Persons scramble to charge their phones at Yola, Adamawa State. Photo God’s Covenant Snr/097

the first thing is to designate areas as urban renewal areas and the thing will be properly mapped out, that this place, it has been designated as urban renewal area, that is the first thing.

“The second thing is what form or scale of urban renewal do you want to embark upon.

The study will reveal what is the scale of urban renewal, is it total demolition, of course, the advice these days is that nobody goes for total demolition because of the cost implication.

“When I say cost implication, I am not talking in terms of finance only, but of social cost too; cultural ties that will be disrupted and several other things, some of the historical and tourism sites were located in this old buildings too and if demolished that implies we have killed certain history or destroy relics that could be used as tourism which will generate income for the government itself.

“So, you have to consider the cost implication of total demolition, but whether you have it or not, it is also a form of urban renewal, you could have urban upgrading, upgrading may not involve demolition, it may involve partial demolition, demolition of one or two buildings will be upgraded and what do I mean by upgrading? Upgrading will require that okay, may be where there is no good road or the road is not wide enough, you do it so that each and every building will have access.

“Then, if there is no drainage facilities, these are things that lead to slum, then the roads will

be provided with drainage, so that there will not be stagnant water that can affect lives of people. Then, if there is no electricity, all the basic infrastructures that need to be provided would be provided as part of upgrading, there is a strong correlation between slum formation and access to functional infrastructural facilities. So, if you provide all these infrastructural facilities, then the process of slum formation will be checkmated.

The other thing is that you may have to say okay this building needs partial upgrading, do we just re-plaster, do we provide toilet facilities? These are the things that will be revealed by studies that will be carried out.

So, if everything is based on study, it will suggest whether it should be total demolition, whether it should be partial demolition, if it is partial, what proportion of the building, which and which of the buildings need upgrading and what form of upgrading should be done?

Study will also reveal that part of the study will involve the occupants of the buildings, it is not that you just carry out a study and just say this is the best form of upgrading that should take place here; no. The study should involve the people that will be affected because in the process some people will be dislocated, they will have to be re-settled either temporarily or permanently, all these things will be revealed in the study which forms of urban renewal you will embark upon.”

Our heritage Æ s

A typical African elders in a meeting

The significance of Nigerian proverbs Proverbs in Nigeria and indeed Africa are wise philosophical expressions, generally short and sometimes very funny, yet the messages they carry are deep. In Nigeria, proverb is a subtle means of expression and it is widely believed that a wise-elderly man uses a variety of it in communicating with his kinsmen. Agozino Agozino carried out a study on the significance of these proverbs. Here are selections of what he found

Proverb: Lizard that ruined his mother’s funeral, what did he except others to do?

Literal meaning: One should not be enemy of his own prgoress Philosophical meaning: If you disorganise any activity that concerns you, you do not expect others to act otherwise. (In African culture, mother’s burial is a personal affair. Nobody cares the way you plan it.) Use the proverb when you want to caution someone about his attitude towards planning.

Proverb: He who will swallow udala’(apple) seed must consider the size of his anus.

Literal meaning: Do not go into what you cannot to do Philosophical meaning: To every action, you must consider the consequence. (An apple seed does not digest in the stomach.)

Proverb: The fly that has no one to advise him, follows a corpse into the grave.

Literal meaning: Advise is very good for one to succeed in life.

Philosophical meaning:

When you lack a good counsel or fail to take one, you will fall into a trap.

Proverb: When a handshake passes the elbow, it becomes another thing.

Literal meaning: Don’t get too close to people Philosophical meaning: Be careful when a stranger gets too acquainted or mind when you are been mocked.

Proverb: The very thing that killed a mother rat is always there to make sure that its young ones never open their eyes.

Literal meaning: There is danger always lucking on the way Philosophical meaning: The wicked ones are at work all the time.

Proverb: When a mighty tree falls, the birds are scattered into the bush.

Literal meaning: Good leaders help a society.

Philosophical meaning: When a good leader dies people lack direction if they fail to get a successor. It is a lamentation.

Proverb: A boy, who persists in asking what killed his father before he has enough strength to avenge, may be asking for his father’s fate.

Literal meaning: One should not try what he cannot do.

Philosophical meaning: Do not fight a battle you are not prepared or old enough to win.

Proverb: A common snake which a man sees all alone may become a python in his eyes.

Literal meaning: There is need to always look at thing from another perspective Philosophical meaning: One man’s account is not enough to judge a case.

Proverb: When death wants to take a little dog, it prevents him from perceiving even the smell of excrement.

Literal meaning: One should try and always listen to advise Philosophical meaning: When you are destined for a misfortune you will never listen to a wise counsel.

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, November 2, 2015

29

Our heritage 30

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, November 2, 2015

Agozino Agozino ALTHOUGH dance and drumming are two artistic expressions that are native to Chief Fakayode Fanniyi (a.k.a Agbongbon Awo of Osogboland) disturbed by the cancerous forms corruption has taken in Nigeria and as President Muhammadu Buhari sets to assigns portfolio to the new Ministers, he proffers a solution how Nigeria can stop the canker-worm in one month.

He wants all the new Minister to be sworn in with Ogun or Songo and not with Bible or Quran.

He also wants all the Ministers to remove their shows while being sworn in so that their two legs would be touching the earth and holds some amount of sand on their hand.

Fakayode has a words for President Buhari if he actually wants corruption to stop and move the nation forward. ‘‘I want a situation where our new Ministers can make use of traditional oath taking before they assume public office. This would be the only thing that will make this country move forward. I want before they would swear into office, let our Ministers have machete cutlass (Ada) or a big thunder stone and let them put a little bit of sand on it. This is because no matter where they want to enter later with their cars, their legs must step on the ground. The reason is because if any person is good or bad, the earth is always the witness. Songo the god of thunder is a very good way for politician to swear. But we know that our politician will be afraid to do it.

If you ask them to swear an oath with bible or Quran, they will do it immediately because they know they will not obey it,’’ Kayode said.

He said Nigeria has enough to reach everybody if the leaders were to be truthful enough but the problem is politician would not agree on the Ifa model. He equally noted that his body, is committed to assisting in whatever to rid Nigeria of corruption if invited.

This is because Ifa worshippers are also assisted by the Almighty.

He stated that he has embarked on a project which will soon help more people learn more about Ifa truth. This includes their yearly Ifa festival which holds in Osogbo, Osun State among other activities.

He said Ifa is older than Chris-

Ikom monoliths

Fakayode with foreign students

Swear in Ministers by Sango, Ogun deities — Osogbo Ifa priest tianity and lslam except for those who want to be ignorant. ‘‘In Yorubaland, everyone knows about it. It is popular and older than this new religions in other parts of the world, Like the gentleman sitting down there, (pointed to someone) He came from Atlanta Georgia, United States. He has been here undergoing studies. So i have many students even in Afghanistan who fought with American soldiers there. I have travelled to many parts of the world.

Many of my foreign students come to study Ifa here in Nigeria.

So, it not just Yoruba thing but other races are embracing it. If you don’t know about it, there are a lot of people that knows about its importance. Ifa is our way of life, the way our forefathers lived. There are a lot teaching, doctrines, ethics doctrines, and prayers liturgies on how to respect elders, how to groom childhood to adulthood for the father, husband or wives and how to be

successful in life,’’ he reasoned.

Widely travelled Fakayode has a reputation of being internationally-sort-after Ifa priest. After many years sojourn in abroad where he established his reputations, Fakayode returned to Nigeria and in his native Osogbo, Osun state Nigeria built a centre.

Within one decade of establishing his home there, the place has become Mecca for Ifa students that visit from different parts of the world.

When Daily Times visited him in Osogbo where he stages his teachings, trains students, he displays a rich collection of his art works alongside his overwhelming array of memorabilia.

To him, Ifa knowledge is not just an ordinary one, but one that connects the Yoruba people back to their ancient root.

Fakayode, is also of the view that the Ifa knowledge is experiencing a sort of new revival. The reason is because he has travelled

as far as Atlanta USA, Philadelphia, Miami, Florida, Orlando, in South America, Sao Polo, Rio de janeiro, Venezuela, Cuba, Portugal, Germany, Isreal, Britain, North Africa where he has students.

To him, Ifa knowledge is not just an ordinary one, but one that connects the Yoruba people back to their ancient root. Throwing light on the significance of the Ifa and how he was initiated into its rites, he said it started as far back as when he was aged five. “I was born into it. I started learning when I was like five years old from my father. So it was something passed down to me from my family background. I am like fifth generation Babalawos from my family because my father, my grandfather and my great great grandfather were all Ifa priest of note.’’ Despite challenges that he passed through one of which includes going through a Christian school but did not allow anybody

The Ikom Monoliths from Cross River State are traditionally known as Akwa-nshi. It has been identified and dated on grounds of oral tradition to span the period from the 16 to the early 20 century.

The Monoliths were of stones only. These stones made sculptures piece were found lying on the land occupied by five sub groups of the Ekoi people.

The indigenous men folks were fierce hunters and this re-

flected in their arts.

Like the Igbo, Ikom society was stateless. The stone figures in refrence were found in particular area of the town and according to oral tradition, the represent ancestors.

to convert him, Fakayode said one thing that is always paramount in his life is the love of the culture of his people, especially the knowledge of Yoruba culture.

Although being denied free education by the missionary school, for refusing to be converted, yet his interest was not stopped. He lampooned those who believed that Christianity and Islam are the way to salvation. ‘‘It is time we know that Islam and Christianity are foreign religion. They are not the culture of our people especially in Yorubaland. Ifa is our own religion handed down by our ancestors. So the knowledge will not die. All these foreign religion you mentioned is not our own thing here. We know that Christianity originated in Israel, while Islam started somewhere Mecca or Medina. The influence of foreign religion in Nigeria has caused a lot of negative impact on our traditional ways of living.

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, November 2, 2015

31 Opinion

With Amaechi’s clearance, APC unravels!

Yinka Odumakin ‘’You can fool some people time; ’But you can’t fool all people all the time’’ – Bob Marley

ÏÏÏThe

All Pretensions (Progressives?)

Congress is a bundle of contradictions no matter how you look at it. It is a collage of the baddest characters of the failed project and very few characters and a few honourable men and women. The party is like the proverbial Chichidodo in Armah’s “The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born”.

Anywhere Chichidodo goes, it pronounces that it hates excreta but its best delicacy is the maggot which has no other food than that.

It is one of the tragedies of this clime that career looters, seasoned thieves, symbols of corruption and captains of corruption would band together and start railing against corruption and a gullible public would not be able to ask “Is Saul also among the prophets?”

To start with, the APC

spokesmen successfully branded their counterparts in the PDP as corrupt people in the perception war whereas there was no wrong the PDP guys were doing which the APC fellows were not doing in the spaces they control and which indeed is not their own aspiration if they got control of power at the centre.

Even when they took half of the PDP (they branded it “new”) and merged with it, the people still did not shine their eyes to see the grand deception that was at foot.

They even had the audacity to use the “change” mantra to cajole and hoodwink the unwary despite twenty out of their thirty governorship candidates were ex “PDPigs”,a term coined by their e-thugs and net miscreants.

At the outset of the APC administration, they were able to ride on popular euphoria to sustain the deception that they were out to root out corruption in Nigeria. Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, became the most prominent among the anti-graft “noisemakers”. He kept on uttering all kinds of balderdash that would make sense in a republic of idiots and fools.

One one occasion, he went to the Villa to announce that some American officials revealed to APC in America that one former minister stole $6b. He spoke at the state house

where he and the Kebbi State governor, Atiku Bagudu, as members of the APC governors’ forum, briefed President Buhari on the outcome of a discussion held with APC Senators: “PDP destroyed the country- I mean from the lips of American officials; senior officials of the state department.

They said one minister under PDP cornered as much as $6billion, and the man said even by Washington standard that is earth-quaking,” he said.

But when reporters contacted the U.S State Department, Oshiomhole did not appear to be a man of truth and he has yet to take up the challenge thrown at him. The official said: “The U.S. should not be drawn into such irresponsible comment as alleged by Mr. Oshiomhole. America has a transparent administration that doesn’t hide when people make a statement. If Mr. Oshiomhole claims a U.S. official told him that a Nigerian minister stole $6 billion, he should name the official instead of hiding behind an anonymous source.”

In five months, the APC government has shown that it is disabled by its own history and composition to fight corruption and it can only use it to whip up sentiments and force only its recalcitrant members to bow to “party supremacy”.

It was as if corruption was taunting the party with one of the

Amaechi

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songs of KWAM 1 who is also an APC artiste: Bobo mi show color e Ka jo ma rocky (2ce) It didn’t take APC long to show its colour as it used its number in the Senate to approve the ministerial nomination of Rotimi Amaechi at the Senate last Thursday. In fact, it did so amidst dance and chest thumping after PDP senators (the party they demonised as a den of thieves) walked out of the chambers after leaving words to the effect the APC was violating Senate rules by ignoring the reports of its ethics committee on corruption allegations against the former Rivers Governor.

Party spokesman, Lai Mohammed, celebrated the moral depravity of the APC when he said the forcing through of Amaechi’s nomination has “united us”. Corruption United should be the name of this new club.

Now we know that corruption in Nigeria cuts across parties and only fools would still not understand that corruption is the live wire of the entire system. What we need therefore is a systemic change.

In the meantime, the APC has forfeited the moral authority to accuse anybody of corruption by sticking all the way with Amaechi until he crossed all the rivers. The anti-graft war’s credibility has been killed by the APC which has fully unravelled.

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2015

VOL. 1. NO.221

Price: N150

REUS STAYS GROUNDED AS DORTMUND GAIN ON X8 BAYERN

WOODS HAS A ‘LONG ROAD AHEAD’ TO RECOVERY – MCILROY X7

N

igeria’s under 17 team are through to the last four of the 2015 FIFA U17 World Cup after spanking Brazil 3-0 at the Estadio Sausalito, Vina Del Mar on Sunday night.

First half strikes from Victor Osimhen, Michael Dogo Kingsley and Udochukwu Anumudu were enough to send the South Americans crashing.

The win over tournament favourite made a record eight appearance in the semi-final of the world cadet competition.

History bodes well for Emmanuel Amuneke’s boys ahead of their game the Seleção with the Africans usually getting the better of their opponents at this stage.

This is an account of how the Golden Eaglets have fared in the last eight of the tournament since their debut in China ’85.

HUNGARY 1-3 NIGERIA (China 1985) The Golden Eaglets first quarter final appearance at the Fifa U17 World Cup was at the inaugural edition staged in China against Hungary.

Despite ending Group C as runners-up in the zone that had Saudi Arabia, Italy and Costa Rica, Sebastian Brodericks boys dusted Bertalan Bicksei’s team who topped Group D 3-1 at the Shanghai Hongkou Football Stadium on August 7, 1985.

Laszlo Marik had given the Europeans the lead in the second minute, but a brace from Billa Momoh and Victor Igbinoba sent Nigeria to the semi-final where they dismissed the Guineans to reach the final where they breezed past Germany to the

A I R E NIG E C N U TRO 0 3 L I BRAPZANT EAGLETS

…AS RAM H T R E B L A N I F I M E S L A E S trophy.

AUSTRALIA 0-1 NIGERIA (Canada 1987) After their success in the first edition, the Golden Eaglets marched to Canada with the view of defending their title.

Again, the Eaglets finished as runners-up in Group and a last eight encounter against Group C winners Australia was imminent.

And on June 19, 1987, Nigeria piped the Aussies 1-0 at the Complexe sportif Claude-Robillard, Montreal. Christopher Nwosu’s 59th minute goal condemned Vic Dalgleish’s side to defeat as the Africans

reached their second semi-final.

NIGERIA 0-0 SAUDI ARABIA (Scotland 1989) For the first in the history of the U17 World Cup, the Golden Eaglets finished as group winners having silenced Argentina, Canada in China PR and the stage was set for a quarter final showdown against Saudi Arabia.

The Green Falcons held on firmly against Nigeria as game stood 0-0 after 120 minutes at Dens Park, Dundee. And during the penalty shootout, the Asians handled

by Brazilian tactician Ivo Ardais Wortmann won 2-0 with Bobolayefa Edon, Sunny

Umoru, Patrick Mancha and Chiedu Anazonwu missing their kicks.

NIGERIA 2-1 JAPAN (Japan 1993) At the Gifu Nagaragawa Stadium, Gifu City on August 29, 1993, the Golden Eaglets silenced hosts Japan in the fifth edition of the competition.

A first minute strike by Wilson Oruma and Festus Odini goal in the 40th minute helped Fanny Anum lads triumph over the Asians who got their solitary strike through Hidetoshi Nakata.

Nigeria went ahead to win their second title after victories against Poland and Ghana respectively in the semis and final.

Life&

TIMES Monday, November 2, 2015

Desmond

Elliot

Extraordinaire actor turned politician

L2

P

Interview L2

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, November 2, 2015

Politics has always been a part of me – Desmond Elliot ‘What having a mixed background taught me’

Mutiat Alli Desmond Olusola Elliot is a Nigerian-born actor turned politician whose immense contributions in the movie industry cannot be over emphasized having starred in over two hundred movies and directed countless. The politician, who is currently a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, represents Surulere constituency in the assembly. Cornered recently

by MUTIAT ALLI at the Nollywood Studies Centre in Lagos, Elliot refreshed our memory on how it all started and other issues.

Excerpts:

Life&

T E A M

A fortunate child Luck comes the way of certain people easily and Desmond Elliot sees himself as one of those fortunate people in life. His journey into acting was rough, though according to him, he has always been a lover of movies right from where he grew up in Jos, Plateau State. Growing up in the north perhaps better explains why his Yoruba language appears halfbaked and a lot of people didn’t think he was one when he came out publicly to say it. He said: “They wanted to know where the name Olushola came from, but all that is gone now. I am born of a Yoruba father, Igbo mother, grew up in the north and my wife is from Akwa Ibom State. So, I am a Ni-

gerian.” The beauty of having a mixed background, he noted, is that it allowed him to appreciate different cultures and see everyone as the same even in our diversity. “It also helped in the field of filmmaking and acting that I choose,” he added.

Jos factor This might sound so controversial, but Elliot seems to be making sense here. He is of the opinion that those who grew up in Jos are always exceptional. He made mention of names like Psquare, MI, Saint Obi, Zack Orji, Ice Prince, Himself and Jesse Jags, and one would certainly agree with him on those names.

“I am not so sure about the indigenes of the place, but the inhabitants usually become something special or great. Probably if anyone needs to be a good filmmaker, you need to relocate to Jos for some years. Then, it used to be known as a peaceful state but it was hard for me later as my family moved down to Lagos in 1992 after almost 15 years. I still stayed till 1997 before I moved to Lagos,” he narrates.

From Sola Elliot to Desmond Elliot A South African soap opera, Egoli challenged Elliot. He would always say to himself “I would love to be like Steve.” Steve is a character in production. Being a

Music Correspondent Akintayo Opeoluwani

Movie Correspondent Mutiat Alli

church boy too he was in the drama group where people somehow noticed his ability. They thought he was excellent and a good friend kept advising him.

His words: “He would always come around when the movie was playing and he would say Sola you can do this. They called me Sola at home, but I realised most of the producers were from east and I felt that using Sola was going to be difficult. I didn’t really understand why I decided to use Desmond at that point. It is not a stage name, it is my English. That was how Sola Elliot changed to Desmond Eliot. If anyone calls me Sola now I would know the person knows me way back from the church, but if I hear the Desmond, I know it is when I started acting.”

Becoming an actor Elliot’s degree was in Economics from Lagos State University, so there was obviously no form of training in the film. He, however, attributes his success in films to talent and interest, pointing that one has to be a hustler in showbiz to thrive.

“It is like that everywhere in the world; this is not just Nigerian factor. I am talking from a practical experience; this is not what you read in the books. I am not saying books are not real, but sometimes they conflict each other when it comes to real terms. For instance, you could apply every form of theology or readings into the Nollywood system and it would not work. “I am glad today that I didn’t have it easy at all. I would be in the molue bus, jumping up and down and the conductor would refer to me as mummy’s boy. I wasn’t used to the molue system because I was raised in Plateau State.”

“We have to devise our own way in our own system. The piracy problem here in Nigeria is different from the kind you find in America and China. It is semi legal here and you know the pirates unlike other countries where you do not know them. So, the system is complicated here.

When he finally discovered his full acting skills When Elliot started acting in 1999, almost 16 years ago, it took him about eight months to get a paid job. His mother kept wondering where he was always going

Society Correspondent Isaac Oguntoye

every day, morning till evening.

About the eight months, he challenged him, querying what was happening to him. He states: “My mother asked, ‘Sola you go out every day; we’ve not seen money and we’ve not seen films. What do you go out to do? This is a true story. I just kept telling her it would be fine. But my father had serious faith and confidence in me.”

While he kept looking for opportunities in movies endlessly, he tried other things, including modeling.

And in 1999-2000, he was picked for a tom-tom commercial. “I was the last person that was picked.

I was very skinny and rough; it was obvious I was hungry. I saw that as a favour from God and that actually gave me hope because I was paid well. It was a tom-tom’s zebra crossing commercial.”

Determined to move forward Though he knew that he was probably not as good as the next person, he kept pushing on with the mindset that he could be better. Then, the popular audition grounds were at Surulere, Lagos and that was like a bonus for him because he resided in the neighborhood. He recalls that there was a place called Winnis Hotel and Tobay Hotel, stating that all both venues were within Kilo area of Surulere. Every morning, Elliot was often among the first five to arrive at auditions. He tried this for a year without making any meaning gains and nothing happening.

Hear him: “There was this movie produced by Emeka Ani and I had this friend called Tuvi James.

We did this audition together and I have been seeing Tuvi in some productions. Emeka Ani didn’t know what to give that role too, about three scenes. We were just like acquaintance at that point; the producer said we choose between ourselves who was going to play the role. I pleaded with Tuvi with everything and my point was that I have been seeing you in productions, that he should let me have this. We struggled about it a bit and my promise to him was that sometime in future I would pay him back. It was just the hope that someday I would return it and that was a sincere promise. That was how I had my first berth in filming started. I saw how it was being done. The tittle of the movie was ‘The Challenge’ and because

Photography Quadri Olowolagba

Graphics Onyemali Kingsley

I had that small role, I was going to set every day to see how things were done because I had no idea how it worked. I then started introducing myself to people, including Ramsey Nouah who happens to be my good friend now. He was then way my senior; I remember vividly the day I introduced myself to him. He was playing one Jamaican song in his car. I left where all we seated to meet him; I wanted to shake him but the look he gave me was something else”.

Desmond on his mentors One of my great mentors in directing, Lancelot Imaseun, had his 20th anniversary recently and he said he studied acting in the university and at the point he finished, he said he looked at the mirror and asked if his handsomeness could compete with the likes of Fred Amatas, Bob Manuel and others. He then advised himself it was possible to make it in the profession, but not in front. “So, many of us know that it would be impossible to make a good actor but you just want to be in front of the camera,” Elliot said.

Desmond and Politics I didn’t suddenly go into politics; politics has always been a part of me. I’ve been involved in campaigns for some Governors and even the President. I’ve been on the campaign trail for very long time now. Even though I have never sought any elective office before, I have always had it at back of my mind as something I would do one day. It is not a surprise at all, it’s a well-thought out action and I came very prepared. I didn’t just sleep one day and say okay, it’s time to go into politics.

Changing the orientation of people tagging politics as dirty game I’ve always felt and I still feel that the National Orientation Agency has failed as regards this.

I mean in giving people the right orientation as regards politics and violence. They have failed in their duty of sensitizing and giving information to people on how they should conduct themselves in a political dispensation. The orientation should be a continuous thing, not just during elections. If people have been rightly sensitized that violence is not part of politics, violence would have disappeared in our politics.

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, November 2, 2015

L3 Luxury

Look diaper in world most expensive Afolabi Omobolaji

Looking good usually don’t come easy as this requires certain price.

Suits are usually expensive in nature but check out the 10 most expensive suits

1. Stuart Hughes Diamond Edition $892,500 The most expensive suit in the world cost N774910252 it has been ridiculously priced at almost a million dollars. When you see what the suit includes, however, the price is understandable. Famed luxury goods designer Stuart Hughes teamed up with world-renowned tailor Richard Jewels to create this extravagant piece of art of which there are only three in the world.

These suits took more than 800 hours to design and stitch, and they are made of wool, cashmere, silk.

Alexander Amosu is a luxury goods entrepreneur, not just a men’s clothing specialist. He did, however, roll out this exquisite suit at over $101,860 this fancy suit cost for N20265047. He made his fortune creating hip-hop ringtones, and then made gold- and diamond-encrusted mobile phones. In 2009 he launched his own clothing company. It’s made from two of the most expensive wools in the world: rare vicuna and qivuik, and was custom-made for an anonymous buyer. It was reported that it was also delivered in an armored van.

Each suit has 9 buttons of 18 carat gold and diamonds.

4. Zoot Suit – $78,000

At N189264915.05 you could get the 3rd most expensive suit in the world. This expensive suit is produced by the Dormeuil family their suit business has been established for about over 170 years ago, around 1842. The Vanquish II fabric is the brainchild of the patriarch, Jules Dormeuil, mixing the best British and French cloth to design the ultimate luxury tailored suits. It has been claimed that they’ve offered their services to kings, presidents, and celebrities for years. This particularly expensive suit consists of six of the world’s rarest fabrics: royal Qivuik, Ambassador, Dorsilk, Kirgzy White, and Fifteen Point Eight – clearly, the price-tag reflects the amount of this suit.

suits

3. Dormeuil Vanquish II 5. William Westmancott – $95,319

Ultimate Bespoke – $75,000

The 5th expensive suit in the world is from William Westmancott, the Savile Row neighbour of Desmond Merrion. This suit cost N14943750.

But what makes his “Ultimate Bespoke” $28,500 more expensive than Merrion’s “Supreme Bespoke?” Well, this Westmancott suit is a 3- or 4- piece suit instead of a 2-piece. It takes 200 hours for experts at Westmancott to tailor and design this ultra-light, expensive suit. This suit was originally designed to target high-profile Middle Eastern and Russian moguls. Westmancott will also throw in five bespoke shirts for free for any buyers, which has been a successful marketing ploy. It’s worth mentioning, too, that Westmancott is only 28 years old.

5. Kiton K-50 – $60,000 You can get the 6th most expensive suit at N11955000. The producer of this suit, Kiton, has been in business since 1968, and today they are Italy’s top designer brand for men’s suits. They have 330 tailors employed who take in around 22,000 suit orders per year. Each suit takes up to 25 hours to stitch, with 45 tailors working on each individual piece. The K-50 suit was designed by world famous tailor Enzo D’Orsi of Savile Row fame. The suit is made from merino sheep wool. The K-50 name has a double meaning: It takes Enzo 50 hours to complete each suit, and he only makes 50 per year.

2. Alexander Amosu Vanquish II Bespoke $101,860

The 4th most expensive suit was produced at time of World War II era. Zoot suit was sold in 2011 at New York City’s Augusta Auctions for $78,000. The zoot suit cost N15541500. It’s the only suit of its kind to be auctioned in the US, which gives it high demand. Augusta Auctions is a vintage clothing company owned

by Karen Augusta, and she originally priced the suit to sell at $600-$900.When she began to receive calls from museums around the country, she admitted she thought she could sell the suit for “as much as $5,000, maybe more,” It was discovered at an estate sale in New Jersey.

7. Desmond Merrion Supreme Bespoke – $47,500 The 7th expensive suit in the world is made by Desmond Merrion, He is one of the most renowned tailors on London’s legendary Savile Row. This suit cost N9364750. The fine hand-tailored suits come in at nearly $50,000. This hand making is the absolute pinnacle in tailoring. Your suit will take me so long to make, it cannot be measured in man hours. It will take months of my time to make the perfectly crafted suit. The finished suit will appear as if it has not been hand crafted, but sculpted around your torso.” With those kind of guarantees, and that much time and energy spent on the creation and design, it’s no wonder that the Supreme Bespoke is so damn expensive.

8. Brioni Vanquish II – $43,000

At number 8, we have Brioni Vanquish.

When the economy went down the tubes in 2008, Italian luxury clothier Brioni decided to practice some reverse psychology on their customers by introducing their most expensive line of suits ever. These suits are made from the super-luxurious Vanquish II fabric, a cloth produced by UK-based Dormeuil. Vanquish II uses blends of some of the rarest fibers in the world, including qiviuk, pashmina, and vicuna. They make just 100 of these handmade suits a year and the suit’s stitching is made of white gold. This expensive suit cost N8567750.

9. World Wood Record Challenge Cup Suits – $28,000 If you are wondering who the World Wood Record Challenge is?

It’s a competition sponsored and hosted by the cashmere manufacturers Loro Piana, currently owned by the brothers Luigi and Sergio Loro Piana. Each year they call for aspiring designers to create and tailor their best suits for men. Through a voting selection, the best designer is chosen, and their design is precisely cut into 50 suits to be sold under the Loro Piana brand and the amazing suit cost 5579000 in naira.

10. Ermenegildo Zegna Bespoke – $22,000 This suit is made by Italian designers. Italians are known for their precision tailoring and for using the best fabric in the world and fashion houses in Italy have produced some of the most coveted apparel in men’s fashion for eons. Ermenegildo Zegna is one of the top-tier Italian fashion houses. In naira, this suit cost N4383500. They started over 100 years ago in Trivero, Italy, in 1910.

Nutrition L4

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, November 2, 2015

Judith Frank-Edet Good nutrition is the foundation to fertility.

There is no magic food that would give you a baby bump in the next few months. Rather it’s eating a healthy balanced diet that is the key to conceiving.

The most important mineral for female (as well as male) fertility is zinc. According to research, the consumption of at least 15 mg of zinc a day can increase semen and testosterone production in men and ovulation and fertility in women. Zinc plays a positive role in female fertility by promoting proper cell division, a process critical to the earliest stages of conception and fetal development. Oysters, chicken, beef, crab, and turkey are all good sources of zinc.

Yet people are grossly deficient in this essential mineral.

This is because many foods are stripped of this nutrient in the process of being refined. Wheat, for example, contains zinc, but 80 per cent of it is removed in the manufacture of bread to extend its shelf life.

However, beyond eating a generally healthy diet, there are some foods that may be particularly helpful when trying to conceive. They are:

Dairy:

When we talk dairy, it doesn’t just mean milk, but it includes Yogurt and cheese. Dairy is rich in calcium, a nutrient which is not just good for the bones but also for reproductive health. Some researchers believe that one serving of whole milk can decrease the risk of ovulatory infertility. But don’t be quick to overdo it. All you need is just one serving of full-fat dairy a day. Any more than that will just pack on pounds. If you don’t really like milk, you can find calcium in other fertility foods such as leafy greens, fish, almonds and more.

Fertility Diet:

Eat & conceive Carrots

In the study published in the journal, Fertility and Sterility, researchers from Harvard University found out that carrot could boost sperm performance by 6.5 to 8 percent. The sperm-boosting qualities of carrots is derived from carotenoids — chemicals responsible for giving foods their familiar color. The human body converts carotenoids into

health-boosting antioxidants like vitamin A, which help maintain healthy sperm and neutralize free radicals.

Foods to avoid Red meat:

Eating too much red meat may increase the amount of ammonia in the body, which can interfere with the implantation of the egg in the uterus. Red meat can also be detrimental for men as it increases acidity and affects sperm activity; sperm perform better in alkaline conditions.

Beans Rich in potassium, magnesium, and protein, beans are an excellent fertility enhancer. One cup of beans provides the same amount of protein as a serving of meat, but without all the saturated fat. Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health looked at nearly 19,000 female nurses who were actively trying to get pregnant and found that infertility was 39 percent more likely in women with the highest intake of animal protein.

Too much refined sugar can lead But women who ate a lot of plant protein were substantially less likely to to insulin resistance, which can have trouble trying to conceive. So go for beans. cause or exacerbate PCOS –- a condition that affects ovulation and is one of the leading causes of female infertility.

Refined sugar:

Alcohol:

Yams If you’re hoping for a double bun in your oven, think yams. A research carried out at Lagos’s University Teaching hospital in a small town in Oyo State called Igbo-Ora which has the highest number of twin births in the whole world suggested that yam contain a high level of ovulation-stimulating substance called Phytoestrogen which account for the high level of multiple births.

Phytoestrogen, an estrogen compound increases a woman’s Follicle Stimulating Hormone and may induce a higher rate of ovulation. This chemical component is concentrated in the peelings from yam, and it has been linked to a hyper ovulation—the release of more than one egg, which usually leads to twin pregnancies. Whether or not this theory is true, it’s worth the try.

Groundnut: For men, a couple of handfuls of groundnuts every day may be the ticket to stronger and faster sperm.

A study printed in the journal Biology of Reproduction looked at the effect of added polyunsaturat-

The effects of alcohol on fertility are greater than you may think.

Even moderate alcohol consumpFish contains essential fats called omega-3 fatty acids, which your tion may lower fertility. Research body needs for optimal fertility. shows that women who consumed Omega-3 is good for a baby’s brain and eye development and have 5 drinks or less a week each, had many other pregnancy-related benefits, including lowering your risk of lowered fertility rate. preterm birth, reducing your chance of preeclampsia, and easing depression.

However, some fish could contain mercury which is toxic to a developing fetus and can linger in a woman’s bloodstream for more than a year.

If you want to be pregnant, ditch It’s best to go for low-mercury fish, such as shrimp, tuna, salmon or Coffee. Even a relatively small incatfish. take of caffeine can have a seriously negative effect on conception.

A study conducted by Yale University School of Medicine claims that the risk of reduced fertility is higher in women who consume caffeine—especially in women who drink more than three cups of coffee a day.

This is because the muscles in your fallopian tubes contract in smooth, rhythmic waves to help your egg on its journey to your uterus. Caffeine could however disrupt this rhythmic pattern of movement.

Fish

ed fatty acids on the sperm health of 117 healthy men aged 21 to 35.

Those that ate 75 grams of Omega-3 rich groundnut experienced improvement in sperm vitality, motility, and morphology. The nutfree control group experienced no changes. So men should consider making groundnut a staple if they are trying to conceive.

Coffee:

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, November 2, 2015

L5 Wellness

Kill that muscle pain with

Mustard seed

Patience Ekanem

Mustard seeds are very small seeds. They are highly prized culinary oil-seeds that have been in use since earlier times. The seeds are fruit pods obtained from mustard plant, in the Brassica family.

Mustard seed though very small has a very significant effect on human lives. It is used to cure so many diseases like typhoid, wound, sore, convulsion, eye problem, rashes, epilepsy, high blood pressure, weakness of organ, diabetes, loss of memory, mouth odour, headache and body pain, rheumatism, internal heat, etc.

Mustard seeds emerged from our food ranking system as an excellent source of selenium; mustard seeds help in reducing the severity of asthma, decrease some of the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, and help prevent cancer. They also qualify as a good source of magnesium. Like selenium, magnesium has been shown

to help reduce the severity of asthma. It also helps to restore normal sleep patterns in women having difficulty with the symptoms of menopause, it reduces the frequency of migraine attacks, and also prevents heart attack in patients suffering from diabetic heart disease.

Mustard seeds also qualify as a very good source of omega-3 fatty acids and manganese as well as a good source of phosphorus, copper, and vitamin B1.

There are two major types of mustard seeds, the white (or yellow) and brown (Asian).

White mustard seeds are round hard beige or straw coloured seeds.

They are larger than the brown variety, and its outer skin is removed before sale.

It has a milder flavor and good preservative qualities; it is most commonly used in ballpark mustard and in pickling. White and brown seeds are blended to make English

mustard. Brown mustard seeds are used as seasoning and are the main ingredient in European and Chinese mustard.

Health benefits of Mustard seed • Generally perceived as health benefiting spice, mustard seeds are indeed very rich in phytonutrients, minerals, vitamins and anti-oxidants.

• Being one of the chief oil seeds, mustard are indeed very high in calories; 100 g of seeds provide 508 calories. Nonetheless, the seeds are made of quality proteins, essential oils, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber.

• Mustard seeds are an excellent source of B-complex vitamins such as folates, niacin, thiamine, riboflavin, pyridoxine (vitaminB-6), pantothenic acid.

These vitamins are essential in the sense that body requires them from external sources to replenish. These B-complex groups of vitamins help in enzyme synthesis, nervous system function and regulating body metabolism.

• 100 g of mustard provide 4.733 mg of niacin (vitamin B-3). Niacin is a part of nicotinamide co-enzymes that help lower blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

• Mustard seeds contain flavonoid and carotenoid antioxidants such as carotenes, zea-xanthin, and lutein. In addition, the seeds

compose a small amount of vitamin anti-oxidants such as vitamin A, C, and vitamin K. • The seeds are an excellent source of vitamin E, gamma tocopherol; contain about 19.82 mg per 100 g (about 132% of RDA).

Vitamin E is a powerful lipid soluble antioxidant, required for maintaining the integrity of cell membrane of mucus membranes and skin by protecting it from harmful oxygen-free radicals.

• Mustard seed is rich source of health benefiting minerals. Calcium, manganese, copper, iron and zinc are some of the minerals especially concentrated in these seeds.

Calcium helps build bone and teeth. Manganese is employed by the body as a co-factor for the cells. Iron is required for the red blood cell formation and cellular metabolism antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase.

Copper is required in the production of red blood cells. Iron is required for the red blood cell formation and cellular metabolism.

Medicinal uses of Mustard seed Mustard seeds and its oil have traditionally been used to relieve muscle pain, rheumatism and arthritic pain.

In India, mustard oil is applied over scalp and is believed to stimulate hair growth.

Though very small in size, it does mighty things and cures deadly diseases. Go get your mustard seed now; you can also get it in powder and live a healthy life.

Buzz Bytes L6

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, November 2, 2015

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, October 26, 2015

L7 Buzz Bytes

Mutiat Alli

ON

Set

Movie Title: Out of Luck Directed by: Niyi Akinmolayan Cast: Tope Tedela, Femi Branch, Linda Ejiofor, Adesua Etomi, Jide Kosoko, Chigurl, Wole Ojo, Kunle Remy, Sambasa Nzeribe.

Synopsis: ‘Out of Luck’ follows the adventures of a young lottery operator whose life turns upside down when a local gangster insists that he pays out on a lottery he did not win.

OUT: Femi Branch and Jide Kosoko

OUT: Tope Tadela, Wole Ojo and Adesua Etomi

OUT: Niyi Johnson, Linda Ejifor, Tope Tadela

Movie Title: Bashed Directed by: John Njamah Produced by: Yolanda Okereke Cast: Kalu Ikeagwu, Mike Ezuruonye, KC Ejelonu, Tana Adelana, Bolanle Ninolowo, Venita Akpofure, Emmanuel Ikubese, Uche Jumbo

BAS : Venita Akpofure and Uche Jumbo

Movie Title: Different Stroke Produced by: Mosun Filani Directed by: Damola Olatunji Cast: Ronke Odusanya, Damola Olatunji, Ibrahim Chatta, Mosun Filani, Mercy Ebosele amongst others.

Location: Oshogbo

BAS: Uche Jumbo and KC Ejelonu

BAS: Mike Ezurounye, Uche Jumbo, Venita Akpofure and Emmanuel Ikubese

Diff: DOP Tajudeen Opebiyi, Mercy and Damola

BAS : Mike and Uche Jumbo

Movie title: Nectar Produced by: Taiwo and Kehinde Sobowale Directed by: Tunde Olaoye Cast: Alexia Ehi, Keppy Ekpeyong Bassey, Lara Akinsola, Maureen Okpoko, Felix Omokhodion, Fausat Balogun (Madam Shaje), Shola Sobowale amongst others.

Synopsis: Nectar tells the story of the relationship between three families; The Adelekes, The Akanbis and The Olowolagbas who are all rivals for several reasons. The series captures various elementary human emotions such as love, confusion, dismay and betrayals.

NEC: cross section of some of the cast and crew on set

NEC: producer Shola Sobowale and Keppy

Diff: Mercy, Ronke Odusanya and producer, Mosun Filani

NEC: Keppy Epeyoung

Diff: Ibrahim Chatta alongside Mercy Ebosele

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, November 2, 2015

L7

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, November 2, 2015

Tinsel

Showing on

13:30

Mon, 02 Nov | PG13

Showing on 150 Africa Magic Showcase ‘S8/E1536 - 8/1536’. Tsav takes a huge risk to deliver a personal message to Amaka. The girls adjusts their travel plans as the Baale and Prince Ojo pay a very special visit. Bimpe confronts Nina and causes trouble for Soji.

101 M-Net

L8 Television 166 Z World Channel

Married Again

08:00

Mon, 02 Nov | PG

‘S1/E94 - 1/94’. Yash’s father is accused of having another child outside his marriage. He agrees to take a DNA test to prove he is not the father. Aarti breaks into Radha’s house in search of ammunition and is shocked at her findings.

120 BBC Entertainment

118 Telemundo

128 SONY MAX

00:20 Would I Lie To You? 00:50 The Cube 01:40 Call The Midwife: Christmas...

03:00 EastEnders 03:30 EastEnders 11:00 Ellen’s Design Challenge 12:00 The Voice 13:00 Royal Pains 14:00 Arrow 15:00 Resurrection 16:00 Ellen’s Design Challenge 17:00 The Goldbergs 17:30 The Voice 18:30 Grey’s Anatomy 19:30 Mysteries Of Laura 20:30 Elementary 21:30 Carte Blanche 22:30 Hello Ladies: The Movie

154 AfricaMagic Family

00:55 Out Of The Ghetto 02:30 Jane And Abel 03:00 Good Morning Africa 04:00 Scarlet 05:00 At Home With Michelle Attoh 06:00 Good Morning Africa 07:00 Star Gist 07:25 Redial 08:30 Living With Trisha 09:25 Mashariki Mix 10:00 Good Morning Africa 11:00 Tinsel 11:30 Star Gist 12:00 Music Block 13:00 At Home With Michelle Attoh 14:00 Goge Africa 14:30 Nowhere To Be Found

04:00 EastEnders 04:30 EastEnders

03:50 The Impostor 05:20 The Del Monte Dynasty 06:10 Labour Of Love 07:00 Part Of Me 07:50 Queen Of Hearts 08:40 The Impostor 09:30 Forbidden Passions 10:20 Labour Of Love 11:10 Part Of Me 12:00 Queen Of Hearts 12:50 The Impostor 13:40 Forbidden Passions 14:30 Labour Of Love 15:20 Part Of Me 16:10 Queen Of Hearts 17:00 The Impostor 17:50 Forbidden Passions 18:40 Labour Of Love 19:30 Part Of Me 20:20 Queen Of Hearts 21:10 The Impostor 22:00 Forbidden Passions 22:50 Labour Of Love

15:00 At Home With Michelle Attoh 16:00 Prem 16:30 Tenant 17:30 Mary Slessor 18:00 Jane And Abel 18:30 Jane And Abel 19:00 Tinsel 19:30 Star Gist 19:55 Paul’s Puzzle 21:00 Nowhere To Be Found 21:30 Goge Africa 22:05 Living With Trisha

05:00 Mr. Bean: The Animated Series

14:10 Total Wipeout UK

05:25 QI

16:00 EastEnders

06:00 The Thin Blue Line

16:30 Deal Or No Deal

00:30 Killer Karaoke

06:30 EastEnders

17:10 The Cube

01:30 Tattoo Nightmares

07:00 Antiques Roadshow

02:00 Most Shocking

07:55 The Weakest Link

18:05 Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

08:45 The Chase

19:00 Celebrity MasterChef

04:00 Exposed

09:30 Total Wipeout UK

20:00 Hell’s Kitchen USA

04:30 Exposed

10:30 The Cube

21:00 Hell’s Kitchen USA

05:00 Criss Angel Mindfreak

11:20 New Tricks

21:50 The Graham Norton Show

05:25 Exposed

12:20 Top Gear

22:40 Would I Lie To You?

05:50 Exposed

13:15 Come Dine With Me

22:30 Would I Lie To You?

06:15 Video Zonkers

15:05 The Weakest Link

155 AfricaMagic World

03:00 Most Shocking

06:40 Video Zonkers 07:05 World’s Wildest Police Videos 08:05 Disorderly Conduct: Video On Patrol 09:05 South Beach Tow 09:35 Most Shocking 10:35 Most Shocking 11:35 Video Zonkers 12:05 Video Zonkers 12:35 World’s Wildest Police Videos 13:35 Disorderly Conduct: Video On Patrol 14:35 South Beach Tow

00:05 Music Block 01:10 Good Morning Africa 02:10 Deal Or No Deal SA 03:00 Deal Or No Deal SA 04:00 The Dzigbordi Show 05:00 Good Morning Africa 06:00 The Heart Of A Shepherd 07:50 Star Gist 08:25 Star Gist 09:00 Good Morning Africa 10:00 The Dzigbordi Show 11:00 Deal Or No Deal SA 12:00 Deal Or No Deal SA

13:00 Music Block 14:00 Star Gist 14:30 Star Gist 15:00 Star Gist 15:30 Lies That Bind 16:00 The Dzigbordi Show 17:00 So Wrong So Wright 17:30 So Wrong So Wright 18:00 The Dzigbordi Show 19:00 Kumwesu 19:30 Kumwesu 20:00 Revelation 21:20 Jara 21:55 Music Block

15:05 Most Shocking 16:05 1000 Ways To Die 16:30 Video Zonkers 17:00 Video Zonkers 17:30 Caught On Camera 18:30 What Went Down 19:00 South Beach Tow 19:30 Hardcore Pawn: Chicago 20:00 Enemy Territory 21:30 Poorman’s Bikini Beach 22:00 Sexy Car Wash 22:30 Most Shocking

OLISEH BOWS TO PRESSURE

g X2

Poster!

ROLAND SCHOEMAN g X4,5

Monday, November 2, 2015

L A A G N A V Y B D E N R E C N O C L A O G D UNITE T H G U O DR g X8

REAL MADRID OPEN TO RETURN OF CHELSEA BOSS g X8

BATTLE OF EAGLES STRIKERS: g

X3

IGHALO OUTSHINES MOSES

X2

Monday, November 2, 2015

EXTRATIME

I WANT MADRID RIGHT AT THE TOP – BENITEZ

T

he Spanish coach was satisfied with the “sensational” start his side made in Saturday’s win over Las Palmas, while specially praising Jese Rodriguez and Casemiro Rafael Benitez is delighted with the displays Real Madrid have put in to go top of La Liga, but insists they must strive to do

Benitez

even better as the season goes on.

The Santiago Bernabeu outfit opened up a three-point lead over Barcelona at the summit following Saturday’s 3-1 win over Las Palmas, while they are also on course to reach the second round of the Champions League.

Speaking after the match, Benitez was delighted with the progress his side have shown in his first season in charge, though he also warned they cannot afford to get complacent.

“We played well in the first half, with a sensational start through Isco’s goal in four minutes - this advantage helps you relax a little,” he told reporters.

“We took control and everything good we did in the first half, we then did in the second.

“As for position in the table, I have Madrid where I want them. We must continue to grow because the competition is growing too.”

OLISEH

BOWS TO PRESSURE Stories by Mike Otanwa

S

uper Eagles head coach Sunday Oliseh has made a dramatic U-turn by including Manchester City forward, Kelechi Iheanacho in his list of invited players for the 2018 World Cup qualifiers against Swaziland.

Oliseh had initially invited 23 players for the game, with the Manchester City youngster conspicuously missing, despite his continued impressive form for the former English champions.

Moments after the list was announced by the Nigeria Football Federation, Oliseh came under attack on social media, with several Nigerians criticizing the decision to leave out the 19-year old who has

been constant with the City first team, in favour of the Arsenal youth-teamer, Alex Iwobi.

Oliseh however made the U-turn hours later, with the NFF announcing that Iheanacho had been included to the list.

An initial list of 23 was released earlier on Thursday by the Nigeria Football Federation but Iheanacho’s inclusion now increases the number of invited players to 24.

“I initially called up 23 players but I

am adding Kelechi Iheanacho to the list immediately,” Oliseh told thenff.com after coming under fire for his initial decision to omit the youngster.

“I have been following Kelechi’s progress at City,” he said further.

Kelechi Iheanacho was named man of the match Manchester City’s Capital One Cup win over Crystal Palace on Wednesday, where he scored a goal and provided two assists to aid his side’s progress in the competition.

of the League Management Company (LMC), Salihu Abubakar.

Wikki Tourists Coach, Abdu Maikaba also was charged for breach of code of conduct for club managers following his unguarded comments after the Match Day 35 game between Giwa FC and his club, Wikki Tourists in Jos. The Coach was

fined N100, 000 and cautioned to desist from making comments that are capable of bringing the league to disrepute.

One of the many decisions reached by the LMC in the wake of the encroachment and breach of security that marred the encounter at the Jolly Nyame Stadium on Wednesday, October 28 included

the ban of the stadium from hosting NPFL matches for one year, It also recommended that the three match officials be investigated by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Referees Committee which was also requested to stand-down the match officials indefinitely.

Oliseh

MC RULE ON TARABA VS NASARAWA FRACAS

F

C Taraba and Nasarawa United will complete their disrupted Match Day 35 fixture on November 4 at the FIFA Goal Project in Abuja where they will continue from the 81st minute while officials of the game have been suspended indefinitely.

In another ruling, El-Kanemi Warriors

were fined N500, 000 for disorderly conduct of fans in their Match Day 34 fixture against Giwa FC in Katsina while the Match Day 36 fixture against Kano Pillars will be played behind closed-doors.

The Summary Jurisdiction notice to this ruling was issued the club on Friday and signed by the Chief Operating Officer

Monday, November 2, 2015

EXTRATIME

X3

FC TARABA FINED, BANISHED AFTER CROWD TROUBLE

T

Stories by Mike Otanwa

O

dion Ighalo on Saturday put fellow Eagles star Victor Moses in the shade as Watford beat West Ham 2-0 with Ighalo grabbing his sixth goal of the EPL season.

Ighalo was involved in Saturday’s opening goal at home when he forced West Ham defender Cresswell to put the ball into his own net on 39 minutes.

However, there was no question about who scored Watford’s second goal as the Nigeria forward fired into the roof of the net from the top of the box after 48 minutes.

Victor Moses, who unlike Ighalo was not picked by Nigeria for World Cup qualifiers against Swaziland, started for visiting West Ham, but was replaced for the second half.

Watford have now climbed to ninth on the EPL table with 16 points from 11 matches.

Moses

BATTLE OF EAGLES STRIKERS:

IGHALO OUTSHINES MOSES

he League Management Company (LMC) has hammered FC Taraba following an inconclusive Week 35 game of the Nigeria league involving the home team and Nasarawa United on Wednesday in Jalingo.

The LMC banished Taraba to Abuja for next three home games and fined them five million Naira for fans encroachment on the field and the club is to pay 250,000 Naira each to injured match officials.

The Jolly Nyame Stadium in Jalingo has also been banned from hosting league games for a year.

The inconclusive game will now be completed on November 4 at FIFA Goal project Abuja from the 81st minute, when the game was stopped.

MY DAD GAVE ME CONFIDENCE TO JOIN CITY

– IHEANACHO

N

igeria starlet Kelechi Iheanacho, has revealed he wanted to join Portuguese side Porto but his father gave him the confidence to sign for former Premier League champions Manchester City.

“I was close to signing for FC Porto, where I really wanted to go, but my agent said City was a much better prospect and my father told me I should join City because I would have a much better future here,” Iheanacho said. “So that’s what I did.

City Cup Win rebroadcast earns

IHEANACHO Eagles Call-Up

C Iheanacho

oach Sunday Oliseh has revealed he included Manchester City starlet Kelechi Iheanacho on his squad for a World Cup eliminator only after he watched a rebroadcast of City’s League Cup win over Crystal Palace in which the youngster shone.

Oliseh originally called up 23 players for next month’s World Cup qualifier against Swaziland, but he later picked 18-year-old Iheanacho after he watched a rebroadcast of City’s 5-1 League Cup win over Palace in which the young forward was the man

Nduka

of the match on the back of his goal and two assists.

Recuperating Sunday Oliseh, who has been placed on a two-week bed rest by his doctors following a viral infection, could only watch the repeat broadcast of the League Cup game between Manchester City and Crystal Palace Thursday afternoon to decide on handing the 2013 U17 World Cup MVP a senior team call up.

“I initially called up 23 players, but I am adding Kelechi Iheanacho to the list immediately,”Oliseh said.

“Nobody knows what will happen but because City are such a big team with so many fantastic players I didn’t believe I’d have a future here, but my father did and he gave me to confidence I needed.

Now I’m happy I took his advice.”

The 19-year-old striker has scored two goals in all competitions so far this season.

He was the man of the match in a 5-1 thrashing of Crystal Palace Wednesday in a Capital One game with a goal and two assists.

Why Oliseh axed Moses

C

helsea loanee Victor Moses has been left out of a 2018 World Cup eliminator against Swaziland after he skipped Nigeria’s recent friendlies in Belgium, officials have disclosed.

Victor Moses has been flying at London club West Ham, but he did not impress coach Sunday Oliseh when he opted out of friendly matches against DR Congo and Cameroon as a precautionary measure against injury.

“Oliseh was far from happy with Victor Moses when he withdrew from the friendlies against DRC and Cameroon in Belgium and that was why he left him out of the squad,” said a top official who was with the Eagles in Belgium.

X4

Monday, November 2, 2015

EXTRATIME

About

SCHOEMAN

Roland Mark Schoeman is a South African swimmer and was a member of the South African swim team at the 2000 Olympic Games, 2004 Olympic Games, 2008 Olympic Games, and the 2012 Olympic Games.

Born in Pretoria, Schoeman first took an interest in the sport when he was 13, and began to compete three years later.

He has said that he began swimming to show a girl how interested he was in her. This marked the beginning of a career that would see him attain a gold, silver and bronze medal at the 2004 Olympic Games; three gold, a silver and a bronze World Championship medals, as well as four gold, three silvers and three bronzes at the Commonwealth Games. He set new South African records in the 100 m Freestyle (48.69 s), 50 m Freestyle (22.04 s), 100 m Butterfly (52.73 s) and 50 m Butterfly (23.65 s) events.

He won a gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens in the 4 × 100 m freestyle, a silver medal in the 100 m freestyle event and a bronze in the 50 m freestyle. Three of the Men’s 100 metre Freestyle team were in the team that broke the record and won gold at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. He also claimed golds in the 100m freestyle and 100m butterfly.

Schoeman, who is asthmatic, was voted the African Swimmer of the Year by Swimming World in 2004, 2005 and 2006; and the South African Swimmer of the Year in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006. He was elected South African Sports Star of the Year in 2004.

In 2007, he received the South African Presidential Award Order of Ikhamanga in Silver, awarded for excellent achievements in the field of swimming.

At the 2005 FINA World Aquatics Championships in Montreal, Canada he won two gold medals [50 m Butterfly (in a world record time of 22.96 s) and Freestyle (21.69 s, the second fastest time in history at the time)]. He also claimed a silver in 100 m freestyle.

Schoeman has broken three long course world records (two individual, one relay) and six short course world records (all individual).

PERSONAL INFORMATION Full name: Roland Mark Schoeman Nationality: South Africa Born: July 3, 1980 Pretoria, South Africa Height: 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) Weight: 84 kg (185 lb; 13.2 st) Sport: Swimming Strokes Freestyle, butterfly Club: Phoenix Swim Club (USA) Coach: Herbie Behm

Roland Schoeman

Monday, November 2, 2015

EXTRATIME

X5

X6

Monday, November 2, 2015

EXTRATIME

FEATURE

Mauricio Miranda and father

MIRANDA: LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON

Jose Miranda and his son Mauricio Miranda F ootball has always occupied a very important place in the Miranda household. “We’re always talking about the game,” said Jose Miranda, a 61-year-old physical education teacher, ex-midfielder and former director of football at Deportes Concepcion, the latter spell occurring during the Chilean club’s most glorious era. Seated by his side is his son Mauricio, 36, who also played the game – as a striker – but was forced to retire early because of injury and now works as a reporter for the same club. Two lives linked to football and which have traced similar paths.

“We’ve led very similar lives,” commented Mauricio, as part of their chat with FIFA.com, “first as players, then in working at

the same club, and now because we’ve both worked at World Cups.”

Just as his father did at the FIFA World Youth Championship Chile 1987, so Mauricio is doing at the FIFA U-17 World Cup Chile 2015, helping to organise the competition, albeit occupying a different position.

“I’m the communications officer for the Local Organising Committee here in Concepcion, while my father also worked here, but in the ticketing department,” explained Miranda Jr.

Head of the family When talk turns to their abilities on the pitch, there is no doubt as to who was the better player. “I was a striker and I had some good games and some not-so-good games,” said a chuckling Mauricio.

“Not many goals,” chipped in Jose, with a glint in his eye. “I was a fighter, though,” retorted Mauricio. “That was my main attribute.”

The younger of the Mirandas had no hesitation in recognising his father as the family’s star act, however: “My dad was the better player. There’s no doubt about that. My professional career was a lot shorter, while he played at the top level for a long time, with different teams and achieving a lot.”

Reflecting on their work with Deportes Concepcion, Jose’s only regret is that the university club’s glory days in the early 1990s, when they rubbed shoulders with South America’s finest in the Copa Libertadores, are now but a memory and that Mauricio is not

enjoying the same highs that he once did.

“It was a wonderful experience,” he recalled. “The team doesn’t deserve to be where it is at the moment (in the Chilean second division) and we hope they can find their way back to the top soon.

“I remember those days as a fan,” said Mauricio. “My brother and I used to go to the stadium really early, and thanks to my dad we were able to meet the players and go down to the dressing room. Unfortunately, times are tougher for the club right now, but I hope they can get back into the first division and give the fans something to cheer about.”

The World Cup experiences enjoyed by father and son some 28 years apart are also different,

as Jose explained: “You can’t compare one World Cup to another. Look at the stadium for a start. It’s the same one, but it’s been completely refurbished.

“And then there’s the whole development in communications. Everything’s done with computers these days and you’ve also got the social networks. It’s totally different, but I was invited to watch the games and I have to say that it brought back a lot of memories and emotions from the World Cup in ‘87.”

Expressing his pride at seeing Mauricio following the path he took, Jose said: “It makes me very happy to see a son fulfil his dreams, as he has, in taking part in a World Cup. It’s a priceless experience.”

Monday, November 2, 2015

EXTRATIME

WOODS HAS A ‘LONG ROAD

Golf

Wood

AHEAD’ TO RECOVERY

T CHEKA TO FIGHT IN ENGLAND NOV 7 Boxing

D

ar es Salaam. After a long wait, a professional boxer, Francis “SMG” Cheka will now fight in England on November 7, according to the Advance Security Company Limited managing director, Juma Ndambile.

Ndambile has said that the bout will be held at M.E.N Arena in Manchester and Tanzania boxer is expecting to leave the country early this week.

However, he did not mention Cheka’s opponent, but said the Morogoro-based boxer is ready to punch anyone on the line.

“Initially, we knew that Cheka

will fight Martin Murray, but we have noticed that there are some changes. Cheka is a professional boxer and he is ready to fight any opponent,” said Ndambile.

He said they have already received air ticket from the bout promoter and he will be accompanying Cheka to the fight.

“We were supposed to travel to England today (yesterday), but the invitation was on a very short notice. We asked them to reschedule the trip to this week because I am not in the country at the moment,” Ndambile, who is in Nairobi, Kenya, said.

Cricket

Rubel

W

X7

ith the talisman Rubel Hossain yet to recover from a calf-muscle injury and Taskin Ahmed fighting for fitness, selectors of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) chose Kamrul Islam Rabbi alongside the injury-prone Shafiul Islam and troublesome spearhead Al-Amin Hossain as pace options to fill up the blank for upcoming three ODIs and two T20s against Zimbabwe early November.

– MCILROY

iger Woods went under the knife on Wednesday for the third time in less than two years to fix issues related to discs in his back.

Woods’ friend, Rory McIlroy, is concerned that yet another surgery is going to make the 14-time major winner’s return even more difficult and recovery lengthier.

“That’s his third back surgery in just over a year, and like someone once said, the best way to avoid your fifth back surgery is not to do the first one,” McIlroy said, according to Irish Golf Desk.

“But it’s a procedure he needed, he needed it. I just hope he gets better.”

At this point, McIlroy is less concerned with Woods getting back to playing competitive golf than the former No. 1 having an improved quality of daily life.

“I think any time you touch your back, it is tough,” McIlroy said.

“It looks like it is a long road to recovery for him, and I just hope

I AM NOT AN INJURY-PRONE BOWLER–RUBEL Rabbi, who had to wait for 8 longs years before getting a final call to the national squad, was visibly quite excited with his inclusion to the Tigers 18-member preliminary squad and is looking to get himself counted with the maiden call-up to the final squad.

Terming this as a “dream come true”, the 23-year-old Patuakhaliborn pacer said, “Finally my dream has come true. I am really happy to get an opportunity. My first target is to promote my side through my bowling if I get any slot in the best 11. I will give my hundred percent if I get an opportunity.”

Rabbi, who once sported for Bangladesh under-19 side and is a great fan of Wasim Akram’s bowling, also revealed the secret weapon of his bowling as he said, “Bowling at good length is the key. I can bowl in good area. Apart from that, another good sign is that I am not an injury-prone bowler. I am quite excited to join the practice camp. My primary target is to draw the attention of the selectors during practice camp,” Rabbi said.

he gets better, not just to play golf but just for everyday life and being able to do everyday things more than anything else.”

On Wednesday, Woods underwent a follow-up procedure to relieve discomfort stemming from a second microdiscectomy surgery on Sept. 16. That second microdiscectomy followed a similar procedure from March 2014.

View gallerySpieth dominates a Masters that shows golf in good … Tiger Woods, left, shakes hands with Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, on the 18th hole during the …

Woods returned from the first microdiscectomy procedure just three months later, an accelerated recovery for a surgery that usually keeps athletes out of action for as long as a year. Woods admitted his return was to support the PGA Tour’s Quicken Loans National, which benefits his foundation. He also discussed that, before the

surgery, he was concerned that the back pain was so severe that it might end his playing career.

However, Woods played an 11-event schedule in 2015. It wasn’t until his final start, a last-ditch effort at the Wyndham Championship to make the PGA Tour playoffs, that Woods scored his only top-10 finish of the yea.

Woods complained in Greensboro of pain that he believed was caused by his hip, not his back. Weeks after the season ended, Woods announced additional disc trouble caused the pain and necessitated a second microdiscectomy.

Last week, Woods said at the America’s Golf Cup in Mexico, an event he had intended to play before undergoing the second microdiscectomy, Woods said he didn’t have a timetable for his return, but was targeting sometime in early 2016 after a “long and tedious” rehab process.

It’s unclear if this latest procedure will push that target return date out further.

SCHUMACHER ‘Is Still Fighting’ –Jean Todt

S

even-times Formula 1 world champion Michael Schumacher “is still fighting” according to close family friend and FIA president Jean Todt.

It is now 22 months since Schumacher sustained severe brain injuries following a skiing accident in the French Alps.

After initially being placed in a medically-induced coma, Schumacher spent a number of months in intensive care in Grenoble hospital before finally regaining consciousness.

That allowed him to be moved to a hospital closer to his home in Lausanne last September, before then finally returning home in early September.

Since then little information has been revealed about the 46-year-old and his recovery.

Todt, speaking at a media briefing ahead of this weekend’s Mexican Grand

FormulaOne:

Schumacher

Prix, at least offered a small insight into Schumacher’s latest situation.

Todt, who remains close to the Schumacher family, said: “It was interesting last week after Lewis [Hamilton] won the title for third time.

X8

Monday, November 2, 2015

EXTRATIME

EXTRATIME

REAL MADRID OPEN TO RETURN FOR CHELSEA BOSS

RAMOS, PEPE FIT TO FACE PSG

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helsea fans in the Transfer Tavern are concerned to see clubs liningup as potential destinations for their under fire manager, should he be relieved of his duties.

With five defeats in Chelsea’s opening ten games of the Premier League season, added to a Champions League loss against Porto and a League Cup exit at the hands of Stoke City, Mourinho is under intense pressure to improve performances.

Should he leave the Blues though it’s unlikely Mourinho would be out of work for too long, with Real Madrid the latest club linked to his services.

According to Real’s former president Raul Calderon, the Spanish side would be open to bringing their former manager back to the Santiago Bernabeu- as reported by BeIN Sports.

With so many high-profile clubs seemingly in the ring for Mourinho’s services, Chelsea supporters at the bar are now wondering whether they should give their current boss more time to turn the club’s fortunes around.

- BENITEZ R

afa Benitez is hopeful that Sergio Ramos and Pepe will both be available for Tuesday’s Champions League match against Paris Saint-Germain.

Ramos has been plagued by a shoulder injury in recent weeks, while a leg injury has kept Pepe sidelined for over a month.

Both defenders sat out Saturday’s 3-1 win over Las Palmas, but will be ready to make their comeback at the Bernabeu against the French champions in midweek.

“Sergio Ramos and Pepe will be available to play against PSG,” Benitez

said at a news conference.

Luka Modric was taken off at halftime against Las Palmas due to a hip problem, but Benitez seems confident the Croatia international’s injury is nothing too serious.

“Modric had a slight problem with his hip and we took him off because we preferred not to risk him.

“For the rest of the recovering players, we will make a decision on Monday whether they are available.”

Madrid recorded a scoreless draw in the away match against PSG and sit joint top of Group E with Laurent Blanc’s side on seven points from three games.

Benitez

REUS

Stays Grounded As Dortmund Gain On Bayer n

M

arco Reus was thrilled to see Borussia Dortmund close the gap on Bayern Munich with a 3-1 victory over Werder Bremen but warned that the leaders remain out of reach for now.

Having seen Bayern held to a goal-

Reus

less draw by Eintracht Frankfurt on Friday, the Germany international scored twice at the Weserstadion as Dortmund moved to within five points of the reigning champions.

Reus saw his opener cancelled out

by Anthony Ujah on Saturday before Henrikh Mkhitaryan restored the lead prior to half-time - Dortmund sealing victory through Reus 18 minutes from the end.

“If you are second then are you looking at, of course, the team in first but Bayern are still a bit far away,” Reus told Sky. “In the Bundesliga, things can change so fast, we just need to focus on us. It was extremely difficult for us.

“We played patiently in the first half and despite being on top we didn’t have the necessary tempo.

“During the break, we said that we have to play a little bit punchier and move the ball around better. In the end, we played out the game well.

“The game was more difficult than it might have looked [beforehand].”

Mourinho

M

anchester United boss Louis van Gaal is concerned after his side’s third consecutive goalless draw, the first time it has happened since 2005.

Saturday’s stalemate at Crystal Palace came after 0-0 draws against Manchester City last Sunday and Middlesbrough in the Capital One Cup in midweek.

United are fourth in the Premier League but have not scored in over five hours.

“There’s a big concern but I already said that after the match against Middlesbrough,” said Van Gaal.

Play media Jump media playerMedia player helpOut of media player. Press enter to return or tab to continue. “[In that match] we created many chances but did not finish. “[Today] we didn’t create so many chances so it’s more difficult. When you don’t keep the ball you can’t create chances.”

Van Gaal’s side have drawn criticism from former United and England midfielder Paul Scholes for lacking creativity, and they had only one shot on target at Selhurst Park - a Wayne Rooney free-kick.

VAN GAAL Concerned By United Goal Drought Gaal